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Early Quaker encounters with Muslims in the seventeenth century helped generate some of the most distinctive and, at times, sympathetic Christian responses to Islam found in the early modern era. Texts such as George Fox''s To the Great Turk (1680), in which he engaged in extensive, constructive exegesis of the Qur''an, demonstrate a conception of Islam and Muslims that disrupts many prevailing assumptions of the period. Some responses are all the more striking as they came about as a reaction to the enslavement of a number of Quakers by Muslims in North Africa, where, paradoxically, they often experienced religious freedom denied them at home. This study seeks to understand how and why this heterodox Christian sect created such unusual interpretations of Islam by analyzing the experience of these slaves and scrutinizing the distinctive, oppositional culture of the movement to which they belonged. The work has implications that go beyond the specific subject of study and raises questions about the role that such things as apocalypticism and sectarianism can play in interreligious encounters, and the analytical limitations of Orientalism in characterizing Christian representations of Islam in the early modern period.Justin Meggitt is University Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion at the Institute of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Wolfson College. He is also Visiting Researcher at the Department of Ethnology, History of Religions and Gender Studies, University of Stockholm.

Endorsements:""Lord, teach us to pray,"" Jesus'' disciples ask him in Luke''s gospel (11.1). Their question tells me two things.All of us have the desire to pray, but prayer is an art that needs to be taught for most of us. As a parishpastor, I have observed that so many of my people either don''t know how to pray or feel self-conscious whenasked to pray. So I am always on the lookout for a resource to share with them. That is where KJ Wuestcomes in with her marvelous little book, Heart Prayers. Last Christmas I gave each household in my twocongregations a copy of this book as a guide to their own prayer lives. One woman passed it on to a friendwhose daughter was diagnosed with leukemia just before Christmas. Others take it along with them whenthey take communion to our home-bound people. Another person carries a copy in her purse and refers toit often. What a great blessing KJ and her book are to those of us who are learning and practicing the art ofprayer. Thank you, KJ.About the Contributor(s):KJ Wuest served as a lay minister in the Lutheran church, ELCA, for more than twenty years; most recently as Ministry Associate of Faith Formation and Visitation at Kent Lutheran Church in Kent, WA. KJ is a Veriditas certified labyrinth facilitator with training in Spiritual Direction. She has written for The Upper Room Disciplines and has an extensive background in prayer, grief and care giving ministries. KJ is a voracious reader and mixed-media artist with a special interest in journaling, pilgrimage, poetry and memoir. She lives in Seattle with her husband, Paul, and a very personable cat named Wilbur. She blogs about HOPE at www.partners4hope.net

Description:A riveting story of one man''s life and ministry during the explosion of Christian missions in nineteenth-century America, Against the Gates of Hell is the biography of Henry T. Perry, a missionary to Turkey from 1866 to 1913. Based heavily on previously unpublished letters and diaries from the ABCFM (American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions) archives in Harvard''s Houghton Library, Against the Gates of Hell provides an eyewitness account of the last years of the Ottoman Empire, years that are the foundation for the modern Middle East. Perry''s diary also reveals a life wholly committed to Christ, by his example challenging the reader in his own Christian walk. Here too can be found historical testimonies of Muslim/Christian relations which have assumed renewed importance since the events of September 11, 2001. Against the Gates of Hell is classic narrative history, carefully researched, attentive to human interest detail, and contextually rich in historical background. Because of the richness of the historical background, the work becomes a cultural history as well as a biography. The book includes firsthand, eyewitness accounts of the 1894-1895 Armenian massacres and the 1915 Armenian genocide. Against the Gates of Hell is especially timely for the 100th anniversary in 2015 of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the twentieth century.Endorsements:""A delightfully written history of one of America''s great missionaries and champions of social justice (on behalf of persecuted Armenians) at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century."" --Douglas A. Sweeney, Professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought and Director of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School"". . . very well written and quite engaging. . . The weaving of the story of Dr. Henry Perry and Ottoman/Armenian history and the massacres and genocide is almost like a modern TV or movie script and I believe it will engage readers. . .""--Richard Hovannisian, Armenian Educational Foundation Professor of Modern Armenian History, UCLA ""Congratulations on a magnificent piece of work so carefully researched, attentive to human interest detail, contextually rich, and spiritually riveting. What a challenge to know that people like Henry Perry and his associates walked the face of the earth.""--Ken Curtis, President, Christian History Institute ""Many of the issues Perry struggled with in his day have strangely become contemporary again in our time. Terrorism, ethnic cleansing, economic upheaval, the boiling pot of Middle Eastern politics, the civilizational clash between Christendom and Islam- the same ferment was stirring in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. We cannot well understand our own times without looking closely at those of Henry Perry. ""--Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, and Executive Editor of Christianity Today""I appreciate your wonderful scholarship . . . and your marvelous historical insights, which are so pertinent at this particular moment in history.""--Chuck Colson, winner of The Templeton Prize and founder of Prison Fellowship""A truly superb book, well written, captivating, amply footnoted, profoundly disturbing, yet enjoyable and interesting. A story that needed to be told.""--Tom Hesse, Manager, KNIS Pilgrim RadioAbout the Contributor(s):Gordon B. Severance, PhD, JD, is emeritus professor of business law from California State University at Los Angeles and the University of Nevada, Reno. He received an MA in economics from Stanford University, and a PhD in economics and JD from the University of Southern California. In 1988-89, as Fulbright Scholar, he taught constitutional law at Makerere University in Uganda, where he was also an advisor to the Constitution revision Commission. A member of the California and federal bar, Gordon has practiced law for fifty years. With a l

