Written primarily for undergraduate classes in American religious history and organized chronologically, this new textbook presents the broad scope of the story of religion in the American colonies and the United States. While following certain central narratives, including the long shadow of Puritanism, the competition between revival and reason, and the defining role of racial and ethnic diversity, the book tells the story of American religion in all its historical and moral complexity. To app...
Honoring the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Christopher Elwood offers an insightful and accessible overview of John Calvin's theological ideas within their historical context. A Brief Introduction to John Calvin discusses the trials and tribulations Calvin encountered as he ministered and taught in Geneva, paying special attention to the theological controversies associated with the Trinity and predestination. In this concise introduction, Elwood explores the development of C...
This readable, accessible introduction provides a solid grounding in the history of the Protestant Reformation. In honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Glenn Sunshine examines the key people and ideas of this movement. Questions for discussion and suggestions for further reading provided for each chapter make this book ideal for the classroom or group study.
In the sixteenth century, Martin Luther started a reformation movement that revolutionized Europe and the history of the Christian faith. His far-reaching reforms of theological understanding and church practices dramatically changed both church and society in Europe and beyond. In honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Steven Paulson provides an engaging, concise introduction to Martin Luther's life and the major themes in his theology.
John Fea offers a thoroughly researched, evenhanded primer on whether America was founded to be a Christian nation, as many evangelicals assert, or a secular state, as others contend. He approaches the title's question from a historical perspective, helping readers see past the emotional rhetoric of today to the recorded facts of our past. This updated edition reports on the many issues that have arisen in recent years concerning religion's place in American society including the S...
Chu rch historians have long known and appreciated Christianity's global history. Until recently, however, introductory textbooks on the history of Christianity focused almost exclusively on Europe and North America. Robert Bruce Mullins's A Short World History of Christianity, by contrast, offers a panoramic picture of the history of Christianity in its Western and non- Western expressions. It tells the story of the early church in the Greek East as well as the Latin West; of Chris...
John Calvin (1509-1564) was one of the main Protestant Reformers of the sixteenth century. His thought spread worldwide, and today he is still looked to for theological insights and as a guide to Christian faith by millions of people. In this book, one of the world's leading Calvin scholars, Willem van 't Spijker, provides a compact guide to Calvin's life and the main elements of his thought. Van 't Spijker bases this work on the best contemporary scholarship. By tracing Calvin's in...
This latest volume in the Westminster History of Christian Thought series introduces readers to the events and ideas that propelled the various religious reformations of sixteenth-century Europe. A splendid introduction to this momentous period, Crisis and Renewal examines the historical and theological developments that dramatically changed the religious landscape of Europe and continue to have important effects today. Discussion questions and other aids make this an excellent book...
In Christendom at the Crossroads, the introductory book in the Westminster History of Christian Thought series, J. A. Sheppard explores the development of Christian theology in the medieval period. Expertly leading readers through the major theological controversies and issues of the era, Sheppard highlights why those particular questions were so important for Christian believers at that time.Designed particularly for undergraduate courses in theology and religion, the Westminster H...
The historic teachings of four major Christian traditions--Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Reformation and Union Churches, and Evangelical and Free churches--are set forth here in a comparative framework. Following a brief historical introduction of each tradition, Ted Campbell provides an extensive overview of the tradition's beliefs on religious authority, God and Christ, human nature and salvation, and church, ministry, and the sacraments. He concludes by considering whether...
In this book, T. H. L. Parker provides a succinct but comprehensive look at the range of John Calvin's theology. In particular, Parker provides a fresh interpretation of Calvin's magnum opus, the Institutes of the Christian Religion, giving the reader a sense of what this important reformer and theologian valued as a Christian and as a thinker.
In this volume, Donald McKim traces the historical and systematic development of eight major Christian doctrines from early centuries to the present. Clearly written and amply documented, this introductory handbook features primary sources and extensive endnotes. It covers: the Trinity, Christology, Ecclesiology, Anthropology, Soteriology, Authority, the Sacraments, and Eschatology, concentrating on the decisive points in the development of the Church's theology. This book is well s...
A concise and readable study for laypersons and clergy alike, this book is indispensable for all informed people in many different confessional communities. With the passion of one who not only observes but believes, John Leith touches on all aspects of Reformed history, theology, polity, liturgy, and Christian culture with a balance of enthusiasm and critical judgment that always rings true.
