First Religion

Paul is second only to Jesus as the most important person in the birth of Christianity, and yet he continues to be controversial, even among Christians. How could the letters of Paul be used both to inspire radical grace and to endorse systems of oppression - condoning slavery, subordinating women, condemning homosexual behavior? Borg and Crossan use the best of biblical and historical scholarship to explain the reasons for Paul's mixed reputation and reveal to us what scholars have known for decades: The later letters of Paul were created by the early church to dilute Paul's message.

The Age of Paradise is the first of a projected four-volume history of Christendom, a civilization with a supporting culture that gave rise to what we now call the West. At a time of renewed interest in the future of Western culture, author John Strickland—an Orthodox scholar, professor, and priest—offers a vision rooted in the deep past of the first millennium. At the heart of his story is the early Church’s “culture of paradise”, an experience of the world in which the kingdom of heaven was tangible and familiar.

From the New York Times best-selling author of Walking the Bible and Abraham comes a revelatory journey across four continents and 4,000 years exploring how Adam and Eve introduced the idea of love into the world, and how they continue to shape our deepest feelings about relationships, family, and togetherness.

When do you find time to connect with God? Even if we try to be intentional about it, everyday activities and responsibilities often find a way to take priority over our time with Jesus. Prayer can happen at any time, and of course it does, but there is value in setting aside a specific time to communicate with the Lord. The notion of getting alone with God to start the day was an example set by Jesus himself! He got up before daylight to pray in a solitary place. We don’t know what about or who for, we just know it was his way of connecting with the Father before doing anything else.

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.

Eldest daughters are responsible, dutiful, thoughtful, expeditious, and caring. Parents may worry about their "difficult" eldest girl who wants to be perfect in everything she does whilst her siblings may not always understand her. The Eldest Daughter Effect shows how firstborn girls become who they are and offers insights that can give them more freedom to move. And parents will gain a better understanding of their firstborn children and can support them more fully on their way.

When the Holy Spirit first poured out in the 1730s and 1740s, Jonathan Edwards was at the forefront. The United States had not yet declared independence from England, and was an ever-changing landscape of immigrants from all over the world. These cultures brought an array of false idols, religions, witchcraft, and more. A spiritual war had begun in the nation as the devil attempted to undermine what God was doing in the land.

Scott Hahn is an internationally recognized Catholic lecturer and theologian. His books Hail, Holy Queen and Publishers Weekly best seller The Lamb's Supper began Hahn's examination of the Catholic faith. With First Comes Love, he thoughtfully focuses on the connection between the Church, the Holy Trinity, and the family.

Why don't Christians in the church today keep the biblical sabbath? Was the observance of the seventh-day sabbath done away with, canceled, changed, replaced, fulfilled, made obsolete, suppressed, hijacked, or simply forgotten? Even if you already know the answers, you'll want to listen to this book. From Sabbath to Sabbath approaches the question of the sabbath from a completely new messianic Jewish perspective.

Of the many recent books on the historical Jesus, none has explored what the latest biblical scholarship means for personal faith. Now, in Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Marcus Borg addresses the yearnings of those who want a fully contemporary faith that welcomes rather than oppresses our critical intelligence and openness to the best of historical scholarship. Borg shows how a rigorous examination of historical findings can lead to a new faith in Christ, one that is critical and, at the same time, sustaining.

The ever-popular and prolific Peter Kreeft says that the most important question he has written about is how one becomes holy, or, to put it another way, how one becomes a saint. This question is central to all the great religions, as Kreeft demonstrates, for striving toward holiness, moving toward perfect love, is the whole purpose of life.

Typical translations of the New Testament make the biblical text as accessible as possible by using the language of our own day. At times this masks the distance between the New Testament text and modern audiences. Scripture continues to speak to us but it speaks as an ancient text to the modern world. New Testament scholar Scot McKnight offers a translation of the New Testament with a daring approach to the ancient text. Clever in its expression and at times stunning in its boldness, The Second Testament will challenge listeners to experience God's Word anew.

Hundreds of details about the early history of mankind had become entirely lost until the restoration of the gospel. These details about the first 2,000 years of human history are all to be found in this groundbreaking volume. We now know that Adam and Eve had two generations of children before Cain and Abel were born. The exact year of the Great Flood can now be calculated. Details about the golden age of Enoch are now available so we can better understand how the law of consecration works and how it eliminates poverty and crime. Many difficult questions can now be answered.

We can’t get the closeness of Allah (God) SWT until and unless we love and follow His Messenger and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Simply loving our Prophet; Muhammad is not enough; one needs to follow up that love by living the lifestyle of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, the best role model that ever lived. We should be eager to follow our Messenger Muhammad, PBHM footsteps, and eager to meet him. No one shall have complete faith unless he loves Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, more than he loves wealth, his or her children, and themselves for the pure sake of Allah.

The ancient Mediterranean teemed with gods. For centuries, a practical religious pluralism prevailed. How, then, did one particular god come to dominate the politics and piety of the late Roman Empire? In Ancient Christianities, Paula Fredriksen traces the evolution of early Christianity—or rather, of early Christianities—through five centuries of Empire, mapping its pathways from the hills of Judea to the halls of Rome and Constantinople.

Paul’s 13 letters are a radical departure from the rest of Scripture, including Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The only place in the Bible where you will find details concerning God’s remedy for restoring the heavens is in the 13 letters of Paul. The only place in Scripture where you will find law tossed out the window is in the 13 letters of Paul. The only books in the entire Bible dealing with the special salvation of gentiles (non-Israelites), who sin as a vocation and have never even heard of Moses, are the 13 letters of Paul.

The First Book of Enoch is also known as the Lost Book of Enoch, Ethiopic Enoch, and 1 Enoch. The Second Book of Enoch is also known as Slavonic Enoch, the Book of the Secrets of Enoch, and 2 Enoch. This is one of a very few books containing both ancient texts in one volume.

A delectable variety of real paranormal tales you are sure to binge... First responders are those that aid us in our time of need. But have you ever wondered that some of their calls may not be classified as "typical"? Ever wondered what happens when you mix ghosts with dispatchers? How about accident sites? I know I have. That is why this book came to be. After interviewing multiple types of first responders, from 911 operators to police to firemen, you will hear the experiences they cannot quite explain as anything less than "ghostly".

Stories about demons are rising in pop culture, but accounts of their manifestations have been bubbling up throughout history. Paranormal investigator Richard Estep explores this societal fascination as he strives to identify exactly what demons are and where to find them. Consulting with experts ranging from an ordained Catholic exorcist to a medical doctor, Richard scrutinizes the history of demonology and infamous instances of possession, including the case that inspired The Exorcist. With all the facts at your fingertips, you can decide the truth for yourself.

The Bible as we know it today is best understood as a process, one that begins in the tenth century BCE. In this revelatory account, a world-renowned scholar of Hebrew scripture joins a foremost authority on the New Testament to write a new biography of the Book of Books, reconstructing Jewish and Christian scriptural histories, as well as the underappreciated contest between them, from which the Bible arose. The Making of the Bible is the most comprehensive history yet told of the world's best-known literature, revealing its buried lessons and secrets.