Stefana Dan Laing

Beholding the Triune God

Christian Living

“Unpacking texts and demystifying terms, the authors enrich our understanding through the church’s historic witnesses to the doctrine of the Trinity, teaching us through the voices of the church fathers, Reformers, Puritans, and Baptists. Drawing equally from the Old and New Testaments, Emerson and Smith offer a resource as much for the college or seminary student diving deeply into complex questions about the life of God as for the pastor instructing and inspiring congregants with a beautiful vision of the triune life and a desire to be enfolded into that life. Lay audiences will also find this book accessible and eminently rewarding.”

Cultural Sanctification

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Taking his cue from an early Christian apologist who invites an inquirer named Diognetus to enter into the gospel teachings and community values of early Christians, Stephen Presley invites readers into that same world, introducing 21st-century Christians to second- and third-century thinkers, without pretending our contexts are the same. Presley expertly guides readers through the primary sources of the church’s formation in the earliest three centuries, allowing modern thinking about Christian cultural engagement to be challenged and refined. He bookends the core of his work—citizenship, intellectual life, public life—with discipleship as Christians’ foundational identity marker and hope driven by the perspective of eschatological certainty. Christians today are called to the same strategies for cultural engagement as earlier believers: faithful discipleship in the present, lived through the lens of confident hope for the future. When isolation from the cultural malaise is not an option, discerning engagement is a must. This volume skillfully and instructively offers the early church’s astounding (and convicting) example of sanctifying culture in a period still hostile to the Christian vision.”

Getting to Know the Church Fathers

Theology

“Litfin introduces twelve towering figures from the church's history, from far east (Syria) to far west (Britain), inviting the reader into the thought world of the church fathers. These men (and one woman) built on the apostolic foundation through their lives and ministries and made the church strong in times of persecution and doctrinal uncertainty. Didactic and well-researched, this volume portrays the fathers fairly, displaying both their achievements and flaws. It is perfect for evangelicals who wish to connect with those who shaped a vital and rich period in Christian history.”

Now That I'm Called

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Praise for Now That I’m Called This is the exact book that I have always wanted to give to my female students. Here is a book that includes a wonderful biblical exposition of the theme of a “call” to ministry, lots of biographical stories about women who have gone into ministry, and some great tips on how to find your place in the harvest of gospel workers. This is simply mandatory reading for anyone contemplating going to seminary or engaging in ministry. MICHAEL F. BIRD (PhD, University of Queensland), Lecturer in Theology at Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia Kristen Padilla discusses this important issue in the correct manner: from the Bible, with an emphasis on the Bible’s original languages and contexts and a heart for ministry rather than controversy. This volume is much needed, as conservative, moderate, and liberal Christians all seem confused about the nature and importance of rigorous theological training for women who teach the Bible in homes, churches, and academic settings. PAUL HOUSE, professor of divinity, Beeson Divinity School Kristen Padilla offers an encouraging and carefully written work to help women thoughtfully discern their calling, to consider what their calling might look like in practical ministry terms, and ways of preparation for that ministry. She surveys biblical women whose ministries testified to God’s call in their lives and introduces contemporary women who illustrate the same work of God in today’s contexts. Padilla handles the Biblical text carefully and responsibly, offering Christ-focused explanations without shying away from difficult texts. She is empathetic, methodical, and a wonderfully patient guide.”

The Underwater Basilica of Nicaea

History & Biography

“As the 1700-year anniversary of the Nicene Creed approaches, Mark Fairchild delivers a volume that opens up the material culture of fourth-century Nicaea. In this work with the feel of 'notes from the field,' Fairchild guides the reader to the heart of Nicaea (Iznik) itself and to an enigmatic underwater structure on Lake Iznik whose origin and function remain unanswered. Fairchild's expertise and close investigation of the submerged Nicene basilica attempts some answers to its presenting questions: what is the origin of this structure? Was it dedicated to a pagan god or a Christian martyr? And—most pressing for Nicene believers—did this basilica host the gathering of bishops in AD 325? Drawing on his decades of archaeological research in the 'cradle of Christianity' (eastern Turkey) and focusing on worship structures and inscriptions, Fairchild assembles his argument and, in the process, delivers the book's true value for students of Nicaea in AD 325: building out in the reader's imagination Nicaea's geographical milieu, giving it color and dimensionality beyond doctrinal and ecclesiological texts.”