This volume introduces the early Christian ideas of history and history writing and shows their value for developing Christian communities of the patristic era. It examines the ways early Christians related and transmitted their history: apologetics, martyrdom accounts, sacred biography, and the genre of church history proper. The book shows that exploring the lives and writings of both men and women of the ancient church helps readers understand how Christian identity is rooted in the faithful work of preceding generations. It also offers a corrective to the individualistic and ahistorical tendencies within contemporary Christianity.

Ten Outstanding Books in Mission Studies, World Christianity and Intercultural Theology for 2019 - International Bulletin of Mission Research (IBMR) Noted theologian Samuel Escobar offers a magisterial survey and study of Christology in Latin America. Starting with the first Spanish influence and moving through popular religiosity and liberationist themes in Catholic and Protestant thought of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, In Search of Christ in Latin America culminates in an important description of the work of the Latin American Theological Fraternity (FTL). Escobar chronologically traces the journey of Latin American Christology and describes the milestones along the way toward a rich understanding of the spiritual reality and powerful message of Jesus. IVP Academic is pleased to release this important work, originally published in Spanish as En busca de Cristo en America Latina, for the first time in English. Offers theological, historical, and cultural analysis of Latin American understandings of Christ Discusses the sixteenth-century Spanish Christ, popular religiosity, and developed theological reflection Covers the full spectrum of theological traditions in Latin America Examines the figure of Jesus Christ in the context of Latin American culture of the twentieth century Places liberation theology within its social and revolutionary context

This elegant Bible edition honors the beauty and richness of the New King James Version featuring wide margins for notes and reflections to enhance your study of God's Word. This wide margin New King James Version edition reflects the legacy and majesty of the King James Version Bible produced more than 400 years ago, but in language updated for today. This beautiful Bible, which contains design flourishes that pay tribute to the Bible produced in 1611, comes in a convenient size with extended margin space, essential study tools and traditional red-letter text for the Words of Christ. The Sovereign Collection continues Thomas Nelson's long history and stewardship publishing Bibles, featuring elegant letter illustrations leading into each chapter combined with clear and readable Comfort Print (R), connects you to the legacy of faith, and inspires your time in the Word to be enjoyable and fruitful. Features include: Line-matched classic 2-column format for a comfortable reading experience Wide outer margins for notes and reflections to engage in deeper study Book introductions provide a concise overview of the background and historical context of the book about to be read Words of Christ in red help you quickly identify Jesus' teachings and statements Extensive end-of-page cross references allow you to find related passages quickly and easily Translation notes provide a look into the thinking of the translators with alternative translations that could have been used and textual notes about manuscript variations Presentation page to personalize this special gift by recording a memory or a note Concordance for looking up a word's occurrences throughout the Bible Full-color maps show a visual representation of Israel and other biblical locations for better context Two satin ribbon markers for you to easily navigate and keep track of where you were reading Gilded page edges help protect the edge of the page and provide a polished look Durable and flexible Smyth-sewn binding so the Bible will lay flat in your hand or on a desk Easy-to-read 9-point NKJV Comfort Print (R)

Should we battle a plural and relativistic society by raising barriers and walls, or should we accept the opportunity to announce the Gospel in a new way? This is the challenge Christians are facing today. In an extended interview with Vatican expert Andrea Tornielli, Julian Carron examines the historical moment we are living through in order to revive the essential core of Christian faith. Starting from the realization that the world is experiencing an evolution in which the difficulty of finding shared values and natural morality makes sincere dialogue between believers and non-believers challenging, Carron reflects on the possibility of communicating the essence of the Christian faith in a form that can inspire interest in modern times. Addressing the central questions concerning the announcement of Christian faith in today's less regimented society, Where Is God? discovers and rediscovers the contents of Christianity and asks how they can be witnessed again in a society that is not yet post-Christian, but potentially headed in that direction.

