The search for effective ways to enable different religious systems to co-exist peacefully in mutual complementarity has emerged as a necessary condition for economic development, social progress, human prosperity and even survival. The combination of diversity and interdependence in the religious world calls for comparative studies of religion. This book details the inherent problems of such studies.;The underlying idea presented is that there are similarities, as well as differences between Confucianism as humanistic tradition and Christianity as a theocentric religion, and that these similarities and differences are mutually involved and delicately related with each other: while agape can be translated in English as "love", it is in fact more than love, in that it defines the relationship between Christians and their God, and between Christians and their neighbours; while jen in Chinese is not the translation of "love", it is in fact essentially love, both ethical and religious, in that it defines the relationship between Confucians and their transcendantal pursuit, between Confucians and their ideal, and between Confucians and their fellow human beings.

How do two brief letters to a church in first-century Macedonia speak to us today? John Stott demonstrates that Paul's letters to the Christians in Thessalonica offer three key messages to churches at the beginning of the twenty-first century: - a model for ministry, as Paul's self-giving, prayerful love for the church challenges Christian leaders - a vision for the local church, as the apostle touches on evangelism, pastoral care, ethical standards, fellowship, worship, obedience and future hope; - an affirmation of our faith, as he repeatedly returns to the foundation facts that 'Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again.' Characterised by John Stott's customary clarity and perception, this exposition illuminates aspects of Christian life and service that are at the heart of God's purposes for this people today.

A fascinating expose of the global revolution you've never heard of: a deep-pocketed, tech-savvy Christian movement reshaping our societies from within. How has a Christian movement, founded at the turn of the twentieth century by the son of freed slaves, become the fastest-growing religion on Earth? Pentecostalism has 600 million followers; by 2050, they'll be one in ten people worldwide. This is the religion of the Holy Spirit, with believers directly experiencing God and His blessings: success for the mind, body, spirit and wallet. Pentecostalism is a social movement. It serves impoverished people in Africa and Latin America, and inspires anti-establishment leaders from Trump to Bolsonaro. In Australia, Europe and Korea, it throws itself into culture wars and social media, offering meaning and community to the rootless and marginalised in a fragmenting world. Reporting this revolution from twelve countries and six US states, Elle Hardy weaves a timeless tale of miracles, money and power, set in our volatile age of extremes. By turns troubling and entertaining, Beyond Belief exposes the Pentecostal agenda: not just saving souls, but transforming societies and controlling politics. These modern prophets, embedded in our institutions, have the cash and the influence to wage their holy war.

Ideal for Lent (or any time of year), comprising course booklet, audio and transcript

This invaluable resource from David W. Shenk, an export in comparative religious studies, examines Islam and Christianity at their deepest spiritual, cultural, and communal levels. Shenk explores the similarities and differences found in Isaac and Ishmael, Jesus and Muhammad, the Bible and the Qur'an, Jerusalem and Medina, the Eucharist and the Hajj, and the Church and Ummah.

This may well be the most practical, inspiring book on Job you'll ever read. The book of Job comes alive, portraying Job's spiritual journey as a template for those who are in God's refining fires in this hour. Let God lead you to higher heights than you ever imagined!

The rapid advancement of technology has led to an explosion of speculative theories about what the future of humankind may look like. These "technological futurisms" have arisen from significant advances in the fields of nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology and are drawing growing scrutiny from the philosophical and theological communities. This text seeks to contextualize the growing literature on the cultural, philosophical and religious implications of technological growth by considering technological futurisms such as transhumanism in the context of the long historical tradition of technological dreaming. Michael Burdett traces the latent religious sources of our contemporary technological imagination by looking at visionary approaches to technology and the future in seminal technological utopias and science fiction and draws on past theological responses to the technological future with Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Jacques Ellul. Burdett's argument arrives at a contemporary Christian response to transhumanism based around the themes of possibility and promise by turning to the works of Richard Kearney, Eberhard Jungel and Jurgen Moltmann. Throughout, the author highlights points of correspondence and divergence between technological futurisms and the Judeo-Christian understanding of the future.

For many Christians, personal experiences of God provide an important ground or justification for accepting the truth of the gospel. But we are sometimes mistaken about our experiences, and followers of other religions also provide impressive testimonies to support their religious beliefs. This book explores from a philosophical and theological perspective the viability of divine encounters as support for belief in God, arguing that some religious experiences can be accepted as genuine experiences of God and can provide evidence for Christian beliefs.

The Sunday Times bestseller, with a new introduction by Nassim Nicholas Taleb Dominion tells the epic story of how those in the West came to be what they are, and why they think the way they do. Ranging from Moses to Merkel, from Babylon to Beverley Hills, from the emergence of secularism to the abolition of slavery, it explores why, in a society that has become increasingly doubtful of religion's claims, so many of its instincts remain irredeemably Christian. Christianity's enduring impact is not confined to churches. It can be seen everywhere in the West: in science, in secularism, in gay rights, even in atheism. It is - to coin a phrase - the greatest story ever told. 'If great books encourage you to look at the world in an entirely new way, then Dominion is a very great book indeed' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times 'Terrific: bold, ambitious and passionate' Peter Frankopan 'A masterpiece of scholarship and storytelling' John Gray, New Statesman 'Filled with vivid portraits, gruesome deaths and moral debates... Holland has all the talents of an accomplished novelist' Terry Eagleton, Guardian

In this book, Dr. Eidsmoe shows clearly how most of our founding fathers were not secular men, as we often hear today. He explains how the influence of Calvinism gave rise to our republican form of government. He also documents how our founding fathers embodied several biblical principles in the Constitution. This book is recommended for anyone who wants to learn about our nation's truly Christian heritage, which has been virtually expunged by the secular revisionists. - from the Forward.

