This book fills a real need for pastors and students. Though there is currently a large body of material on the theological interpretation of Scripture, most of it is highly specific and extremely technical. J. Todd Billings here provides a straightforward entryway for students and pastors to understand why theological interpretation matters and how it can be done. / A solid, constructive theological work, The Word of God for the People of God presents a distinctive Trinitarian, participatory approach toward reading Scripture as the church. Billings's accessible yet substantial argument for a theological hermeneutic is rooted in a historic vision of the practice of scriptural interpretation even as it engages a wide range of contemporary issues and includes several exegetical examples that apply to concrete Christian ministry situations.

Dr. Liesch highlights the various models of Christian worship. This one-of-a-kind book for many kinds of readers in all kinds of churches presents the various biblical models and offers a wealth of suggestions. He takes up some of the major concerns such as the role of music, uses of symbolism, the appropriateness of dance, modes of celebration, expressions of reverence, and many others. *Lightning Print On Demand Title

From the early days of the church to the present, the courageous, the visionaries, the martyrs, the believers -- have steadily practiced and passed their faith from generation to generation. Dr. James L. Garlow takes a sweeping look through the centuries at God and His faithfulness to those who call Him God. Prepare to be thrilled, filled with faith, and amazed at what God has accomplished through those who have gone before us and those who serve today. Full of miraculous intervention, tragedy, intrigue and ultimate triumph -- God and His People reads like a bestselling novel, and will cause every believer to look with anticipation for the unfolding of God's next chapters! Book jacket.

Suffering and evil affect us all, both at a general level, as we look at a world filled with injustice, natural disasters and poverty, and at a personal level, as we experience grief, pain and unfairness. And how we think about and process the reality of pain is at the heart of why many people reject God. Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing is no stranger to pain and gives a heartfelt yet academically rigorous examination of how different belief systems deal with the problem of pain. She explains the unique answer that is found in Christ and how he can give us hope in the reality of suffering. This empathetic, easy-to-read and powerful evangelistic book is good for both unbelievers and believers alike. It will help those hoping to answer one of life’s biggest questions as well as those who are either suffering personally or comforting others.

The history of Catholicism is the history of Christian faith. Anthony E. Gilles traces its development—from its beginnings in hushed gatherings within the Roman Empire to its current size and influence—in an accessible and enjoyable style. A revised and updated compilation of the history volumes from his best-selling People of God series, this book will help you understand how the Church developed in relation to, or in rebellion against, the larger culture. It details centuries of crucial turning points from the development of apostolic succession to the implementation of the reforms of Vatican II. Complete with maps, timelines and special "focus" sections on important events and issues, this valuable resource belongs in the collection of every student of Church history.

Overly concerned about what people think of you? Edward T. Welch uncovers the spiritual dimension of people-pleasing—what the Bible calls fear of man—and points the way through a true knowledge of God, ourselves, and others.

Cesari argues that both religious and national communities are defined by the three Bs: belief, behaviour and belonging. By focusing on the ways in which these three Bs intersect, overlap or clash, she identifies the patterns of the politicization of religion, and vice versa, in any given context. Her approach has four advantages: firstly, it combines an exploration of institutional and ideational changes across time, which are usually separated by disciplinary boundaries. Secondly, it illustrates the heuristic value of combining qualitative and quantitative methods by statistically testing the validity of the patterns identified in the qualitative historical phase of the research. Thirdly, it avoids reducing religion to beliefs by investigating the significance of the institution-ideas connections, and fourthly, it broadens the political approach beyond state-religion relations to take into account actions and ideas conveyed in other arenas such as education, welfare, and culture.

Author Chris Wright offers a sweeping biblical survey of the holistic mission of the church, providing practical insight for today's church leaders. Wright gives special emphasis to theological trajectories of the Old Testament that not only illuminate God's mission but also suggest priorities for Christians engaged in God's world-changing work.

Called to Be God's People is an introduction to the Old Testament designed for those who wish to have a comprehensive guide to the contents, theology, and important passages of the Old Testament. Written from a Lutheran perspective, this book is especially designed for those within that tradition and others who seek a guide to the canonical books of the Old Testament that consciously presents the Scriptures' message of Law and Gospel as well as the traditional Christian messianic understanding of Moses and the Prophets that points to Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. This book is an ideal condensed handbook for university students and other Christian adults who seek to expand their knowledge of the background, content, and message of the Old Testament and its importance for Christian faith and life. It introduces important background information on each book of the Old Testament along with a general discussion of contents and theology. Included are illustrations, maps, tables, charts and sidebars. A concluding chapter on the centuries between the Old and New Testaments overlaps with a similar treatment contained in the New Testament volume in this series, Called by the Gospel, allowing for a smooth transition to the study of the rest of the Christian Scriptures.

At the 2010 Wheaton Theology Conference, leading New Testament scholar N. T. Wright and nine other prominent biblical scholars and theologians gathered to consider Wright's prolific body of work. Compiled from their presentations, this volume includes Wright's two main addresses plus nine other essays of critical response.