Early Religions

When Jesus sent 70 disciples on ahead of him, part of their mission was to heal the sick. In fact, they were supposed to heal the sick before they preached the Gospel. Best-selling author Mike Aquilina calls this command the healing imperative. And it's an imperative that ushered in the world of modern medicine. In The Healing Imperative: The Early Church and the Invention of Medicine as We Know It, Aquilina reconstructs the fascinating history of a uniquely Christian institution: the hospital.

A rip roaring, hair raising, edge-of-your-chair saga of the first-century believers. From the day of Pentecost, on through the first seventeen years, every historical figure of that age is there: alive, vivid, believable.

This audiobook focuses on the history of the early African Church from the upper room at Pentecost to the rise of Islam. Its content is a subset of the research in the book Surveying Christianity's African Roots. Herein are cross-references to chapters in the research book, as well as additional details about the contributions, sacrifices and faith of indigenous African Christian men, women and teenagers.

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?

Many pastors feel isolated and helpless, especially those beginning pastoral ministry. Phil Newton and Rich Shadden know what this road is like, and they want to share what they have gained from pastoral mentoring—Rich, a young pastor receiving support and guidance from Phil, an older, more experienced shepherd.

This remarkable collection of 73 verses contained in the 'Khuddaka Nikaya' section of the Pali Canon dates from the BC 6th century. It is said to be the earliest voices of women in recorded history. The verses, some brief, some more extended, are the utterances of the bhikkhunis, the nuns at the time of the Buddha, concerning their life and their ‘awakening’.

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.

The belief that Native Americans might belong to the fabled “lost tribes of Israel” - Israelites driven from their homeland around 740 BCE - took hold among Anglo-Americans and Indigenous peoples in the United States during its first half century. In Lost Tribes Found, Matthew W. Dougherty explores what this idea can tell us about religious nationalism in early America.

A detailed look into ancient advanced technology, science, and medicine - some of which has yet to be reproduced today.

What do we call each other? It’s a deceptively simple question, because how we refer to one another is how we understand our relationships. Not recognizing the power of our words makes it harder for us to trust and serve one another―to love one another. In More than Christians, Norman Hubbard explores how the early church used common words in uncommon ways to make sense of their relationships with God and with one another. His research and contextualization of the cultural background to the New Testament is as practical for today as it is urgent.

How did Muslims across time and place define the line between themselves and their neighbors? Youshaa Patel explores why the Prophet Muhammad first advised his followers to emulate Christians and Jews, but then allegedly reversed course, urging them to "be different!" He details how subsequent generations of Muslim scholars canonized the Prophet's admonition into an influential doctrine against imitation that enjoined ordinary believers to embody and display their religious difference in public life.

In the latest book from her Stress Less Live Better series, Dr. Sanford and Megan Demsky teach you how to best meet the challenges of pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood. With over 30 years expertise in motherhood and emotional health, Dr. Sanford presents her Five Simple Skills to reduce stress, anxiety, and parenting guilt by learning to calm your mind and body. Based on her Stress Less Live Better program developed for moms and busy people, these skill sets are practical and can easily fit into your daily life without needing extra time.

John lays out the 10 key bits of wisdom that were instrumental in reconciling and rebuilding broken relationships. His road on this journey is paved with knowing your purpose, character, attitude, goals, teamwork, trust, respect, courage, regrets, reconciliation, and grace. This book shows all of us, no matter our circumstances or how dark our days may seem, that God is brighter still. Let God start to transform your life.

Recorded by the author himself, most of the topics for the book were conceived between three and four a.m. We've all woken up in the middle of the night with a good idea only to fall back to sleep and not be able to remember it in the morning. The Bible states multiple times that God wakes his prophets early. Were the prophets of old special, or just normal people who chose not to fall back to sleep, listen, and write it down?

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is an apocryphal work containing the final speeches and dying commands of the twelve sons of Jacob to their descendants. Each Testament consists of a brief overview of the patriarch’s life, admissions of sin, ethical teachings based on the patriarch’s experiences, and prophetic visions about the future of his descendants and the end of days.

Practice important early learning skills while listening to eight favorite Bible stories in the Adventure Bible Read Through the Bible. Combining the beloved Adventure Bible with the proven I Can Read format, this Level 2 I Can Read collection combines engaging stories and longer sentences, perfect for building confidence and developing early reading and listening comprehension skills.

What can we learn about leadership and influence from Paul? Most Christians know something of the Apostle Paul's life and ministry, but what about the incredible team of influencers he assembled and mobilized? Who were they, and how did Paul lead this team to accomplish God's purposes? Even more, what can we learn from their successes and failures, and how can we imitate their qualities?

You will be inspired as you follow one mother's spiritual journey which began when she gave birth to a baby with a visual impairment. Recognizing the child would need early intervention, she sets out to find the best services available only to discover such services were non-existent in her community. Facing overwhelming odds, she and another mother venture out in faith to provide the educational and therapeutic services their children need and in the process the author discovers a deeper grasp of God's intimate love and a greater awareness of His miracle working power.

This audiobook is the first audiobook in the new academic book series, Hermit Kingdom Studies in Christianity and Judaism, which seeks to encourage advancement of knowledge in the area of Hebrew language studies, Jewish historical studies, and Early Christianity/New Testament studies. The academic series particularly encourages the use of interdisciplinary approaches and creative thinking.

Decades ago, we systematically removed religious education from the public school day. LifeWise Academy is bringing it back. During School Hours is the two-part (true) story of how it's happening right now. Part 1 investigates WHY religious education was removed from public schools, the unintended consequences of its removal, and why reinstalling it is a game-changer for future generations. Part 2 shows exactly HOW LifeWise Academy is doing it now - bringing Bible education to public school students During School Hours.