Why is it that science has consistently thrived wherever the Christian faith can be found? Why is it that so many great scientists - past and present - attribute their motivation and their discoveries, at least partially, to their Christian beliefs? Why are the age-old writings of the Bible so full of questions about natural phenomena? And, perhaps most importantly of all, why is all this virtually unknown to the general public? Too often, it would seem, science has been presented to the outside world as a robotic, detached, unemotional enterprise. Too often, Christianity is dismissed as being an ancient superstition. In reality, neither is the case. Science is a deeply human activity, and Christianity is deeply reasonable. Perhaps this is why, from ancient times right up to today, many individuals have been profoundly committed to both - and have helped us to understand more and more about the extraordinary world that we live in. As authors Tom McLeish and David Hutchings examine the story of science, and look at the part that Christianity has played, they uncover a powerful underlying reason for doing science in the first place. In example after example, ranging from 4000 BC to the present day, they show that thinking with a Christian worldview has been intimately involved with, and sometimes even directly responsible for, some of the biggest leaps forward ever made. Ultimately, they portray a biblical God who loves Science - and a Science that truly needs God.
Being depressed often leaves you feeling paralysed into inaction. Climbing back out of the pit of gloom seems almost impossible. You need help, and that is what this book offers - practical, humane and spiritual help. Sue Atkinson has suffered years of depression herself. She does not write as an expert on depression or as a depression counsellor, but as someone who knows the feelings from close personal experience. As a result, her book contains a varied menu of hints, quotations and illustrations, not page after page of unbroken text. This is a book to dip into as fits your mood and need, making a dependable guide to the climb.
The question of what it is to be a human person is the biggest intellectual question of our day.' Keith Ward has taught philosophy and theology in British universities for the past 40 years, and he is now weighing in on a major intellectual battle: whether human persons are purely materialistic - nothing but matter - or whether there is another, deeply valuable part of us, which transcends our bodies in nature and moral worth: the soul. For centuries philosophers have debated the question, but the battle has taken the limelight through the works of the New Atheists. In this book Professor Ward guides the reader through a panoply of thinkers and traditions, arguing that there is more to humanity than bodies. In fact, he argues, there is more to the entire universe than the naked eye perceives. (And contrary to the New Atheist assertions, there are good philosophical arguments to back this up!)
An accessible, down-to-earth introduction to the central aspects of Christian history, this Pocket Guide includes the stories of its key events and characters, bringing a wide range of chronological, geographical and doctrinal history vividly to life. From the early church to the twenty-first century, this concise and fascinating book is a lively survey of the world's most widespread religion. Covering topics as diverse as the Apostles and Constantine, the Celtic Church and the division between East and West, the Reformation and the Enlightenment to the modern age, this is an indispensable resource for understanding a truly global phenomenon: Christianity.
Keir Hardie was a founder and the first parliamentary leader of the Labour Party. At the turn of the 19th century he was Labour's most famous face. But despite being voted Labour's 'Greatest Hero' at the 2008 Party Conference, in recent years his extraordinary story seems all but forgotten. Born illegitimate just outside Glasgow in 1856, his life didn't start gently. Before the age of 10, he was the sole wage earner in his working class, atheist family. He never went to school but was self-taught, avidly reading books lent him by a kind young clergyman. This led to two major conversions in his life: first to Christianity, and then to socialism. While earlier biographies have neglected the former, pointing out his experience of hardship as the source of his passion for social justice, the role of Christianity in Hardie's life was profound. It shaped his involvement in many of the greatest social changes of the time.
John Robinson had the worst possible start in life. Taken into care at four months old, he was left in abusive foster homes for most of his childhood. At fourteen he was sent to a detention centre for arson. Gravitating towards a life of crime, he moved from borstal to the streets to psychiatric hospital, a scarred, tattooed, broken and angry young man. Yet God had plans for John. He would go on to run the Eden bus ministry: frontline youth buses which travel the toughest parts of Manchester with the gospel. The teams befriend young people and sometimes accompany them to court. 'My passion is, and I pray always will be, for those who feel downtrodden, hurt and rejected,' says John Robinson. 'They feel like scum, and wake up each day with nothing and no one. I know exactly what that feels like.'
There is a widespread myth that young people are feckless and irresponsible. To contradict this, Gavin and Simeon present twelve groups of real young people, and the adults who helped to form, nurture and develop them. Their book explores how these groups began, grew, experienced the presence of God, and acted to change their communities in Jesus' name. It will encourage readers to see young people as exciting, challenging, vibrant and potential revolutionaries. It will challenge young readers to emulate the true-life stories within the book, and take steps to revolutionise their churches, schools and communities. It will also show that to be a 'youth leader', it is not necessary to be a spiritual giant, but simply a faithful servant of God.
