Just what makes a Baptist, a Baptist? What are the beliefs that set Baptists apart from other Christian churches, and are they of any real importance for the local church member who just wants to follow Jesus? Four centuries of Baptists have found those distinctive beliefs to be the command of Jesus in the Scripture, have expressed their love for him by holding and practicing them, and have passed that sacred trust down to us. A church which fails to know and value its Baptist identity becomes subject to error and false teaching and loses the heritage for which its Baptist ancestors were willing to suffer and die. The sermons in this book provide a helpful introduction to the beliefs which distinguish Baptists from other Christian groups and churches, and help readers to consider those beliefs in their proper level of importance. Extensive guides to additional resources in the distinctive beliefs of Baptists and in doctrinal preaching are provided for those desiring further study and for pastors interested in developing similar messages. Includes endorsements from Chuck Kelley and Lloyd Harsch of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisher Humphreys of Beeson Divinity School.
The following is a fictional, suspense/thriller novel, by the author Moxie'. Its principal setting is a portion of the rural, river bottom area between the states of Texas and Louisiana, along the banks of the Sabine River. Much of the early settings for this tale also take place in, around, and throughout the Caribbean and the West Indies. This is only proper, in that a large portion of the Caucasian population on the islands of the West Indies are of Scottish or Irish descent. It is these descendants that have heavily influenced the generation of the legend of Banshee Bottom'. It should be noted that there exists two distinct types of episodes: the first being one that involves a present or evolving family relationship, regarding those involved in the accident and/or death; and the second being one that occurs, involving an accident and/or death of a close friend, or a significant acquaintance. Both types of episode may occur in close proximity, or at great distance, from the accident and/or death. In the early days of this tale, things were much as they are today, with the population being a bit more sparse than today. There was, of course, no electricity, no air conditioning, no central heat, and no cars. There are still no cities, or even large towns around the bottom; but rather just a few old timber mill towns, and farming communities. It was just such a small farming community, where this tale actually begins. In the 1880's, each family was a self-sufficient entity. Whatever I was needed to survive, they supplied for themselves by the sweat of their brows. If they couldn't grow it, they made it with their own hands. If they couldn't raise it, they hunted it and killed it; or they either trapped it, or caught it with hook and line. In the rare instances when all of this wasn't enough, they helped each other, as neighbors are meant to do.
Sex, Lies, and Rabbis: Breaking a Sacred Trust by Charlotte Rolnick Schwab, Ph.D. is a powerful book, a combination of memoir and nonfiction, about what happens when clergy, specifically, rabbis, are deified. It is about the betrayal and the cover up of the betrayal of teen aged girls and women by male rabbis, and thereby, the betrayal of these rabbis wives, families, congregations, communities, denominations, and all Judaism. Two murders are connected to rabbis sexual abuse. One rabbi is awaiting retrial for allegedly hiring a hit man to murder his wife because of his sexual misconduct. This author writes about her own frightening, shocking experience as the wife of a rabbi-perpetrator of sexual abuse of other women, his violence toward her, and threat to kill her if she told about his nefarious double life. The book delineates in one volume: the crisis in the rabbinate, in congregational Judaism; what needs to be done to bring about healing and change; gives description of cases of rabbis sexual abuse as told to the author (these cases are all composites; the victims/survivors identities are disguised), and as reported in the media, including the two murders related to rabbis sexual abuse; the alarming extent of this problem; outlines policies that synagogues and denominations need to adopt; provides definitions of sexual abuse; discusses the kinds of personalities of rabbis which can lead to rabbis becoming sexual predators; and offers some suggestions for prevention. The book offers a Resources List and extensive Bibliography, including articles from Jewish and secular newspapers around the country, about rabbis sexual abuse. The book provides a healing program geared toward Jewish victims/survivors or rabbis sexual abuse; it can be adapted for victims/survivors of abuse by other clergy and of other kinds of abuse, including abuse by batterers. Women who suffered abuse of any kind will find this book validating and helpful for healing and recovery. "12 Steppers" will be especially interested in this book. The book is helpful to people of all religions who are experiencing the crisis of their religious authorities sexual abuse and covering up of that abuse, including Buddhists, Catholics, and Protestants. It is an urgent read for all Jewish people concerned about the safety of their teen aged children and women, and about the future of their religious organizations and communities. Books have been written about Catholic priests and Protestant ministers and sexual abuse; this is the first about rabbis sexual abuse. Rabbis Arthur Gross-Schaefer and Marcia Zimmerman, and Rev. Nils Friberg praise the book on the book jacket. Maj-Britt Rosenbaum, MD, psychiatrist and former Director of the Long Island Hillside Medical Center Sexuality Center, wrote the Preface. Gary Schoener, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, who treat both clergy-perpetrators and victims, wrote the Foreword.
Rabbi Pinchas Stolper, one of our generation's inspirational leaders, turns his talented pen to discuss one of life's most delicate areas: love, dating, and marriage. With the illumination of the Torah's rich and positive teachings, he brings new meaning, purpose and elevation to our lives. He offers timely insights firmly rooted in timeless teachings. This is an important book filled with wisdom, sensitivity and sound advice.
This volume explains how the League of Nations mandates system fused two of the predominant and compelling global forces of the twentieth century: imperialism and Wilsonian internationalism.
In a spirit of sanctified humor, this satire skewers the error of the easy-believe gospel and defends the biblical truth that Christians will be changed by the Holy Spirit that indwells and empowers them. Take a rough-n-tumble journey with Peregrinus (Latin for pilgrim) as he, with the help of his mentor Plowman, battles with the errors thrown at him by the likes of such characters as Willy "Rush" Forward, Strawberry Nostrum, Reverend Quacksalver, and Jumping Jack Hallelujah.
