Cafés are a natural place to engage in conversations about God. Many of us don’t just swing by for a quick caffeine fix and then dash out. We like to sit down, relax, and read a book or engage in conversation with a friend over a cup of coffee with espresso brownies or cranberry-orange muffins. I’ve enjoyed many hearty discussions at coffee shops—exchanging stories, problems, and questio…
For years I have noted with growing disquiet the pollution of many Christians’ minds by the doctrine of feminism. I believe it is a far more dangerous pollution than most have realized, and I (with what seemed to me pitifully few others) have tried to sound the alarm in every way I could. It is a relief to me that John Piper has done what was badly neede—clarified the fundamental distinctio…
This book aims to introduce you to historical theology as an important and interesting subject. It is also a very large topic; to do justice to it, at least five substantial volumes would be required. This book is an introduction to its aims and themes, which aims to pack as much useful information into a single volume as is realistically possible, using approaches which have been tried and tes…
The Christian doctrine of justification is of immense interest to historians and theologians, and continues to be of major importance in modern ecumenical discussions. The present work appeared in its first edition in 1986, and rapidly became the leading reference work on the subject. Its many acclaimed features include a detailed assessment of the semantic background of the concept in the anci…
Few issues are more central to the Christian faith than the nature, scope and means of salvation. Many have thought it to be largely a trasaction that gets one to the heaven. In this riveting book, N. T. Wright explains that God's salvation is radically more than this.
In his time, Emil Brunner (1889–1966) was acclaimed as one of the greatest and most influential theologians of the twentieth century, especially in the United States of America. From the 1930s to the early 1960s, it is arguable that no single theologian exercised so extensive and pervasive an influence on American and British theologians and preachers. It is easy to see why Brunner garnered s…
The Christian Church possesses in its literature an abundant and incomparable treasure. But it is an inheritance that must be reclaimed by each generation. THE LIBRARY OF CHRISTIAN CLASSICS is designed to present in the English language, and in twenty-six volumes of convenient size, a selection of the most indispensable Christian treatises written prior to the end of the sixteenth century.
This volume contains 83 sermons, including 14 which resolve “Practical Cases of Conscience” and 25 intended as preparation for the Lord’s Table. The remainder are on such subjects as “Gospel Charity”, “Christ’s Pastoral Care”, “The Duty of a Pastor”, and “The Excellancy of Christ.
"Freshly updated for this second edition with considerable new material, this authoritative introduction to the history of Christian theology covers its development from the beginnings of the Patristic period just decades after Jesus's ministry, through to contemporary theological trends. A substantially updated new edition of this popular textbook exploring the entire history of Christian thou…
Outline: Although the author's monumental work, this book, is recognised as a landmar k in Protestant theology - perhaps the most important work of this century - the sheer size and range of its fourteen volumes has meant that its content and significence may not be so widely known or appreciated as it deserves to be. In this concise introduction, the introductor provides a selection of the mo…
Augustine is widely considered to be the most influential theologian in church history after the apostle Paul. Dramatically converted from a life of licentiousness to one of wholehearted devotion to Christ, the humble North African pastor quickly established himself as a leading figure within the ancient church. In Augustine on the Christian Life, historian Gerald Bray explores the rich spiritu…
An Exegetical Study of the Book of Acts and Pauline Theology Christians often skip a crucial starting point when studying the apostle Paul: the foundations of his deeply nuanced theology. Some studies on the book of Acts attempt to touch on every major theme in Paul’s letters, making them difficult to understand or prone to leaving out important nuances. Christians need a biblical, theolog…
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…
Outline: In this third and final volume of A History of Christian Thought, Dr. Gonzales brings the reader from the beginning of the sixteenth century on the eve of the Reformation down to the twentieth century. The author interprets not only Roman Catholic and Reformation theology, but the theology of the Eastern church as well. Volume III begins with a discussion of the Reformation led by Luth…
Outline: The concept of contextualization has become central to explorations of inculturation and the globalization of Christianity. The term has also been used in a host of varied and often confusing ways. Models of Contextual Theology brings order to this veritable tower of Babel, sorting out, for example, what is at stake when words such as "syncretism" and "orthodoxy" are bandied about in c…
Outline: It's on nearly everyone's shelf, and the best-selling book of all time. And yet the Bible goes unread and unheeded by so many. Rather than seeking in its pages wisdom on how to live and revelation as to who God is, people look within themselves, mining their thoughts and feelings for "the voice of God" and maintaining all the while that their subjective revelations offer clearer insigh…
Outline: Christian theology didn't develop in a vacuum. Understanding the story behind the doctrines that have been debated, defined, and defended throughout history is crucial for truly understanding the doctrines themselves. In this groundbreaking resource, professor Gerald Bray traces the history of Christian theology from the early church to the modern era. Structured to parallel the order …
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: New churches of hope - Throughout the course of his theological career, Jurgen Moltmann has been interested in the ecclesial and societal consequences of systematic theology and what each doctrine means for our life in this world. The Transformative Church explores these concerns in Moltmann's major texts and highlights themes relevant for a transformative ecclesiology. Patrick Oden co…
Outline : This groundbreaking work by Darrell Bock thoroughly explores the theology of Luke’s gospel and the book of Acts. In his writing, Luke records the story of God working through Jesus to usher in a new era of promise and Spirit-enablement so that the people of God can be God’s people even in the midst of a hostile world. It is a message the church still needs today. Bock both cove…
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 : It’s no secret that the center of Christianity has shifted from the West to the global South and East. While the truths of the Christian faith are universal, new contexts bring new questions, new understandings, and new expressions. What does this mean for theology? Is the Christian faith not only culturally translatable, but also theologically translatable? Timothy Tennent answers …
