A robust discussion of common grace -- of great value to anyone interested in the relation of church and culture. Asking how Christians can account for the presence of goodness in a fallen world, Richard Mouw reinterprets the historic insights of Calvinism for life in the twenty-first century. Now available in paperback.

How do Christians account for the widespread presence of goodness in a fallen world? Richard Mouw, one of the most influential evangelical voices in America, presents his mature thought on the topic of common grace. Addressing a range of issues relevant to engaging common grace in the 21st century, Mouw shows how God takes delight in all things that glorify him--even those that happen beyond the boundaries of the church--and defends the doctrine of common grace from its detractors.

A defense of one grace of God only, God's particular grace, over against Dr. Mouw's allowance for a "common grace" of God extended to non-believers. Engelsma uses arguments from Scripture and the Reformed creeds.

2019 NAUTILUS GOLD WINNER In a time of rapid climate change and species extinction, what role have the world’s religions played in ameliorating—or causing—the crisis we now face? Religion in general, and Christianity in particular, appears to bear a disproportionate burden for creating humankind’s exploitative attitudes toward nature through unearthly theologies that divorce human beings and their spiritual yearnings from their natural origins. In this regard, Christianity has become an otherworldly religion that views the natural world as “fallen,” as empty of signs of God’s presence. And yet, buried deep within the Christian tradition are startling portrayals of God as the beaked and feathered Holy Spirit – the “animal God,” as it were, of historic Christian witness. Through biblical readings, historical theology, continental philosophy, and personal stories of sacred nature, this book recovers the model of God in Christianity as a creaturely, avian being who signals the presence of spirit in everything, human and more-than-human alike. Mark Wallace’s recovery of the bird-God of the Bible signals a deep grounding of faith in the natural world. The moral implications of nature-based Christianity are profound. All life is deserving of humans’ care and protection insofar as the world is envisioned as alive with sacred animals, plants, and landscapes. From the perspective of Christian animism, the Earth is the holy place that God made and that humankind is enjoined to watch over and cherish in like manner. Saving the environment, then, is not a political issue on the left or the right of the ideological spectrum, but, rather, an innermost passion shared by all people of faith and good will in a world damaged by anthropogenic warming, massive species extinction, and the loss of arable land, potable water, and breathable air. To Wallace, this passion is inviolable and flows directly from the heart of Christian teaching that God is a carnal, fleshy reality who is promiscuously incarnated within all things, making the whole world a sacred embodiment of God’s presence, and worthy of our affectionate concern. This beautifully and accessibly written book shows that “Christian animism” is not a strange oxymoron, but Christianity’s natural habitat. Challenging traditional Christianity’s self-definition as an other-worldly religion, Wallace paves the way for a new Earth-loving spirituality grounded in the ancient image of an animal God.

What if fear is the new brave? That's the question that you need answered if you are living afraid. Finding courage begins with fear itself--fear of the Lord. I Choose Brave reveals a countercultural plan to help you where you are--knee-deep in fears of parenting, the future, your marriage, and a world that feels unstable. When you're feeling fearful, the last thing you need is a social-media meme telling you to simply "power through" your fears. In I Choose Brave, Katie Westenberg digs deep into Scripture and shows that finding the courage to overcome our fears must start with fear of the Lord. Hundreds of passages speak to this foundational truth, yet we have somehow relegated them to antiquity. In sharing her own compelling story of facing her worst fear, Katie serves up theological truth with relatable application. In this book, you will · discover a fresh take on an old truth that displaces fear once and for all · understand why the culture's idea of "fearlessness" is a farce · access the holy courage you were made for With this new knowledge comes tremendous freedom. Hidden in the cleft of the Rock, the One truly worthy of our fear, you will begin to understand the only path to real courage.

Good stories capture us. Gripping stories inspire us. God’s story changes us. In Garden to Garden, through the power of story, author Mark Yoder recounts the epic saga of God’s work with man. It began with the first garden in Eden and wraps up with Revelation’s last garden on the new Earth. One of the great tragedies of not knowing the Bible is not knowing the story in it. Let’s correct that! From the marvel of creation, through the colossal collapse of the fall, and on through God’s work to rescue it all, hear the plot twists and shocking acts of a heroic Savior. Written in a style loved by people who gravitate to stories, Yoder weaves the narrative of Scripture with tales of his own. Those who are unfamiliar with the general flow of the Biblical plot will learn the big picture alongside many of God’s individual acts. Those who could tell much of this story themselves will step back and once again be in awe of how astonishing this narrative is. Gather ‘round... it’s story time.

New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet Timothy Keller shows how God calls on each of us to express meaning and purpose through our work and careers. “A touchstone of the [new evangelical] movement.” —The New York Times Tim Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and the New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, has taught and counseled students, young professionals, and senior leaders on the subject of work and calling for more than twenty years. Now he pulls his insights into a thoughtful and practical book for readers everywhere. With deep conviction and often surprising advice, Keller shows readers that biblical wisdom is immensely relevant to our questions about work today. In fact, the Christian view of work—that we work to serve others, not ourselves—can provide the foundation of a thriving professional and balanced personal life. Keller shows how excellence, integrity, discipline, creativity, and passion in the workplace can help others and even be considered acts of worship—not just of self-interest.

“I wasn’t supposed to spend my life in the world of scholarship,” Richard Mouw acknowledges at the beginning of Called to the Life of the Mind. Yet he has indeed spent his career in the academy -- and has become one of the most widely respected evangelical Christian scholars of our time. In this wise little book Mouw defends Christian scholarship as an important and legitimate endeavor, responding in particular to those traditions that continue to be suspicious of intellectual pursuits. Writing in an inviting, conversational style, Mouw reflects candidly on the faithful Christian cultivation of the life of the mind and offers gentle advice on how Christians, especially evangelicals, might fruitfully navigate the world of the academy as followers of Jesus.