This revised edition of a classic college-level introduction to theology presents the core doctrines of the Christian faith, encouraging readers to connect belief with everyday life. Stanley Grenz, one of the leading evangelical scholars of his era, and Jay Smith, an expert on Grenz's theological legacy, construct a helpful theology that is biblical, historical, and contemporary. The third edition includes a foreword by John Franke, a new preface and afterword, resources for further study, and updated footnotes. The book's easy-to-use format includes end-of-chapter discussion questions and connects theological concepts with current cultural examples.

Bringing our needs and desires to God has always stood at the heart of Christian prayer. But why is petitioning God so important? In "Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom" noted theologian Stanley Grenz points to petitionary prayer as a crucial way for us to be involved with God's work in history. At the center of such prayer, Grenz argues, is the cry to God that his kingdom might come into the world.

Grenz explores key questions that many Christians ask: What does it mean to pray "according to God's will"? Should we persist in petitioning God for our needs? Does prayer really influence God? In the process of addressing these questions, Grenz offers practical guidance on praying effectively and challenges the contemporary church to recapture what it means to be a church that prays.

Revised and completely rewritten, with the inclusion of additional material, and now featuring an insightful foreword by Eugene Peterson, Grenz's "Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom" will help readers from every Christian tradition to foster a richer personal and communal life of prayer.

Samplings of online discussions about God, truth, and church-from theOoze.com Our culture is rapidly changing and people are searching for new models and paradigms to find meaning in their lives. As in all transitional periods, this search takes place in grass-roots conversations where the "new" is taking form. No other place so uniquely captures this struggle more than the message boards at theOoze.com, the premier melting pot of emerging spiritual conversation. Making Sense of Church is a snapshot of this "community conversation" as it tries to make sense of God in the emerging worldview. It represents a gathering of individuals with different points of view, theologies, life contexts, and feelings. Author Spencer Burke, creator of theOoze.com, provides the framework writing for each chapter and acts as a "guide" to the accompanying e-mail postings that supplement the chapters. Subjects discussed include: * Authentic Community * Experiential Worship * The Internet and God * Art as a Vehicle for Communicating Truth * Spirituality and Sexuality * What Is the Church? * What Is Postmodernism?

Beginning to study theology is like stepping into a conversation that has been going on for two thousand years. How do you take part in this conversation--or even make sense of it--if you don't understand the vocabulary or know the contributions made by other participants? The Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms is the perfect companion to your theological studies. Among its three hundred-plus definitions are English terms, from accommodation to wrath of God foreign terms, from a posteriori to via media theological movements and traditions, from the Alexandrian School to Wesleyanism theologians, from Anselm of Canterbury to Ulrich Zwingli Here is an affordable and easily accessible resource for your theological readings, lectures and writing assignments. It's a must-have for every theological student. Now Available in the IVP Pocket Reference The complete text of thePocket Dictionary of Theological Terms is now also available in the IVP Pocket Reference, a mobile app for both iOS and Android. Search, follow links, add your own notes and terms, and share definitions--it's "a library in your pocket."

Providing practical advice, the authors appeal for a revival of theological reflection among lay people, students and ministers.

Ethics is as old as the city-state and as new as cyberspace. Guided by the wagon tracks of moral tradition, it nevertheless rides the cutting edge of science and technology. Increasingly it is moving into the corner offices of law, business, medicine, science and technology. But few of us arrive in our first ethics class--or take our seat on an ethics committee--with a grip on the range of ideas and thinkers, perspectives and pitfalls that make up this ancient conversation about what is good and right and moral. We may feel like college math students who slipped through high school without learning algebra. The Pocket Dictionary of Ethics is a convenient boost to help you catch up. Among the 300 definitions provided by Stanley J. Grenz and Jay T. Smith are terms, from altruism to virtue issues, from animal rights to war ethicists, from Saint Augustine to Peter Singer perspectives, from Aristotelianism to utilitarianism marketplace specialties, from advertising to technological ethics Not only does this brief and convenient reference book take you where your desktop dictionary was not designed to go, it doubles as your basic A-to-Z survey or refresher course in ethics.

