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Back To The Sources
by Barry W. HoltzEssays analyze the major traditional texts of Judaism from literary, historical, philosophical, and religious points of view.
Back in the Saddle: A Novel (Double S Ranch #1)
by Ruth Logan HerneThe Prodigal Is Coming Home It's been a long time since Colt Stafford shrugged off his cowboy legacy for shiny Manhattan loafers and a promising career on Wall Street. But when stock market manipulations leave him financially strapped, the oldest son of legendary rancher Sam Stafford decides to return to the sprawling Double S ranch in Gray's Glen, Washington. He's broke, but not broken, and it's time to check in with his ailing father, and get his legs back under him by climbing into the saddle again. He doesn't expect to come home to a stranger pointing a loaded gun at his chest-- a tough yet beautiful woman that Sam hired as the house manager. Colt senses there's more to Angelina Morales than meets the eye and he's determined to find out what she's hiding...and why. Colt's return brings new challenges. Younger brother Nick has been Sam's right-hand man at the ranch for years and isn't thrilled at having Colt insert himself into Double S affairs. And the ranch's contentious relationship with the citizens of Gray's Glen asks all the Stafford men to examine their hearts about what it truly means to be a neighbor. And as Wall Street recovers, will Colt succumb to the call of the financial district's wealth and power--or finally the courage to stay in the saddle for good?From the Trade Paperback edition.
Back on Track
by George Kenneth MarshallAlthough Zack Taylor has become an alcoholic after asking his drug-addicted wife to leave the home, he has two delightful children, Sissy and Danny, who implement a search for their grandparents that Zack and Elaine had excluded from their lives. Zack is neglecting the children with gambling and alcohol consumption. After losing a tidy sum to Zack in a betting card game the loser, a drug cartel kingpin, abducts Zack eventually transferring him to a drug packaging factory in Belize where he’s held prisoner. As Zack goes through alcohol withdrawal, he recognizes the foolishness of his path in life, and as he’s exposed to the Christian faith of his fellow prisoner, he finds new hope in Jesus.Sissy and Danny reconnect with their grandparents who welcome them joyously while Zack and his new Christian friend break out of their factory prison and join Zack’s younger brother, Evan, an engineer working in Belize. After several harrowing experiences Zack, Evan, and Evan’s fiancée, Alice, make it back to the United States to rejoin their families.Soon after their return a successful effort is made to find Elaine. However, she is terminally ill with a drug-related infection. The families take Elaine home to give comfort care; eventually, Elaine declares her Faith.Can Zack and his children take this opportunity to rebuild their lives despite Zack’s history of alcohol addiction and a destructive lifestyle by turning to and trusting in Jesus Christ?
Back to Jerusalem: Three Chinese House Church Leaders Share Their Vision to Complete the Great Commission
by Brother Yun Paul Hattaway Enoch Wang Peter Xu YongzeNapoleon once said, "When China is moved it will change the face of the globe." Today those words are becoming a reality through the powerful spiritual vision of the Chinese church to send 100,000 missionaries across China's borders to complete the Great Commission, even in this generation! Here Brother Yun, Peter Xu Yongze, and Enoch Wang, three Chinese house church leaders who between them have spent more than 40 years in prison for their faith, explain the history and present-day reality of the Back to Jerusalem movement. Christians everywhere who are called to fulfill the Great Commission will be thrilled by this testimony and inspired to live bolder lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. "It is as though Hudson Taylor handed a flaming torch to the Chinese church and asked us to continue the race towards the finish line."
