Jesus Of Arabia

In Jesus of Arabia, the Reverend Canon Andrew Thompson introduces an unfamiliar Jesus—Jesus in the context of his home in the Middle East. Whether readers believe Jesus to be a prophet or the messiah, Thompson enhances our understanding of his work and character by looking at his social context as a man and Middle Easterner. Jesus’s teachings take on new meaning as Thompson explores themes including family in Arabia, gender roles in the region, food culture, and more. Jesus of Arabia looks at the bridges between Islam and Christianity through the figure of Jesus and how the two communities may reflect each other despite their differences. Thompson draws on his experience as a priest in the Anglican Church and his many years living in the Middle East to analyze the often conflicting roles and loyalties concerning family, culture, and God. A timely and incisive work, Jesus of Arabia invites us to consider contemporary views of the Middle East and how a figure like Jesus might be received today.

Jesus of Arabia introduces Jesus within the context of his home in the Middle East, enriching our understanding of his teachings by deepening our knowledge of where he lived and worked. This is an indispensable book for appreciating both the story of Jesus historically and how it shapes both Christian and Islamic cultures today.

Explore the incredible work of the Lord in the hearts and lives of women in the Muslim world! In these gripping stories of Christ's presence straight from the underground church, Pastor Tom Doyle and his wife, JoAnn, show you how women in Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iran are leading their communities to faith in Jesus—and how you can too! Despite enormous risks to themselves and their families, former Muslim women are now influencing their husbands and their children and bringing others to faith in Jesus Christ. No matter where they live, these women are the God-ordained spiritual gatekeepers of their families. Even though the level of oppression that women face under Islam is unfathomable to many in non-Muslim nations, these brave women stop at nothing to share their faith. The Doyles believe that women are a major reason why more Muslims than ever are coming to faith in Christ. Over the years they have discovered that once God sets a Muslim woman free, she becomes an unstoppable force for God. Women Who Risk takes readers into Muslim homes in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, and other hot spots to see the power of Christ at work. This incredible book contains: Inspirational stories straight out of the underground church—stories you don’t get on the news Examples of the miraculous works of God happening in the Muslim world The experiences of pastors who have worked for the past twenty-five years in the Middle East A clear call to action sounding the alarm to the body of Christ Motivation for all Christians to boldly share their faith with family and friends The stories of these women are both breathtaking and heart-rending. Living on the edge, these women spread the gospel without fear, and the victory of the gospel is thrilling for all to see. If you’re wondering if God still performs miracles or are afraid your life can't make an impact, then this is the book for you.

What does a person do when his life has just taken a complete U-turn? This was the question Paul faced after his conversion on Damascus Road. In the end, he decided to go to Petran Arabia, where he stayed for more than two years. In this exercise in reconstructing what Paul's time in Petra would have been like, Ben Witherington recreates the scene of various interesting possible episodes in Paul's life, about which the New Testament says little, filling in the gaps of "the hidden years." Who would he have met in Petra? Would he have practiced his leather working trade? Might he have gotten married? What did he do to raise the ire of King Aretas IV, and cause him to be chased all the way back to Damascus and out again? Why did he wait so long to go up to Jerusalem and visit with Peter? This and much more is addressed in this fast-paced novella, with sidebars explaining the context of the events in the story.

Looking at whether Paul was converted or called and if the new perspectives on Paul are true to evidence, the author argues that Paul's own writings are supplemented by Luke's contemporaneously written narrative of the acts of the Apostles.

“A welcome expansion of the fragile territory known as common ground.” —The New York Times When Reza Aslan’s bestseller Zealot came out in 2013, there was criticism that he hadn’t addressed his Muslim faith while writing the origin story of Christianity. In fact, Ross Douthat of The New York Times wrote that “if Aslan had actually written in defense of the Islamic view of Jesus, that would have been something provocative and new.” Mustafa Akyol’s The Islamic Jesus is that book. The Islamic Jesus reveals startling new truths about Islam in the context of the first Muslims and the early origins of Christianity. Muslims and the first Christians—the Jewish followers of Jesus—saw Jesus as not divine but rather as a prophet and human Messiah and that salvation comes from faith and good works, not merely as faith, as Christians would later emphasize. What Akyol seeks to reveal are how these core beliefs of Jewish Christianity, which got lost in history as a heresy, emerged in a new religion born in 7th Arabia: Islam. Akyol exposes this extraordinary historical connection between Judaism, Jewish Christianity and Islam—a major mystery unexplored by academia. From Jesus’ Jewish followers to the Nazarenes and Ebionites to the Qu’ran’s stories of Mary and Jesus, The Islamic Jesus will reveal links between religions that seem so contrary today. It will also call on Muslims to discover their own Jesus, at a time when they are troubled by their own Pharisees and Zealots.

"Magisterial. . . . A learned, brilliant and enjoyable study."—Géza Vermès, Times Literary Supplement In this exciting book, Paula Fredriksen explains the variety of New Testament images of Jesus by exploring the ways that the new Christian communities interpreted his mission and message in light of the delay of the Kingdom he had preached. This edition includes an introduction reviews the most recent scholarship on Jesus and its implications for both history and theology. "Brilliant and lucidly written, full of original and fascinating insights."—Reginald H. Fuller, Journal of the American Academy of Religion "This is a first-rate work of a first-rate historian."—James D. Tabor, Journal of Religion "Fredriksen confronts her documents—principally the writings of the New Testament—as an archaeologist would an especially rich complex site. With great care she distinguishes the literary images from historical fact. As she does so, she explains the images of Jesus in terms of the strategies and purposes of the writers Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John."—Thomas D’Evelyn, Christian Science Monitor