Beginning with the basics, Stanley Grenz leads his readers into a theological engagement with moral inquiry. In a concise yet reliable fashion, 'The Moral Quest' sets forth the basics of ethics, considers the role and methods of Christian ethics in particular, and examines the implicit and explicit ethical approaches of the Old Testament, the Gospels and Paul. Grenz goes on to introduce the foundational theological ethics of Augustine, Aquinas, and Luther and the Reformers, then continues with an evenhanded discussion of modern and contemporary Christian ethicists, including Albrecht Ritschl, Karl Barth, Paul Ramsey, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King Jr., Gustavo Guti rrez, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Stanley Hauerwas, Carl F. H. Henry and Oliver O Donovan. The book concludes with Grenz's own constructive proposal of comprehensive love, rooted in the life of the Trinity and worked out in Christian community. Clearly written and well apprised of relevant literature, 'The Moral Quest' is a first-rate introduction to Christian ethics. It will serve students, pastors and interested laypersons alike.

Studies of key biblical passages on women's roles in the church fill entire bookshelves, if not libraries. But in Women in the Church, Stanley Grenz and Denise Muir Kjesbo offer the first in-depth theological study of this issue--one of the most bitterly contested issues of our day. Carefully considering the biblical, historical and practical concerns surrounding women and the ordained ministry, this book will enlighten people on all sides of the issue. But Grenz and Kjesbo make no secret of their bold conclusion: 'Historical, biblical and theological considerations converge not only in allowing, but also in insisting, that women serve as full partners with men.' Thorough and irenic, Women in the Church bids to take an intense discussion to a new plane.

In this volume, Stanley Grenz creatively extends the insights of contemporary Trinitarian thought to theological anthropology. "The Social God and the Relational Self" is an example of theological construction as an ongoing conversation involving biblical texts, the theological heritage of the Christian tradition, and the contemporary historical/social context.

Grenz develops a communal understanding of the "imago dei" in the face of the demise of the centered self. He delineates the biblical/theological foundation for a new social conception of the divine image and reformulates an understanding of the self in a postmodern context, a context characterized by the loss of the self coupled with the quest for relationality in community. Grenz concludes by identifying the basis of the Trinitarian theological foundation for Christian anthropology and opens the door for the examination of other anthropological questions to be considered in light of the postmodern condition.

In this book, Stanley Grenz examines the long-standing trajectory of thought that has equated the concept of "being" with the God of the Bible--and thus claimed that the ontological category of being is the guiding concept by which God should be understood. Grenz extends the engagement between Christian theology and the Western philosophical tradition and focuses the discussion on the importance of naming, particularly given that the Christian God is both named and triune. In doing so, he organizes the book into three parts, forming an overarching story of the interplay between the named character of God and the question of being. First he analyzes the history of the philosophical concept of Being, then he shifts the focus to an exegesis of the "I Am" texts, and finally he moves to a renewed conversation between theology and ontological philosophy by means of the divine name.

Clergy sexual misconduct has become a crisis of nearly epidemic proportions. Without exception, these incidents inflict terrible pain on victims and tarnish the credibility of the Church in society. A comprehensive look at the problem, Betrayal of Trust offers practical, Scripture-based ideas on how to prevent abuse, minister to victims, and respond appropriately to cases of misconduct. "Having spent the last thirty years researching and writing about clergy sexual misconduct, I was most pleased to see how right on target Betrayal of Trust was. It is a sensitive, nonjudgmental examination of the risks facing clergy in this arena." --Archibald D. Hart, Ph.D., FPPR, Dean Emeritus, Graduate School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary "The authors skillfully tackle the demands of compassion, justice, the restoration of integrity, and spiritual healing. This book should be read carefully and its suggested prescriptions applied thoughtfully in churches and Christian agencies everywhere." --Morris H. Chapman, president and CEO, Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention "Good news for victims of clergy sexual abuse, for churches harmed, and for professionals working to help heal the deep mental, emotional, and spiritual wounds." --Christie Smith Stephens, cofounder, Women's Alternatives, Inc., Anderson, Indiana "When Texas Baptists were charged to do a two-year comprehensive study of clergy sexual abuse, the text we turned to again and again was Betrayal of Trust." --Joe E. Trull, editor, Christian Ethics Today

What role does scripture play in the task of the church? What value do past theological constructs offer today? How does culture affect theological reflection? In this book, the authors move past the Enlightenment foundational approach to offer a methodology for doing theology in a postmodern age. Writing for readers of all denominations, they propose a new theological method that uses three sources: the Spirit speaking authoritatively through the biblical text; tradition providing a historical interpretative framework; and culture as the context for constructive theological reflection. This method, they argue, fosters a Christian theology that acknowledges the whole of God (Father, Son and Spirit), takes full account of the experience of the faith community, and is future-oriented.

