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Judaism: A Brief Guide to Faith and Practice is a sensitive and comprehensive introduction to Judaism. What is it like to be born into the Jewish community? How does belief in the One God and a universal morality shape the way in which Jews see the world? How does one find meaning in life and the courage to endure suffering? How does one mark joy and forge community ties? By examining these details of Jewish life, readers can see how Jews have defined themselves and their relationship to the Almighty, how they have identified tools for a righteous and purposeful existence, and how they hope to make the world a dwelling place for God.

This volume of the Reading the Old Testament series on the book of Judges presents a number of significant challenges related to social contexts, historical settings, and literary characteristics. Acknowledging and examining these difficulties provide a point of entry into the world of Judges and promises to enrich the reading experience. How should we read the book of Judges? For several decades, biblical scholars have been debating the merits of two contrasting approaches to biblical interpretation: a synchronic approach, which attempts to see the text as a whole, as opposed to a diachronic approach, which asks questions about history and development of the text.This commentary draws on historical-critical methods to shed light on this historic period and the role of Judges in Israel's history. At the same time, Mark Biddle acknowledges that the relevance for the modern reader lies in the text as a whole and not in the details of its developmental history. Biddle also tackles the kinds of issues (violence, patriarchy, tribalism) that may inhibit our ability to receive this text as inspired Scripture. This volume makes clear that the power of this biblical narrative derives in large part from its unvarnished portrayals of human foibles and failures-and of God's steadfast commitment to a relationship with humankind nonetheless.A native of Ft. Payne, Alabama, and educated in the public schools of Orange County, Florida, and Dekalb County, Alabama, Mark E. Biddle holds degrees from Samford University, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Rueschlikon Baptist Theological Seminary, and the University of Zurich. In addition to editing the Reading the Old Testament series, he is the author of Deuteronomy in the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary series.Praise for Reading Judges

For years, Jeanie Miley followed God by practicing spiritual disciplines and experienced enormous benefit from incorporating those practices in her daily life. In Dance Lessons: Moving to the Beat of God's Heart, Miley suggests that instead of seeing a relationship with God as a duty to be fulfilled or a defense against trouble, what might happen if we see that relationship as alive and deep, life-giving and intimate? What if living the spiritual life is primarily about the experience of a vital and personal love relationship with God? What if we see our relationship with God as a dance?In this book about the contemplative life, Jeanie Miley uses her experiences to explore the traditional contemplative practices that spiritual pilgrims have employed for centuries to facilitate their ability to move to the beat of God's heart in this sacred dance of life.

"Jeanie Miley is an authority on things spiritual and on what she calls the Joint Venture, because she knows the Author of Life and the Giver of Salvation and the Inspirer of our Souls and Lives. She is an authority on matters of the heart and our walk with God because she has prayed without ceasing and traveled the world from without and from within for truth. She has walked with many fellow pilgrims and has taken the wounds of her life-the wounds that we all have to a greater or lesser degree-and she has with conviction and honesty taken us to the scarred but redemptive hands of Jesus. She has shown us how grace leaks out of the brokenness of our lives, and that we not only need God but each other in the Joint Venture of grace. Reading this book is a feast. Come to the table and be fed." -From the Foreword, by James W. Nutter, Rector, Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, Houston, Texas

Psychic Pancakes and Communion Pizza is Bert Montgomery's highly anticipated follow-up to Elvis, Willie, Jesus & Me. Containing reflections on music, film, culture, and life, one can find Jesus (and sometimes even the Church!) in the midst of it all. The book is firmly rooted in time and place-a 21st-century university town in the South-yet ventures into a varying array of topics and subjects; everything from Hurricane Katrina to the Super Bowl Saints, from Ellen DeGeneres to Charlie Manson, and from suicide to salvation. And, there's a little more Elvis and Willie thrown in for good measure!

Never before has this country-indeed this world-faced such a need for a book that unites people, a book that reassures those disillusioned by faith that they can navigate their way back to God and even experience a profound spiritual awakening. For author and entrepreneur Steve McSwain, such an epiphany transformed his life. In The Enoch Factor, readers discover a kindred spirit in an author who understands how religion can subvert a spiritual life. His story will help them navigate their own spiritual journeys. More than a personal odyssey, The Enoch Factor is also a testimonial to the innate dangers of fundamentalist thinking. It is a persuasive argument for a more enlightened religious dialogue in America, one that affirms the goals of all religions-guiding followers in self-awareness, finding serenity and happiness, and discovering what the author describes as "the sacred art of knowing God." Unapologetic and moving, McSwain's take on The Almighty is sure to ignite spirited debate. Full of wisdom, humor, and truth, The Enoch Factor bridges the gap between secular and Christian book titles on spirituality, setting a new standard in both.