Back to Jerusalem: Three Chinese House Church Leaders Share Their Vision to Complete the Great Commission
by Brother Yun Enoch Wang Peter Xu YongzeNapoleon once said "When China is moved it will change the face of the globe." Today those words are becoming a reality through the powerful spiritual vision of the Chinese church to send 100,000 missionaries across China's borders to complete the Great Commission, even in this generation. Here Brother Yun, Peter Xu Yongze, and Enoch Wang, three Chinese house church leaders who between them have spent more than 40 years in prison for their faith, explain the history and present-day reality of the Back to Jerusalem movement. Christians everywhere who are called to fulfill the Great Commission will be thrilled by this testimony and inspired to live bolder lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Back to Life
by Kristin BillerbeckLindsay took to marriage like a starlet to stilettos, but her husband had a deeper love for his business. Left alone after his death, Lindsay must find out who she is when there isn't a party to plan or another person's life to be organized. Can she find her way Back to Life? Lindsay realized when she married Ron, a man seventeen years her senior, that the odds were he'd see heaven before her, but she never expected to be a widow at thirty-five. She knows there's too much of life remaining for her to just sit around in mourning, but she can't seem to kick-start the rest of her life. Then unexpected help arrives...when Ron's first wife, Jane, shows up at Lindsay's front door. The executor of their late husband's estate, Jane is everything Lindsay's not: strong, stubborn, independent...and a lot older. There are other surprises as well, including Ron Jr. (whom Jane insists is not "really" Ron's son). But against all odds, a most unlikely friendship begins to develop-as each woman discovers how to own up to her past mistakes and to reevaluate what is really important. Told in the alternating voices of Jane and Lindsay, and featuring the return of many of the unforgettable characters introduced in The Trophy Wives Club, Back to Life is a lighthearted, relatable read about where to turn when life goes in a direction you never planned.
Back to Me
by Wanda B. CampbellOwning a thriving business and having financial security may afford Paige McDaniels the finer things in life, but it does very little to ease the guilt and shame of her biggest regret. She spends as much time serving the needy and helping the poor as she does on her knees praying for another chance to right her wrong, yet peace eludes her. In the process of "working" her way into forgiveness, Paige evolves into the very thing she detests--a judgmental, self-righteous Christian. Just when Paige masters the church look and lingo, a stranger enters her life and turns her stoic world upside down. With little mercy and much precision, every layer of her façade is peeled back, revealing her wounded soul. Will Paige resist and hold on to the familiar pain, or will she finally discover her true identity and purpose?
Back to School: Jewish Day School in the Lives of Adult Jews
by Jack Wertheimer Alex Pomson Randal F. SchnoorA groundbreaking study on the impact of Jewish day schools in the lives of parents and children.
Back to Zero: The Search to Rediscover the Methodist Movement (Adaptive Leadership Series)
by Gil RendleThe lifeblood of the United Methodist is passion rather than organizational neatness, entrepreneurial freedom rather than denominational restraint, and agility rather than staid institutional dependence. But if United Methodists want to change and be the church we say we want to be, what must we risk and how can we challenge current practices?At the heart of becoming a spiritual movement once again is the requirement that we develop a new understanding of connection as Christians and as United Methodists. We are currently at a time in which United Methodists are reinventing denominational connectionalism. One way of framing the issue is to distinguish between members and disciples, or consumers (those who wait for the institution to care for their needs) and citizens (those who are willing to commit themselves to and be held accountable for the whole of the community).United Methodism has nurtured generations of leaders and congregations that see themselves as consumers of the resources and attention of the denomination. The impulse toward movement is challenging spiritually purposeful leaders and congregations to risk becoming citizens who fully expect to make a difference in the lives of individuals and also in the world through an encounter with Christ.
Back to the Well: Women's Encounters With Jesus In The Gospels
by Frances Taylor GenchExploring six Gospel texts in which women encounter Jesus, Frances Taylor Gench encourages us to view these stories anew through the eyes of contemporary biblical scholarship. Summarizing and making accessible the work of a diversity of feminist scholars while also engaging many of the more traditional voices of the past, she examines each story's language, structure, and literary and socio-cultural context, and recounts many traditional and contemporary interpretations. In the process, she opens up new possibilities for reading these texts. Includes helpful questions for discussion.
Backfire: Backfire To Save Her Child (Mountain Cove #3)
by Elizabeth GoddardSparks fly between a widowed firefighter and a woman hiding from criminals in this inspirational romantic suspense novel by a USA Today bestseller.Tracy Murray had thought she’d be safe disappearing in the wilds of Alaska after her testimony put away a gang leader. But the gang symbol tattooed on an attacker’s arm means the clock has run out. She’s been found—and she knows the killers won’t let her escape alive again. She can’t fight an entire gang alone—she needs help. But when she finds herself relying on widowed firefighter David Warren, a new struggle emerges. Fleeing Alaska and cutting all ties could be the only way to survive—but it would mean leaving her heart behind. Experience more action-packed mystery and suspense in the rest of the Mountain Cove series by Elizabeth Goddard.
