Spiritual Theology

Is Christianity a fairy tale for the infantile? Or worse, a cruel fantasy? Such questions reflect the skepticism of outsiders and the doubts of insiders. The answer isn’t a louder faith to shout them down, but a humbler faith that points to a bigger God. Samuel Wells illustrates this through his engagement with 10 difficult questions about Christianity. In each case, he portrays the traditional position and the skepticism of the modern age as two rival stories, transcending both to offer a revitalized story that better renders the radical and vulnerable nature of authentic faith.

From the fairy godmother’s pumpkin coach to Herr Drosselmeyer’s nutcracker, godparents have long been associated with good gifts. But in The Character of Virtue theologian and ethicist Stanley Hauerwas offers his real-life godson something far more precious than toys or trinkets - the gift of hard-won wisdom on life and the process of maturing.

So, You Want to Be Like Christ? is just right for anyone desiring to delve deeper into the fundamental elements of Christian life and essential for all who hunger for authentic faith experiences.

Understanding the basis of making moral choices is crucial as society becomes increasingly complex. Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics gives college students a solid grounding in both theory of ethics and its applications to the social issues of today. Avoiding undue dogmatism, Professor Scott B. Rae outlines the distinctive elements of Christian ethics.

A survey of the various ways--often unrecognized and overlooked--whereby Christianity has impacted the world, making the world a better place and enriching our everyday living.

New release from Jerry Bridges, author of more than a dozen books, including The Pursuit of Holiness, which has sold more than one million copies. His devotional, Holiness Day By Day, garnered the 2009 ECPA Christian Book Award for the inspiration and gift category, and The Discipline of Grace received a similar award in 1995 for the Christian living category.

Seldom in history has the clamor of anti-Christian sentiment grown more vocal than today as followers of Christ are often characterized as hypocrites, legalists, and zealots. D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe speak out on the tremendously positive impact Christ has made upon humanity. Arranged topically and presenting compelling, little-known historical facts, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? demonstrates the massive impact to humankind—from economics to art to government, science to civil liberties, morality to health, and beyond—would never have occurred had Jesus Christ not lived.

Fourth-generation fundamentalist Carlton Pearson, a Christian megastar and host, takes a courageous and controversial stand on religion: he proposes a hell-less Christianity and a gospel of inclusion that calls for an end to local and worldwide conflicts and divisions along religious lines.

With doctrinally sound, practical teaching, Slaying Dragons shows how the demonic realm fits into orthodox thoughts on salvation, redemption, and kingdom life. Daniel Kolenda demystifies spiritual warfare to shine light on what the enemy is doing in listeners’ lives and what they can do to slay every dragon they encounter. It also contains real-world examples of encounters with spiritual darkness, demonstrating examples of how "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5, NIV).

Judah Smith digs deep to answer the most common and the most difficult questions about Jesus, a man so few understand and so many desperately need. In Jesus Is, Judah Smith explores a number of topics that reveal Jesus’ purpose for coming, what he accomplished while he was here, and what that means for those of us who came after. Jesus is greatly revered, harshly criticized, and sorely misunderstood.

Is the gift of tongues for today? Does God want me to have the gift of tongues? Should I ask for the gift of tongues? Believers have asked these questions and many others about this debated and mysterious spiritual gift. Offering fresh biblical insight, Robert Henderson has written an essential guide that helps believers understand and discover the power of tongues to remove limits and establish a renewed relationship with God transcending the natural realm.

Marilyn Hickey’s practical teaching on nineteen different names of God will whet your appetite to pursue fully God’s love and purpose for your life. Each of God’s names reveals a wonderful aspect of His nature that can meet your deepest needs, comfort you in times of personal tragedy, and release you to new heights of praise in times of joy.

It's no easy journey disentangling the good news of the gospel from the toxic theologies that have rendered Jesus unrecognizable. It's no wonder the church has sent many walking. In The Road Away from God, Jonathan Martin reimagines Luke's story of two disillusioned disciples walking the Emmaus road away from the holy city where they had watched their hope die before their eyes. For anyone who is feeling their faith unravel, reckoning with religious trauma, or walking the long road of deconstruction, Martin speaks hope into the journey of today's disillusioned disciples.

In The First Christmas, two of today's top Jesus scholars, Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan, join forces to show how history has biased our reading of the nativity story as it appears in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Borg and Crossan help us to see this well-known narrative afresh by answering the question, "What do these stories mean?" in the context of both the first century and the 21st century. They successfully show that the Christmas story, read in its original context, is far richer and more challenging than people imagine.

Grace is the church's great distinctive. It's the one thing the world cannot duplicate, and the one thing it craves above all else - for only grace can bring hope and transformation to a jaded world. In What's So Amazing About Grace?, award-winning author Philip Yancey explores grace at street level. If grace is God's love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy?

Many Christians are oblivious to the devil and his schemes, and this is precisely the problem. If you don’t know why you need to know about the devil, then this book is especially for you. In God’s Devil, pastor and scholar Erwin W. Lutzer takes us to the corners of Scripture to which we seldom go.

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 key to spiritual and emotional health is to grasp the truth of God's transforming love for us and then let that reality influence our own hearts and relationships. It seems simple, but we are experts at complicating simple things. Instead of living lives characterized by love we find ourselves trapped in cycles of shame, violence, and addiction that steal our joy and keep us from loving others - so much so that, by all indications, Christians are living no differently than anyone else when it comes to abuse rates, use of pornography, alcohol and drug addiction, and more.

In Biography of God, Pastor Skip Heitzig draws on his biblical knowledge and personal experience to tackle the universal questions: Is God real, and can he be truly known? Drawing on philosophy and science to unpack the Bible, Heitzig offers answers to these questions and more as he helps you explore what it means to be God's friend and how to know him intimately. As you begin to recognize and remove the limits you've placed on God and you get to know him personally - his nature, his character, and his plans - you will experience a richer faith.

For the last 2,000 years, the book of Revelation has given courage—not fear—to Christians around the world. In this 8-session audio Bible study, bestselling author and pastor Matt Chandler will explore the book of Revelation and what it's teaching us about the days we live in now, about the body of believers, and about Christ, our King. You'll visit each chapter in Revelation, discovering how Jesus, on His throne, has already secured the victory over the enemy and what that means to our generation today.