Theology

What is the Kingdom of God? What does it mean to be part of the kingdom? These are questions that should occupy the mind of every Christian. But we frequently shy away from the full meaning of God’s rule.

In Christian Archy, Dr. David Alan Black examines the New Testament to find the truly radical and all-encompassing claims of God’s kingdom. In doing so, he discovers that the character of this kingdom is widely different from what is commonly contemplated today. Its glory is revealed only through suffering — a point that Jesus’ disciples, then and now, have been slow to understand. This truth has tremendous implications for church life. The kingdom of God is in no way imperialistic. It has no political ambitions. It conquers not by force but by love. It is this humble characteristic of the kingdom that is a stumbling block to so many today. Christ’s claim to our total allegiance is one we seek to avoid at all costs. But there is only one way to victory and peace, and that way is the way of the Lamb.

This is the first volume in the new Areopagus Critical Christian Issues Series from Energion Publications. We believe it is an appropriate way to begin that series by addressing this foundational question of who we are as part of the Christian church, and why it is important for us to immerse ourselves in God’s word.

Consider
Christianity
Series

Christianity and Secularism is the second volume in the Consider Christianity series, written by Elgin Hushbeck, Jr. It focuses on the evidences for the Christian faith and the conflict between Christianity and secularism. Hushbeck believes that there is good evidence on which to base a belief in Jesus and in the basic doctrines of Christianity. He also believes it is important for Christians to understand their faith and to be prepared to defend it. Chapter titles are The Secularization of Society, A Rose by any Other Name, Is That All There Is, Christianity, The Church, Who Do You Say I Am, Resurrection or Passover Plot, and Is Christianity Relevant. Pastors, Sunday School teachers, Christian education directors and youth leaders will not want to miss this book. (Note: This is a new, slightly corrected edition of ISBN 1-893729-30-3, and is compatible with that volume in terms of content and pagination. It may be used with the study guide to that volume, ISBN 1-893729-33-8.)

Study and discussion questions desgined for small groups and Sunday School classes. This study guide will help you learn to understand your faith for yourself, and how to defend it. Designed to go with Evidence for the Bible, ISBN: 1-893729-51-6.
Small Group Resource

Energion Publications recommends this book as a small group resource.

The rift between Protestants and Roman Catholics continues to separate Christians from one another and to diminish our witness in the world. Words such as “heretic,” “apostate,” “idolater,” and “papist” have characterized much of the discussion over the last several centuries since the reformation. While changes in both groups over the last few decades have improved the tone of the discussion, much remains to be accomplished. Author Bob LaRochelle, as a former Roman Catholic and now a United Church of Christ minister, is well-equipped to guide us toward a more constructive relationship.

Crossing the Street speaks to the heart of the Energion Publications mission statement by advocating a “mainstream ecumenical center” in which Roman Catholics and Protestants can come to a deeper appreciation and understanding of the gifts they bring to one another. It demonstrates ways in which these traditions have misunderstood one another and even themselves, and then proposes strategies for both ecumenical cooperation and self-understanding.

This book is founded in a thorough understanding of both traditions and a commitment to ecumenical dialog and cooperation. It addresses both theory and practice. In a series of four chapters, it examines how we live in our own houses, the author’s own story, and then the gifts that each group offers the other.

Disciples: Jesus With Us is a basic book on discipleship, with the emphasis on “basic.” It is for every pastor who has wondered just what he can give a new Christian, a new member, or someone who is struggling with the Christian walk that will help guide them through those first steps of discipleship. It is for every new believer who has wondered just what happened and what to do now. Rev. Riley Richardson speaks from the heart of a pastor and evangelist, providing basic guidance and explanations of what it means to be a Christian. Chapters discuss what it means to be saved, prayer, Bible study, finding a church home, stewardship, service, and some additional steps to take. There are questions and exercises provided for an individual or a small group. It includes a glossary, index, and scripture index, along with numerous recommendations for further study.
Small Group Resource

Energion Publications recommends this book as a small group resource.