Backgrounds Of Early Christianity
by Everett FergusonHaving long served as a standard introduction to the world of the early church, Everett Ferguson's Backgrounds of Early Christianity has been expanded and updated in this third edition. The book explores and unpacks the Roman, Greek, and Jewish political, social, religious, and philosophical backgrounds necessary for a good historical understanding of the New Testament and the early church. New to this edition are revisions of Ferguson's original material, updated bibliographies, and fresh discussions of first-century social life, of Gnosticism, and of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Jewish literature.
Backgrounds of Early Christianity
by Everett FergusonHaving long served as a standard introduction to the world of the early church, Everett Ferguson's Backgrounds of Early Christianity has been expanded and updated in this third edition. The book explores and unpacks the Roman, Greek, and Jewish political, social, religious, and philosophical backgrounds necessary for a good historical understanding of the New Testament and the early church. New to this edition are revisions of Ferguson's original material, updated bibliographies, and fresh discussions of first-century social life, of Gnosticism, and of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Jewish literature.
Backgrounds to Dispensationalism: Its Historical Genesis and Ecclesiastical Implications
by Clarence BassThe initial publication of Backgrounds to Dispensationalism (1960), along with several other contemporary studies, marked a new day in scholarship on dispensationalism. For the first time dispensationalism received critical analysis that was not primarily polemical. Bass’s extensive research in a daunting mass of primary materials and the careful analysis of the theological developments provide welcome insight into this prominent theological tradition. Backgrounds to Dispensationalism remains an essential guide for students of this tradition. Bass helpfully distinguishes between “pastor-dispensationalists” and the more elaborate and nuanced “academic dispensationalists” (8). Though such a distinction may be applicable to most theological traditions, it is especially apropos for dispensationalism. The “pastor-dispensationalist” far outnumbers the academic version and dominates the public face of dispensationalism, both within evangelicalism and in American culture generally. From C. I. Scofield and Arno Gabelein to Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye and a host of Bible teachers and pastors, pastor-dispensationalism provides outsiders and insiders alike with their most powerful images. Backgrounds to Dispensationalism insightfully explains the emergence of dispensationalism under John Nelson Darby and the Plymouth Brethren movement of Britain in the early and mid-1800s. That context illuminates this tradition and clarifies some important distinctions among the Brethren and between Brethren and non- Brethren varieties of dispensationalism. The diversity and manifold developments in American dispensationalism over the past century and a half remind us that dispensationalism cannot be reduced to the lengthened shadow of John Nelson Darby’s theology. Yet many dispensationalists are too quick to distance themselves from Darby’s lineage. Though later generations altered some of Darby’s most distinctive views, Bass rightly argues that Darby’s contribution is decisive for early dispensationalism.
Backstage Pass
by Cheryl Crouch G StudiosChosen Girls is a dynamic new series that comunicates a message of empowerment and hope to Christian youth who want to live out their faith. These courageous and compelling girls stand for their beliefs and encourage others to do the same. When their cross-cultural outreach band takes off, Trinity, Melody, and Harmony explode onto the scene with style, hot music, and genuine, age-relatable content. In Backstage Pass, shy, reserved Melody (Mello), gets her world rocked when a new girl moves in across the street from her best friend, Harmony. Soon downtime—or any time with Harmony at all—looks like a thing of the past as the strong-willed Trinity invades Mello and Harmony’s world and insists that the three start a rock band. With a little help from the neighborhood computer geek, Lamont, the girls are transformed into music-video superheroes who triumph over sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. Somewhere along the way they open their hearts, learning that both old friends and new are important, and the Chosen Girls band is born.
