Understanding Faith Formation: Theological, Congregational, and Global Dimensions

Jonathan Kim, Co-Author
Associate Professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership
Baker Academic, October 2020

Three leading Christian educators offer a survey of faith formation from various perspectives: biblical, theological, pastoral, practical and global. They present a biblical theology of faith formation for individual and congregational life and show how faith can be formed through the life and mission of the local church through practices such as communal worship, Bible study and mission. They also explore the faces of faith formation in multicultural and global contexts. The book includes practical exercises for those beginning in ministry and reflection questions.

Where Prayer Becomes Real: How Honesty with God Transforms Your Soul

Kyle Strobel (M.A. '05)
Associate Professor of Spiritual Theology
John Coe (M.A. '83)
Professor of Spiritual Theology and Director, Institute of Spiritual Formation
Baker Books, March 2021

If we’re honest, most of us feel bored, distracted or discouraged in prayer. We look for resources to give us the “right” words or teach us the “right” technique and are disappointed when they don’t seem to help. What we fail to realize is that prayer isn’t a place for us to be good or right, and it isn’t a place for us to perform or prove our worth. It’s a place for us to be honest, present, and known — a place for us to offer ourselves and receive God. Spiritual formation experts Kyle Strobel and John Coe want to show you what you’ve been missing when it comes to prayer. In this down-to-earth book, they show you how to fearlessly draw near to a holy God, pray without ceasing (and without posturing), and delight in the experience of being fully known and fully loved.

For Us, but Not to Us: Essays on Creation, Covenant, and Context in Honor of John H. Walton

Kenneth Way, Co-Editor
Professor and Chair of Old Testament and Semitics
Pickwick Publications, October 2020

John H. Walton is a significant voice in Old Testament studies, who has influenced many scholars in this field as well as others. This volume is an acknowledgment from his students of Walton’s role as a teacher, scholar and mentor. Each essay is offered by scholars (and former students) working in a range of fields — from Old and New Testament studies to archaeology and theology. They are offered as a testimony and tribute to Walton’s prolific career.

Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice

Thaddeus Williams ('01, M.A. '05)
Associate Professor of Theology
Zondervan Academic, December 2020

Social justice is not optional for the Christian. But the Bible’s call to seek justice is not a call to superficial, kneejerk activism. We are not merely commanded to execute justice, but to “truly execute justice.” The God who commands us to seek justice is the same God who commands us to “test everything” and “hold fast to what is good.” Drawing from a diverse range of theologians, sociologists, artists and activists, Williams makes the case that we must be discerning if we are to “truly execute justice” as Scripture commands. Not everything called “social justice” today is compatible with a biblical vision of a better world. The Bible offers hopeful and distinctive answers to deep questions of worship, community, salvation and knowledge that ought to mark a uniquely Christian pursuit of justice.