These study guides, part of a set from noted Bible scholar, John MacArthur, take readers on a journey through biblical texts to discover what lies beneath the surface, focusing on meaning and context, and then reflecting on the explored passage or concept. With probing questions that guide the reader toward application, as well as ample space for journaling, "The MacArthur Bible Studies" are invaluable tools for Bible students of all ages. This work on Romans 9-16 is part of a New Testament commentary series which has as its objective explaining and applying Scripture, focusing on the major doctrines and how they relate to the whole of the Bible. This volume is a study of chapters 9-16 of the Book of Romans.

In recent years, keen interest has arisen among scholars regarding the connection between rhetoric and religion. This phenomenon could be due to the idea of universality that underlies these two topics or simply because of the crucial relevance they hold for the human condition. Biblical rhetorical criticism has been particularly active since 2009. The debate serves as a foundation for Eloquence Divine, which is grounded in a moderate and detached point of view that becomes helpful in seeing God as a 'mere' agent. In this fascinating study, God and Jesus are intended as rhetoricians who applied their own rhetoric tools in order to influence humanity's behaviour, acts and decisions. As an agnostic English teacher, Philip Arrington traces paths across different episodes of the Scriptures with the aim to explore basic issues, such as identifying the difference between God's rhetoric and human persuasion, as well as the effectiveness that divine eloquence demonstrates in the narration of the Bible.

In beginning this book, Michael Amaladoss states that images are important in helping us grasp who Jesus was and is. Following that insight, he unfolds the way in which nine images from Asian literature, culture, and religion open new horizons on the Founder of Christianity. The images are: Sage, Way, Guru, Satyagrahi (witness to truth), Avatar (incarnation of the divine), Servant, Compassionate One, Dancer, and Pilgrim. Amaladoss helps us read the New Testament with new eyes. Not only does a Jesus more familiar to the peoples of Asia emerge, but we see how the East has helped the entire world Christian family gain a richer perspective on the man from Galilee.

The theme uniting the essays reprinted here is the attitude of the medieval Church, and in particular the papacy, toward the Jewish population of Western Europe. Papal consistency, sometimes sorely tried, in observing the canons and the principles announced by St Paul - that Jews were to be a permanent, if disturbing, part of Christian life - helped balance the anxiety felt by members of the Church. Clerics especially feared what they called Jewish pollution. These themes are the focus of the studies in the first part of this volume. Those in the second part explore aspects of Jewish society and family life, as both were shaped by medieval realities.

The book provides a clear account of the sacraments of the Christian Church and of the general idea of sacramentality. It will reach out to a wide audience and present solid academic theology in an accessible and popular manner. The approach is distinctively Anglican, Thomist and on the conservative side of 'liberal catholic'.

Craig Blomberg's award-winning Jesus and the Gospels prepares readers for an intensive study of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the events they narrate. Blomberg considers the historical context of the Gospels and sheds light on the confusing interpretations brought forth over the last two centuries. This second edition incorporates new scholarship, debate, critical methods, and the ongoing quest for the historical Jesus, and ensures the work will remain a valuable tool for exploring the life of Christ through the first four books of the New Testament.

This collection of papers grew out of a concern of several at Creighton University for the perduring nature of the thought of John Henry Cardinal Newman. Although Cardinal Newman died some one hundred years ago, his influence on today's thinking is still strong. Like Sir Thomas More with his Utopia, Newman put forward an ideal of society and life which has a recognizable relation to the lasting possibilities open to humankind. First published in 1992. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In his introductory essay to this selection from the writing and preaching of C.H. Spurgeon, Helmut Thielicke - himself among the best preachers of the twentieth century - expresses his surprise and delight at his discovery of the great Victorian preacher. He draws out those qualities which made Spurgeon one of the most influential ministers of his day, and explains what it was that attracted him to the self-educated Baptist preacher. They share a recognition of the urgency of their message: 'We stand in need of the simple way in which Spurgeon dares to say that what really and ultimately counts is to save sinners.' Warmth, immediacy and directness are Spurgeon's hallmarks; qualities which Thielicke's own remarkable sermons share but which he felt much preaching of his day lacked. It is still a convincing testament to Spurgeon's continuing vitality and relevance that Thielicke, one of the greatest modern preachers, should say, 'Sell all that you have ...and buy Spurgeon.'

