James Smith
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Rich Mullins : An Arrow Pointing To Heaven – Twenty Fifth Anniversary Editi (Ann
$19.99Add to cartExperience Rich Mullins’s Legacy of Joy and Real Compassion
Beloved contemporary Christian musician Rich Mullins lived his life with abandon for God, leaving the spotlight to teach music among a Navajo community. An accident cut his life short in 1997, but his songs and ragamuffin spirit continue to teach many.
In honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Rich’s homegoing, this edition of Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven delivers an intimate look at the experiences that sparked praise hits and the values behind his Christ-like candor. James Bryan Smith captures just what Rich wished for when he said, I hope I would leave a legacy of joy–a legacy of real compassion.
See the layers of his story through reflections from friends and family, an afterword by Rich’s brother David Mullins, and Smith’s own bond with him. And in remembrance, be inspired to enjoy God’s world as Rich did.
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Good And Beautiful You
$25.99Add to cartThe Christian faith is not only about belief and practices, it is also about the kind of people that we become.
Yet some of the biggest barriers to our transformation come from our toxic self-narratives. These narratives shape the way we see ourselves and the way we interact in the world. God designed us with a deep longing in our souls to be wanted, loved, alive, and connected to God. Healing our souls requires more than knowing what God thinks about us. Our healing comes not through reason alone, but through revelation. The best practice I have seen in Christian spiritual formation was Dallas Willard’s endorsement of the Good and Beautiful series a decade ago. Now this fourth book in the series, The Good and Beautiful You, addresses the self-narratives that hinder spiritual growth and the desires of the soul that only God can satisfy. James Bryan Smith reminds us how Scripture reveals the beauty and goodness of our own souls and how we long for healing that only God can provide. Complete with spiritual practices that help us live into that reality, The Good and Beautiful You will serve as a welcome companion on your journey to discover who you truly are in Christ.
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Good And Beautiful Journal
$10.00Add to cartJames Bryan Smith believes the gospel is about change in our lives today, not just our eternal destiny.
In the Good and Beautiful Series, he offers a transformative approach to discipleship by placing the focus on who God is, what it means to be a Christian, and what it means to live in community as a part of God’s kingdom. In the introduction to this journal Smith describes the significance of journaling as a part of the spiritual journey.
As you engage the content from the Good and Beautiful Series, this journal will provide a place to record your thoughts and reflections as God transforms your relationship with him, your community-and you.
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Room Of Marvels
$18.99Add to cartThree deaths in three years. His mother. His best friend. And now, his two-year-old daughter. In this moving story a Christian author goes to a retreat center to grieve and face the hard questions about God that he is asking in the wake of these losses. This expanded edition of the beloved book is a masterful, dream-like tale that speaks to the eternal in the midst of our most painful earthly losses.
Three deaths in three years. His mother. His best friend. And now, his two-year-old daughter. In this moving story a Christian author goes to a retreat center to grieve and face the hard questions about God that he is asking in the wake of these losses. If you have ever felt alone, betrayed, abandoned-if you have found yourself asking God why-this novel may be a source of hope. And if you have ever wondered what heaven is like, this book provides a beautiful vision. Room of Marvels is a masterful, dream-like tale that speaks to the eternal in the midst of our most painful earthly losses. This expanded edition of the beloved book has a new afterword from James Bryan Smith and a discussion guide for group use. Finding your room of marvels will give you reason to live. Again.
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Hidden In Christ
$18.99Add to cartA Deeper Sort of Devotional
Words are powerful. They contain ideas and shape the way we see God, ourselves and all of reality. We’re transformed, in particular, by God’s Word, and by “the Word,” the Logos-Jesus himself-as described by John in the first chapter of his Gospel.
Memorizing and studying a passage in depth can offer a deeper sense of the meaning of each word. In this unique introduction to the hidden life in Christ, James Bryan Smith walks readers through a thirty-day immersion in Colossians 3:1-17. Each of the thirty short chapters of this book bring out the main truth of just one word or phrase of this rich passage. You’ll also find a very simple daily practice to take up, reflection questions and a guide for five weeks of group discussion.
The chapters are short in length, making this book an ideal daily devotional. Since there are thirty chapters, it could be used for a one-month introduction to the hidden life in Christ. Though brief in terms of length, each chapter tries to unearth some very deep truths. For those who have read and practiced the exercises in the Apprentice series, this book will be a helpful refresher as you continue your sacred journey.
Each chapter also contains an exercise or practice (“Living into the Truth”), as well as an affirmation that summarizes the main point of the chapter and a written prayer designed to move you deeper into the truths of the Word. In addition, each chapter concludes with a few reflection questions that can be used either by individuals or in a group discussion.
The only way to tell a story is to use words. May the words of Colossians 3 become a companion to you as God continues to write your story.
