How do you develop a character suited for God's Kingdom? Practice, practice, practice. That, in a nutshell, is the message of this volume on building Christian character by Wright, a prodigiously prolific Bible scholar and Anglican bishop of Durham, England. In arguing for this new vision of virtue, which is a vision of Jesus Christ himself, Wright carefully explores such classical exponents of character as Aristotle. He also acknowledges the existence of other notions of encouraging behavior-based rules, duty, or being true to oneself. Drawing on scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, Wright asserts that true transformation comes through the work of the Holy Spirit and through worship, mission, and following Jesus. As the habits of virtue grow, the church community will become the royal priesthood it is meant to be, anticipating (one of the author's favorite words) God's coming new world. A follow-up to Wright's Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope, this solid volume will appeal to Christians who appreciate biblical interpretation that hews to tradition but incorporates an emphasis on contemporary social justice as an element of Christian virtue.

The New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God and The Prodigal God and a nationally renowned minister, Timothy Keller exposes the error of making good things "ultimate" in his latest book, and shows readers a new path toward a hope that lasts. Success, true love, and the life you've always wanted. Many of us placed our faith in these things, believing they held the key to happiness, but with a sneaking suspicion they might not deliver. The recent economic meltdown has cast a harsh new light on these pursuits. In a matter of months, fortunes, marriages, careers, and a secure retirement have disappeared for millions of people. No wonder so many of us feel lost, alone, disenchanted, and resentful. But the truth is that we made lesser gods of these good things -gods that can't give us what we really need. There is only one God who can wholly satisfy our cravings- and now is the perfect time to meet him again, or for the first time. The Bible tells us that the human heart is an "idol- factory," taking good things and making them into idols that drive us. In Counterfeit Gods, Keller applies his trademark approach to show us how a proper understanding of the Bible reveals the unvarnished truth about societal ideals and our own hearts. This powerful message will cement Keller's reputation as a critical thinker and pastor, and comes at a crucial time-for both the faithful and the skeptical.

Philosopher James K. A. Smith reshapes the very project of Christian education in Desiring the Kingdom. The first of three volumes that will ultimately provide a comprehensive theology of culture, Desiring the Kingdom focuses education around the themes of liturgy, formation, and desire. Smith's ultimate purpose is to re-vision Christian education as a formative process that redirects our desire toward God's kingdom and its vision of flourishing. In the same way, he re-visions Christian worship as a pedagogical practice that trains our love." James Smith shows in clear, simple, and passionate prose what worship has to do with formation and what both have to do with education. He argues that the God-directed, embodied love that worship gives us is central to all three areas and that those concerned as Christians with teaching and learning need to pay attention, first and last, to the ordering of love. This is an important book and one whose audience should be much broader than the merely scholarly.

Arguing that Christians are called to imitate God's generosity, Volf, a theology professor at Yale Divinity School and Director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture, explores what that looks like in the area of giving and forgiving. Volf relies heavily on Martin Luther's writings in this accessible book that demonstrates how to build "a bridge from self-centeredness to generosity." The first half of the book, on giving, and the second half, on forgiveness, are divided by a short interlude that tries to connect the two parts. While there is a relationship between the two, this book might have been more successful as two separate volumes. Nonetheless, Volf's thinking and writing are lucid and instructive. He eschews pop psychology, relying instead on biblical, ethical and theological understandings of God's generosity. Volf never shies away from the difficult personal and communal issues that giving and forgiving pose; the result is a practical and hopeful resource for those struggling to understand their responsibilities in these areas.

I have seen Gary Haugen and the International Justice Mission staff come alongside Christian ministries in various parts of the world and enable those ministries to be God's instruments of justice in the face of severe oppression. The principles in Good News About Injustice are more than good biblical theology. They represent the credo that a group of men and women led by Gary aspire to and stretch themselves out to live by. As you read the stories, yes, and perhaps weep, allow God to quicken your heart for the abused and grant you the courage to live for his justice among the world's poor and oppressed.

King's Cross is Timothy Keller's revelatory look at the life of Christ as told in the Gospel of Mark. There have been many biographies of Jesus, but few will be as anticipated as one by Keller, the man Newsweek calls "a C.S. Lewis for the twenty-first century." In it, Keller shows how the story of Jesus is at once cosmic, historical, and personal, calling each of us to look anew at our relationship with God. Like Keller's other books it has tremendous crossover appeal, but it is also ideal for the faithful, those who are looking for a closer connection to Jesus and Christianity.

