Luther's theology has inspired many since 1517 when he nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the Castle Church. It was the trigger for the Reformation, a change in the very fabric of Christianity that is still studied extensively to this day. Much of this work however has been conducted from either a European or North American perspective. With Lutheranism becoming more and more common in the southern hemisphere, new interpretations of Luther's theology are needed for these emergent and different contexts. In Transfiguring Luther, Vitor Westhelle offers a reading of Luther and his legacy that goes beyond the traditional geopolitics of Luther research, exploring realities where the Reformer's reception and the latent promise of his theology receive unsuspected appraisal. Westhelle provides both a revisitation of the past and an invitation to a new orientation. By establishing a texture rather than a rigid actuality, Westhelle allows the reader to reach their own conclusions about these seldom examined aspects of Luther's theology.

One of the most influential Swedish theologians of the twentieth century, Gustaf Wingren's career spanned more than forty years of upheaval both in his field and around the globe. Provocative and challenging, Wingren revelled in a good argument and this attitude set the tone for much of his scholarship. A Swedish Lutheran, he made his name through his research into the theology of Martin Luther, breaking away from both traditional interpretations of Luther and the theology of his famous teachers, Karl Barth and Anders Nygren, before shifting his focus onto systematic theology. In a fresh take, Bengt Kristensson Uggla delves into the influence of Wingren's second wife, Greta Hofsten, on the direction of his theology. Hofsten, a left-wing political activist who was searching for a new language of faith, wove Wingren's work together with her own political philosophy to create an unusual kind of Christian socialism. Her thinking had a profound effect on Wingren, causing him to recontextualise his older work entirely. In Becoming Human Again, Uggla examines how Wingren's combative nature often served him well as a theologian, driving him to engage with innovations in the field and re-examine his older views.

Setting the Captives Free explores how a theological understanding of slavery goes against the idea of a God who is loving and just with the intention of being widely used in churches, activist organisations and groups, and by individuals. Ardently arguing that slavery is incompatible with Christianity, Marion Carson analyses how both anti-slavery and pro-slavery movements have been justified with the help of Scripture. In Setting the Captives Free, she provides an answer to the question "What can the Bible say to us about contemporary human trafficking?" By looking through important passages from the Old and the New Testament, Carson suggests what they might have to say to us about slavery in the twenty-first century. She analyses how Christians changed their views of slavery after its abolition, before closely examining what the Bible has to say about slavery in general, especially with regards to prostitution. At the end of each chapter, study questions are included to aid individual and group discussions in the hope that they will increase awareness of human trafficking and encourage more Christians to become actively involved in its eradication.

Between Heaven and Earth grew out one of Thielicke's visits to the United States in 1963, during which he travelled across the country preaching and lecturing. The conversations recorded here are the fruit of his more informal discussions with small groups of clergy, students and lay people. "You have disturbed our peace and upset our doubts," said one pastor. "You have freed the fettered and bound the wandering spirits," said another. The questions that American Christians asked of Thielicke are direct and wide-ranging, concerned not only with the fundamental problems of faith but with its bearing on issues of social and political morality. Thielicke's answers, though equally direct, are neither simplistic nor dogmatic. His approach is refreshingly open and his conclusions emerge from a reasoned consideration of the evidence and alternative possibilities. Above all, Thielicke's answers reveal the warmth and deep concern for humanity's spiritual welfare that is at the root of his teaching and writing.

What "don't" Christians believe? Is Jesus really divine? Is Jesus really human? Can God suffer? Can people be saved by their own efforts?
The early church puzzled over these questions, ruling in some beliefs and ruling out others. "Heresies and How to Avoid Them" explains the principal ancient heresies and shows why contemporary Christians still need to know about them. These famous detours in Christian believing seemed plausible and attractive to many people in the past, and most can still be found in modern-day guises. By learning what it is that Christians don't believe--and why--believers today can gain a deeper, truer understanding of their faith.

