Robert Eggers' The Witch (2015) is one of the most critically acclaimed horror films of recent years, praised as a genre film of unusual depth which eschews jump scares in favour of a gradually and steadily building tension. Set in newly colonized New England in the early seventeenth century, the film's deep historical and mythological background, as well as its complicated and interlocking character arcs, make for a film whose viewers will be well served by this Devil's Advocate, the first stand-alone critical study of the film. As well as providing the historical and religious background necessary for a fuller appreciation, including an insight into the Puritan movement in New England Brandon Grafius situates the film within a number of horror sub-genres (such as folk horror) as well as its other literary and folkloric influences.

What is the Church? Why does it need to exist, and why is it so important? In this important addition to the Good Portion series, Erin Wheeler unpacks what the Bible says about the Church and invites us to see the beauty of the Bride of Christ. She begins by ensuring that we understand what the Church is before turning our attention to the specific things that churches do. This book not only ensures that our minds and hearts are filled with correct doctrine, but encourages us to take steps towards putting our understanding into practice. Contents Series Preface Introduction: It Doesn't Matter Until It Does Part One: What Is the Church? God's Idea: His Plan and Purpose for the Church A Roaring Fire: The Importance and Privilege of Church Membership A Gathering That Glorifies God: The Mission of the Church Part Two: What Does the Church Look Like? A Devotion to the Word: Preaching, Teaching, Reading, Singing, Praying A Visible Picture of the Invisible: Baptism and the Lord's Supper A Pursuit of Holiness: Church Unity and Discipline A Flock with a Job to Do: Congregationalism, Elders, and Deacons A Different Kind of Community: Life with One Another Conclusion: A Heavenly Gathering Selected Bibliography Scripture Index

Black Theology emerged in the 1960s as a response to black consciousness. In South Africa it is a critique of power; in the UK it is a political theology of black culture. The dominant form of Black Theology has been in the USA, originally influenced by Black Power and the critique of white racism. Since then it claims to have broadened its perspective to include oppression on the grounds of race, gender and class. In this book the author contests this claim, especially by Womanist (black women) Theology. Black and Womanist Theologies present inadequate analyses of race and gender and no account at all of class (economic) oppression. With a few notable exceptions Black Theology in the USA repeats the mantras of the 1970s, the discourse of modernity. Content with American capitalism it fails to address the source of the impoverishment of black Americans at home. Content with a romantic imaginaire of Africa, this 'African-American' movement fails to defend contemporary Africa against predatory American global ambitions.

If you knew sudden destruction would fall upon the earth in the next twenty-four hours, how would you spend your last moments? Join New York Times bestselling author John Hagee as he uses Scripture as a guide to count down the prophetic minutes through the events which must occur before every individual faces God on Judgment Day. Charting international news events, including recent peace agreements in the Middle East, Hagee synchronizes these headlines with the biblical timeline for the last days, producing a compelling argument that life on Earth is about to expire. What else must take place before the arrival of Judgment Day? This very timely message discusses: The reality of virtual terrorism The financial crisis and economic crash Opposing views of the Rapture Recent peace agreements in the Middle East that impact Israel and a potential Russian invasion Nuclear wars The purpose of the Tribulation and the Millennium Significantly updated and revised from its previous publication under the title From Daniel to Doomsday, this is quintessential Hagee on Bible prophecy and End-Times teaching. This insightful book is an ideal resource for Christians who are looking for a guide to what the Bible says about the end times--and how to recognize that they are approaching. Mark it down: The End of the Age is approaching, but it won't be ushered in by space aliens or catastrophic asteroids. Hagee guides us through the timeline before that fateful moment when every unredeemed individual must face God on Judgment Day.

God Delights in You
God loves us. With all our faults and failures, with all the secret sins no one else knows about. In fact, He rejoices over us so much that He breaks out in inexpressible joy and song as He thinks about us.
"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." --Zephaniah 3:17
That's how God feels about you He looks at you, He thinks of you...and He sings for joy
In "The Singing God" Sam Storms explores God's immeasurable love for His children. You don't need to be different; you don't need to be better. You just need to know that God loves you just the way you are now...today. When you truly believe this, you will find the strength and incentive to fight sin, experience freedom from shame, and walk in the fullness of all that God desires for you.

