The definitive biography of a renowned German pastor. Though relatively unknown in America, Johann Christoph Blumhardt (1805-1880) is widely recognized in his native Germany, in part because of Friedrich Zundel's landmark biography. The terrifying battle between the spiritual forces of good and evil described here, and the awakening that followed, catapulted Blumhardt's parish into the public eye and still draws seekers to it. Zundel's account is fascinating on a historical level, but it is also infused with enduring pastoral insights and spiritual wisdom. Here is an almost unbelievable account of one person's faith in the inbreaking of God's kingdom and its victory over powers that bind and divide humanity.

The 40 short, pithy meditations in this collection witness to the fact that the birth of Jesus is more than history for those who feel their need of him. Christmas is the season of joy for good reason: it is the news of a savior being born, of light breaking into darkness, of God's peace and goodwill to all. But joy is more than merriment. For those who only want to have a good time or a feeling of togetherness, Christmas brings a temporary feeling of cheer. But for those who feel bankrupt, without real meaning or hope - either for themselves or for the world - Christmas can be genuinely life-changing.

The most accessible Kierkegaard reader ever “In a culture awash in religious silliness, Kierkegaard’s bracing metaphors expose our mediocrities and energize us with a clarified sense of what it means to follow Jesus.” –Eugene Peterson, author, Subversive Spirituality Provocations contains a little of everything from Kierkegaard’s prodigious output: his famously cantankerous (yet wryly humorous) attacks on what he calls the “mediocre shell” of conventional Christianity, his brilliantly pithy parables, his wise (and witty) sayings. Most significantly, it brings to a new generation a man whose writings pare away the fluff of modern spirituality to reveal the basics of the Christ-centered life: decisiveness, obedience, and recognition of the truth.

The kingdom of God is breaking in here on earth, and you can be part of it. No doubt, it is common to hear Christians today declaring their allegiance to God's kingdom. But what does this actually entail, and what difference does it make? In his characteristically provocative and daring way, Christoph Blumhardt articulates a vision of God's kingdom that turns much of our understanding of modern Christianity upside-down. In the present volume, available in English for the first time, Blumhardt leads readers to look at the gospel anew, challenging us to follow Jesus in a way that makes God's reign a reality, here and now. Bypassing vague notions of spirituality, as well as transcending simplistic approaches to faith, Blumhardt inspires us to actually live under the rule and reign of God.

Don't wait for the end times--we can experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the presence of God's future already now. If you want to pick a theological fight with someone, enter into a discussion about eschatology. You'll encounter a kaleidoscope of opinions and, more likely than not, outright disagreement. On one end of the spectrum there are the doomsday naysayers who, in warning us to get ready for the end, have determined in advance the very signs of Christ's return. On the other end are those who idealize God's future to such an extent that it has virtually no relevance for faith. Enter Johann Christoph Blumhardt. Blumhardt cuts through both end-time speculation and eschatological indifference with a passionate plea to make room, here and now, for God's coming kingdom. Blumhardt's whole approach toward "last things" is so out of the ordinary that it fills one with an authentic exhilaration that defies the staid confines of conventional Christianity. These sermons articulate not just a theology of hope but are refreshing, compelling insights into the prophetic vision of the great outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh. With confidence and holy expectation, Blumhardt reminds us that we can experience now, and even hasten on, the presence of God's future. We need only pray for it, watch for it, and live for it. It is at hand!

Andre Trocme of Le Chambon is famous for his role in saving thousands of Jews from the Nazis during World War II. But his bold deeds did not spring from a void. They were rooted in his understanding of Jesus' way of nonviolence - an understanding that gave him the remarkable insights contained in this long out-of-print classic. In this book, you'll encounter a Jesus you may have never met before - a Jesus who not only calls for spiritual transformation, but for practical changes that answer the most perplexing political, economic, and social problems of our time.