About the Contributor(s):Claude G. Montefiore (1858-1938) is the classic exemplar of liberal Jewish thought engaging Christian texts. He was greatly influenced by Benjamin Jowett at Oxford. One of the founders of Liberal Judaism in England, Montefiore brought much of the German school of biblical criticism into contact with progressive Judaism.

About the Contributor(s):R.B. Girdlestone (1836-1923) studied at Charterhouse, London, and Christ Church, Oxford. He was head of the translation department of the British and Foreign Bible Society, principal of Wycliffe Hall, and minister of St. John''s in Downshire Hill, Hampstead.

About the Contributor(s):The Rev. Francis J. Hall, D.D. was Professor of Dogmatic Theology at General Theological Seminary, New York.

About the Contributor(s):Frank Leslie Cross (1900-1968), Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford, was a British, Anglican patristics scholar and founder of the Oxford Patristics Conference, and editor of The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (1st ed., 1957).

About the Contributor(s):George Tyrrell, SJ (1861-1909) was a key figure in the Modernist controversy in the Catholic Church. Born in Dublin, into an Anglican family, he converted to Catholicism and joined the Jesuits. Among his published works are Medievalism: A Reply to Cardinal Mercier, The Autobiography of George Tyrrell, The Programme of Modernism, External Religion, and Tradition and the Critical Spirit.

Description:Modern approaches to preaching today are largely fixated on ""how-to''s""--how to make preaching more relevant, more interesting, more entertaining. Michael Pasquarello suggests that this fixation may stem from a preaching imagination more beholden to technical, scientific reason than theological wisdom. Rather than devising new techniques or strategies for effective speaking, Pasquarello offers something more salutary--portraits of ten exemplary preachers from the Christian tradition.Included in Pasquarello''s gallery are Augustine of Hippo, Gregory the Great, Benedict, Bernard of Clairvaux, Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, Erasmus, Hugh Latimer, Martin Luther, and John Calvin. These excellent preachers conceived of Christian speech as a unique theological practice learned through prayerful attention to the Bible and aimed at communion with God.Sacred Rhetoric invites readers to join an extended conversation with the past in order to become faithful preachers of the gospel in a post-Christian society. Preachers, seminarians, and students of Christian history will find much to learn from Pasquarello''s fresh perspective and passion for the past.Endorsements:""Mike Pasquarello is concerned about the crisis in preaching. Refreshingly, he does not merely carp about the cancer and then suggest the application of rhetorical bandages. In this bold book he cuts to the core of the problem, demonstrating how theology and proclamation have been rent apart by centuries of modernistic habit. The conversation that Pasquarello initiates here does two things: it offers the reader historic models whose wisdom will inform and restore preaching to its theological home, and it establishes the author as a leading voice in postmodern homiletic thought.""--Clayton J. SchmitFuller Theological SeminaryAbout the Contributor(s):Michael Pasquarello III (PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) is Granger E. and Anna A. Fisher Professor of Preaching at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is the author of Christian Preaching: A Trinitarian Theology of Proclamation.

