http://www.freebookspot.in Latest books added today en-us http://www.freebookspot.in/logorss.jpg http://www.freebookspot.in 160 43 http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=47140 Synopsis With no frills or extras that increase the page count or the price, this economy "KJV Bible" is the ideal choice for a basic introduction to Scripture, for daily devotions, worship, prison ministry, evangelistic outreach, missions, or any occasion when you want to read and share God's Word. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=46388 The division of the Church or Schism that took place between 1378 and 1417 had no precedent in Christianity. No conclave since the twelfth century had acted as had those in April and September 1378, electing two concurrent popes. This crisis was neither an issue of the authority claimed by the pope and the Holy Roman Emperor nor an issue of authority and liturgy. The Great Western Schism was unique because it forced upon Christianity a rethinking of the traditional medieval mental frame. It raised question of personality, authority, human fallibility, ecclesiastical jurisdiction and taxation, and in the end responsibility in holding power and authority. This collection presents the broadest range of experiences, center and periphery, clerical and lay, male and female, Christian and Muslim. Theology, including exegesis of Scripture, diplomacy, French literature, reform, art, and finance all receive attention. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=43059 In Asimov's Guide to the Bible, Isaac Asimov explores the historical, geographical, and biographical aspects of the events described in the Old and New Testaments. Asimov's attempts to illuminate the Bible's many obscure, mysterious passages prove absorbing reading for anyone interested in religion and history. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=42837 The National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of The Reformation returns with the definitive history of Christianity for our time Once in a generation a historian will redefine his field, producing a book that demands to be read-a product of electrifying scholarship conveyed with commanding skill. Diarmaid MacCulloch's Christianity is such a book. Breathtaking in ambition, it ranges back to the origins of the Hebrew Bible and covers the world, following the three main strands of the Christian faith. Christianity will teach modern readers things that have been lost in time about how Jesus' message spread and how the New Testament was formed. We follow the Christian story to all corners of the globe, filling in often neglected accounts of conversions and confrontations in Africa and Asia. And we discover the roots of the faith that galvanized America, charting the rise of the evangelical movement from its origins in Germany and England. This book encompasses all of intellectual history-we meet monks and crusaders, heretics and saints, slave traders and abolitionists, and discover Christianity's essential role in driving the enlightenment and the age of exploration, and shaping the course of World War I and World War II. We are living in a time of tremendous religious awareness, when both believers and non-believers are deeply engaged by questions of religion and tradition, seeking to understand the violence sometimes perpetrated in the name of God. The son of an Anglic Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=41157 The Virgin Mary plays a major-although often paradoxical-role in the incarnation and crucifixion and in the ecclesiastical structure of Christianity. This role is shaped by sacrifice as understood in terms of the religious patrimony of ancient Israel and as refigured in the new Christian and Islamic paradigms arising from it. Here the offering up of a son is a frequently occurring motif, one in which fathers and mothers play an emotionally fraught, anthropologically conditioned and theologically significant role. Like such figures as Abraham and Sarah in the Hebrew Bible, Mary's relationship to sacrifice has profound implications not only for Christian theology, but for later developments in monotheism, including the role of women and gender in creating and sustaining religious identities, the emergence of competing definitions of orthodoxy, and the institution in some traditions of a masculine priesthood and religious hierarchy. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=40600 The twentieth century saw changes as dramatic as any in Christian history. The Churches suffered serious losses, both through persecution and through secularization, in what had been for several centuries their European heartlands, but grew fast in Africa and parts of Asia. This volume provides a comprehensive history of Catholicism, Protestantism and the Independent Churches in all parts of the world in the century when Christianity truly became a global religion. Written by a powerful team of specialists from many different countries, the volume is broad in scope. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=40599 This is the first scholarly treatment of nineteenth century Christianity to discuss the subject in a global context. In addition to exhaustive chapters on European Christendom, it deals with the expansion of Christianity in the Americas, Asia, Australasia and Africa, covering both Catholic and Protestant traditions. Major themes include the churches' response to modern ideas, Christianity and nationalism, the expanding role of women in religious life and the explosion of new voluntary forms of Christianity. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=40598 During the tumultuous period of world history from 1660 to 1815, three complex movements combined to bring a fundamental cultural reorientation to Europe and North America, and ultimately to the wider world. The Enlightenment transformed views of nature and of the human capacity to master nature. The religious reawakenings brought a revival of heart-felt, experiential Christianity. Finally revolution, the political and social upheavals of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, challenged established ideas of divine-right monarchies and divinely ordained social hierarchies, and promoted more democratic government, notions of human rights and religious toleration. A new religious climate emerged, in which people were more likely to look to their own feelings and experiences for the basis of their faith. During this same period, Christianity spread widely around the world as a result of colonialism and missions, and responded in diverse ways to its encounters with other cultures and religious traditions. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=40597 This authoritative volume presents the history of Christianity from the eve of the Protestant Reformation to the height of Catholic Reform. It thoroughly examines the impact of the permanent schism on Latin Christendom, the Catholic responses to it, and the influence on the development of the Orthodox churches. The volume covers the history of society, politics, theology, liturgy, religious orders, and art in the lands of Latin Christianity, while expanding the boundaries of inquiry to the relationship between Christianity and non-Christian religions both in Europe and in the non-European world. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=40590 This volume brings together in one compass the Orthodox Churches - the ecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople and the Russian, Armenian, Ethiopian, Egyptian and Syrian Churches. It follows their fortunes from the late Middle Ages until modern times - exactly the period when their history has been most neglected. Inevitably, this emphasises differences in teachings and experience, but it also brings out common threads, most notably the resilience displayed in the face of alien and often hostile political regimes. The central theme is the survival against the odds of Orthodoxy in its many forms into the modern era. The last phase of Byzantium proves to have been surprisingly important in this survival. It provided Orthodoxy with the intellectual, artistic and spiritual reserves to meet later challenges. The continuing vitality of the Orthodox Churches is evident for example in the Sunday School Movement in Egypt and the Zoe brotherhood in Greece. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=40587 During the early middle ages, Europe developed complex and varied Christian cultures, and from about 1100 secular rulers, competing factions and inspired individuals continued to engender a diverse and ever-changing mix within Christian society. This volume explores the wide range of institutions, practices and experiences associated with the life of European Christians in the later middle ages. The clergy of this period initiated new approaches to the role of priests, bishops and popes, and developed an ambitious project to instruct the laity. For lay people, the practices of parish religion were central, but many sought additional ways to enrich their lives as Christians. Impulses towards reform and renewal periodically swept across Europe, led by charismatic preachers and supported by secular rulers. This book provides accessible accounts of these complex historical processes and entices the reader towards further enquiry. