Richard Peace

A Most Dangerous Profession

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Assembling an array of pastoral voices, drawn primarily from the Church Fathers and the English Reformation, Eric Sorenson explores with great skill the 'dangerous' work of ministry. He reminds us again of the high and hazardous call to ministry which demands attention not only to the normal stresses of a high-demand job but to the special dangers of pastoral ministry and the need to develop those habits of spiritual health that will sustain pastors over the long haul. This is a book that is partly history, as Dr. Sorenson tells the stories of various pastors in their social contexts, partly theology, as he discusses the trials and temptations of ministry, and partly practical, as he seeks to make this material accessible and useful to contemporary pastors in his call to retreat (retirement), self-knowledge, and study. In the end, what Dr. Sorenson has produced is the very thing he has been writing about, namely, a manual for pastoral ministry in the twenty-first century.”

Biblical Foundations for Small Group Ministry

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Gareth Icenogle has provided what has been missing from the small group literature. Having long had books that address the "how' of small groups, we now have the book we have been waiting for that addresses the 'why' of small groups. The nineties give evidence of being the golden decade for small groups. Biblical Foundations for Small Group Ministry provides the kind of theological insight that will guide the growth of this movement in healthy ways. This book is a wealth of insights. I cannot recommend it highly enough.”

Echoing the Story

Bible Studies & Devotionals

“"What a great gift Dr. Brady Bryce has given to us in teaching us how to listen to God. Dr. Bryce helps us listen to the story of God at work on this planet, as he takes us through the whole of the Bible, helping us see the great themes. Along the way he helps us listen to God's work now, in the present, in and through us and others. This new way of doing small groups blends ancient spirituality (lectio divina) with postmodern love of narrative, while teaching the spiritual discipline of deep listening.”

Evangelism Outside the Box

Evangelism & Missions

“There are few truly new books about evangelism, but Rick Richardson has written one. Drawn from his years of work as a campus evangelist as well as his wide and careful reading, Richardson suggests powerful new ways to reach a generation that is spiritual but not religious. Richardson understands postmodern culture and how to make Jesus known in it. He charts a useful course for the church as more and more of the culture becomes postmodern in outlook. I am using this book as a text in several of my courses, including a Ph.D. seminar on evangelism (as an example of how a thoughtful practitioner approaches the ministry of evangelism).”

Experiencing Healing Prayer

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Exploring Christian Spirituality

World Religions

“A superb starting point for a thoughtful reflection on the nature of spiritual experience. Such an analysis is vital in this day and age when so many people are fascinated by spirituality yet unconnected to any spiritual tradition.”

Journey with Jesus

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“Larry Warner has done us a great service by translating a complex sixteenth-century retreat manual (The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius) into a highly usable format that brings alive this spiritual treasure. Warner makes it possible for twenty-first-century people to engage in the Ignatian exercises that lead one into a living relationship with Jesus. I am impressed that he has been able to remain true to the original nature of the exercises even while recasting them into a contemporary context. This is not the first attempt at updating the Exercises . . . but it is, to my mind, the best such effort.”

Soul Mentoring

“Robinson has the knack of bringing alive ancient manuscripts. . . . In this day and age when spiritual direction is being rediscovered, Gregory's Pastoral Care has valuable insights into the lost art of soul care. Like Gregory's original, Robinson's work is rich in imagery, metaphor, illustration, and story, making it very accessible, very readable, very useful to pastor and layperson alike.”

Subversive Spirituality

Evangelism & Missions

“This is an important book. Jensen is dealing with issues that others are not and doing so in ways that challenge the church and lure us into new openness to intimacy with God. He connects the world of ancient spiritual practices with the world of constant communication and instant gratification. Dr. Jensen helps us to find the stillness we need in which to open ourselves to God so as to be renewed in ways that enable us to engage in mission. "This is a fine example of multi-disciplinary scholarship in service of mission and spirituality. The multiple tables alone, with their helpful summaries of key insights, are worth the price of the book. This is no ordinary book, but one which needs to be made available to a wide audience of theorists and practitioners in academic, church, and missional communities.”

The Annunciation

Apologetics

“It is hard to write a book these days about evangelism, especially for an audience of Mainline Protestants and progressive Catholics. Yet this is what Hart has succeeded in doing. Taking seriously the objections to traditional faith, he offers a new way of thinking about evangelism and engaging in apologetic conversation. In doing so he makes a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation on evangelism and the development of a postmodern apologetic.”

The Love That Is God

Christian Living

“In his compelling and well-written book, Bauerschmidt seeks to revitalize the affirmation that ‘God is love itself.’ His argument will resonate especially with those who struggle to see how Christianity matters in this postmodern world. He shows how this love is actualized in the death and resurrection of Jesus, a love shared by the friends of Jesus who gather in Spirit-created communities of care and service. Bauerschmidt’s is a persuasive apologetic for the power and practicality of the core Christian message.”

The Way of the Urban Monk

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“The book that many of us have been waiting for: a nuanced, experience-based guidebook that integrates social justice activity and spiritual disciplines practice. Well written, highly accessible, theologically astute, and alive with personal illustrations. I can see this book being used not only in theological seminaries and universities but in local churches with an urban vision. It has the potential to be life changing.”

Transformative Religious Experience

World Religions

“Iyadurai has given us the gift of these conversion stories drawn from the religiously complex subcontinent of India with its plethora of religions and complexities of castes. In doing so, he helps us understand the complex nature of conversion in our own cultural setting. Iyadurai gives voice to the converts themselves, letting them tell their own stories in all their richness and messiness, and only then does he step in as a theologically trained social scientist to help us interpret the process of conversion. This is a fine book, rich in insight and based on research, which anyone engaged in the ministry of evangelism should read.”

Transforming Habits

Bible Studies & Devotionals

“Dr. Stephen Robbins has written a fascinating, insight-filled, and potentially life changing book about the Sermon on the Mount. Written in a crisp style with many notable turns of phrase, Robbins seeks to unlock the depths of Jesus' teaching about how we are meant to live as His disciples. The heart of the book, to my mind, is found in the Sermon Application section in each chapter, which provides a fit response to the material in the chapter itself. Working with the questions and the exposition of various spiritual disciplines and practices in this section is a powerful way for both laypeople and clergy to process the words of Jesus in the context of their own lives. Robbins takes seriously the fact that to be a disciple of Jesus is to walk diligently along the road to transformation. He has provided a guide for us to do just that.”