In this book, Roger Olson sets forth classical Arminian theology and addresses the myriad misunderstandings and misrepresentations of it through the ages. Irenic yet incisive, Olson argues that classical Arminian theology has a rightful place in the evangelical church because it maintains deep roots within Reformational theology, even though it maintains important differences from Calvinism. My…
The monograph waited and, in fact, was placed on a "back burner" while I revised the dissertation for publication as Christ and the Decree and wrote a Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms, Drawn Principally from Protestant Scholastic Theology. When I returned to the project, my bibliography had expanded and my thoughts on the subject had elaborated considerably.
“I wish I had your gift!” How do you handle those words as a creative artist? Somewhere between pride and self-abasement lies true humility---just one aspect of the balanced character God wants to instill in you as an actor, a musician, a visual artist, or other creative person involved in ministry. God is interested in your art and your heart. The Heart of the Artist deals head-on with …
In this highly anticipated volume, N. T. Wright focuses directly on the historical Jesus: Who was he? What did he say? And what did he mean by it?Wright begins by showing how the questions posed by Albert Schweitzer a century ago remain central today. Then he sketches a profile of Jesus in terms of his prophetic praxis, his subversive stories, the symbols by which he reordered his world, and th…
A holistic, eye-opening history of one of the most significant turning points in Christianity, The Reformation as Renewal demonstrates that the Reformation was at its core a renewal of evangelical catholicity. In the sixteenth century Rome charged the Reformers with novelty, as if they were heretics departing from the catholic (universal) church. But the Reformers believed they were more cat…
This book analyzes the impact of pluralism and inclusivism upon ecclesiology, and draws upon Balthasar's theodramatic theory, MacIntyre's theory of traditional inquiry, postmodern critiques of humanism, and postmodern ethnography to develop a more flexible and concrete ecclesiology that can better address the practical and pastoral needs of the church.
An analysis of the Catholic tradition looks at the history of the Catholic Church, its spiritual practices, its tenets and beliefs, and the rituals of worship, and discusses such topics as saints, liturgies, and papal authority.
Defending the faith can be daunting, and a well-reasoned and biblically grounded apologetic is essential for the challenge. Following in the footsteps of groundbreaking apologist Cornelius Van Til, Scott Oliphint presents us with an introduction to Reformed apologetics as he sets forth the principles behind a distinctly "covenantal" approach. This book clearly explains the theological foundatio…
The history of Christianity in Asia is little dealt with either by Church historians or by historians of religion. It is generally unknown, even amongst theologians, that there was a long history of Christianity in Persia, India, Central Asia and China before the appearance on the scene of the first missionaries from the West. A systematic history of the Christian Church in Asia before 1500 is …
The majority of the world's Christians now live outside Europe and North America, and global Christianity is becoming increasingly diverse. Interest in the history and theology of churches in non-Western contexts is growing rapidly as 'old world' churches face this new reality. This book focuses on how Asian Christian theologies have been shaped by the interaction of Christian communities with …
In this eloquent introduction to early Christian thought, eminent religious historian Robert Louis Wilken examines the tradition that such figures as St. Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and others set in place. These early thinkers constructed a new intellectual and spiritual world, Wilken shows, and they can still be heard as living voices in the modern world. In chapters on topics including ear…
The insights of Cornelius Van Til have generated intense discussion among friends and foes alike. Until now nearly everything written about Van Til has come from either uncritical followers or unsympathetic critics. This volume, marking the one hundredth anniversary of Van Til’s birth, combines deep appreciation with incisive critical analysis of the renowned Westminster apologist’s idea…
Foxe's Book of Martyrs is a collection of unforgettable accounts of religious persecution. This modernized selection brings together some of the most stirring tales of the interrogation and execution of heretics burnt at the stake in the reign of Mary, with some of the original woodcut illustrations and an illuminating introduction.
This edition of the most significant political writings of the sixteenth-century Protestant reformer John Knox presents accurate but accessible versions of all of his writings on the theme of rebellion, including his notorious First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, and provides students and scholars alike with the means of tracing the evolution of his political radi…
This volume addresses the most important issues related to the study of New Testament writings. Two respected senior scholars have brought together a team of distinguished specialists to introduce the Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman backgrounds necessary for understanding the New Testament and the early church. Contributors include renowned scholars such as Lynn H. Cohick, David A. deSilva, Jame…
This penultimate volume in Pelikan's acclaimed history of Christian doctrine—winner with Volume 3 of the Medieval Academy's prestigious Haskins Medal—encompasses the Reformation and the developments that led to it.