After his martyrdom at the hands of the Gestapo in 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer continued his witness in the hearts of Christians around the world. His Letters and Papers from Prison became a prized testimony to Christian faith and courage, read by thousands. Now in Life Together we have Pastor Bonhoeffer's experience of Christian community. This story of a unique fellowship in an underground SEMInary during the Nazi years reads like one of Paul's letters. It gives practical advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups. The role of personal prayer, worship in common, everyday work, and Christian service is treated in simple, almost biblical, words. Life Together is bread for all who are hungry for the real life of Christian fellowship.

This book is divided into three main sections. The section first focuses upon the "normal Christian life," presenting an ideal to which Christians are called to attain. The second section deals with the problems of the flesh, the world and the devil. The final three chapters bring it all together in the dynamics of spiritual life. This is the practical "how to" section which looks at Christ's victory, our individual victory and our corporate renewal. This is essentially a simplified version of Lovelace's earlier work, Dynamics of Spiritual Life which included a great deal of historical background in the church's search for spiritual growth.

Soulcraft: the art of discerning, applying and enjoying the wisdom of God in every aspect of life. There are many books on relationships, how to improve communication, resolve conflict, have more fun, get more serious. This book is not one of them. Rather, this is a special book that reveals how God makes us and molds us inot the people he wants us to be as we work and play and cry and laugh with each other in the daily grind of life. Proverbs tells us that "as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Similarly, this book explores how God uses other people to craft us and form our spiritual lives. Whether with friends, spouses or children, God uses everyday relationships so we can love him with our spiritual lives. Whether with friends, spouses or children, God uses other people to craft us and form our spiritual lives. Whether with friends, spouses or children, God uses everyday relationships so we can love him with our hearts, mind, strength and soul. All relationships were designed to be God-centered. Soulcraft encourages us to look at life differently -- not from the self-oriented perspective of the world. Soulcraft sees our identity and sexuality from God's fresh point of view. Soulcraft not only gives us new reasons for joy but also gives us the strength to meet the burdens of brokenness and grief in relationships. Soulcraft is the adventure of a lifetime. God invites you to join him in it.

Wright, one of the greatest, and certainly most prolific, Bible scholars in the world, will touch a nerve with this book. What happens when we die? How should we think about heaven, hell, purgatory and eternal life? Wright critiques the views of heaven that have become regnant in Western culture, especially the assumption of the continuance of the soul after death in a sort of blissful non-bodily existence. This is simply not Christian teaching, Wright insists. The New Testament's clear witness is to the resurrection of the body, not the migration of the soul. And not right away, but only when Jesus returns in judgment and glory. The "paradise," the experience of being "with Christ" spoken of occasionally in the scriptures, is a period of waiting for this return. But Christian teaching of life after death should really be an emphasis on "life after life after death"-the resurrection of the body, which is also the ground for all faithful political action, as the last part of this book argues. Wright's prose is as accessible as it is learned-an increasingly rare combination. No one can doubt his erudition or the greatness of the churchmanship of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. One wonders, however, at the regular citation of his own previous work. And no other scholar can get away so cleanly with continuing to propagate the "hellenization thesis," by which the early church is eventually polluted by contaminating Greek philosophical influence.

The Christian Life often seems to involve swinging back and forth between guilty passivity before God and exhausting activity for God. Douglas Webster helps us get past such a frustrating and false dilemma by showing how Christian discipleship brings together the vitality of discipline under the peace of a continuing surrender to the initiative of God. By exploring the rich images used throughout the Bible, The Disciple of Surrender illuminates the heart and soul of life in Christ. The down-to-earth images of altar and lamb, thorn and trumpet, farmer's yoke and shepherd' staff powerfully convey to us the patter of life poured out on us from God. Mundane objects such as towel and basin, manna and donkey humbly serve as God's object lessons to capture our prayerful imaginations and propel us toward lives of courage, humility and flat-out dependence on God. This book is for all those who are wary of simple techniques or sure-fire methods for following Jesus but who are seeking a deeper, richer and biblically sound source for their spiritual nourishment.

This book raises, simply and brilliantly, just the kinds of questions anyone concerned with early Christianity should ask.

Mark Noll has taken the broad topic of the history of Christianity and given it a structure of turning points, focusing on individuals and events at key points in Christian history. The "turning points" put history into perspective and provide opportunity to add a human quality by often focusing on individuals while looking over particular events. Noll adds intimacy by opening each chapter with a hymn of the times and closing with a prayer of the period. When the hymn is familiar, it is particularly poignant. The book looks both at the historical roots and at the different paths the Christian church has taken, enabling readers of different backgrounds to appreciate the context for differences within the churches. This highly recommended work provides a thoughtful yet comprehensive framework for the history of Christianity.