Showing titles in History

During its 2,500-year life, the book of Genesis has been the keystone to almost every important claim about reality, humanity, and God in Judaism and Christianity. And it continues to play a central role in debates about science, politics, and human rights. With clarity and skill, acclaimed biblical scholar Ronald Hendel provides a panoramic history of this iconic book, exploring its impact on Western religion, philosophy, science, politics, literature, and more.

Rich in humor and culture, as well as passion and love for the cause of God and of man, Milestones is the early autobiography of Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger. It tells the fascinating and inspiring story of his early family life, the years under Nazi oppression in Germany, and his part in World War II—including how as a teenager, he was forced to join the Hitler Youth and German army, from which he risked his life to flee.

Daniel Hill will never forget the day he heard these words: "Daniel, you may be white, but don't let that lull you into thinking you have no culture. White culture is very real. In fact, when white culture comes in contact with other cultures, it almost always wins. So it would be a really good idea for you to learn about your culture." Confused and unsettled by this encounter, Hill began a journey of understanding his own white identity. Today he is an active participant in addressing and confronting racial and systemic injustices.

In 1683, an Ottoman army that stretched from horizon to horizon set out to seize the "Golden Apple," as Turks referred to Vienna. The ensuing siege pitted battle-hardened Janissaries wielding seventeenth-century grenades against Habsburg armies, widely feared for their savagery. The walls of...

A respected and controversial scholar argues that the Crusades were a justified war waged against Muslim terror and aggression This book takes on the current vogue in liberal thinking to argue that, in fact, the Crusades were not unprovoked. They were not the first round of European colonialism...

A rip roaring, hair raising, edge-of-your-chair saga of the first-century believers. From the day of Pentecost, on through the first seventeen years, every historical figure of that age is there: alive, vivid, believable.

Capitol Hill Baptist Church, located just blocks away from the center of American power, has a rich 150-year history. Its members have participated in significant world events, advocated for religious freedoms, and spoken out against the moral failings of the times. There's no doubt this church has had a unique impact on evangelicalism from a significant location. But these lively characters and their unique experiences only tell part of this engaging narrative.

What Really Happened During Jesus' Last Hours Before the Cross? Many have heard the story before — that Christ died, was buried, and rose again — but what about the days and hours leading up to His crucifixion? What happened in those critical moments, and why did it happen? Presenting Scripture as well as the writings of Early Church fathers, Rick documents the journey of Christ from the Garden to the Cross and beyond, revealing: Why hundreds of soldiers — not just a few — met Jesus to arrest Him. The details of "the Judas kiss" and Judas’ fatal flaw from the beginning.

Other than the Virgin Mary, no woman has so captivated our attention as Mary from Magdala. From her portrayal as a prostitute to speculation that she was Jesus’ wife in popular fiction like The Da Vinci Code, images of Mary have abounded for centuries. These portrayals, however, often have very little basis in truth. In this fascinating audio course from Fr. Raymond F. Collins, you will explore Mary Magdalene in the Gospels, Gnosticism, and popular culture.

Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth by John G. Jackson is a concise yet provocative exploration of the parallels between Christian doctrines and ancient pagan mythology.

Some questions about the New Testament canon are far from settled, either in the academy or the church—to say nothing of misconceptions and confusion. This is a crucial topic, given the importance of the canon's formation for our understanding of early Christianity and the nature of the Christian faith itself. In Creating the Canon, Benjamin P. Laird explores misunderstood, disputed, and overlooked matters tied to the composition, collection, and authority of the New Testament canon.

Trials have a way of changing us, for better or worse. They can humble us or harden us. They can make us run to God or away from him. Perhaps your trials have resulted in a closer walk with him, or maybe he seems far away. Often, God strengthens our faith through the witness of courageous Christians who’ve gone before us.

In the beginning, on the First Day, which was the holy First Day of the Week, the chief and firstborn of all the days, God, created the heavens, and the earth, and the waters, and the air, and the fire, and the hosts which are invisible (that is to say, the Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Lords, Principalities, Powers, Cherubim and Seraphim), and all the ranks and companies of Spiritual beings, and the Light, and the Night, and the Day-time, and the gentle winds and the strong winds.

Sir Isaac Newton is well known for his laws of gravity and motion, as well as his contributions to mathematics, philosophy, and optics. Turning to theology, he outlines his discoveries about Daniel and Revelation here in his Observations.

Few revivals have been as powerful and influential as the Welsh Revival. It was birthed from the unceasing, passionate prayers of men and women of God all over Wales, and led by the anointing-saturated young man, Evan Roberts. However, because Evan Roberts was a naturally reclusive man, and the teaching of humility was so important during the revival, we have very few eyewitness accounts or testimonies that give us deeper insights into how and why God moved in that time.

What is sin? Is it simply wrongdoing? Why do its effects linger over time? In this sensitive, imaginative, and original work, Gary Anderson shows how changing conceptions of sin and forgiveness lay at the very heart of the biblical tradition. Spanning nearly 2,000 years, the book brilliantly demonstrates how sin, once conceived of as a physical burden, becomes, over time, eclipsed by economic metaphors. Transformed from a weight that an individual carried, sin becomes a debt that must be repaid in order to be redeemed in God's eyes.

There's a Sheep in My Bathtub chronicles the adventures of the Hogan family as they try to follow God's leading into one of the world's most remote and mysterious enclaves. Disarmingly honest and charmingly humorous, their tale will thrill you and bring tears to your eyes. An intensely personal memoir, this book still manages to pack a powerful dose of missionary insight and biblical principles for seeing the Church explode into life among peoples that have never even heard of Jesus.

Since the days of Nimrod, rooted in the knowledge of the antediluvian watchers, secret societies have been working to usher in human enlightenment, ascend humanity into godhood and provoke a final battle with the Creator. They will get their battle of Armageddon, but they will not win. In Secret Societies Blood Never Sleeps, we study history’s most prominent secret societies and their lasting effects on our culture, religion, government and laws. Should a Christian join a secret society? What role does Nimrod and the Tower of Babel play in the grand scheme?

For all that bewilders and bedevils us, the desert mothers and fathers can help us. In The Way of the Desert Elders, Lisa Colón DeLay asks: What if desert elders from more than a millennium ago could walk beside us and nourish our spirits? Starting in the fourth century, half a million Christians fled the villages and cities of the Roman Empire. Leaving behind comforts, they battled what Evagrius called "afflicting thoughts," which still unsettle us today. 

This powerful true account shares the heroic witness of over 2,400 Catholic priests imprisoned at Dachau, where more than a third died for their faith. Through Fr. John Lenz’s firsthand stories, see how these priests endured brutal suffering, ministered in secret, and proved that even in darkness, grace triumphs. Their courage and sacrifice reveal what it means to cling to Christ and find hope amid unimaginable evil.