10 minute read
Christian Life
Daniel Strange was born in 1974 to British and Guyanese parents. After studying theology and religious studies at Bristol University, he completed his doctoral work on the theology of religions under Prof. Gavin D’Costa. From 2000-2005 he was Co-ordinator for the Religious and Theological Studies Fellowship, part of UCCF. He joined the faculty of Oak Hill Theological College, London, as Tutor in Culture, Religion and Public Theology in 2005. In 2018 he became the Director of Oak Hill.
Making Faith Magnetic: Five Hidden Themes Our Culture Can’t Stop Talking About... and How to Connect Them to Christ As followers of Jesus, we know that the good news is deeply attractive. But we often fear that to those on the outside, it comes across as irrelevant or even repellent. Sometimes the Christian worldview feels so out of step with everything else going on that we don’t know how to share our faith. However, author Daniel Strange wants to show you that the connections are there - in fact, the longings that our culture cannot help but express are the very ones that Jesus fulfils. Building on the work of theologian J.H. Bavinck, Dan reveals five recurring themes that our culture can’t stop talking about. From TV to books to social media, these are the questions we can’t stop asking and the tensions we can’t stop wrestling with - and Jesus speaks powerfully into each one.
Advertisement
Pb | 160 pgs | GOOD BOOK COMPANY REF 5268 RRP £8.99 Aslan £7.49
And Yet: Finding Joy in Lament PRE-ORDER: Publishes 18th November Rachael Newham In the depths of depression and plagued with suicidal thoughts, Rachael Newham never thought she’d find herself writing a book on joy. And yet, if her journey with mental health illness has taught her anything it is that true, deep, lasting joy can only be experienced when we allow ourselves to enter into lament and be honest about our pain before God. With warm understanding, Rachael traces how Biblical writers used ‘and yet’ to bring together joy and lament and invites us to see them not as opposites, but two sides of the same coin. Drawing on her experiences with mental illness, she shows us how we can build a rhythm of both joy and lament into our lives.
Timothy Keller
There are few events as significant and lifealtering as birth, marriage and death. These are the moments in which we experience our greatest happiness and our deepest grief. And so it is profoundly important to understand these events and their religious and spiritual significance in the course of our lives.
Pb | 128 - 144 pgs | HODDER & STOUGHTON ...On Birth - REF 5269 ...On Death - REF 5270 ...On Marriage - REF 5271
Have You Felt Like Giving Up Lately?: Finding Hope and
Healing When You Feel Discouraged David Wilkerson What happens when grief and depression seem so overwhelming that we feel like simply giving up? This encouraging book from bestselling author and longtime pastor David Wilkerson shows you how to trust God to bring you through hard times, wait on God’s answers to prayer, lay down your guilt, and much more. With powerful true stories and wisdom drawn from a lifetime of ministering to hurting people, Wilkerson gently guides you in giving your troubles over to God, believing that he will work miracles in your life. PRE-ORDER:Publishes 16th November
Pb | 176 pgs | REVELL REF 5320 RRP £8.99 Aslan £7.99 Transforming Loneliness: Deepening Our Relationships With God and Others When We Feel Alone Ruth Graham As a single adult for many years, Ruth Graham understands loneliness. In Transforming Loneliness, Graham invites you to surrender your loneliness to God and work with Him in making healthy choices that lead to life, joy, and community. Through biblical principles and examples, along with true-life stories, you will discover how the core needs that drive your loneliness - the need to be known, to be chosen, to belong, and to be valued - can be met as God transforms your loneliness into a positive experience that accomplishes His purposes and draws you into a closer, more intimate, and more meaningful relationship with Him and others.
Pb | 272 pgs | BAKER REF 5321 RRP £9.99 Aslan £8.99 The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World John Mark Comer By outward metrics, everything appeared successful for John Mark. But inwardly, things weren't pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words: 'Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life.' It wasn't the response he expected, but it continues to be the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness as a root of much evil. Within the pages of this book, you'll find a compelling emotional and spiritual case against hurry and in favour of a slower, simpler way of life.
Pb | 304 pgs | HODDER & STOUGHTON REF 2981 RRP £14.99 Aslan £12.99 Holding on When You Want to Let Go: Clinging to Hope When Life is Falling Apart Sheila Walsh Are you struggling today? Are you stuck in the middle of a mess because life has not turned out as you expected? Are you holding on . . . but not sure how much longer you can? With great compassion born of experience and hardship, Sheila Walsh comes alongside the hurting, fearful, and exhausted to remind us that we serve a God who is so much greater than our momentary troubles, no matter how insurmountable they feel. She doesn’t offer a quick fix. She offers a God fix. Sharing from her own painful struggles and digging deep into biblical stories of rescue, hope, and miracles, she gives you the strength to keep going, to keep holding on to God in a world turned upside down.
