A thought-provoking and eye-opening work in the vein of Sapiens, Walking the Bible, and The Language of God that offers a compelling argument for how science is not only compatible with faith, but can enrich it. For more than a century, philosophers and scientists have wrestled with reconciling evolution and religion, a debate that continues today. James Stump, the Vice President at BioLogos--a nonprofit started by Francis Collins, the scientist who led the international Human Genome Project and later served as Director of the National Institutes of Health--is both a man of science and a man of faith. In this moving and deeply thoughtful book, he shows Christians a hopeful way forward out of the morass. The Sacred Chain seeks to open the dialogue between theology and science, to be a bridge to understanding and a view of God and nature that encompasses both. Stump draws on philosophy, theology, and the latest scientific research to tackle some of the biggest questions facing humanity and people of faith today, involving issues such as: How to consider the Bible How to understand the long history of the universe How a mind or soul could have evolved How evolution factors into faith How a species is defined How a good and loving God could create a world rife with pain Deeply researched, wonderfully accessible, and both intellectually and emotionally engaging, The Sacred Chain provides clarity in our uncertain times, revealing a bigger picture of our world and our place within it. It is a panorama consistent with the scientific findings about who we are and where we come from that can actually bolster our faith as it engages our curiosity about ourselves, our universe, and the nature of existence itself. The Sacred Chain is illustrated with 30 black-and-white line drawings.

Evolution--or the broader topic of origins--has enormous relevance to how we understand the Christian faith and how we interpret Scripture. Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design presents the current "state of the conversation" about origins among evangelicals representing four key positions: Young Earth Creationism - Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis) Old Earth (Progressive) Creationism - Hugh Ross (Reasons to Believe) Evolutionary Creation - Deborah B. Haarsma (BioLogos) Intelligent Design - Stephen C. Meyer (The Discovery Institute) The contributors offer their best defense of their position addressing questions such as: What is your position on origins - understood broadly to include the physical universe, life, and human beings in particular? What do you take to be the most persuasive arguments in defense of your position? How do you demarcate and correlate evidence about origins from current science and from divine revelation? What hinges on answering these questions correctly? This book allows each contributor to not only present the case for his or her view, but also to critique and respond to the critiques of the other contributors, allowing you to compare their beliefs in an open forum setting to see where they overlap and where they differ.

The story of Christian thought is essential to understanding Christian faith today and the last two millennia of world history. This fresh and lively introduction explores the central ideas, persons, events, and movements that gave rise to Christian thought, from early beginnings to its present forms. By highlighting the important but often neglected role of women and the influence of non-Christian ideas and movements, this book provides a broader context for understanding the history of Christian ideas and their role in shaping our world. Christian Thought: provides an overview of the context of Christianity's origin, including discussion of the influence of Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans explores the major events and figures of the history of Christian thought, while drawing attention to significant voices which have often been suppressed analyses the impact on Christian thought of widely discussed events such as The Great Schism, the Scientific Revolution, and modernism surveys contemporary trends such as fundamentalism, feminism, and postmodernism. This fully revised and updated second edition features a new chapter on liberal theology and reflects recent scholarship in the field. Complete with figures, timelines and maps, this is an ideal resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the development of Christian thought and its influence over the centuries. Further teaching and learning resources are available on the companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/meister.

The story of Christian thought is essential to understanding Christian faith today and the last two millennia of world history. This fresh and lively introduction explores the central ideas, persons, events, and movements that gave rise to Christian thought, from early beginnings to its present forms. By highlighting the important but often neglected role of women and the influence of non-Christian ideas and movements, this book provides a broader context for understanding the history of Christian ideas and their role in shaping our world. Christian Thought: provides an overview of the context of Christianity's origin, including discussion of the influence of Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans explores the major events and figures of the history of Christian thought, while drawing attention to significant voices which have often been suppressed analyses the impact on Christian thought of widely discussed events such as The Great Schism, the Scientific Revolution, and modernism surveys contemporary trends such as fundamentalism, feminism, and postmodernism. This fully revised and updated second edition features a new chapter on liberal theology and reflects recent scholarship in the field. Complete with figures, timelines and maps, this is an ideal resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the development of Christian thought and its influence over the centuries. Further teaching and learning resources are available on the companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/meister.