Digital Logos Edition
Miracles, biblical inerrancy, hell, women in church leadership, creation, and the rapture—these are some key areas of concern for many in the church. With dozens of contributing authors from various theological backgrounds, the Zondervan Counterpoints series is an invaluable set of resources for Christians today, focusing on these topics and more.
Each volume lays out multiple views on a particular theological matter, letting you draw your own conclusions on these contested issues. Respected biblical scholars and theologians present their views based on years of extensive research—so you know you’re hearing the strongest possible case for each perspective.
The advantage of this approach is huge. The thought-provoking articles give you the tools to lay a sound biblical foundation. Whether you are a student, pastor, teacher, youth worker, or layperson, these volumes are a fantastic tool for understanding contemporary Christian issues in the light of solid scriptural truth.
This collection is no longer available. Check out Zondervan Counterpoints Series (35 vols.).
Are the gifts of tongues, prophecy, and healing for today? No, say cessationists. Yes, say Pentecostal and Third Wave Christians. Maybe, say a large sector of open-but-cautious evangelicals. Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? takes you to the heart of the charismatic controversy. It provides an impartial format for comparing the four main lines of thinking: cessationist, open-but-cautious, third wave, and Pentecostal/charismatic. The authors present their positions in an interactive setting that allows for critique, clarification, and defense. This thought-provoking book will help Christians on every side of the miraculous gifts debate to better understand their own position and the positions of others.
Contents:
Wayne Grudem is a New Testament scholar, theologian, and author. He is research professor of Bible and theology at Phoenix Seminary, Arizona, where he moved in 2001 after having taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for more than 20 years. He is the author of Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Politics according to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture, and Christian Beliefs; Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know.
The inerrancy of the Bible is a current and often contentious topic among evangelicals. Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy represents a timely contribution by showcasing the spectrum of evangelical positions on inerrancy, facilitating understanding of these perspectives, particularly where and why they diverge. Each essay in this volume considers the present context and the viability and relevance for the contemporary evangelical Christian witness and whether and to what extent Scripture teaches its own inerrancy. Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy serves not only as a single-volume resource for surveying the current debate, but also as a catalyst for understanding and advancing the conversation.
Contents:
James R.A. Merrick is an Anglican minister who earned his MA in Christian thought and ThM in church history from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
Stephen M. Garrett is associate professor of the philosophy of religion at Lithuania University of Educational Sciences.
Amid a culture that is both fascinated by spirituality and inundated by a dizzying variety of options for pursuing it, many Christians long for a deeper, more historically rooted spiritual life. In Four Views on Christian Spirituality, editor Bruce Demarest presents an invaluable resource for study and comparison of the major Christian perspectives on spiritual formation. Essays on Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, evangelicalism, and liberal Protestantism, collected side-by-side, easily allow for the beliefs of each viewpoint to be thoughtfully considered. In the end, an increased familiarity with each of the different schools of Christian thought will aid readers seeking spiritual transformation for themselves, their family members, and their churches.
Contents:
Bruce A. Demarest was educated at Wheaton College and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. A professor at Denver Seminary, he is the author of more than a dozen books, including Dictionary of Everyday Theology and Culture, The Cross and Salvation: The Doctrine of Salvation, and Integrative Theology.
Most contemporary Christians acknowledge the doctrine of hell, but they’d rather not think about how God punishes the wicked. Four Views on Hell meets this subject head-on with different views on what Scriptures says. Is hell to be understood literally as a place of eternal smoke and flames? Or are such images simply metaphors for a real but different form of punishment? Is there such a thing as “conditional immortality,” in which God annihilates the souls of the wicked rather than punishing them endlessly? Is there a purgatory, and if so, how does it fit into the picture? This volume allows the reader to see the four views on hell—literal, metaphorical, conditional, and purgatorial—in interaction with each other. Each view in turn is presented, critiqued, and defended. This evenhanded approach is ideal for comparing and contrasting views in order to form a personal conclusion about one of Christianity’s key doctrines.
Contents:
William V. Crockett earned his PhD from the University of Glasgow and lectures and writes on contemporary theological issues.
