The true drama of how faith motivated America’s Founding Fathers, influenced the Declaration of Independence and inspired the birth of the nation. This fascinating history, based on meticulous research into the correspondence and documentation of the founding fathers leading up to and encompassing the crafting of the Declaration of Independence, sheds light on how the Judeo-Christian worldview motivated America’s founding fathers, influenced national independence, inspired our foundational documents, and established the American nation. Written with the pacing and drama of an enticing drama, Forged in Faith is crafted for popular appeal with a compelling mix of dramatized story and action-driven narrative, yet with the authenticity and academic verity of historian Rod Gragg.
Is it possible to hold on to faith in an age of unbelief? Written with personal and pastoral experience, Brian Zahnd extends an invitation to move beyond the crisis of faith toward the journey of reconstruction. As the world rapidly changes in ways that feel incompatible with Christianity, this book provides much-needed hope that a stronger, more confident faith is possible.
The culture wars have distorted the dramatic story of how Americans came to worship freely. Many activists on the right maintain that the United States was founded as a “Christian nation.” Many on the left contend that the First Amendment was designed to boldly separate church and state. Neither of these claims is true, argues Beliefnet.com editor in chief Steven Waldman. With refreshing objectivity, Waldman narrates the real story of how our nation’s Founders forged a new approach to religious liberty. Founding Faith vividly describes the religious development of five Founders. Benjamin Franklin melded the Puritan theology of his youth and the Enlightenment philosophy of his adulthood. John Adams’s pungent views on religion stoked his revolutionary fervor and shaped his political strategy. George Washington came to view religious tolerance as a military necessity. Thomas Jefferson pursued a dramatic quest to “rescue” Jesus, in part by editing the Bible. Finally, it was James Madison who crafted an integrated vision of how to prevent tyranny while encouraging religious vibrancy. The spiritual custody battle over the Founding Fathers and the role of religion in America continues today. Waldman at last sets the record straight, revealing the real history of religious freedom to be dramatic, unexpected, paradoxical, and inspiring.
Bart D. Ehrman, the New York Times bestselling author of Jesus, Interrupted and God’s Problem reveals which books in the Bible’s New Testament were not passed down by Jesus’s disciples, but were instead forged by other hands—and why this centuries-hidden scandal is far more significant than many scholars are willing to admit. A controversial work of historical reporting in the tradition of Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, and John Dominic Crossan, Ehrman’s Forged delivers a stunning explication of one of the most substantial—yet least discussed—problems confronting the world of biblical scholarship.
The Forged: Faith Refined, Volume 1 Leader Guide features easy-to-use, low-tech sessions without media. Discussions include: who defines truth, why should I trust the Bible, is heaven real, and more. Purchase one per leader.
When it appeared in 1670, Baruch Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise was denounced as the most dangerous book ever published. Religious and secular authorities saw it as a threat to faith, social and political harmony, and everyday morality, and its author was almost universally regarded as a religious subversive and political radical who sought to spread atheism throughout Europe. Steven Nadler tells the story of this book: its radical claims and their background in the philosophical, religious, and political tensions of the Dutch Golden Age, as well as the vitriolic reaction these ideas inspired. A vivid story of incendiary ideas and vicious backlash, A Book Forged in Hell will interest anyone who is curious about the origin of some of our most cherished modern beliefs--Jacket p. [2].
The true drama of how faith motivated America’s Founding Fathers, from the Declaration of Independence to the signing of Britain’s peace treaty. From the author of Forged in Faith comes the remarkable untold history of how the faith of our fathers critically influenced the outcome of the American Revolution and the birth of the United States of America. “A page-turner that reads like a novel!” Here, in the fascinating follow-up to his popular work Forged in Faith, award-winning historian Rod Gragg reveals how the American Revolution was fired and fueled by America’s founding faith—the Judeo-Christian worldview. Based on meticulous research and propelled by a fast-paced style, By the Hand of Providence uncovers the extraordinary, almost-forgotten history of the faith-based Revolution that secured American liberty and nationhood. From the American people’s first resistance to attacks on their God-given or “inalienable” rights, through the dramatic battlefield events of the Revolution and General George Washington’s pivotal faith-based leadership, to the climactic surrender of Cornwallis’s British army at Yorktown, By the Hand of Providence exposes the long-overlooked but critical element that kept alive the American War for Independence and motivated the ultimate victory that established the United States of America. In the words of George Washington: “The Hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith. . . .” Graced by a fast-paced narrative and based on the extensive research Gragg has so notably applied to other events in American history, By the Hand of Providence is an insightful and fascinating account of the faith-based Revolution that secured American independence and nationhood.
"How do we deal with the pitfalls of life?" How do we deal with the experiences we all have of emotional, physical, and spiritual heights and depths? Bob Record presents Joseph of the Old Testament as the exemplary example.
The Forged: Faith Refined, Volume 1 Preteen Discipleship Guide includes pages for use during each session, daily devotion, journal pages, and parent pages. Order one per preteen.