Evidence for the Bible is the first in the Consider Christianity series, written by Elgin Hushbeck, Jr. It discusses the evidence for the inspiration and reliability of the Bible, and deals with objections. It is clear and forceful, but also invites dialogue on this key issue of the Christian faith. Chapter titles are How Did We Get the Bible, The Bible and Modern Criticism, Archeology and the Bible, Science vs. Religion, Science and the Bible, Is the Bible Reliable, and The Word of God or the Speculations of Men. Pastors, Sunday School teachers, Christian education directors and youth leaders will not want to miss this book. (Note: This is a new, slightly corrected edition of ISBN 1-893729-29-X, and is compatible with that volume in terms of content and pagination. It may be used with the study guide to that volume, ISBN 1-893729-32-X.)

Subtitle: Recollections of a Journey

Finding My Way in Christianity: Recollections of a Journey is a story of dealing with the differences within the Christian community that is both personal and theologically reflective. With a diverse cross-cultural background, exceptional theological education, and fascinating personal experience, author Dr. Herold Weiss is uniquely qualified to write about this topic.

This notable book outlines the author’s experiences starting in Montevideo, Uruguay and moving through various educational experiences and teaching positions. It is no accident that the chapter titles reflect geographical locations, as the journey through space provides an illuminating metaphor for the faith journey that accompanies it.

Some of the people you meet in this book will make you angry. Others will make you thankful to be a Christian. Some will evoke your sympathy even as you seek to understand why they acted as they did. All of them will help give you some insight into what goes into a successful journey of faith. You can read Finding My Way in Christianity either as an interesting story or as theological reflection. The author’s experiences will resonate with many of us who have experienced the divisions within the Christian community and dealt with those who would silence dissent. Dr. Weiss’ story comes primarily within one denomination, but it follows outlines that will be familiar to many.

If you find yourself on a journey of faith, you owe it to yourself to read Finding My Way in Christianity.

Why Four Gospels? – Dr. David Alan Black ($11.99) Dr. Black presents the case for the early development of the gospels, beginning with Matthew, rather than Mark. Using both internal data from the gospels themselves and an exhaustive and careful examination of the statements of the early church fathers, he places each gospel in the context of the early development of Christianity. 

From Inspiration to Understanding: Reading the Bible Seriously and Faithfully  – Dr. Edward W.H. Vick ($24.99) The way in which we read the Bible grows out of what we believe the Bible to be. Thus it is impossible to discuss methods of interpretation without considering our view of inspiration, the gathering of the canon, and even the reception of the Bible by the community of faith. And so, Edward W. H. Vick starts this comprehensive discussion of hermeneutics—the interpretation of Scripture—by looking at what the Bible is, and what empowers its authority. He brings a lifetime of experience, teaching and writing to the task.

Who’s Afraid of the Old Testament God?  – Dr. Alden Thompson ($14.99)  The Old Testament God generally has a rather poor reputation, even in Christian circles. But as the author points out, The Old Testament Scriptures can remain alive and will lead us to a fresh appreciation of all that God has done for us.

Targeted to thoughtful readers, this book addresses a cluster of issues often troubling for the person who seeks to understand the Old Testament.

God’s Desire for the Nations: The Missionary Theology of John Piper – Dr. Philip O. Hopkins ($18.99)  John Piper is known for his support of missions. Many of his books devote sections to the advancement of missions, and almost all of his works have missions implications. Piper’s understanding of missions is based on his understanding of God’s glory, which flows from God’s righteousness.

Dr. Hopkins looks at John Piper’s background and thoroughly examines his written works to provide a clear and thorough discussion of Piper’s missiology and its foundation.

Evidence for the Bible – Elgin L. Hushbeck, Jr ($16.99) A discussion of the evidence for the inspiration and reliability of the Bible, and deals with objections. It is clear and forceful, but also invites dialogue on this key issue of the Christian faith.

