Böcker utgivna av InterVarsity Press

What's the point of studying philosophy when we have theology? Philosophy sometimes suffers from an inferiority complex in the church. But Paul Copan contends that it is possible to affirm theology's preeminence without diminishing the contribution of philosophy. This brief introduction surveys philosophy's basic aims and defends its function in the Christian life.

If ever a theologian required a guidebook, it would be Karl Barth. David Guretzki has gathered numerous hints and notes throughout decades of study for how best to explore the writings of the Swiss theologian. This handy, accessible guide offers a brief snapshot of the key texts, terms, and ideas that any new reader of Barth's work needs to know.

The apostle Paul was kind of a jerk. He was arrogant and stubborn. He called his opponents derogatory, racist names. He legitimized slavery and silenced women. He was a moralistic, homophobic killjoy who imposed his narrow religious views on others. Or was he?Randolph Richards and Brandon O'Brien explore the complicated persona and teachings of the apostle Paul. Unpacking his personal history and cultural context, they show how Paul both offended Roman perspectives and scandalized Jewish sensibilities. His vision of Christian faith was deeply disturbing to those in his day and remains so in ours. Paul behaved badly, but not just in the ways we might think. Take another look at Paul and see why this "e;worst of sinners"e; dares to say, "e;Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."e;

The Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference was the most famous missions conference in modern church history. A century later, five conferences on five continents displayed the landscape of global mission at the dawn of the third millennium: Tokyo 2010, Edinburgh 2010, Cape Town 2010, 2010Boston, and CLADE V (San Jose, 2012). These five events provide a window into the state of world Christianity and contemporary missiology. Missiologist Allen Yeh, the only person to attend all five conferences, chronicles the recent history of world mission through the lenses of these landmark events. He assesses the legacy of Edinburgh 1910 and the development of world Christianity in the following century. Whereas Edinburgh 1910 symbolized Christendom's mission "e;from the West to the rest,"e; the conferences of 2010-12 demonstrate the new realities of polycentric and polydirectional mission-from everyone to everywhere. Yeh's accounts of the conferences highlight the crucial missiological issues of our era: evangelism, frontier missions, ecumenism, unengaged and post-Christian populations, reconciliation, postmodernities, contextualization, postcolonialism, migration, and more. What emerges is a portrait of a contemporary global Christian mission that encompasses every continent, embodying good news for all nations.

Self-interest, economic efficiency and private property rights are among the most basic assumptions of market economics. But can an economic theory built on these assumptions alone provide adequate insight into human nature, motivation and ultimate goals to guide our economic life?John Stapleford says no, along with those economists who recognize the limits of their discipline. He insightfully shows us in detail how ethics are inextricably intertwined with economic life and analysis. Writing from a Christian ethical perspective, he interacts with seven standard introductory economics texts, exploring the moral challenges embedded in various macro-, micro- and international economic theories and outlining a faithful response to them. The third edition includes two new chapters on economics as a science and global poverty plus expanded discussions of entitlements, government debt, healthcare reform and immigration reform. Keyed to seven of the most widely used introductory economics texts-Gwartney, Stroup Sobel; Mankiw; Mansfield Behravesh; McConnell Brue; Miller; Samuelson Nordhaus; and Stiglitz-this book will be especially useful for introductory courses in economics.

When Christ calls people, he invites them on a journey-a journey taken together in community. We have reached a point in history, however, when we think of the church as a fixed place where isolated individuals show up, consume a Christian message, drink some coffee, and get on with their lives. The times demand, and the gospel proclaims, that we recover our identity as a church that is a people on a quest for the kingdom of heaven, formed intimately by a loving God and called onto a long journey for the sake of our neighbors and our world. In The Missional Quest you?ll learn how to take your church on a long run, and how to sustain yourselves and one another along the way, through the power of God for the sake of the world.

This comprehensive text for Christians on organizational leadership provides theological foundations while tracing the historic roots of management, organization and leadership theories. All of this leads to five essential challenges and practices--communication, negotiation, decision-making, financial stewardship and personal development.

Crosscultural specialist Patty Lane shows you how to develop hands-on relational skills that help build crosscultural friendships, noting practical resources for navigating multicultural environments with sensitivity and savvy.

Mark Strom unveils Paul in his original context and invites us to engage with him in new terms. He courageously draws Paul into vital conversation with contemporary evangelicalism. This book is for anyone who wants to learn how the church can be an attractive community of transforming grace and conversation.

