Ancient Church

“Jenkins is one of America’s top religious scholars.” —Forbes magazine The Lost History of Christianity by Philip Jenkins offers a revolutionary view of the history of the Christian church. Subtitled “The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia—and...

In addition to the regular demands of preaching and shepherding, modern pastors feel undue pressure to entertain congregants and increase attendance numbers. Often, churches resort to the latest business models to keep pace. But true, life-giving guidance lies in Scripture and the wisdom of those having come before us. Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls helps pastors to embrace a classic, biblical vision of ministry through the study of selected pastoral virtues and early church figures.

From the lonely heights of mountains to the womblike depths of caves, stone has always drawn us in. In The Spirit of Stone, Wyl Menmuir explores the many ways in which rock and earth form part of our identities, histories, and futures. Across Britain and Ireland, rock is everywhere beneath our...

In Germania, Roman historian Tacitus presents an impressive history of Germanic tribes and their societies. He dives deep, discussing everything from their ancestry to their government. The work also explores the similarities and differences between the values and customs of Roman and Germanic societies. Germania is a monumental ethnographic work that provides fascinating insight into early Germanic cultures and Roman attitudes toward them.

At a time when so many disaffected Christians are trying to recreate the church from scratch, Fr. James offers a clear and accessible apology for simply returning to what Christ’s church was always meant to be.

The instant New York Times bestseller interpreting the controversial long-lost gospel The recently unearthed Gospel of Judas is a source of fascination for biblical scholars and lay Christians alike. Now two leading experts on the Gnostic gospels tackle the important questions posed by its...

The most famous church in Jerusalem for nearly 2,000 years, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, often called the Church of the Resurrection, was built in the era of St. Constantine, and the church as a structure has no history separable from the city of Jerusalem and its environs. It is venerated as being on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried, and naturally, making it a crucial pilgrimage site for Christians, and it is now the home of the Greek Orthodox Jerusalem Patriarchate.

A Pilgrimage of Faith, Doubt, and Rediscovery In Chasing Francis, bestselling author Ian Morgan Cron's modern and penetrating novel, the timeless wisdom of Saint Francis of Assisi is blended with the very real struggles of a modern-day pastor. When faced with the tragic death of a young girl in...

The story of the ancient Church is one of a people who were finding their way over many years by the light that God shined forth for them. Today, we are looking back over the centuries with many more years of understanding but we stand on the shoulders of those who braved persecution, death, debate, and mystery on behalf of generations to come.

Studying the views and lifestyles of your forerunners in the faith can provide incredible guidance for how you live out your spiritual convictions today. In Wisdom from the Ancients, author and scholar Bryan Litfin paints a vivid portrait of the first five centuries of the Christian church, packed with fascinating history and applicable insights for modern believers.

Christians from a low-church background do not have to be afraid of liturgy and sacraments. On the contrary, these ancient ways of engaging with Scripture and faith help us see the beauty and taste the grace of heaven through the incarnation of Jesus. Earth Filled with Heaven is an evangelical introduction to the theological framework and habits of the sacramental life. Author and Anglican priest Aaron Damiani translates this sometimes strange-to-us way of Christ-centered faith in an invitational and pastoral manner.

In Song of Songs: Audio Lectures, scholar and professor George Athas explores the wisdom this ancient book offers us for living out our faith today with integrity, fervor, balance, and devotion. Song of Songs doesn't easily fit our preconceptions as Christians. The Song of Songs has been...

"Show me your ways, o Lord; teach me your paths" (Psalm 25:4 NKJV). Have you noticed most things that remain significant today are remnants from the "old" ways? Ancient Paths has been designed to draw you back to the unique routes of those who have followed God and began to chase the narrow way. These age-old examples are the less traveled routes that you will begin to tread and where transformation will occur. Michelle Gehrt shares supernatural insights into what life is like when we are walking out our destinies that God has purposed for us.

In Faithful Witness, Phil Baker explains the theology of martyrdom that developed over the first 300 years of Christianity, and why that theology proved so powerful in the early years of the faith. Why did they choose faithfulness over fear? Why did they choose dying over killing? Why did they choose self-sacrifice over revenge? Why did they have such peace and joy in the midst of unimaginable torture? By AD 313, why had roughly 10 percent of the Roman Empire’s population embraced Christianity, when it was both illegal and incredibly dangerous to do so?

Fr. David Smith offers four compelling reasons for going to church regardless of how we feel. He then explores six reasons people sometimes feel bored in church, five ways to think about your priest, four ways you can participate more fully in services, three kinds of waiting, two kinds of prayer, and the one thing truly needful in our relationship with God. This book will help you see church as the best place you could possibly be—and the place you most want to be.

*Read by the author. For believers and skeptics alike, A Doubter's Guide to World Religions introduces the five major world religions so that you can explore their similarities and differences in a fair and engaging way. The world is a very religious place. Wherever you look, people are...

Find answers to your heart's questions about the Holy Spirit, understand His power, and embrace His work in your life today. In The Spirit Code, trusted Bible teacher O. S. Hawkins introduces us to the Holy Spirit: God in us, with us, and for us! Find renewed spiritual transformation as you...

Examines spiritual and occult beliefs connected to cats from Mayan, Aztec, and Native American mythology as well as from ancient India, Samaria, Babylon, Japan, and Egypt Looks at spiritual behaviors attributed to cats as well as modern biological research into cat behavior and their...

Feed your curiosity of the Bible by exploring the deeper meaning behind familiar Old Testament passages. Below the surface of every seemingly ordinary Bible verse lies a deeper meaning just waiting to be discovered. And these hidden insights aren't just reserved for scholars, academics, or...

Reformed theology informs our view of God’s sovereignty, mercy, and the gospel. The spiritual leaders of the Protestant Reformation influence our faith every day. Learn more about their world-changing thoughts, biblical foundations, and passion for God’s grace in Captivating Grace: 365...