Theologians have had to increasingly engage with beliefs and practises outside of their own traditions. The resultant "theology of religions" is, however, often formulated in isolation from the religions they are describing. This book provides a comparison of the development of theology of religions in Western Christianity and its application in anIslamic context. It also shows the parallels between some specific forms of theology of religions, i.e. exclusivism, inclusivism or pluralism, in both Islamic and Christian traditions. The arguments of Christian and Muslim theologians, including the specific contributions of Rowan Williams and Jerusha Lamptey, are examined in order to reveal the interconnections and contradictions of their pluralist, exclusivist and inclusivist approaches. This provides a rounded picture of Christian-Muslim understanding of religious others and prepares the ground for a stronger and more sophisticated Islamic theology of religions. This is vital reading for those studying theology of religions, comparative theology and interfaith relations.

Hans Mol was born in the Netherlands during the 1920s. His imprisonment by the Gestapo during World War II began a long intellectual journey, exploring the role of religion in society. His work on the sociology of religion throughout the 20th and 21st Century is distinctive in its quest for both methodological and existential balance Part One of this book includes a brief outline of Mol's most influential theory as originally explicated in Identity and the Sacred (1976). This is followed by a look at the initial reception of that theory in relation to the competing concepts of Mol's contemporaries. Part Two is comprised of four previously-unpublished essays written by Mol during the 70s and 80s. Covering topics from evolution to evangelicalism, the papers display the sweeping ambition of this sociologist as well as the tone and contours of his intellectual articulation. In the Postscript this volume concludes with select transcripts of interviews conducted between Adam Powell and Hans Mol during the Spring of 2012. This volume of Mol's work will be of keen interest to academics and students with an interest in the sociology of religion post-World War II and the development of contemporary Christian theology.

This book revisits the tradition of Western religious cinema in light of scholarship on St. Paul's political theology. The book's subtitle derives from the account in the Book of Acts that St. Paul was temporarily blinded in the wake of his conversion on the road to Damascus. In imitation of Paul, the films on which Sean Desilets's analysis hinges (including those of Carl-Th. Dreyer, Robert Bresson, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Carlos Reygadas) place a god-blind mechanism, the camera, between themselves and the divine. Desilets calls the posture they adopt "hermeneutic humility": hermeneutic in that it interprets the world, but humble in that it pays particular-even obsessive-attention to its own limits. Though these films may not consciously reflect Pauline theology, Desilets argues that they participate in a messianic-hermeneutic tradition that runs from Paul through St. Augustine, Blaise Pascal, Karl Barth, and Walter Benjamin, and which contributes significantly to contemporary discussions in poststructuralist literary theory, political theology, and religious studies. Desilets's insightful explication of Jean-Luc Nancy's deconstruction of Christianity and Georgio Agamben's recent work on religion makes a substantial contribution to film philosophy and emerging critical trends in the study of religion and film. This book puts forward a nuanced theoretical framework that will be useful for film scholars, students of contemporary political theology, and scholars interested in the intersections of religion and media.

The largest group in American religious life may be the disillusioned--people who have been involved in the church, respect Jesus, but question what Christianity has become. In "If the Church Were Christian" Philip Gulley provides a profound picture of what the church could look like if it refocused on the priorities of Jesus.

Following the life of Jesus from the crib to the cross, to the resurrection and the promise that he will come again, Simon Ponsonby explores what this person and this life means for us today. Emphasising both the humanity and divinity of Jesus, Ponsonby showcases what is so amazing about Jesus, helping readers to rediscover their awe and wonder again. Marshalling the multi-faceted names and descriptions of Jesus in Scripture - the King of the Jews, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, the Living Water, the Bridegroom, High King of Heaven, Lord and Saviour, the Way, the Truth and the Life and many more - this book reveals the one who is God come to us, to be God with us, to show God for us. Amazed by Jesus helps to restore our vision of Jesus and expand it, so we can know him better and see him as he is. Jesus changed and is changing everything - he is amazing. This is a clarion call from Ponsonby to the Church to go back to our first love, to go deeper and truly experience the living water - a discovery that will impact on the whole world.

The disciplines of theology and biblical studies should serve each other, and they should serve both the church and the academy together. But the relationship between them is often marked by misunderstandings, methodological differences, and cross-discipline tension. Theologian Hans Boersma here highlights five things he wishes biblical scholars knew about theology. In a companion volume, biblical scholar Scot McKnight reflects on five things he wishes theologians knew about biblical studies. With an irenic spirit as well as honesty about differences that remain, Boersma and McKnight seek to foster understanding between their disciplines through these books so they might once again collaborate with one another.

At its best, all Christian worship is led by the Holy Spirit. But is there a distinctive theology of Pentecostal worship? The Pentecostal church or the renewal movement is among the fastest-growing parts of the body of Christ around the world, which makes understanding its theology and practice critical for the future of the church. In this volume in IVP Academic's Dynamics of Christian Worship (DCW) series, theologian Steven Felix-Jager offers a theology of renewal worship, including its biblical foundations, how its global nature is expressed in particular localities, and how charismatic worship distinctively shapes the community of faith. With his guidance, the whole church might understand better what it means to pray, "Come, Holy Spirit!" The Dynamics of Christian Worship series draws from a wide range of worshiping contexts and denominational backgrounds to unpack the many dynamics of Christian worship-including prayer, reading the Bible, preaching, baptism, the Lord's Supper, music, visual art, architecture, and more-to deepen both the theology and practice of Christian worship for the life of the church.

The most basic questions everyone faces in life is Why am I here? What is my purpose? Gerard Kelly presents the stories that make up the overall story of God in the world. And here we find our purpose for each of our individual Christian lives. Our purpose is as distinctive as our fingerprint and we will connect with it when we connect with our identity and origin in God. God remembers how he made us and is committed to the fruitfulness and fulfilment of our potential. We discover the importance of finding our place of service and usefulness, knowing that our lives have meaning in the purposes of God.

This study guide, paired with Greg Gilbert's book Why Trust the Bible?, will help readers answer questions posed about the reliability of the Bible. Each chapter features a brief summary of the book chapter, reflection questions, and key Scripture passages for further reference.

The first book to explore the theologies of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people of color Addresses issues of homophobia in communities of color, including ethnic churches, as well as racism in LGBT communities Pioneering work on the global and local intersections of race, sexuality, and religion To date, no book has systematically examined the theological writings of LGBT people of color. Nor has any book explored how such writings might actually transform contemporary theological reflections on race and sexuality. This book remedies these gaps by constructing a rainbow theology around the theme of bridging or mediation. Rainbow Theology is the first book to reflect upon the theological significance of the intersections of race and queer sexuality across multiple ethnic and cultural groups. This is particularly important in light of the current polarizing debates over issues of race, sexuality, and religion within churches and communities of faith around the world. "

The Radical Orthodoxy Reader presents a selection of key readings in the field of Radical Orthodoxy, the most influential theological movement in contemporary academic theology. Radical Orthodoxy draws on pre-Enlightenment theology and philosophy to engage critically with the assumption and priorities of secularism, modernity, postmodernity, and associated theologies. In doing so it explores a wide and exciting range of issues: music, language, society, the body, the city, power, motion, space, time, personhood, sex and gender. As such it is both controversial and extremely stimulating; provoking much fruitful debate amongst contemporary theologians. To assist those encountering Radical Orthodoxy for the first time, each section has an introductory commentary, related reading and helpful questions to encourage in-depth understanding and further study.

Africa is a continent of striking contrasts, with remarkable diversity and beauty of landscape and peoples. At present, it is a region where the Christian faith shows unprecedented growth and vitality. Yet it is also a place of unparalleled suffering. African believers must grapple with the awesome transformation presence of Christ and the frequently devastating conditions in which he appears. Their efforts to reconcile this seeming incongruity have initiated important theological discussions that have resonated around the globe. This book provides an ideal introduction to the wealth of African theologies and the major questions they raise. Topics range from biblical interpretation to spirituality and ethics, from Pentecostalism and African Instituted Churches to evil and suffering, from feminist theory to Christian identity and ethnicity. The broad range of reflections includes seminal essays by prominent theologians as well as new material written specifically for this volume. All the contributions have been shaped to be accessible at an introductory level. Study questions at the end of each chapter are designed to stimulate original thought to allow the reader to reflect personally on contemporary ideas and participate in discussion.