Religious pluralism is the greatest challenge facing Christianity in today's Western culture. The belief that Christ is the only way to God is being challenged and, increasingly, Christianity is seen as just one among many valid paths to God. In Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World, four perspectives are presented and defended by one of their proponents, and then critiqued.
Contents:
Dennis L. Okholm is a Benedictine oblate who speaks frequently in church and youth group settings, and serves as assistant pastor at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Costa Mesa, California. He is also professor of theology at Azusa Pacific University and adjunct professor at Fuller Theological Seminary. Okholm is the author or editor of many books, including Monk Habits for Everyday People, The Gospel in Black and White, and Evangelicals and Scripture: Tradition, Authority, and Heremeneutics.
Timothy R. Phillips was associate professor of historical and systematic theology at Wheaton College, where he was instrumental in starting and organizing the annual Wheaton College Theology Conference. He is also the coeditor of Christian Apologetics in the Postmodern World, Care for the Soul: Exploring the Intersection of Psychology and Theology, and The Nature of Confession.
The apostle Paul was a vital force in the development of Christianity. Paul’s historical and religious context affects the theological interpretation of Paul’s writings—no small issue in the whole of Christian theology. Recent years have seen much controversy about the apostle Paul, his religious and social context, and its effects on his theology. In the helpful Counterpoints format, four scholars present their views on the best framework for describing Paul’s theological perspective, including his view of salvation, the significance of Christ, and his vision for the churches.
General editor and New Testament scholar Michael F. Bird covers foundational issues and provides helpful summaries in his introduction and conclusion. New Testament scholars, pastors, and students of Christian history and theology will find Four Views on the Apostle Paul an indispensable introduction to ongoing debates on the Apostle Paul’s life and teaching.
Contents:
Michael F. Bird is lecturer in theology at Ridley Melbourne College of Mission and Ministry. He is the author of several books, including Evangelical Theology, The Saving Righteousness of God, and with James Crossley, How Did Christianity Begin?
As a part of the Zondervan Counterpoints series, Four Views on the Historical Adam clearly outlines four views on Adam as presented by top-notch evangelical scholars of each view. You will come away with a better understanding of the key biblical and theological issues at stake and of the implications of Adam for contemporary Christian witness and church life.
Contents:
Matthew Barrett is assistant professor of Christian studies at California Baptist University. He earned his PhD in systematic theology and MDiv in Christian studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the editor of Credo magazine and, with Thomas Nettles, Whomever He Wills: A Surprising Display of Sovereign Mercy.
Ardel Caneday is professor of New Testament studies and Greek at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Four Views on the Role of Works at Final Judgment takes up the age-old question: What must I do to be saved? Four leading scholars interact with the degree to which one’s works are considered at the final judgment.
Contents:
Alan P. Stanley received his ThM and PhD in New Testament from Dallas Theological Seminary. In 2003, he moved to Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia where he is a pastor and teaches the Bible at Mueller College of Ministries. He is the author of Salvation is More Complicated than You Think.
For Christians, the issues raised by the different views on creation and evolution are challenging. Can a young earth be reconciled with a universe that appears to be billions of years old? Does scientific evidence point to a God who designed the universe and life in all its complexity? Three Views on Creation and Evolution deals with these and similar concerns as it looks at three dominant schools of Christian thought. Proponents of young earth creationism, old earth creationism, and theistic evolution each present their different views, tell why the controversy is important, and describe the interplay between their understandings of science and theology.
Contents:
J.P. Moreland is a distinguished professor of philosophy at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology, and the director of Eidos Christian Center. He has written more than 100 articles in magazines and journals and authored or coauthored over 20 books, including Love Your God with All Your Mind and Scaling the Secular City: A Defense of Christianity. He is also coeditor of The Apologetics Study Bible.
John Mark Reynolds is the chief academic officer at Houston Baptist University. He is the author of When Athens Met Jerusalem: An Introduction to Classical and Christian Thought.
To some Western evangelicals, the practices of Eastern Orthodoxy seem mysterious and perhaps even unbiblical. Then again, from an Orthodox perspective, evangelicals lack the spiritual roots provided by centuries-old church traditions. Are the differences between these two branches of Christianity so sharp that to shake hands is to compromise the gospel itself? Or is there room for agreement? Are Eastern Orthodoxy and evangelicalism at all compatible? Yes, no, maybe—this book allows five leading authorities to present their different views, have them critiqued by their fellow authors, and respond to the critiques.