Description:Austin Farrer in his later years was striving for new depths of simplicity and insight. This collection of Farrer sermons, preached mainly to undergraduate audiences, is the third to be published since his death. Even readers who never heard him speak can form from the printed text a true impression of his qualities of imagination, humor, and spirituality. For preachers he not only advocates but illustrates preaching as a creative art; to the ''ordinary'' Christian he shows how worthwhile it is to take trouble with the questions of faith: to face them as issues of truth, to probe them this way and that, and to feel that language and imagery are friendly tools for undertaking the work. For theologians, too, he has a message: not to conceive their task too narrowly and to let a wide range of human resources, mind and heart, contribute to the task of clothing in words our experience of God. Endorsements:""These sermons are a school for us all. For preachers, tempted to give up on either theology or attractive devices, he stands firm as the apostle of preaching as a creative art. . . . To the ''ordinary'' Christian, he shows how worthwhile it is to take trouble with the questions of faith. . . . For theologians, too, he has a message: not to conceive their task too narrowly and to let a wide range of human resources of mind and heart contribute to the task of clothing in words our experience of God.''-- J. L. HouldenAbout the Contributor(s):Austin Farrer (1904-1968) was ordained an Anglican priest at Oxford where he served as chaplain and fellow of several colleges. He was warden of Keble College from 1960 until his death. Both a noted theologian and New Testament scholar, Farrer was a member of ""the Oxford Christians,"" conversing frequently with C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, and T. S. Eliot.

Description:The great Christian doctrines are worth thinking through for ourselves. That''s why Gordon Lewis has provided this concise and complete survey of the major truths of the Christian faith.But rather than just telling us what he has discovered in Scripture, he offers a theological workbook that helps us explore the evidence itself and to draw our own conclusions. He has organized the material around the main themes of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, humanity, creation, the church, and the end times.This unique text has been used by students of the Bible over the last three decades in the classroom, in the home and in the church. Its enduring quality continues to make it a valuable tool for all who want to develop a systematic theology for themselves.Of Lewis''s six published books, his Decide for Yourself: A Theological Workbook has been the most versatile. It has been used in informal neighborhood and college Bible studies, church education classes, youth groups, Bible schools, colleges, and seminaries, and extension courses in theological education.It has been translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, Lithuanian, Spanish and Vietnamese.Chapters 1-3 are updated to interact with the postmodernist views of human language.About the Contributor(s):Gordon R. Lewis served as Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Denver Seminary until his retirement in 1993. He is currently Senior Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Denver Seminary. Lewis studied at Baptist Bible Seminary and Cornell University. He earned degrees at Gordon College (BA), Faith Theological Seminary (MDiv), and Syracuse University (MA and PhD in philosophy). His dissertation investigated the harmony of ""Faith and Reason in the Thought of Augustine."" He also wrote What Everyone Should Know about Transcendental Mediation (Regal) in 1975, and his magnum opus, Integrative Theology (3 vols., Zondervan) in 1996, with colleague Bruce Demarest.

Description:""Published sermons present a special problem,"" writes John Austin Baker in his introduction to The End of Man. ""Sermons no one would think of printing have saved souls; sermons much admired by posterity may have achieved nothing . . .. What is rare indeed is that the text of a genuine sermon as actually delivered should satisfy the criteria of the literary form as well. To the tiny company of such preachers of genius Austin Farrer belongs."" The sermons collected in this volume demonstrate Farrer''s rare abilities as a writer and preacher. Originally delivered to members of the academic community at Keble College, Oxford, they speak intelligently on all phases of Christianity. Some of the fine points of doctrine are discussed, but so are the very practical aspects of everyday life-matters such as relationships with parents, the importance of a disciplined prayer life, the proper use of money, and how to deal with intellectual challenges to the faith. Endorsements:""Austin Farrer was, by common consent, one of the most remarkable men of his generation, He possessed the qualities of originality, independence, imagination, and intellectual force to a degree amounting to genius . . .""Basil MitchellAbout the Contributor(s):Austin Farrer (1904-1968) was ordained an Anglican priest at Oxford where he served as chaplain and fellow of several colleges. He was warden of Keble College from 1960 until his death. Both a noted theologian and New Testament scholar, Farrer was a member of ""the Oxford Christians,"" conversing frequently with C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, and T. S. Eliot.