Herman Bavinck's four-volume Reformed Dogmatics is one of the most important theological works of the twentieth century. The recently completed English translation has received wide acclaim. Now John Bolt, one of the world's leading experts on Bavinck and editor of Bavinck's four-volume set, has abridged the work in one volume, offering students, pastors, and lay readers an accessible summary o…
This is Greg Bahnsen's response to criticisms of the theonomic position that have been published or circulated over the last ten years. Bahnsen deals not only with Westminster Theological Seminary's Theonomy: A Reformed Critique, but also with two other brief critical books against him, and with various published articles and typewritten, photocopied responses. One by one, Bahnsen takes his cri…
God's Law is Christianity's tool of dominion. This is where any discussion of God's law ultimately the issue of dominion. Ask Who is to rule on earth, Christ or Satan? Whose followers have the ethically acceptable tool of dominion, Christ's or Satan's? What is this tool of dominion, the bibically revealed law of God, or the law of self-proclaimed autonomous man? Whose word is sovereign, God's o…
Some books are easiest to describe by saying what they are not. This is not a collection of devotions or meditations, not a “feel-good” journal about walking with God, and not a guide for self-improvement or personal spiritual growth. It is, very simply, a book about discipleship–about following Christ humbly, obediently, and with an open heart. And it is written by a man whose message ca…
These sermons were preached on consecutive Sunday mornings at Westminster Chapel and are here reproduced virtually as they were delivered. The need for them arose as the result of pastoral experience, and they are now published in book form largely as the result of repeated requests that they might be issued in this form.
"Church is not a meeting you attend or a place you enter," write pastors Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. "It's an identity that is ours in Christ. An identity that shapes the whole of life so that life and mission become 'total church.'" With that as their premise, they emphasize two overarching principles to govern the practice of church and being gospel-centered and being community-centered. Wh…
A careful and informed assessment of the “emerging church” by a respected author and scholarThe “emerging church” movement has generated a lot of excitement and exerts an astonishingly broad influence. Is it the wave of the future or a passing fancy? Who are the leaders and what are they saying? The time has come for a mature assessment. D. A. Carson not only gives those who may be unfa…
In this volume, Bahnsen has gathered the primary passages on apologetics from the vast body of works by Cornelius Van Til, arranged them topically, and added incisive commentary and analysis. The result is a carefully organized digest of all that Van Til taught about apologetics with running exposition by Bahnsen.
From 1962 to 1965, in perhaps the most important religious event of the twentieth century, the Second Vatican Council met to plot a course for the future of the Roman Catholic Church. After thousands of speeches, resolutions, and votes, the Council issued sixteen official documents on topics ranging from divine revelation to relations with non-Christians. In many ways, though, the real challeng…
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, commonly referred to as “the Doctor,” had a successful career in medicine before abandoning it all to become a preacher in London. His sermons—displaying the life-changing power of biblical truth—diagnosed the spiritual condition of his congregation and prescribed the gospel remedy. This study of Lloyd-Jones’s life will encourage and exhort readers to consider t…
John Newton is famous for his legendary hymn “Amazing Grace.” Many have celebrated his dramatic conversion from a life in the slave trade to his eventual work to end it. But often overlooked are Newton’s forty years as a pastor ministering to parishioners and friends unsettled by the trials, doubts, and fears of life. Newton is perhaps the greatest pastoral letter writer in the history…
"Reading this book was a profoundly moving experience.” —Derek W. H. Thomas, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina; author, Let’s Study Revelation and Let’s Study Galatians John Stott was a twentieth-century pastor-theologian widely hailed for his heart for missions and expository preaching. Even today, Stott’s legacy continues to influence churches …
This comprehensive systematic theology by respected theologian Robert Letham covers the whole field of Reformed Christian doctrine from biblical, historical, and theological angles. Letham begins with God’s ultimate selfrevelation as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in indivisible union, continuing on with the works of God in creation, providence, and grace. He draws deeply from Sc…
Dramatically converted on the stormy seas, a slave-trader-turned-abolitionist penned the best-loved hymn of the Christian faith. A church father was arrested and martyred for teaching the truth about Christ’s incarnation. Captured by pirates and shipped off to Ireland, a priest baptized thousands of pagans, from paupers to princes. Now who ever said church history was boring? The Church Hi…
