There are many books about how people ought to interpret the Bible. This book is about how people in churches actually interpret the Bible, and why they interpret it in the way that they do. Based on a study of Anglicans in the Church of England, it explores the interaction of belief, personality, experience and context and sheds new light on the way that texts interact with readers. The author shows how the results of such study can begin to shape an empirically-based theology of scripture. This unique study approaches reader-centred criticism and the theology of scripture from a completely new angle, and will be of interest to both scholars and those who use the Bible in churches.

Interest in the ways of the early church has never been more intense. What did early Christians believe about the divinity of Christ? What were the beliefs of those who sat at the feet of Jesus’ disciples? Now, for the first time, a unique dictionary has been developed to allow easy access to the ancient material and furnish ready answers to these questions and others like them. David W. Bercot has painstakingly combed the writings of these early church leaders and categorized the heart of their thinking into more than 700 theological, moral, and historical topics to create A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs. Wonderfully suited for devotional or thematic study as well as sermon illustration, this resource offers a window into the world of the early church and affords special opportunity to examine topically the thoughts of students of the original apostles, as well as other great lights in the life of the early church.Collects relevant comments on key Christian concepts from prominent figures such as Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Clement of Rome, and HippolytusIncludes key biblical verses associated with a given topicOffers brief definitions of unfamiliar terms or concepts, allowing easy access to the ancient materialProvides a “who’s who” of ante-Nicene Christianity to put in context the ancient Christian writersDiscusses more than 700 key theological, moral, and historical topicsGives strategic cross-references to related topicsFunctions as a topical index to the writings of Ante-Nicene Fathers

How God Used Ordinary People to Accomplish Extraordinary TasksGod chose to teach His spiritual principles through the successes and failures of His people. Great Characters of the Bible is a 52-lesson study of 61 Bible characters who were not all that different from us. They experienced struggles, heartaches, successes, and failures. They battled fear, doubt, and worry. But they also give testimony to God’s mighty hand moving through the ages, establishing His will through the lives of people like you and me. Standing beside these men and women of the Bible will help you walk closer with God, who included their stories in His Word especially to teach you, to inspire you, and to guide and instruct you. As you share in their victories and defeats, you’ll discover how each person was selected by God to fulfill a purpose. By studying them, you will see how the Holy Spirit equips and empowers you for greater service.

The Bible is the Word of life. As such, studying the Bible is crucial to the life and growth of every believer. In this revised work, John MacArthur examines various Scripture passages in the Old and New Testament to answer both the “why” and the “how” questions of Bible study. How to Study the Bible can be used alongside or apart from the audio series available from Grace to You in either a personal or group study. UNIQUE FEATURES: Corresponds with the audio message series available from Grace to You Features revised content and study questions For personal or group study use

Discusses the path the Bible took from expensive and rare hand-copied manuscripts to mass printed editions and how each of these variations changed the way people read and understand the book.

From USCCB Publishing, this revision of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) seeks to promote more conscious, active, and full participation of the faithful in the mystery of the Eucharist. While the Missale Romanum contains the rite and prayers for Mass, the GIRM provides specific detail about each element of the Order of Mass as well as other information related to the Mass.

There is today a dramatic reexamination of structure, authority, dogma -- indeed, every aspect of the life of the Church is held up to scrutiny. Welcoming this as a sign of vitality, Avery Dulles has carefully studied the writings of contemporary Protestant and Catholic ecclesiologists and sifted out six major approaches, or "models," through which the Church's character can be understood: as Institution, Mystical Communion, Sacrament, Herald, Servant, and, in a recent addition to the book, as Community of Disciples. A balanced theology, he concludes, must incorporate the major affirmations of each. "The method of models or types," observes Cardinal Dulles, "can have great value in helping people to get beyond the limitations of their own particular outlook and to enter into fruitful conversation with others... Such conversation is obviously essential if ecumenism is to get beyond its present impasses." This new edition includes a new Appendix and Preface by the author.

Have you ever felt that God has something special planned for your life? Do you feel as though you have failed to receive His greater blessings? It may be that you haven’t fully matured as a Christian. Great Truths of the Bible provides you with a greater understanding of God’s will, as revealed through His Word, by presenting 48 fundamental spiritual principles of the Christian faith in a 52-lesson format. This study will… Build your confidence in the truth of all Scripture Help you to better understand difficult passages of the Bible Provide insights into subjects rarely taught or preached Take you through the entire Bible, focusing on key principles of Scripture As you follow this guide, you will discover exactly how God prepares you for the many choices you’ll face in life. These truths will become a living reality in your Christian walk, and you will become a “doer of the Word and not a hearer only.” (See James 1:22.)

A renowned scholar calls for a change of direction for the study of Jesus in the 21st century.

Ò [T]his work is offered in the hope that it will help those seeking biblical answers for today's problems to find a coherent and consistent way of using the biblical text. . . ÒHermeneutics . . . is not so interested in the specific explanation of individual passages, but in a more general way with the object or goal of exegesis. If in exegesis the aim is to discover the meaning of a passage, how will we tell when we have gotten this? In this essay we see that the task of hermeneutics is to teach us how we may tell a valid explanation from an invalid one--what constitutes a correct understanding of a passage. -- from the Introduction