At issue in the Book of Job is a question with which most all of us struggle at some point in life, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" James Crenshaw has devoted his life to studying the disturbing matter of theodicy-divine justice-that troubles many people of faith. Few individuals come from reading Job unmoved. If they seek answers, they likely will be disappointed. And, many find the depiction of God troubling. If God were merely to meet our expectations, the Creator would hardly be anything more than our own projections into the heavens. Perhaps the ancient poet serves readers best by starkly portraying the brutal reality that life and this world are not fair, and that justice is a human project.Praise for Reading Job"Like Matthew Arnold in 'Dover Beach, ' Bertrand Russell in 'A Free Man's Worship, ' and Archibald MacLeish's J.B., James Crenshaw's Job finds solace for his integrity, not in a god who answers to human trust, but in human solidarity in the face of a cruel world. This book about Job is itself a Joban cry." -J. Gerald Janzen, author of At the Scent of Water: The Ground of Hope in the Book of JobJames Crenshaw is the preeminent interpreter of biblical wisdom in this generation. His work is distinguished by his deep existential concern, especially on the subject of theodicy, which is at the heart of the book of Job. This is a work not only of exegesis, but of biblical theology in the best sense." -John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament, Yale University"Excellent commentaries on Job abound; Jim Crenshaw's 'reading' of Job adds to the list and raises the bar. If contemporary readers wish to enter fully into Job's world-his irreparable losses, his relentless questions about the moral order of the universe God has created-they can find no better guide for the journey than a commentator whose expertise, artfulness, and eloquence are acutely attuned to the admonitions of Shakespeare's King Lear: 'If thou wiltweep my fortunes, take my eyes.' Crenshaw has read, felt, and immersed himself in Job's fortunes with eyes and heart chastened by a world overfull with inexplicable suffering that continues to claw at the heavens-Joban-like-for justice." -Samuel E. Balentine, Professor of Old Testament, Union Presbyterian Seminary"James Crenshaw, one of the foremost scholars of wisdom literature, brings more than forty years of scholarship and teaching to bear on his reading of the book of Job. Respected for not only the breadth of his knowledge but also the passion with which he explores difficult theological questions of human suffering and divine justice, Crenshaw has written a commentary marked by careful exegesis and deep insight into the many perennial issues raised by the book of Job." -Carol A. Newsom, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University

Hope for the Thinking Christian is for anyone who has yearned for meaning, for a faith that nourishes and sustains us through times of loss and fear, for a faith that brings greater joy: in short, for the abundant life. It is for anyone who has wrestled with how to experience God more fully and to understand what God expects from us within an intellectually honest faith. Stephen Reese explores the dedicated work required to build an honest faith. We live in a fast-moving, diverse society; families are mixed, blended, and far-flung. We encounter others who don't believe as we do, often within our own extended families. An honest faith asks, "How can we care for each other if we disagree? Do we need consensus of belief to have a community of faith? How can we honor the claims of Jesus of his own divinity while allowing room for those who don't?"This book is a faith journey through everyday life, confronting the challenge of staying spiritually intentional in a demanding world. Readers who want to confront their faith more directly, to think it through and be open to God in an individual, authentic, spiritual encounter will find a resonant voice in Stephen Reese.

In November 2005, the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention passed two policies: 1) that missionaries desiring to be appointed by the IMB be baptized in a Southern Baptist church; and 2) that prospective missionaries be disqualified from service if they used a private prayer language. Wade Burleson, a trustee of the IMB at the time, questioned the policies. Were they necessary? Were they scripturally sound? Were they in line with the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message? While Wade Burleson's Hardball Religion is the startling story of his three-year journey from Christian dissent to censure to resignation from the IMB, it is also an important record of another struggle within the SBC-the much more serious battle against the Fundamentalism that threatens to destroy the fabric of Southern Baptist cooperation. Hardball Religion is a call for Southern Baptists to see the importance of having multiple voices heard, voices who represent diverse positions on the issues, when some Southern Baptists are vigorously pushing to silence all dissent within the Convention.

The church has an ancient story to tell with one underlying theme: God has broken into human history to share with humanity an invitation to relationship. From the advent of the printing press to modern church buildings with LCD projectors and computers, the church has adapted the means of communicating the gospel. Adapting that message to the available technology helps the church reach out in meaningful ways to people around the world.

A self-described "Texas-bred, Spirit-led, Bible-teaching, revival-preaching, recovering Southern Baptist," James Milton Dunn, over the last fifty years, has been the most aggressive Baptist proponent for religious liberty in the United States. Soul freedom-voluntary uncoerced faith and an unfettered individual conscience before God-is the basis of his understanding of church-state separation and the historic Baptist basis of religious liberty.Through his ministry as a pastor, ethicist, and activist, James Dunn developed a distinctly Baptist approach to politics, showing fellow Baptists how to apply their Christianity in the public square on social and church-state issues in a manner consistent with the historic Baptist commitment to freedom. This ethic of political engagement promoted by Dunn was motivated by a loving concern for others and a commitment to the common good.

