Albert Y. Hsu

"Some publishers tell you what to believe. Other publishers tell you what you already believe. But InterVarsity Press helps you believe." J. I. Packer The history of evangelicalism cannot be understood apart from the authors and books that shaped it. Over the past century, leading figures such as pastor-scholar John Stott, apologist James W. Sire, evangelist Rebecca Manley Pippert and spiritual formation writer Eugene Peterson helped generations of readers to think more biblically and engage the world around them. For many who take their Christianity seriously, books that equip them for a life of faith have frequently come from one influential publisher: InterVarsity Press. Andy Le Peau and Linda Doll provide a narrative history of InterVarsity Press, from its origins as the literature division of a campus ministry to its place as a prominent Christian publishing house. Here is a behind-the-scenes look at the stories, people, and events that made IVP what it is today. Recording good times and bad, celebrations and challenges, they place IVP in its historical context and demonstrate its contribution to the academy, church and world. In honor of IVP's seventy-fifth anniversary, senior editor Al Hsu has updated this edition with new content, bringing the story up to 2022 and including stories about contemporary authors such as Esau McCaulley and Tish Harrison Warren. As IVP continues to adapt to changes in publishing and the global context, the mission of publishing thoughtful Christian books has not changed. IVP stands as a model of integrative Christianity for the whole person—heart, soul, mind and strength.

Suicide claims a million lives a year. Each one leaves behind survivors – shattered, grieving, angry, guilty and often despairing. Al Hsu is one such survivor. On an ordinary Thursday morning, he answered the phone and discovered that his father had taken his own life. For months and even years afterwards, he wrestled with intense emotional and spiritual questions. There were no easy answers. But he drew deeply from the resources of his Christian faith and the God who offers comfort and hope. Whether you have lost a loved one to suicide or provide pastoral care to survivors, this book will be an essential companion on your journey. This revised and expanded edition includes helpful information for churches and a useful study guide. ‘Graciously points us towards life and light, which can be so hard to see in the darkness left by suicide.’ Amy Simpson ‘One of the most helpful books I read after our son Matthew died by suicide.’ Kay Warren ‘Sad, painful, comforting and wonderful . . . I know of no other book so comprehensive, sensitive and healing.’ Richard Winter

A 2003 Finalist in the United Kingdom Christian Book Awards"Albert," the neighbor said, "your mom needs you to come home." That's how it began for Albert Hsu when his father died. Anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide experiences tremendous shock and trauma. What follows is a confusing mix of emotions--anger, guilt, grief, and despair. Suicide raises heartrending questions: Why did this happen? Why didn't we see it coming? Could we have done anything to prevent it? How can we go on? Many also wonder if those who choose suicide are doomed to an eternity separated from God and their loved ones. Some may even start asking whether life is worth living at all. After his father's death, Hsu wrestled with the intense emotional and theological questions surrounding suicide. While acknowledging that there are no easy answers, he draws on the resources of the Christian faith to point suicide survivors to the God who offers comfort in our grief and hope for the future. For those who have lost a loved one to suicide and for their counselors and pastors, this book is an essential companion for the journey toward healing. This revised edition incorporates updated statistics and now includes a discussion guide for suicide survivor groups.

One of the 1998 Academy of Parish Clergy Top Ten Books of the YearNearly half of adults today are unmarried. But most churches emphasize marriage and family, leaving many Christian singles feeling marginalized or alienated. Though they look to Jesus and Paul as role models, many suspect they would be more acceptable to the church--and God--if they settled down and got married. Albert Hsu challenges this view. Christian singles don't need tips on finding a mate or advice on suffering through the single life. What they need is a truly Christian understanding of singleness--a biblically grounded, theologically informed perspective that honors singleness equally with marriage and family. Moving beyond pat answers, Hsudebunks the myth of the "gift of singleness"chronicles how the church has overemphasized both singleness and marriageworks through discerning God's will as a single Christianexplains why searching for the right marriage partner can be misguided--even unbiblicalgrapples with loneliness, aloneness and communitywarns of common mistakes regarding dating, love and sexHsu draws insight from an interview with John Stott as well as from the stories of other Christian students and professionals. Ultimately, singleness is not a problem to be solved by marriage, he says; rather, like marriage, it is an opportunity in which to follow Jesus. Singles at the Crossroads points the way to a Christian community where all members are valued, Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female, married and single.