"[Resurrection and Renewal] reflects extensive research by the author in the numerous Babi and Baha'i manuscript histories. From these he has succeeded in extracting much useful information and presenting it in an interesting and informative manner."--The Middle East Journal In historical writing of rare power, Abbas Amanat conveys the elation and terror that attend the birth of a new religious faith. Amanat here tells the story of the emergence of Babism, the forerunner of the Baha'i religion, in the mid-nineteenth century; its rapid spread into various sectors of Iranian society; and its fatal confrontation with the clerical establishment and the Qajar state.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It is the turning point of history, with far-reaching implications for our understanding of what God is doing in the world. Resurrection and Renewal is a fresh contribution by an award-winning scholar to the study of Jesus's resurrection. The book is not an apologetic; rather, it takes the resurrection as a given reality and examines what the Bible says about it. Murray Rae surveys the Gospel accounts, looks at the resurrection as the fulfillment of God's Old Testament promises to Israel, and examines how the resurrection reshaped the life of the apostle Paul and informed his theology. He explores how resurrection influences our understanding of Christ, salvation, the future, mission, the church, and the unfolding purpose of history. Attention is given to its implications for Christian living and ethics, the nature of Christian community, and the promises of Christian hope. This is invigorating reading for all who desire greater understanding of participation in the resurrection life made possible through the risen Lord.
New York Times bestselling author John Eldredge offers readers a breathtaking look into God’s promise for a new heaven and a new earth. This revolutionary book about our future is based on the simple idea that, according to the Bible, heaven is not our eternal home--the New Earth is. As Jesus says in the gospel of Matthew, the next chapter of our story begins with "the renewal of all things," by which he means the earth we love in all its beauty, our own selves, and the things that make for a rich life: music, art, food, laughter and all that we hold dear. Everything shall be renewed "when the world is made new." More than anything else, how you envision your future shapes your current experience. If you knew that God was going to restore your life and everything you love any day; if you believed a great and glorious goodness was coming to you--not in a vague heaven but right here on this earth--you would have a hope to see you through anything, an anchor for your soul, "an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God" (Hebrews 6:19). Most Christians (most people for that matter) fail to look forward to their future because their view of heaven is vague, religious, and frankly boring. Hope begins when we understand that for the believer nothing is lost. Heaven is not a life in the clouds; it is not endless harp-strumming or worship-singing. Rather, the life we long for, the paradise Adam and Eve knew, is precisely the life that is coming to us. And that life is coming soon.
How to build resilience in local communities and evangelize the millennial generation. Resurrection Matters is a fruitful study and action guide for any church institution that owns property and in which groups gather together to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. It helps groups connect their faith and the assets that they steward for God’s mission, recognizing these assets as gifts for ministry with their wider community. It encourages theological reflection and practical action for renewal for the church, greater biodiversity for the planet, and relief for the poor.
Jesus truly is alive today. But compared to his atoning death, Jesus' resurrection sparks relatively little discussion in the church. Inadvertently,we can become so focused on the good news that Christ died for our sins, that we almost forget he was "raised for our justification" (Romans 4:25). In Raised with Christ, author Adrian Warnock exhorts Christians not to neglect the resurrection in their teaching and experience. Warnock takes his cue from Acts, where every recorded sermon focuses on Jesus' resurrection. He stresses that Christians who faithfully proclaim both the death and the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and live out the implications of that message in vibrant,grace-filled churches, will be enabled to reach a world that lives in death's dark shadow. The power of the risen Christ is active in every true Christian, transforming our lives. Raised with Christ will help you discover afresh the massive implications of the empty tomb. Jesus' resurrection really has changed everything.
For years Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven. Award-winning author N. T. Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian's future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright, who is one of today's premier Bible scholars, asserts that Christianity's most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection. He provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus and shows how this became the cornerstone for the Christian community's hope in the bodily resurrection of all people at the end of the age. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth," revealing what happens to the dead until then and what will happen with the "second coming" of Jesus. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise. Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation—and if this has already begun in Jesus's resurrection—the church cannot stop at "saving souls" but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life. Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life, not only after death but before it.