Millard Fuller was the author of eleven books and awarded more than a dozen honorary doctorate degrees. He was a millionaire before age thirty and gave away his entire fortune before he was forty. He was a lawyer, a friend to presidents and world leaders, and an advocate for the poor. He was a husband, father, and grandfather. He was a tall, skinny kid with big ears from Lanett, Alabama. He was founder of Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Center for Housing, both movements organized to eliminate substandard housing worldwide. Because of his unfailing vision and tenacity, Millard was responsible for sheltering more than a million people who had been living in poverty. When Millard left business at age thirty and turned his life in a new direction, he began writing an autobiography. He kept a journal in his desk and wrote in detail about his business and law ventures. In 1968, Millard finished the story of his journey from pauper to millionaire to home builder. In 1970, a publisher offered to consider the book "at a later time," and the manuscript was packed away. His wife, Linda, occasionally would ask him about getting it published, but Millard would reply, "Not now. I'm too busy." This is that story.

The old maxim is true: sometimes it is not just what you say, it is how you say it. One of the great problems in the Christian community today is a general inability to communicate effectively without polarizing or driving people away. Sometimes the greatest problem is the seeming inability of many Christians to learn the truth of another old maxim: silence is golden. For God's Sake, Shut Up!, by Communications Specialist Brian Kaylor, offers numerous insights for Christian leaders and followers who desire to share their beliefs in more meaningful and effective ways.

Add the wit and wisdom on Cecil Sherman to your library. After 15 years of Cecil Sherman expounding scripture in the Formations Commentary, you can now purchase the 5 Volume compilation of the best of his commentary from Genesis to Revelation.

Add the wit and wisdom on Cecil Sherman to your library. After 15 years of Cecil Sherman expounding scripture in the Formations Commentary, you can now purchase the 5 Volume compilation of the best of his commentary from Genesis to Revelation.

A Christian's Guide to Islam provides a brief but accurate guide to Muslim formation, history, structure, beliefs, practices, and goals. It explores to what degree the tenets of Islam have been misinterpreted, corrupted, or abused over the centuries. Is jihad the single most alienating component of Islam in the eyes of the West? Is today's violent minority representative of Islam as a whole? What is the future for the fastest growing religion in the East?

Add the wit and wisdom on Cecil Sherman to your library. After 15 years of Cecil Sherman expounding scripture in the Formations Commentary, you can now purchase the 5 Volume compilation of the best of his commentary from Genesis to Revelation.

Add the wit and wisdom on Cecil Sherman to your library. After 15 years of Cecil Sherman expounding scripture in the Formations Commentary, you can now purchase the 5 Volume compilation of the best of his commentary from Genesis to Revelation.

Baptists have a rich and wonderful heritage. But I have discovered through listening and reading that many persons in our Baptist churches are unfamiliar with this legacy. There are many fine books that have been written about our Baptist history, but I have observed that few persons, especially laypersons, are willing to read these lengthy books. I have attempted in these chapters to present our Baptist heritage in a few pages.

Add the wit and wisdom on Cecil Sherman to your library. After 15 years of Cecil Sherman expounding scripture in the Formations Commentary, you can now purchase the 5 Volume compilation of the best of his commentary from Genesis to Revelation.

Readers who effectively discern God's Word speaking in Scripture to today's world distinguish between the cultural circumstances of origin of the biblical writings and their abiding message. This new book by distinguished biblical scholar Edgar McKnight begins by dealing with the reality, necessity, and value of the completely human nature of the Bible. After discussions of the specific geographical and historical setting of the Bible and the contribution of archaeology, consideration is given to the major themes and translations of the Bible, the formation of the canon, and the language and literary means of expounding the message. The final chapter deals with the credulous, critical, and creative readings of the Bible that are possible and even necessary in light of its character as Word of God in historical and literary form. Edgar V. McKnight is Research Professor and William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor Emeritus of Religion at Furman University. He is the author or editor of more than a dozen books in biblical studies. Reading the Bible Today: A 21st Century Appreciation of Scripture presents the results of four decades of teaching and study for readers who want to relate their Christian faith to contemporary knowledge and insight into the nature and significance of the Bible.

In God's Call to Be: When Being Precedes Doing, acclaimed pastor and author Al Cadenhead, Jr., helps us to peel back the layers of our selves to discover the beings that God intended us to be. ?The place to begin, ? Cadenhead writes, ?is to claim that I am convinced that at the center of my soul is life, not life that is determined by the beating of my heart, but life that comes to me by the Creator God who gives to us the small, but important, piece of His divine image. We may be created out of clay, but through that clay runs just enough of the divine image to make us always long for Him.? God's Call to Be will help you rediscover a sense of peace in your life through your own natural connections to God.

