An introduction to theologians who greatly affected Christian thought includes portraits of Paul, Origen, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Karl Barth

From Clement of Rome to today, the project of understanding the faith has engaged and impelled some of the West's greatest minds. Here Pope Benedict XVI accessibly and sympathetically reflects on the lives and works of Christianity's chief theologians, teachers, ascetics and mystics up to the end of the Middle Ages.

This book introduces twelve key Christians from the second and third centuries, a formative period for the Church. These figures are: Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tatian, Theophilus of Antioch, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Perpetua, Origen, Hippolytus, Cyprian, Gregory Thaumaturgos and Eusebius. Each chapter is self-contained and requires no preliminary knowledge of the figure under discussion, making this an ideal book for laity and for undergraduates studying Christian origins or Patristics.

This volume creatively explores the history of Christian thought by imagining a series of twenty-nine dialogues and debates among key figures throughout church history. It traces the history of theology via such conversation partners as Augustine and Pelagius, Calvin and Arminius, Barth and Brunner, and Bultmann and Pannenberg. Each imagined dialogue includes a brief summary that introduces the figures under consideration, a more detailed assessment of the thinkers and theological issues presented, and a guide for further reading. This approach offers readers an entertaining, informative, and concise history of Christian thought.

ÒYou are in a Bible study, with a group of people. You are all studying the same passage. And someone points out something that you hadn't noticed before. New light is suddenly shed on familiar material. And you realize that, left to yourself, you'd have missed that. ÒOther people help us understand both Scripture and our faith more deeply. It helps to study Scripture and think about the gospel in good company -- and this book aims to put you in good company as you think through some key areas of the Christian faith. ÒReading about the great Christian thinkers of the past is like being at a really good Bible study. They can help you think through things you may have been puzzled by. They can cast new light on a familiar scriptural passage. They can inspire with their testimonies. They can stretch your thinking, helping you wrestle with important questions which you ought to think through at some point. What better way to begin, than to be introduced to a classic discussion of such questions?Ó --from the Introduction

Portrays heaven as a world similar to ours without evil and suffering, drawing on the beliefs of top Christian minds to contend that people will continue to work, learn, and inhabit bodies after death.

"Here's a powerful, biblical antidote to despair!"--LEE STROBEL, New York Times bestselling author God's peace, his shalom, can penetrate every aspect of your life--spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Although the word shalom appears 550 times in the Scriptures and was a constant theme in Jesus' teachings, it is a neglected topic today. As a result, God's peace has been elusive to so many followers of Jesus. This book charts a course of shalom for you! As Greg Laurie writes in the foreword, since we are made in God's image, you could say we have been prewired for happiness. We are prewired for hope. We are prewired for peace. If you are longing for healing and wholeness, noted Bible scholar Jeremiah J. Johnston will help you discover how to · Unleash shalom in your life · Live and apply shalom in God's world · Protect your shalom in difficult times This uplifting book is also helpful for ministry leaders and everyone else who recognizes the church's incredible opportunity today to help individuals and families dealing with anxiety, worry, and mental pain. Let this be your guide into the peace that passes all understanding. Shalom! "This is more than surviving; we are offered the gift of truly flourishing."--SHEILA WALSH, author of Holding On When You Want to Let Go "In this reassuring meditation on Christian happiness... Johnston's mix of scholarly and uplifting notes will speak to solace seekers and their ministry leaders alike."--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY