What was the name of Noah's son who did not survive the Flood? Why do Pharaoh and Haman build the Tower of Babel? For what reasons does Moses travel to the ends of the Earth? Who is the 'Horned-One' who holds back Gog and Magog until the Day of Judgement? These are some of the questions answered in the oral sources and Quran commentaries on the stories of the prophets as they are understood by Muslims. Designed as an introduction to the Quran with particular emphasis on parallels with Biblical tradition, this book provides a concise but detailed overview of Muslim prophets from Adam to Muhammad. Each of the chapters is organized around a particular prophet, including an English translation of the relevant verses of the Quran and a wide selection of classical, medieval and modern Muslim commentaries on those verses. Quran commentaries include references to Sunni and Shi'i sources from Spain, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. An extensive glossary provides an annotated list of all scholarly transmitters and cited texts with suggestions for further reading.This is an excellent book for undergraduate courses, and students in divinity and seminary programmes. Comparisons between the Quran and Bible, and among Jewish, Christian and Islamic exegesis are highlighted. Oral sources, references adapted from apocryphal and pseudepigraphical works, and inter-religious dialogue are all evident throughout these stories of the prophets. This material shows how the Quran and its interpretation are integral to a fuller and more discerning understanding of the Bible and its place in the history of Western religion.

In The Weary Leader's Guide to Burnout, Sean Nemecek takes Christian leaders on a journey from burnout through recovery and on to spiritual transformation. By understanding the causes and symptoms of their burnout, these leaders will be ready to take practical, actionable steps toward wholeness. Then, if they choose, they will be poised to do the inner work of spiritual transformation by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. In the end, these leaders will emerge from burnout more confident in Christ, more connected with others, and with greater purpose, courage, and grace in their leadership. This book integrates biblical interpretation, theology, psychology, and contemplative spirituality into a holistic approach to recovery. It is filled with relatable stories of church leaders who have walked this path and includes discussion questions for personal contemplation or group discussion. The Weary Leader's Guide to Burnout will help pastors and Christian leaders develop an integrated approach to life, work, and ministry through healing and spiritual transformation.

Life is a continuum we must traverse from our beginning until our end. We experience many stages during this journey, and they are all a part of the process of enhancing our development and allow us to experience our destiny and purpose. Despite life's ups and downs, ins and outs, and good and bad, we must learn to hear and understand our purpose and remain steadfast until the end.

In Finished Th ings: Th e Promise of Completion author and pastor DeBorah Coleman uses Philippians 1:6 to provide encouragement to stay on the path that God has set out for us. She interweaves Scripture and biblical figures and ideas with her own insights, personal stories, and modern-day elements to show the importance of persevering, despite the obstacles, to reach the pinnacle of our faith.

Coleman communicates the importance of concentrating on our goals and staying in the game to fi nish the course. Get ready for some things to change. Get ready for people to change. Get ready for our own change. We are on the course that leads to completion. God promised to complete what he began in us.

Being a youth minister is not for the meek
Youth ministry is difficult and you need every useful resource you can get your handson. "The Whole Youth Worker, 2nd Edition" is advice straight from the heart of a guywho has been in the youth ministry trenches for over a decade. Whether you are a youthminister rookie or a seasoned pro, "The Whole Youth Worker, 2nd Edition" should be onyour resource shelf. Inside the new 2nd Edition, you will find advice on: Being a professional inside the officeDealing with criticismBalancing family and ministryChallenging your congregation's definition of successCreating a more parent-friendly ministryCreating a clear vision for ministryMinistering to others when your spirit is strugglingStaying health as a form of worship
And new insights available only in this edition include:
Advice on interviewing wellHow not to let an event become bigger than GodCelebrating successesWhen good kids make bad choices
Youth Ministers and Pastors Acclaim for "The Whole Youth Worker"
"Here is a brass-tacks companion for those who would aspire to being not a masterbut a servant, one who is willing to put forth great effort on the young, even thoughnot all the recipients will be appreciative. Jay Tucker is the opposite of preachy, he ispractical and instructional with down-to-earth language that brings a smile."--Most Rev. Heyward B. Ewart, PhD, DD, Metropolitan Archbishop, Holy Catholic Church International
"If you want to hear from the heart of a youth worker who struggles to enjoy the Monday-to-Friday part of youth ministry and wants to help you get through it too, then you need to read The Whole Youth Worker."--Mike Kupferer, Youth Ministry Exchange
"In The Whole Youth Worker, Jay gives us a glimpse at what it's like to be in the trenches--both good and bad. You will read this book and say, 'Been there--it's good to know I'm not alone '" --Rev. Bill Fisackerly, IV, Gulf Cove United Methodist Church
Learn more at www.JayTucker.net
The Spiritual Discovery Series from Loving Healing Press www.LovingHealing.com

