In Faith in Freedom, Andrew R. Polk argues that the American civil religion so many have identified as indigenous to the founding ideology was, in fact, the result of a strategic campaign of religious propaganda. Far from being the natural result of the nation's religious underpinning or the later spiritual machinations of conservative Protestants, American civil religion and the resultant "Christian nationalism" of today were crafted by secular elites in the middle of the twentieth century. Polk's genealogy of the national motto, "In God We Trust," revises the very meaning of the contemporary American nation. Polk shows how Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, working with politicians, advertising executives, and military public relations experts, exploited denominational religious affiliations and beliefs in order to unite Americans during the Second World War and, then, the early Cold War. Armed opposition to the Soviet Union was coupled with militant support for free economic markets, local control of education and housing, and liberties of speech and worship. These preferences were cultivated by state actors so as to support a set of right-wing positions including anti-communism, the Jim Crow status quo, and limited taxation and regulation. Faith in Freedom is a pioneering work of American religious history. By assessing the ideas, policies, and actions of three US Presidents and their White House staff, Polk sheds light on the origins of the ideological, religious, and partisan divides that describe the American polity today.

The recent renewal of the faith-reason debate has focused attention on earlier episodes in its history. One of its memorable highlights occurred during the Enlightenment, with the outbreak of the "Pantheism Controversy" between the eighteenth century Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and the Christian Counter-Enlightenment thinker Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi. While Mendelssohn argued that reason confirmed belief in a providential God and in an immortal soul, Jacobi claimed that its consistent application led ineluctably to atheism and fatalism. At present, there are two leading interpretations of Moses Mendelssohn's thought. One casts him as a Jewish traditionalist who draws on German philosophy to support his premodern Jewish beliefs, while the other portrays him as a secret Deist who seeks to encourage his fellow Jews to integrate into German society and so disingenuously defends Judaism to avoid arousing their opposition. By exploring the Pantheism Controversy and Mendelssohn's relation to his two greatest Jewish philosophical predecessors, the medieval Rabbi Moses Maimonides and the seventeenth century heretic Baruch Spinoza, Michah Gottlieb presents a new reading of Mendelssohn arguing that he defends Jewish religious concepts sincerely, but gives them a humanistic interpretation appropriate to life in a free, diverse modern society. Gottlieb argues that the faith-reason debate is best understood not primarily as an argument about metaphysical questions, such as whether or not God exists, but rather as a contest between two competing conceptions of human dignity and freedom. Mendelssohn, Gottlieb contends, gives expression to a humanistic religious perspective worthy of renewed consideration today.

Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch minister-teacher-reformer born in 1560, called for religious tolerance, human liberty, and Òfor a free church founded only upon the Holy Scriptures. Opposing certain doctrinal and ecclesiastical developments of Calvinism and the Reformed Church, Arminius advocated the universal atonement of Christ and the freedom of man to accept or reject this salvation. The five papers and sermon contained here were delivered at the Arminius Symposium in Holland in 1960. They trace the events of Aruminius's life, the essence of his theology, and his influence in Europe, England, and America.

What would it take for you to make a change? Weight loss can sometimes be a very self-focused endeavor. Maybe you have struggled with your weight your entire life, riding a constant roller coaster of numbers that go up and down. Or maybe you are finding yourself more stressed out by the world and all its demands. Perhaps you just don’t feel as well in your body as you do in your spirit. In The Wellness Revelation, certified fitness professional Alisa Keeton will challenge you to get fit with God so that He can free you to complete your purpose. She teaches that when we get fit physically as well as spiritually, we will be better equipped to love and serve others. The Wellness Revelation will change the way you perceive yourself and the way that you live your life. Each week in this eight-week journey includes a teaching from Alisa, weekly assignments, Bible study, small-group questions, and more. Alisa will encourage you to love God, get healthy, and serve others; and she will provide you with the tools to spread the gospel with courage, confidence, kindness, and freedom. It’s time to make a change from the inside out.

Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking "Agh! I wish I had said?"In the moment, we sometimes struggle to respond with clear and concise answers to the many questions we are asked on everything from faith to politics. This can be especially true when the topic is faith and politics. In Faith Seeking Freedom: Libertarian Christian Answers To Tough Questions, the Libertarian Christian Institute has gathered together some of the brightest minds at the intersection of Christianity and Libertarianism to answer over 100 of the most commonly asked questions on the topic.

You’ve already been set free by Christ. When are you going to start experiencing that freedom? What does it look like when a man lives out a truly authentic, loving walk with Jesus Christ? It looks like freedom. The Apostle Paul, a man made new by the gospel of Jesus Christ, presents one of the clearest images of the godly man in action. He’s committed to a life of faith, focused on the Spirit instead of the flesh, set free to love others. No longer focused on himself, he demonstrates his faith by serving others. You can be that kind of man by claiming your freedom in Christ. Being God’s man means being set free to exemplify Christ’s love. Being God’s Man by Claiming Your Freedom will stimulate personal reflection and honest dialogue with God and other men. The goal is that you will strive to be God’s man in every way–feeling his heart for others, and doing his will obediently and joyfully. Special Features: ·Practical studies–for individual use or group settings–facilitate personal encounters with God and other men ·Questions encourage genuine reflection and help build godly convictions ·“Real Life” case studies show how the truths you discover have worked out in other men’s lives ·“Standing Strong” section gives you the opportunity to identify action steps for lasting change.

Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch minister-teacher-reformer born in 1560, called for religious tolerance, human liberty, and "for a free church founded only upon the Holy Scriptures. Opposing certain doctrinal and ecclesiastical developments of Calvinism and the Reformed Church, Arminius advocated the universal atonement of Christ and the freedom of man to accept or reject this salvation. The five papers and sermon contained here were delivered at the Arminius Symposium in Holland in 1960. They trace the events of Aruminius's life, the essence of his theology, and his influence in Europe, England, and America.

Faith to Freedom: From Dumpster to Doctor, is a book title that stirs a strong curiosity at the onset. The mind's eye envisions familiar sights of souls lingering on sidewalks, asleep on bus stop benches or lining freeway underpasses in metropolitan areas. Hope for them appears dim, and a life turnaround nearly impossible. Author, Dr. Keith L. Marshall escorts his reading audience down a very personal and vulnerable road. A scenic route revealing childhood abuse suffered from his stepfather's rage, promiscuity, a twenty year struggle with a chronic crack cocaine addiction, abandonment, homelessness, imprisonment and the severe trauma suffered from being shot in the head point blank and stabbed multiple times, being left for dead.Ultimately, Dr. Marshall does reveal the silver lining within the pages of his autobiography. Before doing so, he naturally motivates his reading audience to take a deeper look into their own lives, past and present. In doing so they may be inspired to unearth and face their own buried pain, ghosts from the past and residual fears that need to be uprooted and healed. His extraordinary experience of being wrapped in modern day miracle as he stared death in the face is inexplicable. He survived the unimaginable which brought him to the doorstep of spiritual awareness. God was no longer afar off. Marshall let go of religious practice and rituals and became conscious and present in his thought life while changing the self-destructive behaviors that hurt himself and others. His journey proves that no matter how dark and ominous a life may seem, there is always a way out, and God is waiting to lead them to that space. Dr. Marshall is a Doctor of Psychology, CEO, Author, and living a more enduring, purposeful, and productive life. Faith to Freedom: From Dumpster to Doctor maneuvers the reader to ponder their existence and its meaning. Marshall asserts that there is one universal and undeniable truth about life and there is something we all have in common. That is the imminent reality that death awaits us, and the question we all ask ourselves, "What happens after life as we know it on earth"? He cannot leave this world without sharing his story and assuring others that self-forgiveness, redemption, and overcoming human struggles, is possible. The raw effects of trauma and self-destruction can become a thing of the past as long as there is breath in the body, and a will to get up and rebuild!