Description:Austin Farrer''s writings show amazing originality and independence of thought. To the end of his life he was developing a Christian apologetic that was both thoroughly orthodox and thoroughly contemporary. Interpretation and Belief is a collection of essays grouped round three themes--Canon, Creed, and Criteria--presenting Farrer''s thoughts on the foundations of Christian belief. As with Reflective Faith, a recently published collection of his essays on philosophical theology, the pieces vary considerably both in range and in date; they are chosen to stimulate interest rather than to exhaust their subject matter. Farrer''s studies of the Gospels and his exploration of Christian doctrine both find their place in the larger framework of theistic belief and reveal their author''s deep commitment, profound learning, and ability to hold faith and reason in a creative tension. Endorsements:""Austin Farrer was, by common consent, one of the most remarkable men of his generation. He possessed the qualities of originality, independence, imagination, and intellectual force to a degree amounting to genius.""--Basil Mitchell""A theologian in many ways unequalled in his own time, and now perhaps beginning to be truly recognized.""--A. M. Allchin""Farrer built bridges, easily ruined, often ignored, and well worth keeping in repair.""--J. L. HouldenAbout the Contributor(s):Austin Farrer (1904-1968) was ordained an Anglican priest at Oxford where he served as chaplain and fellow of several colleges. He was warden of Keble College from 1960 until his death. Both a noted theologian and New Testament scholar, Farrer was a member of ""the Oxford Christians,"" conversing frequently with C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, and T. S. Eliot.Charles Conti is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Sussex.

Description:Practical, scriptural, and contemporary, Text and Task is a series of essays on Scripture and mission. It aims to show the significance of reading the biblical text appropriately and with faithful engagement for our theology and missiology. A team of biblical scholars suggests ways forward in areas such as the implicit missional narrative of David and Goliath, the story of Solomon and his Temple building, the genre of lament, the explicit gracious message of the prophet Isaiah, Paul''s understanding of divine call and gospel, and the place of mission as a hermeneutic for reading the Bible. Theological chapters engage the issues of the Trinity and the unevangelized, the missional dimensions of Barth''s view of election, the gospel''s loss of plausibility in the modern West, the place of preaching in mission, and the idea of belonging to a church community before one believes the gospel. Drawing together scholars from the fields of biblical studies, theology, sociology, and homiletics, Text and Task relates critically engaged textual reading to contemporary ongoing Christian life, thought, and mission.About the Contributor(s):Michael Parsons is Commissioning Editor for Paternoster Press and Associate Research Fellow at Spurgeon College, London. Previously, he was Director of Postgraduate Research at Vose Seminary, Perth, Western Australia. He lives with his wife and two children.

Description:The author presents in this single volume a complete summary of philosophy and its history, specially designed for the student majoring in philosophy or the seminarian who needs philosophical knowledge for his work in theology. The book is keyed to the New Catholic Encyclopedia, where fuller expositions and bibliographies of the topics treated may be found. The work is divided into three parts, the first two being systematic and the third historical. Part I summarizes the basic content of what is called scholastic philosophy, logic, natural philosophy, psychology, metaphysics, epistemology, natural theology, and ethics. Part II surveys the more recent philosophies of the specialized disciplines, that is, the various humanities and sciences, from language and art to social and political thought. Part III gives a synoptic account of the history of philosophy, from the beginnings of the discipline to its most contemporary developments. The presentation is simple and clear, yet it is accurate and completely authoritative. About the Contributor(s):William A. Wallace, OP, author of sixteen books and over three hundred scholarly articles, taught at various Dominican Houses of Studies and then at Catholic University and the University of Maryland. In addition to doctorates in philosophy and theology, he holds degrees in physics and electrical engineering. He is an expert Latinist and paleographer and has worked extensively on Thomas''s philosophy of nature as well as its foundations in Aristotle''s Physics. His reputation among historians of science is based mainly on discoveries relating to Galileo''s early Latin manuscripts.

