Synopsis: Pastors and ministers have one of the most challenging jobs on Earth. Of all their tasks, one responsibility they cannot neglect is teaching the word of God. Unfortunately, church leaders seldom have enough time to prepare Bible studies for their congregation. This book is a quick resource to help fill that gap. These thematically arranged Bible studies each contain an introduction to a topic and a list of relevant Scripture readings for that topic. Pastors can use the introduction to spark discussion within small groups or to focus on the specific themes during sermon writing. This book will prove to be an invaluable resource for years to come. Endorsement: "These Bible study lessons are an excellent resource on a variety of relevant topics and sermon preparation. This resource book should be in every pastor's and minister's library. It is destined to be a classic for years to come." -James C. Davis Senior Pastor Nollies Chapel Missionary Baptist Church "Dr. Davis, the consummate colleague, shares with busy pastors and Christian educators the fruit of his sincere devotion to the Bible and considerable experience as a teaching pastor. You will find him, as I have, a trustworthy journey partner through the scriptures and a no-holds-barred prophet in addressing the times and requirements of the times. The 'Introduction' alone is well worth your attention; the studies, worth mining for years to come. Welcome to his workshop " -James B. Johnson II Pastor Williamsburg Baptist Church Author Biography: Reginald F. Davis (PhD, Florida State University) is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. He has been a frequent radio guest and lectures at colleges, universities, and churches across the nation. He currently lives in Williamsburg, Virginia with his wife and three children. He has authored two other books in the field of theology and religion.

Reginald F. Davis believes there is a crisis in black America. Disproportionately, black Americans rank at the top in crime, murders, drug abuse, unemployment, incarceration, poverty, education deficiencies, and HIV/AIDS cases. Physical slavery is past and the civil rights bill has been signed, yet the black community is not saved, is not healed, is not organized, is not liberated. Davis's latest book, "The Black Church: Relevant or Irrelevant in the 21st Century?," emerges from his great love, admiration, and deep concern for the future of the black community and the black church. Davis contends that a relevant church struggles to correct oppression, not maintain it. An irrelevant church sees the self-destructive behavior, oppression, and powerlessness of the oppressed but refuses to take the necessary steps to eradicate it. How can the black church focus on the liberation of the black community, thereby reclaiming the loyalty and respect of the black community? Davis also challenges the white church to understand and acknowledge what the malignancy of racism has done and still does to the body of Christ. He asserts that the white church cannot continue to remain silent on issues of oppression; it must preach against racism as well as be an agent of justice and liberation. Ultimately, churches-both black and white-must come together to be the Word of God to the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized.

Frederick Douglass: A Precursor of Liberation Theology deals with the evolution of Frederick Douglass's philosophical and theological development. This book is another paradigm that expands the debate and places Douglass's thought in a more appropriate context, namely anticipating liberation theology. Since no consensus exists about Douglass's philosophical and theological development, Reginald F. Davis attempts to settle a dispute in Douglass studies that revolves around his religious odyssey and in particular the character and cause of his philosophical and theological development. The dispute among scholars is concerned with where to locate Douglass on the theological spectrum. Some scholars identify Douglass as having moved away from traditional forms of Christian millennialism, which elevates not the human agent but an omnipotent God who apocalyptically intervenes in human affairs and history. Still others interpret Douglass as having moved outside the circle of theism to enlightenment humanism. There is also an unsettled debate about the cause of Douglass's theological shift. One view attributes Douglass's shift to a psychological factor of rejection by "White Churchmen" over his support for radical policies like abolitionism. Another perspective attributes Douglass's shift to enlightenment principles of natural law and rationality. Davis utilizes selected categories from liberation theology to provide a more accurate exegesis of Douglass's study to encourage a new angle of interpretation of Douglass's philosophical and theological evolution.