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When people encounter a crisis, they often turn to ministry leaders, who may feel unprepared to guide them. Families face a multitude of challenges, from depression and anxiety to relational conflict to trauma and abuse. Providing the right resources and tools to help church members navigate their journeys is a solid starting place for every pastor and ministry leader.Ministering to Families in Crisis provides an essential tool kit for your community's mental and emotional health. In each chapter, Christian leaders with unique expertise address common ministry challenges, providing evidence-based insights and practical suggestions. The book covers a full range of topics affecting families, marriages, children, and teens--including mental illness, LGBTQ+ issues, divorce, disability, poverty, racial trauma, and technology use. Contributors guide leaders on how to provide care and when to offer referrals.Whatever members' background or experience, the church is a spiritual family that God designed to contribute to their formation and sense of belonging. This book gives ministers the tools and encouragement they need to help family members find hope amid the storms of life.

Peter's short letter to the "exiles of the dispersion" addresses many topics: holiness, the sufferings of Christ, God's sovereignty in salvation and life, the grace of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, the church as the new people of God, the reality of the unseen spiritual world, and trusting in God in the midst of daily circumstances. What ties all these concepts together, Wayne Grudem suggests, is the theme of suffering. Most of all, suffering is a form of imitating Christ, who, by bearing our sins on the cross, gives meaning and comfort to Christians in every aspect of their daily lives.Part of the Tyndale New Testament commentary series, 1 Peter offers a thorough understanding of the book's content and structure as well as its continued relevance for today. This edition has been revised and updated by Grudem from his original TNTC volume.The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. Additional Notes provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties.

Christians who seek to relate their faith to politics have always encountered tensions. Instead of easy answers and simple checklists, we need tools to help us thoughtfully navigate the complexities of Christian faithfulness in an increasingly diverse and polarized society.In this book, Miranda Zapor Cruz guides readers in forming a vision of citizenship that brings Christian convictions into political engagement while avoiding common pitfalls. Cruz provides a measured, nonpartisan overview of different ways Christians have approached political participation. These ten views represent a range of theological approaches to the relationship between the kingdom of God and the country, including Anabaptist, social gospel, principled pluralist, and Christian nationalist. Cruz describes strengths and weaknesses of each view, with a focus on Christian faithfulness.In the United States, Cruz argues, Christians who share very similar faith convictions can arrive at different political conclusions. There are, however, principles from Scripture and theology that should inform our thinking and remind us that our ultimate citizenship is in the kingdom of God. Faithful Politics helps us learn from Christians of the past as we discern how to be salt and light in our own time and place.

The Roman Catholic tradition in Christianity is breathtaking, complex, and rich in insight about what it means to follow God. But what does it look like to claim this tradition as one's own? And how does this intersect with the reality of our daily and personal lives?In this vulnerable and succinct volume, theologian Matthew Levering addresses the heart of these questions. Bringing together personal memoir and theology, he reflects on why he identifies as Roman Catholic, and considers how this tradition addresses what it means to follow and participate in the life of the Triune God as a finite creature. Rather than shy away from the challenges this tradition presents, Levering presses into these challenges to offer an honest yet hopeful account of being Roman Catholic.'The Ecumenical Dialogue Series' seeks to foster ecumenical dialogue across theological differences. In each volume, contributors explore what it means to be Christian, what it means to identify with a specific tradition in Christianity (Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox), the challenges and benefits of their tradition, and how they can create dialogue and unity across historically tense division.

There was more to Blaise Pascal than his "wager," an argument about the existence of God. In this accessible study, philosopher Douglas Groothuis introduces readers to Pascal's life as well as the breadth of his intellectual pursuits, overviewing the key points of his Pensées and exploring his views on culture, politics, and more.

In this NSBT volume, James Hely Hutchinson explores the perplexity of Psalm 89, tackling a range of matters that contribute to our understanding of the contours of redemptive history, with the overall aim to enhance our grasp of God's breathtaking salvation plan, ability to handle Scripture aright, and worship of the Master.

The Neo-Calvinist tradition is well-equipped to offer wisdom on the arts to the whole body of Christ. Edited by art scholar Roger Henderson and Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker, daughter of Hans Rookmaaker, this volume brings together history, philosophy, and theology to consider the relationship between the arts and the Neo-Calvinist tradition.

Discussion about God's work of creation are often overwhelmed by questions such as the age of the earth and the relationship between divine creation and evolution. Without completely ignoring these issues, this rigorously grounded theological interpretation of Genesis 1 engages thinkers like Plato, Martin Luther, and Karl Barth.