While church discipline is never easy, it is sometimes a necessary, albeit painful, part of the Christian life. This helpful study guide tackles the difficult topic in six chapters designed to focus discussion on the interpretation and application of biblical texts. Participants will discover the role of church discipline and learn how to practice it in a gracious and loving way.

A series of ten 6-7 week studies covering the nine distinctives of a healthy church as originally laid out in Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever. This series explores the biblical foundations of key aspects of the church, helping Christians to live out those realities as members of a local body. Conveniently packaged and accessibly written, the format of this series is guided, inductive discussion of Scripture passages and is ideal for use in Sunday school, church-wide studies, or small group contexts.

Why did the Wesleyan Methodists and the Anglican evangelicals divide during the middle of the eighteenth century? Many would argue that the division between them was based narrowly on theological matters, especially predestination and perfection. Ryan Danker suggests, however, that politics was a major factor throughout, driving the Wesleyan Methodists and Anglican evangelicals apart. Methodism was perceived to be linked with the radical and seditious politics of the Cromwellian period. This was a charged claim in a post-Restoration England. Likewise Danker explores the political force of resurgent Tory influence under George III, which exerted more pressure on evangelicals to prove their loyalty to the Establishment. These political realities made it hard for evangelicals in the Church of England to cooperate with Wesley and meant that all their theological debates were politically inflected. Rich in detail, here is a book for all who seek deeper insight into a critical juncture in the development of evangelicalism and early Methodism.

Recovering Spiritual Practices of the Past titles reach beyond commonly known spiritual formation practices in order to mine the wisdom of the past, bringing to light ways of thinking, living, and growing in Christ that the church today has largely overlooked. In The Lost Discipline of Conversation, spiritual formation professor and author Joanne Jung walks readers through the Puritan practice of "conference," or focused, spiritual conversations intended to promote ongoing transformation. An antidote to privatized faith, conference calls believers to biblical literacy and soul care in a context of transparency and accountability. Useful for believers in any sphere or ministry or stage in life, conference is ultimately a tool for nurturing mutual, godly authenticity within community.

Robert Barriger es considerado un valioso punto de referencia para miles de pastores en Latinoamerica. Sin ninguna duda, el trabajo logrado por su iglesia le da autoridad para hablar sobre formas en las que una congregacion de creyentes puede convertirse en una influencia relevante en su comunidad, incluyendo el establecimiento de programas medicos, politicos y familiares como muy pocas congregaciones de America. Barriger es el pastor principal de Camino de Vida en Lima, Peru, una de las iglesias de mas impacto en el pais y en todo Sudamerica. Esta iglesia ha llevado a cabo una serie de proyectos de valor cultural y de influencia gubernamental en servicio a la comunidad. Barriger es de California, pero hace muchos anos hizo del Peru su casa donde vive con Su esposa, dos hijos y nietos. Su libro, La Iglesia Relevante, es una lectura sin duda requerida para cualquiera que quiere que su iglesia crezca en calidad como en cantidad y que busca que sea de un profundo impacto en la sociedad que la rodea."

Ninguna institucion ha cubierto mas siglos y mas continentes que la iglesia cristiana. Su historia dramatica es de derramamiento de sangre y paz, corrupcion y pobreza. Aqui el doctor Hurlbut vuelve a contar esta historia con un estilo objetivo, conciso y claro, haciendo enfasis en el espiritu de la iglesia, su crecimiento y maduracion, y las causas que condujeron a los acontecimientos historicos y su influencia resultante. Preciso, al dia, y presentado en forma vivida, Historia de la Iglesia Cristiana, de Hurlbut, cubre los seis periodos generales de la historia de la iglesia desde el ano 30 d. C. hasta el dia de hoy. En esta edicion revisada despues de la muerte del doctor Hurlbut, se ha anadido una seccion de conclusion que abarca el periodo desde el fallecimiento del autor hasta la actualidad para darnos un vistazo completo y facil de entender acerca de la iglesia cristiana. Disenado para dos publicos, este libro contiene bosquejos y referencias en los margenes para ayudar al estudiante y al maestro, junto con una narracion continua y numerosas ilustraciones para el lector general. Es ideal para utilizarlo en la Escuela Dominical, ya que al final del libro se incluyen bosquejos sugeridos y preguntas de repaso para cada capitulo."