In recent Barth studies it has been argued that a key to understanding the theologian's opposition to natural theology is his rejection of substantialist ontology. While this is true to an extent, this book argues that it is a mistake to see Barth's 'actualistic ontology' as diametrically opposed to traditional substantialism. Probing into Barth's soteriological hamartiology in Church Dogmatics, III-IV, a largely neglected aspect of these volumes in recent debates on his understanding of being and act, it shows how his descriptions of sin, nature, and grace shed light on the precise manners in which his actualistic ontology operates on both a substance grammar of being and a process grammar of becoming, while rejecting the metaphysics underlying both grammars. Looking at issues such as original sin, universal salvation and human will, Barth is shown to be radically redefining the relationship between humans, their actions and the divine. This book argues that human 'nature' is the total determination of the human being 'from above' by God's grace in Christ, while the existential dimension of the human being is also totally determined 'from below' by the Adamic history of sin. This serves to demonstrate Barth's endeavours in eliminating the vestiges of natural theology within the Western tradition handed down from Augustine. By exploring these issues this book offers a fresh insight into Barth's relationship with his theological forbears. As such, it will be vital reading for any scholar of Barth studies, the problem of evil, and theological ontology.

Discover your spiritual gifts, personal style, and God-given passion for serving in the body of Christ Network, the leading course for discovering spiritual gifts and empowering people for ministry has been revised and updated. This material, developed in partnership with the Willow Creek Association, helps churches appropriately guide people to the place of ministry that best reflects who they are. Churches will see increased participation, greater effectiveness, more enthusiasm, and less burn-out in their congregation. Believers in their church will discover the spiritual gifts God has given them. They will have a better understanding of God's will for their lives because of gaining a better understanding of who God created them to be. This complete seminar in a box includes a leader's guide; a participant's guide; a DVD with drama vignettes; and a CD-ROM with a coach's guide, a user's guide, and a PowerPoint (R). Participants will be assessed on their personal style, spiritual passion, and gifts. Network works with any size group, from small groups of 4 to 12 to large groups of 15 to 150. The six Network sessions can be presented successfully in three flexible formats: three sessions of two hours each; six sessions of forty-five minutes each; or one- two- or three-day retreats.

The quest for an answer to the problem of suffering is universal. People often treat Scripture like a manual, looking for a single clear response that explains the presence of evil and suffering. Brian Han Gregg thinks we should take a different approach. The Bible does not have one but many responses to suffering. To pick out one theme is to hear the sopranos but miss the choir. We need to listen to the whole biblical narrative to appreciate its multifaceted handling of the problem. What Does the Bible Say About Suffering? explores twelve themes related to the issue of human suffering and reflects on what we can learn from the diversity of the biblical witness. Readable and informed by biblical scholarship, this book is a timely resource for students, small groups and anyone looking for a fresh approach to a topic of perennial interest.

It is well known that Henri de Lubac's groundbreaking and highly controversial work on nature and grace had important implications for the Church's relationship to culture and was intended to remove a philosophical obstacle hindering Catholicism's faithful engagement with the secular world. This book addresses a too-often neglected dimension of de Lubac's theological renewal by examining the centrality and indispensability of spiritual exegesis in his oeuvre and making explicit its social and political signi cance for the Church's worship and witness. In addition to exploring the historical and ecclesial context within which he worked, this book brings de Lubac into a critical engagement with the more recent theological movements of post-liberalism and radical orthodoxy in order to demonstrate the enduring signi cance of his theological vision. Bryan C. Hollon is Assistant Professor of Theology at Malone College in Canton, Ohio. "Hollon offers the best introduction to date on de Lubac's spiritual interpretation of Scripture. His bold recovery of Henri de Lubac's participatory hermeneutic offers an excellent contribution to the rapidly growing scholarship on the French Catholic theologian. The book argues for a hermeneutic that avoids the dual trap of isolating Jesus' biblical identity from the life of the Church (the post-liberal tendency) and of reducing Christology to ecclesiology (the fallacy of Radical Orthodoxy). Hollon convincingly argues that the Church's ontological participation in Christ is mediated through the practice of spiritual interpretation along the lines advocated by de Lubac. The result is both an incisive, sympathetic-critical engagement with contemporary hermeneutics and a superb introduction to one of the central concerns of de Lubac." - HANS BOERSMA, Author of 'Nouvelle theologie' and 'Sacramental Ontology'.

