Ever since its composition in the ninth century, the use of the Veni Creator in the liturgy of Pentecost and in Christian assemblies has been constant, as one continuous, solemn invocation of the Paraclete. Its language, however, is far removed from theological discourse but inspired by symbol, image and song, by poetry and liturgy, by prophecy and living models of holiness. The author is one of the foremost specialists in the theology of the Spirit. He has the master’s art of drawing the reader by communicating his own enthusiasm for the Holy Spirit.

Die bundel bevat artikels oor geloof en kerk in veranderende kontekste. Bydraes is deur teoloë van die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika en die Protestantse Teologiese Universiteit in Nederland gelewer en is die resultaat van samewerking tussen die twee universiteite op die gebied van praktiese en sistematiese teologie.

Die fokus is op die verantwoordelikheid van die kerk teenoor armes, die aard en wese van die kerk, die Christelik Godsbegrip en die wyse waarop oor God in die prediking gedink en gepraat word. Van die boeiende bydraes is ’n vergelyking tussen armoede in Suid-Afrika en Nederland, verhale oor die wyse waarop regstellende aksie en werkloosheid Suid-Afrikaners se geloofsbelewenis raak en besinning oor die proses van kerkvereniging in die NG Kerk-familie.

Daar is ook hoofstukke oor prediking en liturgie as uitdrukking van nadenke oor God en maniere waarop tot God gepraat word. Die wye verskeidenheid invalshoeke en onderwerpe maak van hierdie boek ’n interessante leeservaring vir sowel gewone lidmate as predikante en akademici.

‘In the beginning was the Word,’ says the Gospel of John. This sentence – and the words of all four gospels – is central to the teachings of the Christian church and has shaped Western art, literature and language, and the Western mind. Yet in the years after the death of Christ there was not merely one word, nor any consensus as to who Jesus was or why he had mattered. There were many different Jesuses, among them the aggressive Jesus who scorned his parents and crippled those who opposed him, the Jesus who sold his twin into slavery and the Jesus who had someone crucified in his stead. Moreover, in the early years of the first millennium there were many other saviours, many sons of gods who healed the sick and cured the lame. But as Christianity spread, they were pronounced unacceptable – even heretical – and they faded from view. Now, in Heretic, Catherine Nixey tells their extraordinary story, one of contingency, chance and plurality. It is a story about what might have been.

"The Condemnation of Pride and Self-Admiration" is the twenty-ninth chapter of "Revival of the Religious Sciences", a monumental work written by the jurist Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali (d.1111). Perhaps the most important chapter in the "Revival", "The Condemnation of Pride and Self-Admiration" delves into the fundamental spiritual ailments and major impediments of the soul, namely pride and self-admiration. From the beginning of the work, Ghazali states that both pride and self-admiration are forms of spiritual disease. He treats of pride in Part One, firstly condemning this ailment with verses from the Qur'an, describing how it manifests outwardly, how the virtue of humility represents its opposite, what it is and what its symptoms are, as well as the seven reasons for the cause of pride and the root cause of pride in self-admiration. As an antidote, Ghazali offers examples of true humility, showing the manner by which the seven causes of pride can be dealt with, balancing these observations out with a warning against false humility. In Part Two Ghazali discusses self-admiration, condemning it as he did pride in Part One, showing the various ways it manifests inwardly, how it causes negligence, delusion and complacency, how each can be remedied, that self-admiration does not always lead to proud actions, and how the cure lies in the Qur'an, the teachings of the Prophet, proofs based on sound reasoning, as well as recognising that knowledge is a blessing from God.

