History of Evangelicalism

July 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

In a recent article in Christianity Today, Bruce Hindmarsh, professor of spiritual theology at Regent College in Vancouver recommended the following books as some of the best to introduce the general reader to early evangelicalism. According to Hindmarsh, “All of these books are a pleasure to read, and all of the authors are experts in their fields.”

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The Surprising Work of God

December 6, 2008 By testertwo 1 Comment

Book CoverThe Surprising Work of God: Harold John Ockenga, Billy Graham, and the Rebirth of Evangelicalism
by Garth M. Rosell
Baker Academic
Paperback, 288 pages

Read the table of contents and chapter 5 (excerpt) PDF

“The story of post-World War II evangelicalism, and of Harold Ockenga’s role in its reconstruction, is here told with an insider’s understanding, a historian’s eye for detail, and diligence in the use of original sources. Rosell has ploughed fresh ground and has given us ways of looking at all of these events that are fresh, authentic, and helpful.”
- David F. Wells, Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“This is insiders’ history at its best. Not only is Garth Rosell a truly first-rate historian but he has also lived through many of the events he recounts. His front-row seat within the theater of post-war evangelicalism combined with careful work in little-known manuscript materials has yielded an accurate, vivid account of the evangelical movement’s twentieth-century revival. This book is real treasure–must reading for all who care about American religion.”
- Douglas A. Sweeney, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“In this thoroughly researched book, Garth Rosell has put flesh on the dry bones of history. His deep immersion in the rich records left by Harold John Ockenga brings to life the critical developments that forged the modern evangelical movement. The result is a most valuable book.”
- Mark Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame

Purchase The Surprising Work of God

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The Reason For God

July 10, 2008 By testertwo Leave a Comment

Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and NYT best-selling author of The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism talks with Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, about the results of a new LifeWay Research study into evangelism trends.

Download Keller and Stetzer podcast here.

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Publisher’s Description of The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism:

Although a vocal minority continues to attack the Christian faith, for most Americans, faith is a large part of their lives: 86 percent of Americans refer to themselves as religious, and 75 percent of all Americans consider themselves Christians. So how should they respond to these passionate, learned, and persuasive books that promote science and secularism over religion and faith? For years, Tim Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced “doubts” skeptics bring to his Manhattan church. And in The Reason for God, he single-handedly dismantles each of them. Written with atheists, agnostics, and skeptics in mind, Keller also provides an intelligent platform on which true believers can stand their ground when bombarded by the backlash. The Reason for God challenges such ideology at its core and points to the true path and purpose of Christianity.

Why is there suffering in the world? How could a loving God send people to Hell? Why isn’t Christianity more inclusive? Shouldn’t the Christian God be a god of love? How can one religion be “right” and the rest “wrong”? Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God? These are just a few of the questions even ardent believers wrestle with today. In this book, Tim Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations and reasoning, and even pop culture to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth.

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Cultural Issues In Christian Perspective

June 15, 2008 By testertwo Leave a Comment

The following books are required reading in the course Cultural Issues In Christian Perspective taught by Dr. Del Tackett and Dr. Chris Leland, at Focus on the Family Institute.

Boa, K.D. & Bowman, R. M. (2001). Faith has its reasons: An integrative approach to defending Christianity. Colorado Spring, CO: NavPress.

Bonhoeffer, D. (1954). Life together. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.

Briner, Bob. (1993). Roaring lambs. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Colson, C. (1999). How now shall we live? Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Colson, C. (2003). Being the body. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group.

de Tocqueville, Alexis. (1835). Democracy in America, (Vol 1). (Reprinted by Vintage Books, New York, 1990).

Dobson, J. (2004). Marriage under fire. Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc.

Ellis, E. S. (1884). Not yours to give. Philadelphia: Porter & Coates (Reprinted by Conservative Printing, 2003).

Grudem, W. A. (2003). Business for the glory of God: The Bible’s teachings on the moral goodness of business. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Kavanaugh, P. 1996. Spiritual lives of the great composers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Lewis, C. S. (1974). The abolition of man. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancicso.

Minnery, T. (2001). Why you can’t stay silent: A biblical mandate to shape our culture. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishing/Focus on the Family.

Olasky, M. (1999). The American leadership tradition. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Pollock, J. (1996). William Wilberforce: A man who changed his times. Mclean, VA: The Trinity Forum.

Postman, N. (1985). Amusing ourselves to death: Public discourse in the age of show business. New York: Penguin Books.

Schaeffer, F. A. (1984). The great evangelical disaster. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books

Schmidt, Alvin J. (2004). How Christianity changed the world. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Sire, J. W. (2004). The universe next door. A basic worldview catalog. 4th edition. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Schlossberg, H. (1990). Idols for destruction: The conflict of Christian faith and American culture.Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Sowell, T. (1995). The vision of the anointed: Self-congratulation as a basis for social policy. New York, NY: Basic Books.

White, H. (2006). Postmodernism 101. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Books.

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The syllabus describes the course as follows – - -

DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this course is to deepen and broaden the student’s understanding of the core assumptions of the Christian worldview, and to apply this perspective to critical issues involving the contemporary family, church, and society. The goal is to enable students to think more clearly about the ultimate issues of human existence so that they may live more purposeful lives and participate more constructively in the calling of the Christians as a transformed and transforming community through which God heals individuals, families and societies.

The course focuses on the central issue of our understanding of the existence and nature of God, human beings, and the world around us. The aim is clearer insight into Christ’s ongoing redemptive work centered in the Christians and Christian community as God’s chief agent of societal change. Christ’s work extends beyond the individual to include all of created reality, especially the social aspects of human experience. Students are encouraged to go beyond mere understanding to actual participation in the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth.

OBJECTIVES
1. To awaken the student’s spirit, heart and mind toward God and the world which Christ came to restore.
2. To facilitate the understanding and communication of the essential elements of a Christian worldview, as it contrasts with other competing and counterfeit worldviews.
3. To equip students to develop a biblically and theologically informed understanding of the relationship between social institutions and God’s design for social order.
4. To expose the students to new ways of thinking about social institutions, current issues and pathologies and the Christian’s role in effecting transformation in each sphere of life.

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American Evangelicalism

April 22, 2007 By testertwo Leave a Comment

The following books were used in the course on American Evangelicalism taught by Jeffrey K. Jue at Westminster Theological Seminary, during the Spring 2007 semester:







According to the seminary catalog – -

Purpose:
• To understand the major philosophical and theological currents that shaped American Evangelicalism
• To examine the writings of American Evangelicals within the historical contexts of the eighteenth through twenty-first centuries
• To highlight ways in which the history of American Evangelicalism influences the development of global Christianity

Topics covered include post-puritanism, revivalism, fundamentalism, the battle for the Bible, missions, prophecy movement, Pentecostalism, and neo-Evangelicalism.

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Believers: A Journey Into Evangelical America, by Jeffrey L. Sheler

February 2, 2007 By testertwo Leave a Comment


Darrell Bock recommends this book as “a wonderful tour of evangelicalism through the lenses of various key points of evangelical life.” You can read his entire review of the book HERE.

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