War, Peace, and Reconciliation invites Christians and their churches into a dialogue regarding how to think about war from a standpoint rooted in faith. It asks how reconciliation, which is central to Christian life and doctrine, can engage with the realities of war without surrendering its fundamental affirmations. Theodore Weber defines these realities politically by discussing the meanings of power, peace as a particular organisation of power, and the international system. The study of war and politics is unavoidable, as is engagement with reconciliation, because all human activity exists in the context of the gracious work of God to renew and reconcile the fallen creation. Weber's inquiry is theocentric and christocentric. It culminates in a stirring call to churches to examine all their practices in the light of this perspective.

How freely can salvation be offered to people? How do Law and Grace find balance? What influence does federal theology have on the overall theological enterprise? How does a confessional church interact with both the civil government and other religious communions? These are the questions roiling the twenty-first-century church; these were the questions threatening to splinter the Scottish church in the early eighteenth century. In those earlier days of mounting theological confrontation within the Scottish church, Ebenezer Erskine - a parish minister renowned for his evangelistic zeal - had a major role to play. Through this examination of the theology and ministry of Erskine, one therefore gains not only a deeper understanding of a man critically important within Presbyterian history, but also insight into the pressing theological disputes of the day. By analysing Erskine's contributions to ongoing theological discussion, greater clarity is gained on the development of federal theology; on the root causes of the Marrow controversy; and on the challenges involved as increasing religious diversity penetrated lands once dominated by national churches. In these areas and more, Erskine serves both to illuminate an obscure era and to refine modern understandings of still controversial theological issues.

One of the most powerful forces in the twenty-first century is the increasing phenomenon of globalization. In nearly every realm of human activity, traditional boundaries are disappearing and people worldwide are more interconnected than ever. Christianity has also become more aware of global realities and the important role of the church in non-Western countries. Church leaders must grapple with the implications for theology and ministry in an ever-shrinking world.
"Globalizing Theology" is a groundbreaking book that addresses these issues of vital importance to the church. It contains articles from leading scholars, including Tite Tienou, Kevin Vanhoozer, Charles Van Engen, M. Daniel Carroll R., Andrew Walls, Vinoth Ramachandra, and Paul Hiebert. Topics covered include the challenges that globalization brings to theology, how we can incorporate global perspectives into our thinking, and the effect a more global theology has on a variety of important issues.

What is the significance of the body? What might phenomenology contribute to a theological account of the body? And what is gained by prolonging the overlooked dialogue between St. John Paul II and Emmanuel Levinas? Nigel Zimmermann answers these questions through the agreements and the tensions between two of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century. John Paul II, the Polish pope, philosopher, and theologian, and Emmanuel Levinas, the French-Jewish philosopher of Lithuanian heritage, were provocative thinkers who courageously faced and challenged the assumptions of their age. Both held the human person in high regard and did their thinking with constant reference to God and to theological language. Zimmermann does not shirk from the challenges of each thinker and does not hide their differences. However, he shows how they bequeath a legacy regarding the body that we would overlook at significant ethical peril. We are called, Zimmermann argues, to face the other. In this moment God refuses a banal marginalisation and our call to responsibility for the other person is issued in their disarming vulnerability. In the body, philosophy, theology, and ethics converge to call us to glory, even in the paradox of lowly suffering.

Shocking... heart-rending... inspiring... compulsive reading. Healed and saved from above! The autobiographical book of Psalmic poems charting the journey of one abuse survivor to salvation and healing through the mercy of Jesus Christ. Karl Ayling's honest and at times heart-rending poetry tells the story of his life, and allows the reader to journey with him from the darkness of despair towards salvation and eventual healing. Karl takes the reader through three key aspects of a transforming life: Healing, Forgiveness and Relationships. "Hidden within Karl's poems are gems, insights that feed us: angels being able to fly because they hold things lightly, 'The rainbow-chasing ceased', 'A step out of the wilderness towards wonder.'" - Dr Lin Button, founder of the Healing Prayer School and on the staff of All Saints Woodford Wells. About the Author Karl grew up a fighter, living on the darker side of South London until the age of 41 when Jesus found him broken, dishevelled and suicidal. But he didn't leave him there... Read a recent interview with Karl for the Baptist Times, or visit Karl's website: http: //karlayling.webeden.co.uk/about/4591928388

Our Bodies Are Selves is a look at what it means to be human in a world where medical technology and emerging ethical insight force us to rethink the boundaries of humanity/spirit and man/machine. This book gives us a fresh look at how our expanding biological views of ourselves and our shared evolutionary history shows us a picture that may not always illumine who and where we are as Christians. Offering up Christian theological views of embodiment, the authors give everyday examples of lives of love, faith, and bodily realities that offer the potential to create new definitions of what it means to be a faith community in an increasingly technological age of medicine.