Backstagepas Naar De Andere Kant: Spreken met het hiernamaals met Jennifer Shaffer Deel 2 (Backtstagepas Naar De Andere Kant #2)
by Richard MartiniBackstagepas naar de Andere Kant: Spreken met het Hiernamaals met Jennifer Shaffer Deel 2 Deel 2 legt het proces uit hoe deze "interviews met mensen aan de andere kant" zijn verkregen. Jennifer Shaffer is een gerenommeerd medium/intuïtief, die met rechtshandhaving in de VS samenwerkt om vermiste personen te helpen vinden. Richard Martini is een best seller auteur. Hij kende de mensen die ze proberen te interviewen of hun gespreksleider, Luana Anders (aan de andere kant), helpt de gesprekken te leiden. Elk hoofdstuk is een verkenning van wat wordt gezegd. Er wordt onderzoek gedaan om de gehoorde details te verifiëren en het proces wordt bestudeerd. Het volgende is slechts een steekproef van enkele van de mensen die "benaderd" zijn via dit proces. Backstage Pas naar de Andere Kant Deel Twee interviews: ***** EDWARD TAYLOR, ROBERT EN ZIJN VOOR EEN OSCAR GENOMINEERDE HOND HIRA - ´Het is gewoon niet eerlijk´ SYDNEY VAN DE GROEP - ´Het is hier leuk´ JONATHAN, SALLY & MARLON - ´Liefde is een hogere frequentie´ STEPHEN HAWKING, GARRY SHANDLING, CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS - 'Zwarte Gaten en het Oneindige' en het ultieme hiernamaals feest voor atheïsten JENNIFER EN LUANA - ´Blauwdrukken´ BROEDERS VAN EEN ANDERE PLANEET - ´Doe het in onbewerkte vorm´ BEWUSTZIJN - ´Onaardse antwoorden´ JOHN, GEORGE, JIMI - ´Blue Suede Shoes´ BOEDDHA EN JEZUS LOPEN EEN BAR BINNEN - ´Open je hart om hoger te komen´ AMELIA, EEN REIS NAAR EEN BIBLIOTHEEK EN EEN KLASLOKAAL AAN DE ANDERE KANT - ´Excursies´ ´SPOOKVERHALEN´ - Geesten jagen met Garry, Gilda, John, Anthony, Kate en Robin WOENSDAGSE MENSEN NAWOORD - ´Laat Het Zijn´
Backstagepas Naar de Andere Kant: Spreken met het hiernamaals met Jennifer Shaffer Deel 1
by Richard MartiniBackstagepas naar de Andere Kant: Spreken met het Hiernamaals met Jennifer Shaffer Deel 1 Deel 1 legt het proces uit, over hoe deze "interviews met mensen aan de andere kant" zijn verkregen. Jennifer Shaffer is een gerenommeerd medium/intuïtief, die met rechtshandhaving in de VS samenwerkt om vermiste personen te helpen vinden. Richard Martini is een best seller auteur. Hij kende de mensen, die ze proberen te interviewen of hun gespreksleider, Luana Anders (aan de andere kant), helpt de gesprekken te leiden. Elk hoofdstuk is een verkenning van wat wordt gezegd. Er wordt onderzoek gedaan om de gehoorde details te verifiëren en het proces wordt bestudeerd. Het volgende is slechts een steekproef van enkele van de mensen, die "benaderd" zijn via dit proces. ´Backstagepas naar de Andere Kant: Spreken met het Hiernamaals met Jennifer Shaffer Deel 1´ interviews: 1 – ´Een les in vertalen´ Het onstaan van het model van ons klaslokaal om met de andere kant te praten. 2 – ´Open jezelf voor de mogelijkheid´ Atheist en acteur Harry Dean Stanton bewijst dat hij aan de andere kant is. 3 – ´De portier van verbondenheid´ Deel 2 van Harry Dean Stantons interview na zijn herdenkingsdienst. 4 – ´Hij is bij je schouder´ Michael Newton verschijnt tijdens een sessie. 5 – ´Sneller, Slimmer, Efficiënter´ Michael geeft advies over hoe te communiceren met de andere Kant. 6 – ´Van Harvard naar Oxford en terug´ met Julian Baird, PhD. Atheist en vrijdenker Julian Baird vertelt over zijn overgang. 7 – ´Backstagepas´ Tom Petty verschijnt in onze klas en geeft de titel van dit boek. 8 – ´De cowboy Boeddha´ Acteur Rance Howard vertelt wie hem begroette aan de andere kant. 9 – ´Ironie´ ROBIN Williams blijft advies geven over zijn reis aan de andere kant. 10 – ´Dit is leuk. Ik kan vliegen´ Bill Paxton bewijst, dat hij bewust is waar hij zich bevindt aan de andere kant.<
Backwoods (The Aftershock Novels #4)
by Jill SorensonA backwoods camping trip leads two divorced parents into dangerous terrain when a child goes missing in this novel from “a master of romantic suspense” (Booklist, starred review).Abby Hammond was hoping for a getaway with her teenage daughter, Brooke. She didn’t realize the nature retreat would also include Brooke’s stepbrother and his dad, Nathan Strom. The only thing Abby has in common with the former pro athlete is that their exes cheated with each other. That, and a visceral attraction that’s growing more complicated with every step through the picturesque woods.Nathan’s bad-boy reputation lost him his career and his family. After years of regret, he’s ready to fight for what truly matters—and that includes Abby’s hard-won trust. When Brooke goes missing, Nathan is determined to come to the rescue. But the deeper they go into the rugged mountains, the more dangerous the territory will prove—for their safety and for their hearts.
