Traditional discussions of the Christian doctrine of providence often center on the relation between divine agency and human freedom, seeking to offer an account of the extent to which a person is free before God, the first cause of all things. Terry J. Wright argues that such riddles of causation cannot determine the content of providence, and suggests a unique and alternative framework that depicts God's activity in terms of divine faithfulness to that which God has made. Providence is not God as first cause acting through creaturely secondary causation; rather, providence is God's...

Description: ""A church free from state control and a state free from church control""--Such is one of the radical insights of a baptist vision of church and society. -- What exactly is a baptist vision of the church? -- What are the biblical, historical and theological roots of this approach to Christian community? -- What is the place of such a vision in the context of a global church that includes alternative notions of the body of Christ? Free Church, Free State is a textbook on baptist ways of being church and a proposal for the future of baptist churches in an ecumenical context. Nigel...

"Grace beyond the Grave explores the possibility of the opportunity for repentance and salvation on the other side of the grave. Stephen Jonathan, pastor and theologian, explores posthumous salvation as a viable evangelical alternative to the traditional view that death ends all possibility of salvation, doing so with humanity, integrity, and devotion to Scripture. Jonathan is not dissuaded from asking provocative questions for fear of being thought unorthodox. While scholarly, Grace beyond the Grave will be of benefit to pastors, theological students, and lay people alike. During nearly...

The Dr. G. R. Beasley-Murray Memorial Lectures were delivered between 2002 and 2012 with the aim of extending the legacy of this significant New Testament scholar and church leader into the twenty-first century. Themes addressed include baptism, ministry, preaching, mission, and theological faithfulness. Having first been delivered at the annual Assembly of the Baptist Union of Great Britain the lectures in this volume are now made available to a wider audience and will be of interest to church leaders across the denominations and across the world, and not least to those who stand in...

In this book Nigel Wright brings together the two concerns that have defined his ministry: the formation of healthy congregational life on the one side, and the considered articulation of Christian convictions on the other. In the belief that these two concerns are intimately related, he sets out the range of Christian convictions in a way intended to be accessible to church members who wish to clarify and deepen their understanding. The book is rooted in the belief that the resurrection of Christ is the central reality out of which all other Christian convictions emerge. Beginning at this...

The gospel we profess is the most radical power on earth, reaching to the depths of our personal, social, and political existence. It needs a radical people to embody and proclaim it. This book examines the nature of evangelical theology, dealing with areas of persistent disagreement and controversy, such as the status of the Bible, the nature of Christ's achievement on the cross, and the meaning of ""hell."" It offers a new way forward that remains committed to the fundamentals of faith while retaining a flexible response to the challenges of the future. ""Nigel Wright has done us a great...