The role of altars in the realm of existence is very key because altars are meeting places between the physical and the spiritual, between the visible and the invisible. In one word, an altar is a gateway in the realm of the invisible. By implication, therefore, no matter the plan and the purpose of God for your life, family, children, relationships, businesses, communities, and other personal endeavours, you must have the spiritual understanding that, until satanic and demonic altars in your foundation are overthrown, you are most likely to fall short of God's plan for your life. No wonder God commanded Moses, "You must destroy their altars..." (Exodus 34:13-14). In this book, Pastor Uzor Ndekwu draws from his many years of experience as a deliverance minister to explain why you must overthrow foundational altars, and why you must confront demonic or satanic altars erected to hinder or frustrate God's plans for you and your family.

Daughters of Anowa provides an analysis of the lives of African women today from an African woman's own perspective. It is a study of the influence of culture and religion - particularly of traditional African cultures and Christianity - on African women's lives. Mercy Amba Oduyoye illustrates how myths, proverbs, and folk tales (called "folktalk") operate in the socialization of young women, working to preserve the norms of the community. Daughters of Anowa reveals how global patriarchy manifests itself in these social structures, in both patrilineal and matrilineal communities. Organized as a narrative in three cycles, Daughters of Anowa demonstrates how folktalk alienates women from power, discourages individuality and encourages conformity. It also considers the possibilities for the future. Oduyoye posits that change will come about only when the daughters of Anowa (the mythic representative of Africa itself) confront the realities of culture and religion in perpetuating patriarchal oppression and work to realize the goal of a new woman in a new Africa.

An essential course of study for church leaders and candidates for Christian ministry 'Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching' (1 Tim. 4:16) This course is a study of the three New Testament Epistles traditionally attributed to the apostle Paul - The 'Pastoral Epistles' - 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. This course-book will make the student aware of the issues surrounding the authorship, date and purpose of these epistles; and discuss of the principles of early church theology, practice and governance described within them. This course is meant to help the student discover how we can apply these principles to the 21st century Church, and so equip the student for Christian ministry as they lead the church of God in a modern context.

In this challenging and engaging discussion, F. Gerald Downing draws on evidence from Ancient Jewish and New Testament scriptures to analyse the changing history of the concept of 'revelation' within Christianity. Through the discussion of central concepts in the philosophy of language, such as reference and identity, Downing provides a comprehensive analysis of our notion of the concept of knowledge through revelation and self-revelation. Formation for Knowing God contains an overview of the history of the debate regarding the methods and extent of God's revelation, specifically his self-revelation. Downing argues that the conviction that God is selfrevealed stems from eighteenth-century Enlightenment debates, and has no roots in the early Christian tradition, from which we learn that God is incomprehensible. Downing rejects the view that it was the primary purpose of Christ's death to show God's love, claiming that this is unsupported by the scriptural evidence. The positive thesis argued by Downing is that what has been revealed to us is not a matter of knowledge but a matter of faith. Downing's Formation for Knowing God will challenge the assumptions of its readers, providing an alternative and thought provoking approach to the nature of knowledge and certainty within Christianity.

Theology after Heidegger must take into account history and language as elements in the pursuit of meaning. Quite often, this prompts a hurried flight from metaphysics to an embrace of an absence at the centre of Christian narrativity. Conor Sweeney here explores the 'postmodern' critique of presence in the context of sacramental theology, engaging the thought of Louis-Marie Chauvet and Lieven Boeve. Chauvet is an influential postmodern theologian whose critique of the perceived onto-theological constitution of presence in traditional sacramental theology has made big waves, while Boeve is part of a more recent generation of theologians who even more wholeheartedly embrace postmodern consequences for theology. Sweeney considers the extent to which postmodernism a la Heidegger upsets the hermeneutics of sacramentality, asking whether this requires us to renounce the search for a presence that by definition transcends us. Against both the fetishisation of presence and absence, Sweeney argues that metaphysics has a properly sacramental basis, and that it is only through this reality that the dialectic of presence and absence can be transcended. The case is made for the full but restless signification of the mother's smile as the paradigm for genuine sacramental presence.