Christianity vs. Secularism – Elgin L. Hushbeck, Jr ($16.99) The book focuses on the evidences for the Christian faith and the conflict between Christianity and secularism. Hushbeck believes that there is good evidence on which to base a belief in Jesus and in the basic doctrines of Christianity. He also believes it is important for Christians to understand their faith and to be prepared to defend it.

When People Speak for God – Henry E. Neufeld ($17.99) When someone claims they have a message from God, how do you decide whether to believe them? This question has been with people of faith at least since Abraham heard someone-God, as it turned out-telling him to leave home and go to a place he would be shown. Other people have left their homes thinking God was guiding them, and have ended up with nothing but trouble.

The way in which we read the Bible grows out of what we believe the Bible to be. Thus it is impossible to discuss methods of interpretation without considering our view of inspiration, the gathering of the canon, and even the reception of the Bible by the community of faith. And so, Edward W. H. Vick starts this comprehensive discussion of hermeneutics—the interpretation of Scripture—by looking at what the Bible is, and what empowers its authority. He brings a lifetime of experience, teaching and writing to the task.

In this examination, he takes up such diverse topics as inspiration, canonization, authority, infallibility, inerrancy, verbal inspiration, sola scriptura, tradition, myth, and many related topics. Dr. Vick always relates these elements to the overarching questions: How shall we read Scripture? How shall we understand it? How does it impact the way we live and act?

There are many books on how to read the Bible, but there are few that will offer this comprehensive and systematic study. If you apply the principles you find here to your own study, you will find the scriptures opening up in new ways. Dr. Vick will help you move beyond the assumptions that often stand in the way of our personal Bible study and see the remarkable variety and power that is mediated through this book we call the Bible.

Not Ashamed of the Gospel: Confessions of a Liberal Charismatic – Henry E. Neufeld ($12.99)   This is not a book of theology. It is hisHenry’s personal testimony of what Jesus means in his life, and how one can be both a serious, committed Christian and a strong proponent of diversity and dialogue. In fact, he finds in the gospel not just permission to be tolerant, but a command to be open, honest, and clear in his convictions, and yet non-judgmental of the views of others.

Tales from Jevlir: Oddballs – Henry E. Neufeld ($7.99) In this collection of ten fantasy short stories, eight collected from The Jevlir Caravansary story blog, and two written especially for this collection, the author portrays parts of an alternate universe he created originally for adventure gaming, but which now forms a background for story writing. Each major character illustrates some aspect of the background world. Together they begin to form a tapestry.

Stories of the Way  – Henry E. Neufeld ($12.99) Much of the text in the Bible is in the form of stories. From Old Testament tales of the patriarchs to the parables of Jesus, the reader is confronted with a variety of narratives. Even in those places where Bible writers are making and explaining statements of fact, there is a story in the background. What do these stories mean?

Henry suggests learning to think more in the form of stories. In fact, he even asks us to consider looking at the stories behind the various statements of fact in the Bible, finding similarities in our own stories, and even weaving new stories from our imaginations. This, he teaches, is the best way to learn to make scripture come alive and to live it.

This collection of short stories is not presented primarily as stories to read, but as a challenge to put your imagination to work as you study the Bible–to write your own stories.

John Piper is known for his support of missions. Many of his books devote sections to the advancement of missions, and almost all of his works have missions implications. Piper’s understanding of missions is based on his understanding of God’s glory, which flows from God’s righteousness. He sees Calvinistic theology as amplifying the themes of God’s glory and righteousness. Piper believes God glorifies himself in missions through individual, unconditional election. Piper states the “essential nature” of God is “to dispense mercy . . . on whomever he pleases, apart from any constraint originating outside his own will.” Piper also believes that God glorifies himself in missions through universal love. He states that God’s “righteousness demands that He be a God of love … love is at the very heart of God’s being.”