Bad Boy of Gospel Music: The Calvin Newton Story (American Made Music Series)
by Russ Cheatham“I messed up,” Calvin Newton lamented, after wasting thirty years and doing time in both state and federal prisons for theft, counterfeiting, and drug violations. “These were years of my life that I could have been singing gospel music.” During his prime, he was super-handsome, athletic, and charged with sexual charisma that attracted women to him like flies to honey. Atop this abundance was his astounding voice, “the voice of an angel.” This book is his prodigal-son story. Audacious, Newton never turned down a dare, even if it meant climbing on the roof of a speeding car or wading into a freezing ocean. As a boy boxer, he was a Kentucky Golden Gloves champ who k.o.’ed his opponent in twenty-three seconds. By his late teens he had been recruited by the Blackwood Brothers, the number-one gospel quartet in the world. In his mid-twenties while he was singing Christian songs with the Oak Ridge Quartet, Newton’s mighty talent and movie-star looks took him deep into hedonism--reckless driving, heavy romancing, and addictive pill popping. As 1950s rock ‘n’ roll began its invasion of gospel, he and two partners formed the Sons of Song, the first all-male gospel trio. Long before the pop sound claimed contemporary Christian music, the Sons of Song turned gospel upside down with histrionic harmony, high-styled tuxedos, and Hollywood verve. Their signature song, “Wasted Years,” foreshadowed Newton’s punishing fall. This biography looks back at the destructive lifestyle that wrecked a sparkling career. When well into his sixties, Newton turned his life around and was able to confront his demons and discuss his prodigal days. He talked extensively with Russ Cheatham about his self- destruction and the great personal expense of his own bad-boy choices and late redemption. In this candid biography, one of gospel’s all-stars discloses a messed-up life that vacillated between achievement and failure, fame and infamy, happiness and grief.
Bad Boys of the Book of Mormon: And What They Teach Us
by David PowellDavid Powell, through impeccable research and creativity, waves a tapestry of temptation using the bad guys in the Book of Mormon. Political unrest, government corruption, assassinations, bloody wars, moral decay, pride, greed, and unspeakable evil, all are revealed within, showing clearly how the Book of Mormon is indeed a work for us in the latter days. David makes it possible for anyone to understand what is in store for those who decide or allow themselves to be a bad boy (or girl) in these times. Bad Boys of the Book of Mormon is a must for Seminary students and teachers, Institute students and teachers, Sunday School students and teachers, and anyone else who is seeking truth. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve." (Alma 30:8) This book makes clear, with great originality and ingenuity, what happens to those who choose evil. You will find it interesting, informative and intriguing. "
Bad Christians and Hanging Toads: Witch Crafting in Northern Spain, 1525–1675
by Rochelle RojasBad Christians and Hanging Toads tells riveting stories of witchcraft in everyday life in early modern Navarra. Belief in witchcraft not only emerged in moments of mass panic but was woven into the fabric of village life. Some villagers believed witches sickened crops and cows with poisonous powders, others thought they engaged in diabolism and perverted sex, and still others believed they lovingly raised toads used to commit evil deeds. Most villagers, however, simply saw witches as those with reputations of being mala cristianas—bad Christians. Rochelle Rojas illuminates the social webs of accusations and the pathways of village gossip that created the conditions for the witch beliefs and trials of the period.While studies of witchcraft in Spain tend to focus on the inquisitorial trials and witch panic of 1609–14, Bad Christians and Hanging Toads turns to witch trials conducted by the region's secular judiciary, Navarra's royal tribunals, tracing the prosecution of accused witches over 150 years. Using detailed evidence from trial records and neighbors' testimonies, Rojas vividly brings to life the women and men crafted as witches by their neighbors and the authorities and guides readers through the judicial process, from accusations and the examination of the evidence to sentencing and punishment.By privileging the voices of villagers throughout, Bad Christians and Hanging Toads demonstrates that the inner logic of early modern European witchcraft trials can be understood only by examining of the local, everyday aspects of witch belief.
