Religion Theory

Based on a wealth of documents long buried in the Vatican archives, Prisoner of the Vatican tells the story of the Church's secret attempt to block the unification of Italy and seize control, not in ancient times, but in the late 19th century. For more than 50 years, the pope was a self-imposed prisoner within the Vatican walls, planning to flee Italy, to return only as the restored ruler of Rome and the Papal States.

On the one hand, we have traditional science, based on the premises of materialism, reductionism, and randomness, with a belief that reality consists solely of matter and energy, that everything can be measured in the laboratory or observed by a telescope. If it can't, it doesn't exist. On the other hand, we have traditional religious dogma concerning God that fails to take into account evolution, a 4.6-billion-year-old Earth, and the conflicting claims of the world's religions.

Although Christian believers agreed with one another that the Bible was authoritative and that it should be interpreted through commonsense principles, there was rampant disagreement about what Scripture taught about slavery. Furthermore, most Americans continued to believe that God ruled over the affairs of people and nations, but they were radically divided in their interpretations of what God was doing in and through the war.

Grace is the defining feature of the Christian faith. Once we understand how undeserving we are and how much favor we’ve been given, grace becomes shocking, thrilling, inspiring, and contagious. Best-selling author and Pastor John MacArthur illuminates this profound concept with verse upon verse of Scripture. He also shows that misunderstandings about grace have led to some of the church’s greatest problems, perhaps because grace is her most precious gift.

In this candid book based on his own struggle with doubt, John Ortberg traces the line between belief and unbelief and finds that it's less a dividing line between hostile camps than a razor's edge that runs through every soul. His findings point toward the relief of being totally honest. Doubt … Questions … Honest faith … Outrageous hope … It's a chain reaction that can actually strengthen our relationship with God, and that, says Ortberg, is cause for celebration.

Among our greatest fears is the dread of what others would think of us "if they only knew" - the parts of our past we hope to forget, the parts of our present we work to conceal. Yet the part we actually do the best job of hiding is not the unsightly debris of our own mess, but rather the stunning beauty of God's grace. The fear that demands we protect this false image at all costs leads us to unwittingly declare a false gospel at every turn. Jamie Ivey finally grew tired of doing that, tired of being too ashamed and insecure to let others see the full extent of what God was capable of doing with our unworthiness. So she quit hiding.

There is a glory to life that most people—including believers—never see. In this insightful new book, John Eldredge presents the heart as central to life. Not only is the heart essential, the heart God has ransomed is also good. Building on these foundational truths, Eldredge shows listeners why real Christianity is a process of restoration, where the broken parts of our hearts are mended and the captive parts are set free.

In What I Believe, Ramadan attempts to set the record straight, laying out the basic ideas he stands for in clear and accessible prose. He describes the book as a work of clarification, directed at ordinary citizens, politicians, journalists, and others who are curious (or skeptical) about his positions. Aware that that he is dealing with emotional issues, Ramadan tries to get past the barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding to speak directly, from the heart, to his Muslim and non-Muslim readers alike.

In How Jesus Saves, Joshua McNall unpacks the meaning of Jesus’ life and death for everyday people. Taking listeners on a journey through Scripture, McNall brings together the primary models of atonement doctrine making the latest theology accessible.

In this updated classic Bible study, bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado pulls back the curtain on his favorite Bible passage to move you to a profound awareness of God's limitless love, His incalculable sacrifice, and the certainty of His offer of eternal life. With deeply personal accounts of the way this verse shaped Max's own faith journey, this audio Bible study will reveal the gospel story surrounding the promise and unpack God's plan of restoration from the human problems of sin and death. If you know nothing about the Bible, the promise of John 3:16 is where to start.

The alleged spontaneous and even intelligent movements of various inanimate objects, under some circumstances, without the application of any known mechanical force, is a phenomenon which has never been explained to the satisfaction of scientific men. I do not think it possible to explain away the allegations of the fact on the assumption that all the persons who have testified to the evidence of their senses in this matter have been either mistaken or mendacious.

The September 11 assault on the World Trade Center was the most sophisticated and horrifying in a series of operations masterminded by Osama bin Laden and his Jihad group - an organization that CNN's terrorism analyst Peter Bergen calls Holy War, Inc. One of only a handful of journalists to have interviewed the world's most wanted man face to face, Bergen explains the Jihadist network that operates globally and in secrecy.

We don't understand the reactionary mind. As a result, argues Mark Lilla in this timely book, the ideas and passions that shape today's political dramas are unintelligible to us. The reactionary is anything but a conservative. He is as radical and modern a figure as the revolutionary, someone shipwrecked in the rapidly changing present, and suffering from nostalgia for an idealized past and an apocalyptic fear that history is rushing toward catastrophe.

In this powerful and prophetic audiobook, nationally syndicated columnist and trusted political commentator Cal Thomas offers a diagnosis of what exactly is wrong with the US by drawing parallels to once-great empires and nations that declined into oblivion. Citing the historically proven 250-year pattern of how superpowers rise and fall, he predicts America's expiration date is just around the corner and shows us how to escape their fate.

Public schools are indoctrinating a generation of children to see themselves as either victims of systemic racial oppression or members of a wicked oppressor class. Leonydus Johnson, a black writer and podcaster, exposes the poisonous ideology embedded in "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" programs. We must teach our children the truth that their identity comes not from their race but from Christ.

Según R.C. Sproul, la predestinación no es solo para los calvinistas, sino para «todos» los cristianos bíblicos. En esta edición actualizada y ampliada de Escogidos por Dios, Sproul muestra que la doctrina de la predestinación no crea una imagen caprichosa o rencorosa de Dios, sino que pinta el retrato de un Dios amoroso que provee redención a una humanidad radicalmente corrupta. Hay misterio en los caminos de Dios, pero no contradicción.

Recent days have seen a debate among evangelicals over how the death of Christ is to be interpreted. When a popular British evangelical leader appeared to denounce the idea that God was punishing Christ in our place on the cross as a "twisted version of events," "morally dubious," and a "huge barrier to faith" that should be rejected in favour of preaching only that God is love, major controversy was stirred. Many thought the idea of penal substitution was at the heart of the evangelical understanding of the cross.

Discover the God of the Bible and find meaning in life with Michael O. Borthwick's A Mechanic's Handbook to the God of the Bible. A compelling guide to the complexities of God, making Biblical truths understandable through the use of scripture, personal testimony, and analogies. If you are a believer or a nonbeliever this book has something for you. There are thought-provoking insights, compelling arguments using biblical evidence for the seeker of truth, practical tips to navigate life's challenges, and teachings on God’s forgiveness, purpose, and peace for life.

An excellent, comprehensive introduction to Early Buddhism. It covers both theory and practice. This is a great audiobook for anyone - from beginner to teacher - who wants to learn or teach Early Buddhism.

What if Jesus didn't die to save us from God? The doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement is not the Gospel. It's a theory that originated in the 1500's under John Calvin. The damage done by this teaching is still being felt today. It's time to abandon this toxic theology in favor of a Christ-centered view of the cross that sets us free from sin and unveils a God of love who would rather die than live without us.