The history of Christianity has been marked by tension between ideas of sacred and secular, their shifting balance, and their conflict. In Christianity and the Secular, Robert A. Markus examines the place of the secular in Christianity, locating the origins of the concept in the New Testament and early Christianity and describing its emergence as a problem for Christianity following the recognition of Christianity as an established religion, then the officially enforced religion, of the Ro...

A collection of Gnostic texts spanning centuries, geographical locations, and cultural traditions—“a wonderful achievement” (Elaine Pagels, author of The Gnostic Gospels)Gnosticism was a wide-ranging religious movement of the first millennium CE—with earlier antecedents and later flourishings—whose adherents sought salvation through knowledge and personal religious experience. Gnostic writings offer striking perspectives on both early Christian and non-Chr...

Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Persecution, Abortion, Orphans, Pornography—how are we supposed to respond to all of this?In this companion piece to Counter Culture, David Platt provides Biblical support and practical action steps to help Christians take a courageous and compassionate stand on some of the most controversial issues of our time, and highlights dozens of ways individuals and churches can get involved at both the local and interna...

Churches, Just Like People, Need to Be Set Free From Spiritual BondageCorporate sin robs the spiritual vitality and fruitfulness of churches, keeping them from being free in Christ. In Setting Your Church Free trusted authors Neil T. Anderson and Charles Mylander offer practical and life-giving tools for dealing biblically with corporate sin in the church. Offering a balanced approach, this unique book takes into account the reality of the spiritual world ...

The early church fathers were great theologians--though they did not think of themselves as such. They were working pastors, involved in the daily life and leadership of their congregations. Yet they were wrestling with many of the great and formative questions of the Christian faith, such as the Trinity, the incarnation, the providence of God and the nature of the church. These beliefs were defined in the crucible of spiritual leadership, pastoral care and theological conflict, all set ag...

In this groundbreaking, cross-disciplinary work of philosophy and biblical studies, New Testament scholar C. Kavin Rowe explores the promise and problems inherent in engaging rival philosophical claims to what is true. Juxtaposing the Roman Stoics Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius with the Christian saints Paul, Luke, and Justin Martyr, and incorporating the contemporary views of Jeffrey Stout, Alasdair McIntyre, Charles Taylor, Martha Nussbaum, Pierre Hadot, and others, the author ...

Wise and practical essays on the pastor as shepherd, preacher, worship leader, and professional

What kind of communities are we forming? What story are we telling? Howcan we tell it more effectively? Pagitt takes on these questions andinvestigates the goals and roles of preaching in the Inventive Age.From the book: “I find myself wanting to live with the people of mycommunity, where I can preach … but not allow that to become an act ofspeech making. Instead, I want it to be a living interaction of thestory of God and the story of our communit...

Teachings about the end times can clarify your beliefs and energize your own spiritual journey.Christian concepts of the end times involve complex beliefs that have developed over the centuries. They range from popular ideas about the rapture when believers will be swept up to meet Christ in the air, to suspicions about the Antichrist who will deceive and enslave the world, to teachings about the millennium when Christ himself will return victoriously to earth to r...

Leadership is a much-discussed topic. What does it actually mean for us as Christians? Does Christian leadership have its own distinctive shape and character? In Servants and Fools, A Biblical Theology of Leadership, Arthur Boers examines Jesus’s pattern of leadership. Boers shows how this pattern is rooted in service and sacrifice, is cautious about power and hierarchies, and prioritizes the vulnerable. In other words, it often reverses what we expect of leadership, and is different from ...

The Holy Spirit is the secret to the Church's growth and vitality—her "fountain of youth"! The Spirit is constantly renewing the Church, and the current age is no exception. In this book, theologian and author Dr. Alan Schreck writes a historical appreciation of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, now celebrating its fiftieth year—a renewal that has touched millions of Catholics throughout the world. Tracing the origins of the Renewal, Schreck outlines its characteristics, how it spread, wha...

Justin Martyr on the Soul, Death, and Eschatology from the series Justin Martyr: The Man and His Theology by Robert Alan King is a booklet with over 4,000 words. This booklet discusses Justin's beliefs about the creation, the fall, the body and soul, the resurrection, end time events, and the final judgment. This includes an examination of Justin's discussion about the millennial reign and the common error in interpretation of one of his statements being used to support a variant view toda...