Worldview

Watching his father perform medical procedures back in India had convinced Paul that medicine was about blood and guts and ulcers. To his amazement, he found that it was really about causes and cures, alleviating pain, and treating ill people with dignity.   The son of missionary parents, Paul Brand did not plan on becoming a doctor. After training as a builder, he was called by God into medicine and spent a lifetime treating leprosy and restoring hope to thousands of sufferers.   Dr. Paul Brand became the first surgeon in the world to use reconstructive surgery to correct the deformities of leprosy in the hands and feet. He strove to eliminate the stigma of the disease and rebuild the lives of those destroyed by it. A humble, brilliant servant, he influenced faith and medical communities around the world, reminding us that all people are created in the image of God. (1914-2003)

The Westminster Shorter Catechism is among the most rich and concise summaries of Christian beliefs ever penned. Written and compiled for the Westminster Assembly in 1647 and finalized in 1648, the Shorter Catechism was originally conceived as a method of instructing children and new converts in the Christian faith. The catechism adopts the common method of question and answer, suitable for memorization and easy recall. It has now become an essential guide for all levels of learning. For those who wish to gain a clearer understanding of Christian doctrine, you are sure to be enriched and edified as you listen to this beloved resource.

Literary critic Alan Jacobs muses on the popularity of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Unlike traditional horror stories that portray vampires as blood-sucking fiends, Rice’s books extol the power and freedom that the immortals enjoy. Jacobs explores the moral and literary consequences of this unabashed celebration of decadence.

As Sundar preached the gospel to the crowd, the monastery guard marched forward and arrested him. Sundar was dragged to the edge of town and hurled to the bottom of an abandoned well. The air was putrid. Desperation and loneliness soon washed over him. Left to die, Sundar leaned against the side of the well and began to pray.   Searching since boyhood for the way to God, Sundar Singh found truth in Jesus Christ. At sixteen, the former Sikh became a Christian sadhu, or holy man, and at great risk devoted his life to Christ. With bare feet and few possessions, Sundar crossed the precarious Himalayas between India and Tibet many times, sharing the gospel with Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs - even thieves.   As he traveled, Sundar constantly read the Bible, prayed, and meditated, confident that God was always with him, even in the face of death. Preaching in Asia, Europe, and as far away as America, this Indian saint impacted thousands with his quiet yet bold words and actions. (1889-1929)

Excerpts from two books explain how and why a greater familiarity with the forms of faithfulness of our spiritual predecessors is an important resource for twenty-first century Christians. An excerpt from Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers, by Christopher A. Hall, explains how commentaries on biblical texts from the first six centuries of the Church can provide much-needed perspective for contemporary believers. A chapter from Retrieving the Tradition and Renewing Evangelicalism: A Primer for Suspicious Protestants, by D. H. Williams, summarizes how it is a misreading of Scripture and of the history of Protestantism to insist that revelation and tradition are antithetical concerns of the Church. 

Dr. Paul McHugh, who teaches psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, talks about the ways in which therapists allow themselves to be highjacked by trendy ideas, and leave behind the disciplines of their science.

Church history is important because it shows us how God's faithful dealings with His people in the Bible continue in the ongoing life and work of Christ in our world. If you have ever wished for a short book highlighting church history's most important events that will enlighten your mind and peak your interest, this is the one you've been waiting for. Three prolific church historians collaborate their efforts in Church History 101 to present you with a quick read of church history's high points.

This series studies the Jewish view of God as Creator along with the Christian view of the resurrection of Jesus.

Scholar Richard Noll discusses his book, The Jung Cult: Origins of a Charismatic Movement, in which he uncovers disturbing information about Carl Gustav Jung and Jungian analysis. Noll highlights the decidedly pagan and occult influences that mark Jung’s thought and work, influences that practitioners and other scholars have generally overlooked or ignored.

This volume of short essays and other pieces by C. S. Lewis is part of a larger collection, C. S. Lewis: Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces. In addition to his many books, letters, and poems, C. S. Lewis wrote a great number of essays and shorter pieces on various subjects. He wrote extensively on Christian theology and the defense of faith but also on ethical issues and the nature of literature and storytelling. Within these pages is a treasure trove of Lewis’ reflections on diverse topics. This volume includes: 1. The Man Born Blind 2. The Dark Tower 3. Ministering Angels 4. The Shoddy Lands 5. After Ten Years 6. Forms of Things Unknown

Paul Washer escorts readers through a biblical overview of the good news about Jesus. Presenting passage after passage from the Bible, Washer describes the holy character of God, the human problem of sin, and the divine solution found in Jesus's redemptive life, death, and resurrection for all who repent and believe. If you are interested in knowing the basic claims of the gospel or know someone exploring the truths of Christ, this succinct treatment of the greatest news the world has ever heard is just what you need.

Guests on Volume 127: Christopher Shannon on the historian's communal role as story-teller; Kevin Vanhoozer on the dramatic purposes of doctrine; Oliver O'Donovan on negotiating our way in the created realities; Rebecca DeYoung on the forgotten vice of vainglory; Thomas Forrest Kelly, on the invention of Western musical notation; and Calvin Stapert on the life and work of Joseph Haydn.

For so many people, reading isn't just a hobby or a way to pass the time--it's a lifestyle. Our books shape us, define us, enchant us, and even sometimes infuriate us. Our books are a part of who we are as people, and we can't imagine life without them.I'd Rather Be Reading is the perfect literary companion for everyone who feels that way. In this collection of charming and relatable reflections on the reading life, beloved blogger and author Anne Bogel leads readers to remember the book that first hooked them, the place where they first fell in love with reading, and all of the moments afterward that helped make them the reader they are today. Known as a reading tastemaker through her popular podcast What Should I Read Next?, Bogel invites book lovers into a community of like-minded people to discover new ways to approach literature, learn fascinating new things about books and publishing, and reflect on the role reading plays in their lives.The perfect gift for the bibliophile in everyone's life, I'd Rather Be Reading will command an honored place on the overstuffed bookshelves of any book lover.

In Not By Accident: The Improbability of Life Itself, Dean Overman discusses the inadequacy of historic and current scientific understandings of the origin of life.