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=40586 The key focus of this book is the vitality and dynamism of all aspects of Christian experience from late antiquity to the First Crusade. By putting the institutional and doctrinal history firmly in the context of Christianity's many cultural manifestations and lived formations everywhere from Afghanistan to Iceland, this volume of The Cambridge History of Christianity emphasizes the ever-changing, varied expressions of Christianity at both local and world level. The insights of many disciplines, including gender studies, codicology, archaeology and anthropology, are deployed to offer fresh interpretations which challenge the conventional truths concerning this formative period. Addressing eastern, Byzantine and western Christianity, it explores encounters between Christians and others, notably Jews, Muslims, and pagans; the institutional life of the church including law, reform and monasticism; the pastoral and sacramental contexts of worship, belief and morality; and finally its cultural and theological meanings, including heresy, saints' cults and the afterlife. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=40585 This volume in the Cambridge History of Christianity presents the 'Golden Age' of patristic Christianity. After episodes of persecution by the Roman government, Christianity emerged as a licit religion enjoying imperial patronage and eventually became the favoured religion of the empire. The articles in this volume discuss the rapid transformation of Christianity during late antiquity, giving specific consideration to artistic, social, literary, philosophical, political, inter-religious and cultural aspects. The volume moves away from simple dichotomies and reductive schematizations (e.g., 'heresy v. orthodoxy') toward an inclusive description of the diverse practices and theories that made up Christianity at this time. Whilst proportional attention is given to the emergence of the Great Church within the Roman Empire, other topics are treated as well - such as the development of Christian communities outside the empire. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=40584 Origins to Constantine provides a comprehensive overview of the essential events, persons, places and issues involved in the emergence of the Christian religion in the first three centuries. It analyses the diverse forms of Christian community, identity and practice that arose in the early decades of Christianity. Over thirty essays by leading scholars communicate the results of the most recent research in an accessible manner that allows readers to trace this dynamic history from its beginnings through to the rise of Imperial Christianity in the fourth century. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=39467 Exact copy of the 1st edition 1611 King James Bible of the Old and New Testaments, *Genealogical Maps, *Original Woodcuts of Letters and special designs, *Original Maps of the Holy Land, *Apocrypha, *Original Black Letter format, *Original Marginal Scripture Annotations, *Old and New Testaments with over 1500 pages, *Almanac of years, *Table and Calender for morning and Evening Prayers, *Table for the Reading of the Psalms. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=38991 Structure of Dairy Products provides a timely and comprehensive review of understanding the micro structure of milks and milk products. In the last 30 years great interest is seen, in the structure of dairy products and at the same time different techniques have been developed to visualise the properties of these products. The book is multi-author text containing chapters that summarise recent findings for each dairy product Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=38888 Michael J. Behe, a biochemist at Lehigh University, presents here a scientific argument for the existence of God. Examining the evolutionary theory of the origins of life, he can go part of the way with Darwin--he accepts the idea that species have been differentiated by the mechanism of natural selection from a common ancestor. But he thinks that the essential randomness of this process can explain evolutionary development only at the macro level, not at the micro level of his expertise. Within the biochemistry of living cells, he argues, life is "irreducibly complex." This is the last black box to be opened, the end of the road for science. Faced with complexity at this level, Behe suggests that it can only be the product of "intelligent design." Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=38508 Pullman is one of the best writers around today. A clever idea and brilliant execution. As one might expect, the book, particularly by the end, is very critical of the concept of the Judeo-Christian God, as well as Christianity as it is often practiced today. Philip Pullman forces particularly the Christian reader to question what kind of person Jesus actually would have been--not as God, but as a human, and what beliefs he had as to what the Kingdom of Heaven is and how God should be worshiped. It's a shame that most Christians will be turned away from the book because of ideas they consider "blasphemous" (which is ironic because in the book Pullman cleverly explains how the ideas are not) because I truly believe, in the end, it will make the average Christian question if they are practicing their religion in a way that Jesus would approve of, and what needs to be done to become more "Christ-like." Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=37498 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 the societies around them and how they relate to the specific historical contexts from which they have emerged. The distinctiveness of Asian Christianity is shown to be the outcome of dealing with various historical challenges. Questions addressed include: • How does Asian Christianity relate to local socio-cultural, religious and political environments? • What is distinctive about the historical development of Asian theologies? • How have Asian theologies contributed to contemporary theological discussions within world Christianity? Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=35095 Since the days of the early Christian church, unbelievers have dismissed the Gospel of Christ as a myth or hoax, so far as to say that Jesus of Nazareth was not even a historical figure. Christianity, they say, is a system of faith which is merely a reworking of pre-existing beliefs and motifs from both pagan mythology and astrology. In this book, these claims will be put to the test in order to separate fact from fiction in such accusations against Christianity. Additionally, it will be shown in what ways the person of Jesus of Nazareth is so drastically unique from other deities purported to be among the world's many "crucified saviors." Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=31980 The English Hexapla contains six English translations of the New Testament arranged side by side for easy comparison and reference. The six English translations are: The Wycliffe version of 1380 (the first English scripture), The Tyndale version of 1534-1536 (the first English printed scripture), and Cranmer's Great Bible of 1539 (the first Authorized English Bible). Continuing across each right-hand page is: The Geneva “1557” - translation actually completed in 1560, (the Bible of the Protestant Reformation), The Rheims 1582 (the first Roman Catholic English version), and the 1611 King James First Edition. The English Hexapla was printed in 1841 by Samuel Bagster and Sons of London, England. Additionally this book includes "the original Greek text" after Scholz (with the various readings of the Textus receptus) and the principal Constantinopolitan and Alexanderine manuscripts. Also included is a complete collation of Scholz’s text with Griesbach’s edition of 1805. The Hexapla text is preceded by a detailed and annotated 160 page An Historical Account of the English Translations dated 1841. In introducing the New Testament Octapla in 1962, Luther A. Weigle commented appreciatively that "For more than a hundred years [the Hexapla] has been a very useful volume," and such is its usefulness that it is now available in a electronic facsimile volume. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=31522 This book describes the current options for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) available and discusses the potential for future CCS strategies. CCS is the only method available for reducing CO2 emissions while allowing continued use of fossil fuels, both for power generation and potentially in broader contexts. Carbon capture technologies are already playing a role in reducing emissions from large sources such as power stations. Carbon capture could potentially tackle these emissions, either by use of photosynthetic organisms to fix carbon, providing a biomass energy source or by direct capture from the air. Various potential options are available for carbon storage, including geological, mineral and ocean storage. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=31027 If we are honest, we have to admit that there are many things we don’t understand about God, especially in the face of terrible suffering and evil. Chris Wright offers reflections and encouragement from the Scriptures, so that those who are troubled by these tough questions can still sustain their faith. From the Back Cover If we are honest, we have to admit that there are many things we don’t understand about God. We do not have final answers to the deep problems of life, and those who say they do are probably living in some degree of delusion. There are areas of mystery in our Christian faith that lie beyond the keenest scholarship or even the most profound spiritual exercises. For many people, these problems raise so many questions and uncertainties that faith itself becomes a struggle, and the very person and character of God are called into question. Chris Wright encourages us to face up to the limitations of our understanding and to acknowledge the pain and grief they can often cause. But at the same time, he wants us to be able to say, like the psalmist in Psalm 73: “But that’s all right. God is ultimately in charge and I can trust him to put things right. Meanwhile, I will stay near to my God, make him my refuge, and go on telling of his deeds.” Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=30982 "Judaism, Fourth Edition" presents the basic beliefs of the Jewish religious heritage and highlights the different manners in which these traditions can be upheld. Both Orthodox Judaism and the religious practices and movements within Reformed Judaism, including Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Reconstructionist Judaism, are explored in this fascinating edition. The coverage includes: introduction to the modern Jewish world; early history of the Jews and Judaism, including the diaspora; the restoration to the present; the Hebrew Bible; the branches of Judaism and their basic beliefs; rites of passage; the impact of Judaism throughout history; and, Judaism facing the future. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=27462 Christianity in China: A Scholars' Guide to Resources in the Libraries and Archives of the United States (East Gate Books) By Xiaoxin Wu, Daniel Bays * Publisher: East Gate Book * Number Of Pages: 863 * Publication Date: 2009-09-30 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 1563243377 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9781563243370 Product Description: Now revised and updated to incorporate numerous new materials, this is the major source for researching American Christian activity in China, especially that of missions and missionaries. It provides a thorough introduction and guide to primary and secondary sources on Christian enterprises and individuals in China that are preserved in hundreds of libraries, archives, historical societies, headquarters of religious orders, and other repositories in the United States. It includes data from the beginnings of Christianity in China in the early eighth century through 1952, when American missionary activity in China virtually ceased. For this new edition, the institutional base has shifted from the Princeton Theological Seminary (Protestant) to the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural Relations at the University of San Francisco (Jesuit), reflecting the ecumenical nature of this monumental undertaking. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=27461 Reference Guide to Christian Missionary Societies in China: From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century (East Gate Books) By R. G. Tiedemann * Publisher: M.E. Sharpe * Number Of Pages: 338 * Publication Date: 2009-09-30 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0765618087 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780765618085 Product Description: This comprehensive guide will facilitate scholarly research concerning the history of Christianity in China as well as the wider Sino-Western cultural encounter. It will assist scholars in their search for material on the anthropological, educational, medical, scientific, social, political, and religious dimensions of the missionary presence in China prior to 1950.The guide contains nearly five hundred entries identifying both Roman Catholic and Protestant missionary sending agencies and related religious congregations. Each entry includes the organization's name in English, followed by its Chinese name, country of origin, and denominational affiliation. Special attention has been paid to identifying the many small, lesser-known groups that arrived in China during the early decades of the twentieth century. In addition, a special category of the as yet little-studied indigenous communities of Chinese women has also been included. Multiple indexes enhance the guide's accessibility. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=27460 The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity By Skye Jethani * Publisher: Zondervan * Number Of Pages: 192 * Publication Date: 2009-02-01 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0310283752 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780310283751 Product Description: Synopsis The human imagination is the key battleground in the conflict between the kingdom of God and the consumer culture. Drawing from the vivid imaginations of Impressionist painters, particularly Vincent van Gogh, each chapter of The Divine Commodity uses personal narrative, biblical exposition, and cultural observation to show how consumerism has shaped our faith, and then challenges the reader to use their sanctified imagination to envision an alternative way of expressing the Christian life in our culture. Description: The challenge facing Christianity today is not a lack of motivation or resources, but a failure of imagination. A growing number of people are disturbed by the values exhibited by the contemporary church. Worship has become entertainment, the church has become a shopping mall, and God has become a consumable product. Many sense that something is wrong, but they cannot imagine an alternative way. The Divine Commodity finally articulates what so many have been feeling and offers hope for the future of a post-consumer Christianity. Through Scripture, history, engaging narrative, and the inspiring art of Vincent van Gogh, The Divine Commodity explores spiri Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=27459 Incarnate Leadership: 5 Leadership Lessons from the Life of Jesus By Bill Robinson * Publisher: Zondervan * Number Of Pages: 128 * Publication Date: 2009-02-01 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0310291135 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780310291138 Product Description: Whitworth University president Bill Robinson highlights five qualities that characterized the leadership style of Jesus. Conversational in tone and seasoned with real-life stories from his own successes and failures as a leader, Robinson helps Christian leaders understand how to emulate the strong yet humble approach to leadership that Jesus used to establish his church. Summary: A great read Rating: 5 This is a charming and humble book on leadership as drawn from a few verses in the first chapter of John. The biblical text, though, is simply a vehicle for the President of Whitworth College to present his vast personal experience on leadership. The result is wonderful. He emphasizes humility, openness, and a willingness to give credit to others. He talks about having the courage to tell the truth gracefully. It is a work about the character of good leaders. None of what he says is strikingly novel, and his illustrations are anecdotal. But that is part of what is so great about the book. Here are the obvious things of leadership that leaders often fail to do. The result is not that you walk away thinking that you've read the most profound book of your life, though it is, in a Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=27458 The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church (Leadership Network Innovation Series) By Dave Gibbons * Publisher: Zondervan * Number Of Pages: 224 * Publication Date: 2009-02-01 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0310276020 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780310276029 Product Description: Like it or not, the world is changing faster than the latest Intel Pentium chip can process. Some, like a child trying to stop the waves from reaching the beach, plant their feet in futile resistance. Some hope only to adapt and survive. But others want to become adept and thrive--ahead of the curve. Dave Gibbons is uniquely designed by God and given to the church for a time such as this. Any who are willing not just to ride the momentum but perhaps even to contribute to and shape the future need to read this book. It is for you! Summary: A look at how to be the church in today's world Rating: 3 This book explores how the church can actively be the church, the representatives of Christ, in our highly globalized and multi-cultural world. Gibbons uses his personal experiences and learned wisdom to offer practical instruction to help readers open their perspective on the role of the church today. Summary: Start Listening and Be Third Culture Rating: 5 I recently finished "The Monkey and the Fish" by Dave