"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 Faith, hope, and love—we hear a lot about each on their own, but how are they related? Why is this triad mentioned so often in the New Testament? Written in the form of fifty-eight questions and answers, this book reveals how these three theological virtues—also referred to as "three divine sisters"—together serve as the foundation for our whole Christian life. Deeply scriptural, steeped in key theological texts, and modeled after the classic catechisms of church history, this book will instruct our minds, stir our hearts, and motivate us to faith-filled obedience.
This volume, three separate books in one edition, is a collection of Josef Pieper's famous treatises on the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love. Each of these treatises was originally published as a separate work over a period of thirty-seven years, and here they are brought together in English for the first time. The first of the three that he wrote, On Hope, was written in 1934 in response to the general feeling of despair of those times. His "philosophical treatise" on Faith was derived from a series of lectures he gave in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His most difficult work, one that he struggled with for years - and almost abandoned - was his work On Love. Pieper now feels that this is the most important book he has written. He discusses not only the theological virtue of caritas-agape, but also of eros, sexuality, and even "love" of music and wine.
This is a masterpiece on a forgotten virtue by one of the great Christian philosophers of the twentieth century. Pieper applies the perennial wisdom of Thomas Aquinas to the needs of the present day. Pieper illuminates the entire Christian life through the virtue of hope.
Is there any eternal value to your day job? Is it possible to find gospel meaning in your "secular" career? If you really love Jesus, shouldn't you quit your job and go into full-time ministry? How does your everyday work have anything to do with God's mission in the world? Many marketplace Christians have wrestled with these questions in their lives and in their work. But from entrepreneurs to assembly line workers, from high-paid execs to minimum-wage hospitality staff, more Christians are becoming overwhelmingly filled with renewed purpose as they realize that their work has a role in God's kingdom plan. In Missional Marketplace, author Erik Cooper offers his perspective through personal stories and reflections on the sacredness of all work, framing the faith and work discussion through the lenses of The Great Story, The Great Commandment, and The Great Commission. This book will create a gospel-collision between your faith, your work, and the global mission of God in this world.
The Introduction to African American Preaching is an important, groundbreaking book. This book acknowledges African American preaching as an academic discipline, and invites all students and preachers into a scholarly, dynamic, and useful exploration of the topic. Author Frank Thomas opens with a “bus tour” study of African American preaching. He shows how African American preaching has gradually moved from an almost exclusively oral to an oral/written tradition. Readers will gain insight into the history of the study of the African American preaching tradition, and catch the author’s enthusiasm for it. Next Thomas traces the relationship between homiletics and rhetoric in Western preaching, demonstrating how African American preaching is inherently theological and rhetorical. He then explores the question, “what is black preaching?” Thomas introduces the reader to methods of “close reading” and “ideological criticism.” And then demonstrates how to use these methods, using a sermon by Gardner Calvin Taylor as his example. The next chapter considers the question, “what is excellence in black preaching?” The next chapter seeks to create bridges and dialogue within the field of homiletics, and in particular, the Euro-American homiletic tradition. The goal of this chapter is to clearly demonstrate connections between the African American preaching tradition and the field of homiletics. Thomas next turns to questions about the relevancy of the church to the Millennial generation. Specifically, how will the African American church remain relevant to this generation, which is so deeply concerned with social justice?
