Theology Books - Page 5

Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus

Klyne Snodgrass

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A stunning accomplishment! 5 out of 5 stars.
26 of 26 people found this review helpful.

I have had this book for a week now, and it is fabulous. I have read other books on the parables, one purchased on Amazon and another while in college, but "Stories with Intent" sets a new standard for later works to model.

Yes, this book is huge -- more than 800 pages -- but the first 60 pages are dedicated to setting the stage for the material and how the parables are evaluated, and the final 260 pages are appendices, reference notes and a lengthy bibliography and index. Pretty exhaustive!

Each parable is given an in-depth analysis, starting with a review of the issues that need to be addressed within each (such as cultural, theological and moral considerations); background material, such as related source material from the OT, NT, Jewish writings and Christian writings; and then a thorough look at the parable itself. Klyne Snodgrass does an awesome job of balancing his study with textual insights based on the Greek language (such as comparing word usage in other Gospel accounts), cultural considerations (what the parable would have meant to the Jews who heard it during Jesus' time), rhetorical comparisons (taking into account devices such as inclusio and chiastic structures) and more. He also shares contrasting interpretations for the parables before sharing his interpretation, which always let the original audience and setting be a compass for where his interpretation will lead the reader. Lastly, the writing style is very friendly, offering insights such as this one from the parable of the treasure in Matthew Chapter 13: "No one goes and sells all for something that does not cause the adrenaline to flow."

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the parables. It's wonderful to pick up and read for reference on any parable, but I also have found it to be a great form of study -- using my Bible to look up comparative verses, conducting word studies and more.

The Religious Affections (The Works of Jonathan Edwards)

Jonathan Edwards

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Rich, Rewarding, and Convicting 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the great devotional Christian classics of the 18th century, but it still packs a mighty punch today. It began its life as a series of sermons preached by Edwards to his Northampton congregation in 1742 and 1743, and was first published in 1746. Edwards discusses the place of religious fervor and feelings in the Christian life. For those who prefer a more staid and serene Christian existence, Edwards discusses the prevalence of such scripturally based affections as love, joy, desire, compassion, and zeal. He concludes this opening section by asking how can people sit and hear about "the unparalleled love of the innocent, and holy, and tender Lamb of God, manifested in His dying agonies, His bloody sweat, His loud and bitter cries, and bleeding heart, and all this for enemies, to redeem them from deserved eternal burnings, and to bring to unspeakable and everlasting joy and glory, - and yet be cold and heavy, insensible and regardless! Where are the excesses of our affections proper, if not here?"

After this stirring salvo, Edwards then addresses those who have gone overboard in emphasizing emotional experiences by giving 12 false signs which are thought by many to be indicative of someone who is experiencing true religious affections from God. Many people trust in the depthness of their emotions, the zeal for doing churchwork, the experiences they have had when a scripture verse came to mind, the appearance of love in a person's life, etc, but these things in and of themselves are not conclusive proof of God's divine grace.

Then in the body of the book, Edwards discusses 12 clear signs that God is at work in the life, and the chief sign is that there is a greater appreciation and love for God for who He is and not primarily for what you can get from Him.

Another sign that you are expression truly divine religious affections is that you continue to live for Christ every day. If you have one or two days in church where you feel genuinely inspired and then go back to living a life of sin, then you have not experienced a genuine awakening from God, because when God awakens you, you will be changed forever. Everything you do in life will be motivated by a selfless love for God and for His divine qualities and a selfless love for others.

This book was a shattering read for me because I have often looked upon the religious experiences in my life as proof that I was 'in the Lord,' or proof that I was walking with the Lord, when in actuality, a changed life is the proof.

I should also say that the book is a bit wordy. Many sentences are almost a whole paragraph long. You really have to concentrate to get the main idea in certain portions of the book. The reader not used to 18th century writing might have to adjust to these long and sometimes meandering sections.

But you will be greatly rewarded if you give this book the time and study that it deserves.

Editorial Review:

In the wake of the Toronto Blessing and other revival movements, Christians need this book more than ever. Edwards, the central figure in New England's first Great Awakening, offers his most detailed description of the signs--false and true--of religious revival, while high-lighting the role truly balanced emotions play within the Christian life.

Big Book of Bible Difficulties, The: Clear and Concise Answers from Genesis to Revelation

Norman L., Geisler, Thomas, Howe

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Misled : ( 4 out of 5 stars.
17 of 18 people found this review helpful.

