"Sex, Sin, and Blasphemy is a lively, lucid primer on censorship, art, and popular culture. It is also the product of several years on the front lines of the culture wars it describes." "In this book, Marjorie Heins, founding director of the Arts Censorship Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, uses her considerable expertise to help provide a sensible, coherent account of some of the most hotly contested issues of the 1990s." "For all the recent talk about censorship, until now there has been no comprehensive summary of either the legal underpinnings of the assaults on free expression or their social implications. Which laws do self-styled "censors" rely on? How are record labeling, movie ratings, and attacks on museums related? How can a concerned citizen make sense of genuinely confusing issues that seem to pit the rights of taxpayers against those of artists?" "Using examples from current and historic court cases and public debates, Heins reveals the strategies used by prosecutors and special interest groups, and explains why efforts to suppress artistic expression on painful or offensive subjects won't help solve the problems that beset society today. No other book offers such an accessible summary or such keen insights into America's struggle over free expression."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

An updated edition of the highly praised primer on censorship, art, and popular culture, from the founding director of the Arts Censorship Project of the ACLU.

“An extraordinary novel . . . a triumph of insight and storytelling.” —Associated Press “A true masterpiece.” —Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome's occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history. Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers.

An Exposition of Hebrews is the most complete and thorough study ever written on the subject. This books spends close to six hundred thousand words looking at every nuance and implication of the book of Hebrews. A wonderful tool for pastors, students, or anyone wishing a deeper understanding of this important book from the bible. Originally pushed as a series of articles and then as a two volume set, you can now have the entire unabridged edition of this book in one affordable volume.

Can Christians lose their salvation? This question has perplexed—and, at times, distressed—believers for centuries, and it is still often asked today. When faced with their sin and shortcomings, many Christians are tempted to conclude that they’ve strayed too far and that God no longer loves them. In Kept for Jesus, pastor Sam Storms addresses common concerns that Christians have related to their eternal security, offering hope and assurance from the Bible. Examining every New Testament passage that speaks to this important issue, this book charts a biblical course between those who say that Christians can lose their salvation and those who carelessly declare, “Once saved, always saved.” This pastoral book will equip pastors, church leaders, and laypeople with biblical answers for anyone questioning their salvation.

Experience Freedom from Sexual Sin through the Power of the Savior Many women and men trapped in sexual sin believe willpower is the key to overcoming temptation, but your shaky self-discipline doesn't have to be the source of your strength. Sharing from his personal struggles, J. Garrett Kell explains that life-long transformation rests in the supernatural power of the Savior and the support of a local church. He offers profound insights into Jesus's teachings on purity and provides you with long-term strategies for your own pathway to freedom. Written for both men and women struggling with temptation, this book is a vital resource for the church, encouraging a healthy, empathetic community to help brothers and sisters in Christ resist sin. The goal isn't purity for purity's sake, but delighting in God and trusting him for ultimate victory.

NAMED A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE ECONOMIST AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2021 BY THE TIMES AND THE SUNDAY TIMES "Irreversible Damage . . . has caused a storm. Abigail Shrier, a Wall Street Journal writer, does something simple yet devastating: she rigorously lays out the facts." —Janice Turner, The Times of London Until just a few years ago, gender dysphoria—severe discomfort in one’s biological sex—was vanishingly rare. It was typically found in less than .01 percent of the population, emerged in early childhood, and afflicted males almost exclusively. But today whole groups of female friends in colleges, high schools, and even middle schools across the country are coming out as “transgender.” These are girls who had never experienced any discomfort in their biological sex until they heard a coming-out story from a speaker at a school assembly or discovered the internet community of trans “influencers.” Unsuspecting parents are awakening to find their daughters in thrall to hip trans YouTube stars and “gender-affirming” educators and therapists who push life-changing interventions on young girls—including medically unnecessary double mastectomies and puberty blockers that can cause permanent infertility. Abigail Shrier, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, has dug deep into the trans epidemic, talking to the girls, their agonized parents, and the counselors and doctors who enable gender transitions, as well as to “detransitioners”—young women who bitterly regret what they have done to themselves. Coming out as transgender immediately boosts these girls’ social status, Shrier finds, but once they take the first steps of transition, it is not easy to walk back. She offers urgently needed advice about how parents can protect their daughters. A generation of girls is at risk. Abigail Shrier’s essential book will help you understand what the trans craze is and how you can inoculate your child against it—or how to retrieve her from this dangerous path.