Contents:
James J. Stamoolis holds a ThD from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa and has taught in theological colleges in southern Africa. He is the author of Eastern Orthodox Mission Theology Today. Stamoolis is currently the North American director of the Caspari Center for Biblical and Jewish Studies.
Are these the last days? Could Jesus return at any time to establish a thousand-year reign on earth? What is the nature of Christ’s millennial kingdom referred to in the book of Revelation? What must happen before Jesus returns, and what part does the church play? Three predominant views held by evangelicals seek to answer these and related questions: premillennial, postmillennial, and amillennial. This book gives each view a forum for presentation, critique, and defense.
Besides each contributor’s personal perspective, various interpretations of the different positions are discussed in the essays. Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond lets you compare and contrast three important eschatological viewpoints to gain a better understanding of how Christianity’s great hope, the return of Jesus, is understood by the church.
Contents:
Darrell L. Bock is research professor of New Testament studies and professor of spiritual development and culture at Dallas Theological Seminary. His publications include Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods, Jesus according to Scripture, and Breaking the Da Vinci Code. Bock serves as editor-at-large for Christianity Today, and is on the board of Chosen People Ministries and Wheaton College. From 2000 to 2001, Dr. Bock served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society.
The rapture is a contested doctrine among evangelicals. Scholars generally hold one of three perspectives on the timing of and circumstances surrounding the rapture, all of which are presented in Three Views on the Rapture. The recent prominence of a pre-wrath understanding of the rapture calls for a fresh examination of this important but contested Christian belief. Alan D. Hultberg explains the pre-wrath view; Craig Blaising defends the pre-Tribulation view; and Douglas Moo sets forth the post-Tribulation view. Each author provides a substantive explanation of his position, which is critiqued by the other two authors. A thorough introduction gives a historical overview of the doctrine of the rapture and its effects on the church.
Contents:
Alan Hultberg is associate professor of Bible exposition and New Testament at the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University.
The doctrine of the Trinity stands front and center of the Christian faith and its articulation. After a sustained drought of trinitarian engagement, the doctrine of the Trinity has increasingly resurged to the forefront of Evangelical confession. The second half of the twentieth century, however, saw a different kind of trinitarian theology developing, giving way to what has commonly been referred to as the “social Trinity.”
In this volume, leading contributors—one evangelical and one mainline/catholic representing each view—establish their models and approaches to the doctrine of the Trinity, each highlighting the strengths of his view in order to argue how it best reflects the orthodox perspective. In order to facilitate a genuine debate and to make sure that the key issues are teased out, each contributor addresses the same questions regarding their trinitarian methodology, doctrine, and its implications.
Contents:
Jason S. Sexton earned his PhD from the University of St. Andrews and is a minister in the Evangelical Free Church of America. He is the author of The Trinitarian Theology of Stanley J. Grenz.
What does the Bible say about women’s roles in the church? This book furnishes you with a clear and thorough presentation of the two primary views on women in ministry so you can better understand each one’s strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Each view—egalitarian and complementarian—is represented by two contributors.
Each author states his or her case and is then critiqued by the other. The fair-minded, interactive Counterpoints forum allows you to compare and contrast the two different positions, and to form your own opinion concerning the practical and often deeply personal issue of women in ministry.
Contents:
James R. Beck is senior professor of counseling at Denver Seminary. He is the author of The Human Person in Theology and Psychology: A Biblical Anthropology for the Twenty-first Century.
What exactly is church growth? In what ways has the movement actually brought growth to the church, and how effective has it been in doing so? What are its strengths and weaknesses? This timely book addresses such questions. After providing a richly informative history and overview, it explores—in a first-ever roundtable of their leading voices—five main perspectives, both pro and con, on the classic Church Growth movement.
Contributors:
Gary L. McIntosh teaches at Talbot School of Theology, is a professor of Christian ministry and leadership, leads 20–25 national seminars a year, serves as a church consultant, was president of the American Society of Church Growth in 1995–1996, and has written over 95 articles and 10 books, including Finding Them, The Issachar Factor, Three Generations, One Size Doesn’t Fit All, Overcoming the Dark Side, and Staffing Your Church for Growth.
