Discusses the lives and philosophies of the four and looks at their efforts on behalf of social reform, civil rights, liberation theology, and sexual equality
The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.
J. B. Phillips began to translate the Bible during World War II for study by youth groups of the Anglican church in London of which he was then vicar; his New Testament translations have since been read by millions. Four Prophets is his first translation from the Old Testament.But as for me, my eyes look for the Lord.I will wait for the God who will save me;Yes, my God will deliver me!Never exult over me, my enemy--When I fail, I shall rise again;When I sit in darkness,The Lord shall be my light.I will endure the displeasure of the Lord,(For I have sinned against him),Until the day when he takes up my cause,And vindicates my right.He will bring me out into the light,And I shall see the justness of his ways.Micah 7:7
An angry prophet. A feared and loathsome enemy. A devastating storm. And the surprising message of a merciful God to his people. The story of Jonah is one of the most well-known parables in the Bible. It is also the most misunderstood. Many people, even those who are nonreligious, are familiar with Jonah: A rebellious prophet who defies God and is swallowed by a whale. But there's much more to Jonah's story than most of us realize. In The Prodigal Prophet, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller reveals the hidden depths within the book of Jonah. Keller makes the case that Jonah was one of the worst prophets in the entire Bible. And yet there are unmistakably clear connections between Jonah, the prodigal son, and Jesus. Jesus in fact saw himself in Jonah. How could one of the most defiant and disobedient prophets in the Bible be compared to Jesus? Jonah's journey also doesn't end when he is freed from the belly of the fish. There is an entire second half to his story--but it is left unresolved within the text of the Bible. Why does the book of Jonah end on what is essentially a cliffhanger? In these pages, Timothy Keller provides an answer to the extraordinary conclusion of this biblical parable--and shares the powerful Christian message at the heart of Jonah's story.
Where have all the prophets gone? And why do preachers seem to shy away from prophetic witness? Astute preacher Leonora Tisdale considers these vexing questions while providing guidance and encouragement to pastors who want to recommit themselves to the task of prophetic witness. With a keen sensitivity to pastoral contexts, Tisdale's work is full of helpful suggestions and examples to help pastors structure and preach prophetic sermons, considered by many to be one of the most difficult tasks pastors are called to undertake.
From the national bestselling author of The Naked Communist, The Naked Capitalist, and The 5000 Year Leap comes Prophecy and Modern Times, the decisive guide to understanding God’s messages and finding hope in the modern era. “Prophecy is not poetry. It is history in reverse.”—W. Cleon Skousen Have you ever wondered what the ancient prophets had to say about the modern world? How to apply the messages of the scriptures to your own life? What the true purpose of prophecy is? Find these answers and more in Prophecy and Modern Times: Finding Hope and Encouragement in the Last Days, a brief but powerful exploration of six millennia worth of prophecies about society today. The prophets of Biblical times foresaw many of the complexities of the modern era with remarkable accuracy—conflicts in the Middle East and America, the rise of enormous economic and military powers, and the stealthy corruption of nations and personal lives. Throughout history, prophecies have been “fulfilled literally,” as Skousen writes, shedding important light on how God communicates and how to interpret His messages in today’s world. Through years of careful research and with a reporter’s dedication to the truth, Skousen beautifully distills these many ancient warnings and promises into one clear, fascinating volume, providing a deeper understanding of the scriptures for a new generation. Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth President of the LDS Church, wrote in the foreword, “Every person interested in present and future events in this war-torn world will profit from a careful perusal of these pages.” Indeed, hundreds of thousands of readers over the past seventy years, including some of the country’s greatest religious and political minds, have turned to this book for insight and encouragement in these troubled times. Praise for Prophecy and Modern Times: “Valuable and worthwhile contribution to religious literature!”—Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth President of the LDS Church “This release of Prophecy and Modern Times is timely, not only in its relevant content but also in the message it brings to the table. Skousen reveals his brilliance in his organization of such a monumentally complicated task. He suggests how to interpret prophecy, tells us its purpose and our responsibility to understand it. Skousen is masterful!”—Gary D. Goodwin, Association for Mormon Letters
The civil rights movement was arguably the most successful social movement in American history. In a provocative new assessment of its success, David Chappell argues that the story of civil rights is not a story of the ultimate triumph of liberal ideas after decades of gradual progress. Rather, it is a story of the power of religious tradition. Chappell reconsiders the intellectual roots of civil rights reform, showing how northern liberals' faith in the power of human reason to overcome prejudice was at odds with the movement's goal of immediate change. Even when liberals sincerely wanted change, they recognized that they could not necessarily inspire others to unite and fight for it. But the prophetic tradition of the Old Testament--sometimes translated into secular language--drove African American activists to unprecedented solidarity and self-sacrifice. Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, James Lawson, Modjeska Simkins, and other black leaders believed, as the Hebrew prophets believed, that they had to stand apart from society and instigate dramatic changes to force an unwilling world to abandon its sinful ways. Their impassioned campaign to stamp out "the sin of segregation" brought the vitality of a religious revival to their cause. Meanwhile, segregationists found little support within their white southern religious denominations. Although segregationists outvoted and outgunned black integrationists, the segregationists lost, Chappell concludes, largely because they did not have a religious commitment to their cause.
Faith communities have always struggled with the questions of ethical method and cultural inclusivity. Accordingly, Ethical Issues that Matter enlarges the methodological discussion among ethicists and theologians by adopting the landscape of a mountain as a useful metaphor for racism. On a practical level, Ethical Issues that Matter is about the agonizing struggle to understand and to dismantle the mountain of racism in American society. According to the author, to do so would undoubtedly enhance the meaning and diversity of the Christian moral life.