Christianity Today Book Award The Gospel Coalition Book Award "I believe he descended to the dead." The descent of Jesus Christ to the dead has been a fundamental tenet of the Christian faith, as indicated by its inclusion in both the Apostles' and Athanasian Creeds. Falling between remembrance of Christ's death on Good Friday and of his resurrection on Easter Sunday, this affirmation has been a cause for Christian worship and reflection on Holy Saturday through the centuries. At the same time, the descent has been the subject of suspicion and scrutiny, perhaps especially from evangelicals, some of whom do not find support for it within Scripture and have even called for it to be excised from the creeds. Against this conflicted landscape, Matthew Emerson offers an exploration of the biblical, historical, theological, and practical implications of the descent. Led by the mystery and wonder of Holy Saturday, he encourages those who profess faith in Christ to consider the whole work of our Savior.

This in-depth study on the realm of death presents a message of hope held by the first generation of Christians and the early church. Using Scripture, patristic tradition, early Christian poetry, and liturgical texts, Archbishop Hilarion explores the mysterious and enigmatic event of Christ⿿s descent into Hades and its consequences for the human race. Insisting that Christ entered Sheol as Conqueror and not as victim, the author depicts the Lord⿿s descent as an event of cosmic significance opening the path to universal salvation. He also reveals Hades as a place of divine presence, a place where the spiritual fate of a person may still change. Reminding readers that self-will remains the only hindrance to life in Christ, he presents the gospel message anew, even in the shadow of death.

There has been a lack of serious historical investigation of the famous creedal statement 'Christ descended into hell' that was universally affirmed by the church for the first 1500 years of Church history. This unique book is an in-depth investigation of the history of the doctrine of Christ's descent and how Revelation 1:18 alludes to that significant doctrine. The author demonstrates a real passion and a rigorous argument for Christ's triumphal descent into the underworld in order that he would 'fill all things' (Eph 4:10).

What does it mean to affirm that Jesus "descended into hell?" What actually happened to Jesus between Good Friday and Easter? Was this "descent" part of his suffering or part of his triumph? And why does it matter today?With a theologian's research, a pastor's heart and a poet's sensibility, Gerrit Dawson explores the answers given through the centuries to these questions. By using a narrative approach, Dawson achieves a unique synthesis of previously competing views. He shows that the ancient idea of the harrowing of hell, the Reformed view of "hell on the cross" and the 20th century recognition of the darkness of Holy Saturday can all work together. Far from being a discardable doctrine, the descent offers a unique window on the person and work of Christ, one we urgently need to open for the worship and mission of the Church today.

What beliefs are core to the Christian faith? This book is here to help you understand the reason for your hope as a Christian so that you can see it with fresh sight and invite others into the conversation. A lot of Christians take their story—the narratives that give rise to their beliefs—for granted. They pray, go to church, perhaps even read their Bible. But they might be stuck if a stranger asked them to explain what they believe and why they believe it. Author, pastor, and theologian Mike Horton unpacks the essential and basic beliefs that all Christians share in a way that is easy to understand and applicable to our lives today. And in a way that will make you excited to be a Christian! Core Christianity covers topics like: Jesus as both fully God and fully man. The doctrine of the Trinity. The goodness of God despite a broken world. The ways God speaks. The meaning of salvation. What is the Christian calling? Includes discussion questions for individual or group use. This introduction to the basic doctrines of Christianity is perfect for those who are new to the faith, as well as those who have an interest in deepening their understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

The Apostles' Creed is one of the most prominent creeds in Christianity, perhaps even the most recited creed by normal believers in church services. However, the creed holds a clause that seems controversial to Christian mission in some contexts, especially African contexts. The clause, ""He descended into Hell,"" is the main concern of this book. In African context, where ancestral cult is prominent in both people's worldview and practice, this clause poses a tangible problem of religious syncretism. The phrase suggests a life after immediate death, that a person can continue to live in a certain realm soon after death. Since the clause depicts Jesus descending into hell after death and burial, and preaching to the other souls of the dead in hell, it suggests the possibility of hearing a message of salvation after death, a doctrine hardly held by Christianity. The doctrine therefore becomes good news for those Africans who hold firm the ancestral cult, and those whose relatives had died in sin on earth. Therefore, this book critically examines the origin and use of this doctrine in the church and its validity in an African context. Elikana Asheri Lova (PhM, Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology) is Assistant Lecturer and Rector of Kidugala Lutheran Seminary, an institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Southern Diocese. Elia Shabani Mligo (PhD, University of Oslo) is Senior Lecturer in Contextual Theology at the University of Iringa, Amani Centre in Njombe Tanzania. He is the author of many articles and books. Some of his books include: Jesus and the Stigmatized (2011), Writing Academic Papers (2012), Doing Effective Fieldwork (2013), Elements of African Traditional Religion (2013), and Symbolic Interactionism in the Gospel according to John (2014).

A collection of one-hundred articles which appeared in rural newspapers in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois over a period of three years. The ongoing, syndicated column,"Ask Pastor Adrienne(TM)," provides a forum for readers to query a member of clergy without being judged, interrogated or embarrassed by their standing (or non-standing) on the Christian landscape. Readers asked questions and were answered by Pastor Adrienne in general, biblical terms. The book is an archive of diverse topics regarding the American culture of Christianity as experienced by the public.