Ten spyte daarvan dat die Bybel eeue oud is, lees miljoene mense wereldwyd uit verskillende taal- en kultuurgroepe dit steeds met die verwagting om iets daarin te vind wat vir hulle persoonlike en spirituele lewe van waarde kan wees. Nietemin is die Bybel oorspronklik bedoel vir mense wat in ’n pre-industriele en prewetenskaplike wereld geleef het. Hulle huise, stede, plase, lewensomstandighede, kleding en gebruike het radikaal verskil van die wat ons vandag ken – wat die vraag laat ontstaan: hoe kan die reusegaping tussen hierdie antieke tekste en moderne lesers oorbrug word. Geskiedenis en geskrifte stel hedendaagse lesers aan die wereld van die ou Nabye-Ooste bekend – vanaf die ou Israeliete se oorlewingstryd, tot die godsdienstige literatuur wat geskryf is om hulle die lewe te help hanteer en sin te maak uit gebeure wat hul lewe beinvloed het – en lei die leser sodoende tot groter begrip en insig in die verskillende kontekste van die Bybel se wordingsgeskiedenis.

EL CASO DE UN CIENTIFICO A FAVOR DE LA V IDA DESPUES DE LA MUERTE
Miles de personas han tenido experiencias cercanas a la muerte, pero los cientificos han sostenido de que son imposibles. El doctor Eben Alexander era uno de esos cientificos. Un neurocirujano altamente entrenado, Alexander sabia que las experiencias cercanas a la muerte se sienten reales, pero que simplemente son fantasias producidas por el cerebro bajo un estres extremo.
Luego, el cerebro del propio doctor Alexander fue atacado por una extrana enfermedad. La parte del cerebro que controla los pensamientos y las emociones --y en esencia nos hace humanos-- se le apago por completo. Estuvo en coma durante siete dias. Entonces, mientras sus medicos consideraban parar su tratamiento, los ojos de Alexander se abrieron. Volvio.
La recuperacion de Alexander es un milagro medico. Pero el verdadero milagro de su historia yace en otro lugar. Mientras su cuerpo estaba en coma, Alexander viajo mas alla de este mundo y se encontro con un ser angelical que lo guio a los terrenos mas profundos de la existencia suprafisica. Alla conocio a, y hablo con, la fuente Divina del universo.
La historia de Alexander no es una fantasia. Antes de comenzar su viaje, no podia reconciliar su conocimiento de la neurociencia con ninguna creencia del cielo, Dios ni el alma. Hoy en dia, Alexander es un medico que cree que la verdadera salud se puede adquirir solo cuando nos damos cuenta de que Dios y el alma son reales y la muerte no es el final de la existencia personal, sino solo una transicion.
Esta historia seria extraordinaria sin importar a quien le haya ocurrido. Que le haya ocurrido al doctor Alexander la hace revolucionaria. Ningun cientifico ni persona de fe la podra ignorar. Leerla te cambiara la vida.

Religious rivalries have been at the root of many human conflicts throughout history. Representatives of nine world religions offer insights into the teachings of nonviolence within their tradition, how practice has often fallen short of the ideals, and how they can overcome the contagion of hatred through a return to traditional teachings on nonviolence. Included are a new Foreword and Preface, a new Introduction by Daniel Smith-Christopher, two new chapters on Islam and the indigenous religion of the Maori, and a new Epilogue. In addition, study questions have been added to each chapter.

This book is founded on the premise that being a servant of 'the kingdom community' must become the heart of the church's mission. Unless this happens Christians will have little to offer to a world now facing an ultimate choice between community and chaos. To fulfil this mission the mould of Christendom needs to be broken so that a new form of church - the diaconal church - can come into being. This will mean a church open to dialogue, a laity liberated from clericalism and the creation of a servant leadership. The book includes an informative evaluation of five original case-studies of the diaconal church in action and the diaconal potential of five worldwide Christian 'renewal movements'.

The Talmudic exegesis is constructed on special hermeneutic rules which have the logical meaning in fact. On the basis of this circumstance it is possible to speak about a special logical culture of the Talmud and to call the logic used there.

Die Bybellennium – ’n Eenvolumekommentaar is ’n projek deur ken­ners van die Ou en Nu­we Testament. Met die Nuwe Lewende Vertaling as grondslag is hierdie boek ge­skryf in mak­lik lees­bare, eietydse taal sonder inge­wikkelde redena­sies en termino­lo­gie. Die bun­del is ’n be­kos­tigbare kommentaar van die Nuwe Lewnde Vertaling vir predikante, stu­dente en ernstige Bybel­le­sers.

Gelowiges wat meer van die Bybel wil weet, sal deur dié bundel ’n wyer insig van die Bybel verkry, sowel as die wêreld waarin dit afspeel en die be­te­kenis daarvan vir vandag. Die Bybellennium – ’n Eenvolumekommentaar ontsluit vir hedendaagse gelowiges wat die By­bel vandag nog vir ons wil sê.

'Leadership in The Salvation Army' is a review and analysis of Salvation Army history, focused on the process of clericalisation. The Army provides a case study of the way in which renewal movements in the church institutionalise. Their leadership roles, initially merely functional and based on the principle of the 'priesthood of all believers', begin to assume greater status. the adoption of the term 'ordination' for the commissioning of The Salvation Army's officers in 1978, a hundred years after its founding, illustrates this tendency. The Salvation Army's ecclesiology has been essentially pragmatic and has developed in comparative isolation from the wider church, perhaps with a greater role being played by sociological processes than by theological reflection in its development. The Army continues to exhibit a tension between its theology, which supports equality of status, and its military structure, which works against equality, and both schools of thought flourish within its ranks.

In The Unseen Realm, Dr. Michael Heiser examines the ancient context of Scripture, explaining how its supernatural worldview can help us grow in our understanding of God. He illuminates intriguing and amazing passages of the Bible that have been hiding in plain sight. You'll find yourself engaged in an enthusiastic pursuit of the truth, resulting in a new appreciation for God's Word. Why wasn't Eve surprised when the serpent spoke to her? How did descendants of the Nephilim survive the flood? Why did Jacob fuse Yahweh and his Angel together in his prayer? Who are the assembly of divine beings that God presides over? In what way do those beings participate in God's decisions? Why do Peter and Jude promote belief in imprisoned spirits? Why does Paul describe evil spirits in terms of geographical rulership? Who are the "glorious ones" that even angels dare not rebuke? After reading this book, you may never read your Bible the same way again. "There is a world referred to in the Scripture that is quite unseen, but also quite present and active. Michael Heiser's The Unseen Realm seeks to unmask this world. Heiser shows how important it is to understand this world and appreciate how its contribution helps to make sense of Scripture. The book is clear and well done, treating many ideas and themes that often go unseen themselves. With this book, such themes will no longer be neglected, so read it and discover a new realm for reflection about what Scripture teaches."

Experts from six traditions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Chinese religions discuss rituals, practices, and emotions as they relate to death and the hope of life that follows death.

"I wish I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist had been available when I was an atheist-it would have saved a lot of time in my spiritual journey toward God." Lee Strobel, author, The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator "This extremely readable book brilliantly builds the case for Christianity from the question of truth all the way to the inspiration of the Bible. And the verdict is in: Christians stand on mounds of solid evidence while skeptics cling to nothing but their blind, dogmatic faith. If you're still a skeptic after reading I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, then I suspect you're living in denial." Josh McDowell, speaker and author of Evidence That Demands a Verdict This study guide is the ultimate resource to use side-by-side with I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist and help the reader draw out the evidence for Christianity as well as provide practical insights on how to engage skeptics with the truth addressed in the book. The study guide is divided up into three parts that emboldens the reader to get motivated, equips the reader to be trained, and engages the reader so that they are prepared to readily respond to the objections asserted by skeptics and atheist. Dr. Norman L. Geisler has taught at the university and graduate levels for more than 50 years and has spoken and debated all over the world. He holds an MA from Wheaton College and a PhD in philosophy from Loyola University, and is presently Provost and Distinguished Professor of Apologetics at Veritas Evangelical Seminary in Murrieta, California. He is the author and coauthor of more than 70 books. For more information, check out Dr. Geisler's website www.normgeisler.com. Jason Jimenez has pastored families for 15 years and is founder and president of reshift ministries, Inc. He is the author of The Raging War of Ideas: How to Take Back Our Faith, Family, and Country and The Raging War of Ideas study guide for small groups. For more information, check out www.reshiftministries.org.