Reading Augustine presents concise, personal readings of St. Augustine of Hippo from leading philosophers and religious scholars. Todd Breyfogle's On Creativity, Liberty, Love and the Beauty of the Law introduces readers to Augustine's understanding of law as an arena in which the possibilities of creative freedom are reconciled with the needs of natural and civil order. It places Augustine's conception of law in the broader mosaic of his ideas about how human beings are bound together individually, socially, and spiritually. Seasoned readers of Augustine will see this fundamental element of his thought in a different light, even as those less familiar with Augustine are introduced to the thrill of following how he makes sense of the complexities of nature, history, and the human spirit.

This volume of the Index Emblematicus deals with three early seventeenth-century works: Remaines of a Greater Worke Concerning Britaine, by William Camden; The Mirrour of Maiestie, by H.G.; and Otto van Veen's Amorum Emblemata. Camden's Remaines is noteworthy for using imprese in language as pictorial image; for mixing imprese with cognizance; and for considering impresa itself as the identity of the individual rather than as a general principle. H.G.'s Mirrour is remarkable in that every one of its emblems consists of a personal heraldic coat of arms of an identified statesman twinned with a pictorial engraving, motto, and epigram on an opposite page. Van Veen's Emblemata enters literary history as a volume of emblem pictures consecrated to secular love experience, encapsulating some of the conventions of the sonnet sequences and having a strong influence on religious love literature. Each book is reproduced with critical and bibliographic introductions, translation of the poems and mottos, descriptions of the emblems, and indices to the visual and verbal components of the works.

More than just a guide to understanding Galatians, best-selling author Warren Wiersbe's Be Free is also a guide to embracing freedom in Christ. As a man who is known as the "pastor of pastors" and has studied the Bible relentlessly, gleaning relevance for today for his readers and listeners, Wiersbe has so gripped the hearts of his wide audience that he has sold over 4 million copies of his "Be" series alone! His accessible, at times quirky and comical, style of writing is perfect for any age group to crave more of the Word of God. He opens up Paul's epistle, explaining Paul's approach to the Galatians and putting ancient traditions in perspective for Christians today. Most importantly, he illustrates through Paul's writing how the Gospel can only remain the Gospel of Christ if it is solely for God's glory alone. Just as the Galatian church was slipping back into the dangerous rituals of the Jewish religious system, Christians today add parameters around Scripture that hinder them and that Christ never intended.

A Heart Promptly Offered"" presents the basic story of Calvin's life, along with numerous excerpts from his own pen'writings from his letters, commentaries, and sermons. In addition to summarizing the main topics of Calvin's ""Institutes,"" it lays out his ground-breaking political theory, which is an unparelleled contribution to human freedom.""

The book deals with the relation between identity, ethics, and ethos in the New Testament. The focus falls on the way in which the commandments or guidelines presented in the New Testament writings inform the behaviour of the intended recipients. The habitual behaviour (ethos) of the different Christian communities in the New Testament are plotted and linked to their identity. Apart from analytical categories like ethos, ethics, and identity that are clearly defined in the book, efforts are also made to broaden the specific analytical categories related to ethical material. The way in which, for instance, narratives, proverbial expressions, imagery, etc. inform the reader about the ethical demands or ethos is also explored.