After Elizabeth's youth group buys the figure of a baby Jesus for their congregation's nativity set, its disappearance coincides with a rash of jewel thefts in the area.

From one of the most daring and sensuous young writers in America, Jesus Saves, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, is a suburban gothic that explores the sources of evil, confronts the dynamic shifts within theology, and traces the consequences of suburban alienation. Set in the modern launch pads of adolescent ritual, the strip malls and duplexes on the back side of suburbia, it’s the story of two girls: Ginger, a troubled minister’s daughter; and Sandy Patrick, who has been abducted from summer camp and now smiles from missing-child posters all over town. Layering the dreamscapes of Alice in Wonderland with the subculture of River’s Edge, Darcey Steinke’s Jesus Saves is an unforgettable passage through the depths of the literary imagination.

***SEE BELOW FOR AN IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!*** While the dawn of the new millennium has brought an unprecedented interest to the field of New Testament studies and the search for the historical Jesus, a critical piece in early Christian development has been noticeably absent: Tertullus laid charges against Paul in the following address to the governor: "Your Excellency we have found him to be a troublemaker a ringleader of the sect known as the Nazarenes Paul said "I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a sect. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the books of prophecy. I have hope in God, just as these men do, that he will raise both the righteous and the ungodly." Acts 24:2,5,11-15 (NLT) Put simply, the world has so embraced the story of how the apostle Paul took a small Jewish apocalyptic sect and transformed it into a global Gentile movement, that it has forgotten the very first followers of Jesus, otherwise known as "Nazarenes". What were they like, and how did their beliefs differ from the Roman based model that sprang up later? Even from the Catholic fathers, we are given some tantalizing clues: "But these sectarians did not call themselves Christians, but "Nazarenes," however they are simply complete Jews. They use not only the New Testament but the Old Testament as well, as the Jews do They have no different ideas, but confess everything exactly as the Law proclaims it and in the Jewish fashion, except for their belief in the Messiah, if you please! For they acknowledge both the resurrection of the dead and the divine creation of all things, and declare that God is one, and that His Son is Y'shua the Messiah. They are trained to a nicety in Hebrew. For among them the entire Law, Prophets and the Writings are read in Hebrew, as they surely are by the Jews. They are different from the Jews, and different from Christians, only in the following. They disagree with the Jews for they have come to faith in Messiah; but since they are still fettered with the Law circumcision and the Sabbath, and the rest they are not in accord with Christians They have the Good News according to Matthew in its entirety in Hebrew. For it is clear they still preserve this, in the Hebrew alphabet, as it was originally written." Epiphanus; Panarion 29 (fourth century) Are these Nazarenes actually the unknown continuation of the Apostle Paul's ministry? What about the "Jerusalem Church" mentioned so frequently by Paul and headed up by Peter and James the Just? Why is it only now that we can tell the story of Christendom's most influential group throughout its first fifty years and above all what happened to them? Furthermore, even a casual glance at any New Testament will show the Gospel of Matthew given the honor of being the first book in the collection. Such an arrangement, directly derived from ancient belief of what was written when, is currently ignored because modern scholarship accords this honor to Mark. Similarly, while the scholarly world has all but forgotten the Nazarenes, they have proclaimed almost universally that the New Testament was originally written in Greek, despite strong early testimony and clear textual evidence to the contrary. However, since the fourth century, the Nazarenes at some time seem to have vanished off the face of the earth. As a result, their existence has now been rendered into little more than a footnote in history, and their connection to the original Christian movement and their Semitic scriptures, have been believed to be lost forever. That is, until now. Now, for the first time, a modern Nazarene breaks his silence and details the results of more than four years of research in his provocative new book "Signs of the Cross". As a work destined to turn upside down the current Greek compositional model of the New Testament, "Signs of the Cross" breaks new grou

The powerful story found in The Shack written by Wm. Paul Young stole the hearts of millions and rocketed to fame by word-of-mouth, making it a phenomenon in publishing history. Now, The Shack: Reflections for Every Day of the Year provides an opportunity for you to go back to the shack with Papa, Sarayu, and Jesus. This 365 day devotional selects meaningful quotes from The Shack and adds prayers writer by W. Paul Young to inspire, encourage, and uplift you every day of the year.

"We're mad as Heaven, and we're not going to take it anymore!" declares historian Robert McElvaine in this passionate and often hilarious rallying cry for sincere Jesus followers. He lets us know that the extreme right wing won't be allowed to speak for all Christians any longer. This polemic blends outrage and humor to expose the televangelists and the leaders of megachurches as the people Jesus warned us about. The religion McElvaine calls ChristianityLite promises, "Be saved without sacrifice or good works!" Run by a crew of politicians, megachurch preachers, televangelists, hypocrites, and snake-oil salesmen, it has hijacked true Christianity and distorted it into something Jesus wouldn't recognize, a religion that advocates war and intolerance, values money above charity, preaches hatred instead of brotherhood, and promises "true" believers the keys to the gates of the kingdom of God--and to the bank.--From publisher description.

How do we respond in the face of evil, especially to those who inflict grave evil upon us? Abducted in Iraq is Bishop Saad Sirop Hanna’s firsthand account of his abduction in 2006 by a militant group associated with al-Qaeda. As a young parish priest and visiting lecturer on philosophy at Babel College near Baghdad, Fr. Hanna was kidnapped after celebrating Mass on August 15 and released on September 11. Hanna’s plight attracted international attention after Pope Benedict XVI requested prayers for the safe return of the young priest. The book charts Hanna’s twenty-eight days in captivity as he struggles through threats, torture, and the unknown to piece together what little information he has in a bid for survival. Throughout this time, he questions what a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq means for the future, as well as the events that lead the country on that path. Through extreme hardship, the young priest gains a greater knowledge both of his faith and of remaining true to himself. This riveting narrative reflects the experience of persecuted Christians all over the world today, especially the plight of Iraqi Christians who continue to live and hold their faith against tremendous odds, and it sheds light on the complex political and spiritual situation that Catholics face in predominantly non-Christian nations. More than just a personal story, Abducted in Iraq is also Hanna’s portrayal of what has happened to the ancient churches of one of the oldest Christian communities and how the West’s reaction and inaction have affected Iraqi Christians. More than just a story of one man, it is also the story of a suffering and persecuted people. As such, this book will be of great interest to those wanting to learn more about the violence in the Middle East and the threats facing Christians there, as well all those seeking to strengthen their own faith.

"I would not encourage anyone to seek persecution, but as Christians, we should never deny ourselves the privilege of traveling on the path of suffering. It is a difficult path--but a glorious one." -Pastor Shen Xiaoming Shen Xiaoming is the pastor of millions. Founder of one of the largest underground churches in China, he is no stranger to persecution from China’s historically hostile government. Time and again, Pastor Shen has experienced deprivation, disease, and imprisonment for the sake of the incredible spread of the gospel in rural central China. But April 16, 2002, brought the persecution to a new level. Pastor Shen was kidnapped by the murderous Eastern Lightning cult after being lured into a supposed Bible conference. This dangerous cult believes that Christ returned in the form of a female Chinese leader, and they use force, torture, and indoctrination to gain followers. Yet again, Pastor Shen had to take a stand against evil. Here is his story.