MISSIONS STRATEGIES OF KOREAN PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARIES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES is the most important book on Presbyterian missions in the Philippines to be published in this century. Historians of Asia and scholars of Christian history interested in learning about the planting of the Presbyterian movement in the Philippines cannot ignore this book. This book describes the origin and growth of the Presbyterian Church of the Philippines (PCP), a major Presbyterian denomination in the Philippines, and it explains the strategies used by Presbyterian missionaries to accomplish Presbyterianism in the Philippines. Written by the current director of the main missionary training agency of the Korean Presbyterian Church (Ko-Shin), one of the biggest Korean Presbyterian denominations with thousands of churches throughout the world and dozens of co-operative "daughter" Korean Presbyterian denominations worldwide - in the USA, Australia, the European Union, Indonesia, etc. - this book provides a picture into the secrets of success behind Korean Presbyterian missions work. This book is written by Rev. Dr. Hoo-Soo Jose Nam who has served as the President of Cebu Bible College in the Philippines for over a decade and trained hundreds of Christian clergy and leaders. Rev. Dr. Nam is not only an academic but personally founded or help found over 10 Filipino Presbyterian churches in the Philippines. This book is an authoritative book on Presbyterian missionary activity in the Philippines by one who was an important part of that history.

While there are millions of graduates leaving colleges and universities every year, major statistics show that more than 53 percent of these graduates are either unemployed or underemployed. In addition, many young people today fail to live up to their potential or even attempt to achieve their dreams due to lack of confidence in their abilities that often results from not being given permission to be and develop who they truly are. In THE NEW GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP, the authors gives outright that permission, and shares practical steps, inspiring stories and anecdotes, helpful principles, and uncommon truths in the nurturing of those innate qualities that will help young people increase their value, excel and stand out from the crowd.

While the defense of public image in political, corporate, and celebrity rhetoric has been widely studied, religious image repair has been largely ignored. "Divine Apology" considers the unique circumstances facing religious figures in need of restoring their reputations by examining a blend of historical and contemporary defenses offered by various figures and groups. The author covers apologia as advanced by the Apostle Paul, Justin Martyr, Martin Luther, Jimmy Swaggart, evangelical opponents of the Jesus Seminar, and conservative leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention. He concludes that strategies used for religious image repair often differ significantly from those employed by politicians, corporations, and other public figures.

In this unique volume, Miller demonstrates that religious groups and individuals are as motivated as anyone else to purify their public images. The issues prompting defenses, however, are more likely to focus on epistemological conflicts and clashes of worldviews than on inappropriate behaviors. As a consequence, religious apologists are more likely to associate attacks against their beliefs as assaults against their characters. This causes religious image restoration discourse to manifest itself as more transcendent than defenses in traditional situations involving laypeople. Miller posits that the presence of God and religious antecedents as salient audiences, as well as other factors concerning audience and context, work to shape a form of apology that is characteristically religious.

During hard times, Shawn Kilgarlin has felt the Scripture's messages guiding her life. In God's Love Letters, she brings together thoughts about the day-to-day guidance Biblical passages provide and how understanding God's love leads to spiritual resiliency-the strength to cope with life's problems. Shawn shares her remarkable journey using real life, day-to-day examples. She illustrates how you can use the Bible as a guide to love and praise God and live according to His word. You will come away with a deeper understanding of what bouncing back from adversity means in the Christian life. Join Shawn on her journey to understand: The characteristics of love The power of forgiveness The Christian way to praise and show gratitude to God How to use the Bible as a guide to enrich all your relationships How living a Christian life helps you develop spiritual resiliency God's Love Letters reminds us that God doesn't promise an easy life, but He gives us the faith to make it through difficulties. Use this uplifting book-and its abundantly quoted and interpreted scriptures-to help you rise above adversity and develop your own spiritual resilience.

