Spiritual Theology

Evocative reflections on three facets in our relationship with Jesus. People long for reality in their walk with Christ. To know him better, we must understand the different sides of his complex nature. Popular British author Adrian Plass draws on biblical stories and personal experience—as well as his keen understanding of people’s needs—as he explores the Safe Jesus, the Tender Jesus, and the Extreme Jesus.

Who is Jesus? What is he like? And who am I, encountering Jesus? These questions were just as important to Christians in the Middle Ages as they are today. And yet—as C.S. Lewis noted—the modern church tends to forget that people of different cultures and times also thought carefully about who Jesus was; and sometimes their ideas and emphases were different. Medievalist scholar Grace Hamman believes that we can deepen our understanding and adoration of Christ by looking to the Christians of the Middle Ages.

A quick non-technical introduction to the Koran designed to help Christians understand a hidden book revered by 1.3 billion Muslims, covering the background on its writing, a summary of its contents, a perspective on how it’s used and viewed by Muslims, a comparison of differences and similarities to the Bible, and some suggestions on how it should and should not be used in conversations with Muslims.

It all happened in a moment - a most remarkable moment. God came near. He came not as a flash of light or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as one whose first cries were heard by a peasant girl and a sleepy carpenter. The hands that held him were not manicured, but callused and dirty. No silk. No ivory. No hype. No party. No hoopla. God had come near...for you.

Articulate your faith to a skeptical world. For more than 40 years, Evidence That Demands a Verdict has convinced skeptics of the Bible’s reliability, helped believers articulate their faith, and given them the vital facts they need to defend God’s Word and lead others to faith in Jesus.

Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God is the revised and expanded edition that helps leaders to promote the classic, best-selling 13-week study and conduct an Experiencing God Weekend or churchwide spiritual growth emphasis. Written by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, and Claude King, the Experiencing God Bible Study is based on the Experiencing God book, which has sold millions of copies worldwide. Participants will understand and apply seven realities of experiencing God.

Seeing Jesus as He Really Is takes you on a journey through the Gospels and along the way, you'll see how Jesus really lived, how He radically changed the world, and how Jesus is portrayed through the word of God. Seeing Jesus as He Really Is will help every listener know how to answer the questions that Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I am" and "Who do you say that I am?"

The second part of Peterson's momentous five-volume work on spiritual theology, Eat This Book challenges us to read the Scriptures on their own terms, as God's revelation, and to live them as we read them. With warmth and wisdom Peterson offers greatly needed, down-to-earth counsel on spiritual reading. In these pages he draws readers into a fascinating conversation on the nature of language, the ancient practice of lectio divina, and the role of Scripture translations.

There is so much more than what I'm settling for! That was the revelation about God that changed Jeannie Cunnion's life and lit a fire in her soul. Jeannie was surprised to realize that even though she had been following Jesus for more than 35 years as a preacher's kid and Bible teacher, she was missing out on all of God.

Top Jesus scholars Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan join together to reveal a radical and little-known Jesus. As both authors reacted to and responded to questions about Mel Gibson's blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, they discovered that many Christians are unclear on the details of events during the week leading up to Jesus's crucifixion. Using the gospel of Mark as their guide, Borg and Crossan present a day-by-day account of Jesus's final week of life. They begin their story on Palm Sunday with two triumphal entries into Jerusalem.

Too many discipleship books are written for clean, perfect people who know all the right Sunday school answers. The Imperfect Disciple is for the rest of us - people who screw up, people who are weary, people who are wondering if it's safe to say what they're really thinking. For the believer who is tired of quasi-spiritual lifehacks being passed off as true, down-and-dirty discipleship, here is a discipleship book that isn't afraid to be honest about the mess we call real life.

For every Christian who’s deeply fulfilled, there are many more who are “doing all the right things” but still feel frantic or frustrated…or who have decided that Christianity’s a failure. What’s missing? Like so many believers, Bob George began his Christian life in love with Jesus, only to end up feeling disappointed and empty. Drawing on those struggles and his years of teaching and counseling experience, Bob cuts straight to the heart of the issues.

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.

Many young African Americans are disinterested in Christianity and others are leaving the church in search of what these false religious ideas appear to offer, a spirituality more indigenous to their history and ethnicity. Edited by Dr. Eric Mason and featuring a top-notch lineup of contributors, Urban Apologetics is the first book focused entirely on cults, religious groups, and ethnocentric ideologies prevalent in the black community.

MacArthur presents this pivotal moment in the life of Jesus in a way that forces listeners to witness this event in all its power. The passion of Christ is examined through the lens of the New Testament with special attention given to Jesus' words on the cross, the miracle that attended the crucifixion, and the significance of Christ's atoning work.

The subtitle of this work, "Defeating Sin with Superior Pleasure", says it all. There is godly pleasure in applying the faith that first saved us in everyday circumstances, defeating the unbelief and lies that Satan throws at us. Fighting those lies, and the resultant anxiety, pride, impatience, and other sinful attitudes that trip us up, with what Piper calls "the purifying power of God's truth", blesses us with peace as we see God enabling us to live by faith in his promises and his grace.

A. W. Tozer was a man of remarkable knowledge, an avid reader of Christians and philosophers from throughout the ages. But he meditated on the Bible, making him - like John Wesley - "a man of one Book and a student of many". Combine this knowledge with his acclaimed writing style and you have works like this one, high thoughts of God brought low - yet no less moving - for the common listener. When you set out to study Christ, you want to behold his splendor the best you can. That's why writers like A. W. Tozer are excellent guides.

As the Pentecostal/charismatic movement continues to grow, so does the need for solid theological resources for its members. While there are many volumes of systematic theology available, very few are written from a distinctly charismatic perspective. This book seeks to meet that need. Author and professor of theology Dr. Larry Hart treats each of the traditional categories—revelation, God, creation, humanity, sin, Christ, salvation, the church, and last things—from a both a Pentecostal and charismatic perspective.

For many Christians who've tried their hands at evangelism or have had to defend their faith, it can feel like doing PR work for God—limiting ourselves to a series of strategies and tactics. In The Faithful Apologist, Scott Oliphint provides a foundation for Christians to explain their faith in a welcoming manner that avoids any burden to "sell" Christianity to non-Christians. Drawing as much from the rich tradition of Western apologetics as from the wisdom of effective communication, this book bridges the gap between sharing the truth of our faith and the art of persuasion.

Les chrétiens peuvent facilement avoir l’impression que Jésus est perpétuellement déçu et frustré par leur marche chrétienne, voire qu’il est même sur le point de les abandonner. Ils savent ce que Jésus a fait pour eux, mais ils ont souvent une connaissance superficielle de sa personne. Quels sont les sentiments qui l’animent lorsqu’il considère les péchés et les échecs de son peuple ? Dans Matthieu 11, Jésus se décrit comme étant « doux et humble de cœur », désirant ardemment que son peuple trouve le repos en lui.