Bad Connection (Samantha McGregor #1)
by Melody CarlsonMeet Samantha McGregor She seems like your average teen, but Samantha is unusually gifted. God gives her visions and dreams that offer unconventional glimpses into other people's lives and problems. It's a powerful gift with a lot of responsibilityhellip; Bad Connection: Book One Kayla Henderson lives on the edge. She likes to break the rules, considers partying an extracurricular activity, and can't stand her parents. So, most people aren't surprised when she goes missing. Like everyone else, Samantha McGregor assumes Kayla has run away. But then she has a vision where Kayla is tied up with duct tape over her mouth. Freaked by the image, Samantha wonders,Is Kayla alive or dead? Was the vision real or just a silly dream? Most important, can Kayla be found before it's too late? If God Gave You a Vision, Would You Trust It? Samantha McGregor knows that Kayla Henderson likes to break the rules, considers partying an "extra-curricular" activity, and can't stand her parents. Fine. That's Kayla's thing. Samantha's not even surprised when Kayla goes missing. Hadn't she been saying she was going to take off, to go meet her online "boyfriend" in person? It might not be the smartest move in the world, but Kayla would be okay. She always was. Then the vision comeshellip;and reveals that Kayla is far from okay. Samantha freaks. Was her vision from God or just imagined? If Kayla's really in danger, what can Samantha do? Only one person can help her: Detective Ebony Hamilton, her father's former colleague. Now this unlikely pair must work against the clock-and the system-to patch together the truth and find Kaylahellip;before it's too late. {INSERT ENDORSEMENTS TO COME} READER'S GUIDE INCLUDED Story Behind the Book "The secular world has become very interested in 'supernatural' gifts. Take, for example, shows likeJoan of Arcadia , The Medium, Monk, and Dead Zone. Yet it's God who gives every good and perfect gift. My guess is that we humans barely tap into the vast variety of gifts that He has to offer. Not only that, but our fast-paced, high-tech culture rarely relies on those good 'old-fashioned' character traits like insight, intuition, wisdom, and foresight. My hope is that this series will provide a fun way for teens to explore deeper levels of spirituality and creativity while inspiring them to a greater love for God. " - Melody Carlson From the Trade Paperback edition.
