The Challenge Of Jesus

Today a renewed and vigorous scholarly quest for the historical Jesus is underway. In the midst of well-publicized and controversial books on Jesus, N. T. Wright's lectures and writings have been widely recognized for providing a fresh, provocative and historically credible portrait. Now this most recent edition of Wright's classic work contains the same original content plus even more insight with an all-new introduction by the author. Out of his own commitment to both historical scholarship and Christian ministry, Wright challenges us to roll up our sleeves and take seriously the study of the historical Jesus. He writes, "Many Christians have been, frankly, sloppy in their thinking and talking about Jesus, and hence, sadly, in their praying and in their practice of discipleship. We cannot assume that by saying the word Jesus, still less the word Christ, we are automatically in touch with the real Jesus who walked and talked in first-century Palestine. . . . Only by hard, historical work can we move toward a fuller comprehension of what the Gospels themselves were trying to say." The Challenge of Jesus poses a double-edged challenge: to grow in our understanding of the historical Jesus within the Palestinian world of the first century, and to follow Jesus more faithfully into the postmodern world of the twenty-first century.

With an all-new introduction by the author, N. T. Wright's classic work helps us grow in our understanding of the historical Jesus within first-century Palestine while challenging us to follow Jesus more faithfully into the postmodern world of the twenty-first century.

N. T. Wright offers clarity and a full accounting of the facts of the life and teachings of Jesus, revealing how the Son of God was also solidly planted in first-century Palestine. The 50-minute DVD, Resurrection, is included. It was shot on location in Israel, Greece and England, and presents the political, historical and theological issues of Jesus' day and today regarding this claim. Here Wright brings clarity and insight to one of the most profound mysteries in human history

In 1897 only two years after the invention of film the first feature film about Jesus appeared. This and other films about Jesus became examples for and an inspiration for films on other important religious figures like Rama, Buddha and Muhammad. Although religious leaders did not always approve of these films, they did find a ready audience among believers. This book explores these films and looks at how these films dealt with the fundamental question of portraying an individual thought to have either divine status or a very special and unique status among human beings. This book will thus benefit not only students of religious film but also those studying the portrayal of central religious figures in the contemporary world.

The Challenge of Islam to Christians is David Pawson's most important - and most controversial - prophetic message to date. Moral decline and erosion of a sense of ultimate truth has created a spiritual vacuum in the United Kingdom. David Pawson believes Islam is far better equipped than the Church to move into that gap and it will not be long before it becomes the country's dominant religion. Based on the audio and video recordings on which he first announced his message, this book unpacks and explains the background behind Pawson's claims, and - crucially - sets out a positive blueprint for the Church's response. Christians must rediscover and demonstrate to society the three qualities that make Christianity unique: Reality, Relationship and Righteousness.

Christians chronically and desperately need prophecy, says award winning biblical scholar Luke Timothy Johnson. In this and every age, the church needs the bold proclamation of God's transforming vision to challenge its very human tendency toward expediency and self interest -- to jolt it into new insight and energy. For Johnson, the New Testament books Luke and Acts provide that much-needed jolt to conventional wisdom. To read Luke-Acts as a literary unit, he says, is to uncover a startling prophetic vision of Jesus and the church -- one that imagines a reality very different from the one humans would construct on their own. Johnson identifies in Luke's writings an ongoing call for today's church, grounded in the prophetic ministry of Jesus Christ, to embody and enact God's vision for the world--from publisher's website.

A fresh look at the meaning of Jesus' parables for Christian living today. The parables recorded in the Gospels are central for an understanding of Jesus and his ministry. Yet the parables are more than simple stories; they present a number of obstacles to contemporary readers hoping to fully grasp their meaning. In this volume, thirteen New Testament scholars provide the background necessary to understand the original context and meaning of Jesus' parables as well as their modern applications, all in a manner easily accessible to general readers. Contributors: Stephen C. Barton Craig A. Evans Richard T. France Donald A. Hagner Morna D. Hooker Sylvia C. Keesmaat Michael P. Knowles Walter L. Liefeld Richard N. Longenecker Allan W. Martens Klyne R. Snodgrass Robert H. Stein Stephen I. Wright

**Winner of the 2017 CSPA Book of the Year Award in Devotionals** Getting to Know Jesus is the perfect devotional for the person who knows some but wants to know much more about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. This award winning book is designed follow the life of Jesus Christ chronologically based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The origins of this book were a series of podcasts that author Eric Kampmann and Dr. Chuck Davis, Senior Pastor at Stanwich Church, recorded over the course of one full year. For this book, Kampmann used the content of the podcasts to build a commentary on the passage that provides a deeper look into the accounts of Jesus' life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. In addition to the book, Kampmann has provided an index that lists 31 bible or individual studies. The studies include an in depth look at the Sermon on the Mount, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Raising Lazarus, the Seven Words of the Cross, the High Priestly Prayer, and much more.