Description:Accompanying the Journey is a practical handbook designed to help sponsors in United Methodist congregations (and congregations in other denominations) develop a ""hands on"" approach to guiding individuals who seek initiation into the Christian faith through baptism. Using the metaphor of ""presentation,"" the book outlines crucial ways in which sponsors embody the congregation''s welcome--both in and outside worship services--as they accompany adult initiates to the waters of baptism. The book also provides extensive guidance for sponsoring children for baptism and for sponsoring adults returning to the baptismal covenant.This bookΓÇó provides a helpful overview of the process of Christian initiationΓÇó outlines in detail the responsibilities of sponsors in the worship services connected with the initiation processΓÇó helps sponsors understand their relationships with the congregation and with others who lead the work of making disciplesΓÇó provides church leaders with guidelines for selecting, forming, and nurturing sponsors, including a discussion of the place of discernment in the processΓÇó presents a brief overview of the role and historical context of sponsors in the Christian tradition and in MethodismΓÇó includes an appendix containing ""An Order for Commissioning Sponsors""About the Contributor(s):Lester Ruth (PhD, University of Notre Dame) writes with the goal of appropriating worship history for renewal today, including his latest book on fourth-century Jerusalem, Walking Where Jesus Walked. This appropriation has been his interest since his service as a United Methodist minister in Texas. Currently he is Research Professor of Christian Worship at Duke Divinity School. He also teaches in the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies.

Description:Though numerous volumes have been written on human observations about children, very few volumes present God''s perspective on them as recorded in the Bible. Precious in His Sight fills the gap admirably.Not only is this volume unique, it is also comprehensive. The author covers all of the children in the Bible, intensively studying the biblical text as well as incorporating insights from the best historical works on childhood and child-rearing in ancient times. The author''s sensitivity to the cultural and sociological factors impinging on families in biblical times is everywhere apparent. In order to appreciate what the book of Proverbs says about children, for example, one must understand how children were treated and viewed in other cultures during Old Testament times.Everything the Bible says about children applies to contemporary childhood, according to the author. He finds biblical examples and abundant implications for children''s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual development. The principles that can be garnered from this incisive work will help educators and parents in the teaching and training of children today.About the Contributor(s):Roy B. Zuck is Senior Professor Emeritus of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he taught for twenty-three years, including seven years as Vice President for Academic Affairs. He is editor of Bibliotheca Sacra and coeditor of the widely acclaimed two-volume Bible Knowledge Commentary. He has written or edited more than seventy books on Christian education and biblical and theological topics. His books include Teaching as Jesus Taught, Spirit-Filled Teaching, and Basic Bible Interpretation.

Description:How do we make sense of death--in theology, in philosophy, in experience? How do religions other than Christianity deal with death and with dying? In the now predominantly secular societies of the West, what are we to make of the theologies of death developed by writers such as Becker, Hick, Thielicke, and Macquarrie?Ray Anderson tackles his subject with clarity and without sentimentality. He discusses first the treatment--and indeed, the denial--of death by contemporary Western society, and its place in other religious traditions. Going on to discuss the origins of a Christian theology of death, he examines the legacy of Judaism and seeks to lay the foundations for a Christian anthropology in the unity of the body and soul. Death, he argues, is alien to God''s determination of our personhood. Outlining a classic Christian understanding of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he explores the implications of the Passion for our own mortality.Even if the sting of death has been removed, the experience of dying and bereavement remains. Ray Anderson considers pastoral approaches to dying in the light of his observations and arguments and makes his case for a reintegration of the experience of dying into our communities.About the Contributor(s):Ray Anderson (1925-2009) was Senior Professor of Theology and Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary and served on the faculty of the School of Theology since 1976. He iss the author of more than twenty books, including Spiritual Caregiving as Secular Sacrament, The Soul of Ministry, Self-Care, Living the Spiritually Balanced Life, and Dancing with Wolves While Feeding the Sheep: The Musings of a Maverick Theologian.