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ, 20th Anniversary Edition Dallas Willard As Christians, we know that we should become more like Jesus - so we try to act differently. But changing our outward behaviour doesn’t change our hearts. Only God’s grace can do that. Renovation of the Heart lays a biblical foundation for spiritual transformation, and explores the disciplines and practices that are crucial if we are to be changed from the inside out. Immensely profound but also practical and encouraging, Dallas Willard’s insightful wisdom challenges us to rethink what it really means to become more Christlike and how we do so. This special 20th anniversary edition - featuring a new introduction by John Mark Comer - shows that this dynamic and practical approach to spiritual growth is just as needed today as it was 20 years ago.
Why?: Looking at God, Evil and Personal Suffering Sharon Dirckx Why do bad things happen in our world? Why does God allow suffering? Of all the hurdles to faith, suffering must be the greatest. But how do we answer the question of ‘Why?’ in a credible, satisfying way? In this revised and updated edition, scientist Sharon Dirckx explores some of the most agonising and bewildering questions we all ask. With compassionate warmth and insight, she offers advice to help us cope with suffering and difficulties. Alongside, she interweaves her own experiences and the personal stories of individuals who have faced some of life’s toughest challenges, showing us that it is possible to believe in a powerful loving God and acknowledge the reality of evil and suffering.
Pb | 176 pgs | IVP REF 5375 RRP £9.99 Aslan £8.49
Songs My Grandma Sang
Bishop Michael B. Curry In a conversation about his teaching and preaching style, Michael Curry noted with a laugh that hymns and songs of faith were always a part of the mix: ‘I learned what I believed in the songs I heard my family - especially my grandmother - sing. We sang our faith every day.’ Out of that strong foundation, Bishop Curry shares the music of his childhood - the songs that have grown with him to shape an adult and vibrant faith.
Pb | 144 pgs | HODDER & STOUGHTON REF 2859 RRP £8.99 Aslan £4.49
Dear England: Finding Hope, Taking Heart and Changing the World Stephen Cottrell Archbishop Stephen is a much-admired voice within the church, but in this book he writes for a more general audience, and those who might call themselves spiritual seekers - as well as anyone who is concerned about the life and unity of the UK. A short, beautiful book, this is at once both contemplative and deeply practical, which will speak to both Christians and those on the edges of faith.
Hb | 192 pgs | HODDER & STOUGHTON
Also available: REF 4087 RRP £12.99 Aslan £9.99
I Thirst: The Cross - The Great Triumph of Love - REF 3003 RRP £9.99 Aslan £7.99
Come and See: Learning From the Life of Peter - REF 3743 RRP £9.99 Aslan £7.99 22
Mere Christianity
C. S. Lewis One of the most popular and beloved introductions to the concept of faith ever written, Mere Christianity has sold millions of copies worldwide. The book brings together C.S. Lewis’ legendary radio broadcasts during the war years, in which he set out simply to ‘explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times’. Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity’s many denominations, Mere Christianity provides an unequalled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to absorb a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith.
Still Standing: 100 Lessons From An 'Unsuccessful' Life Tola Doll Fisher What do you do when life hasn't turned out the way you expected? When it feels like everyone else has it together but you're still figuring it out? And if God is meant to be your guide, why do you feel so lost? Tola Doll Fisher has asked these questions countless times and still doesn't have the answers. But as she explains in this series of 100 'life lessons' maybe that's okay. Refreshingly relatable and heartbreakingly honest, this is a book about discovering joy in the journey of a messy, work-in-progress walk of (sometimes failing, but still standing) faith.
Specks and Planks: Stories of Hope, Humility and Humanity Jeff Lucas Written in the same style as It’s a Dog’s Life and The Cactus Stabbers, Jeff provides us with more tales from his life and travels as a pastor. This collection of stories is designed to challenge, inspire, express vulnerability, show more kindness and be less swift to judge. There’s the story of Nurse Gemma whose laughter proved the best medicine for one patient; there’s the lady at the airport who brings a little bit of sunshine; and there’s the author who feels like he’s a little bit like an antique clock in need of regular adjustments. Stories to help us remember that when life is a puzzle, hope and help are a prayer away.
Pb | 160 pgs | CWR REF 3572 RRP £8.99 Aslan £7.99
Mountains Move: Achieving Social Cohesion in a Multi-Cultural Society Steve Bell Society is made up of various cultural groups trying to live together. We aim for social cohesion, but how do we do this as society becomes increasingly complex, aided and abetted by political correctness? Steve Bell peels back the complex layers of our multicultural society to reveal the inner workings of our national life. Using the metaphor of a mountain range, he identifies the major obstacles to meaningful and mutually respectful interaction between Christians and Muslims and encourages intelligent Christian engagement with western culture. It seems mountains can move, but only when grace and truth are involved in all spheres of society, as fair-minded people of all faiths and none, learn to model the necessary attitude and actions.
