Growing God’s Church: How People Are Actually Coming to Faith Today
Gary L. McIntosh Professor of Ministry and Leadership Baker Books, January 2016
It's no secret that evangelism methods used in the 1970s and ‘80s aren’t yielding the same results as it did then. So then how are new Christians hearing the gospel today? How are they finding churches? What makes them stay at a church? Answers to these questions have the power to dramatically alter the way we do outreach — and Gary McIntosh has the answers. Based on 10 years of scientific research, Growing God's Church shows pastors and church leaders how people are coming to faith in the 21st century. Factors include our motive for ministry, priorities set by churches, the reality of churchless Christians, generational and gender-based differences in evangelism effectiveness, the name of your church, the influence of pastors and much more. The book also includes a copy of the survey and an overview of the study.
Introducing Christian Ethics: A Short Guide to Making Moral Choices
Scott Rae Professor of Christian Ethics and Dean of Talbot Faculty Zondervan, July 2016
Introducing Christian Ethics helps Christians form a sound basis for making ethical decisions in today’s complex postmodern world. Raising 14 key ethical questions on today’s most pressing issues including abortion, war, sexual ethics, capital punishment and more, Scott Rae guides his readers in making moral choices wisely. Based on the best-selling college and seminary ethics textbook Moral Choices, this book distills nearly two decades of teaching and study into a succinct and user-friendly volume. It is an ideal primer for pastors, students and everyday Christians who desire engagement with the world around them in an intelligent and informed manner.
The Imago Dei as Human Identity: A Theological Interpretation
Ryan Peterson M.A. ’01, Assistant Professor of Theology Eisenbrauns, January 2016
Theologians and Old Testament scholars have been at odds with respect to the best interpretation of the Imago Dei. Theologians have preferred substantialistic (e.g., image as soul or mind) or relational interpretations (e.g., image as relational personhood), and Old Testament scholars have preferred functional interpretations (e.g., image as kingly dominion). The disagreements revolve around a number of exegetical questions. How do we best read Genesis 1 in its literary, historical and cultural contexts? How should it be read theologically? How should we read Genesis 1 as a canonical text? In this book, Ryan Peterson charts a path through these disagreements by offering a dogmatically coherent and exegetically sound canonical interpretation of the image of God.
Judges and Ruth, Teach the Text Commentary Series
Kenneth C. Way Associate Professor of Bible Exposition Baker Books, September 2016
The Teach the Text Commentary Series utilizes the best of biblical scholarship to provide the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. The carefully selected preaching units and focused commentary allow pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. Each unit of the commentary includes the big idea and key themes of the passage and sections dedicated to understanding, teaching and illustrating the text. The newest Old Testament release in this innovative commentary series is Kenneth C. Way's treatment of Judges and Ruth.
Gary L. McIntosh is a nationally and internationally known professor of Christian Ministry & Leadership. He is recognized as the foremost spokesperson for classical Church Growth Missiology in the USA. As a church growth expert, he publishes Growth Points, a monthly publication read by over 7,000 church leaders. McIntosh is in wide demand as a speaker and seminar leader on numerous subjects related to church life and ministry. He has published over 300 articles and reviews in Christian magazines and theological journals, and is the author of twenty-two books including One Size Doesn't Fit All; One Church, Four Generations; Staff Your Church for Growth; Biblical Church Growth, and the award-winning What Every Pastor Should Know: 101 Indispensable Rules of Thumb for Leading Your Church (Baker Books, 2013).
Scott Rae is professor of Christian ethics and dean of the faculty at Talbot School of Theology. A noted Christian scholar and ethicist, Scott is the author of such books as Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics; Business for the Common Good; and Beyond Integrity: A Judeo-Christian Approach to Business Ethics. He has a Ph.D. and M.A. in social ethics from the University of Southern California, a Th.M. in Old Testament from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a B.A.S. in economics from Southern Methodist University. He has served in a variety of teaching and leadership roles, including a term as president of the Evangelical Theological Society in 2015.
Kenneth Way's passion is teaching the Old Testament in its ancient Near Eastern environment. His research interests include the book of Judges, Israelite religion/archaeology, Northwest Semitic inscriptions and the fauna of the ancient Near East. He regularly presents at academic meetings and has been published in Ugarit-Forschungen, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Journal of Biblical Literature, Levant, and Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books. Ever since his college days, Way has sensed God's calling to teach Bible (especially Old Testament) in a classroom setting and to mentor students who desire more of God in their lives.
Ryan Peterson’s research interests lie in the areas of theological anthropology and theological method. He teaches systematic and historical theology, and particularly enjoys working with students on the doctrines of God, humanity, sin, Christology, and the atonement. He is deeply interested in the growth of his students in the knowledge and love of God and the way such growth motivates Christian worship, wisdom, friendship, and stewardship. He and his wife Christy have four children. They are members of Redeemer Church, La Mirada.