Time magazine reports on a remarkable renaissance of religious belief among philosophers:"In a quiet revolution in thought and arguments that hardly anyone could have foreseen only two decades ago, God is making a comeback. Most intriguingly, this is happening . . . in the crisp, intellectual circles of academic philosophers. . . . Now it is more respectable among philosophers than it has been for a generation to talk about the possibility of God's existence."Relying on boldness and rigorous thought, the movers and shakers of this "quiet revolution" have developed their theories against the rising tide of strict empiricism. Who are these tough-minded intellectuals, and why have they embraced Christian belief? In Philosophers Who Believe several key thinkers answer this question with unusual candor, warmth and brilliance.

How do we communicate with people who disagree with us?In today's polarized world, friends and strangers clash with each other over issues large and small. Coworkers have conflicts in the office. Married couples fight over finances. And online commenters demonize one another's political and religious perspectives. Is there any hope for restoring civil discourse?Communications expert Tim Muehlhoff provides a strategy for having difficult conversations, helping us move from contentious debate to constructive dialogue. By acknowledging and entering into the other person's story, we are more likely to understand where they're coming from and to cultivate common ground. Insights from Scripture and communication theory provide practical ways to manage disagreements and resolve conflicts. We can disagree without being disagreeable. And we can even help another see different points of view and learn from one another. Find out how.

God is reconciling all things in heaven and on earth. We are alienated not only from one another, but also from the land that sustains us. Our ecosystems are increasingly damaged, and human bodies are likewise degraded. Most of us have little understanding of how our energy is derived or our food is produced, and many of our current industrialized practices are both unhealthy for our bodies and unsustainable for the planet. Agriculturalist Fred Bahnson and theologian Norman Wirzba declare that in Christ, God reconciles all bodies into a peaceful, life-promoting relationship with one another. Because human beings are incarnated in material, bodily existence, we are necessarily interdependent with plants and animals, land and sea, heaven and earth. The good news is that redemption is cosmic, with implications for agriculture and ecology, from farm to dinner table. Bahnson and Wirzba describe communities that model cooperative practices of relational life, with local food production, eucharistic eating and delight in God's provision. Reconciling with the land is a rich framework for a new way of life. Read this book to start down the path to restoring shalom and experiencing Jesus' kingdom of shared abundance, where neighbors are fed and all receive enough.

Donald G. Bloesch sets out the pivotal evangelical doctrines of the Bible's revelation, inspiration and interpretation.

The worldwide church is more interconnected than ever before, with missionaries going from everywhere to everywhere. Africans work with Australians in India. Koreans plant churches in London and Los Angeles. But globalization also creates challenges for crosscultural tension and misunderstandings, as different cultures have conflicting assumptions about leadership values and styles. Missiologist James E. Plueddemann presents a roadmap for crosscultural leadership development in the global church. With keen understanding of current research on cultural dynamics, he integrates theology with leadership theory to apply biblical insights to practical issues in world mission. Savvy discernment of diverse cultural underpinnings allows multicultural teams to work together with mutual respect for more effective ministry. The author shows how leaders can grow from an individualistic egocentric practice of leadership to a more global-centric approach. The future of the global church depends on effective multicultural leadership. God has called people from various contexts to minister and lead in every land for the sake of the gospel. Whether you are teaching English in China, directing information technology in Africa or pastoring a multiethnic church in North America, discover how you can better work and lead across cultures.

Sandra Richter gives an overview of the Old Testament, organizing our disorderly knowledge of the Old Testament people, facts and stories into a memorable and manageable story of redemption that climaxes in the New Testament.

Colin Brown surveys the thought of over four hundred philosophers from the Middle Ages to the present day. This clear and concise guide shows how various thinkers and ideas have affected Christian belief and brings together the lessons Christians can learn from philosophy.

To pray is to know God."If God really cared he would answer my prayer." "I hesitate to ask him anything." "I can't understand why he continues to ignore my deepest needs." Bingham Hunter recognizes that most believers have these thoughts from time to time. He encourages us to look at prayer from the standpoint of who God is.The true aim of prayer is intimacy with God. We pray effectively when we make him the desire of our hearts, Hunter answers our questoins about prayer by directing us to the nature and attributes of God and to our own lives. God responds not to our prayers but to who we are--what we think, feel, will and do. Prayer is communication from the whole person to the Wholeness that is the living God.

In this discipleship classic, Jerry Sittser uses memorable stories to illustrate how a simple effort to understand discipleship as an adventure can create a paradigm shift in your understanding of the Christian life.