In Piper’s understanding of the glory of God in missions, involving a combination of individual, unconditional election with universal love, he reconciles the two seemingly opposing emphases of particularity and universality with the promotion of the “Two Wills of God Thesis.” He distinguishes between what God “would like to see happen” and what God “wills to happen.” God has a revealed will and a secret will; he desires to save all (revealed will), while he elects individuals unconditionally (secret will). Piper’s understanding of God’s glory, seen through the Two Wills of God Thesis, is the motivator and dictator of his missiology.

Philip O. Hopkins looks at John Piper’s background and thoroughly examines his written works to provide a clear and thorough discussion of Piper’s missiology and its foundation.

A basic Christian claim is that God is active in human history to accomplish his purpose, which he will do in the end. This book considers some of the implications of this far-reaching claim.

Christian faith is bound up with our personal history but beyond that stretches far into the past. Faith is not identical with historical knowledge, for example with knowledge of the facts about Jesus, facts which must be established historically. That involves using the historian’s methods of investigation. What does ‘God reveals himself in history’ mean? Christians claim to find an ultimate meaning in history. But how can that be? How is it possible to find an overall meaning in history, theistic or otherwise? Since Christians appeal to the New Testament in making the claim that God revealed himself in Jesus, we must go beyond that book to the Christian community which existed before there was a New Testament and out of whose midst its writings came. To understand those books we must interpret. So where do our principles of interpretation come from, and how valid are they? This is the question of tradition.

This small book is an introduction to these interesting topics. Hopefully it will help to clarify important issues and lead the reader to investigate such central matters further.

Dr. Bob McKibben shares from his heart his understanding of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit within the local church. Combining his experience as pastor, study, and a commitment to sound Biblical principles, Bob provides a checklist for pastors and churches to use in ministry and worship as they encounter the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit.

This is a pastoral rather than a theological work. Sure enough, it has theology in it. The focus, however, is on caring for the Body of Christ as it experiences the abundant grace of God and the magnificent gifts of the of the Holy Spirit.
Small Group Resource

Energion Publications recommends this book as a small group resource.

This book provides a process for discovering and activating spiritual gifts in your congregation. It is not a typical scientific survey designed to discover what kind of personality you have, what you feel like doing, or even what your talents are. Instead, it is a process designed to help a church congregation discover God’s gifts and leading in their lives. In going through this process you will be invited to shake off some of the walls and limitations you have placed on yourself and open yourself up to the full call that God has on your life. Discovering and using your Spiritual Gifts is an adventure!
Small Group Resource

Energion Publications recommends this book as a small group resource.

The original edition of Identifying Your Gifts and Service is a program for whole church congregations, led by a teacher, to discover their gifts and place of service. It is not a typical scientific survey designed to discover what kind of personality you have, what you feel like doing, or even what your talents are. This Small Group Edition is designed for a group of people to study together. The lectures and study materials are provided in the various chapters. With the cooperation of your pastor and church leadership, you can identify your gifts and find your place of service in your church congregation. In going through this process you will be invited to shake off some of the walls and limitations you have placed on yourself and open yourself up to the full call that God has on your life. Discovering and using your Spiritual Gifts is an adventure!

What is the good news? If the gospel that Jesus taught is so good, why are Christians so bad? How can Christians relate to people of other faiths or of no faith at all?

Bible teacher Henry Neufeld wrestles with these issues in this book. This is not a book of theology. It is his personal testimony of what Jesus means in his life, and how one can be both a serious, committed Christian and a strong proponent of diversity and dialogue. In fact, he finds in the gospel not just permission to be tolerant, but a command to be open, honest, and clear in his convictions, and yet non-judgmental of the views of others.

Henry’s understanding of Christianity is built around the incarnation. If God can cross the gap between the infinite and the finite to experience life with us, surely we can cross the gap between ourselves and our fellow human beings. “You are never more God-like than when you open your heart’s door to another person. The more different they are, the more God-like that action is,” he says in describing how Christians should seek to build relationships.

Over the last 20 years, Hannah May says she has been slowly coming into an understanding of her life’s purpose. Beginning with some in-depth Bible Studies about God’s covenants and His faithfulness to those covenants, she could see that He was not finished with Israel.

