Biblical Patriarchs And Their Legacy of Family Dysfunctions


Book Description

In the midst of our trials it is not unusual for us to feel as if our burden is the heaviest and to wonder if anyone else understands how we feel. The biblical record shows us that people have gone through what we go through. Families today as well as those in the distant yesterday have always dealt with dysfunctions such as hatred, jealousy, envy, abuse, adultery, incest, alcoholism, deception, murder, parental neglect, favoritism, homosexuality, financial difficulties, health and any other kinds of dysfunctions. Biblical Patriarchs And Their Legacy of Family Dysfunctions, is a probe into the families of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Isaac and Jacob to see how they dealt with some of those dysfunctions. It also highlights the fact that unless some measure of deliberate or coincidental intervention occurs, family dysfunctions can continue in generational cycles.




Where Sin Abounds


Book Description

Nearly all scholars divide Genesis into primeval and patriarchal history, though they debate the precise point of division. One reason advanced to justify the division is a thematic shift. In primeval history, the narrator focuses on the origin and spread of sin, as well as God's consequent curse and judgment on humanity. In patriarchal history, however, the spread of sin theme falls off the radar of most scholars. But these analyses of the primeval and patriarchal narratives are simplistic and inaccurate. In fact, the theme of human sin and the divine curse not only serve as the main themes of the Fall narrative, but they also continue to function as major themes in both the primeval and patriarchal narratives that follow. More particularly, human sin appears to increase at both individual and societal levels. Moreover, just as the primordial sin threatened to derail the advance of God's kingdom and fulfillment of the creation mandate, so the spread of human sin in postlapsarian history threatens to thwart God's redemptive plan, which consists in the restoration of his original creational intentions for divine and human eschatological fullness. This proves true even in the patriarchal narratives where the sins of God's chosen often threaten the very promise intended for their ultimate good. These facts, which the author attempts to demonstrate in the monograph, not only have important ramifications for the unity of the Genesis corpus, but they also have important implications for the doctrines of sin, justification, and sanctification.




Cain's Legacy


Book Description

Bonds between brothers and sisters are among the longest lasting and most emotionally significant of human relationships. But while 45 percent of adults struggle with serious sibling strife, few discuss it openly. Even fewer resolve it to their satisfaction.In Cain's Legacy, psychotherapist Jeanne Safer, a recognized authority on sibling psychology (and an estranged sister herself) illuminates this pervasive but hidden phenomenon. She explores the roots of inter-sibling woes, from siblicide in the book of Genesis to tensions in Frederique's family history. Drawing on sixty in-depth interviews with adult siblings struggling with conflicts over money, family businesses, aging parents, contentious wills, unhealed childhood wounds, and blocked communication, Safer provides compassionate guidance to brothers and sisters whose relationship is broken. She helps siblings overcome their paralysis and pain, revealing how they can come to terms with the one peer relationship they can never sever -- even if they never see each other again.A heartfelt look at a too-often avoided topic, Cain's Legacy is a sympathetic and clear-eyed guide to navigating the darkness separating us from our brothers and sisters.




Everything the Bible Says About Parenting and Children


Book Description

What Does the Bible Say about Parenting and Children? Every mom and dad wants to be a better parent. Year after year countless experts write books explaining the best ways to raise children, but what does God say about it? Everything the Bible Says About Parenting and Children goes straight to the source of all truth to give insight into raising families God's way. All of the scriptural references on the topic have been collected and explained clearly and concisely, using trustworthy commentaries to give context where needed. The book's length and focus make it perfect for readers on the go who love the Word of God.




Jacob & Esau


Book Description

Jacob and Esau is a profound new account of two millennia of Jewish European history that, for the first time, integrates the cosmopolitan narrative of the Jewish diaspora with that of traditional Jews and Jewish culture. Malachi Haim Hacohen uses the biblical story of the rival twins, Jacob and Esau, and its subsequent retelling by Christians and Jews throughout the ages as a lens through which to illuminate changing Jewish-Christian relations and the opening and closing of opportunities for Jewish life in Europe. Jacob and Esau tells a new history of a people accustomed for over two-and-a-half millennia to forming relationships, real and imagined, with successive empires but eagerly adapting, in modernity, to the nation-state, and experimenting with both assimilation and Jewish nationalism. In rewriting this history via Jacob and Esau, the book charts two divergent but intersecting Jewish histories that together represent the plurality of Jewish European cultures.




Crucible


Book Description

Moments of decision. Your life is full of them, and how you respond can have lifelong impact. The decision process can be as intense as a crucible—a vessel in a refining fire, a place where precious substances are tested, purified, and strengthened. That’s a picture of the process God uses in our lives. When the heat is on, what decisions will we make? What kind of character rises to the surface? David, Israel’s shepherd king, faced critical choices throughout his life, and we can learn a lot from how he handled them. In Crucible, we witness how faith, trust, fear, truth, despair, sacrifice, and humility refined David and drew him closer to the heart of God. We learn that God will use the choices we make to transform us into people after His own heart—and shape our lives forever.




