Religious Life

Known as the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther has had an enormous impact on Western Christianity and culture. In Luther on the Christian Life, historian Carl Trueman introduces listeners to the lively Reformer, taking them on a tour of his historical context, theological system, and approach to the Christian life. Whether exploring Luther’s theology of protest, ever-present sense of humor, or misunderstood view of sanctification, this book will help modern listeners go deeper in their spiritual walk by learning from one of the great teachers of the faith.

John Wesley was one of the most important figures behind the founding of modern evangelicalism. From his crucial role in the Great Awakening to his inspiring a renewal movement within the Church of England, Wesley’s historical significance is undeniable and his legacy still challenges us today, regardless of our denominational affiliation or theological perspective.

He burst upon the fusty corridors of Victorian spirituality like a breath of fresh air, regaling the prime minister with his sense of humor, and touching the lives of seven presidents.

John Calvin, a man adored by some and maligned by others, stands as a legendary figure in Christian history. In Calvin on the Christian Life, professor Michael Horton offers us fresh insights into the Reformer’s personal piety and practical theology by allowing Calvin to speak in his own words.

In this compelling memoir, neurosurgeon Ronald (Yisrael) Bernstein was raised as an orthodox Jew by loving parents in the suburbs of Chicago. He went from the hallowed halls of the University of Chicago during the Viet Nam war era to a neurosurgical residency and professorship at Northwestern University. Eventually he settled in the Southwest where he had a thriving medical practice and became the owner of a hospital. In his climb to prestige and riches, Dr. Bernstein accumulated the American dream: an attractive wife, three beautiful children, exotic cars, and a mansion.

John Newton is famous for his legendary hymn "Amazing Grace". Many have celebrated his dramatic conversion from a life in the slave trade to his eventual work to end it. But often overlooked are Newton's 40 years as a pastor ministering to parishioners and friends unsettled by the trials, doubts, and fears of life. Newton is perhaps the greatest pastoral letter writer in the history of the church. He took up his pen day after day to help others fix their eyes on Christ, which, he writes, is the underlying battle of the Christian life.

Are You Ready for Battle? As a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Nigeria, a much-younger Gordon Dalbey scoffed at an illiterate laborer's account of dark spirits that had invaded his house. The man looked the highly educated American squarely in the eye. "There are no small snakes," he declared...

In Half My Life, author Thomas Murosky recounts his life growing up as an atheist in an atheistic home, and how Jesus ultimately showed him the way, the truth, and the life. In these chapters, we hear the sordid tale of a life consumed by sin and how regrets turned him to search out something better. Little did Tom know, while he searched out meaning in his life, someone else was also searching for him. Learn about a remarkable transformation as Thomas Murosky recounts the circumstances that led him to become a Christian.

Venture deep into the heart and mind of the "Prince of Preachers," Charles Haddon Spurgeon. This comprehensive biography paints a vivid tapestry of the 19th-century evangelist who, without the aid of modern technology, drew thousands to his sermons and left an indelible mark on Christian thought. Journey from Spurgeon's humble beginnings in Kelvedon to the grand pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, where his words stirred souls and sparked revolutions of faith.

The purpose of this autobiography is to record the frequent times of God Moments In my life and what He called me to do and what I did, as well as other memories of my life, which all seem to me as God moments, now that I look back and remember after reading this autobiography over many times, I realized that God has never missed a moment being at my side. Maybe it was also my Guardian Angel, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Trinity of God, my Family, or my relatives who have prayed for me and made me who I am today and over the years.

Sam grew up in a loving, chaotic, cult-attending, sheltered family. He explains how his core values and beliefs were shaped by his family and the events that take place around him. Then, you discover how they come to be tested and broken down after several life-changing moments. Obstacles such as depression, fear, pride, and greed attempt to keep him from truly knowing Jesus, and it wasn’t until he hit rock bottom that he was forced to look to God for help.

Can God take an abandoned, fearful child and make her a Christ-like example and a soul-winner? Does he still do more than we can ask or think? Rena's personal story, simply told in both humility and triumph, will convince you that nothing is impossible when you surrender to Jesus. Her many, colorful adventures are a catalog of miracles which most of us dream about.

When your life falls apart - through a death, a lost relationship, a diagnosis - you want more than anything to know that your pain has a purpose. And that beyond your pain, a new day awaits. Tricia Lott Williford discovered this in a few tragic hours when her 35-year-old husband died unexpectedly. In And Life Comes Back, she writes with soaring prose about her tender, brave journey as a widow with two young boys in the agonizing days and months that followed his death.

In this provocative new contribution to public theology, world-renowned theologian Miroslav Volf (named "America's New Public Intellectual" by Scot McKnight on his Jesus Creed blog) and Matthew Croasmun explain that the intellectual tools needed to rescue us from our present malaise and meet our new cultural challenge are the tools of theology. A renewal of theology is crucial to help us articulate compelling visions of the good life, find our way through the maze of contested questions of value, and answer the fundamental question of what makes life worth living.

I am not famous. I will never be rich. I will most likely never stand and speak before thousands of people. But, I have a story to tell. You could say this is an adventure. Once you begin listening to this you will see how God took an ordinary man from a little hollow in Johnson City, TN through many different trials; ranging from thoughts of suicide, drinking, and going from one bad marriage to another. During all this, the Lord was directing me (most of the time without me realizing it).

Former bookseller, longtime publisher, and author Jon M. Sweeney shows—with history and anecdotes centering around books such as Thoreau's Journal, Tagore's Gitanjali, Martin Buber's Hasidic Tales, and Tolstoy's Twenty-three Tales—what it means to be carried by a book. He explores the discovery that once accompanied finding books, and books finding us. He ponders the smell of an old volume, its heft, and why bibliophiles carry them around even without reading them. He demonstrates how and why there is magic and enchantment that takes place between people and books.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want, He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads Me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

Using the torch of logic, Dr. Zaidi guides us into what life after death is. His insight is original, logical, and a breath of fresh air, free of old religious ideas and concepts. Dr. Zaidi's logical approach to spirituality is a true milestone discovery. He uses logic to elaborate: "What is your likely fate after death? You can easily change this fate during this lifetime, simply with wisdom provided in the book. Then you will be stress free in this life and in life after death."

In 1963 America's most famous atheist, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, won the landmark lawsuit filed on behalf of her son, William, that effectively banned prayer in public schools. Bill shares in vivid detail his upbringing - the raging battles, his activity in his mother's atheistic empire, his dependence on drugs, and his years as a fugitive. Nearly two decades after the court's decision, Bill came to the end of his personal strength. In desperation he called out to God, and God answered.

A fascinating biography of Freda Bedi, an English woman who broke all the rules of gender, race, and religious background to become both a revolutionary in the fight for Indian independence and then a Buddhist icon. She was the first Western woman to become a Tibetan Buddhist nun - but that pioneering ordination was really just one in a life full of revolutionary acts. Freda Bedi broke the rules of gender, race, and religion - in many cases before it was thought that the rules were ready to be challenged.