This thought-provoking collection takes aim at the dark, irrational, immoral, and dangerous elements of religion; Televangelists preying on elderly victims, extant misogyny and witch-burning practices, racism, slavery and violence defended in holy books, wars justified, soldiers recruited in the name of “God,” pedophile priests and assaults on free expression. Sometimes satirical and humorous, sometimes tragic and impassioned, these poems are for anyone with a dark sense of humour, a belief in free expression, or simply a love of poetry. In the same way that religion often uses guilt, fear, and shame to restrain the mind against any criticism, this collection uses humour and pathos to free it up and elicit passion and laughter in those who find beauty and humour in the irreverent.

Reading the Gospels without knowing the personality of Jesus is like watching television with the sound turned off. The result is a dry, two dimensional person doing strange, undecipherable things. In BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW, John Eldredge removes the religious varnish to help readers discover stunning new insights into the humanity of Jesus. He was accused of breaking the law, keeping bad company, heavy drinking. Of being the devil himself. He was so compelling and dangerous they had to kill him. But others loved him passionately. He had a sense of humor. His generosity was scandalous. His anger made enemies tremble. He'd say the most outrageous things. He was definitely not the Jesus of the stained glass. In the author's winsome, narrative approach, he breaks Jesus out of the typical stereotypes, just as he set masculinity free in his book, Wild at Heart. By uncovering the real Jesus, readers are welcomed into the rich emotional life of Christ. All of the remarkable qualities of Jesus burst like fireworks with color and brilliance because of his humanity. Eldredge goes on to show readers how they can experience this Jesus in their lives every day. This book will quicken readers' worship, and deepen their intimacy with Jesus.

Winner of the 2017 Illumination Award Jacqueline Bussie knows that too many Christians live according to unspoken “laws” that govern the Christian life: #1: Never get angry at God; #2: Never doubt; #3: Never question; #4: Never tell your real story; #5: Always speak in clichés about evil and suffering; and #6: Always believe hope comes easy for those who truly love God. Living according to these rules is killing real Christian life; Outlaw Christian proposes a rebellious, life-giving, authentic alternative. Through captivating stories and with disarming honesty, Bussie gives concrete, practical strategies to help readers cultivate hope, seek joy, practice accompaniment, compost their pain, and rediscover the spiritual practice of lament. Tackling difficult questions without political divisiveness, Bussie speaks to both progressive and conservative Christians in ways that unite rather than divide. And in doing so, she provides a new way to handle the most difficult and troubling questions of life in a broken world that God will never abandon.

An exciting new book which is a ground-breaking study of the life that became the foundation of Christianity.

The medieval outlaws of Britain maintain a hold on the present-day imagination, judging by their presence in literature and on film. Exploring the nature of both historical and fictional outlaws, these twelve critical essays survey the literary, historical, and cultural environments that produced them, namely the medieval and early modern periods. Divided into three parts, the text examines the historical records of real outlawed men and women and the representation of Jews in medieval Britain as possible outlaws, outlaws associated specifically with Wales, and the popular figure of Robin Hood and the context of the late medieval poems and plays that feature him as a prominent figure.

"Saints and sinners, all jumbled up together." That's the genius of Johnny Cash, and that's what the gospel is ultimately all about. Johnny Cash sang about and for people on the margins. He famously played concerts in prisons, where he sang both murder ballads and gospel tunes in the same set. It's this juxtaposition between light and dark, writes Richard Beck, that makes Cash one of the most authentic theologians in memory. In Trains, Jesus, and Murder, Beck explores the theology of Johnny Cash by investigating a dozen of Cash's songs. In reflecting on Cash's lyrics, and the passion with which he sang them, we gain a deeper understanding of the enduring faith of the Man in Black.

These superb works are without equal in modern literature. Schilder ''brings the reader into touch with the spiritual and temporal forces which converged during the Passion Week. He is careful to keep Christ central, and he blends in a masterful way this culmination of our Lord's earthly life with historical facts and psychological realities'' (Cyril Barber, The Minister's Library). Schilder was a noted Dutch scholar of the early twentieth century. The three volumes of this work were translated by Henry Zylstra. They first appeared in 1937. The three volumes cover three aspects of the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are entitled: Christ Crucified, Christ in His Suffering, and, Christ On Trial. In The Minister's Library, Cyril Barber states: ''Theologically accurate, abounds in suggestive insights, and provides exegetical illumination for a score of Easter sermons. It is a classic treatment on the passion of Christ. [It} deserves a place in every pastor's library. [The three volumes} cover the night of His betrayal to His condemnation . . . [it is] a learned, accurate treatment.'' That says a lot about this unique, very important work. It is simply indispensable to the understanding and feeling of the power of the passion of Christ. To put it into the words of the Apostle Paul, all should feel as he did, ''[Oh that I might] ''be found in Him . . . to know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, having been conformed to His death, if somehow I may attain to a resurrection out of the dead'' (Philippians 3:9-11). Through the guidance and inspiration of God the Holy Spirit Schilder has captured the drama and the pathos of Christ's ordeal, and yet also passes on to the reader the triumph and the exultation of Christ as He completes His voluntary submission to the Father's will: ''Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You prepared a body for Me. You did not delight in burnt offering and sacrifices concerning sins. Then I said, Lo, I come in the heading of the Book it was written concerning Me, to do Your will, O God'' (Psalm 39:6-9; Heb. 10:5-7). No child of God is completely mature until he or she has gone to Gethsemane and followed the trail of Christ as He approached the hour when He must endure unspeakable humiliation, pain, and the suffering of momentary loss of the Father's presence with Him. It is no wonder that He sweat blood at the prospect, for He was not ignorant of what He must go through in order to provide salvation for His sheep: ''The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep'' (John 10:11). No one will better draw you down to the depths of this drama, a scene which only one Person could have endured, than Schilder. You will not be the same after you have followed Christ through these stirring looks that Schilder gives you - you will be a better Christian, by far. This is a Best Set in Print. Schilder was a man of many gifts, without any doubt. Anyone who has read his writings, even some of them, will readily acknowledge that he possessed the ability to look at various theological questions in different ways and to express his ideas in sometimes eloquent ways which were often fresh and new. 548 pages, blue hard cover

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