She began to have a growing interest in all things Jewish and Israel-related. She studied the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, and how Jesus the Messiah is vividly portrayed in the Old Testament models, which were types and shadows of the reality of who He is, seen in every element of the Tabernacle, as well as all the Feasts of Israel in Leviticus 23. Jesus, the perfect fulfillment of the Jewish laws, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Hannah’s understanding of His grace, love and mercy in His substitutionary atonement is the foundation and bedrock of her Christian faith.

These are a collection of her stories. She calls them “mysteries” because they truly are mysterious. God is mysterious and when we are walking with Him, it is an adventure. Hannah is not trying to argue theology with people who disagree with her viewpoints. She is sharing her stories and hopes they will create an overall bigger picture of her theology, leaving the reader to take nuggets from them and draw their own conclusions. Hannah says, “It is a progressive revelation with me, as with all of us.”

What does it take to make a church congregation a community that fully carries out its mission? What can be done to correct the problems of a dysfunctional community and encourage healthy discipleship? In Out of This World, Darren McClellan studies these questions, not with a purely theoretical approach but rather by studying a specific congregation in a specific situation, and letting the members and former pastors speak in their own words. He then looks at these views through the lenses of John Wesley and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

This is a thoroughly researched, hard hitting, and honest examination of ministry, looking particularly at the structures of the United Methodist Church. There are specific recommendations for Bishops, District Superintendents, newly appointed pastors, and congregational leadership.

An EnerPower Press title.

Edward W. H. Vick provides an unbiassed assessment of the claim that you can go on speaking of the Second Advent as ‘soon’ after having said so for centuries, followed by a constructive statement suggesting a more honest approach derived directly from the New Testament.

If you use ‘soon’ in the ordinary sense, you can’t go on saying that the Advent is soon. If you say the Advent is ‘soon’ in a qualified sense (meaning ‘in the unknown and indefinite future but not long into that future’) the claim is meaningless. So the claim that the Advent is soon is either false or meaningless.

That leads us into a range of interesting problems: knowledge, certainty, truth, claims to know the truth, the meaningfulness of religious claims, the status of claims about the future and of the argument from prophecy, and the gap between the first and twenty-first centuries.

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Rite of Passage for the Home and Church – D. Kevin Brown ($13.99) An examination of the New Testament to find the truly radical and all-encompassing claims of God’s kingdom. In doing so, Dr. Black discovers that the character of this kingdom is widely different from what is commonly contemplated today. Its glory is revealed only through suffering — a point that Jesus’ disciples, then and now, have been slow to understand. This truth has tremendous implications for church life. There is only one way to victory and peace, and that way is the way of the Lamb.

Ultimate Allegiance (Areopagus Series) – Dr. Robert D. Cornwall ($9.99) In Ultimate Allegiance, Dr. Bob Cornwall takes us to the Lord’s Prayer, a short and simple prayer that is well-known and often recited. But in each of its major petitions, he finds deep meaning that challenges us to think and to change. In fact, this prayer of Jesus brings us to the ultimate question of just where we should place our ultimate allegiance.

The Jesus Paradigm – Dr. David Alan Black ($17.99) The church is in disarray. Theologians and commentators speak of the demise of evangelicalism. Are they alarmists? Is Christianity as we know it in the process of dying? To make the church and its members true servants of Jesus Christ again, we need to change our entire paradigm-to The Jesus Paradigm.

The cross has always been a scandal and sometimes a source of ridicule. At the same time, it is the central symbol of Christianity. Author William Powell Tuck believes that the cross has never been more relevant than it is today. It may be difficult to preach the cross, but it is the duty of Christians to do so. “As long as the church lifts up a hollow, aluminum foil cross instead of a heavy wooden cross, we will always be guilty of heresy in the message we present to the world,” he says.

In the pages of this book you will start by looking the cross as the central symbol of the gospel, a symbol that you cannot forget if you want to preach and live an authentic gospel. From there you will look at how the cross illuminates our understanding of God, and then to the way it guides the way we will teach and serve.

The cross is truly a difficult subject to preach, both because we stand amazed at what it represents and because of what it calls for each of us to do. But however difficult it is, we must not avoid it. Only if we become the church under the cross will we be the genuine body of Christ.

The church is in disarray. Theologians and commentators speak of the demise of evangelicalism. Are they alarmists? Is Christianity as we know it in the process of dying?

Writer, scholar, teacher, and missionary Dr. David Alan Black thinks that the answer does not lie in the politics of the left or the right. In fact, he doesn’t think that Jesus tells us what our politics should be. He doesn’t see answers in Christian nationalism. But even further, he sees serious flaws in the very structure of our churches and denominations that prevent us from truly being obedient to the gospel.

The solution lies, not in renewal, revival, or even in reformation, but rather in restoration-a restoration of the church organized as Jesus intended it and according to the example provided by the earliest church sources in the New Testament.

To make the church and its members true servants of Jesus Christ again, we need to change our entire paradigm-to The Jesus Paradigm.

Areopagus Critical Christan Issues

As the body of Christ, the church has a prophetic role in the world. Prophets have always spoken clearly to people in power. They have been willing to challenge the decisions made by people who thought they were not accountable to anyone. Sometimes the prophets were respected, sometimes persecuted, but they were never ignored or regarded as irrelevant. So why is it that the church today cannot speak truth effectively to power?

In The Politics of Witness, Dr. Allan R. Bevere asks these questions and proposes an answer. The church has come to depend too much on temporal power and has thus forgotten its divine authority. In finding this answer he goes back to the founding of the church and how it first became dependent on the state. He examines those who have followed, mostly building a political theory that takes the responsibility of ministry from the church and gives it to the state.

You’ll find some names in this that might surprise you. Any discussion of Christianity and the state will involve Emperor Constantine, but what about his modern lieutenants, such as Locke, Jefferson, Franklin, and others?

While the theology applies to the church in any country, Dr. Bevere takes a particular look at the peculiarly American view that the United States of America is somehow God’s chosen people, a nation of destiny in accomplishing the gospel mission.

This book balances brevity with a broad intellectual and historical reach. You will be taken from the founding and foundation structure of Christian theology today to a proposal for how we, as the Church can reclaim our prophetic witness.

A questioning approach lies at the heart of our relationship with God. That’s how God engages us. In fact, questioning (or free inquiry), is central to our being human. Yet the major monotheistic religions vary markedly on this matter. In The Questioning God, Dr. Greenham examines the three major monotheistic religions, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, to see how they relate to questioning, both the questions that God asks us, and the questions that we ask about God. His goal is to develop a biblical theology of questioning, avoiding a loss of direction and focus that results from selective questioning, and also a loss of humanity that results from bypassing our questions through an inappropriate submission.

The examination is wide ranging, including chapters on questioning in Islam, Judaism, evangelical and mainline Christianity, along with an examination of the consequences of a non-questioning culture. He ends the book with a proposal for a biblical theology and a look at the practical implications–just what does it mean to pursue this questioning culture.

The author finds that questions are not just valuable, they are essential for serious human interaction. “As questioning beings,” he concludes, “there is no limit to what we might ask, but our questions must always be anchored in the questioning God’s enduring concern to engage us.”

“Prayer changes things.” It’s a common saying, and too often Christian discussion of prayer deals only with how we can change other things and other people through prayer. But what if prayer is much more that we imagine? What if it is also the means of correcting our relationship to the Creator and at the same time of changing our relationships with one another? Perhaps prayer can ultimately help transform our theology, what we believe about God, into character and action.

In Ultimate Allegiance, Dr. Bob Cornwall takes us to the Lord’s Prayer, a short and simple prayer that is well-known and often recited. But in each of its major petitions, he finds deep meaning that challenges us to think and to change. In fact, this prayer of Jesus brings us to the ultimate question of just where we should place our ultimate allegiance.