Christology in The Books Store

After an introductory chapter on the nature of parables and their interpretation, Hultgren studies the thirty-eight parables of Jesus thematically, exploring in turn “parables of the revelation of God,” “parables of exemplary behavior,” “parables of wisdom,” “parables of life before God,” “parables of final judgment,” “allegorical parables,” and “parables of the kingdom.” He also discusses how the three evangelists used the parables within the literary framework and theological interests of their Gospels. The book ends with a close look at the parables of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas.

"Lord Jesus Christ" is a monumental work on earliest Christian devotion to Jesus, sure to replace Wilhelm Bousset's "Kyrios Christos" (1913) as the standard work on the subject. Larry Hurtado, widely respected for his previous contributions to the study of the New Testament and Christian origins, offers the best view to date of how the first Christians saw and reverenced Jesus as divine. In assembling this compelling picture, Hurtado draws on a wide body of ancient sources, from Scripture and the writings of such figures as Ignatius of Antioch and Justin to apocryphal texts such as the "Gospel of Thomas" and the "Gospel of Truth."

Hurtado considers such themes as early beliefs about Jesus' divine status and significance, but he also explores telling devotional practices of the time, including prayer and worship, the use of Jesus' name in exorcism, baptism and healing, ritual invocation of Jesus as "Lord," martyrdom, and lesser-known phenomena such as prayer postures and the curious scribal practice known today as the "nomina sacra."

The revealing portrait that emerges from Hurtado's comprehensive study yields definitive answers to questions like these: How important was this formative period to later Christian tradition? When did the divinization of Jesus first occur? Was early Christianity influenced by neighboring religions? How did the idea of Jesus' divinity change old views of God? And why did the powerful dynamics of early beliefs and practices encourage people to make the costly move of becoming a Christian?

New York Times best-selling author Darrell Bock teams with Daniel Wallace to help lay readers separate fact from fiction and help from hype in the recent best-selling Jesus books and television specials.

There is a quest going on. It's the quest to reduce Jesus to a mythic legend or to nothing more than a mere man. Scholars such as Elaine Pagels and James Tabor are using such recent discoveries as the Gospel of Judas and the Gospel of Thomas to argue that the Christ of Christianity is a contrived figure and that a different Christ-one human and not divine-is the "true" Christ.

In his trademark easy-to-understand style Darrell Bock takes on these attempts to redefine Jesus in a convincing, winsome way that will help readers understand that the orthodox understanding of Christ and his divinity is as trustworthy and sure as it ever was. Joining Bock for the first time is fellow scholar Daniel Wallace.

Beginning with the proposition that Jesus had an everyday life, Laurie Beth Jones explores the four fundamental qualities of Jesus that we can emulate in our everyday lives: poise, perspective, passion, and power. We investigate the everyday challenges common to all of us, using Jesus' life as our model. Each chapter includes a meditation and teaching, and closes with question to challenge and motivate us. She doesn't intend that we remain passive spectators, rather that we embrace life and participate fully.

Jones has a special gift for presenting the teachings of Jesus in ways that are at once practical and transcendent. By writing about subjects that are familiar to all of us, she makes us comfortable with exploring this unfamiliar ground. Once we feel safe, she quietly steps aside, shifting our attention from our own anxieties to the wisdom of Jesus. The result is an openness and receptivity that might not have been possible for us before.

Paying attention to how Jesus acted and in what context and to what he really said--and not on the dogmas surrounding his divinity--can have the paradoxical effect of making us take him and his actions and words even more seriously and, above all, and in the highest, most urgent sense, practically.

Inspired by the acts of sacrifice and discipline exemplified by the D-Day generation as well as the current generation of young American soldiers, many Christians today are looking for an obedient, disciplined approach to faith. This user-friendly study guides readers toward a greater understanding of eight spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith-prayer, humility, self-control, sacrifice, submission, solitude, silence, and hope. Each chapter defines and discusses the concept, then provides interactive assignments and suggestions for further study, as well as content summaries and outlines that aid in retention. Activities can be revisited again and again for a new outlook or just for a periodic refresher. Perfect for individual or group or family study, So, You Want to be Like Christ? is just right for anyone desiring to delve deeper into the fundamental elements of Christian life, and essential for all who hunger for authentic faith experiences. It is destined to be a classic text on the practice of Christianity.