Stanley J. Grenz describes four major views on the millennium held by evangelicals and assesses their strengths and weaknesses.

Amillennialism, dispensational premillennialism, historic premillennialism, postmillennialism, preterism. These are difficult words to pronounce and even harder concepts to understand. A Case for Amillennialism is an accessible look at the crucial theological question of the millennium in the context of contemporary evangelicalism. Recognizing that eschatology--the study of future things--is a complicated and controversial subject, Kim Riddlebarger provides definitions of key terms and a helpful overview of various viewpoints. He examines related biblical topics as a backdrop to understanding the subject and discusses important passages of Scripture that bear upon the millennial question. Regardless of their stance, readers will find helpful insight as Riddlebarger evaluates the main problems facing each of the major millennial positions and cautions readers to be aware of the spiraling consequences of each view.

Christianity Today Book of the Year What is ethics? Why should Christians care? Beginning with these basic questions, Stanley Grenz masterfully leads his readers into a theological engagement with moral inquiry. In The Moral Quest he sets forth the basics of ethics, considers the role and methods of Christian ethics in particular, and examines the ethical approaches of the Old Testament, the Gospels and Paul. He introduces the foundational theological ethics of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Luther and the Reformers. And he concludes with an evenhanded discussion of modern and contemporary Christian ethicists, including Albert Ritschl, Walter Rauschenbusch, Karl Barth, James Gustafson, Paul Ramsey, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King Jr., Gustavo Gutiérrez, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Stanley Hauerwas, Carl F. H. Henry and Oliver O'Donovan. Clear, concise, and well apprised of relevant literature, Grenz (a theologian recognized for the excellence of his own theological and ethical work) provides in this book a first-rate introduction to Christian ethics. The Moral Quest will well serve students, pastors and interested laypersons alike.

The study of end times often gets bogged down in minutiae that rarely affects daily life. Or we find ourselves passively waiting for God's future, Avoiding both of these traps, Essential Eschatology gets to the heart of the matter by examining how the Christian hope and practice of resurrection affects Christian mission and everyday life. Author John Phelan notes, "Eschatology is not about the end only but the beginning and middle of faith and life as well. Christianity...is eschatological to its core." Raised with Christ, Jesus' followers are called to practice resurrection, which reshapes relationships with our families, our neighbors and the world at large. "All that is anticipated in the new heavens and the new earth is to be lived out in the Christian community—a community that has already died and been raised with Christ." This creates within the world a unique community hope. Essential Eschatology explores Christian hope in relation to the failure of modernism living in the midst of empire the resurrection and judgment the kingdom of God and Christian mission the return of Jesus and the millennium God's promises to Israel In Essential Eschatology professors, students and pastors will find a sure guide in a frequently misunderstood and often confusing theological landscape. With the thoroughly biblical perspective found in this book, we discover the future spilling into the present.

Stanley J. Grenz evaluates the course of evangelical theology and sets out a bold agenda for a new century. He proposes that evangelical theology, to remain vibrant and vital in the postmodern era, should find its central integrative motifs in the reign of God and the community of Christ.

Is there biblical evidence for a thousand-year earthly kingdom (the Millennium) ruled by Christ before the fulfillment of the new heaven and new earth? Revelation chapter 20 seems to suggest so, but few books of the Bible are so difficult to interpret. And a discussion of the Millennium branches out into many other theological questions about the end times (eschatology): Are these the last days? What must happen before Jesus returns? What part does the church play? This Counterpoints volume compares three views of the Millennium: Premillennial: Christ will come again before this kingdom is established. Postmillennial: our present age represents that kingdom and that the church is and must move toward the fulfillment of this kingdom. Amillennial: a future Millennium is not a literal kingdom, and when Christ returns, he will usher in an immediate new heaven and new earth. Robert B. Strimple, Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., and Craig A. Blaising offer their perspectives, giving their exegetical reasoning. Each of them then responds to the views held by their peers in a respectful and informative setting, making it easy for you to compare their beliefs and gain a better understanding of how this aspect of Christianity's great hope--the return of Jesus--is understood by the church. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.