The modern church is immersed in a competitive, polarized, and status-driven society. It's hard to have conversations about important issues when so many are defensive and unwilling to learn. Too often, Christians fall into these same traps. The health and witness of the church urgently depend on recovering an essential biblical virtue: humility.New Testament scholar Dennis R. Edwards illuminates humility as a, if not the, distinctive identity marker of followers of Jesus. Tracing the theme throughout Scripture, he demonstrates how true humility is grounded in submission to God and becomes manifest in all areas of life. Edwards defuses common misconceptions about humility and explores its role in Christian community, conflict, leadership, suffering, worship, and stewardship.As we learn from and honor the humble instead of the power-hungry, humility paradoxically empowers God's people--including those who are often marginalized. Filled with stories from the author's ministry experience, Humility Illuminated addresses common areas of leadership failure and how to avoid them, applies biblical texts on humility to multiethnic ministry and justice work, and issues a compelling challenge to the church.Biblical humility is not a tactic, and it's not just "being nice." It's a revolutionary path to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

In today's reading culture, it is easy to forget that we receive God's message far differently from how the original hearers would have heard it. D. Brent Sandy explores how oral communication shaped biblical writers and ancient hearers, and provides constructive ways for modern readers to be better hearers and performers of Scripture.

Does "saved through childbearing" in 1 Timothy 2:15 mean that women are slated primarily for rearing children? Sandra Glahn thinks that we have misunderstood Paul and the context to which he wrote. Combining spiritual autobiography with new research on the Greek goddess Artemis, Glahn lays a biblical foundation for God's view of women.

How should Christians read prophetic literature? Questions abound both in the academy and the church as to how to engage the prophets, particularly in light of the New Testament. The Gospel writers and the church fathers all read and appealed to the Old Testament, but are we as modern-day readers supposed to take the same approach? The Prophets and the Apostolic Witness is a dialogue among scholars that identifies the interpretive methods used throughout history while also charting a constructive way forward for our own approach to reading the Major Prophets.This comprehensive volume brings together experts on Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel to illuminate the following topics: How the Apostles Read the Major Prophets as Christian ScriptureLimits on Reading the Major Prophets as Christian ScriptureReading the Major Prophets in the Footsteps of the ApostlesThe History of Interpretation of the Major Prophets as Christian ScripturePreaching the Major Prophets as Christian ScriptureThis collaborative endeavor offers fresh and helpful insights to scholars, students, and pastors alike as they engage with the text of the Major Prophets.

Be holy because I am holy. Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.The Christian life includes many demands, but perhaps none are as challenging or as misunderstood as the biblical command to "be holy" (Leviticus 11:44 and 1 Peter 1:16) or to "be perfect" (Matthew 5:48). How should we understand these charges?In this volume, three scholars from the Wesleyan tradition offer a collective treatment of the theme of holiness that includes:In addition, the coauthors constructively argue for a "neo-holiness" model that encourages the pursuit of Christian perfection but avoids the pitfalls of Pelagianism by incorporating historic understandings of grace and the work of the Holy Spirit with the best of the Wesleyan tradition.Here, the commands to "be holy" and to "be perfect" take on new meaning. What may have been a burden becomes a blessing.

Understanding the beliefs and practices of other faiths is essential not just to the task of interreligious dialogue, but also to grasping one's own faith.In this brief volume in IVP Academic's Introductions in Seven Sentences, philosopher Douglas Groothuis creatively uses a single sentence representing each of several world religions as a way to open readers to their depth and complexity, including: Atheism: "God Is Dead."Judaism: "I Am Who I Am."Hinduism: "You Are That."Buddhism: "Life Is Suffering."Daoism: "The Dao That Can Be Spoken Is Not the Eternal Dao."Christianity: "Before Abraham Was, I Am."Islam: "There Is One God, and Mohammad Is His Prophet."With a sympathetic but not uncritical approach, Groothuis welcomes readers to a vital and global conversation.The accessible primers in the Introductions in Seven Sentences collection act as brief introductions to an academic field, with simple organization: seven key sentences that give readers a birds-eye view of an entire discipline.

Danish theologian and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard was not afraid to express his opinions. Living amid what he perceived to be a culturally lukewarm Christianity, he was often critical of his contemporary church.But that does not mean Kierkegaard rejected traditional Christian theology. Indeed, at a time when many of his contemporaries were questioning the classical doctrine of God, Kierkegaard swam against the stream by maintaining orthodox Christian beliefs.In this volume in IVP Academic's New Explorations in Theology series, Craig A. Hefner explores Kierkegaard's reading of Scripture and his theology to argue not only that the great Dane was a modern defender of the doctrine of divine immutability (or God's changelessness) in response to the disintegration of the self, but that his theology can be a surprising resource today.Even as the church continues to be beset by "shifting shadows" (James 1:17), Kierkegaard can remind us of the good and perfect gifts that come from an unchanging God.

