The One True God

Western history would be unrecognizable had it not been for people who believed in One True God. There would have been wars, but no religious wars. There would have been moral codes, but no Commandments. Had the Jews been polytheists, they would today be only another barely remembered people, less important, but just as extinct as the Babylonians. Had Christians presented Jesus to the Greco-Roman world as ''another'' God, their faith would long since have gone the way of Mithraism. And surely Islam would never have made it out of the desert had Muhammad not removed Allah from the context of Arab paganism and proclaimed him as the only God. The three great monotheisms changed everything. With his customary clarity and vigor, Rodney Stark explains how and why monotheism has such immense power both to unite and to divide. Why and how did Jews, Christians, and Muslims missionize, and when and why did their efforts falter? Why did both Christianity and Islam suddenly become less tolerant of Jews late in the eleventh century, prompting outbursts of mass murder? Why were the Jewish massacres by Christians concentrated in the cities along the Rhine River, and why did the pogroms by Muslims take place mainly in Granada? How could the Jews persist so long as a minority faith, able to withstand intense pressures to convert? Why did they sometimes assimilate? In the final chapter, Stark also examines the American experience to show that it is possible for committed monotheists to sustain norms of civility toward one another. A sweeping social history of religion, One True God shows how the great monotheisms shaped the past and created the modern world.

This book is essentially bound as a Wire-O bound journal, with a hardback cover wrapping around the entire book, even the spine. This keeps the book in good shape for a long time, and also provides for optimum usablility. The One True God is a unique kind of workbook, intending not just to teach truth but to lead to an encounter with the living God. Beneath that goal the book aims to ground believers in orthodox Christian theology and the actual contents of the Bible. Students are encouraged to thoughtfully draw conclusions from the Scriptures rather than to merely absorb the principles, inferences, and illustrations set before them by theauthor. For this reason the book does not include such material and instead focuses on digesting the Scriptures directly. Through God's own words and under various systematic headings the book unfolds the nature of God. In this way the reader is set on a firm foundation and will readily perceive the centrality and high authority of biblical doctrine within the Christian life. It is the author's conviction that the study of doctrine is both an intellectual and devotional discipline. Therefore students are guided throughout the study to think through and apply the truths they learn, meditating on the demands of Scripture for their heart and mind. The book puts us squarely in the middle of the material and demands we give searching thought to how we will live before such a God. This workbook is especially suited for the following contexts: (1) doctrinal training for new converts; (2) college and adult group Bible studies; (3) private study; (4) Christian or home school curriculum; (5) Sunday school material; (6) an aid to parents in teaching the Word of God to their children.

One True Story, One True God shows how God has moved through history with redemptive, missional intent and gives you a glimpse of how God will use you to further accomplish His plan. From Adam’s creation to Jesus's return, the book shows where we've been, where we are, and where we are going. By seeing the historical context of God's redemption plan, you'll have a fresh understanding of God's big story and where you fit in it.

This book will enrich the reader with the knowledge of twenty to twenty-two religions in depth of their origin and their beliefs. As a Christian, one would ask, Why should I read this book? Well, the answer is simple. You dont know where you are going if you dont know where you come from. All religions come from the Eastern countries, but namely, Christianity is the only one that teaches about a deity (Lord Jesus) that saves souls. In this book, all the religions are compared to a certain extinct to enlighten the reader on scripture-based and prophecy-based teachings about the beginning of the world as well as the end of the world or, should I say, the coming of the Messiah.

Monotheism is a powerful religious concept shaped by competing ideas and the problems they raised. Surveying New Testament writings and Jewish sources from before and after the rise of Christianity, James F. McGrath argues that even the most developed Christologies in the New Testament fit within the context of first century Jewish monotheism. McGrath pinpoints when the parting of ways took place over the issue of God's oneness, and explores philosophical ideas such as "creation out of nothing" which caused Jews and Christians to develop differing concepts and definitions about God.

Worshipping the One True God Human nature has changed very little over the centuries. Overtime men have forsaken God's ways and created their own ways to worship God. Instead of creating idols made by hands they create idols with their imaginations. Jesus Christ, in his time, was at constant loggerheads with the religious leaders of his time. Most of them thought that they had all the right answers. Most of them believed that they did not need Jesus' ministry. He became a stumble stone and a rock of offense to them. Man's way is never God's way. God has desired a family who will listen to him, believe him and do his will. Each member of God's family is important and has a special purpose in the body of Christ. Each member is endued with power from on high and can perform signs, miracles and wonders. While attending the University of Rhode Island in the middle 1970's the author encountered a group of Christian students the introduced him to God's Word. He took several biblical classes with this group. Over the following thirty-two years he has taken several more from various groups. He has run bible fellowships in his home over the years. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New York at Albany. He currently is a middle school teacher in Rhode Island. He and his wife, Diana, have nine-year old triplets and they run a family fellowship in their home. The author continues to study and is working on his second book, "As for Me and My House, We Will Serve The Lord."