Bad Dads of the Bible: 8 Mistakes Every Good Dad Can Avoid
by Roland WarrenSome of the most noted, celebrated and godly men in the Bible made some very big mistakes when it came to raising their children. Roland Warren, President of the National Fatherhood Initiative, calls these errors “bad dad” mistakes. Bad Dads of the Bible examines these mistakes, brings them into a contemporary setting and gives today’s dads much needed advice on how to avoid them. Moreover, should a dad unfortunately make some of these mistakes, this book will give him practical advice and an easy-to-follow roadmap to help him repair his relationships with his children before it’s too late. This book is unique because it brings to life ancient Biblical narratives and stories and creatively illustrates important fathering principles in a way that is sure to engage today’s dads and help them move from inspiration to action. This book also addresses a troubling notion that is held by many pastors and Christian fathers, a notion that has hampered the church’s ability to meet fathers at their point of need. There is a shared perspective and misconception that if we can just help men be better Christians, they will automatically be better dads. In other words, the thinking is that good Christian men will equal good Christian fathers. This certainly sounds logical. But, when you examine the lives of so many men whose stories are chronicled in the Bible, you quickly detected a disturbing pattern. Many of them, even men who had deep and abiding hearts for God, made some rather serious mistakes as fathers that often negatively impacted generations. Therefore, if these fathers had problems, why wouldn’t fathers today? Warren believes that this is why God made sure that these “bad dad” mistakes were front and center, consequences and all, in so many of the Biblical narratives. God truly loves fatherhood and fathers and He wanted these mistakes to be easy to find. Yet, few fathers really take the time to examine them or have strategies to avoid them. Hopefully, as dads study the examples of the fatherhood legacies of men like Abraham, David and Eli, men who loved God deeply, they will learn from their mistakes. More importantly, this book can serve as a clarion call for men to take action now to be the fathers that God designed them to be. There is a saying that a wise man learns from his mistakes. This is true. But the wisest man always learns from the mistakes of others. Each chapter includes Reflection, Correction and Connection sections at the end to help dads easily apply what they have read, as well as a “Good Dad Promise” to pave the way for future good parenting decisions.
Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right
by Randall BalmerA surprising and disturbing origin story There is a commonly accepted story about the rise of the Religious Right in the United States. It goes like this: with righteous fury, American evangelicals entered the political arena as a unified front to fight the legality of abortion after the Supreme Court&’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The problem is this story simply isn&’t true. Largely ambivalent about abortion until the late 1970s, evangelical leaders were first mobilized not by Roe v. Wade but by Green v. Connally, a lesser-known court decision in 1971 that threatened the tax-exempt status of racially discriminatory institutions—of which there were several in the world of Christian education at the time. When the most notorious of these schools, Bob Jones University, had its tax-exempt status revoked in 1976, evangelicalism was galvanized as a political force and brought into the fold of the Republican Party. Only later, when a more palatable issue was needed to cover for what was becoming an increasingly unpopular position following the civil rights era, was the moral crusade against abortion made the central issue of the movement now known as the Religious Right. In this greatly expanded argument from his 2014 Politico article &“The Real Origins of the Religious Right,&” Randall Balmer guides the reader along the convoluted historical trajectory that began with American evangelicalism as a progressive force opposed to slavery, then later an isolated apolitical movement in the mid-twentieth century, all the way through the 2016 election in which 81 percent of white evangelicals coalesced around Donald Trump for president. The pivotal point, Balmer shows, was the period in the late 1970s when American evangelicals turned against Jimmy Carter—despite his being one of their own, a professed &“born-again&” Christian—in favor of the Republican Party, which found it could win their loyalty through the espousal of a single issue. With the implications of this alliance still unfolding, Balmer&’s account uncovers the roots of evangelical watchwords like &“religious freedom&” and &“family values&” while getting to the truth of how this movement began—explaining, in part, what it has become.
Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine
by Paul A. OffitIn recent years, there have been major outbreaks of whooping cough among children in California, mumps in New York, and measles in Ohio’s Amish country--despite the fact that these are all vaccine-preventable diseases. Although America is the most medically advanced place in the world, many people disregard modern medicine in favor of using their faith to fight life threatening illnesses. Christian Scientists pray for healing instead of going to the doctor, Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions, and ultra-Orthodox Jewish mohels spread herpes by using a primitive ritual to clean the wound. Tragically, children suffer and die every year from treatable diseases, and in most states it is legal for parents to deny their children care for religious reasons. In twenty-first century America, how could this be happening? In Bad Faith, acclaimed physician and author Dr. Paul Offit gives readers a never-before-seen look into the minds of those who choose to medically martyr themselves, or their children, in the name of religion. Offit chronicles the stories of these faithful and their children, whose devastating experiences highlight the tangled relationship between religion and medicine in America. Religious or not, this issue reaches everyone--whether you are seeking treatment at a Catholic hospital or trying to keep your kids safe from diseases spread by their unvaccinated peers. Replete with vivid storytelling and complex, compelling characters, Bad Faith makes a strenuous case that denying medicine to children in the name of religion isn’t just unwise and immoral, but a rejection of the very best aspects of what belief itself has to offer.