A sweeping history of Muslim identity from its origins in late antiquity to the present
How did Muslims across time and place define the line between themselves and their neighbors? Youshaa Patel explores why the Prophet Muhammad first advised his followers to emulate Christians and Jews, but then allegedly reversed course, urging them to "be different!" He details how subsequent generations of Muslim scholars canonized the Prophet's...

In this sweeping narrative that takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age, Robert Wright unveils a hidden pattern that the great monotheistic faiths have followed as they have evolved. Through the prisms of archaeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology, Wright's findings overturn basic assumptions about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and are sure to cause controversy. He explains why spirituality has a role today, and why science,...

Discusses various ways the Jewish people have understood God, and how to build on these lessons to explore and deepen personal spirituality.

Appropriately the premier volume in the Guides to Theology series, The Trinity provides readers with a basic knowledge of the central and most distinctive doctrine of the Christian faith -- the triune nature of God. Concise, nontechnical, and up-to-date, the book offers a detailed historical and theological description of the doctrine of the Trinity, tracing its development from the first days of Christianity through the medieval and Reformation...

Too often pastoral care is uninformed by historical practice and is overly influenced by psychological theory and practice, according to Andrew Purves. At least one consequence of this is that it is often disaffiliated from the church's theological heritage. Purves examines Christian writers from the past who represent the classical tradition in pastoral theology--classical in the sense that they and their texts have shaped the minds and practices...

The historical context in which theological understandings have developed play an important role in our understanding of the modern church. In this book, Sulpician priest and scholar Frederick J. Cwiekowski traces the theology of the church, beginning with the community of disciples during Jesus' ministry and the New Testament era. He continues through the various periods of history, highlighting events from both the East and West, including the remarkable...

At the turn of the millennium, when increasing attention is being given to eschatological subjects, there is a need for an objective, comprehensive overview of the various end-times perspectives. A Basic Guide to Eschatology is such a resource. In this accessible study, leading evangelical theologian Millard Erickson provides a balanced examination of various eschatological viewpoints. - Back cover.

Representing the highest quality of scholarship, Gilles Emery offers a much-anticipated introduction to Catholic doctrine on the Trinity. His extensive research combined with lucid prose provides readers a resource to better understand the foundations of Trinitarian reflection. The book is addressed to all who wish to benefit from an initiation to Trinitarian doctrine.

"'A covenantal vision of life, with mitzvah (divine commandment) as the central organizing principle in the relationship between Jews and God, liberates the intellect and the moral will. I seek to show that a tradition mediated by the Sinai covenant can encourage the development of a human being who is not afraid to assume responsibility for the ongoing drama of Jewish history. Passive resignation is seen not to be an essential trait of one whose...

"Most theologians believe in the human life of Jesus of Nazareth, we encounter God. Yet how the divine and human come together in the life of Jesus still remains a question needing exploring. The Council of Chalcedon sought to answer the question by speaking of "one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in divinity and also perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly a human being." But ever since Chalcedon, the theological...