Historical Theology

Alan Scott Haft provides the first-hand testimony of his father, Harry Haft, a holocaust victim with a singular story of endurance, desperation, and unrequited love. Harry Haft was a 16-year-old Polish Jew when he entered a concentration camp in 1944. Forced to fight other Jews in bare-knuckle bouts for the perverse entertainment of SS officers, Harry quickly learned that his own survival depended on his ability to fight and win. Haft details the inhumanity of the "sport" in which he must perform in brutal contests for the officers.

Carpocrates, Marcellina, and Epiphanes is the definitive study of the early Christian theologian Carpocrates, his son Epiphanes, and the leader of the Carpocratian movement in Rome, Marcellina. It contains the first full-length study of and commentary on the fragments of Epiphanes, the earliest reports on Carpocrates and Marcellina, as well as the Epistle to Theodore (containing the so-called Secret Gospel of Mark). Listeners also encounter an up-to-date history of research on the Carpocratian movement, and three full profiles of all we can know from the earliest Carpocratian leaders.

In Know How We Got Our Bible, scholars Ryan Reeves and Charles Hill trace the history of the Bible from its beginnings to the present day, highlighting key figures and demonstrating overall the reliability of Scripture. Reeves and Hill begin with the writing of the Bible's books (including authorship and dating), move into the formation of the Old and New Testaments (including early transmission and the development of the canon), and conclude with several chapters on Bible translation from the Latin Vulgate to the ongoing work of translation around the world today.

During its 2000 year history, the Christian faith has been influenced and passed down by faithful women. The women whose stories are in this audiobook were martyrs and nuns, mystics and scholars, writers and reformers, preachers and missionaries, abolitionists and evangelists. These women are examples to us of faith, perseverance, forgiveness, fortitude, truth, and righteousness.

Throughout the ages, Satan has tried to thwart the Divine Redemptive Plan of God with an ultimate conspiracy, which began when Satan convinced Eve, the wife of Adam, to disobey God’s command not to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge in the midst of the Garden of Eden.

A comprehensive explanation of Martin Luther’s most crucial and controversial beliefs on salvation, The Bondage of the Will is a critical resource in understanding the theology of free will and the gift of faith. Facing criticism even from others who had disagreements with the Catholic church, Luther’s strong and absolute beliefs on the gift of salvation were truly revolutionary. This work contains the full amount of research, discussion, and debate on Luther’s ideas on free will as it pertains to individual Christians and to their understanding of God.

Despite the commonly held assumption that the Bible says little about the mother of Jesus, there are many indications that Mary preceded and inspired her son in fostering the emergence of a new faith community. Setting aside presuppositions, Chris Maunder returns to the New Testament to answer the question: "Who was Mary?" He re-examines the virgin conception of Jesus, Mary's contribution to Jesus' ministry, and her central role in the events of the crucifixion and the resurrection. In so doing, Maunder casts a thought-provoking new light on Mary and the women who stood alongside her.

What happens to us after we die? For the first 500 years after Christ, most Christians believed that God would ultimately redeem all of his creation. Hell was real, but it didn't last forever. Its purpose was to restore, not just to punish. Then beliefs changed. For the past 1,500 years we’ve been told that most of the billions of people who have lived on this earth will remain separated from the love and mercy of God for all eternity.

A groundbreaking account of the Secret Gospel of Mark, one of the most hotly debated documents in Christian history.

In the biblical canon, two books lack any explicit reference to the name of God: Song of Songs and Esther. God's peculiar absence in these texts is unsettling, both for theological discourse and for believers considering implications for their own lived experience. Chloe T. Sun takes on the challenges of God's absence by exploring the often overlooked theological connections between these two Old Testament books.

Who is Jesus, and what was he like? Is he acquainted with grief, trial, anxiety, depression, or pain? Was he kind or angry? Does he really care about you? The Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White is a story about the savior of the world—his life, ministry, character, and mission. This book is all about Jesus! It helps you deeply know the one who can change your life from the inside out. Beautiful in its simplicity, the mystery of knowing God unfolds within this book.

The number of Christian denominations and churches is staggering. This book covers many main issues dividing churches from what began in the first century. It is embarrassing that Christians cannot come together until the final days, though efforts to reduce needless gaps is the subject of this work. Determine where you agree and become a force for reconciliation rather than division. While fun and exciting debates unfold, find the walls that should be demolished.

Most Christians are familiar with the opening words of Genesis: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” But push beyond those iconic words, and sometimes the details get a little hazy. And strange. God walked around in a garden? Eve was made from Adam’s rib? A talking serpent? And what the in the world were the “Nephilim”? In The Characters of Creation, Daniel Darling re-introduces listeners to the story they thought they knew.

Aurelius Augustinus von Hippo, (* 13. November 354 in Tagaste, auch: Thagaste, in Numidien, heute Souk Ahras in Algerien; † 28. August 430 in Hippo Regius in Numidien, heute Annaba in Algerien) war ein numidischer Kirchenlehrer. Er war neben Hieronymus, Ambrosius von Mailand und Papst Gregor dem Großen einer der vier lateinischen Kirchenväter der Spätantike und ein wichtiger Philosoph an der Schwelle zwischen Antike und Frühmittelalter.

By examining the earliest and most ancient texts of the faith, the original and unaltered words and intentions of Jesus may be heard in a brighter light. With fresh insight, we may better understand the evolution and journey of a new movement from a small Jewish sect to a world religion.

The extremes to which the church and its leaders have gone in order to protect and justify various decisions regarding points of faith is fascinating, but tends to obscure the truth. Revisionist history, coercion, greed, lust, and propaganda were the order of the day when the major items of doctrine were being decided. In fact, many of those truths that we hold so dear in our Christian faith were decided, if not invented, through or because of political and financial aims, and not by theological insight. Many doctrines went well beyond what the early church held as truth.

Among the traditional tenets of the Christian faith is the belief that God chooses or elects people for salvation. For some Christians, such an affirmation is an indication of God's sovereign and perfect will. For others, such a notion is troubling for it seems to downplay the significance of human agency and choice. Throughout the church's history, Christians have sought to understand the meaning of relevant biblical texts and debated this theological conundrum.

An unapologetic tale of 21 saints from 21 centuries, Against the Grain is a heroic love story. To add texture and depth, each century is set in its historical context and highlights a heroic virtue associated with the saint. For our church, nation, and culture to improve, there must be an increase in virtue. This is a playbook to stop playing defense and start playing offense. If you live as a sign of contradiction amidst our coarsening culture and are looking to live a life of greater virtue, perhaps even heroic virtue, be fortified with Against the Grain.

Este livro é um relato fiel e livre de estereótipos dos Puritanos, homens que souberam aplicar a teologia em muitas áreas de suas vidas. A cada capítulo, Ryken apresenta a compreensão teológica dos puritanos aplicada às principais esferas da vida do homem, como fé, igreja, família, trabalho, dinheiro e tantas outras.

In this book, Stephen Cooper provides an overview of one of the greatest theologians of the early church: Augustine of Hippo. Through the discussing the Confessions, Cooper introduces the life and thought of Augustine and examines his theological views that emerged through the important controversies of his time.