A compendium of approximately three hundred texts--in Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, Ethiopic, Syriac, Coptic, and other languages--that are important for the study of Jewish messianism and early Christology. In recent decades, the study of Jewish messianic ideas and how they influenced early Christology has become an incredibly active field within biblical studies. Numerous books and articles have engaged with the ancient sources to trace various themes, including "Messiah" language itself, exalted patriarchs, angel mediators, "wisdom" and "word," eschatology, and much more. But anyone who attempts to study the Jewish roots of early Christianity faces a challenge: the primary sources are wide-ranging, involve ancient languages, and are often very difficult to track down. Books are littered with citations and a host of other sometimes obscure writings, and it can be difficult to sort them all out. This book makes a much-needed contribution by bringing together the most important primary texts for the study of Jewish messianism and early Christology--nearly three hundred in total--and presenting the reader with essential information to study them: the critical text itself (with apparatus), a fresh translation, a current bibliography, and thematic tags that allow the reader to trace themes across the corpus. This volume aims to be the starting point for all future work on the primary sources that are relevant to messianology and Christology. About the Author Gregory R. Lanier (PhD, University of Cambridge) is Associate Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He has written extensively on early Christology and published Old Testament Conceptual Metaphors and the Christology of Luke's Gospel (Bloomsbury, 2018); Septuaginta: A Reader's Edition (Hendrickson, 2018); and Is Jesus Truly God? How the Bible Teaches the Divinity of Christ (Crossway, 2020). He also serves as associate pastor of River Oaks Church in Lake Mary, Florida.
What beliefs are core to the Christian faith? This book is here to help you understand the reason for your hope as a Christian so that you can see it with fresh sight and invite others into the conversation. A lot of Christians take their story—the narratives that give rise to their beliefs—for granted. They pray, go to church, perhaps even read their Bible. But they might be stuck if a stranger asked them to explain what they believe and why they believe it. Author, pastor, and theologian Mike Horton unpacks the essential and basic beliefs that all Christians share in a way that is easy to understand and applicable to our lives today. And in a way that will make you excited to be a Christian! Core Christianity covers topics like: Jesus as both fully God and fully man. The doctrine of the Trinity. The goodness of God despite a broken world. The ways God speaks. The meaning of salvation. What is the Christian calling? Includes discussion questions for individual or group use. This introduction to the basic doctrines of Christianity is perfect for those who are new to the faith, as well as those who have an interest in deepening their understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
What is at the heart of this diverse, messy, and sometimes horribly misrepresented faith called Christianity? Distilled from historical Christian beliefs and rooted in three classic Christian words, Faith Hope Love artfully expresses the beauty of the Christian faith for anyone who is curious, confused, or skeptical about its essential tenants.
For anyone who feels less-than about your work, your worth, your body, or the life you're building, find here an incredible hope: you don't have to have it all together to "qualify" for your life's calling. Just ask Caitlin Crosby, the former Hollywood talent who didn't finish college, never got an MBA, and wasn't supposed to become a CEO--yet that's exactly what she did. Caitlin's passion for people led her to launch The Giving Keys, a give-back jewelry brand with the mission of helping its employees transition out of homelessness. Each of their one million keys sold represents a person who wore it and shared it with someone else, in a unique pay-it-forward model. In You Are the Key, Caitlin opens up about her own secret "flaw" that rocked her sense of self-worth for the better part of two decades and her private battle to believe that our scars are not sources of shame but proof of courage and prompts toward purpose. Through Caitlin's all-too-real stories, sparkling with warmth and humor, you'll find the encouragement you need to: Be brave enough to let yourself fail Reframe your imperfections as signposts guiding you toward your greatest purpose Move forward from past mistakes and build something beautiful As you learn more about Caitlin and her journey, you'll learn that your own path to discovering and developing your purpose won't be a straight line. You'll fall down, and you'll get back up again. But Caitlin's story will remind you that your own imperfections can lead to your greatest purpose--and it all starts today. Praise for You Are the Key: "I've admired Caitlin's generosity and her work with The Giving Keys for years. I'm grateful to know her story. It's a reminder to never allow fear or setbacks to keep us from stepping out into the unknown. Caitlin has shown us that it's often in quiet moments of courage that we discover the things we're passionate about and realize more of who we're meant to be." --Joanna Gaines, cofounder of Magnolia "Caitlin's work in bringing purpose back to the lives of so many speaks for itself. With her as your guide, you will unlock purpose, confidence, and joy beyond what you could ever imagine." --Sarah Jakes Roberts, pastor, bestselling author, and founder of Woman Evolve "Equal parts powerful and personable, You Are the Key tells the story of what is possible when you follow big dreams with big heart." --Maria Shriver, journalist and New York Times bestselling author
