In a daring blend of scholarship, imagination, psychology and history, Lawrence Kushner gathers an inspiring range of interpretations of Genesis 28:16 given by sages, what each discovered about God's Self and what we can learn about ourselves as we ascend and descend Jacob's ladder. A 25th anniversary edition with a new preface from the author.

Selected as a Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) “Significant Jewish Book” Jacob was running away from home. One night he lay down in the wilderness to sleep and had one of the great mystical experiences of Western religion. He dreamed there was a ladder, with angels ascending and descending, stretched between heaven and earth. For thousands of years, people have tried to overhear what the messengers came down to tell Jacob, and us. Now in a daring blend of scholarship and imagination, psychology and history, Lawrence Kushner gathers an inspiring range of interpretations of Genesis 28:16 given by sages, from Shmuel bar Nachmani in third-century Palestine to Hannah Rachel Werbermacher of Ludomir who lived in Poland two hundred years ago. Through a fascinating new literary genre and Kushner’s creative reconstruction of the teachers’ lives and times, we enter the study halls and sit at the feet of these spiritual masters to learn what each discovered about God’s Self and ourselves as they ascend and descend Jacob’s ladder. In this illuminating journey, our spiritual guides ask and answer the fundamental questions of human experience: Who am I? Who is God? What is God’s role in history? What is the nature of evil? How should I relate to God and other people? Could the universe really have a self? Rabbi Lawrence Kushner brilliantly reclaims a millennium of Jewish spirituality for contemporary seekers of all faiths and backgrounds. God Was in This Place & I, i Did Not Know is about God and about you; it is about discovering God’s place in the universe, and yours.

The local pastor’s go-to resource for weekly sermon planning. The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2025 is Lectionary-based and follows the calendar year (January - December). It includes special days like Maundy Thursday and Ash Wednesday, and indexes for Scriptures and themes, to assist preachers with non-Lectionary sermons. Each entry begins with a preacher-to-preacher prayer for preparation, then moves to the key feature: a commentary on one or more texts for the week, exploring themes and storylines, theological reflections, and thoughts about how the text and topic relate to our lives today. Also included are ideas for bringing the text to life--stories, illustrations, ideas for further reading, questions the preacher might pose to the congregation, and suggestions for a ‘call to action’ in response to the message. Finally, for the preacher’s ongoing enrichment, the Annual includes excerpts from new books on preaching and homiletics. This helpful resource is written by every-week preachers who aim to come alongside you, offering a reliable starting point for your sermonic planning, writing, and delivery.

A psychiatrist suggests ways in which confronting and resolving problems, a painful process most people try to avoid, can lead to greater self-understanding and spiritual growth.

The Nature of Doctrine, originally published in 1984, is one of the most influential works of academic theology in the past fifty years. A true classic, this book sets forth the central tenets of a post-liberal approach to theology, emphasizing a cultural-linguistic approach to religion and a rule theory of doctrine. In addition to his account of the nature of religion, George Lindbeck also addresses the relationship between Christianity and other religions, the resolution of historic doctrinal conflict among Christian communities, and the nature and task of theology itself. This is a work that all theologians and advanced students should know. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition includes an English translation of the foreword to the German edition and a complete bibliography of Lindbeck's work.

This book has served the missiological community for twenty-five years as a resource for understanding human spirituality in any context. Thousands of students have incorporated the principles of this book into ministry around the globe. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition seeks to enable those who now bring their passion for mission to contemporary contexts affected by globalization, climate change, and political perspectives unimagined when this book originally appeared. Every community, wherever it is on earth, has its share of beliefs and values that manifest themselves in practices that reflect spiritual engagement. Those engaged in mission need to appreciate how underlying beliefs and values are reflected in handling spiritual power, worship and blessing, and interaction with others. Gospel communicators must account for these elements as they seek to make God’s intentions known to people who are searching for God. The models presented early in the book are essential for establishing what people consider spiritually critical. Applying these models in any religious environment will enable message-bearers to engage with beliefs and practices that promote a gospel presentation that makes sense. To that end, we commend this book for effective missional engagement.

Today, Christians (and those considering the Christian faith) increasingly doubt the Bible’s reliability. Why? What changed? Revised & Expanded for this special 25th-anniversary edition, Ken Ham points out the looming precipice too many church leaders are rushing towards a denial of the full authority and accuracy of the Bible from its very first verse. In addition, Ken powerfully shows how the unproven, unscientific philosophy of evolution is driving young people away from the Christian faith and provides solid, biblical solutions to turn things around. The Lie uncovers: Why Genesis remains critically important in presenting the Gospel This slippery slope of reinterpreting Scripture and redefining biblical doctrine How the handling of the biblical account of creation impacts your understanding of all of Scripture and your worldview The collapsing structure of Christianity as Genesis is questioned, compromised, and dismissed The religion of evolution The authority of God’s Word versus man’s fallible word Genesis as the foundation for all biblical doctrine Evolutionary ideas are actually destructive to the foundational message of the Cross of Jesus Christ Evolution is used to justify social issues such as abortion, communism, drug abuse, homosexual practices and worse The successful use of creation evangelism to present the whole gospel message These issues are of critical importance when you realize that today we have Christians questioning Genesis, the age of the earth, the reality of Hell, Adam as a real person, and Christ’s own words about creation, marriage and more. One compromise just leads to another – and it has to end if we want to leave a legacy of faith to future generations. Churches, individuals, and Bible colleges are using this Christian apologetic resource to strengthen their faith, families, and sharing of the whole gospel of Jesus Christ.