It is traditional to think we should praise Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son as proof of his love for God. But have we misread the point of the story? Is it possible that a careful reading of Genesis 22 could reveal that God was not pleased with Abraham's silent obedience? Widely respected biblical theologian, creative thinker, and public speaker J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and shows that God desires something other than silent obedience in difficult times. Middleton focuses on the ethical and theological problem of Abraham's silence and explores the rich biblical tradition of vigorous prayer, including the lament psalms, as a resource for faith. Middleton also examines the book of Job in terms of God validating Job's lament as "right speech," showing how the vocal Job provides an alternative to the silent Abraham. This book provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 22 and reinforces the church's resurgent interest in lament as an appropriate response to God.

The first Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in American history–but the second civil war is worse. When Texas secedes from the Union, Henry and Suzanne Wilkins are as broken as the rest of America. They are breaking up, hurting, and longing for a way to make it right. Then Henry's clandestine counter-terror unit is ambushed and they must get home, crossing the bleeding country, hunted by the relentless and powerful Directors who will stop at nothing to prevent him from revealing the conspiracy that triggered the war. From the snow-swept slopes of the Rocky Mountains, to mangrove swamps deep in the Everglades back-country, Henry and Suzanne must protect what they love, facing terrible truths about themselves and those they trusted most. They are America–flawed and betrayed–but worth fighting for.

What would you do if God spoke to you and gave you an astonishing promise - along with a radical command - and then kept silent for 40 years? Such was the case of Abraham ... Living in a pagan country as a member of a pagan family, with no knowledge of God, one day Abram has a stunning encounter with God, who tells him: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great..." And then there is silence ... for 40 years. But because of this encounter, Abram makes radical decisions, abandons his homeland and takes his barren wife and household on a 600-mile journey. No wonder the Bible says that, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." In When God Is Silent, Patrick masterfully intertwines historical facts and biblical records with his fictional account of what might have happened behind the scenes. We travel the long, arduous trip to Canaan with Abram and have an inside look at his complicated family dynamic - all while in the midst of a spiritual struggle because God's encounters with him are few and far between - until finally, he and Sarah joyfully experience the fruit of their faith.

J. Richard Middleton and Brian J. Walsh offer an introduction, evaluation and response to postmodern culture that comes straight from the heart of the gospel.

This new edition of A. B. Yehoshua's novellas and short stories includes two stories which did not previously appear in the hardback edition published in 1988, and no longer includes 'Mr. Mani' which, in the intervening years, has been developed into a prize-winning novel. The development of the author's style can be traced from its dark beginnings in stories such as 'The Yatir Evening Express', about a village which decides to vent its frustration at its isolation and insignificance on the evening express. Isolation and loneliness are central to Yehoshua's concerns, whether it be people's isolation from each other, from their community or from their family. The pain of this isolation is intense, as in the title story in which the distance between an ageing poet and his simple son is agonising. In 'Facing the Forests', a fire-watcher's isolation gives rise to deep longings for tragedy – a story which has since been seen to symbolise the relationship between Jew and Arab in Israel. Several of the stories deal with people thrust into positions of responsibility and the feelings of frustration and impotence which ensue are disturbing – murderous even. In 'Three Days and a Child', a man agrees to care for the three-year old son of a former lover. Those three days are marked by a strange detachment and sadistic, heart-stopping neglect of the child. The stories are ironic and understated, and the pace masterly. This collection confirms Yehoshua's talent as a major short-story writer. He has been awarded the prestigious Israel Prize for his entire œuvre.

The dozen personal essays in this collection, from patients and their caregivers, nurses, social workers, and physicians, address the devastating human results that can occur from a lack of communication and understanding among those in the health care profession. Medical error--much of it traceable to simple lack of communication--costs billions of dollars each year, in addition to the less quantifiable costs of the loss of trust in doctor-patient relationships and the decline in morale among health care professionals. These powerful stories illustrate the need to find ways to break these potentially lethal silences. In "Mrs. Kelly," a doctor obeying his superior's order sends a man home from the emergency room against his better judgment, agonizes over his decision, and later calls the man's widow to apologize. In "In Praise of Osmosis," a critical-care nurse pressures a hospital's hierarchy to authorize the continuous renal replacement therapy her patient needs to prevent imminent and irreversible damage to his kidneys. In "You Have the Right to Remain Silent," an inmate's sister must fight her way through miles of red tape to get treatment for the Hepatitis-C her brother contracted in prison. Inspired by groundbreaking research by VitalSmarts, a global leader in organizational performance and leadership, and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), and supported by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Lee Gutkind, editor of the journal Creative Nonfiction, has collected the essays in this volume--with the hope that these voices, speaking out, taking action and risks, will inspire others to make changes that will improve communication within our troubled health caresystem.