But God marches forward in history, and whoever stands still is in danger of losing God. Here the son, Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt, writes as nowhere else about his father, Johann Christoph Blumhardt, clarifying the unity and continuity in their thought, but also his own painful though necessary points of departure. In particular, he takes a critical look at the role of faith healing, exorcism, and spiritual warfare in "The Awakening" that thrust his father into the limelight, as well as his father's reluctance to step beyond the walls of the Christianity he inherited. God wants to renew the whole world, to pour out his Spirit on humankind again, and around the world Christians are praying for renewal and revival. Are we standing in the way? Blumhardt calls out obstacles or "false crutches" that he believes thwarted the movement of the Spirit in his father's time and his own, all of which are still with us today: a focus on piety and personal salvation, misconceptions about mission and evangelism, and the institutional church with its human structures, dogmas, and traditions. If the religion of our churches is too small for God, are we ready to step outside and live in accordance with his great future?

What does it cost to follow Jesus? For these men and women, the answer was clear. They were ready to give witness to Christ in the face of intense persecution, even if it cost them their lives. From the stoning of Stephen to Nigerian Christians persecuted by Boko Haram today, these stories from around the world and through the ages will inspire greater faithfulness to the way of Jesus, reminding us what costly discipleship looks like in any age. Since the birth of Christianity, the church has commemorated those who suffered for their faith in Christ. In the Anabaptist tradition especially, stories of the boldness and steadfastness of early Christian and Reformation-era martyrs have been handed down from one generation to the next through books such as Thieleman van Braght's Martyrs Mirror (1660). Yet the stories of more recent Christian witnesses are often unknown. Bearing Witness tells the stories of early Christian martyrs Stephen, Polycarp, Justin, Agathonica, Papylus, Carpus, Perpetua, Tharacus, Probus, Andronicus, and Marcellus, followed by radical reformers Jan Hus, Michael and Margaretha Sattler, Weynken Claes, William Tyndale, Jakob and Katharina Hutter, Anna Janz, Dirk Willems. But the bulk of the book focuses on little-known modern witness including Veronika Loehans, Jacob Hochstetler, Gnadenhutten, Joseph and Michael Hofer, Emanuel Swartzendruber, Regina Rosenberg, Eberhard and Emmy Arnold, Johann Kornelius Martens, Ahn Ei Sook, Jakob Rempel, Clarence Jordan, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, Tulio Pedraza, Stanimir Katanic, Samuel Kakesa, Kasai Kapata, Meserete Kristos Church, Sarah Corson, Alexander Men, Jose Chuquin, Norman Tattersall, Katherine Wu, and Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria. This book is part of the Bearing Witness Stories Project, a collaborative story-gathering project involving Anabaptist believers from many different traditions.

The diverse contributors to this issue of Plough Quarterly focus on what it means to be a peacemaker. Peacemaking, they show, is a riskier and more ambitious undertaking than we may have imagined. Today we must wage peace where thousands of children are being murdered by militias or forced to fight as soldiers. We need peacemakers in divided cities from Paris to Baltimore, peacemakers in a culture with little tolerance for Christian witness, and peacemakers in churches riven by ideological fights and petty grudges, not to mention making peace with our spouses, and with ourselves. Hear from active peacemakers on the frontlines of these battles and explore insights on peacemaking from Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Badshah Khan, Jeannette Rankin, Charles Spurgeon, André Trocmé, Peace Pilgrim, Albert Schweitzer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Eberhard Arnold. And as always, Plough Quarterly includes world-class art by the likes of Marc Chagall, Egon Schiele, Lisa Toth, Carl Larsson, Ben Shahn, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Paul Klee, Antonello da Messina, and others. Plough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to put their faith into action. Each issue brings you in-depth articles, interviews, fiction, poetry, book reviews, and art to help you put Jesus’ message into practice and find common cause with others.

The Rev. Charles E. Moore wrote Strictly for Men to raises awareness of the need for men to have a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ. "I saw a need for men to obtain some instruction on how to live successful lives in society." It is about God, Jesus Christ, and the lives of men, and also deals with the old as well as the new concept of life. This highly inspirational book talks about the relationship between fathers and sons, husbands and wives, church and community. It gives instruction for men to have control, grace, and confidence, and shows them how to maintain a household. Strictly for Men lets a male know that he is the backbone of the family, and that it is necessary to always have control over his behavior. Rev. Charles E. Moore grew up in the rural town of Hope Mills, North Carolina, where religion was a very important part of his household. He now live in Durham, a very progressive city in the state with unlimited opportunities. He is a retired Navy veteran and postal worker. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/MinisterCharlesEMoore