This book takes a new look at one of the most contentious periods in American history. The battles over schools that surrounded the famous Scopes "monkey" trial in 1925 were about much more than evolution. Fundamentalists fought to maintain cultural control of education. As this book reveals for the first time, the successes and the failures of these fundamentalist campaigns transformed both the fundamentalist movement and the nature of education in America. In turn, those transformations determined many of the positions of the "culture wars" that raged throughout the twentieth century.

Spirituality in Dark Places explores the spiritual consequences and ethics of modern solitary confinement. Jeffreys emphasizes how solitary confinement damages our spiritual lives, focusing particularly on how it destroys our relationship to time and undermines our creativity. Solitary inmates experience profound temporal dislocation that erodes their personal identities. They are often isolated from music, art, and books, or find their creativity tightly controlled. Informed by experiences with inmates, chaplains, and employees in the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Jeffreys also evaluates the ethics of solitary confinement, considering but ultimately rejecting the argument that punitive isolation justifiably expresses moral outrage at heinous crimes. Finally, Jeffreys proposes changes in solitary confinement in order to mitigate its profound damage to both prisoners and human dignity at large.

This study examines the post-medieval reception of Vienna's women's monastic institutions as historical icons of the medieval past. Over time, the eight major women's convents of Vienna become linked in the popular mind with the broader mythology of "Alt-Wien," the old Vienna. Accounts of the city in geographical materials of the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries - maps and panoramas, topographies, travel literature, and Vienna-centric folktale collections - frequently allude to the convents' former identities at the expense of their ongoing presence as active female religious establishments. By teasing out the way people think about the physical and historical place such women's institutions held in this important urban and political center, Received Medievalisms provides a new picture of the ways in which the medieval shapes later understandings of women's role and agency within the city.

" ... Take advantage of this resource to effectively enhance your ability to exercise faith within life's decisions."
-Anthony L. Johnson PhD, author of To Be Determined Director, Growing Through Life Experiences, Inc., Colleyville, Texas

In Life under Construction, seasoned minister Kenneth Raymond utilizes biblical wisdom to help individuals with high-impact decision-making.

With more than twenty years of experience in faith-based leadership, Kenneth Raymond encourages believers to follow the will of God and the influence of the Holy Spirit to improve decision-making. While portraying the decision-making process utilized to achieve the visions

God provided to role models Adam, Abraham, Joseph, and other biblical figures, Kenneth Raymond teaches Christians how to:
Close the door on negativity by eliminating errors in judgment caused by external influences. Understand how God continues to teach individuals how to employ their gifts and His strategies to reach their destinies. Seize the opportunity to develop new skills for long-term success. Learn how to maximize the power of God's word and the Holy Spirit to overcome obstacles in life. God's desire is that each of us lives our days in prosperity and our years in pleasure. Life under Construction aids the Body of Christ in moving forward in the plans of God by providing real answers to real problems.

Leadership makes a difference. Leaders directly impact the success or failure of any group or church. Excellent leaders direct churches to successfully accomplish their goals, fulfill their missions, and create a vibrant fellowship of believers who significantly influence their communities for Christ. Poor leaders can undermine the mission of a church, devastate the reputation of a fellowship, and sometimes dissolve the ministries of a congregation. The effects of average leaders are variable. They often allow churches to limp along, to become routine, even stale, or to just survive from week to week. Many factors challenge churches already, and ineffective leadership can make those challenges even more difficult to conquer.

A primary reason why leaders struggle so often is a lack of understanding and training in the basic principles of genuine leadership. Further confounding this lack of understanding is the promotion of contemporary philosophies about leadership that can distort those basic concepts of leadership. This ignorance is not the fault of pastors who have a sincere desire to lead effectively, but the training in leadership at many seminaries is often limited. Leadership at the Crossroads addresses some of those concerns. What is leadership? What leadership style works best? How can ministers more effectively motivate their congregations? How can pastors direct the planning process, promote decision making, properly delegate responsibilities, and initiate change? What methods are effective in conflict resolution? These questions, as well as others, are addressed in Leadership at the Crossroads.