In this carefully reasoned and thoroughly researched analysis, Stanley Grenz asks: are same-sex relationships a viable, God-given way of giving expression to our sexuality? He reviews scientific research, the history of Christian teaching on homosexuality, the issue of biblical authority today, and the practical issues the church now faces, such as the blessing of same-sex unions, the ordination of homosexuals, and the church's public stance on gay rights issues. Ultimately he proposes that it is possible for Christian communities to welcome homosexuals without affirming same-sex unions.

In this biblically grounded study, Stanley Grenz synthesizes theology, ethics, and current medical research to offer an evangelical perspective on the profound role that sexuality does, and should, play in our lives today. He calls for Christians to live a biblical sexual ethic in the contemporary world, at the same calling on the church to recognize that its mandate includes being a reconciling community, one that proclaims God's grace to all.

Stanley J. Grenz seeks to build upon emphases that have been significant throughout Baptist history?the personal nature of the salvation experience, the ordinances of believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper, primacy of Scripture, the church as a company of the redeemed, and the concept of separation of church and state. Questions relating to each chapter will stimulate group interaction and provide thought for personal reflection. Baptists of all fellowships and affiliations will find this book an invaluable resource for understanding the foundations of Baptist beliefs and polity.

Recipient of a Christianity Today 1993 Critics' Choice Award Now in paperback Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson offer in this text a sympathetic introduction to twentieth-century theology and a critical survey of its significant thinkers and movements. Of particular interest is their attempt to show how twentieth-century theology has moved back and forth between two basic concepts: God's immanence and God's transcendence. Their survey profiles such towering figures in contemporary theology as Karl Barth, Rudolf Bultmann, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Reinhold Niebuhr, Paul Tillich, Jurgen Moltmann and Wolfhart Pannenberg. It critiques significant movements like neo-orthodoxy, process theology, liberation theology and theology of hope. And it assesses recent developments in feminist theology, black theology, new Catholic theology, narrative theology and evangelical theology. An indispensable handbook for anybody interested in today's theological landscape.

From the Academy to Pop Culture, our society is in the throes of change rivaling the birth of modernity out of the decay of the Middle Ages. We are now moving from the modern to the postmodern era. But what is postmodernism? How did it arise? What characterizes the postmodern ethos? Who are its leading advocates? Most important of all, what challenges does this cultural shift present to the church, which must proclaim the gospel to the emerging postmodern generation? Stanley J. Grenz here charts the postmodern landscape. He shows the threads that link art and architecture, philosophy and fiction, literary theory and television. He shows how the postmodern phenomenon has actually been in the making for a century, also introducing readers to the contemporary gurus of the postmodern mind-set. Scholarly yet accessible to all, this volume is an indispensable guide for understanding contemporary Western culture.

People today are searching for something to believe in. How can they choose between conflicting belief systems and find answers to their questions? In this book, Stanley Grenz presents the central tenets of Christian faith clearly and concisely, answering the most common questions and helping readers strengthen their understanding of Christianity.

Theologian Stanley Grenz here tells the story of trinitarian theology in the last century. He analyzes the remarkable ferment in the discipline and discusses key theologians-such as Karl Rahner, Jrgen Moltmann, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Robert Jenson, Elizabeth Johnson, Catherine Mowry LaCugna, Leonardo Boff, John Zizioulas, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Thomas F. Torrance-on such issues as God's inner life versus God's relationship to creation (immanent and economic trinity), social versus psychological analogies for the relationships within God, the relationship between trinity and Christology, the feminist critique of classical categories, and how God's trinitarian life figures in evolution, social justice, and spirituality. Grenz's introduction places this ferment historically in the course of Christian thought from the medieval period to now, while his conclusion sets a future agenda for the doctrine and theology.

Beginning with the tatters of Europe after World War I, the authors deftly survey a myriad of Christian theologians. These theologians have responded creatively to the steep challenges to faith in this tumultuous century - from Karl Barths No! to Reinhold Niebuhr's Christian realism, from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "religionless Christianity" to Rosemary Radford Ruether's feminist liberation theology. Easily accessible to both the theological student and the inquiring lay reader, this succinct and reliable guide opens doors to some of the most profound religious insights of our time.