Was St Paul a distorter of Jesus' original message, or a faithful follower? Over recent years some critics of Christianity have claimed that while Jesus was a gifted teacher and a man of unparalleled kindness, St Paul was the true founder of Christianity, which he based on a delusional mistake: the idea that Jesus was God. This theory has found its way into academia, churches, newspapers, and, most recently, novels. In Did St Paul Get Jesus Right? respected New Testament scholar David Wenham looks at the historical evidence for such claims. Comparing the life and message of Jesus with the writings of St Paul, he offers a thoughtful exploration of their relationship, concluding that far from imagining Christianity, Paul was the messenger of an inherited faith.
Millions of consumers worldwide have become trapped in a vicious spiral of debt. In the UK alone, the average owed by adults is GBP29,747, a sum which grows at a painfully high rate. But what can be done about it? It so easily gets out of control and there comes a point when you just don't think you'll ever get out of it. But there is hope. In this book Katie Clark and Rob Parsons guide you through the smart way to get out of debt and transform your finances. In sixty minutes.
The Clapham Sect was a group of evangelical Christians, prominent in England from about 1790 to 1830, who campaigned for the abolition of slavery and promoted missionary work at home and abroad. The group centred on the church of John Venn, rector of Clapham in south London. Its members included William Wilberforce, Henry Thornton, James Stephen, Zachary Macaulay and others. Stephen Tomkins tells the fascinating story of the group as one of a web of family relations - father and son, aunt and nephew, husband and wife, daughter and father, cousins, etc. Within the story of the people are the stories of their famous campaigns against the slave trade, then slavery, the Sierra Leone colony, Indian mission, home mission, charity and politics. The book ends by assessing the long term influence of the Clapham Sect on Victorian Britain and the Empire.
Worshipped by 2 billion Christians worldwide, Jesus Christ is the most famous human being ever. Stephen Tomkins takes the reader on a enlightening and enjoyable journey through the key stages of Christian development, covering the people, the events, the movements, the controversies and the expansion of the Church in this lively 'warts and all' portrait. The book begins with the life of Jesus before looking at the spread of the early church and the Roman Empire. Tomkins then continues the story of Christianity right up to the present day, including discussion of topics such as: the Eastern church, battles between East and West, the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, the Enlightenment and the impact of science. The author also provides a snapshot of the worldwide church of the 21st century and explores the challenges it faces.
The story of the World War 2 de-coders of Bletchley Park continues to fascinate. How did Mair Thomas, a musician brought up in the Welsh valleys, find herself in the rarefied atmosphere of Hut Six, surrounded by hundreds of others, all desperately trying to break the German Enigma Code? Sworn to secrecy and working in cramped and uncomfortable conditions, Mair discovered her degree in German and Music was just what was needed. Drawn from the public schools and Oxbridge her background was very different to that of most of her colleagues and she didn't immediately fit in. This captivating memoir unpacks her daily life and explores the relationships she built. My Secret Life in Hut Six provides a fascinating insight into one woman's battle against Nazi Germany vividly capturing an era of danger, strain and day to day difficulties that were brightened occasionally by visits from the top brass, such as Winston Churchill.
Shortly before her eighteenth birthday, Rhiannon Morgan runs away from the remote Welsh village of Llandymna. Camping out in Dyrys Woods, she starts to make a new life for herself and she finds space for her active imagination to run wild. Weaving together the stories she loves and memories of her past, including the mother she lost thirteen years ago. Back in the village, Rhiannon's disappearance triggers a series of events that uncovers the cracks in Llandymna's quiet surface. Quick-tempered Callum finds himself reluctantly drawn into search parties, while a young police officer is forced to investigate his neighbours, and the village's elderly story-teller hints at a secret that the older generation have kept for decades...
Neil returns from ordination inspired by his sense of ministry, but determined to distance himself from the two ladies in his life. This is not altogether well received, and a wide segment of the congregation of St Stephen's Dunbridge - including the music group - points Neil to the error of his ways. Meanwhile Neil's close friend Colin and his wife Jeannie are delighted by the birth of a daughter, but is all well with the baby? Neil's mother Iris continues to meddle, to his irritation. Churchwarden Peter has said a relieved farewell to his flighty wife Glenda - or has he? Dunbridge is not as peaceful as it seems :
Aidan brings his bright 8-year-old daughter Melangell to the retreat centre on the holy island of Lindisfarne to show her the places about which her recently-dead mother Jenny wrote books. There they meet Lucy, a Methodist minister, who is running a course on Northumbrian saints. When Rachel, a troubled teenager whom Lucy had befriended, is found dead on the beach, suspicion falls on one guest after another. The publicity allows Lucy's violent ex-partner, with whom she had served in the police, to track her down ...
This profound little book encourages us to set aside our limited expectations, and to fall in line with God's. Human beings like organization, structures, plans; God grows people. We ask for a budget; God offers us love. If you are aiming at relationship rather than performance, how do you measure effectiveness? How do you write a mission statement, yet allow God space to act out His plan rather than yours? What does Divine Order look like? Faith in God involves risk, and the possibility that God will do something entirely new. Starting with the seven days of creation, Danielle considers how God's world resembles A Beautiful Mess ' vibrant, full of colour and pulsating with life, but not about propositions. The Christian life is organic, not prescribed. We were not created to work, but to be fruitful. We need to be willing to put ourselves in a position where only God can do what needs to be done, and to have the humility to let God show us what that is.
