People regularly give certain reasons for not believing in God, but they are much less aware of what the New Testament actually teaches. Although challenges to Christianity are perennial and have frequently been addressed, they are noticeably more common today and are currently of particular interest among evangelicals.
Skeptics of Christianity often ask highly regarded biblical scholar and popular speaker Craig Blomberg how he can believe in a faith that seems so problematic. How can God allow evil and suffering? Isn’t the Bible anti-women, anti-gay, and pro-slavery? Isn’t the New Testament riddled with contradictions? What about the nature of hell, violence in Scripture, and prayer and predestination? Following the author’s successful Can We Still Believe the Bible?, this succinct and accessible book focuses on what the New Testament teaches about ten key reasons people give for not believing in God.

In the last century, more studies of the parables were produced than for any other section of comparable length in the Bible. The problem is that most Bible readers are unlikely ever to know of most of them. In this substantially new and expanded edition, Craig Blomberg surveys and evaluates contemporary critical approaches to the parables, challenging the prevailing consensus and making his own important new contribution to parable studies. Within proper definitions and boundaries, the author defends a limited allegorical approach. In support of this view of parable interpretation, Blomberg not only sets forth theoretical considerations but devotes attention to all the major parables, providing brief interpretations that highlight the insights to be gained from his distinctive method. Interpreting the Parables can be listened to with profit by scholars, students, pastors, and educated laypeople.

The Zondervan Biblical and Theological Lectures series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook’s direct narration of a book’s text, James: Audio Lectures¬†includes high-quality live recordings of college-level lectures that cover the important points from each subject as well as relevant material from other sources.

 

Scholars Craig Blomberg and Mariam Kovalishyn use the historical, theological, and literary elements of James to guide their interpretation of this often-overlooked early Christian text in James: Audio Lectures. Their lectures examine the biblical text in its original environment, with an emphasis on the three key themes of (1) trials and temptation, (2) wisdom and speech, particularly with a view to obedience, and (3) wealth and poverty.

 

In James: Audio Lectures, Blomberg and Kovalishyn explore the book passage-by-passage. They provide insights into the background and meaning of the text and discuss how the book’s messages fit within its own context and within a broader biblical-theological context.