The ministry is more than preaching, but preaching is its priority. This conviction is one Dr. Ngien has lived and worked with. As a sequel to A Faith Worth Believing, Commending and Living, and Giving Wings to the Soul, Interpretation of Love: God's Love and Ours is a third collection of sermons and talks, preached with rigor and humor, reverence and relevance. Basic to the book is the assertion that the one possessed of a penetrating eye, coupled with a compassionate heart, could interpret, and thus be an effective agency of love. We are saved not so that we might be good, but so that we are God's--chosen and set apart to be his holy, beloved family. Because we are his, we are to dress ourselves differently (Col. 3:12-13). The wardrobe of the holy saints is full of love. The imperative of the new self is to reflect Christ's holiness in the way that we relate to each other. The selfishness that was at the core of our existence now gives way to a loving self-sacrifice for the good of others, resulting in a theology of radical reversal, which is the theology of a holy life: (i) compassion instead of contempt for or indifference to others; (ii) kindness instead of malice; (iii) humility instead of arrogance; (iv) gentleness instead of rudeness; (v) patience instead of anger; (vi) forbearance instead of resentment; and (vii) forgiveness instead of revenge. This is the fruit of Christ's redemptive act on the cross manifest in those who live in joyous obedience and willful submission to the Holy Spirit. Readers will be drawn into the depth of biblical and theological truths presented with anecdotes and antidotes. "Divested of scholarly language, Ngien's disarmingly simple treatise on love exposes a compassionate, humble mind that revels in scholarly exegesis while redeeming a word divested of meaning in a secularized society. From the pen of a man who oft quips that 'good theology is a good apologetic' comes an interpretation of love that, if practiced, would transform society and retrieve the identity of veritable disciples of Christ." --Ken Gamble, MD, President, Missionary Health Institute, Toronto "It has been my privilege to know Dennis Ngien for many years. He is the rare scholar-pastor who combines sublimity, simplicity, and truth-telling with great compassion. His sermons always refresh and challenge me, and I know this new collection will minister to you as well. I enthusiastically recommend An Interpretation of Love." --Ravi Zacharias, Author and Speaker Dennis Ngien is Professor of Systematic Theology at Tyndale University College and Seminary in Toronto and Research Scholar in Theology at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University. He is the author of seven books including The Suffering of God's according to Martin Luther's "Theologia Crucis" (1995) and Apologetic for Filioque in Medieval Theology (2005). A founder of the Centre for Mentorship and Theological Reflection, he focuses on mentoring scholars, pastors, church leaders, and theological students.

Synopsis: Did Luther get Christian freedom right? The answer to this question contains two elements: What is Luther's understanding of Christian freedom? How did his understanding stand up under the pressure of reformation? Muhlhan examines both of these elements and contends that the sublime beauty of Luther's early understanding of Christian freedom--an understanding that empowered the German reformation--is consistently the same understanding he used to undermine papal heteronomy and refute radical legalism. The relational character, cruciform substance, and complex structure of Luther's concept of freedom enabled him to speak both polemically and catechetically with a clear and authoritative communicative clarity that reinvoked the magnificence of Christ and him crucified for sinners. The impact, both positive and negative, of Luther's appraisal of Christian freedom finds its focus of impact in the small world of Wittenberg in the sixteenth century yet resonated throughout the church of his day as a powerful, theologically laden response to legalism and antinomianism. Therefore, in light of this impact and its correlation to biblical freedom, Muhlhan contents that we can confidently affirm that Luther did indeed get Christian freedom right and that he did not fail to live by the implications of this radical theology. Endorsements: "This well-researched and well-written book is a unique contribution to Luther studies. No other work so clearly and creatively demonstrates how Luther's concept of inner freedom works out in the early, difficult social situations the reformer faced. Being Shaped by Freedom is a courageous attempt to argue for and to elucidate the consistency between the reformer's practice and the indicative of reforming doctrine." --Michael Parsons, Spurgeon's College "With clarity, precision, and insightful sensitivity, Muhlhan . . . examines how Luther's understanding of justification and freedom produces the faithful life of the believer. This refreshing analysis contributes significantly to our understanding of the holistic view of Christian righteousness fashioned by Luther's distinctions of law and gospel and of two kinds of human righteousness. This book shows how Luther's insights actually functioned in his proclamation aimed at shaping Christian consciousness and performance of God's will." Robert Kolb, Concordia Seminary "Brett Muhlhan displays a comprehensive knowledge of the principles and materials treated, lucidity in communicating that knowledge, and originality and independence in applying them . . . Throughout, he shows a talent for sound theological exposition, and an analytic gift to unearth the complex structure and substance of Luther's thinking . . . This monograph, a substantial study of high quality, deserves an ecumenical reception." --From the Foreword by Dennis Ngien, Tyndale Seminary Author Biography: Brett Muhlhan is Postgraduate Coordinator and Lecturer in Historical Theology, Systematics, and New Testament at the Perth Bible College, Western Australia.

A sequel to A Faith Worth Believing, Living and Commendation, Giving Wings to the Soul is the compilation of Dr. Ngien's sermons or speeches, devotional and theological reflections. The materials continue to provide Bible-based, thought-provoking theological, spiritual, and pastoral insights to issues of topical interest. Devoid of complex theological jargon, and crafted with an earthy relevance, Dr. Ngien shows us how to preach doctrinally, apologetically, and pastorally in a way that is clear, readable, and laudable. Reflecting his extensive ministry and academic rigor, his work will instill thirst in a seeker's hearts, and grounds the believer's faith in timeless truth, ultimately giving wings to the soul.

Does God suffer within himself? Does God suffer only in the humanity of Jesus Christ? Or does only the God-man Jesus Christ suffer? This book seeks to demonstrate that the suffering of God has an "ontological status" in Luther's Theologia Crucis. The discussion concentrates on three constituents of Luther's theology - Christology, soteriology, and Trinity - to see how each of them establishes the assertion that God suffers. It also places Luther within the modern discussions of Essential Apathy: Luther accepts the Old Church's Theopaschitism, but rejects Patripassianism, a heresy of the Old Church. This study breaks new ground by taking Luther a step further, arguing that only a Trinitarian theology of the cross is genuine Christian theology, and that the suffering of Christ touches the immanent Trinity as well as the economic Trinity. Ngien engages in useful discussions with other scholars including Paul Althaus, Walter von Loewenich, Ian Siggins, Marc Lienhard, Eberhard Jungel, Jurgen Moltmann, and Alister McGrath. "Dr. Ngien has done a good job of sorting out Luther's numerous statements about the suffering of God and finding consistency in them. He engages in a useful discussion with other Lutheran commentators. He presents a concise and competent survey of the early church's discussion of the suffering of God and also attends to Luther's reception of and reaction to late medieval thought." - David E. Demson, University of Toronto Dennis Ngien (PhD) is Research Professor of Theology at Tyndale University College and Seminary, Toronto. He is founder of the Centre for Mentorship and Theological Reflection, and author of Apologetic for Filioque in Medieval Theology (Paternoster Press, 2005) as well as numerous journal articles.