This volume outlines a clear, engaging description of the six most prevalent models of worship in North American churches, presented by advocates for each position. The contributors evaluate each position in order to broaden people’s understanding of diverse models and shed light on an emotive issue.
Contents and contributors:
Six different writers each present a chapter on their particular worship—running the gamut from formal liturgical, to charismatic, to emerging worship. Each chapter is followed by short commentaries by the other writers providing a variety of perspectives on each worship style. What emerges is a fascinating conversation that doesn’t try to convert you to one particular style of worship, but broadens your mind to the inherent worth of different types of worship. A good read.
—YouthWorker Journal
Paul Basden is one of the senior pastors at Preston Trail Community Church in Frisco, Texas. He has also served as pastor of other churches in Alabama and Texas and as an adjunct professor at Beeson Divinity School. He is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the author of The Worship Maze.
Five Views on Apologetics examines the “how-to” of apologetics, putting five prominent views under the microscope: classical, evidential, presuppositional, reformed epistemology, and cumulative case. Offering a forum for presentation, critique, and defense, this book allows the contributors for the different viewpoints to interact. Like no other book, Five Views on Apologetics lets you compare and contrast different ways of “doing” apologetics. Your own informed conclusions can then guide you as you meet the questions of a needy world with the claims of the gospel.
Contents and contributors:
Steven B. Cowan is an associate professor of philosophy and apologetics at Southeastern Bible College in Birmingham, AL.
Do the Law and the Gospel belong to two separate dispensations? Has the Gospel replaced the Law? What is the relevance of the Old Testament Law to our lives as Christians? Is there continuity between it and what Christ expects of us in the Gospel? It is no secret that Christians have differed widely on these questions. This book explores five major approaches to this important biblical topic that have developed in Protestant circles. Each of the five authors presents his particular perspective on the issue and responds to the other four.
Contents and contributors:
Christians generally recognize the need to live a holy, or sanctified, life. But they differ on what sanctification is and how it is achieved. Five Views on Sanctification brings together in one easy-to-understand volume five major Protestant views on sanctification. Writing from a solid evangelical stance, each author describes and defends his own understanding of the doctrine, and responds as well to the views of the other authors.
This book addresses such practical questions as: How does one achieve sanctification in this life? How much success in sanctification is possible? Is a crisis experience following one’s conversion normal—or necessary? If so, what kind of experience, and how is it verified?
Contents and contributors:
Does the Bible support the concept of “once saved, always saved,” or can a person lose his or her salvation? How do the Scriptures portray the complex interplay between grace and free will? These and related questions are explored from different angles in this thought-provoking volume.
The contributors each state their case for one of four prominent views on eternal security: classical Calvinist, moderate Calvinist, reformed Arminian, and Wesleyan Arminian. In keeping with the forum approach of the Counterpoints series, each view is first presented by its proponent, then critiqued and defended. This fair and respectful approach allows you to weigh for yourself the strengths and weaknesses of the different doctrinal stances. By furnishing you with scholarly and thoughtful perspectives on the topic of eternal security, this book helps you sift through opposing views to arrive at your own informed conclusions.
Contents and contributors:
J. Matthew Pinson is the president of Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Bible has long served as the standard for Christian practice, yet believers still disagree on how biblical passages should be interpreted and applied. Only when readers fully understand the constructs that inform their process of moving from Scripture to theology—and those of others—can Christians fully evaluate teachings that claim to be “biblical.” Here, scholars who affirm an inspired Bible, relevant and authoritative for every era, present models they consider most faithful to Scripture.
Contents and contributors:
Moreover, due to the far-reaching implications this topic holds for biblical studies, theology, and church teaching, this book includes three additional reflections by Christopher J. H. Wright, Mark L. Strauss, and Al Wolters on the theological and practical interpretation of biblical texts.
Gary T. Meadors is a professor of Greek and New Testament at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He is author of Decision Making God’s Way and a contributor to the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology.
Is the book of Revelation a blueprint for the future that needs decoding if we want to understand current events? Is it a book of powerful imagery, with warnings and promises for the church throughout the ages? Or is it essentially an imaginative depiction of historical events in the first century? Four Views on the Book of Revelation explores the four main views in which Revelation is understood: preterist, idealist, classical dispensationalist futurist, and progressive dispensationalist.
