This is the story of Gordon Clark (1902-85), respected philosopher and prolific writer, who held that Christianity, as a logically coherent system, is superior to all other philosophies. Clark fought no wars and conquered no kingdoms. Yet he was a leading figure in many theological wars fought for the Kingdom of God. These battles for the minds and souls of men were every bit as crucial as physical wars between nations. In an age of increasing secularization, he put up an intellectual defense of the Christian faith. This faith, he believed, was a system. All of its parts link together, a luxury of no other philosophy. His stance shows a Christianity that is in fact intellectual, not relying on appeals to emotion or experience. In propounding this view, he encountered frequent opposition, not from the secular world, but from within his own denomination. This biography helps explain why his thought was so profound, why resistance mounted against him, and how his struggles impacted American Presbyterianism. Additionally, this book calls for a reappraisal of Clark's views, which have been maligned by controversy. Understanding and applying his views could significantly fortify Christians combating irrational and non-systematic ideas prevalent in today's churches.

An expert on early Christianity reveals how the early church invented stories of Christian martyrs—and how this persecution myth persists today. According to church tradition and popular belief, early Christians were systematically persecuted by a brutal Roman Empire intent on their destruction. As the story goes, vast numbers of believers were thrown to the lions, tortured, or burned alive because they refused to renounce Christ. But as Candida Moss reveals in The Myth of Persecution, the “Age of Martyrs” is a fiction. There was no sustained 300-year-long effort by the Romans to persecute Christians. Instead, these stories were pious exaggerations; highly stylized rewritings of Jewish, Greek, and Roman noble death traditions; and even forgeries designed to marginalize heretics, inspire the faithful, and fund churches. The traditional story of persecution is still invoked by church leaders, politicians, and media pundits who insist that Christians were—and always will be—persecuted by a hostile, secular world. While violence against Christians does occur in select parts of the world today, the rhetoric of persecution is both misleading and rooted in an inaccurate history of the early church. By shedding light on the historical record, Moss urges modern Christians to abandon the conspiratorial assumption that the world is out to get them.

As I have been doing this work, the questions that I have kept in the forefront of my mind are: How did the PCA come to be the way it currently is? What is the connection between the way the conservative movement in the old southern Presbyterian church developed and the way the PCA lives and breathes as a church of God doing kingdom business today? These historical questions have led me to a more pressing question which I have faced as a teaching elder in the PCA: Do conservative Presbyterian churches, as represented in my denomination, embrace their Presbyterian identity? Or do other ideas, practices, and narratives serve to shape them? In other words, one could read the history of the PCA as an attempt to answer the question: What does it mean to be a (conservative) Presbyterian in the postmodern age? - Preface.

This book provides clergy, laity, and students with a thorough introduction to their faith as set forth in the Book of Confessions. Jack Rogers explains technical terms and places current issues in perspective by examining the meaning of the creeds, confessions, and declarations found in the Book of Confessions. He examines their role in history, their full meaning, and their continued relevance to the Christian community.

Do your children exhaust you? Have you found yourself finishing their chores because it’s, well, easier than getting them to do them? If so, this book will give you new energy, and your household new harmony. This book will help your children develop a good work ethic. Mary Beeke, healthcare professional, educator, and mother first helps you absorb parenting principles and then gives you practical principles to bring clarity to roles in your home. Mary breaks down the principles into manageable chunks so whether you want a reflective study to bring radical change in your life, or just need a shot in the arm, she has you covered. Table of Contents: Introduction: How Work Began PART 1: Parental Principles 1. Work Is Good for Kids 2. Foundations 3. It’s in the Atmosphere 4. Subdue Their Will to Set Them Free 5. Turn Over the Reins 6. Custom Training 7. Together Time 8. Don’t Spare for Their Crying 9. Praying and Thinking 10. Monitor Screen Time PART 2: Practical Principles 11. Good No Matter What 12. Work Is What We Do 13. Let’s Go! 14. With All Your Might 15. Work Smart 16. Overcome Obstacles 17. Time Is a Treasure 18. Take Care of Your Stuff 19. Follow Your Talents 20. Natural Consequences 21. Enjoy the Good of Your Labor 22. Enjoy Your Labor 23. Rest and Perfect Work

The far-reaching social and intellectual changes in the United States since the Civil War have had a definite effect upon the religious thought of American churches. In this volume, a distinguished scholar and theologian has undertaken an inductive study of theological issues in one of the major denominations, the Presbyterian church in the United States of America. Since this church was in the thick of the social and intellectual ferment that changed the living and thinking habits of Americans, much that transpired in it finds broad parallels in other leading American churches. Thus, the story of the Presbyterian church is, in essence, a kind of theological barometer of American history. Avoiding sweeping generalizations, Lefferts A. Loetscher briefly traces the history of the Presbyterian church from its founding by New England Puritans on Long Island in the 1640s to the disruption of 1837 and the "wedding day" of Old School and New School Presbyterians in 1870, following the reunion of 1869. From this point, he examines in detail the development of the church, analyzing the controversies that occurred over the years, interpreting the various theological issues that led to disputes.

Includes section "Reviews of recent theological literature".