Gibbons. Gibbons is one of the most innovative and foremost thinkers of how to bridge the gap between the "churched" and the "unchu Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=27457 Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity By Keri Wyatt Kent * Publisher: Zondervan * Number Of Pages: 224 * Publication Date: 2009-01-01 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0310285976 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780310285977 Product Description: Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity explores what it means to live in “Sabbath simplicity” by focusing on six aspects of Sabbath as spiritual practice: resting, reconnecting, revising, pausing, playing, and praying. Readers learn to slow down and find joy and meaning in the midst of their hectic lives. Summary: aaahhh.... Rating: 5 When Rest arrived in my mailbox, it was with some discipline that I refrained from delving into the pages, simply taking a peek to see the layout and chapter titles had to suffice. I completed reading the final pages of a book in one night and eagerly jumped into this book the next day. My eagerness in part was due to previous experiences with this author. Although, I have never met her outside of books and email, I have a sense of camaraderie. This is the 5th book that I have read that was written by Keri Wyatt Kent - I have recommended her writings extensively and lead small group studies using 3 of the books with a dear group of women. They have helped to shift my relationship with Jesus increasingly toward relationship and away from religion. While I have found her writing style easy to follow and "do-able" as a mom of young children, I have also found that it challenges me to grow and cha Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=27456 Stories behind Men of Faith By Ace Collins * Publisher: Zondervan * Number Of Pages: 240 * Publication Date: 2009-06-01 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0310263174 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780310263173 Product Description: From contemporary men to historical figures, learn how sixteen individuals have inspired millions and created legacies that have helped bring so much light into a dark world. Inspiring stories of faith from a master storyteller. Contents Introduction 9 1. Bono: Putting Faith into Works 13 2. John Newton: Breaking the Chains 29 3. Charles Albert Tindley: Overcoming the Odds 45 4. Charles Wesley: Setting Faith to Music 57 5. Wesley Branch Rickey: Opening the Door 73 6. Norman Vincent Peale: Learning to Be Positive 85 7. George Washington Carver: Growing Where Planted 99 8. William Carey: Birthing a Movement 111 9. John Douglas: Beginning Anew 125 10. Jacob DeShazer: Forgiving Everything 139 11. Robert Raikes: Teaching Millions 155 12. Fred Rogers: Providing a Home 167 13. Nick Vujicic: Living without Limitation 181 14. Nicholas of Myra: Giving His Life 195 15. Albert Schweitzer: Serving a Higher Calling 207 16. Jim Valvano: Embracing Every Moment 221 Share Your Thoughts 241 Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=27455 Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions By Gregory Koukl * Publisher: Zondervan * Number Of Pages: 208 * Publication Date: 2009-02-01 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0310282926 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780310282921 Product Description: Tired of finding yourself flat-footed and intimidated in conversations? Want to increase your confidence and skill in discussions with family, friends, and coworkers? Gregory Koukl offers practical strategies to help you stay in the driver’s seat as you maneuver comfortably and graciously in any conversation about your Christian convictions. Summary: Tools for clear thinking in general Rating: 5 Tactics by Gregory Koukl provides very hands-on and practical wisdom that one needs when talking to all people, not just skeptics. It is also a toolbox for clear thinking in general. Summary: Good starter to prove God Rating: 4 this guy really communicates to me - i like his heart and his desire to improve the apologetic life of Christians. he's not deep enough or orignial enough to be on the top shelf, but if you have the time, he's spot on. And all ye men of tender heart, Forgiving others, take your part, O sing ye! Alleluia! Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, Praise God and on Him cast your care! Does God Exist?: The Debate Between Theists and Atheists God Does Exist!: Defending the faith using presuppositional apologetics, evidence, and the impossibility of the contrary Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=27374 Joel, Obadiah, Malachi (NIV Application Commentary, The) By David W. Baker * Publisher: Zondervan * Number Of Pages: 352 * Publication Date: 2006-05-01 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0310207231 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780310207238 Product Description: Joel, Obadiah, Malachi, which is part of the NIV Application Commentary Series, helps readers learn how the messages of Joel, Obadiah, and Malachi can have the same powerful impact today that they did when they were first written. Synopsis These three short prophetic books of the Old Testament each contain a dual message. On one hand are messages of impending judgment--for all peoples on the Day of the Lord, for an enemy of Israel, and for Israel herself. On the other hand are messages of great hope-of the pouring out of God's Spirit, of restoration and renewal, and of a coming Messiah. Placing judgment and hope together in such a manner may seem paradoxical to a contemporary mindset. But the complete message of these prophets gives a fuller picture of God-who despises and rightly judges sin and rebellion, but who also lovingly invites people to return to him so that he might bestow his wonderful grace and blessings. It is a message no less timely today than when these books were first written, and David W. Baker skillfully bridges the centuries in helping believers today understand and apply it. Most Bible commentaries take us on a one-way trip from our world to the world of the Bible. But the Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=26655 Pocket Guide to Sainthood: The Field Manual for the Super-Virtuous Life By Jason Boyett * Publisher: Jossey-Bass * Number Of Pages: 240 * Publication Date: 2009-08-03 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0470373105 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780470373101 Product Description: "Boyett's witty, weird, and sometimes even wise Pocket Guides are proof that the best things do come in small packages." —Daniel Radosh, author, Rapture Ready! We name our cities, hospitals, and churches after them. We flock to shrines bearing their remains. We ask for their help when we lose our keys. Who are these saints, what made them so holy, and what in the world are those birds doing on St. Francis's shoulder? Jason Boyett's Pocket Guide to Sainthood takes an intriguing and unflinching look at the fascinating—and fascinatingly weird—lives of the saints. Whether you are a Catholic desperately needing a patron, or a Protestant trying to identify your cabbie's bobblehead, this may be as close as you ever come to true holiness. Make the most of it by learning * How St. Denis delivered his best sermon while holding his own decapitated head * Why both hair shirts and nakedness are mainstays of saintly fashion * Which saints are the patrons of bowel disorders, serial killers, and other useful categories * What is involved in the canonization process, should you get so lucky?or martyred With Pocket Guide to Sainthood, virtue j Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=24275 Naming the Antichrist: The History of an American Obsession By Robert C. Fuller * Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA * Number Of Pages: 240 * Publication Date: 1996-11-21 * ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0195109791 * ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780195109795 Product Description: The Antichrist, though mentioned a mere four times in the Bible, and then only obscurely, has exercised a tight hold on popular imagination throughout history. In Naming the Antichrist, Fuller takes us on a fascinating journey through the dark side of the American religious psyche, from the earliest American colonists right up to contemporary fundamentalists such as Pat Robertson and Hal Lindsey. Fuller begins by offering a brief history of the idea of the Antichrist and its origins in the apocalyptic thought in the Judeo-Christian tradition, and traces the eventual migration of the Antichrist legend across the Atlantic. He shows how the colonists saw Antichrist personified in everyone from native Americans to the Church of England. He looks at the Second Great Awakening in the early nineteenth century, showing how such prominent Americans as Yale president Timothy Dwight saw the work of the Antichrist in phenomena ranging from the French Revolution to Masonry. In the twentieth century, Fuller finds a startling array of hate-mongers, such as the Ku Klux Klan, who drew on apocalyptic imagery in their attacks on Jews, Catholics, blacks, socialists, and others. Finally, he Read more...