Contents and contributors:
C. Marvin Pate taught for 13 years at Moody Bible Institute. Now he is chair of the Department of Christian Theology and a professor of theology at Ouachita Baptist University.
Christians are often shocked to read that Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, commanded the total destruction—all men, women, and children—of the ethnic group known as the Canaanites. This seems to contradict Jesus’ command in the New Testament to love your enemies and do good to all people. How can Yahweh be the same God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? What does genocide in the Bible have to do with the politics of the twenty-first century? This book explores, in typical Counterpoints format, the Old Testament command of God to exterminate the Canaanite population and what that implies about continuity between the Old and New Testaments.
Contents and contributors:
Are Messianic congregations necessary or should Jewish believers be incorporated into the Gentile church? The question of how Christian Jews relate their Jewish practices and customs to the church has been an issue within Christianity since the first century. Contemporary contributors who have lived and wrestled with this issue present informed arguments and counter-arguments. The book concludes with a chapter on the future for Messianic Jews and a directory of messianic movement organizations.
Contents and contributors:
Among born-again Christians, twenty-seven percent have experienced divorce as compared to twenty-four percent in the general population. Yet no consensus exists among evangelicals on their views of remarriage, leaving many Christians confused. This single volume summarizes and explores three main evangelical views: no remarriage, remarriage after adultery or desertion, and remarriage for a variety of reasons. Each of the three contributors offers his point of view succinctly with biblical support, and each interacts with the others to help readers come to their own conclusions.
Contributors and contents:
Mark Strauss is a professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary in San Diego. He has written The Davidic Messiah in Luke-Acts, Distorting Scripture?, The Challenge of Bible Translation and Gender Accuracy, and Luke in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary series.
Churches have split and denominations have formed over the issue of church government. Yet while many Christians can explain their particular church’s form of rule and may staunchly uphold it, few have a truly biblical understanding of it. What model for governing the church does the Bible provide? Is there room for different methods? Or is just one way the right way? In Who Runs the Church? Four predominant approaches to church government are presented by respected proponents.
Contents and contributors:
What is the significance of water baptism? Who should be baptized? Is infant baptism scriptural? Which is the proper baptismal mode: sprinkling, pouring, or immersion? Should people be rebaptized if they join a church that teaches a different form of baptism? Should baptism be required for church membership? These and other questions are explored in this thought-provoking book.
Contents and contributors:
John H. Armstrong is the president of ACT 3 in Carol Stream, Illinois and served as a pastor for more than 20 years. He is an adjunct professor of evangelism at Wheaton College Graduate School. He holds degrees from Wheaton College, Wheaton Graduate School, and Luther Rice Seminary. He is the author and editor of a number of books including The Catholic Mystery, Five Great Evangelists, and Understanding Four Views on the Lord’s Supper.
Who should participate in the Lord’s Supper? How frequently should we observe it? What does this meal mean? What happens when we eat the bread and drink from the cup? What do Christians disagree about and what do they hold in common? This volume in the Counterpoints series allows four contributors to make a case for the following views: Baptist, Reformed, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic.
Contents and contributors:
Questions about divine providence have preoccupied Christians for generations. Are people elected to salvation? For whom did Jesus die? This book introduces readers to four prevailing views on divine providence, with particular attention to the question of who Jesus died to save (the extent of the atonement) and if or how God determines who will be saved (predestination). But this book does not merely answer readers’ questions.
Four Views on Divine Providence helps readers think theologically about all the issues involved in exploring this doctrine. The point-counterpoint format reveals the assumptions and considerations that drive equally learned and sincere theologians to sharp disagreement. It unearths the genuinely decisive issues beneath an often superficial debate.
Each author explains his position, which is critiqued by the other three authors. The interactive and fair-minded nature of the counterpoints format allows the reader to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed, personal conclusions. Introductory and closing essays by Dennis Jowers give relevant background and guide readers toward their own informed beliefs about divine providence.
Contents and contributors:
Paul Kjoss Helseth (PhD, Marquette University) is a professor of Christian thought at Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN. He is the author of “Right Reason” and the Princeton Mind: An Unorthodox Proposal, and has coedited and contributed to Beyond the Bounds and Reclaiming the Center.
