Reclaiming The Great Tradition

In Visible Church-Visible Unity Ola Tjorhom explores central questions in current ecclesiological and ecumenical debates from the perspective of an evangelical catholicity of "the Great Tradition of the Church." Tjorhom shows how the fundamental visibility of the Church and the similarly visible nature of church fellowship is a corrective cover against "invisible" perceptions of these entities. This theme of visibility is developed in view of the sacraments, the ministries, and the mission of the Church. Visible Church-Visible Unity includes "Chapter 1: Toward the End of the Reformation Project? The Riddle of Protestantism," "Chapter 2: The Great Tradition of the Church'-An Old Way Forward?" "Chapter 3: The Church-Mother of Faith and Priest of Creation," "Chapter 4: The Goal of Visible Unity-Reaffirming Our Commitment," and "Chapter 5: Life in the Spirit-Toward a 'Materialist' Spirituality."

Prominent scholars from Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestant evangelicalism attempt to discover the core of their common belief and ask what it would mean for them to affirm together the Great Tradition they share.

A college education becomes truly meaningful when faith affects what happens in the classroom every day. According to David Dockery and Timothy George, it’s only by stepping into the great tradition of Christian thinking that students can take hold of the true power of their education. They demonstrate that vibrant, world-changing Christianity is not anti-intellectual; instead, it assumes a long tradition of vigorous Christian thinking and a commitment to the integration of faith and scholarship as essential to the preparation of a next generation of leaders in the church, the academy, and the world. As the first volume in a new series, this book introduces an approach to the Christian tradition that is not simply historical overview, but will also help students engage with contemporary challenges to their faith in various academic fields. This reader-friendly guidebook shows how to address those challenges by reclaiming the best of the Christian intellectual tradition. With illustrations, reflection questions, and a list of resources for further study, this book is sure to be a timely tool in the hands of believing students in both Christian and secular universities. Part of the Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition series.

This user-friendly guide will equip Christian students to apply their faith in various academic fields and make the most of their education.

2011 Preaching Today Magazine Book Award winner! The Old Testament is filled with intriguing characters, stories and themes. But preaching from its remote historical context wrapped in sometimes unfamiliar literary genres and narrative devices can be daunting. Based on the conviction that the Old Testament texts are a vital and dynamic part of the Christian canon and pertinent to Christian practice, this stimulating volume offers guidance for expository preaching and practical suggestions for understanding the message of its diverse literature. The chapters cover narrative, plot, characters, genre and preaching from difficult texts. The book concludes with a vital chapter on preaching Christ from the Old Testament, which offers a theological account of biblical interpretation without unnaturally forcing the texts. The contributors are internationally respected evangelical Old Testament scholars, from a wide range of church traditions and global regions, who are also active in preaching: Daniel I. Block, David G. Firth, Grenville J. R. Kent, Paul J. Kissling, Alison Lo, Tremper Longman III, Ernest C. Lucas, R. W. L. Moberly, Laurence A. Turner, Frederico G. Villanueva, Gordon Wenham, H. G. M. Williamson and Christopher J. H. Wright. Here is a book that will help you use all of the Bible's rich resources in preaching the good news of the global kindgom of God.

"... at once profound and straightforward, deeply reflected yet highly accessible, theologically rich yet directly practical...a source of wisdom to be absorbed into the life-blood of each of our widely differing communities for their mutual enrichment... a superbly inviting and practical manifestation of what has come to be referred to as Receptive Ecumenism."---Paul D. Murray Durham University, UK --

In some of the church's history, Scripture has been pitted against tradition and vice versa. Prominent New Testament scholar Edith Humphrey, who understands the issue from both Protestant and Catholic/Orthodox perspectives, revisits this perennial point of tension. She demonstrates that the Bible itself reveals the importance of tradition, exploring how the Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles show Jesus and the apostles claiming the authority of tradition as God's Word, both written and spoken. Arguing that Scripture and tradition are not in opposition but are necessarily and inextricably intertwined, Humphrey defends tradition as God's gift to the church. She also works to dismantle rigid views of sola scriptura while holding a high view of Scripture's authority.

In this second edition of Roger E. Olson's classic work, he thematically traces the contours of Christian belief down through the ages, revealing a pattern of both unity and diversity. He finds a consensus of teaching that is both unitive and able to incorporate a faithful diversity when not forced into the molds of false either-or alternatives.