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.
Outline: The Bible tells us that Christ has three "offices" - those of Prophet, Priest, and King. Viewed alongside his humuliation and exaltation, they provide a fully rounded understanding of his work and insight into the ongoing roles of the church. In this biblical theology, Richard Belcher explores and defines the basic funcations of prophets, priests, and kings through an analysis of key O…
Outline: Speaking the Truth in Love : The Theology of John M. Frame, is a festschrift honoring Professor Frame'a career in seminary teaching and publishing. Unlike many festschrifts, this book does not merely collect essays on subjects of interest to the honoree. Rather, it analyzes Frame's own work in the fields of theology, apologetics, ethics, worship, the church, and other areas. Containing…
Outline: The subject of Christ and Culture has occupied the church since its inception. Some emphasize the reality of redemption and the imperative of cultural transformation; others critize this approach because of the transient nature of this current life and the specific function of "kingdom" activity. This project focuses on the two competing compositions rooted in the Reformed tradition; n…
Outline: This stimulating gathering of representative Asian theological essays, readings, and church statements addresses the crucial issues central to the Christian faith in relation to Asia's cultural past and changing culture of the present. Presented are both ecumenical and evangelical positions as well as Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions. A revised edition of the formerly published…
Outline: The Explorations in Biblical Theology series addresses the need fro quality literature that attracts believing readers to good theology and builds them up in their faith. Each title in the series combines solid content with accessibility and readability - a valuable addition to the library of any college student, thoughtful lay reader, seminarian, or pastor. The doctrine of justication…
Outline: "The purpose of this collection of Brueffemann's essays is to bring to the fore a much more extensive critical engagement on his part with the current discussion about the Old Testament, its character, its authority, its theology, and especially its God. ... Readers of these essays who think they may have grasped what Brueggemann has to say about the theology of the Old Testament from …
Outline: Though Karl Barth wrote his lectures on John Calvin more than seventy years ago, the wrestling of one theological giant with another can hardly fail to be exciting and instructive. Delivered at the University of Gottingen in 1922, Barth's lectures offer a brilliant analysis of the Reformation - of Calvin in particular - while at the same time providing vital insights into the developme…
Outline: The Stranger had a message ... for the person who knows nothing about the world's bestseller - the Bible, ... and for those who want to know more. It's been called "the most misunderstood book in history." Wars have been fought in its name, scandals have been precipitated by it, politics shaped and reshaped at its word. Theologians have both defended and reviled it. Skeptics have done …
Outline: Stan Telchin, a Messianic Jew and former pastor, explores in depth the heart and soul of Messianic Judaism. He exposes the motive behind its creation, its controversial doctrines and its ineffectiveness in Jewish evangelism. Messianic Judaism has grown significantly in fewer than four decades. While intended originally to appeal to Jewish people, unexpectedly it appeals also to Gentile…
Outline: Since Biblical times covenants have been a part of everyday life. Simply put, they are promises, agreements, or contracts. But how do they translate into faith and the reading of Scripture? Are covenants merely elements of a narrative? Or do they represent something more? And what are the eternal implications of "cutting" a covenant with God? In Introducing Covenant Theology, author Mi…
Outline: Third World theology has grown and developed over the past decade - largely due to the efforts and activities of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT). The present volume, arising from their Second General Assembly, is an ideal introduction to this emerging movement, exploring both the common bonds that unite Third World theologies and the distinctive elements …
Outline: How can we Christians make sure we are presenting the good news of Christ truly, and in a way that the Lord's claims are understood? How do we steer clear of ideas that Convery something other than God's truth? Culture clings to the message and the messenger; tradition and the "old way" don't go away; and our own innate short-comings work against us. The result: "a distorted message, …
Outline: As a pastoral sytematics, The Christian Story rises from, and strives to be a resource to, the life and witness of the church and its leadership. The first volume (revised edition, 1984) offered an introductory overview of the basic Christian doctrines. Now turning his attention to the individual doctrines. Now turning his attention to the individual doctrines, Gabriel Fackre here surv…
Outline: What does it take to get along for a lifetime? Men and women share a deadly problem that kills good relating. The problem is this: we are committed, first of all, to ourselves. Each of us, without blushing, holds fast to an overriding concern for our own well-being. Giving numerous examples from his counseling and speaking ministry, Crabb explores how we can turn away from ourselves an…