Historical Theology

John Owen is widely regarded as one of the most influential English Puritans. As a pastor, he longed to see the glory of Christ take root in people’s lives. As a writer, he continues to encourage us toward discipline and communion with God. His high view of God and deep theological convictions flowed naturally into practical application and a zeal for personal holiness. Barrett and Haykin guide us through the seventeenth-century theologian’s life and doctrine, giving us a glimpse into the majestic vision that served as the foundation for his approach to the Christian life.

What if every Christian discovered that his or her favorite teacher in church history had blind spots and held to some false - and even shocking - views? Best-selling author Frank Viola argues that this simple awareness will soften Christians when they interact with each other in the face of theological disagreements.

This book provides a fresh approach to the Lenten season and can be used as a devotional or study for both individuals and groups. Once you’ve learned about the characters of Easter, meet those who witnessed the birth of Christ in the companion title The Characters of Christmas.

Few figures have had such an influence on history as Jesus of Nazareth. His teachings have inspired discussion, arguments, even war. Yet few have ever held forth as movingly as Jesus on the need for peace, forgiveness, and mercy.

Five hundred years after the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, many people - Christians and non-Christians alike - view it as a conflict about issues that are no longer relevant to the church. But what if the Reformation still has something to teach us? What if the doctrines so vigorously debated and defended by the Reformers still matter today? In this accessible primer on the Reformation, Michael Reeves and Tim Chester introduce listeners to 11 key questions raised by the Reformers.

Drawing on both a wide range of scholarship as well as his own acute searching as a believer, Carroll takes a fresh look at the most familiar narratives of all - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Not simply another book about the "historical Jesus," he takes the challenges of science and contemporary philosophy seriously, even as he retrieves the power of Jesus' profound ordinariness, as an answer to his own last question - what is the future of Jesus Christ? - as the key to a renewal of faith.

Why are modern Christians so indistinguishable from everyone else? How come Christians who lived in times of bloody persecution were so heroic, while we who live in safety are not? How could the first Christians fast valiantly, but we feel deprived without dessert? How did New Testament believers pray without ceasing? How could the early Christian martyrs actually forgive their torturers? What did the Christians of the first centuries know that we don't? This book explores these questions.

The Five Solas series offers a look back to the five rallying cries of the Reformation - the five solas - while seeking to apply them in a fresh way to the contemporary church. In God's Glory Alone: Audio Lectures, renowned scholar David VanDrunen explores the majestic heart of Christian faith and life.

Carpocrates, Marcellina, and Epiphanes is the definitive study of the early Christian theologian Carpocrates, his son Epiphanes, and the leader of the Carpocratian movement in Rome, Marcellina. It contains the first full-length study of and commentary on the fragments of Epiphanes, the earliest reports on Carpocrates and Marcellina, as well as the Epistle to Theodore (containing the so-called Secret Gospel of Mark). Listeners also encounter an up-to-date history of research on the Carpocratian movement, and three full profiles of all we can know from the earliest Carpocratian leaders.

This in-depth discussion of New Testament scholarship and the challenges of history as a whole proposes Bayes's Theorem, which deals with probabilities under conditions of uncertainty, as a solution to the problem of establishing reliable historical criteria. The author demonstrates that valid historical methods - not only in the study of Christian origins but in any historical study - can be described by, and reduced to, the logic of Bayes's Theorem. Conversely, he argues that any method that cannot be reduced to this theorem is invalid and should be abandoned.

Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) was an inner-city pastor, ethics professor, and author of the famous Serenity Prayer. Time magazine's March 8, 1948, cover story called him "the greatest Protestant theologian in America since Jonathan Edwards". Cited as an influence by public figures ranging from Billy Graham to Barack Obama, Niebuhr was described by historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. as "the most influential American theologian of the 20th century".

The Christian church of the early centuries spread throughout much of Asia, Africa, and Europe, spoke many languages, was situated within diverse cultural settings, and had varied worship practices; yet it maintained a vital unity on core teachings. In The Global Church - The First Eight Centuries: From Pentecost through the Rise of Islam, author Donald Fairbairn helps listeners understand both the diversity and unity of the church in this pivotal era.

In Grace Alone: Audio Lectures, together with accompanying book, Grace Alone, scholar Carl Trueman looks at the historical and biblical roots of the doctrine that salvation is by grace alone, a free gift unmerited by human effort or works. Lessons examine the development of this theme in the early church through the Reformation to the Protestant confessions that still shape the church in the present day. Trueman also explores the biblical means of receiving God’s grace through the fellowship of believers, the sacraments, and through the Word of God.

A groundbreaking account of the Secret Gospel of Mark, one of the most hotly debated documents in Christian history.

Grace - a doctrine central to the gospel - ought to be clearly defined so it can be celebrated, relished, and consistently defended. In this book, Kevin DeYoung leads us back to the Canons of Dort, a 17th-century document originally written to precisely and faithfully define this precious doctrine. The Canons of Dort stand as a faithful witness to the precise nature of God's supernatural, sovereign, redeeming, resurrecting grace - when so many people settle for vague generalities that water down the truth.

Discover the bizarre world of the Bible's strangest book—complete with multi-eyed creatures, demonic horsemen, and the mysterious number 666. The Book of Revelation has puzzled and terrified readers for nearly two thousand years, but what does it actually say, and why was it written? Unlock the Mysteries of Christianity's Most Enigmatic Text The Book of Revelation stands as the Bible's most controversial and misunderstood book. Filled with apocalyptic visions, symbolic beasts, and cosmic battles between good and evil, it has inspired countless interpretations, failed predictions, and wild...

In The Forgotten Preface, Joshua Barzon presents 10 theses based entirely on the King James translators’ words in their preface to the KJV. This book deals with what the King James translators believed (chapter one), an endorsement of modern Bible translations (chapter two), an evaluation of a particular modern translation as a case study (chapter three), and quotes from respected historic Christians who used and endorsed modern Bible translations (chapter four). A modern English translation of the preface is also included as an appendix at the end of the book.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer died a martyr’s death at the age of 39 but remains one of the most influential and challenging theologians of our time. His writings teach us the value of cross-centered theology, and his courageous actions against the Nazi regime compel us to consider the cost of discipleship. From Bonhoeffer, we learn that the Christian life is lived both alone and together, and that there is a stark difference between cheap and costly grace.

How should one speak to God? Are our prayers more likely to be heard if we offer them quietly at home or loudly in church? How can we really know if God is listening? From the earliest days, Christians have struggled with these questions. Their varied answers have defined the boundaries of Christian faith and established the language of our most intimate appeals for guidance or forgiveness. MacCulloch shows how Jesus chose to emphasize silence as an essential part of his message and how silence shaped the great medieval monastic communities of Europe.

In Know How We Got Our Bible, scholars Ryan Reeves and Charles Hill trace the history of the Bible from its beginnings to the present day, highlighting key figures and demonstrating overall the reliability of Scripture. Reeves and Hill begin with the writing of the Bible's books (including authorship and dating), move into the formation of the Old and New Testaments (including early transmission and the development of the canon), and conclude with several chapters on Bible translation from the Latin Vulgate to the ongoing work of translation around the world today.