Outline: John Calvin's first catechism - originally written in French in 1537 and then in Latin in 1538 - provides a valuable, clear, and concise introduction to his thought. Now for the first time, readers have available Ford Lewis Battles's English translation of the 1538 Latin edition and a current discussion of it in the same volume. This commentary on the catechism also utilizes other sour…
Outline: Robert Traill's treatment of Christ's intercessory prayer for His people is a masterpiece of Puritan experiential doctrine. Mining the depths of John 17: 24, Traill discovers the comforts of the doctrine of election, the blessing of our hope of heaven, and the believer's delight in the glory of Christ - all founded on the immovable love of the Father of His Son. Traill's exposition is …
Outline: If you would like to be a Mentor, or find a Mentor, but don't know where to start, this is it. Mentoring is an invaluable way of teaching skills, traditions, and cultural nuances that can't be captured in the classroom. It helps you (as protege) reach you full potential, and gives you (as mentor) the satisfaction of seeing your skills and ideals carried forward to the next generation. …
Outline: "There is no correlation between the size and the strength of a church!" insists Rick Warren. "Big is not automatically better, and neither is being small automatically better. Healthy is better!" As a "pastor or pastors," Rick Warren has trained over 400,000 pastors from 164 countries, insisting that church health, not church growth, should be our focus. "If a church is healthy, growt…
Outline: Today's Church growth is centered Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and evangelicalism must adapt to changing demographics or risk becoming irrelevant. Yet many evangelicals behave "tribally," valuing the perspective of only those like themselves while also denying any evidence of racial attitudes in the church. Anthony Bradley has gathered scholars and leaders from diverse "tribes" - b…
Outline: Surveying the barriers that contemporary thinking has erected between the natural and the supernatural, between earth and heaven, Hans Boersma issues a wake-up call for Western Christianity. Both Catholics and evangelicals, he says, have moved too far away from a sacramental mindset, focusing more on the "here-and-now" than on the "then-and-there." Yet, as Boersma point out, the teachi…
Outline: Multiplied millions of women all over the world are looking over the church's shoulder, longing to see the freedom Jesus purchased for them at Calvary. Millions more have found freedom in Jesus but are still bound by human ideas - ideas that pressure a woman to let culture, not God, determine her place in the Kingdom. While hurting men and women outside the church cry out, "Is there an…
Outline: Working in tandem with the resources and videos found at churchcares.com, this handbook brings together top experts from various fields to help pastors and ministry leaders understand and implement the best practices for handling a variety of abuse scenarios in churches, schools, or ministries. Although the most comprehensive training is experienced by using this handbook and the video…
Outline: Although several Orthodox theologians have significantly influenced the development of Ecclesiology in the twentieth century, the contribution of (Archbishop) Stylianos Harkianakis remains, without doubt, a landmark in the history of that theological field today. Essentially, the author's consideration of the Church is that it is the most intimate and graced communion not only of huma…
Outline : How can we reconcile the ideal church described by theology with the broken church that we see in the world? In this book Joseph Small argues that the church’s true identity is known somewhere in the tension between the two. Small revisits familiar ecclesiological concepts—people of God, the body of Christ, the communion of the Holy Spirit—but rather than focusing on theological…
Outline : What is evangelical theology today? In response to increasing evangelical fragmentation, Kevin Vanhoozer and Daniel Treier offer a clarion call to reconceive to reconceive evangelical theology theologically by reflecting on the God of the gospel as mirrored in Scripture. Such "mere" evangelical theology will be an exercise in Christian wisdom for the purpose of building up the fellows…
Outline: In this new, completely rewritten edition of his major 1986 book, Francis Watson extends, updates, and clarifies his response to E. P. Sanders's view of Paul, in order to point the way beyond the polarization of "new" and "old" perspectives on the apostle. The Paul who comes to light in these pages is both agent and thinker, apostle and theologian. He is a highly contextual figure, yet…
Outline: The church is more than a building - it is an assembly of people joined together across distances and even through time to fulfill God's purposes in the world. Each local gathering of that assembly needs a vision to help its members accomplish the work God has called them to do. But how do you inspire your church to create and follow through on a vision? Mike Milton provides tested, bi…