Outline: This book fills a real need for pastors and students. Though there is currently a large body of material on the theological interpretation of Scripture, most of it is highly specific and extremely technical. J. Todd Billings here provides a straightforward entryway for students and pastors to understand why theological interpretation matters and how it can be done. A solid, constructiv…
Outline: Few teachings of the Puritans have provoked such strong reactions and conflicting interpretations as their views on preparing for saving faith. Many twentieth-century scholars dismissed preparation as a prime example of regression from the Reformed doctrine og frace for a mancentered legalism. In Prepared by Grace, for Grace, Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley make careful analysis of the Pur…
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 : How should one approach the task of theology? The question of methodology is increasingly one of interest among theologians, who recognize that the very manner in which we approach theology informs both the questions we ask and the conclusions we reach. This volume in IVP's Spectrum Multiview series brings together five evangelical theologians with distinctly different approaches to t…
Outline: The apostle Paul was a vital force in the development of Christianity. Paul's historical and religious context affects the theological interpretation of Paul's writings, no small issue in the whole of Christian theology. Recent years have seen much controversy about the apostle Paul, his religious and social context, and its effects on his theology. In the helpful Counterpoints format,…
Outline: In order to build a biblical - theological framework for understanding God's mission, the church's mission, and the church's mission to the nations, one must first understand the unified biblical narrative, including its four major plot movements - creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. It is with this in mind that the contributor to Theology and Practice of Mission address some …
Outline: This volume brings together work by scholars of international repute in order to explore fundamental questions about the kind of society we see reflected in the Bible. By adopting a cross-disciplinary approach, the various contributors recognise the valuable insights that can be gained when the social sciences are allowed to cross-fertilise with theology. Students of ancient Judaism an…
Outline: Seeking to bridge the existing gap between biblical studies and systematic theology, this distinctive series offers section-by-section exegesis of the Old Testament texts in close conversation with theological concerns. Written by respected scholars, the THOTC volumes aim to help pastors, teachers, and students engage in deliberately theological interpretation of Scripture. In this com…
Outline : Few issues in Christian theology have sparked as much controversy over the centuries as the question of election. In this book — the inaugural volume of the Kantzer Lectures in Revealed Theology series — Stephen Williams offers a rich and nuanced account of the doctrine of election, arguing that we should diminish the role of "system" in Christian theology. After expounding the Bi…
Outline: The relation between divine sovereignty and the human will is a topic of perennial theological dispute and one that is gaining increased attention among contemporary evangelicals. In Still Sovereign, thirteen scholars write to defend the classical view of God's sovereignty. According to the editors, "Ours is a culture in which the tendency is to exalt what is human and diminish what is…
Outline: Covenant Theology. From Noah to David, successive covenants are seen in the Old Testament as expressions of divine purpose. The argument for and against the close relation of these "terms of agreement" between humankind and God have, for the past fifty years, been at the heart of biblical studies. Old Testament scholar W. J. Dumbrell reaffirms one facet of this study - the theory of co…
Outline : For many people, the word "theology" evokes something dry, academic, irrelevant and disconnected from the everyday concerns of life. We surely would not say that about God, so why is our talk about God any different? In this engaging and accessible introduction, Keith Johnson takes a fresh look at theology. He presents the discipline of theology as one of the ways we participate in th…
Outline : William Placher looks at "classical" Christian theology (Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Martin Luther) and contrasts it with the Christian discourse about God that evolved in the seventeenth century. In particular, he deals with the notion of transcendence that gained prominence in this era and its impact on modern theology and modern thinking today. He persuasively argues that useful l…
Outline: A thorough guide to recent scholarship on the Pastoral Epistles. After a lengthy period when little attention was paid to the Pastoral Epistles, an outpouring of studies on the subject has suddenly appeared in print. However, critical scholars have largely neglected evangelical scholarship on these letters. To fill this gap, Entrusted with the Gospel offers a deep collection of importa…
Outline : Dietrich Bonhoeffer is best known for his role in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler and his subsequent execution at the hands of the Nazis. However, most of us are less familiar with his tireless work educating seminary students for a life of pastoral ministry―a role that occupied him for most of his adult life. Anchored in a variety of influential lectures, personal letters, and m…
Outline: Bonhoeffer's theological brilliance, committed discipleship, ecumenical insight and courageous participation in the struggle against Nazism have profoundly shaped contemporary Christian understanding and action. Although his early death at the hands of the Gestapo prevented him from providing us with a full and systematic theology, his writings are remarkably extensive and have become …
Outline: The Critical Role of Christian Higher Education in equipping Ministers. We live in a precarious time when many are questioning the necessity of formal theological education for ministers. Theology, Church, and Ministry : A Handbook for Theological Education helps readers understand the critical role theological education plays in equipping God-called ministers for service in the church…
Outline: This book sets out in short compass what seem to me to be the permanent essentials of Christianity, viewed as both a belief system and a way of life ... As I often tell my students, theology is for doxology and devotion - that is, the praise of God and the practice of godliness. It should therefore be presented in a way that brings awareness of the divine presence. Theology is at its h…
Overview: Volume 1 of the Annotated Luther series contains many of the writings that defined the roots of reform set in motion by Marthin Luther, from the Ninety-Five Theses through The Freedom of a Christian. Included are a variety of compositions produced between 1517 and 1520 that reveal Luther's pastoral and theological commitments, his earliest confrontations with Rome, and his defense o…
Outline: John Frame gives us an accessible introduction to "triperspectival" study - where theological issues are fruitfully viewed from multiple perspectives without compromise to their unity and truth.