Religion Theory

What does real, saving faith actually entail? The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes the need for repentance from sin and accompanying good works as evidence of true belief. However, as theologian Wayne Grudem argues in this book, the teachings of the Free Grace movement - which deny that good works need to be present in the life of the justified Christian - undermine the Bible's teaching regarding saving faith.

How do Christians account for the widespread presence of goodness in a fallen world? Richard Mouw, one of the most influential evangelical voices in America, presents his mature thought on the topic of common grace. Addressing a range of issues relevant to engaging common grace in the 21st century, Mouw shows how God takes delight in all things that glorify him - even those that happen beyond the boundaries of the church-and defends the doctrine of common grace from its detractors.

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.

Paul and the Gift changed the landscape of Pauline studies forever upon its publication in 2015. Paul and the Power of Grace offers all of the most significant contributions from Paul and the Gift in a package several hundred pages lighter and more accessible. Additionally, John Barclay adds further analysis of the theme of gift and grace in Paul’s other letters and explores contemporary implications for this new view of grace.

Should the church baptize infants? This question has been an issue of debate for over 1500 years. The Baptism Debate provides a fresh look at the Reformed perspective on infant baptism. After thoroughly explaining and examining the Reformed position on infant baptism, this book provides a genuine and thoughtful analysis of Reformed covenant theology and its implications for infant baptism.

This is a very well-written explanation and defense of the biblical doctrine of predestination. The author, Loraine Boettner, received a bachelor of science degree from Tarkio College in 1925. He then attended Princeton Theological Seminary, receiving two degrees there: a bachelor of theology in 1928, and a master of theology in 1929.

Martin Luther's Bondage of the Will (1525) is a response to Desiderius Erasmus's "Diatribe on Free Will.’ The work is considered as one of the great masterpieces of the Reformation. Luther writes powerfully about man's depravity and God's sovereignty in his direct style, which combines spirituality and humor. For Luther, the crucial issue was the ability of free will, and the extent to which it is subject to God's sovereignty.

In Sacrifice, Rene Girard interrogates the Brahmanas of Vedic India, exploring coincidences with mimetic theory that are too numerous and striking to be accidental. The Bible reveals collective violence, similar to that which generates sacrifice everywhere, but instead of making victims guilty, the Bible and the Gospels reveal the persecutors of a single victim. Instead of elaborating myths, they tell the truth absolutely contrary to the archaic sense.

Based on secret files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the new edition includes accounts of seven of the most important USAF inquiries - among them the story of the nights the White House was buzzed by UFOs, the mystery of the Lubbock Lights, the full story of Captain Mantell, Ufology's first martyr, and the startling conversion of the prominent astronomer J. Allen Hynek from UFO skeptic to believer. This startling and fascinating book uncovers not only the anatomy of a government cover-up but also provides stark and chilling evidence that we are not alone.

Forgive and forget. It should be easy to do—so why don’t we do it? The father who wasn’t always there for us. The mother who punished us. The spouse who betrayed us. The children who will leave us behind. Whoever and whatever the source of hurt, there is always a path to forgiveness. But too often, instead of forgiving, too many of us live with resentments and grudges that keep us stuck, robbing us of joy, peace, and purpose.

A master theologian offers inspiring insights into the mystery of Christ's presence in our lives. As festive as the film Babette's Feast and as profound as the work of Ronald Knox, this fresh look at the Eucharist brings to light the spiritual meaning of meal, sacrifice, and real presence in our lives.

God loves all his creatures: the author, the lake, the tree, the sun, etc. On that day, as she prayed, his other "creatures" seemed almost to dance before him. Sparkling and seeming to rejoice in their own creation, they poured themselves in through her window in their fullest array of light and warmth and color to bless her too. It was then that the author had the vision, one not easily explainable. The vision was of a painting, yet not a painting, for Christ's living face glowed through it.

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 an easy-to-follow and conversational manner, researcher Mike Ricksecker formally introduces his Stacked Time Theory with an exploration of the fabric of the cosmos, starting with ancient symbolism and alchemy up through today's modern science and technology. What clues did our ancient ancestors leave for us about the nature of the universe that we're just now rediscovering today, and where throughout history have we seen those clues resurface?

We humans are prone to failure. We’re experts at muddying, mixing, and messing up our lives. Who among us hasn’t looked up from the bottom of a pit and realized he dug it himself? Who hasn’t fallen so far, messed up so badly that she thought there was no hope? And it’s at these low points that we crave reminders that there’s hope for the broken. No reminder is quite as poignant as a story of second chances. A story of grace in action. Who couldn’t use more stories of grace like this? Second Chances includes tales of second chances for the rebellious and more.

In his acclaimed books, renowned writer, speaker, and philosophy professor Dallas Willard explored the nature of Christian life in God's Kingdom. Yet one topic remained undisclosed: Willard's understanding of heaven and eternal life. In the months before his death, Willard engaged in moving and insightful conversations about the meaning of life and the life to come with close friend and theologian Gary Black, Jr. These inspiring dialogues were steeped in biblical theology as well as practical wisdom grounded in the here-and-now.

The explanations of transcendent phenomena given by saints, sages, and near-death experiencers—miracles, immortality, heaven, God, and transcendent awareness—are fully congruent with scientific discoveries in the fields of relativity, quantum physics, medicine, M-theory, neuroscience, and quantum biology. The Physics of God describes the intersections of science and religion with colorful, easy-to-understand metaphors, making abstruse subjects within both science and religion easily accessible to the layman—no math, no dogma.

Many Christians are unaware that Universal Reconciliation was the dominant view of the church for the first 500 years, with Annihilation and Eternal Torment as minority positions. Jesus Undefeated is an eye-opening examination of all three views of the afterlife and a God who is even more loving than we dare imagine. Discover the Gospel that is not merely "Good News", but fantastically "Great News."

Colleges, universities, and seminaries do more than just transfer knowledge to students. They sell themselves as "experiences" that transform young people in unique ways. The conservative evangelical Protestant network of higher education has been no different. In Fundamentalist U, Adam Laats shows that these colleges have always been more than just schools; they have been vital intellectual citadels in America's culture wars. These unique institutions have defined what it has meant to be an evangelical and have reshaped the landscape of American higher education.

A master of psychoanalysis and social philosophy explores Zen Buddhism. In 1957, social philosopher and psychoanalyst Erich Fromm invited Daisetz T. Suzuki, the most famous Zen Buddhist master in the Western world, to a seminar at his new home in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Their discussion was one of the highlights of Fromm’s life, and the paper Fromm presented (and later expanded into a book) was a watershed work. Fromm demonstrates his mastery of the philosophy and practice of Zen.