Change Your Focus, Change Your Life: Changing the Course of Your Life deals with the relationship between The Creator and The Creature, with The Creature deciding where to place his focus. If The Creature chooses to focus on The Creator, he can enter into a life of love, joy, peace, happiness, and prosperity. If he chooses to focus on The Creature, he is destined for despair, disappointment, depression, and frustration. Rev. Charles E. Moore is the second son born to the late Marjorie Cade Moore and Rev. James T. Moore. He is a Navy veteran, having served on the East and West coasts, and numerous duty stations aboard ship and overseas. Rev. Moore obtained an associate of arts degree in criminal justice from Fayetteville Community College. He is also a graduate of Fayetteville State University, where he studied sociology and obtained a bachelor of arts degree. He is a licensed and ordained minister of the Union Baptist Association of North Carolina. Rev. Moore was raised in a rural community outside of Hope Mills, N.C. He received his Christian education and training from Baptist Union Missionary Baptist Church in Hope Mills. He is the author of four Books, Strictly for Men, The Transformed Man, Strictly Transformed, and Change Your Focus Change Your Life. Rev. Moore's hope is that his books will be read all over the world. Publisher's website: http: //sbprabooks.com/CharlesEMoore

Strictly Transformed was written to bring awareness and the realization that God is with you all the time. It also shows realistic ways of enjoying the pleasures of life and how to maintain a happy family. It transitions into the spiritual side of man, to help him to know that since the beginning of creation, there has been an old and a new concept of life. Strictly Transformed shows the need for men to become aware of the social and religious issues around them. The book is highly inspirational and spiritual, bringing an awareness and enthusiasm that will transform you. With this transformation, you can travel from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Rev. Charles E. Moore grew up in the rural town of Hope Mills, North Carolina, where religion was a very important part of his household. He now live in Durham, a very progressive city in the state with unlimited opportunities. He is a retired Navy veteran and postal worker. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/MinisterCharlesEMoore

HIGH PRAISE This outstanding anthology of English poetry has received acclaim from all quarters, or at least sixths. Here is what the commentators have had to say: "This is, to the poetry of the English language, a seuss of an introduce." Dr. Zeus "I liked the art most." A sixth grade student who wishes to remain anonymous "We have found this book invaluable in its presentation to our young, green students of the poetry of the Earth-English language." The United Teacher's Association of Mars "If somewhat tendentious and euphuistic, this summary, though written for children, is an invaluable aide-memoir to nonagenarians and over wishing to catch up on what they have forgotten of English poetry." Whoam Eye, President of the Centenarian Society "Miau, purr, miow, purr." Dewey, a big white cat, sitting on my keys "Unlike iron, which 'bends and bows, ' poetry both knows and grows, as this book shows." The United Union of Ironmongers, Foundry Workers and Sixth Grade Teachers

Pathology involving the skull base and adjacent soft tissues present a challenge to all physicians dealing with the anatomy of this region. The goal of Skull Base Surgery: Basic Techniques is to provide the surgeon with a descriptive, step by step, pictorial analysis of skull base surgical techniques. Emphasis is placed on the most commonly used and applicable procedures that address the majority of the pathology encountered in standard practice. This beautifully illustrated text is directed to be the most useful for individuals new to these methods, surgical trainees and mid-level practitioners. Additionally, it's likely to be useful to physicians outside of otolaryngology and neurosurgery involved in the care of these patients. It provides a description of the key components of the medical management of these cases preoperatively and postoperatively so as to maximize the opportunity for successful outcomes.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Traumatic Injuries to the Pediatric Craniofacial Skeleton documents the current research in the area and promotes a team-based treatment approach. Written from a multi-disciplinary perspective, this text exposes the reader to a discussion of issues pertinent to pediatric facial trauma from the viewpoint of an oral surgeon, neurosurgeon, dentist, ophthalmologist, otolaryngologist, radiologist, plastic surgeon, and craniomaxillofacial surgeon. Close cooperation among all those working in the various related disciplines and specialties for the craniomaxillofacial area is essential to ensure optimal results for patients. Given that there are many ways to achieve the desired results in medicine and surgery, continuous exposure to new and innovative concepts is essential in order to provide the best care to the pediatric patient.