Theology: Reformed Theology and its Applications

Art and Soul by Hilary Brand; Adrienne Chaplin More Christians than ever before are studying and working in music, painting, sculpture, theater, television, film, architecture and more. Are you one of them?If so, you, like artists in every discipline, face the challenge of working in a way that is both wholly Christian and wholly contemporary, Hilary Brand and Adrienne Chaplin have written this practical and inspirational guide for you.In Art & Soul you'll find encouragement for developing a Christian worldview from which you can approach your craft. Here the best teaching on Christianity and the arts during the past fifty years is digested and reapplied, supported by a wealth of quotes from artists, critics and Christian thinkers. A wide range of illustrations, both historical and contemporary, illuminates the text as Brand and Chaplin explore the conflicting influences on Christians entering or working in the arts. They correlate the major biblical themes of creation, fall and redemption to the business of making art. And they examine the nature and purpose of the arts--along with the way you experience and interpret them. Finally, you'll find helpful guidelines on practicing and developing your art.Here is the book to help you meet the challenges facing you today--both from the world of art and from the world of the church.

The Challenges of Cultural Discipleship : essays in the line of Abraham Kuyper by Richard J. Mouw Richard J. Mouw is well known for his incisive views on the intersection of culture and Christianity and for his efforts to make the thought of major Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper accessible to average Christians. In this volume Mouw provides the scholarly "backstory" to his popular books as he interprets, applies, expands on -- and at times even corrects -- Kuyper's remarkable vision for faith and public life. In thirteen essays Mouw explores and develops the Kuyperian perspective on key topics in Christian cultural discipleship, including public theology, sphere sovereignty, education, creation, and more. He deftly articulates an ecumenically enriched neo-Calvinist -- or "neo-Kuyperian" -- perspective that appropriates and contextualizes the ideas and insights of this important theologian and statesman for new challenges in Christian thought and service.

Christian Hospitality and Muslim Immigration in an Age of Fear by Matthew Kaemingk; James K. A. Smith (Foreword by) An alternative, uniquely Christian response to the growing global challenges of deep religious difference In the last fifty years, millions of Muslims have migrated to Europe and North America. Their arrival has ignited a series of fierce public debates on both sides of the Atlantic about religious freedom and tolerance, terrorism and security, gender and race, and much more. How can Christians best respond to this situation? In this book theologian and ethicist Matthew Kaemingk offers a thought-provoking Christian perspective on the growing debates over Muslim presence in the West. Rejecting both fearful nationalism and romantic multiculturalism, Kaemingk makes the case for a third way--a Christian pluralism that is committed to both the historic Christian faith and the public rights, dignity, and freedom of Islam. 

Creating a Christian Worldview: Abraham Kuyper's Lectures on Calvinism by Peter Heslam Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) dominated the religious and political life of the Netherlands for nearly half a century, and his ideas continue to inspire an international school of thought. This book by Peter Heslam discusses Kuyper's ideas in their context by providing a historical commentary on the book in which they receive their most significant expression, Lectures on Calvinism -- a series of six lectures that Kuyper delivered at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1898. Heslam begins by reviewing Kuyper's importance in the history of ideas and explaining why Lectures on Calvinism is still of special interest. In the main body of the book Heslam provides a probing analysis of each of the six lectures in turn. Central to Heslam's analysis is a discussion of the motivation of Kuyper's thought: why did he maintain the standpoints he did, and what did he hope to achieve by doing so? In answering this question, Heslam explores Kuyper's position relative to others of his time and in connection with the events of his own career. Published in the centennial year of Abraham Kuyper's famous Stone Lectures, this volume offers a valuable study of Kuyper's thought and the abiding worldview that is his legacy.

The Good of Politics: a biblical, historical, and contemporary introduction by James W. Skillen In this addition to the acclaimed Engaging Culture series, a highly respected author and Christian thinker offers a principled, biblical perspective on engaging political culture as part of one's calling. James Skillen believes that constructive Christian engagement depends on the belief that those made in the image of God are created not only for family life, agriculture, education, science, industry, and the arts but also for building political communities, justly ordered for the common good. He argues that God made us to be royal stewards of public governance from the outset and that the biblical story of God's creation, judgment, and redemption of all things in Jesus Christ has everything to do with politics and government. In this irenic, nonpartisan treatment of an oft-debated topic, Skillen critically assesses current political realities and helps readers view responsibility in the political arena as a crucial dimension of the Christian faith.

