Historical Theology

This 1754 work by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is subtitled An Inquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions of the Freedom of the Will Which Is Supposed to Be Essential to Moral Agency, Virtue and Vice, Reward and Punishment, Praise and Blame. Edwards was a Christian reformer, theologian, and author in the Calvinist tradition, and in this work he explores the necessity of divine grace for the redeeming of the damaged will of humanity. He contends that free will is an extension of, and connected to, the grace of God.

For many Christians, our understanding of the history of the church universal jumps straight from what we read in the New Testament to a basic understanding of the Reformation. We're missing more than a millennium! And it was a busy, fascinating, tumultuous thousand-or-so years during which Christianity spread across three continents. In places as distant and different from each other as China, Sudan, and Britain, the gospel was spreading, the church was growing, and believers were expressing their faith in myriad ways.

In this first volume of his magisterial study of the foundations of Mormon thought and practice, Terryl L. Givens offers a sweeping account of Mormon belief from its founding to the present day. Situating the relatively new movement in the context of the Christian tradition, he reveals that Mormonism continues to change and grow.

The Christian life includes many demands, but perhaps none are as challenging or as misunderstood as the biblical command to "be holy" (Leviticus 11:44 and 1 Peter 1:16) or to "be perfect" (Matthew 5:48). How should we understand these charges? In this volume, three scholars from the Wesleyan tradition offer a collective treatment of the theme of holiness that includes: exegesis of key biblical passages, a survey across church history, and theological reflections on the relationship between entire sanctification and other doctrines.

"Tethered to the cross" is how the renowned 19th-century English Baptist Minister Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) described the task of ministry and his approach to preaching. Tracing the development of Spurgeon's thought and his approach to biblical hermeneutics throughout his ministry, theologian and historian Thomas Breimaier argues that Spurgeon viewed the entire Bible through the lens of the cross of Christ.

Where did Jesus spend his teenage years? Did he really study in India? And how did this allegedly shape his mission? Discover the shocking coincidences between the spiritual teachings of the Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians, and the truth behind Jesus’ alleged trip to ancient India, where he presumably lived from his 13th to his 29th year, as told by The Life of Saint Issa (1895), Mystic Christianity (1908), and The Aquarian Gospel (1911).

This audiobook explains Jesus's two natures in a way relevant to the modern listener. It clearly describes the struggle to understand Jesus's two natures and points out inadequacies in the views of some church fathers who misinterpreted the meaning of Jesus's two natures. This book uses the affirmation of the Council of Chalcedon, AD 451, to explain Jesus's two natures and establish that Jesus is fully God and man. This book takes on a historical and theological stance.

We Have Ruined God: My Journey Out of Religion and Into Unconditional Love is an irreverent exposé that uncovers the flaws and manipulations in religious doctrines. It is a candid and thought-provoking narrative that invites the listener to participate in a journey of self-discovery and healing from religion-induced trauma. The book highlights the hypocrisy, misogyny, and toxic elements woven into many religious teachings. At the same time, it provides clarity and a path to spiritual fulfillment in a world clouded by agenda-driven teachings. The truth does set you free.

What happens to us after we die? For the first 500 years after Christ, most Christians believed that God would ultimately redeem all of his creation. Hell was real, but it didn't last forever. Its purpose was to restore, not just to punish. Then beliefs changed. For the past 1,500 years we’ve been told that most of the billions of people who have lived on this earth will remain separated from the love and mercy of God for all eternity.

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.

During its 2000 year history, the Christian faith has been influenced and passed down by faithful women. The women whose stories are in this audiobook were martyrs and nuns, mystics and scholars, writers and reformers, preachers and missionaries, abolitionists and evangelists. These women are examples to us of faith, perseverance, forgiveness, fortitude, truth, and righteousness.

Throughout the ages, Satan has tried to thwart the Divine Redemptive Plan of God with an ultimate conspiracy, which began when Satan convinced Eve, the wife of Adam, to disobey God’s command not to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge in the midst of the Garden of Eden.

Das Wort "evangelikal" wird oft unzureichend definiert und ist mit manchem Ballast beladen. So stellen sich einige sogar die Frage, ob sie diese Bezeichnung nicht ganz aufgeben sollten. Michael Reeves argumentiert anhand der Bibel und der Kirchengeschichte, dass es nicht notwendig ist, das Wort zu verwerfen. Christen müssen jedoch zu den Wurzeln des Begriffs – zum euangélion, dem Evangelium – zurückkehren und verstehen, was er tatsächlich bedeutet.

Often misrepresented as a fruitless human attempt to comprehend God, natural theology has in fact been a significant part of Christian theology throughout history. It has shaped the Christian doctrine of God and provided a starting point for evangelizing non-Christians. In an age when theologians and missionaries alike are in need of stronger doctrinal foundations, it is a doctrine as vital as ever. In this guide, David Haines first outlines the biblical basis for natural theology.

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

Do you ever wonder if Jesus really claimed to be God? Maybe you've heard people say, "Jesus never said he was God," or you've been asked, "Why believe Jesus is divine if he never claimed it?" These challenges aren't just from non-Christians―they show up in church, too. Even if you're not coming from a place of skepticism, you might still question how well church teachings about Jesus match up with what he actually said. So, did the historical Jesus really claim to be divine?

The number of Christian denominations and churches is staggering. This book covers many main issues dividing churches from what began in the first century. It is embarrassing that Christians cannot come together until the final days, though efforts to reduce needless gaps is the subject of this work. Determine where you agree and become a force for reconciliation rather than division. While fun and exciting debates unfold, find the walls that should be demolished.

Despite the commonly held assumption that the Bible says little about the mother of Jesus, there are many indications that Mary preceded and inspired her son in fostering the emergence of a new faith community. Setting aside presuppositions, Chris Maunder returns to the New Testament to answer the question: "Who was Mary?" He re-examines the virgin conception of Jesus, Mary's contribution to Jesus' ministry, and her central role in the events of the crucifixion and the resurrection. In so doing, Maunder casts a thought-provoking new light on Mary and the women who stood alongside her.

Most Christians are familiar with the opening words of Genesis: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” But push beyond those iconic words, and sometimes the details get a little hazy. And strange. God walked around in a garden? Eve was made from Adam’s rib? A talking serpent? And what the in the world were the “Nephilim”? In The Characters of Creation, Daniel Darling re-introduces listeners to the story they thought they knew.

The extremes to which the church and its leaders have gone in order to protect and justify various decisions regarding points of faith is fascinating, but tends to obscure the truth. Revisionist history, coercion, greed, lust, and propaganda were the order of the day when the major items of doctrine were being decided. In fact, many of those truths that we hold so dear in our Christian faith were decided, if not invented, through or because of political and financial aims, and not by theological insight. Many doctrines went well beyond what the early church held as truth.