Cotton Mather (1663-1728) was America's most famous pastor and scholar at the beginning of the eighteenth century. People today generally associate him with the infamous Salem witch trials, but that picture has mostly come down to us from one unreliable, antagonistic source. This biography by Rick Kennedy, based largely on new research by an international team of scholars, corrects misconceptions of Cotton Mather and focuses on the way he tried to promote, socially and intellectually, a biblical lifestyle. As older Puritan hopes in New England were giving way to a broader and shallower Protestantism, Mather led a populist, Bible-oriented movement that embraced the new century -- the beginning of a dynamic evangelical tradition that eventually became a major force in American culture.

Long overshadowed by Luther and Calvin, Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) is one of the most important figures in the Protestant Reformation and had profound effect on Western church history. This book gives the most detailed English-language biographical treatment of Melanchthon to date, moving from his historical context and personal origins, through his childhood, education, and early career at Wittenberg during the dramatic events at the dawn of the Reformation (1497-1524). Establishing the deep geopolitical and religious context of Melanchthon's early life, the volume then follows Melanchthon to the great halls of humanist learning at Heidelberg and Tubingen, where his studies and teaching career began and his'faith was richly fostered. The pivotal moment comes in his appointment to the chair of Greek in Wittenberg where Melanchthon became a great ally and supporter of Martin Luther. Melanchthon's role as key player in the advocacy for reform expanded through his involvement in the Leipzig Disputation, his visible representation of the evangelical cause in Wittenberg during Luther's absence at Worms and the Wartburg, and his struggle with the radical wing. The volume closes by looking ahead to Melanchthon's contribution to the Augsburg Confession of 1530.

Most biographers of Luther are faced with a choice-focus on Luther's life or focus on his thought. The choice, though real, is false. Luther's thought was inextricably bound up with his life. In this short, engaging volume, Hans Schwarz succeeds in blending the two-creating a volume that introduces Luther's thought in the context of his life story. The book meets the need for a clear and concise introduction to the life and teachings of the great church reformer, Martin Luther. After a brief overview of his life, the book devotes chapters to Luther's thoughts on key areas of the Christian faith and life, including the knowledge of God, church and sacraments, the Scriptures, marriage and parenthood, and vocation. The author incorporates quotations from Luther's own writings to show how Luther's insights have relevance for all Christians today. With questions for reflection and discussion, the book can be used as a study resource for individuals, church groups, or college and seminary classes. For this revised edition, Schwarz has thoroughly reviewed the text and added important new sections on Luther and music, Luther and the economy, Luther and the Jews, and more.

Description: From eternity past God intended that the most vivid and profound demonstration of his glory would come in the form of His work of salvation on the cross of Christ. God then made man to punish him. He made him perfect and thus unlikely to ever need punishing, or, for that matter, a Savior. By a happy coincidence, and against all the odds, this perfect man sinned, thus allowing God to fulfill His purposes for both the man and Christ. When he sinned, God, who is suddenly confronted with the prospect of being able to fulfill all of His original plans, becomes furious. What you have just read is not a joke. I wish that it were. Rather, I have simply enumerated the points that comprise the Calvinist theological system, or, as I call it: the Happy Coincidence model of sin and salvation. It reflects what can only be described as an Alice-in-Wonderland reality, in which the only sense is nonsense, and logic is the enemy. This book will seek to explore some of its many logical inconsistencies and, in the process, propose a perfectly viable--and biblical--alternative.

In Gereformeerdes onder die Suiderkruis gaan dit om flitspunte uit die geskiedenis van vier Afrikaanse Gereformeerde kerke in Suid-Afrika, asook oor die invloed van Gereformeerdwees op hierdie kerke en deur die kerke op die samelewing. Daarom val die klem hier op die mees invloedryke kerke wat hulself met Gereformeerde waarhede vereenselwig het. As gevolg van die houding en benadering van die betrokke politieke owerhede vanaf 1652 tot 2011 maak Gereformeerde kerke onder Afrikaanssprekendes en Afrikaners hier die hooffigure uit. In hierdie proses vorm die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK) die sleutelfiguur. Die skrywer is ook persoonlik ’n getuie daarvan dat die regerende ANC in die jare 1994-2011 die NGK as ’n hoofvennoot vir gesprek uitgesonder het waar dit oor die party se kontak met die Afrikaanse Gereformeerde kerke in Suid-Afrika gaan. In Protestantse en Rooms-Katolieke kringe is en word die NGK uitgesonder as ’n noodsaaklike gespreksgenoot – dit was die skrywer se ervaring as moderator van die NGK (2007-2011). Hoewel die tema van kerk en samelewing ’n belangrike een in hierdie studie is, kry kernelemente in die Gereformeerdwees van die betrokke kerke ook aandag. Dit sluit in belydenis- en leerstellige benaderings, Gereformeerde karakter, onderlinge verhoudinge en ekumene en, waar van toepassing, jonger kerke of kerklike familie. As sentrale fokuspunt gaan dit om ’n greep op die sentrale aspekte van hierdie kerke in hulle kerkwees onder die Suiderkruis in Suidelike Afrika.

With the rise of Pentecostalism in the early twentieth century and growth in the charismatic movement since, a resurgence of interest in the Holy Spirit and Christian spirituality in both theology and the church's life has become evident. Along with increased interest in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, there are criticisms of the treatment of the doctrine in church history for having neglected the Holy Spirit in both theology and the church's life. Critical studies of the treatments of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in church history have been laboriously conducted. However, there have not been many studies on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Reformed orthodoxy, particularly in its confessional standards. Recognizing the gap in the history of scholarship, this work explores and provides a systematic account of the person and some aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit as presented in the major Reformed confessions and catechisms of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Attention is particularly given to those aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit that have not been greatly explored but are pertinent to contemporary discussions.

So you think you're a Protestant? Can you tell me what you are protesting? This is the question we all must ask ourselves. Unfortunately, it is the question many seem to be without an answer for. Take a look into history regarding the Roman Catholic Church and the Reformed Protestant views of the doctrines of grace. It is only when we know our past and our present that we can truly understand the marvelous grace of God and how He has chosen to display His love for us through a means that we can only partially grasp this side of Heaven.

Alongside essays on aspects of Calvin s Theology, Calvin: The Man and the Legacy includes studies of Calvin as pastor, preacher and liturgist and traces the influence of Calvin as it was conveyed through Scottish migration to Australia and New Zealand. Fascinating stories are told of the ways in which the Calvinist tradition has contributed much to the building of colonial societies, but also of the ways it has attracted ridicule and derision and has been subject to caricature that is sometimes deserved, sometimes humorous, but often grossly misleading."

A useful devotional book comprising 31 brief essays regarding Christ, the Gospel and the Church. Suitable for Christians and non-Christians alike. If you want to evangelize your family, friends, or co-workers this is a great, "quick-read" to hand out.