This message from Chuck Pierce and Robert Heidler likens our spiritual defense to that of the children of Israel while in battle. Within the ranks there were those who carried huge shields to protect the bulk of the army. And just as we fight spiritual battles today, there is a mighty shield we can carry to protect us. This shield of faith is one of the main ways we can resist our enemy's attacks. We are fully capable of resisting the enemy's attacks, but we must first be able to recognize how Satan fights. His main weapons are to create fear and doubt in us and to tempt us to become complainers and murmurers. If we succumb, our faith is weakened. The keys to increasing our faith are found in knowing the Word of God, which engenders praise, thankfulness, trust, and obedience.

After the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859, theologians were faced with the dilemma of God creating through evolution. Suddenly, pain, suffering, untimely death and extinction appeared to be the very tools of creation, and not a result of the sin of humanity. Despite this paradigm shift, the question of non-human suffering has been largely overlooked within theodicy debates, overwhelmed by the extreme human suffering of the twentieth century. This book redresses this imbalance by offering a rigorous academic treatment of the questions surrounding God and the suffering of non-human animals. Combining theological, philosophical, and biblical perspectives, this book explores the relationship between God and Creation within Christian theology. First it dismantles the popular theological view that roots violence and suffering in the animal kingdom in the fall of humanity. Then, through an exploration of the nature of love, it affirms that there are multiple reasons to suggest that God and creation can both be "good", even with the presence of violence and suffering. This is an innovative exploration of an under-examined subject that encompasses issues of theology, science, morality and human-animal interactions. As such, it will be of keen interest to scholars and academics of religion and science, the philosophy of religion, theodicy, and biblical studies.

In Revitalizing Theological Epistemology Steven B. Sherman addresses questions about what evangelical theology ought to be doing in light of the changing cultural situation. He wonders if the Christian faith should continue to be presented and defended mainly according to Enlightenment principles when growing criticism of modern thought is affecting virtually every discipline, and if evangelicalism and its intellectual leaders ought to "wait it out" or whether they should "re-vision" their theology. This book is about contemporary evangelical approaches to the knowledge of God, considering - and suggesting - ways Christian philosophers and theologians envision and make use of theological knowledge in the postmodern context.

"The Road to Armageddon And Beyond," is a series of six sessions designed to help Christians understand biblical prophecy. Inspiring, encouraging, but most of all, highly informative. This series provides a wealth of solid Bible teaching on such topics as the Tribulation, the Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Second Coming. A must-see for every Christian concerned about the future.

Curriculum Participant's Guide includes 6 lessons: 1: Practical Advice for Perilous Times, 2: The Rapture, 3: The Tribulation, 4: The Antichrist, 5: Babylon, and 6: The Second Coming.

How Christianity's Unmatched Truth Answers the Deepest Longings of Every Human Heart To the popular objection Aren't all religions basically the same? pastor and author Jared Wilson answers with an enthusiastic No! Christianity is not merely one among many similar options. It is categorically different--and it's these differences that make it so compelling. In Unparalleled, Wilson holds up the teachings of the Bible to the clear light of day, revealing how Christianity rises above every other religion and philosophy of the world, and how its unmatched truth answers the deepest longings of every human heart. He provides an overview of Christianity's key claims showing how, from top to bottom, it is distinct from all other competing ideologies, religious and secular. Christians will come away with a fresh sense of the truth of their faith and nonbelievers will be compelled to consider the relevant claims of Christianity in a drastically new light.

In this book, Matthew Levering unites eschatologically charged biblical Christology with metaphysical and dogmatic Thomistic Christology, by highlighting the typological Christologies shared by Scripture, the Church Fathers, and Aquinas. Like the Church Fathers, Aquinas often reflected upon Jesus in typological terms (especially in his biblical commentaries), just as the New Testament does. Showing the connections between New Testament, Patristic, and Aquinas' own typological portraits of Jesus, Levering reveals how the eschatological Jesus of biblical scholarship can be integrated with Thomistic Christology. His study produces a fully contemporary Thomistic Christology that unites ressourcement and Thomistic modes of theological inquiry, thereby bridging two schools of contemporary theology that too often are imagined as rivals. Levering's book reflects and augments the current resurgence of Thomistic Christology as an ecumenical project of relevance to all Christians.