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Magnificent Journey : Living Deep In The Kingdom
$17.99Add to cartWe are told, “Look out for yourself first” and “Nice guys finish last.” But following that path leaves us feeling isolated and anxious, and can even take us to a place of ruin. This is not a magnificent journey.
There is a road to life in the unshakeable kingdom of God, but it’s not an easy journey.
“We cannot enter into the kingdom unless we take our cross and die to ourselves,” writes author James Bryan Smith. “We often assume that this will be painful. And of course it is. But what is the alternative? I can, for example, choose to navigate my life, choose to live as I want, and aim at fulfilling all of my desires. This will result in that despair Kierkegaard wrote of, the sickness unto death. . . . The wisest choice, then, is to surrender.”
In The Magnificent Journey, the author shows us the better road, the road less travelled, but the road full of riches. Along the way he introduces us to new spiritual practices that will provide the sustenance we need for the deepest, most joy-filled journey of our lives-the journey into the heart of God.
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Magnificent Story : Uncovering A Gospel Of Beauty Goodness And Truth
$17.00Add to cartWe are story-making people. We love reading stories*and we love hearing the personal stories of others. We need stories, or narratives, to make sense of our world. And those stories shape our lives. What is the story you have been told about the gospel?
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Evolution And The Fall
$29.99Add to cartTackles thorny questions and tensions at the intersection of Scripture and science
What does it mean for the Christian doctrine of the Fall if there was no historical Adam? If humanity emerged from nonhuman primates-as genetic, biological, and archaeological evidence seems to suggest-then what are the implications for a Christian understanding of human origins, including the origin of sin?
This book gathers a multidisciplinary, ecumenical team of scholars to address these difficult questions from the perspectives of biology, theology, history, Scripture, philosophy, and politics. After mapping the territory of challenging questions surrounding human origins and the Fall, the contributors delve into biblical sources and traditional theological accounts as resources for understanding, consider broader cultural implications of the Fall, and propose ways of reimagining the conversation so as to move forward faithfully.
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From Nature To Creation
$25.00Add to cartHow does Christianity change the way we view the natural world? In this addition to a critically acclaimed series, renowned theologian Norman Wirzba engages philosophers, environmentalists, and cultural critics to show how the modern concept of nature has been deeply problematic. He explains that understanding the world as creation rather than as nature or the environment makes possible an imagination shaped by practices of responsibility and gratitude, which can help bring healing to our lands and communities. By learning to give thanks for creation as God’s gift of life, Christians bear witness to the divine love that is reconciling all things to God.
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Whos Afraid Of Relativism
$25.00Add to cartFollowing his successful Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? leading Christian philosopher James K. A. Smith introduces the philosophical sources behind postliberal theology. Offering a provocative analysis of relativism, Smith provides an introduction to the key voices of pragmatism: Ludwig Wittgenstein, Richard Rorty, and Robert Brandom.
Many Christians view relativism as the antithesis of absolute truth and take it to be the antithesis of the gospel. Smith argues that this reaction is a symptom of a deeper theological problem: an inability to honor the contingency and dependence of our creaturehood. Appreciating our created finitude as the condition under which we know (and were made to know) should compel us to appreciate the contingency of our knowledge without sliding into arbitrariness. Saying “It depends” is not the equivalent of saying “It’s not true” or “I don’t know.” It is simply to recognize the conditions of our knowledge as finite, created, social beings. Pragmatism, says Smith, helps us recover a fundamental Christian appreciation of the contingency of creaturehood.
This addition to an acclaimed series engages key thinkers in modern philosophy with a view to ministry and addresses the challenge of relativism in a creative, original way.
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Imagining The Kingdom (Reprinted)
$26.99Add to cartHow does worship work? How exactly does liturgical formation shape us? What are the dynamics of such transformation? In the second of James K. A. Smith’s three-volume theology of culture, the author expands and deepens the analysis of cultural liturgies and Christian worship he developed in his well-received Desiring the Kingdom. He helps us understand and appreciate the bodily basis of habit formation and how liturgical formation–both “secular” and Christian–affects our fundamental orientation to the world. Worship “works” by leveraging our bodies to transform our imagination, and it does this through stories we understand on a register that is closer to body than mind. This has critical implications for how we think about Christian formation.
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Teaching And Christian Practices
$27.99Add to cartIn Teaching and Christian Practices several university professors describe and reflect on their efforts to allow historic Christian practices to reshape and redirect their pedagogical strategies. Whether allowing spiritually formative reading to enhance a literature course, employing table fellowship and shared meals to reinforce concepts in a pre-nursing nutrition course, or using Christian hermeneutical practices to interpret data in an economics course, these teacher-authors envision ways of teaching and learning that are rooted in the rich tradition of Christian practices, as together they reconceive classrooms and laboratories as vital arenas for faith and spiritual growth.
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Kingdom And The Cross
$16.99Add to cartIVP Print On Demand Title
We believe a lot of false narratives about the nature of God, things like “God helps those who help themselves”; “God blesses the righteous”; “God might not be out for your good, and you might be missing something.” But pastor and professor James Bryan Smith points us to the truth of who God is, revealed by Jesus: A God who loves to help the helpless. A God who doesn’t play favorites, whether righteous or unrighteous. A God who is, in his essence, self-sacrificing–even to death–to save a people he loves. In six short chapters, The Kingdom and the Cross zooms in on Christ’s work on the cross and what it all means about who God is and how we’re to live as his people. A soul training exercise is included for each chapter to help the new true narrative take root in our hearts. And a discussion guide at the end makes this complement to The Apprentice Series perfect for groups to work through together, especially during the season of Lent. Understanding Christ’s work on the cross is crucial for any apprentice of Jesus. Here is a resource to help you see–and believe–more fully, that you might live more faithfully in his kingdom.
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Letters To A Young Calvinist (Reprinted)
$20.00Add to cartWho would have guessed that something as austere as Calvinism would become a hot topic in today’s postmodern culture? At the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth, new generations have discovered and embraced a “New Calvinism,” finding in the Reformed tradition a rich theological vision. In fact, Time cited New Calvinism as one of “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now.” This book provides pastoral and theological counsel, inviting converts to this tradition to find in Calvin a vision that’s even bigger than the New Calvinism might suggest. Offering wisdom at the intersection of theology and culture, noted Reformed philosopher James K. A. Smith also provides pastoral caution about pride and maturity. The creative letter format invites young Calvinists into a faithful conversation that reaches back to Paul and Augustine, through Calvin and Edwards, extending to Kuyper and Wolterstorff. Together they sketch a comprehensive vision of Calvinism that is generous, winsome, and imaginative.
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Good And Beautiful Community
$27.99Add to cartIntroduction
1 The Peculiar Community
Soul Training: Two-by-Four
2 The Hopeful Community
Soul Training: Sharing Your Faith
3 The Serving Community
Soul Training: Treasuring Our Treasures
4 The Christ-Centered Community
Soul Training: Loving Those We Disagree With
5 The Reconciling Community
Soul Training: Experiencing Reconciliation
6 The Encouraging Community
Soul Training: Finding An Accountability Friend
7 The Generous Community
Soul Training: Stewardship Of Resources
8 The Worshiping Community
Soul Training: Worship
9 Writing A Rule For Life And Living In Community
Appendix: Small Group Discussion Guide
Notes
AcknowledgmentsAdditional Info
In his third and final book in the Apprentice Series, James Bryan Smith helps us know how to live in relationship with others as apprentices of Jesus. “Apprentices of Jesus are not part-time do-gooders,” he writes. “They live in continuous contact with the kingdom of God, and are constantly men and women in whom Christ dwells. They do not sometimes tell the truth, sometimes live sacrificially or sometimes forgive. There are myriad opportunities for us to impact the world in which we live.” Yet many times we’ve gotten it wrong, tending to emphasize personal faith over social justice or vice versa. In these pages Jim Smith shows us how to bring spiritual formation and community engagement together, and then once again offers spiritual practices that root new, true narratives about God and the world in our souls. His insight and humility as a fellow learner with us will lead us to live in authentic ways as a good and beautiful community of Christ-followers, shining the light of the Spirit into every relationship. -
Good And Beautiful Life
$27.99Add to cartIntroduction
How To Get The Most Out Of This Book
1 An Invitation To The Good Life
Soul Training: Writing A Letter To God
2 Getting Heaven In Us
Soul Training: Play
3 An Invitation To Blessedness
Soul Training: Hospitality
4 Learning To Live Without Anger
Soul Training: Keeping The Sabbath
5 Learning To Live Without Lust
Soul Training: Media Fast
6 Learning To Live Without Lying
Soul Training: Silence
7 Learning To Bless Those Who Curse Us
Soul Training: Praying For The Success Of Competitors
8 Learning To Live Without Vainglory
Soul Training: Secret Service
9 Learning To Live Without Avarice
Soul Training: Deaccumulation
10 Learning To Live Without Worry
Soul Training: Prayer
11 Learning To Live Without Judging Others
Soul Training: A Day Without Gossip
12 Living In The Kingdom Day By Day
Soul Training: Living One Day DevotionallyAppendix: Small Group Discussion Guide
Notes
AcknowledgmentsAdditional Info
James Bryan Smith believes we have bought into false notions of happiness and success. We find ourselves caught up in self-serving decisions that lead us further into the vices that cause ruin: anger, lust, lying, worry and judging. In this follow up to his first book, The Good and Beautiful God, Smith traces through the Sermon on the Mount and helps us look behind these sins to replace our false beliefs with Jesus’ naratives about life in the kingdom of God. -
Politics Of Discipleship
$36.00Add to cartIn this fourth volume in the Church and Postmodern Culture series, internationally acclaimed theologian Graham Ward examines the political side of postmodernism in order to discern the contemporary context of the church and describe the characteristics of a faithful, political discipleship. His study falls neatly into two sections. The first, which is the more theoretical section, considers “the signs of the times.” Ward names this section “The World,” noting that the church must always frame its vision and mission within its worldly context. In the second section, “The Church,” he turns to constructive application, providing an account of the Christian practices of hope that engage the world from within yet always act as messengers of God’s kingdom.