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]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=23099 The Concise Bible Commentary provides a clear and understandable overview of the Old and New Testaments in one volume. Designed to supplement the reading of the Bible, it furnishes explanations and expositions, devotional insights, and spiritual guidance in an easy-to-use layout. Following each commentary section, inductive study questions provide an opportunity for review and further reflection. This work is an updated, retypeset version of one of the most popular commentaries of all time, the Christian WorkerA’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=22132 This excellent collection of essays evaluates the findings of the Jesus Seminar. From the Publisher Are the traditional answers to these questions still to be trusted? Did the early church and tradition "Christianize" Jesus? Was Christianity built on clever conceptions of the church, or on the character and actions of an actual person? These and similar questions have come under scrutiny by a forum of biblical scholars called the Jesus Seminar. Their conclusions have been widely publicized in magazines such as Time and Newsweek. Jesus Under Fire challenges the methodology and findings of the Jesus Seminar, which generally clash with the biblical records. It examines the authenticity of the words, actions, miracles, and resurrection of Jesus, and presents compelling evidence for the traditional biblical teachings. Combining accessibility with scholarly depth, Jesus Under Fire helps readers judge for themselves whether the Jesus of the Bible is the Jesus of history, and whether the Gospel's claim is valid that he is the only way to God. "The Jesus Seminar is the creation of a media culture looking for a story. This book refutes its conclusions point by point." Thomas C. Oden, Drew Theological School Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=21275 The Vatican. The Inquisition. Contraception. Celibacy. Apparitions and miracles. Plots and scandals. The Catholic Church is seldom out of the news. But what do its one billion adherents really believe, and how do they put their beliefs into practice in worship, the family, and society? This down-to-earth account goes back to the early Christian creeds to uncover the roots of modern Catholic thinking. It avoids getting bogged down in theological technicalities, and throws light on aspects of the Church`s institutional structure and liturgical practice that even Catholics can find baffling: why go to confession? How are people made saints? What is 'infallible' about the Pope? Topics addressed include: • scripture and tradition • sacraments and prayer • popular piety • personal and social morality • reform, mission, and interreligious dialogue Lawrence Cunningham, a theologian, prize-winning writer and university teacher, provides an overview of Catholicism today which will be indispensable for undergraduates and lay study groups. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=21268 Who Are the Mormons? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: •Has over 12.5 million members worldwide and is one of the fastest-growing and most centrally controlled U.S.-based religions •Is by far the richest religion in the United States per capita, with $25 to $30 billion in estimated assets and $5 to $6 billion more in estimated annual income •Boasts such influential members as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and presidential candidate Mitt Romney Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=21020 In this book you can explore many fascinating biblical mysteries, including: -- Does the Devil really exist? -- What was in the Lost Gospels? -- Where is Hell located? -- Who was the mysterious Beloved Disciple? -- Does a divine language exist? -- What causes stigmata? -- Was Mary Magdalene secretly married to Jesus? -- Can people be possessed by demons? -- Why did Jesus call himself the Son of Man? -- And many more ... Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=20511 Luther's Large Catechism consisted of works written by Martin Luther and compiled Christian canonical texts, published in April of 1529. This book was addressed particularly to clergymen to aid them in teaching their congregations. Luther's Large Catechism is divided into five parts: The Ten Commandments, The Apostles' Creed, The Lord's Prayer, Holy Baptism, and The Sacrament of the Altar. It and related documents was published in The Book of Concord in 1580. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=20388 The Protestant Community of Modern Taiwan: Mission, Seminary, and Church (Taiwan in the Modern World) Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=20221 For over one hundred years, Christians have gotten up and gone to bed with Charles Spurgeon's devotional Morning and Evening as a companion. With a reading to begin and end each day throughout the year, you will come to appreciate Spurgeon's emphasis on the importance of abiding in Christ and meditating on God's Word. His wisdom and counsel provide a timeless guide through the trials and triumphs of the year. The richness of his biblical understanding offers readers a look into the heart of one of England's foremost pastors and enduring Christian authors. His lasting message is even more accessible with Alistair Begg's careful modernizing of Spurgeon's English. Begg, who has a deep love for Spurgeon's preaching and especially for this work, has maintained Spurgeon's clear passion and commitment to Christ. Using the English Standard Version as the scriptural text provides an accurate, understandable accompaniment to Spurgeon's lessons. This updated version of a devotional classic is a timely and much-needed encouragement for today's Christian. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=20022 The most powerful depiction of the death of Christ ever written. See that infamous day not through the eyes, nor the voice of other men, but rather through the eyes and voice of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He tells you of that day. There has never been a more stunning, more heart-touching piece of Christian literature to be found in the English language as is The Day I Was Crucified. Because it is His account of His own death, you will discover little known aspects of Christa€™s death. You are also ushered into a presentation of the Lorda€™s death as seen from the viewpoint of principalities and powers as they gather on Golgatha. You will meet the embodiment of the law, of sin, and the world systema€¦even the personification of Death as he arrives on the scene to claim his victim. The Day I Was Crucified stands out as literary excellence apart from virtually any books known in the modern era. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=20021 Wonderfully encapsulates the complex manner in which the term spirituality has taken on various meanings within the Christian tradition … Those who are interested in learning more about the major movements in the Christian tradition are sure to find this book a wonderful introduction into learning more about thinkers who have ardently longed to attain wisdom. "This is an excellent book and can be safely recommended to students and others alike." (Theology, September/October 2008) “Wonderfully encapsulates the complex manner in which the term spirituality has taken on various meanings within the Christian tradition … Those who are interested in learning more about the major movements in the Christian tradition are sure to find this book a wonderful introduction into learning more about thinkers who have ardently longed to attain wisdom.” (The Heythrop Journal) “One gets the sense that Sheldrake knows and loves his subject, and more importantly, wants to share his knowledge with others. I strongly recommend this book.” (Anglican Theological Review) "Wonderfully encapsulates the complex manner in which the term spirituality has taken on various meanings within the Christian tradition ... Those who are interested in learning more about the major movements in the Christian tradition are sure to find this book a wonderful introduction into learning more about thinkers who have ardently longed to attain wisdom." The Heythrop Journal "One gets the sense that Sheldrake Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=20020 The church is in a season of profound change. The birth pangs of transition are changing the order of "what is" into a Chuch that can do the will of God in the midst of a difficult environment. By nature, labor produces a violent change from the old to the new, and it has left some churches broken and bewildered. We must discern between the work of the enemy and the work of the Holy Spirit. In essence, transition forms the rite of passage from one dimension of the Spirit to another. This book details the elements of that changing process. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=20019 The United States has been described as a nation with the soul of a church. Religion is discussed more explicitly and more urgently in American politics than in the public debates of any other wealthy democracy. It is certain to play an important role in the elections of 2004. Yet debates over religion and politics are often narrow and highly partisan, although the questions at hand demand a broader and more civil discussion. One Electorate under God? widens the dialogue by bringing together in one volume some of the most influential voices in American intellectual and political life. This book draws on a public debate between former New York governor Mario Cuomo and Indiana congressman Mark Souder, who discuss how their respective faith convictions have been both shaped by and reflected in their careers as public servants. This discussion, in turn, prompted commentary by a diverse group of scholars, politicians, journalists, and religious leaders who are engaged simultaneously in the religious and policy realms. Each contributor offers insights on how political leaders and religious convictions shape our politics. One Electorate under God arises from the idea that public deliberation is more honesta€”and more democratica€”when officials are open and reflective about the interactions between their religious convictions and their commitments in the secular realm. This volumea€”the first of its kinda€”seeks to promote a greater understanding of American thinking about faith Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=19844 Why Everyone Will Be in Heaven Two pastors present their controversial belief in eternal salvation for all through God’s perfect grace. Long disturbed by the Church’s struggle between offering both love and rejection, they discover what God wants from us and for us: grace for everyone. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=19543 Josephus and the History of the Greco-Roman Period comprises a series of essays on the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and on the history of the Second Temple period by many of the best-known specialists in the field. The contributions are revised versions of papers delivered at an international colloquium in memory of Professor Morton Smith that was held at San Miniato, Italy, in November, 1992. The essays cover a broad range of historical and historiographical issues concerning the Seleucid, Hasmonean, Herodian, and Roman periods, for which the importance of Josephus -- often our only extant source -- can hardly be overestimated. Josephus' trustworthiness as a historian is newly investigated from various angles. Fresh light is thrown on philological, literary, geographical, archaeological, sociological, and religious questions. The book includes a critical evaluation of Morton Smith's scholarly achievement. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=19541 The Summa Theologiae is Thomas Aquinas' undisputed masterwork, and it includes his thoughts on the elemental forces in human life. Feelings such as love, hatred, pleasure, pain, hope and despair were described by Aquinas as 'passions', representing the different ways in which happiness could be affected. But what causes the passions? What impact do they have on the person who suffers them? Can they be shaped and reshaped in order to better promote human flourishing? The aim of this book is to provide a better understanding of Aquinas' account of the passions. It identifies the Aristotelian influences that lie at the heart of the Summa Theologiae, and it enters into a dialogue with contemporary thinking about the nature of emotion. The study argues that Aquinas' work is still important today, and shows why for Aquinas both the understanding and attainment of happiness requires prolonged reflection on the passions. Read more...