The book of Psalms is a treasure. These one hundred and fifty inspired poems have shaped the worship, prayers, and theology of God's people for thousands of years. While many of its riches are readily apparent, a deeper look into the nature and purposes of the book reveals further layers of meaning with abundant implications for the Christian life.In Treasuring the Psalms, Ian J. Vaillancourt orients readers to the Psalms and lays out a pattern for deeper study and application. From the composition of individual psalms through the shaping of the entire book, he argues, the Holy Spirit guided the creation of a work that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. In particular, Vaillancourt shows how the Psalms point to Christ and provide practical insights for the church community and individual Christians.Through these canonical, Christological, and practical emphases, readers will gain new viewpoints into the flow, context, and message of the Psalms, as well as gospel-centered applications for a living faith.

Despite the profound influence of the New Testament, a variety of questions related to its background and history remain common. Contemporary readers often find the subject of the canon's origin and formation to be complicated and confusing, while scholars continue to struggle to find agreement about basic elements of the canon's development. In this engaging study, Benjamin P. Laird explores several misunderstood, disputed, and overlooked topics in order to provide fresh insight and clarity about the canon's creation and modern relevance. The volume addresses questions such as: Was there a single "original autograph" of each New Testament writing?Who exactly were the "original readers" of the New Testament writings?Did theological controversies play a decisive role in prompting the canon's formation?How did such a diverse body of writings come together to form a single canonical collection?Is there a basis for the canon's ongoing authority?Wide-ranging yet accessible, Creating the Canon offers an illuminating treatment of the composition, formation, and authority of the New Testament and serves as a valuable guide to those with limited prior study.

In a world dominated by things, we must work hard to account for one another's personhood. Drawing a diverse set of thought leaders, Paul Louis Metzger helps us navigate a pluralistic world through a personalist moral framework, addressing issues such as abortion, genetic engineering, immigration, drone warfare, and more.

Humans are story-shaped creatures.We make sense of our world, pattern our lives, and reflect on what is ultimately significant through language and the words that compose our stories. But how does this relate to the narrative of the Bible and the story that God is writing through history?In Nourishing Narratives, writer and professor Jennifer Holberg engages with words from the likes of Dante, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Flannery O'Connor, Marilynne Robinson, and more while also offering some of her own stories to reflect on the importance of story to our lives and our faith.Here, readers are encouraged not only to understand how stories nourish our faith, but to discover how our stories are part of God's great story.

Drawing on deep expertise, George Marsden sets Jonathan Edwards within his historical context and sets forth his key points, unpacking the competing impulses that have shaped our times. By offering a contrasting view of God's beauty and love, Marsden shows how Edwards's insights can renew our own vision of creation, the divine, and ourselves.

The book of Malachi assumes, summarizes, and applies the Old Testament, yet also looks forward to the New Testament with its promises of the coming reign of God. In this revised edition of a classic BST volume, Peter Adam explores God's unfailing love against the backdrop of Israel's inconsistent faithfulness.

Edward W. Klink III presents a holistic understanding of creation, one that is unfolded throughout all of Scripture and is at the core of the gospel itself. Along with offering rich insights about God and his purposes for the world, a biblical theology of creation guides how we engage nature, culture, and life as embodied beings.

What should the Christian life look like? What vision does Scripture cast for living as a follower of Christ?The New Testament scholar Jarvis Williams considers how Paul's letter to the Galatians can inform our understanding of the Christian life here and now as well as into eternity. What emerges from this careful study is a multifaceted vision of God's saving action in Jesus Christ for both Jew and Gentile, in both the vertical relationship between God and humanity as well as the horizontal relationships among people-with cosmic ramifications.Through Paul's instructions and Williams's interpretation, Christians can learn the importance of walking by the Spirit.