This work approaches evangelism by examining the everyday pursuits of ordinary people, and demonstrates how evangelism often arises as a response to an overflow of God's love. We begin with four practices of holiness by which we humble ourselves before God. Through prayer, Sabbath observance, holy play, and discernment of God's call on our lives, we recognize God as the bedrock of our lives. With boldness, church members will come alive as they share Jesus with the world and serve as agents of God's reconciling love, inviting people to become part of God's family.

For sixteen years, Russell Dilday was president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, one of the largest and most well-respected seminaries in the world. In 1994 his presidency ended in the wake of the Southern Baptist Convention's attempts to remake the Baptist world in its own fundamentalist image. Columns: Glimpses of a Seminary Under Assault chronicles these events by revisiting Dilday's monthly presidential columns at Southwestern. Through Dilday's words it is possible to reimagine a remarkable seminary both at the height of achievement and under the weight of an unjust assault on Baptist principles which continues to this day. While Dilday's columns are revealing, the book includes detailed accounts of events, personalities and dynamics that occurred each year during his tenure as president. These sketches paint a detailed picture of both the voracity of the assaults and the extent of loss for the seminary community and Texas Baptists.

What makes Fundamentalism different from other expressions of Christianity? In Fundamentalism, authors Fisher Humphreys and Philip Wise seek to answer such questions for non-Fundamentalists curious about this strain of American Christianity. The authors define Fundamentalism in the scope of Christian religion, including both its impulses as well as the movement as a whole, while drawing on the commonality among fundamentalists of all religions. Although they disagree with Fundamentalism, the authors hope to alleviate the automatic association of fundamentalism in general with radical violent minorities. By providing an informed understanding of Fundamentalism among contemporary Christians, the authors hope to provide critical insight for those considering joining the movement as well as to foster a healthy relationship with Fundamentalists in families, churches, and communities. While acknowledging many common beliefs and practices with Fundamentalism, even some of the most import

Great movements in the history of Christian missions often have started with few people perceiving their eventual importance. Such was the case when Dr. R. Keith Parks led Baptists to unprecedented engagement of the least-evangelized peoples of Asia and North Africa in the mid-1980s. This biography of Keith Parks introduces one of the premier mission leaders of the twentieth century. Parks has served in Baptist global missions for 45 years, first as missionary, administrator, and president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Foreign Mission Board, and then as Global Missions Coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

When life is complex, hearts are broken, and dreams go unfulfilled, we do not need words that are misty-eyed with shallow sentimentality, starry-eyed with na?ve optimism, or dry-eyed with cold logic. Rather, we need words that are clear-eyed with realism and wide-eyed with hope. These are the kinds of words that fill the pages of Charles E. Poole's bestselling title Is Life Fair? Good Words for Hard Times. They are not perfect words or final words. Rather they are hopeful, good words for the weary ones who must stumble around on the rugged terrain of hard times. This second edition contains a new introduction by Poole to further provide words of hope for some of life's toughest struggles, darkest tragedies, and deepest mysteries.

From Abraham's prayer of protest to Habakkuk's struggle to understand terrorism to Jesus? tradition-bound words of the Lord's Prayer, readers of While I Was Praying: Finding Insights about God in Old Testament Prayers will uncover new insights into how the ancient Hebrews understood their God. In their prayers to God, the ancient Israelites expressed what they believed to be the nature, characteristics, and attributes of God. Often, it was through prayer that they received profound insight into the nature of God. As a part of this study, each chapter not only explores an Old Testament prayer in its historical and scriptural context but also includes ?Connections? to the experiences and needs of today's readers. Written for use in both personal reflection and small group study, each chapter also provides discussion questions to provoke deeper reflection into the nature and continued potency of Old Testament prayers.

With a helpful amount of scholarly information on organization, form, and context, Bellinger will help you and your class explore the depths of the poetry and wisdom of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. The Psalms, or hymns, of lament and praise nurture honest dialogue with God. The pragmatic teaching of Proverbs remind us of the sacred nature of all that God has created. And the speculation of Job and Ecclesiastes allows us to raise questions about the unexplainable and ambiguous aspects of life. These are texts from the community of faith for the community of faith.

Veteran pastor Hardy Clemons has culled his experiences with grief into this easy-to-read volume. Like birth and death, grief is an inescapable but inherent part of life. Saying Hello to Your Life After Grief is a book designed to help people who have experienced crushing losses survive and grow beyond the pain into the light of a new day. Hardy Clemons takes an in-depth look at grief, one of the most common and universal experiences of life. Clemons examines the situations that cause grief and describes the stages beyond grief. He concludes his discussion by explaining how we can help each other grieve creatively and begin to live after its wake. An appendix provides helpful suggestions for working with grieving persons