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]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=18570 There are many Christian leaders who are outstanding in their ethical and moral standards. However, they teach their followers to pursue the human righteousness inside Christianity stirring up the human ethics and morals of Christians. They don??t even have the slightest idea about the gospel of the water and the Spirit containing God??s righteousness. Therefore, they can??t teach their followers about the righteousness of God. This is the reason why the true gospel in which God??s righteousness is revealed cannot be found inside the doctrines and teachings of Christianity nowadays. Christianity has not spread God??s righteousness, which is revealed inside the gospel of the water and the Spirit and is considered the most important by God, until now. Therefore, no one is able to soundly encounter God??s righteousness with Christian doctrines. This book will not only give you a clear-cut definition of the righteousness of God manifested in Romans but also allow you to have it by faith. I am sure that to any prudent reader of this book, the Book of Romans will no longer be a difficult Scripture, but be a familiar and life-giving Word of God instead. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=18568 Gods Purpose Revealed in Genesis Anyone who wants to build a house designs a blueprint fit for its particular purpose first, and then builds the house according to this blueprint. Likewise, our Lord also needed a blueprint to save mankind from sin and make human beings Gods people. While all the Word of the Bible shows us Gods blueprint, the Book of Genesis in particular reveals His plan in more detail. Of Gods blueprint of salvation, what manifests His purpose most clearly is the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit. By believing in Gods Word, we can realize His good will toward us. What was the purpose for which God created us? The Lord created us so that we would praise the righteousness of God and His will, and it was also to give us the spiritual blessings of Heaven. All these were the intentions of God that He sought to reveal to us. God has manifested His will through the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and by believing in this purpose of God revealed through His Church, we were able accept it and rejoice. All the blessings that God has given us will always be with us. Hallelujah! Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=18460 All kinds of people love trivia and quizzes...parents, kids, pastors, teachers, students, Sunday school teachers, small-group leaders, to name a few. Martin Manser has created an oversized book filled to the brim with more than 7,000 facts and quiz questions to test your Bible knowledge. Quiz sections include General Knowledge, Biblical History, Geography, Who Said That?, Where Is It Said?, The Bible in Art, and The Bible in the Movies. A variety of questions and facts-ranging from the incredible to the inspirational-are included so that everyone, including children and those with advanced Bible knowledge, can participate in hours of learning...or just plain fun. Humorous cartoon illustrations abound to add visual appeal and help the book entertain while it teaches. A big book with great value. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=18383 If you are looking for a Bible that’s easy to use and to give away, this is the Bible for you! The world is hungry for eternal truth. When we spread God’s Word, we’re helping to fulfill the Great Commission. Now you can reach more people with this handy, budget-friendly edition. With no frills or extras that increase the page count or the price, this economy KJV Bible is the ideal choice for a basic introduction to Scripture, for daily devotions, worship, prison ministry, evangelistic outreach, missions, or any occasion when you want to read and share God's Word. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=18120 Review: "The debate sparked off by the Warnock Committee report on human fertilization should benefit from this unusual contribution by Professor O'Donovan. As befits the Regius Professor Moral and Pastoral Theology in the University of Oxford he approaches the topic at a high level of generality, in sharp contrast to the pragmatic and piecemeal procedure often favoured by practising scientists. He modestly claims to make no more than a contribution to the discussion, but his main argument, if accepted, would radically change the thrust of much current practice in this field." --Nature Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=17888 "The deepest challenge to global Christianity is in its relation to world religions. Informative and thought-provoking, this book tackles one of the most heated issues of the time: the interactions within religious pluralism. Old-timers and newcomers to disputes over these 'disputed questions' will not walk away from this book casually or apathetically. It is provocative and, yes, challenging." Martin E. Marty, University of Chicago Review "The deepest challenge to global Christianity is in its relation to world religions. Informative and thought-provoking, this book tackles one of the most heated issues of the time: the interactions within religious pluralism. Old-timers and newcomers to disputes over these 'disputed questions' will not walk away from this book casually or apathetically. It is provocative and, yes, challenging." –Martin E. Marty, University of Chicago “In this book, Gavin D'Costa continues to push and stretch established categories and traditional doctrines to provide highly original and deeply provocative thoughts on the relationship between Christianity and other religions and on the role of religion in the public square. And his approach to the question of the salvation of non-Christians in terms of Christ's descent into hell will undoubtedly be the focus of heated discussion in the theology of religions for years to come.” –Catherine Cornille, Associate Professor of Comparative Theology at Boston College, Author of The Im-Possibility of Interrel Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=16853 Readers interested in the Bible, and Biblical stories. Viewers of the Discovery, and History Channel's and Unsolved Mysteries. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=16846 What is the Bible's stance on such controversial issues as homosexuality and polygamy? What does it have to say about sexual behaviors that some would deem perverted or criminal? Is sex always wrong if it is not used to create life? Ellens answers these and other questions in a book that argues that our understanding of what the Bible has to say about sex is frequently misguided. He corrects our impressions with a look at the Scriptures themselves, considers what they might have meant to people in the past, and reflects on how we understand, or misunderstand, them today. Focusing on early interpretations and contemporary misconceptions, Ellens guides readers through what the Bible actually says, showing how these messages have been interpreted in different contexts, and suggesting new ways of reading and translating them for use in our own lives. Readers hoping to reach a better understanding of the Bible's views on sexual practices and sexuality in general will find their questions answered here. What does the story of Adam and Eve reveal about sex and sexuality? What does the Old Testament say about sex and how might we interpret that in our own lives today? How does the New Testament say we should behave in our sexuality and our lives? What lessons can we learn from a closer examination of the Bible and its teachings on human love, marriage, and sexuality? These are among the many questions Ellens answers in an effort to help us all come to a better understanding of the gi Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=16800 In ancient Israel the production of food was a basic concern of almost every Israelite. Consequently, there are few pages in the Old Testament that do not mention food, and food provides some of the most important social, political and religious symbols in the biblical text. Not Bread Alone is the first detailed and wide-ranging examination of food and its symbolism in the Old Testament and the world of ancient Israel. Many of these symbols are very well-known, such as the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, the abominable pig and the land flowing with milk and honey. Nathan MacDonald demonstrates that the breadth biblical symbolism associated with food reaches beyond these celebrated examples, providing a collection of interrelated studies that draw on work on food in anthropology or other historical disciplines. The studies maintain sensitivity to the literary nature of the text as well as the many historical-critical questions that arise when studying it. Topics examined include: the nature and healthiness of the ancient Israelite diet; the relationship between food and memory in Deuteronomy; the confusion of food, sex and warfare in Judges; the place of feasting in the Israelite monarchy; the literary motif of divine judgement at the table; the use of food in articulating Israelite identity in the post-exilic period. The concluding chapter shows how some of these Old Testament concerns find resonance in the New Testament. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=16197 How can people believe that the supernatural end of the world lies just around the corner when, so far, every such prediction has been proved wrong? Some scholars argue that millenarians are psychologically disturbed; others maintain that their dreams of paradise on earth reflect a nascent political awareness. In this book Damian Thompson looks at the members of one religious group with a strong apocalyptic tradition - Kensington Temple, a large Pentecostal church in London - and attempts to understand how they reconcile doctrines of the end of the world with the demands of their everyday lives. He asks such questions as: Who is making the argument that the world is about to end, and on whose authority? How is it communicated? Which members are persuaded by it? What are the practical consequences for them? How do they rationalize their position? Based on extensive interviews as well as a survey of almost 3000 members, Thompson finds existing explanations of apocalyptic belief inadequate. Although much as been written about apocalyptic belief, Thompson's empirically-based study is unprecedented. It constitutes an important step forward in our understanding of this puzzling feature of contemporary religious life. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=16179 Review "A powerfully argued and wide-ranging study. This volume represents a major scholarly achievement and will be essential reading." --SHARP News "There is a great deal to admire in Hughes's book, not least in its exemplary scholarship and its integration of empirical research with theoretical approaches borrowed from post-structuralism/postmodernism."--Edward Vallance, Journal of Modern History Product Description This meticulously researched and wide-ranging book is the first comprehensive study of Thomas Edwards's Gangraena, probably the most important printed work of the English revolution. It provides a vivid account of the printed polemic of the revolution and its place in the religious and political mobilisation of the mid-1640s. Hughes's book is a contribution to the history of Presbyterianism, of London, of parliamentarian fragmentation, and of reading during the revolution. It combines the new `history of the book' with a concern for politics and religion during the crisis of the English revolution. See all Editorial Reviews Product Details * Hardcover: 494 pages * Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 9, 2004) * Language: English * ISBN-10: 0199251924 * ISBN-13: 978-0199251926 Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=15359 Arthur Edward Waite (October 2, 1857 - May 19, 1942) was a scholarly mystic who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters. Biographer R.A. Gilbert remarked of him, "Waite's name has survived because he was the first to attempt a systematic study of the history of western occultism.” Waite was a prolific writer and of his several publications The Hidden Church of the Holy Graal remains particularly noteworthy. Waite conducts in riveting detail a sweeping survey of the medieval Romance literature of the Grail quest, then proffers an extraordinary and awe-inspiring set of conclusions and interpretations, revealing the intriguing meaning behind the symbolism, metaphors and allegories of the Great Quest. The Hidden Church of the Holy Graal is a must read for anyone interested in the ultimate significance of the Christian House of Doctrine, the great chivalry and true knighthood. For seekers, then as now, the great corpus of Grail literature provides nourishment and inspiration. Once again we find ourselves living in adventurous times, and now, perhaps more than ever, we are poised to gain from the deep and enduring wisdom embodied in the epic works of classic literature. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=14487 Il a beaucoup ete ecrit sur les eglises. Beaucoup trop d'ailleurs, et les cles du message nous parviennent souvent deformees par le filtre de l'ego. Tout comme les autels ont ete retournes, les valeurs ont ete inversees... au point de rechercher a l'exterieur ce qui etait a l'interieur, au point de vouloir apprehender le physique et le subtil avec le meme regard. Or, une eglise est par excellence, le lien entre le monde visible et le monde invisible. Et la religion elle-meme s'est arrangee avec son dogme au point d'en oublier sa filiation et de renier son heritage initiatique, magique et energetique. L'eglise romane est plus qu'un ouvrage d'art c'est une machine a regenerer, a guerir qui fonctionne non seulement sur le plan physique, mais sur tous les plans de la conscience manifestee, du vital au spirituel. Et c'est aussi un lieu de priere ! En s'appuyant aussi bien sur les ressources de la geobiologie sacree que sur les textes des Peres Apologistes de l'Eglise, Jacques Bonvin et Paul Trilloux permettent de comprendre les motivations profondes des moins batisseurs du Moyen Age. Par l'utilisation concrete de la science des energies cosmo-telluriques, ils savaient mettre l'homme en resonance avec le cosmos, le microscosme avec le macroscome, et permettre a celui qui etait libre de coeur, d'acceder selon son niveau de conscience, au feu ineffable et merveilleux des energies divines. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=14320 Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives as the shack on a wintry afternoon and walk back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book. Read more...
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]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=13636 From Publishers Weekly Pious charlatans, firebrand demagogues and scientific cranks stalk the pages of this scholarly, thoroughgoing, at times plodding history of the modern revival of creationism. Unlike 19th-century creationists, who rejected Darwinian evolution but acknowledged that life on earth has spanned millions of years, today's creationists believe that God made woman and man in a single act of creation within the last 10,000 years. They draw inspiration for their beliefs from George McCready Price, a Seventh-day Adventist who in the 1920s pioneered "flood geology," which traces most fossils back to Noah's flood and its aftermath. Numbers, a professor of the history of science at the University of Wisconsin, unravels the tangled religious roots of creationism. His evenhanded treatment incorporates a quietly devastating critique of the modern creationist movement and its efforts to influence school curricula. He reveals creationists to be a divided and contentious lot, squabbling fiercely with one another. Illustrated. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From The Washington Post "A beautifully worked case study of the dynamics of people and the ideas that impel them. As an exposure of one of the most socially explosive and intellectually damaging movements of recent times, it is unquestionably a volume of major importance." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailab Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=9488 The Epistles of Jacob Behmen Aliter, Teutonicus Philosophus: Very Useful and Necessary for Those That Read His Writings (1649) By Jacob Behmen * Publisher: Kessinger Publishing * Number Of Pages: 288 * Publication Date: * ISBN-10 / ASIN: B001IS1DMC * ISBN-13 / EAN: * Binding: Hardcover Read more...
