Luke wrote this Gospel so «that you [Theophilus] may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught [i.e., catechesis]» (1:4). It proceeds with a barrage of questions. The first comes from Zechariah: «How shall I know?» (1:18). This is a question of knowledge. The angel Gabriel answers that we shall know by the word of God (1:19). The second comes from Mary: «How will this be?» (1:34). This is a question of agency, of how the Son of ...
Jesus told simple stories about common items; yet his parables profoundly address our hearts and minds. We offer an interpretation, not only about what we read, but also what we think and feel. Parables of Parenthood presents modern biblical scholarship in an accessible writing style in order to model how these ancient stories continue to enrich life in the twenty-first century. Andrew Taylor-Troutman closely analyzes each parable with deep appr ...
The first year for any missionary is filled with adventure and trials. Assimilating to a new culture requires more than any book can offer. This is the story of a young woman who stepped out of her college years directly into the mission field. She was vastly unprepared in language, experience, and spiritual discipline, but she encountered the Lord in a way she never could while growing up in America. The transition from an American college camp ...
Trygve Johnson invites us to consider a new metaphor of identity of The Preacher as Liturgical Artist. This identity draws on a theology of communion and the doctrine of the vicarious humanity of Christ to relocate the preacher's identity in the creative and ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ. Johnson argues the metaphorical association of the preacher and artist understood within the artistic ministry of Jesus Christ frees the full range of ...
"Only men matter, that is why the Bible only talks about men." This is an actual quote from a client. Her church had taught her this all her life. Her mother, father, and husband had confirmed it. She had no concept that God cares for or about her as a woman. This book is for her and for everyone who needs to see that God cares for women from conception and throughout life. ...
The content of the gospel never changes; however, communicating it constantly fluctuates. Conveying the gospel to a homeless, hungry woman may include providing a hot bowl of chili, while an agnostic co-worker might be open after several rounds of golf. The message is the same, but the method of communicating it is as wide and varied as life itself. Finding the correct method is like hitting the «sweet spot» on a tennis racket or golf club. It t ...
Work is one of the most dominant and unavoidable realities of life. Though experiences of work vary tremendously, many Christians share a common struggle of having to live in seemingly bifurcated spheres of work and faith. Beginning with the conviction that Christian faith permeates all aspects of life, Joshua Sweeden explores Christian understandings of «good work» in relationship to ethics, community practice, and ecclesial witness. In The Chu ...
In refreshing challenge to the common presumption that knowing involves amassing information, this book offers an eight-step approach that begins with love and pledge and ends with communion and shalom. Everyday adventures of knowing turn on a moment of insight that transforms and connects knower and known. No matter the field–science or art, business or theology, counseling or athletics–this little manual offers a how-to for knowing ventures. I ...
Klaus Bockmuehl (1931-1989), former Professor for Systematic Theology at Regent College, Vancouver, published outstanding theological ethical works. The questions that Bockmuehl explored have not lost any relevance: How do we know what God's will is in a particular situation? Is Scripture sufficient for ethical decisions or should we listen to God? Does God even speak today? Is there a distinctive Christian ethic? Bockmuehl's central c ...
