Christian Practical Wisdom


Book Description

In this richly collaborative work, five distinguished scholars examine the oft-neglected embodied practical wisdom that is essential for true theological understanding and faithful Christian living. After first showing what Christian practical wisdom is and does in several real-life situations, the authors tell why such practical wisdom matters and how it operates, exploring reasons behind its decline in both the academy and the church and setting forth constructive cases for its renewal.




Practical Wisdom for Pastors


Book Description

As a pastor your job is filled with blessings and satisfaction, as well as unique challenges and pitfalls. Here a ministry veteran covers virtually all of those areas with a wealth of practical insight culled from 44 years in the pastorate. Blending his deep love of the Word and commitment to biblical ministry, Curtis Thomas offers a rich source of help and encouragement that will enthuse and benefit you whether you've pastored for five years or 50.




Depression, Anxiety, and the Christian Life


Book Description

Practical wisdom for dealing with depression. Depression—whether circumstantial and fleeting or persistent and long term—impacts most people at some point in their lives. Puritan pastor Richard Baxter spent most of his ministry caring for depressed and discouraged souls, and his timeless counsel still speaks to us today. In this book, psychiatrist Michael S. Lundy and theologian J. I. Packer present Baxter's writings in order to comfort, instruct, and strengthen all who struggle with depression.




Work, Love, Pray


Book Description

The number of Christian women in today's professional workforce is increasing, and they are hungry for practical mentoring. They yearn to learn from someone who has climbed the ladder of success without sacrificing family or faith--something author Diane Paddison has done with excellence and grace. The stories Paddison shares about her corporate, personal, and spiritual life, as well as the lives of other women like her, are both inspiring and instructive, providing on-target advice and concrete examples of how to succeed without feeling overwhelmed or compromised. This is a working book for working women. Full of practical, proven guidance that is both professionally viable and biblically sound, each chapter includes sidebars featuring pertinent facts from current research, resources relevant to the chapter's topic, action-oriented "to do" lists, and other interactive material. Chapters also include questions suitable for discussion, making it an excellent resource for use in small groups. Work, Love, Pray is a valuable resource for professional Christian women, but it's also a must-read for the husbands, sisters, daughters, and friends who share their lives.




John Ploughman's Talk


Book Description




Practical Wisdom


Book Description

Featuring original essays from leading scholars in philosophy and psychology, this volume investigates and rethinks the role of practical wisdom in light of the most recent developments in virtue theory and moral, social and developmental psychology. The concept of phronesis has long held a prominent place in the development of Aristotelian virtue ethics and moral education. However, the nature and development of phronesis is still in need of investigation, especially because of the new insights that in recent years have come from both philosophy and science. The essays in this volume contribute to the debate about practical wisdom by elucidating its role in empirical psychology and advancing important new research questions. They address various topics related to practical wisdom and its development, including honesty, ecocentric phronesis, social cognitive theory, practical wisdom in limited-information contexts, Whole Trait Theory, skill models, the reciprocity of virtue, and challenges from situationism. Practical Wisdom will interest researchers and advanced students working in virtue ethics, moral psychology, and moral education.




Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians


Book Description

Many Christians today tend to view the story of medieval faith as a cautionary tale. Too often, they dismiss the Middle Ages as a period of corruption and decay in the church. They seem to assume that the church apostatized from true Christianity after it gained cultural influence in the time of Constantine, and the faith was only later recovered by the sixteenth-century Reformers or even the eighteenth-century revivalists. As a result, the riches and wisdom of the medieval period have remained largely inaccessible to modern Protestants. Church historian Chris Armstrong helps readers see beyond modern caricatures of the medieval church to the animating Christian spirit of that age. He believes today's church could learn a number of lessons from medieval faith, such as how the gospel speaks to ordinary, embodied human life in this world. Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians explores key ideas, figures, and movements from the Middle Ages in conversation with C. S. Lewis and other thinkers, helping contemporary Christians discover authentic faith and renewal in a forgotten age.




Life Lessons from James


Book Description

Do your Monday actions reflect your Sunday worship? How about your claims to faith? Is your life full of noticeable changes and actions? James, the half-brother of Jesus, wasn't impressed with talk. He knew that a life of faith was all about actions that revealed a difference in a person's life. For him, it was not that works save the Christian, but that they mark the Christian. In his letter, he boldly deals with practical issues of faith not bound by culture or place. He shows the importance of living a genuine life of faith. His message is bare-knuckled as he encourages, challenges, and confronts, offering practical words and admonitions to live out our faith. As you read, study, journal, and discuss the book of James, watch for these key themes that Max will unpack throughout the book: God gives us true wisdom. Satan tempts to break us; God tests to strengthen us. The words we use are powerful and influential. Faith and good deeds go hand in hand. The Life Lessons with Max Lucado series brings the Bible to life in twelve lessons filled with intriguing questions, inspirational stories, and poignant reflections to take you deeper into God's Word. Each lesson includes: An opening reflection on the Bible book you're studying. Background information to deepen your understanding of the cultural and historical setting. An excerpt of the text (from the NIV and the NKJV). Exploration questions with plenty of room to write your own thoughts and notes. Inspirational thoughts from Max as well as a closing takeaway for further reflection. The Life Lessons series is ideal for use in both a small-group setting or for individual study.




Every Good Path


Book Description

Andrew Errington brings the book of Proverbs into discussion with two significant accounts of the nature and foundation of practical reason in Christian ethics: those of Thomas Aquinas and Oliver O'Donovan. Aiming to move towards a framework for understanding Christian moral reasoning, this book develops a significant critique of aspects of Aquinas's thought and provides a major engagement with O'Donovan's moral theology. Errington argues that the way the Book of Proverbs conceives of wisdom presents an important challenge to the Western theological and philosophical tradition. Instead of a perfection of theoretical knowledge, wisdom in Proverbs is a practical knowledge of how to act well, grounded in the reality of the world God has made. Discussing the complexities of practical reason, moral reasoning in Aquinas, world order and deliberation in the work of O'Donovan, and the place of created order in Christian Ethics, this volume is invaluable for scholars and general readers in reconfiguring moral theology.




Game Plan


Book Description

Going to college brings a time of discovery. Are you ready for what lies ahead? How will you fare going to college – leaving behind the safety of home, community, and church? How will you keep your faith in college? Drawing on their own experiences and years of ministry to young men and women during this transition of going to college, Nic and Syler provide a game plan you can follow to survive and thrive, to live out your faith in college. “Game Plan has the potential to equip our college students (and soon to be college students) with an anchored, informed, buoyant love for God that can breathe through every corner of their lives.” -Mark DeVries, president of Youth Ministry Architects and author of Sustainable Youth Ministry “This wise, straight-talking book offers much practical advice on the many challenges that Christian students face when they step onto the university campus. I highly recommend it.” -Paul Copan, Professor and Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University “Get this book into the hands of your college bound students and children! Too many students go off to college unprepared to face the spiritual, moral, intellectual and practical challenges they will face and I see the negative effects in their lives on campus. With practical wisdom and real life stories, this book hits all the big topics a young student needs to not just survive college but mature and grow a dynamic Christian walk.” -R. Shannon Marion, National Field Director, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship “For every student headed to college, this is a must-read. Gibson and Thomas have written a practical, spiritual, timely book that addresses real concerns of those who are continuing their education at a college or university, secular or faith-based.” -Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster, President, Council of Bishops, The United Methodist Church