I have not read this book enough to give a fair opinion on it. I will say though, I bought this book thinking that it was a brand new Q/A book about bible difficulties and it ended up not being that. This book is a republication of an older book titled, When the critics ask, a popular hand book on bible difficulties by Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe which was published in 1992. I checked and compared both books and it had the same information or wording. The book does say on one of it's beginning pages that it's a republication of the other book I mentioned but I felt misled because there was no way for me to check that on Amazon.com and the book was passed off as if it's brand new and not a republication. Plus I was looking for a Q/A and commentary bible difficulties book that would present current issues that skeptics are using to discredit the bible, like about the stories of Jesus being a copy of other ancient myths, etc. From what I read from the book so far, it is easy to read, the answers are clear but I'm looking for a more up-to-date book that includes some of the newer criticisms on the bible and not just the older or well-known ones. Maybe there's not that many new criticisms and not that different from the older criticisms but I'd still like to try a new book published some time recently and that covers some of the new criticisms of the bible I've been hearing. I would still say this book is useful for some of the criticisms that are typically well-known at least and it could be used for that since some of the well-known criticisms still present a challenge to Christians and Jews.

Editorial Review:

This comprehensive volume offers readers clear and concise answers to every major Bible difficulty from Genesis to Revelation, staunchly defending the authority and inspiration of Scripture. Written in a problem/solution format, the book covers over 800 questions that critics and doubters raise about the Bible. Three extensive indices--topical, Scripture, and unorthodox doctrines--offer quick and easy access to specific areas of interest. Multipurpose in scope and user-friendly in format, The Big Book of Bible Difficulties offers the resources of five books in one: • a critical commentary on the whole Bible • an apologetics text • a Bible difficulties reference • a theology manual treating important doctrines • a handbook on verses misused by cults

A Lasting Promise: A Christian Guide to Fighting for Your Marriage

Scott M. Stanley, Daniel Trathen, Savanna McCain, Milt Bryan

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Counseling -> Couples & Family Therapy

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Build a Marriage of Lasting Love

Finally a practical, easy-to-read book that deals with real marital issues from a Christian perspective! Soundly based on both biblical principles and marital research, A Lasting Promise is a must read for any couple who wants to upgrade their marriage and make it a promise for life!
--David and Claudia Arp, authors of The Second Half of Marriage

This essential resource offers Christian couples, a well-researched and proven method for dealing with conflicts and resolving problems in their marriage.

A Lasting Promise offers solutions to common problems--facing conflicts, problem solving, improving communication, and dealing with core issues--within a religious framework. With the ultimate purpose of upholding the sanctity of marriage, the book is filled with stories that reflect the sacred teachings of the scripture. The strategies outlined can help Christian couples to improve communication, understand commitment, bring more fun into their relationship, and even enhance their sex life. This book will serve as an invaluable resource for all couples who want to honor and preserve the holy sacrament of their union.

Theology for Beginners

Francis Joseph Sheed

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Best in class 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is the best of class in Roman Catholic theology introductions. It provides a systematic overview providing the big-picture view one might miss short of reading the entire catechism. A good, solid, sound introduction that will be ideal for RCIA students and long-time Catholics alike. Included is a solid introduction providing the reasons to study theology and the rewards that come with it. Beginning with the seemingly simple assertion that God is spirit, Mr. Sheed carries us through the implications of that assertion through to the doctrines of the last things giving us all we need to form a coherent and solid foundation on which to build further. Indispensible and still the best of its kind.

Interesting! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the Catholic faith. It had answers to everything you would have a question about!

Editorial Review:

Theology for Beginners has been acclaimed as one of the outstanding modern introductions to theology. It is a clear, precise, a nd inspiring com-pendium of the central doctrines of the Christian faith.

The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages (Crossroad Spiritual Legacy Series)

Sister Joan Chittister OSB

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Best 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 10 people found this review helpful.

By far one of the best and most honest writers we have today in the Catholic Church. If you are interested in becoming enlightened this is a writer to follow. Along with her books she also writes weekly for the Catholic Reporter.

INSIGHTFUL TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION BY ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST PROLIFIC BENEDICTINE WRITERS 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I am grateful this gentle text includes the traditional calendar of readings by which Benedictine houses around the world read our Rule through three times a year.

I am grateful Sister Joan presents so graciously her interpretation of each reading based upon her personal living and study of the rule for so long, an experience and wisdom which fills so much of her many courageous and brilliant Benedictine writings.

I am grateful for the great English translation of the immortal and ancient Rule which is included here, a translation which renders this simple rule comprehensible to us in our present situation of an alienated, individualized, selfish and secular nation where this holy and devoted and committed and avowed way of life seems so alien.

