Is God missing from our worship? Obstacles to true worship are not about contemporary or traditional music, electronic gadgetry or seeker sensitivity. Rather it is the habits of mind and heart, conditioned by our surrounding culture, that hinder our faith in the real presence of the transcendent God among his people. Sensing a real need for renewal, John Jefferson Davis offers a theology of worship that uncovers the most fundamental barriers to our vital involvement in the worship of our holy God. His profound theological analysis leads to fresh and bracing recommendations that will be especially helpful to all those who lead worship or want to more fully and deeply encounter the glory and majesty of God.

As culture has become at once more secular and more religiously pluralistic, a renaissance of interest in the spiritual disciplines has been sparked in evangelical Protestant circles. Mounting levels of stress, burnout and spiritual dryness among those in ministry has only stoked this desire for spiritual nourishment and renewal. John Jefferson Davis helps us recover the practice of meditation on Scripture as he explores the biblical and theological foundations rooted in the arrival of "the age to come" in Jesus Christ. Indeed by virtue of our union with Christ, the Triune God of the Bible draws near to his people so that they may also draw near to him. Meditation on God's revelation has always been central to enjoying communion with the Father through the Son and in the Spirit. Davis gives us fresh and practical guidance on removing the obstacles that block our fellowship with God and listening to Scripture in ways that can enrich our worship, faith, hope and love.

This volume provides the complete text of key Scripture passages that form the basis for theological study. The text used is the highly readable and modern New International Version. The verses listed are grouped by the classical categories of systematic theology (e.g., God, Christ, Salvation); on disputed points, verses from which the major theological views derive are given. Footnotes provide clarification and brief commentary on verses as appropriate. This work is intended to assist the theological student who might not take the time to look up the verses cited in systematic theologies, but it will also be useful to anyone seeking to better understand the major themes of Scripture.

The value of systematic, disciplined reflection on biblical truth is the theme of this brief but convincing anthology. Writing from a variety of perspectives, the contributors present an excellent case for the necessity of systematic theology.The editor has drawn from a vast reservoir of literature on the subject. Included are excerpts from the works of such eminent writers of the past as C. S. Lewis (letter 1 of Screwtape Letters), Dorothy Sayers ("Creed or Chaos?"), Jonathan Edwards ("The Importance of Christian Knowledge"), B. B. Warfield ("The Idea of Systematic Theology"), Emil Brunner ("The Necessity for Dogmatics"), and Francis Pieper ("Nature and Character of Theology").Other chapters are by: R. C. Sproul ("Right Now Counts Forever"), John H. Gerstner ("Everyman Must Be a Theologian"), Kenneth F. W. Prior ("The Minister As Teacher"), R. L. Saucy ("Doing Theology for the Church"), and John Jefferson Davis ("Contextualization and the Nature of Theology").