Before offering a prayer at the inauguration of President George W. Bush, Franklin Graham was asked by a fellow participant if he intended to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Graham assured him that he would and encouraged this pastor to do the same. As Graham reminded him, "That's the only thing we've got." In days of religious confusion and cultural relativism, Franklin Graham reminds us that there are absolutes in the kingdom of God. "The Name" explains the significance of names in the Hebrew culture, centering on the meaningfulness of the name "Jesus." Chapters focus on the different aspects of power in the Lord's name, such as "Healing in the Name" and "Salvation in the Name."

Is everything a Christian does 'mission', or does it only count when we speak about Jesus and share the gospel? Does mission include volunteering at the food bank, campaigning for justice and providing aid overseas? As the needs around us multiply and opposition to the gospel intensifies, this question 'Is everything mission?' becomes even more important for us to wrestle with. Tim Chester's 2018 Keswick Convention lecture helps us unpack what mission is and the role that God wants you, your church, your mission agency, to play.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

A God you can know Is God a wrathful judge? A gentle healer? A father? Brother? Friend? In The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, Brennan Manning brings you to a deeper understanding of the true nature of God. Through poignant and unforgettable stories and challenging observations, Manning helps you stretch your mind and reject simplistic explanations of who God really is. With rich insights you'll see how God can at once be a roaring lion, pacing the globe and seeking you out; and simultaneously a tender lamb, there to comfort you in any time of need. A unique experience, this book will forever change the way you think about God. "As I read these honest, grace-saturated, humbly iconoclastic, distinctly un-sugarcoated but still somehow gentle words, I could taste familiar water, living water that only people who are thirsty for life can enjoy. Read it--and hope again!" --from the foreword by Larry Crabb Brennan Manning is a former Franciscan priest and author of a dozen books including the best-selling The Ragamuffin Gospel. He has lived a faithful life of service to others and to God and shares his intellect and love through the words found in this book.

After a century of study and debate, the doctrine of sanctification, formulated by John Wesley in the 18th century, has resulted in two contemporaneous and competing definitions of entire sanctification in the Nazarene denomination. Mark Quanstom examines the gradual change in understanding this doctrine by focusing on its history and development in a balanced and well-researched perspective. 'Quanstrom effectively follows the various understandings of holiness that have shaped and been shaped by the Church of the Nazarene. His engaging style and clear writing makes this work valuable to laymen, ministers, students, and scholars.' -Dr. John C. Bowling President, Olivet Nazarene University 'This work is a welcome contribution to the contemporary conversation about Holiness theology. Quanstrom's thoughtful and careful scholarship produces a balanced study of the historical development of the understanding of holiness. . . It calls us to an awareness of the dynamic character of this tradition and to an active engagement with the doctrine of Christian perfection that remains at the heart of who we are.' -Dr. Carl M. Leth Chairman Division of Religion and Philosophy, Olivet Nazarene University

In this book Paul O. Ingram adds his voice to a long list of writers seeking to relate Christian tradition to the hard realities of this post-Christian age of religious and secular pluralism. As a Lutheran, Ingram thinks grace flows over this universe like a waterfall. So he brings Christian mystical theology into a discussion of the meaning of grace. Alfred North Whitehead's philosophical vision provides a language that serves as a hermeneutical bridge by which historians of religions can interpret the teachings and practices of religious Ways other than their own without falsification, and by which theologians can appropriate history-of-religions research as a means of helping Christians advance in their own faith journeys. The purpose of the journey of faith is what Whitehead called "creative transformation." The contemporary theological tradition that has most systematically and coherently followed Whitehead's lead in its reflection on non-Christian Ways is process theology, which is perhaps the only liberal or progressive theological movement now active in the twenty-first century.