IVP Pocket Reference

Have you ever wondered . . . what the red dot on an Indian woman's forehead means? whether all Buddhist monks practice martial arts? if the Emperor of Japan is still considered a god? Here is a concise, informative guide for anyone looking for answers to basic questions about the world's varied religions. In short, incisive chapters, Winfried Corduan introduces readers to twelve of the world's major religions, including Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Parsi, Shinto and Sikhism. For each, he offers brief descriptions of its name, numbers and distribution, key symbols, history, Scriptures, major beliefs, subgroups, worship practices, home practices, clothing, diet and calendar. Also included are even briefer descriptions of sixteen new religious movements and traditional or tribal religions. This book is for students, pastors and other busy people who want the quick, bare-facts scoop on current religions.

The story of Christianity is a fascinating tale. Here we find drama, vision and expansion along with failure, setbacks and tragedy. Yet during the past two thousand years the power of Jesus is felt throughout the interplay of human actors and the forces of world events. How can you grasp the story played out on such a gigantic stage? This book is an ideal place to start. D. Jeffrey Bingham has skillfully selected the key people and episodes to tell a grand and humbling story. From Roman persecution to the early creeds, from the monastic movement to the Reformation, from the rise of liberalism to missionary expansion, he chronicles the ups and downs of a people and a faith. This pocket history has been crafted for students, pastors and other busy people who want an informed, clear and concise presentation that feeds the mind and moves the heart. It is an account that nurtures the Christian virtues of faith, hope and love. For Bingham aims not only to uncover the treasures of the church's past but also to show how history aids your own spiritual journey today.

Beginning to study Reformed theology is like stepping into a family conversation that has been going on for five hundred years. How do you find your bearings and figure out how to take part in this conversation without embarrassing yourself? The Pocket Dictionary of the Reformed Tradition takes on this rich, boisterous and varied tradition in its broad contours, filling you in on its common affirmations as well as its family tensions. Here you will find succinct and reliable entries on: Latin terms, such as ad fontes and sola fide: Theologians, from Calvin to Torrance, Confessions, such as the Belgic and Westminster, Doctrines, such as atonement and sanctification, Apologists, such as Francis Schaeffer and Cornelius Van Til, And much more. The Pocket Dictionary of the Reformed Tradition is ready to assist you over the rough parts of readings, lectures, conversations and blogs. It will also be a companionable and concise introduction to one of the great Christian traditions.

Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Relational posterior worldview-apologists, from Abelard to Van Tilphilosophers of religion, from Alston to Wolterstorffmovements, from analytic philosophy to voluntarism apologetic arguments, from the cosmological to the wager theologies, from Arminianism to Zoroastrianism

If you are beginning your study of New Testament Greek or Greek exegesis, this book is for you! From ablative to zeugma, it defines the tangled terms that infest Greek textbooks, grammars and lexicons. Here is the book to deliver you from late-night ponderings of the predicate and frantic fumings over the fricative. It is the indispensable lexicon to that third language that is neither Greek nor recognizable English: the technical vocabulary of grammarians, lexicographers, linguists and Greek instructors. What's more, this pocket dictionary gives you the inside edge on the terminology of exegesis, textual criticism and biblical criticism. Careful definitions, helpful examples and copious cross-references make this economically priced, brief dictionary easy to use. And its convenient size will make it a constant companion in your study of the Greek New Testament.

The Pocket Dictionary of Christian Spirituality is an A to Z introduction and resource for curious newcomers and novice students of spirituality. From our first call to Abba until we arrive at Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, Don Thorsen charts the Christian spiritual pilgrimage through its many traditions, schools of thought, and tested practices. Among the over 300 definitions you'll find: -terms and ideas -traditions and movements -practices and rituals -texts and theology A reliable guide and launching pad for learning, the Pocket Dictionary of Christian Spirituality is a basic resource for the pilgrimage travel bag.

So many words about the Word. The study of anything seems to generate its own special vocabulary, and biblical studies is no different. What's more, it's got nearly a two-thousand-year lead on you! How can you catch up? Here is the answer! If you are puzzled by parataxis or rankled by recensions, the Pocket Dictionary of Biblical Studies is the companion you need. Whether you are studying Old Testament or New Testament or both at once, this little book is your private tutor, your ever-ready guide to over three hundred biblical-studies terms. Here's your glossary for reading course textbooks, your decoder for listening to lectures, your review sheet for cramming for finals and your "help" key for writing research papers. Among the more than 300 terms defined you'll discover types of biblical criticism, from genre criticism to tradition criticism, Greek and Latin terms, from agrapha to vaticinium ex eventu, German terms, from FrÜhkatholizismus to Wissenschaft, ancient texts, from Aleppo Codex to Zadokite Document, literary features, from acrostic to woe oracle, theories, from the Augustinian hypothesis to the Yahwist source, textual criticism terms, from codex to Western text. Written by Arthur G. Patzia and Anthony J. Petrotta, two biblical studies professors who know what you need to know, Pocket Dictionary of Biblical Studies will be your essential guide into a fascinating world of understanding.