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]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=8321 Armstrong, a British journalist and former nun, guides us along one of the most elusive and fascinating quests of all time--the search for God. Like all beloved historians, Armstrong entertains us with deft storytelling, astounding research, and makes us feel a greater appreciation for the present because we better understand our past. Be warned: A History of God is not a tidy linear history. Rather, we learn that the definition of God is constantly being repeated, altered, discarded, and resurrected through the ages, responding to its followers' practical concerns rather than to mystical mandates. Armstrong also shows us how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have overlapped and influenced one another, gently challenging the secularist history of each of these religions. --Gail Hudson Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=8169 As American Catholics and other Americans move into the twenty-first century it might be helpful to re-assess American Catholic religious and social thought during the past two centuries. Patrick Carey argues that American Catholics, from John Carroll to John Courtney Murray, have exhibited a fresh, vigorous ability to engage the great religious and social questions of their time in creative continuity with their inherited tradition and sometimes in capitulation to the culture in which they lived. Whether they were responding to the Enlightenment or to the Romantic mood, to the slavery and capitalism, to Modernism, to Neo-Scholasticism, or to twentieth-century problems of social justice, Catholic Americans have produced a stimulating theological commentary that is worth re-examining. This book has been designed to make that tradition on American Catholic thought more accessible. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=8144 The Cambridge Companion to Modern Jewish Philosophy is a collection of original essays that examine the work of some of the most important Jewish thinkers of the modern era – the period extending from the seventeenth century to the late twentieth century. Editors Michael L. Morgan and Peter Eli Gordon have brought together a group of world-renowned scholars to paint a broad and rich picture of the tradition of modern Jewish philosophy over a period of four hundred years. Beginning with the seventeenth century, modern Jewish philosophy developed among thinkers who responded to the new science and modern philosophy in the course of reflecting on the nature of Judaism and Jewish life. The essays address themes that are central to the tradition of modern Jewish philosophy – language and revelation, autonomy and authority, the problem of evil, Messianism, the influence of Kant, and feminism – and discuss in depth the work of major thinkers such as Spinoza, Mendelssohn, Cohen, Buber, Rosenzweig, Fackenheim, Soloveitchik, Strauss, Levinas, Maimon, Benjamin, Derrida, Scholem, and Arendt. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=7772 These are the stories of five ordinary women Sarah Edwards, Lilias Trotter, Gladys Aylward, Esther Ahn Kim, and Helen Roseveare who trusted in their extraordinary God as he led them to do great things for his kingdom. Noel Piper holds up their lives and deeds as examples of what it means to be truly faithful. Read more...
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]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=7453 Pastor-scholar John Piper invites the reader to sharpen his or her appetite for God by turning away from the dulling effects of food and the dangers of idolatry and draw closer to God through simple fasting with accompanying prayer. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=7349 Though a spate of religious quest books have appeared in recent years, Johnson's book is neither a search for the historical Jesus nor a quasi-mystical personal odyssey. Johnson, it seems, is perfectly happy with the faith of his father and as accustomed to the Catholic Church "as a much-loved old teddy bear or a favorite armchair or a smelly old favorite dog." A journalist and historian, Johnson has written an apologia in which he answers such basic questions as "What is God, then?" and "Is there an alternative to God?" His answers surprise, provoke, and even provide comfort. Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=7191 More people read the Bible than any other book. Indeed, many try to live their lives according to its words. The question is, do they understand what they're reading? As Steven McKenzie shows in this provocative book, quite often the answer is, "No." McKenzie argues that to comprehend the Bible we must grasp the intentions of the biblical authors themselves--what sort of texts they thought they were writing and how they would have been understood by their intended audience. In short, we must recognize the genres to which these texts belong. McKenzie examines several genres that are typically misunderstood, offering careful readings of specific texts to show how the confusion arises, and how knowing the genre produces a correct reading. The book of Jonah, for example, offers many clues that it is meant as a humorous satire, not a straight-faced historical account of a man who was swallowed by a fish. Likewise, McKenzie explains that the very names "Adam" and "Eve" tell us that these are not historical characters, but figures who symbolize human origins ("Adam" means man, "Eve" is related to the word for life). Similarly, the authors of apocalyptic texts--including the Book of Revelation--were writing allegories of events that were happening in their own time. Not for a moment could they imagine that centuries afterwards, readers would be poring over their works for clues to the date of the Second Coming of Christ, or when and how the world would end. For anyone who takes Read more...
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]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=5350 The Choice - Islam and Christianity: Two Volumes, By Ahmed Deedat, An excellent book discussing Islam and Christianity in the light of Holy Quran and the Sunnah Read more...
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=4617 The Blackwell Companion to the Bible and Culture offers readers a stimulating, one-volume reference source about twenty-first century approaches to the Bible. Drawing on interdisciplinary and international examples, the volume explores how the Bible has impacted on all the major social contexts where it has been influential - ancient, medieval and modern, world-wide. The Companion consists of 30 articles written by distinguished specialists, accompanied by comprehensive bibliographies. Taken together, these articles emphasize the multi- faceted nature of the Bible and its impact on the world. They help to bridge the gap between specialist biblical studies and other disciplines such as literature, art, music, history, theology, religious studies, politics and psychology. Read more...
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]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=4208 In Algonquin Indian lore, Manitou is a supernatural power that permeates the world, a power that can assume the form of a deity referred to as The Great Manitou or The Great Spirit (Gitche Manitou), creator of all things and giver of life. In that sense, Manitou can be considered the counterpart of the Christians’ God. Since early times, the belief in Manitou has extended from the Algonquins in Eastern Canada to other tribal nations—the Odawa, Ojibwa, Oglala, and even the Cheyenne in the western plains. Thus, the title of this book, Manitou and God, symbolizes the confrontation between American Indian religions and Christian beliefs that first occurred when European settlers arrived in North America, a confrontation that continues even today. Read more...
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]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:12:50 GMT http://www.freebookspot.in/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=4201 From Publishers Weekly The "Lucifer Principle" is freelance journalist Bloom's theory that evil-which manifests in violence, destructiveness and war-is woven into our biological fabric. A corollary is that evil is a by-product of nature's strategy to move the world to greater heights of organization and power as national or religious groups follow ideologies that trigger lofty ideals as well as base cruelty. In an ambitious, often provocative study, Bloom applies the ideas of sociobiology, ethology and the "killer ape" school of anthropology to the broad canvas of history, with examples ranging from Oliver Cromwell's reputed pleasure in killing and raping to Mao Tse-tung's bloody Cultural Revolution, India's caste system and Islamic fundamentalist expansion. Bloom says Americans suffer "perceptual shutdown" that blinds them to the United States' downward slide in the pecking order of nations. His use of concepts like pecking order, memes (self-replicating clusters of ideas), the "neural net" or group mind of the social "superorganism" seem more like metaphors than explanatory tools. From Library Journal Pop-culture Renaissance man Bloom-former PR agent for the likes of Prince, writer for Omni magazine, and so on-seeks to explain why civilizations rise and fall, why nations go to war, and why violence and aggression don't disappear with the ascendancy of culture. Big task. The "Lucifer Principle" is based on the metaphors of the "meme" (ideas that arise across cultures an Read more...
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