The Bible is meant to be read in the church, by the church, as the church. Although the practice of reading Scripture has often become separated from its ecclesial context, theologian Derek Taylor argues that it rightly belongs to the disciplines of the community of faith. He finds a leading example of this approach in the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who regarded the reading of Scripture as an inherently communal exercise of discipleship. In conversation with other theologians, including John Webster, Robert Jenson, and Stanley Hauerwas, Taylor contends that Bonhoeffer's approach to Scripture can engender the practices and habits of a faithful hermeneutical community. Today, as in Bonhoeffer's time, the church is called to take up and read. Featuring new monographs with cutting-edge research, New Explorations in Theology provides a platform for constructive, creative work in the areas of systematic, historical, philosophical, biblical, and practical theology.

For churches and religious nonprofit operations, the business of business is not business - it is ministry. Still, such institutions have to make plans. Because skilled organization is needed to accomplish specific tasks, a leader must train and motivate workers in progress and effectiveness. This second edition of "Church Administration" helps pastors and church staff become effective and efficient leaders, managers, and administrators. Among the topics discussed are: Adminstration Documents, Organizing the Church, Administering Personnel Resources, Financial Resources, Physical Resources, and Administering Risk Management.
Writing for students as well as those already in this line of work, author Robert H. Welch promises, "If you understand the tenants of general administration and the techniques of ministerial leadership your job will be made significantly easier."

Integrity at Stake: Safeguarding Your Church from Financial Fraud by Rollie Dimos is a financial resource book intended for pastors, church leaders, and church administrators. Dimos' expertise as a certified fraud examiner and internal auditor provides the church audience with essential tools and know-how to assess their financial processes. Including practical steps for evaluation, Integrity at Stake details internal controls, risk management, and true stories to help church leaders reduce the risk of fraud and increase financial accountability and integrity.

Beginning as a marginal group in Galilee, the movement initiated by Jesus of Nazareth became a world religion within 100 years. Why, among various religious movements, did Christianity succeed? This major work by internationally renowned scholar Udo Schnelle traces the historical, cultural, and theological influences and developments of the early years of the Christian movement. It shows how Christianity provided an intellectual framework, a literature, and socialization among converts that led to its enduring influence. Senior New Testament scholar James Thompson offers a clear, fluent English translation of the successful German edition.

Ancient Jewish Monotheism and Early Christian Jesus-Devotion harvests from Larry W. Hurtado's lifetime of study of the New Testament and the development of early Christianity. Hurtado's career of historical and literary research spans forty years and emphasizes both continuity and discontinuity in the origins of the Christian faith. This volume displays Hurtado's command of the nature, shape, and implications of Christ-devotion for understanding Christian origins. Hurtado begins with the scholarly framework for understanding Christ-devotionaengaging key figures from Bousset and Bultmann to Bauckham and Wright. The next section maps the first-century Jewish devotional, liturgical, and theological contexts in which the early church and its worshiping life first emerged. Phenomenological investigations follow that set Christian innovation in the context of ancient Jewish monotheism, focusing specifically on the experiential factors shaping early Christian faith and devotional practices. The focus turns finally to the surprising ways in which the innovative, Jesus-centered beliefs and worship formed early Christian self-expression and identity. The volume concludes with a survey of some significant concrete implications of the distinctive dyadic devotional pattern that erupted early and spread widely. Even as this collection traces the historical narrative of Christian origins through the lens of Christology and devotion, it also forms an inclusive testament to one scholar's outstanding contributions to the ongoing discussion of what made early Christianity powerfully unique in its historical setting. Quintessential Hurtado, this volume is a necessity for any attempt to understand the diversity of factors at play in the birth of Christianity.