Encouraging Openness


Book Description

This volume features forty-two essays written in honor of Joseph Agassi. It explores the work and legacy of this influential philosopher, an exciting and challenging advocate of critical rationalism. Throughout six decades of stupendous intellectual activity, Agassi called attention to rationality as the very starting point of every notable philosophical way of life. The essays present Agassi’s own views on critical rationalism. They also develop and expand upon his work in new and provocative ways. The authors include Agassi's most notable pupils, friends, and colleagues. Overall, their contributions challenge the received view on a variety of issues concerning science, religion, and education. Readers will find well-reasoned arguments on such topics as the secular problem of evil, religion and critical thinking, liberal democratic educational communities, democracy and constitutionalism, and capitalism at a crossroad.“/div>divTo Joseph Agassi, philosophy is the practice of reason, where reason is understood as the relentless search for criticisms of the best available explanations that we have to the world around us. This book not only honors one of the most original philosophers of science today. It also offers readers insights into a school of thought that lies at the heart of philosophy.




Daughters in the Hebrew Bible


Book Description

While the expectations and circumstances of women’s lives in ancient Israel have received considerable attention in recent scholarship, to date little attention has been focused on the role of daughters in Hebrew narrative‒‒that is, of yet unmarried female members of the household, who are not yet mothers. Kimberly D. Russaw argues that daughters are more than foils for the males (fathers, brothers, etc.) in biblical narratives and that they often use particular tactics to navigate antagonistic systems of power in their worlds. Institutions and power structures favor the patriarch, sons inherit such privileges and benefits, and wives and mothers are ascribed special status because they ensure the patrilineal legacy by birthing sons; but daughters do not receive such social favor or standing. Instead of privileging daughters, systems and institutions control their bodies, restrict their access, and constrict their movement. Combining philological data, social-science models, and cross-cultural comparisons, Russaw examines the systems that constrict biblical daughters in their worlds and the strategies they employ when hostile social forces threaten their well-being.




You Can Understand® the Book of Genesis


Book Description

In the Beginning—A Good Place to Start Genesis is chock-full of some of the Bible's most exciting stories. From Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to Joseph's reunion with his family. Do you ever wonder if God really did create the world in seven days? What's the deal with Cain and Abel anyway? And just how big was that boat Noah built? Start at the beginning with Pastor Skip Heitzig and the accounts on which the rest of Scripture is built: the creation of the world, the fall of mankind, and God's establishment of the history of the nation of Israel. Follow along and learn not just the origins of man, but also the origins of God's plan for redemption. Understanding the book of Genesis is crucial to understanding the rest of the Bible. And it all starts in the beginning.




The Ultimate Reformation


Book Description

Why don’t pastors ever talk about the degrading treatment of women in Scripture? Why would God have a different definition of adultery for a man than a woman in the Old Testament? Since the virgin birth is a core tenet of the Christian faith, why do the Gospels trace Christ’s ancestry through Joseph rather than Mary? These and other questions are posed by Pauline Beer as she traces her journey to find dignity in light of God’s apparent tolerance for female degradation. After years of questioning divine justice and searching for answers, she presents a comprehensive look at a male-centered social system that has shaped history, Bible translations, and Christian theology. As she explores the sexual and religious dynamics of patriarchy, Beer reveals how gender imbalance has skewed our moral compass, restrained the free-flowing power of the Holy Spirit, and impeded our understanding of the gospel. Her journey ultimately leads to a vision of hope for a reformation that will equip the church to address people’s deepest needs and reveal the gospel in a glorious, new light. “Thoroughly relatable and biblically insightful, the Ultimate Reformation unmasks the manifold ways Scripture and human flourishing are undermined by male authority portrayed as God’s ideal. Author Pauline Beer leaves no stone unturned in exposing Christian patriarchy as the ultimate heresy.” -Mimi Haddad, PhD., President of CBE International “The Ultimate Reformation by Pauline R. Beer is a powerful, eye-opening read that dives deep into the traditional patriarchal attitudes in Christianity and how they shape our views on gender. Beer doesn't hold back – she's calling out the need for a major overhaul in how we interpret the Bible, pushing for a perspective that respects and values everyone, regardless of gender. This book challenged me and the personal biases I have brought into interpreting Scripture. ... It's not just a critique; it's a call to action for anyone who believes it's time for a change.” -Mark Wilson, Lead Pastor of Hope Missionary Church, Bluffton, Indiana