Description:""Justification by faith alone"" labels theologically the motor that energizes the Reformation. The dynamic behind the language can still mean renewal for theology and church today, but only if that legal metaphor is not left to stand alone.Gerhard Forde calls for a recovery of Paul''s equally vital metaphor of death-resurrection, which speaks of our dying to the old and being raised to new life in Christ. Justification, he contends, is death and rising, and where these complementary metaphors are allowed to interpret one another the Gospel can once again explode with all its original power.This fresh appropriation of the confessional witness contributes not only to an enhanced understanding of Reformation teachings, but also to an ecumenical dialogue that is zeroing in more closely on the catholic provenance and current vitality of the Augsburg Confession.About the Contributor(s):Gerhard O. Forde was Professor of Systematic Theology at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Description:Is Christian ministry in a state of crisis today? What is the nature of the crisis? How does it relate to the imperatives and challenges of the proclamation of the Gospel today and the extension of the ministry of Jesus Christ himself? What constitutes faithful and obedient servanthood today? What are the new frontiers? Is there a radically new spirituality that can reshape and transform the lives of those called to minister in God''s world in this age?These are some of the issues with which Kortright Davis attempts to wrestle in this scholarly yet pastoral conversation with the Church and the world. Serving With Power explores the power of God''s Word and Spirit in an attempt to shape a new spirituality of Christian ministry in the new millennium.Endorsements:""This volume will be very rewarding spiritual reading for the busy priest or pastoral minister. The author has brought together serious but readable reflections on ministry in the Church that will both nourish and challenge those whose lives are given in service.""--Brother Jeffrey Gros, FSC, Associate Director, Secretariate for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, National Conference of Catholic BishopsAbout the Contributor(s):Kortright Davis, an Anglican priest, is professor of theology at Howard University School of Divinity and is Rector of Church of the Holy Comforter in Washington, DC. He was one of the Archbishop of Canterbury''s members on the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission II.

Description:Some researchers estimate that evangelical Christians give an average of 2 percent of their income to further the kingdom of God. Such a practice reveals a theology of material possessions that is clearly out of line with God''s Word.Gene Getz in an extensive search reveals intriguing, detailed information on the subject of material possessions based on Scripture. The synthesis of this and selected extrabiblical literature resulted in the formation of more than 120 biblical principles that can be applied by any person in any culture. Dr. Getz not only shares these principles but offers guidance for church leaders and laypeople who want to apply them in their church.Endorsements:""Dr. Getz is a rare breed of man devoted to the ministry of Christ who can write a theological work and make it both fascinating and interesting reading. I found his book on material possessions to be extremely informative as well as a practical tool for the local church. I especially found the format to be logical and easy to understand.""--Larry Burkett""We are indebted to Dr. Gene Getz for his book, A Biblical Theology of Material Possessions. Nothing quite as comprehensive or challenging has appeared in recent times. I warmly commend it for three reasons:ΓÇó It is biblical. The book is rooted in the Old Testament but covers the entire New Testament.ΓÇó It is practical. It pinpoints 126 supracultural principles for personal and general application.ΓÇó It is critical. It searches ""the thoughts and intents of the heart"" on many matters, and it speaks to the materialism and ""me-ism"" of our present day.""On a global scale, researcher David Barrett estimates that Christians give 0.017% of their income to missions. The reading and studying of this book should make a difference, not only in worldwide evangelism but in your life and mine.""--Stephen F. OlfordAbout the Contributor(s):Gene A. Getz is director of the Center for Church Renewal and is pastor of Fellowship Bible Church, Plano, Texas. He is also an adjunct professor in pastoral studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Description:IT''S ALL HEREThe purpose of the church. The growth of the church through proper edification. New Testament principles of administration and organization. Communication of the principle of New Testament evangelism. The effects of the church on the world. The effects of the world on the church. How culture affects the church. How the church should affect culture. How to formulate objectives, goals, and standards in order to be a true New Testament church.Endorsements:"". . . A splendid analysis of the true scriptural ministry of the church, using helpful charts and summaries.""--The Alliance Weekly""A welcome addition to the literature on the resurrection of the church from the tomb of the late ''60s. And it may be the most biblical renewal book yet published.""--Christianity Today""Positive solutions based on a solid biblical foundation . . . provides the format for the serious reader to work out answers related to his specific church situation.""--Moody MonthlyAbout the Contributor(s):Gene A. Getz is director for the Center for Church Renewal and is pastor of Fellowship Bible Church, Plano, Texas. He is also an adjunct professor in pastoral studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Description:To the unstructured reader the book of Isaiah can be rather confusing--it seems to be composed of poems and narratives combined haphazardly not by one, but by several authors. Even scholars disagree on its authorship, dating, structure, and meaning. William Holladay intends this book to be a study guide for lay people and students. In an attempt to answer the perplexing questions raised by reading Isaiah.Throughout the book, Professor Holladay affirms the theological unity within Isaiah, while discerning and emphasizing the variety of voices found there. Although there were several ""Isaiahs,"" each writing with his specific world situation in mind, the total picture is of a prophetic tradition which recognizes that God was king of Israel.Endorsements:""It is not only an interesting and reliable guide to understanding the book of Isaiah, but a fine introduction to many aspects of the religion of ancient Israel and the theology of the Old Testament . . . It is based upon thorough knowledge of contemporary scholarship and years of deep engagement with the meaning of the book itself.""--James M. WardPerkins School of TheologySouthern Methodist UniversityAbout the Contributor(s):William L. Holladay, Lowry Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Andover Newton Theological School, is also author of Jeremiah: A Fresh Reading.

Description:This second volume of Reclaiming Our Roots carries readers on a whirlwind journey from the eve of the Reformation to developments in Christianity in the twentieth century. As in the first volume, Mark Ellingsen gives special attention to the history of Christianity in the southern hemisphere, the church among minority cultures in North America, and the role of women in church history.Ellingsen''s careful and critical eye ranges over the entire panorama of modern church history. He provides balanced theological analyses of major movements and figures as well as the interactions between them. Ellingsen presents church history as an opportunity to enter into a dialogue with the church''s richly diverse heritage. He sees the role of church history as:Community builder--teaching the faithful their heritage,Safety patrol--sensitizing church leaders to the errors of the past that they must still confront,Liberating instrument--learning to look at reality from the perspective of the other, no longer chained to one''s own suppositions and cultural biases, andSource of theological creativity--providing access to the stimulating insights of the great theological minds of the past.This thought-provoking book offers readers a sympathetic exposure to a variety of credible, scholarly interpretations of major figures and encourages them to make their own judgments with the help of suggested primary source readings. Ellingsen closes each chapter with questions that lead readers to ponder the deeper meanings of various events in the history of Christianity.About the Contributor(s):Mark Ellingsen is Associate Professor of Church History at the Interdenominational Theological Center.

Description:Reclaiming Our Roots, the most inclusive church history textbook on the market today, pays special attention to such matters as Christianity in the southern hemisphere, Eastern Orthodoxy, the church among minority cultures in North America, and the role of women in church history. It includes not just names, dates, and events in church history, but also sophisticated theological analyses of the issues that have made history, making it useable as a text for both history of Christian thought as well as introduction to church history courses.Readers are exposed to a variety of credible, scholarly interpretations of issues, events, and major figures, and encouraged to make their own judgments based upon the evidence and with the help of suggested primary source readings. Leading questions that open doors for group discussion and individual reflection on the core issues follow each section.Endorsements:""Here is a splendid introductory church history text, rich in detail and theological insight. Ellingsen writes clearly, is sensitive to context, and widens the horizons from standard texts by including Eastern Christianity, churches in Asia and Africa, women, and other traditionally marginalized groups. This is an excellent achievement! Enhancing the work are probing questions along the way, to show us what continues to be at stake in the church''s ongoing life and thought. A fine survey.""--Donald K. McKim, Memphis Theological Seminary""This is a book of inclusiveness. The text is down to earth and brings together essential findings of recent material in a fresh way for pastors and lay persons.""--L. K. Allen, Presiding Elder, Christian Methodist Episcopal ChurchAbout the Contributor(s):Mark Ellingsen is Associate Professor of Church History at the Interdenominational Theological Center.

Description:This commentary explores some of the most thrilling chapters of the Old Testament. The Israelites'' exile is at an end, and in Isaiah 40-55 the prophet calls them to leave Babylon. Chapters 55-66 are about how these people deal with aspects of restored life in Jerusalem, the old political and religious centre, but now so different. Here also are significant passages about a Servant of the Lord, and the challenging call to servanthood on the part of God''s people. Michael Thompson examines these chapters both against their original backgrounds and also as scripture for God''s people today.About the Contributor(s):Michael E. W. Thompson is a Methodist Minister, and Superintendent of the Bishop Auckland Circuit in County Durham.

Description:Michael Thompson has had a long-standing interest in the Old Testament, and during recent years has focused in particular on the subject of prayer. It has been his ambition to write a book which will offer guidance to those in the churches who are asking what the Old Testament has to say to them about the life of prayer today, yet which will also help those who wish to study Old Testament prayer in a more academic way. The book is thus about an aspect of biblical spirituality, but it also seeks to be a guide to those who wish to delve further into this neglected subject.About the Contributor(s):Michael E. W. Thompson is a Methodist Minister, and Superintendent of the Bishop Auckland Circuit in County Durham.