William Lane Craig (PhD, University of Birmingham, England) is a research professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University and lives in Marietta, GA.
Ron Highfield (BA, MTh, Harding University; MA, PhD, Rice University), professor of religion at Pepperdine University, is the author of Great is the Lord: Theology for the Praise of God.
Gregory A. Boyd is the founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, MN, and is the founder and president of Christus Victor Ministries. He was a professor of theology at Bethel College in Minnesota for 16 years. He is a national and international speaker at churches, colleges, conferences, and retreats, and has appeared on numerous radio and television shows.
Dennis Jowers is an associate professor of theology and apologetics at Faith Evangelical Seminary in Tacoma, Washington.
To read the New Testament is to meet the Old Testament at every turn. But exactly how do Old Testament texts relate to their New Testament references and allusions? Moreover, what fruitful interpretive methods do New Testament texts demonstrate? Leading biblical scholars Walter Kaiser, Darrel Bock, and Peter Enns each present their answers to questions surrounding the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament.
This volume introduces three approaches presently employed in the study of the uses of the Old Testament in the New Testament, especially in those instances where the New Testament authors discern the fulfillment of a prophetic element in the Old Testament text. The foundational issue concerns the relationship between an Old Testament author’s meaning and the meaning of that same passage when it is used by a New Testament author. Contributors address elements such as divine and human authorial intent, the context of Old Testament references, and theological grounds for an interpretive method. Each author applies his framework to specific texts so that readers can see how their methods work out in practice. Each contributor also receives a thorough critique from the other two authors. A one-stop reference for setting the scene and presenting approaches to the topic that respect the biblical text, Three Views on the New Testament Use of Old Testament gives readers the tools they need to develop their own views on this important subject.
Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (PhD, Brandeis University) is a distinguished professor emeritus of Old Testament and president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Dr. Kaiser has written over 40 books, including Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching, The Messiah in the Old Testament, and The Promise-Plan of God, and coauthored An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning.
Darrell L. Bock (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is a professor of New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary.
Peter Enns is a Reformed Evangelical Christian and a biblical scholar. He is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias, and the author of several books, including Exodus in the NIV Application Commentary and Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament.
Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism compares and contrasts four distinct positions on the current fundamentalist-evangelical spectrum in light of the history of American fundamentalism and evangelicalism.
Each contributor defines evangelicalism, locates his view in historical context, and discusses how he understands Scripture and its authority. To illustrate the differences, each addresses the three issues recently contested within evangelicalism:
Each author explains his position, which is critiqued by the other three authors. The interactive and fair-minded nature of this format allows the reader to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed, personal conclusions.
Collin Hansen (MDiv, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the editorial director for the Gospel Coalition. Formerly an associate editor for Christianity Today, he is the author of Young, Restless, Reformed and coauthor with John Woodbridge of A God-Sized Vision. He has written for Books & Culture, Tabletalk, Leadership, and Christian History & Biography. He has appeared as a commentator on Fox News, and his work has been featured in Time magazine.
Andrew David Naselli (PhD, Bob Jones University; PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is a research manager for D. A. Carson and administrator of the journal Themelios. He has taught New Testament Greek at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and he currently teaches exegesis and theology as adjunct faculty at several seminaries. He is the author of Let Go and Let God? A Survey and Analysis of Keswick Theology.
Kevin Bauder (DMin, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is a research professor of systematic and historical theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Minneapolis. He is a general editor of One Bible Only? Examining Exclusive Claims for the King James Bible.
R. Albert Mohler Jr. (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the president and Joseph Emerson Brown Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Words from the Fire: Hearing the Voice of God in the 10 Commandments, and is a contributor to Is Hell for Real: Or Does Everyone Go to Heaven?
John G. Stackhouse Jr. (PhD, University of Chicago) is Sangwoo Youtong Chee Professor of Theology and Culture at Regent College. He is the author or editor of 11 books, including Making the Best of It: Following Christ in the Real World. He is a former president of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association.