The Ideas Factory is a priceless resource for anyone working with young people. It contains 100 adaptable discussion starters: a brief story, usually factual, followed by a series of provocative questions. The stories explore topics relevant to young people, including relationships, technology, and emotions; an important biblical concept, such as giving, the afterlife, or love; and the main stories and themes of the Bible. The questions begin with general issues, before moving on to what the Bible has to say. Extra questions are included for use with unchurched young people. This revised and updated edition has up-to-date examples and references to connect with today's young people.
Pam Rhodes is a passionate advocate for our heritage of splendid hymns. Hymns, she explains, help us respond to God: they are 'prayers in our pockets'. With her warm personal touch she describes how these hymns came to be written, and considers the perceptions they contain. This book is a treasury of fascinating detail, but it is also a source of devotion: as you consider each hymn and the story behind it you will be drawn into worship. Each reflection concludes with a short prayer.
Getting through the tough stuff. You see a friend suffer. Leaders and churches let you down. Your prayers fall flat. Maybe your dad died. How do you have faith through these things? Gavin and Anne have faced their own challenges. They struggled to conceive ' and then their second child needed thirteen blood transfusions. Every day their work brings them into contact with hurting young people. They don't have all the answers, but they demonstrate that it is possible to meet the questions head-on and go on growing. -Gavin and Anne have chosen to make living for Jesus the most important thing in their lives. This honest book is born out of experience and shaped by encounters with people who struggle. If you want a quick-fix consumer faith don't bother to read it. But if you are seeking genuine answers, this book is a real find.-' Ian Coffey, Director of Leadership Training, Moorlands College -Gavin and Anne have emerged stronger, more compassionate and more focussed as they have allowed their faith to be tested. Their insights and wisdom are set out in this readable and honest book, which we thoroughly recommend to you: get it, read it and live it!- ' John and Anne Coles, National Directors, New Wine -What I love most about Gav and Anne is their integrity.- ' Rachel Gardner, Romance Academy
This is book is written particularly with new and young Christians in mind. The author, a member of the Soul Survivor team, has come to see that some very basic but engaging teaching, laced with good stories, is a vital component in their formation. The function of this book is to provide the reader with simple steps of how to receive, use and develop gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is in a simple, easy to follow format that encourages readers to engage with the Holy Spirit for themselves through prayers and exercises. After an initial explanation about the person and nature of the Spirit, Jeannie covers the gifts of tongues, words of knowledge, prophecy, miracles and healing, before concluding with an introduction to prayer ministry.
Join Harriet, Darwin's pet tortoise, and Milton, Schrodinger's indecisive cat on a time-travelling quest of discovery, unravelling scientific exploration and religious beliefs and how they fit together. Throughout the centuries humans have been looking for answers to BIG questions - how did the universe start? Is there a God behind it? Has science explained away the need for a God, or can faith enhance scientific discovery? On this adventure, Harriet and Milton meet the great Victorian scientists. Voyage with Darwin as he worked out his theory of Evolution . Step into Harriet and Milton's time machine, bring some snacks, and enjoy this curious quest of discovery. Written by Julia Golding, winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2006, and the Nestle Smarties Book Prize 2006.
Hazardous drinking in the UK is widespread: 1 in 4 according to a recent government survey. More severe 'alcohol dependence' affects nearly 6% of the UK population - that's 1.8 million people. But for each alcoholic there is usually a family - estimates suggest that at least 3 people per alcohol abuser suffer on this account. The loved ones of alcohol abusers are a neglected group, and this book is aimed at equipping them to care for themselves so that they can survive the difficulty before them. Written by a husband-and-wife team of an alcohol abuse expert and former alcoholic (John) and a former carer for an alcoholic (Lou), this helpful book is not only academically sound but also written with an empathy that flows from experience.
Roger Baker's ground-breaking book, based on the research of his medical team, presents a new way of understanding emotions and new insights into handling emotional pressures, and is illustrated throughout with examples from patients in psychological therapy and from everyday life. The book is divided into 4 parts: 1) The Secret Life of Emotions: introduces the theme of the book and shows how emotional and rational lives are equally valid, 2) Dissolving Distress: looks at our second immune system, emotional processing, which helps us to absorb and break-down emotional hurts and strains, 3) Healing through Feeling: the expression of emotions for good health and well-being, 4) How to Sabotage Emotional Processing: a manual of bad practice.
Based on the book of James, five authors explore the topic of brave and effective discipleship.
An encouraging look at old age showing we all have a place in tomorrow's world.
Daily readings with Scripture verses and prayers, based on the life and ministry of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement.
How we can bring the character and nature of God to our colleagues at work
Argues for regulation of genetic research and technologies to avoid severe division and disease rather than cohesion and health.
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