On the brink of collapse, our nation’s only hope is a visitation of God’s power and presence. What will heal the deep racial, social, and political divisions that are tearing us apart? How can we stop the evil of human trafficking? What can turn the rising tide of opioid addiction? What will cure the epidemic of fatherless...

Revised with nearly half of its material newly written, "Fresh Encounter" is a discussion of how God brings spiritual revival to individuals and the church.

Most Americans have little understanding of the relationship between religion and nationalism in the Middle East. They assume that the two are rooted fundamentally in regional history, not in the history of contact with the broader world. However, as Adam H. Becker shows in this book, Americans—through their missionaries—had a strong hand in the development of a national and modern religious identity among one of the Middle East's most intriguing (and little-known) groups: the modern Assyrians. Detailing the history of the Assyrian Christian minority and the powerful influence American missionaries had on them, he unveils the underlying connection between modern global contact and the retrieval of an ancient identity. American evangelicals arrived in Iran in the 1830s. Becker examines how these missionaries, working with the “Nestorian” Church of the East—an Aramaic-speaking Christian community in the borderlands between Qajar Iran and the Ottoman Empire—catalyzed, over the span of sixty years, a new national identity. Instructed at missionary schools in both Protestant piety and Western science, this indigenous group eventually used its newfound scriptural and archaeological knowledge to link itself to the history of the ancient Assyrians, which in time led to demands for national autonomy. Exploring the unintended results of this American attempt to reform the Orient, Becker paints a larger picture of religion, nationalism, and ethnic identity in the modern era.

In Revivals, Awakenings, and Reform, McLoughlin draws on psychohistory, sociology, and anthropology to examine the relationship between America's five great religious awakenings and their influence on five great movements for social reform in the United States. He finds that awakenings (and the revivals that are part of them) are periods of revitalization born in times of cultural stress and eventuating in drastic social reform. Awakenings are thus the means by which a people or nation creates and sustains its identity in a changing world. "This book is sensitive, thought-provoking and stimulating. It is 'must' reading for those interested in awakenings, and even though some may not revise their views as a result of McLoughlin's suggestive outline, none can remain unmoved by the insights he has provided on the subject."—Christian Century "This is one of the best books I have read all year. Professor McLoughlin has again given us a profound analysis of our culture in the midst of revivalistic trends."—Review and Expositor

We all want revival. We talk about it, pray for it, and devise every evangelism strategy imaginable. We read about the Great Awakening and recall the Jesus Movement. And today we stand at the precipice of another sweeping spiritual outbreak that could reach the ends of the earth. But are we ready? Revival Culture is an inspirational, biblical, and empowering manual for the next generation of revivalists. Michael Brodeur and Banning Liebscher have been witnessing a spiritual renewal at Bethel Church in Redding, California, and through Jesus Culture, that goes beyond slogans and high hopes to actually reaching. They have learned that transformation happens when we see the unreached as Jesus sees them and when we make revival a part of our lives rather than an event. This is the full picture of revival culture.

Following the Great Awakening under the leadership of such men as jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, the close of the eighteenth century in America saw a second period of revival which was to last longer than the first, and was brought about through the labours of many preachers, less well known than their predecessors, but following faithfully in their footsteps. 'The outpouring of the Spirit of God upon virtually all evangelical denominations could be called "waves of glory" which rolled across hundreds of churches and communities...Whole communities were transformed by the gospel virtually overnight.' One of the evangelists to emerge from this second period of revival was Asahel Nettleton. There can be little doubt that he was one of the greatest evangelists in the history of the church. Literally thousands were converted under his ministry-and spurious converts were the exception rather than the rule! This well-written and well-documented book tells the story of Mettleton's life. He made mistakes, and the author does not cover these up, but he was a powerful preacher who sought to glorify God, and God blessed his ministry. John Thornbury is pastor of Winfield Baptist Church, Pennyslvania where he has ministered for the past twenty-three years. In recent years he has attained a doctorate at Drew University, Madison, New Jersy, and his articles have been published in Eternity and other periodicals. He is married with three children.