Roger E. Olson (PhD, Rice University) is a professor of theology at George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University. He is the author of many books, including Questions to All Your Answers: The Journey from Folk Religion to Examined Faith, Reformed and Always Reforming: The Postconservative Approach to Evangelical Theology, and How to Be Evangelical without Being Conservative.
Few topics can grab headlines and stir passions quite like politics, especially when the church is involved. Considering the attention that many Christian parachurch groups, churches, and individual believers give to politics—and of the varying and sometimes divergent political ideals and aims among them—Five Views on the Church and Politics provides a helpful breakdown of the possible Christian approaches. Readers will find themselves equipped to think more deeply about the relationship between church and state in a way that goes beyond mere policy debates and current campaigns.
General Editor Amy Black brings together five top-notch political theologians in the book, each representing one of the five key political traditions within Christianity. Each author addresses his tradition’s theological distinctives, the role of government, the place of individual Christian participation in government and politics, and how churches should (or should not) address political questions. Responses by each contributor to opposing views will highlight key areas of difference and disagreement.
Thorough and even-handed, Five Views on the Church and Politics will enable readers to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the most significant Christian views on political engagement and to draw their own, informed conclusions.
Contents:
Amy E. Black (PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is professor of political science at Wheaton College. She is the author of Honoring God in Red or Blue, Beyond Left and Right, and Helping Christians Make Sense of American Politics, as well as many articles, reviews, and commentaries that have appeared in publications such as Christianity Today, Books & Culture, and the Christian Science Monitor.
Philosophy and Christianity make truth claims about many of the same things. They both claim to provide answers to the deep questions of life. But how are they related to one another? Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy introduces readers to four predominant views on the relationship between philosophy and the Christian faith and their implications for life. Each author identifies the propositional relation between philosophy and Christianity along with a section devoted to the implications for living a life devoted to the pursuit of wisdom.
General editors Paul M. Gould and Richard Davis explain the background to the discussion and provide some historical background in the introduction, as well as helpful summaries of each position in the conclusion. In the reader-friendly Counterpoints format, this book helps readers to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed conclusions in this much-debated topic.
Contents:
Paul Gould is the assistant professor of philosophy and Christian apologetics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a senior research fellow in Faith and Culture with the Land Center. He is the author of An Introduction to Philosophy and Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel, and coeditor of Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy.
Richard Brian Davis is professor of philosophy at Tyndale University in Toronto, Canada. He is the author or editor of four books, including Loving God with Your Mind: Essays in Honor of J.P. Moreland. He has published thirty book chapters or articles in such places as Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Religious Studies, Acta Analytica, Philo, The Modern Schoolman, Philosophia Christi, Heythrop Journal, The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, and Axiomathes.
No issue is more divisive or more pressing for the church today than homosexuality. Two Views on Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church brings a fresh perspective to a well-worn debate. While Christian debates about homosexuality are most often dominated by biblical exegesis, this book seeks to give much-needed attention to the rich history of received Christian tradition, bringing the Bible into conversation with historical and systematic theology. To that end, both theologians and biblical scholars—well accomplished in their fields and conversant in issues of sexuality and gender—articulate and defend each of the two views.
Unique among most debates on homosexuality, this book presents a constructive dialogue between people who disagree on significant ethical and theological matters, and yet maintain a respectful and humanizing posture toward one another. Even as these scholars articulate pointed arguments for their position with academic rigor and depth, they do so cordially, clearly, and compassionately, without demeaning the other.
The main essays are followed by exceptionally insightful responses and rejoinders that interact with their fellow essayists with convicted civility. Holding to a high view of Scripture, a commitment to the gospel and the church, and a love for people—especially those most affected by this topic—the contributors wrestle deeply with the Bible and theology, especially the prohibition texts, the role of procreation, gender complementarity, and pastoral accommodation.
The book concludes with general editor Preston Sprinkle’s reflections on the future of discussions on faith and sexuality.
Contents:
Preston Sprinkle (PhD, Aberdeen) is a teacher, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. He has written several books including People to Be Loved, Living in a Gray World, Charis, and Erasing Hell, which he coauthored with Francis Chan. Preston has held faculty positions at Nottingham University, Cedarville University, and Eternity Bible College. He and his family live in Boise, Idaho, and he currently helps pastors and leaders engage the LGBTQ conversation with thoughtfulness and grace.