The Gospel in a Pluralist Society by Lesslie Newbigin How does the gospel relate to a pluralist society? What is the Christian message in a society marked by religious pluralism, ethnic diversity, and cultural relativism? Should Christians encountering today's pluralist society concentrate on evangelism or on dialogue? How does the prevailing climate of opinion affect, perhaps infect, Christians' faith? These kinds of questions are addressed in this noteworthy book by Lesslie Newbigin. A highly respected Christian leader and ecumenical figure, Newbigin provides a brilliant analysis of contemporary (secular, humanist, pluralist) culture and suggests how Christians can more confidently affirm their faith in such a context. While drawing from scholars such as Michael Polanyi, Alasdair MacIntyre, Hendrikus Berkhof, Walter Wink, and Robert Wuthnow, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society is suited not only to an academic readership. This heartfelt work by a missionary pastor and preacher also offers to Christian leaders and laypeople some thoughtful, helpful, and provocative reflections.

Living at the Crossroads by Michael W. Goheen; Craig G. Bartholomew How can Christians live faithfully at the crossroads of the story of Scripture and postmodern culture? In Living at the Crossroads, authors Michael Goheen and Craig Bartholomew explore this question as they provide a general introduction to Christian worldview. Ideal for both students and lay readers, Living at the Crossroads lays out a brief summary of the biblical story and the most fundamental beliefs of Scripture. The book tells the story of Western culture from the classical period to postmodernity. The authors then provide an analysis of how Christians live in the tension that exists at the intersection of the biblical and cultural stories, exploring the important implications in key areas of life, such as education, scholarship, economics, politics, and church.

Origins : Christian perspectives on creation, evolution, and intelligent design by Deborah B. Haarsma; Loren D. Haarsma

Politics and the Biblical Drama by Richard Mouw

Rainbows for the Fallen World by C. Seerveld

Uncommon Decency: Christian civility in an uncivil world by Richard J. Mouw Can Christians act like Christians even when they disagree? In these wild and diverse times, right and left battle over the airwaves, prolifers square off against prochoicers, gay liberationists confront champions of the traditional family, artists and legislators tangle, even Christians fight other Christians whose doctrines aren't "just so." Richard Mouw has been actively forging a model of Christian civil conversation with those we might disagree with--atheists, Muslims, gay activists and more. He is concerned that, too often, Christians have contributed more to the problem than to the solution. But he recognizes--from his dialogues with those from many perspectives--that it's not easy to hold to Christian convictions and treat sometimes vindictive opponents with civility and decency. Few if any people in the evangelical world have conversed as widely and sensitively as Mouw. So few can write more wisely or helpfully than Mouw does here about what Christians can appreciate about pluralism, the theological basis for civility, and how we can communicate with people who disagree with us on the issues that matter most.

Until Justice and Peace Embrace: the Kuyper lectures for 1981 delivered at the Free University of Amsterdam by Nicholas Wolterstorff Calling Christians to be true to God's shalom in all dimensions of life, philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff brings the religious vision of the Reformation to bear on such urgent matters as world poverty, nationalism, urban ugliness, and the tragedy of liturgy in Protestantism.

Visual Faith by William A. Dyrness How can art enhance and enrich the Christian faith? What is the basis for a relationship between the church and visual imagery? Can the art world and the Protestant church be reconciled? Is art idolatry and vanity, or can it be used to strengthen the church? Grounded in historical and biblical research, William Dyrness offers students and scholars an intriguing, substantive look into the relationship between the church and the world of art. Faith and art were not always discordant. According to Dyrness, Israel understood imagery and beauty as reflections of God's perfect order; likewise, early Christians used art to teach and inspire. However, the Protestant church abandoned visual arts and imagery during the Reformation in favor of the written word and has only recently begun to reexamine art's role in Christianity and worship. Dyrness affirms this renewal and argues that art, if reflecting the order and wholeness of the world God created, can and should play an important role in modern Christianity.

Where the Conflict Really Lies by Alvin Plantinga This book is a long-awaited major statement by a pre-eminent analytic philosopher, Alvin Plantinga, on one of our biggest debates - the compatibility of science and religion. The last twenty years has seen a cottage industry of books on this divide, but with little consensus emerging.Plantinga, as a top philosopher but also a proponent of the rationality of religious belief, has a unique contribution to make. His theme in this short book is that the conflict between science and theistic religion is actually superficial, and that at a deeper level they are in concord.Plantinga examines where this conflict is supposed to exist - evolution, evolutionary psychology, analysis of scripture, scientific study of religion - as well as claims by Dan Dennett, Richard Dawkins, and Philip Kitcher that evolution and theistic belief cannot co-exist. Plantinga makes a casethat their arguments are not only inconclusive but that the supposed conflicts themselves are superficial, due to the methodological naturalism used by science. On the other hand, science can actually offer support to theistic doctrines, and Plantinga uses the notion of biological and cosmological"fine-tuning" in support of this idea. Plantinga argues that we might think about arguments in science and religion in a new way - as different forms of discourse that try to persuade people to look at questions from a perspective such that they can see that something is true. In this way, thereis a deep and massive consonance between theism and the scientific enterprise.