Ward’s study accomplishes two related goals. First, he provides an accessible guide to contemporary postmodernism and its wide-ranging implications. Second, he elaborates a discipleship that informs a faith seeking understanding, which Ward describes as “the substance of the church’s political life.”
Ward is well known for his thoughtful engagement with postmodernism and contemporary critical theology. Here he provides a broader audience with an engaging account of the inherently political nature of postmodernity and thoughts on what it means to live the Christian faith within that setting.
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Desiring The Kingdom (Reprinted)
$26.99Add to cartPhilosopher James K. A. Smith embarks on a journey to reshape the whole notion of Christian education in Desiring the Kingdom. This text is the first of three volumes that will ultimately provide a comprehensive theology of culture. The entire set will address crucial concerns in ontology, anthropology, epistemology, and political philosophy. Desiring the Kingdom focuses on the themes of liturgy and desire. The author contends–as did Augustine–that human beings are “desiring agents”; in other words, we are what we love. Postmodern culture is saturated with liturgy, but in places such as malls, stadiums, and universities. While these structures influence us, they do not point us to the best of ends. Smith aims to recover a worldview based on counter-formation to these secular liturgies. His ultimate purpose is to re-vision Christian education as a formative process and redirect us to the summum bonum (the highest good)–namely, God himself. Desiring the Kingdom will reach a wide audience; professors and students in courses on theology, culture, philosophy, and worldview will welcome this contribution. Pastors, ministers, and other church leaders will appreciate Desiring the Kingdom as well.
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Good And Beautiful God
$27.99Add to cartIntroduction
How To Get The Most Out Of This Book
1. What Are You Seeking?
Soul Training: Sleep
2. God Is Good
Soul Training:Silence And Awareness Of Creation
3. God Is Trustworthy
Soul Training: Counting Your Blessings
4. God Is Generous
Soul Training: Praying Psalm 23
5. God Is Love
Soul Training: Lectio Divina
6. God Is Holy
Soul Training: Margin
7. God Is Self-Sacrificing
Soul Training; Reading The Gospel Of John
8. God Transforms
Soul Training: Solitude
9. How To Make A Pickle
Soul Training: Slowing Down
Appendix: Small Group Discussion Guide
Notes
AcknowledgmentsAdditional Info
Turning to the Gospels, James Bryan Smith invites you to put your ideas about God to the test to see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about his Father. Once you’ve discovered the truth in Scripture, Smith leads you through a process of spiritual formation that includes specific activities aimed at making these new narratives real in your body and soul as well as your mind. -
Embracing The Love Of God
$14.99Add to cartSmith distills the basic principles of Christian love and provides a new paradigm for relationship with God, self, and others that is based not on fear and judgment, but rather on acceptance and care. Smith’s moving insights illuminate the true, gentle nature of God’s love and teach readers how to continue on the path of love by embracing it day by day.
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Whos Afraid Of Postmodernism (Reprinted)
$24.00Add to cartThe philosophies of French thinkers Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault form the basis for postmodern thought and are seemingly at odds with the Christian faith. However, James K. A. Smith claims that their ideas have been misinterpreted and actually have a deep affinity with central Christian claims. Each chapter opens with an illustration from a recent movie and concludes with a case study considering recent developments in the church that have attempted to respond to the postmodern condition, such as the ”emerging church” movement. These case studies provide a concrete picture of how postmodern ideas can influence the way Christians think and worship. This significant book avoids philosophical jargon and offers fuller explanation where needed. It is the first book in the Church and Postmodern Culture series, which provides practical applications for Christians engaged in ministry in a postmodern world.
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101 Key Terms In Philosophy And Their Importance For Theology
$25.00Add to cartWritten by two philosophers and a theologian, “101 Key Terms provides easy access to key terms in philosophy and how they are understood and used in theology. The focused entries discuss what the terms have meant in classical and contemporary philosophy and then shift to what these philosophical understandings have meant in the history of Christian theology to the present day. The result is a unique volume that clearly shows the interplay of these disciplines and how theology has been influenced by the language and vocabulary of philosophy.
