Historical Theology

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.

This book provides a fresh approach to the Lenten season and can be used as a devotional or study for both individuals and groups. Once you’ve learned about the characters of Easter, meet those who witnessed the birth of Christ in the companion title The Characters of Christmas.

In Faithful Witness, Phil Baker explains the theology of martyrdom that developed over the first 300 years of Christianity, and why that theology proved so powerful in the early years of the faith. Why did they choose faithfulness over fear? Why did they choose dying over killing? Why did they choose self-sacrifice over revenge? Why did they have such peace and joy in the midst of unimaginable torture? By AD 313, why had roughly 10 percent of the Roman Empire’s population embraced Christianity, when it was both illegal and incredibly dangerous to do so?

This 1754 work by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is subtitled An Inquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions of the Freedom of the Will Which Is Supposed to Be Essential to Moral Agency, Virtue and Vice, Reward and Punishment, Praise and Blame. Edwards was a Christian reformer, theologian, and author in the Calvinist tradition, and in this work he explores the necessity of divine grace for the redeeming of the damaged will of humanity. He contends that free will is an extension of, and connected to, the grace of God.

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.

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.

Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to At the Precipice of Time and learn about the hardcore, often-intimidating, and difficult-to-understand commentary on the Book of Daniel.

Hoy en día, Martín Lutero es conocido como el hombre que se enfrentó a papas y emperadores en defensa del evangelio. ¿Qué llevó a este solitario monje alemán a desafiar a la Iglesia católica romana? No fue la arrogancia ni la ignorancia. Lutero sabía lo que significaba vivir en la oscuridad de una culpa no resuelta. Una vez que descubrió que su aceptación ante Dios es un don recibido por la fe sola en los méritos de Cristo solo, Lutero fue liberado, y no descansaría hasta que la luz de esta verdad se extendiera por el mundo.

This book False Doctrine Revealed and Corrected was written as a result of many various beliefs and traditions taught and practiced. It was when Mr. Hill began a conscious effort to study the Bible that he noticed and realized there were certain discrepancies in what was taught from his youth and what the Bible was saying. He had to ask the question: What am I to believe—what I was taught from my youth or what the Bible teaches me itself?

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.

Drawing on both a wide range of scholarship as well as his own acute searching as a believer, Carroll takes a fresh look at the most familiar narratives of all - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Not simply another book about the "historical Jesus," he takes the challenges of science and contemporary philosophy seriously, even as he retrieves the power of Jesus' profound ordinariness, as an answer to his own last question - what is the future of Jesus Christ? - as the key to a renewal of faith.

Open this book and land inside an action-packed movie about the story of God, filled with secrets you need to know. Watch God’s story unfold, starting with the Great War that waged before time began. Uncover the trouble that Adam and Eve released when they bit into sin. Search for clues to find and keep the lost Ark of the Covenant. Unravel the mystery of Jesus and His claims that He came alive from the dead. As you review these stories, Linda will narrate the scenes before you so that you will not only get the big picture of God, but the picture of God’s love for you.

Sometimes, beloved and treasured Christian practices go horrifyingly wrong, extending violence rather than promoting its healing. In this bracing audiobook, Lauren Winner provocatively challenges the assumption that the church possesses a set of immaculate practices that will definitively train Christians in virtue and that can't be answerable to their histories.

Martin Luther started a reformation movement that revolutionized Europe in the 16th century. His far-reaching reforms of theological understanding and church practices radically modified both church and society in Europe and beyond. Paulson's introduction to Luther's thought, coupled with illustrations, provides an engaging introduction to Luther's multifaceted self and the ideas that catapulted him to fame.

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.

Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) was an inner-city pastor, ethics professor, and author of the famous Serenity Prayer. Time magazine's March 8, 1948, cover story called him "the greatest Protestant theologian in America since Jonathan Edwards". Cited as an influence by public figures ranging from Billy Graham to Barack Obama, Niebuhr was described by historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. as "the most influential American theologian of the 20th century".

Sabe cual es el proposito que Dios le ha mandado??Le gustaria saber cual es el significado de su vida? Un gran numero de personas pasan mucho tiempo de su vida tratando de encontrar el verdadero sentido de su existencia y al encontrarlo en muchos casos es demasiado tarde. El pastor Jim Graff ha escrito una serie de pasos a seguir para que le sea mas facil a usted encontrar el sentido de su propia existencia y que goce de una vida plena con significado.

TV evangelist scandals. More varieties of Christianity that Baskin-Robbins has flavors. These are times of pluralism and disenchantment with organized religion. How do Christians today know which leaders and companions in faith to trust? For help, Gerald McDermott returns to the work of Jonathon Edwards, the 18th century preacher and college president widely regarded as the greatest American theologian ever.

The controversy grows with every sale of the best-selling novel. Throughout the contemporary fictional storyline of The Da Vinci Code, author Dan Brown skillfully weaves "historical" assertions intended to shake the very foundations of Christianity. Authors James L. Garlow and Peter Jones present compelling evidence that Brown's assertions are not only historically inaccurate, but may also contain a hidden agenda.