Many colleges and universities informally highlight the value of mentoring among academic professionals. Yet scholars often lack clear definitions, goals, practices, and commitments that help them actually reap the benefits mentoring offers. As new faculty members from younger generations continue to face evolving challenges while also reshaping institutions, their ability to connect with more experienced mentors is critical to their vocations--and to the future of higher education.In Cultivating Mentors, a distinguished group of contributors explores the practice of mentoring in Christian higher education. Drawing on traditional theological understandings of the mentee-mentor relationship, they consider what goals should define such relationships and what practices make their cultivation possible among educators. With special attention to generational dynamics, they discuss how mentoring can help institutions navigate generational faculty transitions and cultivate rising leaders. Contributors include:This book offers valuable insights and practical recommendations for faculty members, administrators, and policy makers. Whether pursuing their vocation in Christian or secular institutions, Christian scholars will benefit from the sharing of wisdom mapped out in Cultivating Mentors.

In every age, the church must consider what it means to gather together to worship God.If the church is primarily the people who follow the risen Christ, then its worship should be "gospel-centered." But where might the church find an example of such worship for today?In this Dynamics of Christian Worship volume, scholar, worship leader, and songwriter Zac Hicks contends that such a focus can be found in the theology of worship presented by Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury during the English Reformation. Hicks argues that Cranmer's reformation of the church's worship and liturgy was shaped primarily by the Protestant principle of justification by faith alone as reflected in his 1552 edition of the Book of Common Prayer, which was later codified under Elizabeth I and has guided Anglican worship for centuries.Here, we find a model of "gospel-centered" worship through which the church of today might be reformed yet again.The Dynamics of Christian Worship series draws from a wide range of worshiping contexts and denominational backgrounds to unpack the many dynamics of Christian worship--including prayer, reading the Bible, preaching, baptism, the Lord's Supper, music, visual art, architecture, and more--to deepen both the theology and practice of Christian worship for the life of the church.

From December 1941 until October 1942, the BBC broadcast a series of radio dramas written by Dorothy L. Sayers. Against the backdrop of World War II, the plays presented twelve episodes in the life and ministry of Jesus, from the visit of the magi to his death and resurrection, collectively affirming the kingship of Christ.Noted for their use of colloquial English as part of Sayers's effort to bring the Gospels to life in a new way for listeners, the plays were both controversial and incredibly successful, bolstering the morale of the country during the war. They were subsequently published in 1943, and they stand among Sayers's most beloved works to this day.In this new critical and annotated edition, scholar Kathryn Wehr brings fresh insights to the plays, their background, Sayers's creative process, and the ongoing significance of the life of Christ today. Listen again, or for the first time, to the story of the man who was born to be--and still is--king.

What do we do with a God who sanctions violence?Old Testament violence proves one of the most troubling topics in the Bible. Too often, the explanations for the brutality in Scripture fail to adequately illustrate why God would sanction such horrors on humanity. These unanswered questions leave readers frustrated and confused, leading some to even walk away from their faith.In Flood and Fury, Old Testament scholar Matthew Lynch approaches two of the most violent passages in the Old Testament - the Flood and the Canaanite conquest - and offers a way forward that doesn't require softening or ignoring the most troubling aspects of these stories. While acknowledging the persistent challenge of violence in Scripture, Flood and Fury contends that reading with the grain of the text yields surprising insights into the goodness and the mercy of God. Through his exploration of themes related to violence including misogyny, racism, and nationalism, Lynch shows that these violent stories illuminate significant theological insights that we might miss with a surface reading.Flood and Fury challenges us to let go of the need to rescue the Old Testament from itself and listen afresh to its own critiques on violence.

We live in a culturally diverse society. As the church continues to heed Christ's call to reflect the multiethnic character of his people, pastors and lay leaders need to gain skills and competencies to serve in multicultural contexts, both inside and beyond their congregations. With this book, Mark Lau Branson and Juan F. Martínez equip leaders to create environments that make God's reconciling initiatives apparent in church life and in missional engagement with their neighborhoods and cities.Drawing on courses they've taught at Fuller Theological Seminary, Branson and Martínez take an interdisciplinary approach that integrates biblical and theological study with sociology, cultural anthropology, leadership studies, and communications. The result is a rich blend of astute analysis and guidance for the practical implementation of a deeper intercultural life for the church.Case studies, Bible studies, and exercises for personal and group reflection address real-life challenges and opportunities that arise in multiethnic contexts. Churches, Cultures, and Leadership offers not a static model but a praxis of paying attention, study, and discernment that can lead to genuine reconciliation and shared life empowered by the gospel.This new edition is updated throughout to address current trends and sources, particularly emphasizing the continuing power of racism and how churches should respond.

Racism complicates our relationships, even when we reject it and seek to walk a better path. In this book, four experts in psychology and social work present a Scripturally-grounded model for building and deepening cross-race relationships. These insights and practices will help Christians grow in Christlikeness and follow his example.