This Bible study shows how God uses his servants as a means of grace to his people. In workbook format, this study provides exercises for students, questions for discussion, memory verses, and much more. Wisdom of the Word was founded in 1986 by Jeannie McCullough in Bethany, Oklahoma. It began as a weekly Bible study at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene. In the first year the study grew to over 400 members, and people from other churches and the community began joining. The local enrollment of Wisdom of the Word eventually exceeded 1,000. Wisdom of the Word has been an instrument in uniting the community of believers as well as reaching the unchurched and the lost. It is now ministering to thousands through videos and cassette tapes and other programs such as Children of the Word, prison ministries, and missions.

Traditions of Christian Spirituality Series. Traces the spiritual legacy of Saint Augustine and of his wide-ranging legacy in the Augustinian order.

Since its publication in 2000, The Early Christian World has come to be regarded by scholars, students and the general reader as one of the most informative and accessible works in English on the origins, development, character and major figures of early Christianity. In this new edition, the strengths of the first edition are retained. These include the book's attractive architecture that initially takes a reader through the context and historical development of early Christianity; the essays in critical areas such as community formation, everyday experience, the intellectual and artistic heritage, and external and internal challenges; and the profiles on the most influential early Christian figures. The book also preserves its strong stress on the social reality of early Christianity and continues its distinctive use of hundreds of illustrations and maps to bring that world to life. Yet the years that have passed since the first edition was published have seen great advances made in our understanding of early Christianity in its world. This new edition fully reflects these developments and provides the reader with authoritative, lively and up-to-date access to the early Christian world. A quarter of the text is entirely new and the remaining essays have all been carefully revised and updated by their authors. Some of the new material relates to Christian culture (including book culture, canonical and non-canonical scriptures, saints and hagiography, and translation across cultures). But there are also new essays on: Jewish and Christian interaction in the early centuries; ritual; the New Testament in Roman Britain; Manichaeism; Pachomius the Great and Gregory of Nyssa. This new edition will serve its readers for many years to come.

For early Christians "church" - from a world meaning "called out" - was not simply a Sunday morning battery charge for Monday morning's return to empire, but the basis for a complete society grounded in the presence of the Risen Jesus. Taking up where Albert Nolan left off, in his classic Jesus Before Christianity, Wes Howard-Brook shows how the "church before Christianity" can inspire and challenge a new awakening among Christians today.

Featuring more than sixty brand new maps, graphics and timelines, the Atlas of the European Reformations is an essential companion to any study of the Reformation era. The concise, helpful text written by acknowledged authorities, guides the experience and helps readers to interpret the visuals. Consciously written for students of all levels, this volume is perfect for individual or course-based study.

The Apostle Paul was bound by prison chains when he wrote to the church at Philippi. Despite his loss of liberty, and opposition from fellow-workers, the letter radiates joy - joy that Christ was proclaimed, joy in fellowship with the Philippian Christians, and above all joy in Jesus himself. Alec Motyer explores Paul's great themes, so relevant today: Christian unity; the Person of Jesus and what he has achieved for us; the call to live a life worthy of the gospel.

The result of over thirty years of research and lecturing, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes is a ground-breaking study of Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians. Bailey examines this canonical letter through the lenses of Paul's Jewish socio-cultural and rhetorical background and the Mediterranean context of the Corinthian recipients. In a set of connected essays, he draws the reader's attention to the letter's rootedness in the Hebrew prophetic tradition, the intentional theological structure of Paul's epistolary organization and the Near Eastern cultural practices that inflect Paul's rhetorical performance. All of this is brought to bear in teasing out the nature of Paul's response to the critical situations facing the Corinthian community: racial, ethnic and theological divisions, sexual misconduct, intimate interaction with pagan practices and disputes about church practices.

Endorsed by WJEC/Eduqas, the Student Book offers high quality support you can trust. / Written by an experienced teacher and author with an in-depth understanding of teaching, learning and assessment at A Level and AS. / A skills-based approach to learning, covering content of the specification with examination preparation from the start. / Developing skills feature focuses on what to do with the content and the issues that are raised with a progressive range of AO1 examples and AO2 exam-focused activities. / Questions and Answers section provides practice questions with student answers and examiner commentaries. / It provides a range of specific activities that target each of the Assessment Objectives to build skills of knowledge, understanding and evaluation. / Includes a range of features to encourage you to consolidate and reinforce your learning.

Grace for Today is a compilation of 366 meditations for each day of the year. A Scripture verse is followed by a short reflection from the author, and ends with a powerful prayer.

The handsome volume features: a LuxLeather binding; gold gilt-edged pages; an attached ribbon page marker and a presentation page for gift-giving.

- 366 Daily meditations

- Gold-edged pages

- Attached Ribbon Marker

- Presentation Page for Gift Giving

Gustav Davidson's classic text, A dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels, is the result of sixteen years of research in Talmudic, gnostic, cabalistic, apocalyptic, patristic, and legendary texts. The classic reference work on angels is beautifully illustrated and its reissue coincides with the resurgence of belief in angels in America. This well researched and exquisitely illustrated dictionary is a wonderful collectable for all those who believe in angels, miracles, lore, and faith.

The Old Testament books of Ezra and Nehemiah provide a testimony to God's sovereignly working through people to accomplish His redemptive purposes. This Navigator Bible study covers both books in 8 lessons. Learn about faithfulness, right worship, and the need to patiently endure in the face of difficulty in Ezra. Nehemiah continues the story with an inspiring account of returning to faithfulness and doing God's work no matter what. If using in a group, personal study is needed between meetings. Includes study aids and discussion questions.