I am grateful each day to pray in this way with the strength and wisdom which ever flows from Sister Joan. For instance, this Sunday's reading of Chapter 45 included this commentary:

"Those who pray without knowing what they pray," Maimon Ben Joseph wrote, "do not pray." If anything, this chapter requires us to ask even to this day how it is that we can hear the Scripture but never study it, pray prayers but never contemplate the universal implications of them, go through rituals but never immerse ourselves in their meaning. How is it that we too pray without thinking, pray carelessly, pray poorly, or pray without thought? (p. 129)

Please join us in prayer in peace, that we may all together come home to the Kingdom, as Our Holy Father Saint Benedict writes in his Rule and desires for us all.

This Rule is welcome in any household. Read it at dinner with your own community this night, and each evening as the readings are ordered. We have so much to learn from this healing and holy Rule, of humility, holiness, submission, reading, work and prayer.

Editorial Review:

Benedict of Nursia and his famous "Rule" remain the guiding principles for many religious communities today.

Great Prayers of the Old Testament

Walter Brueggemann

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In the Beginning...: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall (Resourcement)

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In four superb homilies and a concluding essay, Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, provides a clear and inspiring exploration of the Genesis creation narratives.

While the stories of the world’s creation and the fall of humankind have often been subjected to reductionism of one sort or another — literalists treat the Bible as a science textbook whereas rationalists divorce God from creation — Ratzinger presents a rich Catholic understanding of these early biblical writings and attests to their enduring vitality.

Beginning each homily with a text selected from the first three chapters of Genesis, Ratzinger discusses, in turn, God the creator, the meaning of the biblical creation accounts, the creation of human beings, and sin and salvation; in the appendix he unpacks the beneficial consequences of faith in creation.

Expertly translated from German, these reflections set out a reasonable and biblical approach to creation. ‘In the Beginning . . .’ also serves as an excellent homiletic resource for priests and pastors.

Walking With the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development

Bryant L. Myers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A thorough and challening walk with the poor 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Bryant's book is a very comphensive introduction to holistic Christian development. It tackles the difficult issue of how development can be distincitively Christian and tackles it well. I was disappointed however in the lack of treatment of the place of the Christian community. This is a good foundational book nevertheless.

Biblical Transformation/Kingdom of God 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent, practical presentation of what biblical transformation can look like. An excellent presentation of the biblical story & world view, with a helpful and practical description of the kingdom of God and Shalom. It presents poverty not simply as an economic issue, but a relational issue with a spiritual root.

I have already given away several copies of this book and plan to give more away. Should be required reading for all churches and church planters.

Must read for everyone doing community transformation work 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

While this book is not an easy read, it is extremely thought provoking and enlightening. Everyone involved in any kind of mission work will benefit from the wisdom and guidance in this book. I've already bought 30 copies for key folks from our church involved in or planning transformational development work locally and internationally.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament

John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

How can we account for the Book of the Law being suddenly discovered during Josiah's renovation of the temple (1 Chron 34:14)?

We know from Egypt and Mesopotamia that it was common to seal important documents--including theological documents--in the masonry or foundations of a palace or temple in order to inform a future king who might undertake restoration of the building.

What might the psalmist have in mind when asking God to remove transgressions "as far as the east is from the west" (Ps 103:12)?

In an Egyptian hymn to Amun-Re, the deity is praised for his judgment of the guilty. As a result of the god's discernment, the guilty is assigned to the East and the righteous to the West.

What is meant by the image of God "weighing the heart" (Prov 21:2)?

In Egyptian religious tradition we find the notion of the dead being judged before the gods. As the soul is examined, the dead person's heart is weighed in a scale against a feather symbolizing Truth. If the answers are correct and the heart does not outweigh the feather, the soul may enter the realm of everlasting life.

The narratives, genealogies, laws, poetry, proverbs and prophecies of the Old Testament are deeply rooted in history. Archaeologists, historians and social scientists have greatly advanced our knowledge of the ancient world of the Bible. When we illuminate the stories of Abraham or David, the imagery of the Psalms and Proverbs, or the prophecies of Isaiah or Jeremiah with this backlight of culture and history, these texts spring to new life.

This unique commentary joins The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament in giving historical, social and cultural background for each Old Testament passage. From Genesis through Malachi it gathers and condenses an abundance of specialized knowledge and makes it available to ordinary readers of the Old Testament. It will enrich your study of these biblical books in a way that no other commentary can do.

Written in clear, nontechnical language, this invaluable aid includes

_ a glossary of historical terms as well as ancient peoples, texts and inscriptions _ maps and charts of important historical resources _ expanded explanations of significant background issues _ introductory essays on the background of each book

"The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the Old Testament is a treasure of information crucial to know to enrich your understanding of the Bible. The authors are experts in the field of Old Testament and its ancient Near Eastern world and present the fruits of their research in an extremely accessible way to allow modern readers to bridge the horizon back to the ancient context of the Bible." Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Religious Studies, Westmont College