“Courageous and inspiring.”—Karen Armstrong, author of The Case for God “James Carroll takes us to the heart of one of the great crises of our times.”—Stephen Greenblatt, author of The Swerve An eloquent memoir by a former priest and National Book Award–winning writer who traces the roots of the Catholic sexual abuse scandal back to the power structure of the Church itself, as he explores his own crisis of faith and journey to renewal NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY James Carroll weaves together the story of his quest to understand his personal beliefs and his relationship to the Catholic Church with the history of the Church itself. From his first awakening of faith as a boy to his gradual disillusionment as a Catholic, Carroll offers a razor-sharp examination both of himself and of how the Church became an institution that places power and dominance over people through an all-male clergy. Carroll argues that a male-supremacist clericalism is both the root cause and the ongoing enabler of the sexual abuse crisis. The power structure of clericalism poses an existential threat to the Church and compromises the ability of even a progressive pope like Pope Francis to advance change in an institution accountable only to itself. Carroll traces this dilemma back to the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages, when Scripture, Jesus Christ, and His teachings were reinterpreted as the Church became an empire. In a deeply personal re-examination of self, Carroll grapples with his own feelings of being chosen, his experiences as a priest, and the moments of doubt that made him leave the priesthood and embark on a long personal journey toward renewal—including his tenure as an op-ed columnist at The Boston Globe writing about sexual abuse in the Church. Ultimately, Carroll calls on the Church and all reform-minded Catholics to revive the culture from within by embracing anti-clerical, anti-misogynist resistance and staying grounded in the spirit of love that is the essential truth at the heart of Christian belief and Christian life.

The Crisis: People who are in rebellion are not the only ones with hard hearts. The dictionary defines hard when it applies to matters of the heart as being "cold; insensitive; callous; unfeeling; unyielding." This malady has stricken every Christian in some area of their life. This is what keeps us from hearing the voice of the Lord and being led by Him in our everyday lives. The Cause: The condition of our heart is determined by what we focus our attention on. It doesn't matter what we know, it's what we think on that controls whether our hearts is hard or soft (Proverbs 23:7). Once this is understood, this same law that will sensitize us towards God can be used to harden us towards the devil. The Cure: The Cure for a hardened heart is a total commitment to keep our minds stayed on the Lord. This teaching will give you one of the clearest understandings of the relationship between faith and unbelief that you have ever had.

Knowing God truly, experiencing Him deeply. What would it look like to genuinely love God with our head AND our heart? To have a faith marked by right thinking AND right feeling? To know God deeply AND worship him passionately? Too often, Christians act as though these things are at odds with one another. But what if God intends for us to possess a Christianity that is radically committed to biblical truth, in a way that did not diminish the life of the heart, but actually intensified it? Adam Ramsey invites us to engage both our minds and our emotions in our walk with God as we gaze at him until our hearts sing. He sums it up like this: "My hope in these following pages is to paint a biblical portrait of what God is actually like, so that we can gaze upon him together until our hearts can’t help but sing. To behold him in such a way that our daily experience is transformed with a deepened awareness of who it is we pray to, who it is that is with us, and who it is that we are loved by. To let God’s truth set our hearts on fire." If you yearn for God but desire a clearer biblical picture of this God whom you love, or if you have been walking with God for a while now, but your experience of him has become settled or dry, then this book is for you.

Start Your Day in the Very Best Way Discover more joy, peace, and purpose every morning as you listen to the voice of the One who delights in you! In Coffee for Your Heart, bestselling author Holley Gerth shares 40 encouraging and powerful reminders of how God sees you as His beloved daughter. You are... wonderfully made chosen irreplaceable strong never alone ...and so much more! This noisy world can make it hard to hear the assurances of God. Let His voice be the loudest one in your life as He stirs up your hope and confidence each new day. "Take a deep breath, grab a cup of something cozy, and let God's love fill your heart with whatever you need most today." —Holley Previously published as God's Heart for You.

Messages to the Heart was born from an organic pairing of one couple's passion: Elise's thoughtful, healing pastel paintings paired with Phil's mindful philosophy derived from years of coaching clients to success. Together, they bring a visceral expression of everyday inspiration brought together through art and words. Readers will feel touched, inspired and reminded of their "ah-ha" moments of truth and beauty in their own lives.

Ferguson guides us, step by step, to see the greatness of God in his majesty and creative power; to sense the tenderness of his care and the marvel of his love.

ver the course of these past fifty years the Seminary has grownto become the most recognized and largest Reformed theological institutionin the world with campuses in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston,Jackson, Memphis, New York City, Orlando, Washington, DC, onlineclasses and degrees globally, and programs in Brazil and Indonesia.May the Lord find RTS faithful the next 50 years as we continueto carry forward the original vision and mission of our founders--A Mind for Truth, A Heart for God, A Life for Ministry."Thy Word is Truth" John 17:17