Bücher veröffentlicht von William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Is it sacrilegious to claim that ordinary people can do greater works than Jesus?"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these" (John 14:12). Taking these words of Jesus seriously, Outdoing Jesus shows how the seven actions of Jesus that the Gospel of John singles out as special "signs" challenge us to live into a greater future. When Jesus asserts that his followers "will do even greater things than these," he is calling for us to extend his miracles for the benefit of all of humanity. Only a master teacher wants students to do greater than their master!Doug Pagitt uses the works and teachings of Jesus as lenses through which we see what the kingdom of God would look like if it were "at hand." We see how developments in humanities, medicine, science, technology, philanthropy, structural design, and social justice are bringing about the agenda of God for the world; and how we can participate. Outdoing Jesus is not only insightful biblical theology but a robust call to dare great things in pursuit of human flourishing.

A bold, historical, robust approach to reading Scripture and encountering Jesus anewNo one expects to be surprised. Yet biblical interpretation can do exactly that. Christians expect to see Jesus as they read the Bible, but when and how Jesus actually speaks through Scripture can still surprise us!Drawing on the early church's theological giants--Origen, Augustine, Gregory the Great, and more from the historical cloud of witnesses--author Jason Byassee models how we can recover ancient Christians' multiple ways of reading the Bible to our benefit. As Byassee says, God himself is Jewish, Catholic, and Pentecostal--so much larger than our own little corner on the truth--and this book offers readers a refreshingly enhanced vision of the Bible and of Jesus himself.

Seasoned advice for pastors facing the weekly challenge of preparing sermonsFor pastors, a new sermon comes every week. Conventional wisdom says that pastors need to sequester themselves to prepare their weekly sermon without distraction. But veteran preacher Frank Honeycutt suggests just the opposite: prepare your sermons as part of a daily, lived experience in the community.Using the days of the week as a framework, Honeycutt describes practical and essential tasks leading up to the writing and delivery of the Sunday sermon--habits that will provide lasting spiritual nourishment for pastors who plan for a long career in parish ministry. With humor and candid acknowledgment of his own mistakes and doubts, Honeycutt reflects on the joys and hazards of ministry and explains how a faithful process of preaching shapes pastors for a lifetime of healthy ministry.Monday: ListeningTuesday: HearingWednesday: ExegetingThursday: NamingReflecting: A Pastor Looks BackFriday: WritingSaturday: RehearsingSunday: Offering

The Epistle to the Hebrews has been the subject of controversy and conjecture: its author is unknown, its occasion unstated, and its destination disputed. But these questions pale in comparison to the importance of the letter''s pervasive theme: the absolute supremacy of Christ--a supremacy which allows no challenge, whether from human or angelic beings. Hughes''s introduction includes an outline and synopsis of Hebrews and discusses theme, origin, authorship, and date. His verse-by-verse study of the text is accessible to specialist and nonspecialist readers alike. Technical points are dealt with in notes and excursuses.

"This books draws together significant considerations of evangelicalism from three of the historians who have contributed a great deal to putting the subject on the map, along with selected commentary from others who have benefited from, or sometimes questioned, their work"--

Does cognitive science show that religious belief is irrational?Kelly James Clark brings together science and philosophy to examine some of humanity's more pressing questions. Is belief in God, as Richard Dawkins claims, a delusion? Are atheists smarter or more rational than religious believers? Do our genes determine who we are and what we believe? Can our very creaturely cognitive equipment help us discover truth and meaning in life? Are atheists any different from Mother Teresa? Clark's surprising answers both defend the rationality of religious belief and contribute to the study of cognitive science.God and the Brain explores complicated questions about the nature of belief and the human mind.Scientifically minded, philosophically astute, and reader-friendly, God and the Brain provides an accessible overview of some new cognitive scientific approaches to the study of religion and evaluates their implications for both theistic and atheistic belief.