Justo L. Gonzalez

Few thinkers have been as influential as Augustine of Hippo. His writings, such as Confessions and City of God, have left an indelible mark on Western Christianity. He has become so synonymous with Christianity in the West that we easily forget he was a man of two cultures: African and Greco-Roman. The mixture of African Christianity and Greco-Roman rhetoric and philosophy gave his theology and ministry a unique potency in the cultural ferment of the late Roman empire. Augustine experienced what Latino/a theology calls mestizaje, which means being of a mixed background. Cuban American historian and theologian Justo González looks at the life and legacy of Augustine from the perspective of his own Latino heritage and finds in the bishop of Hippo a remarkable resource for the church today. The mestizo Augustine can serve as a lens by which to see afresh not only the history of Christianity but also our own culturally diverse world.

How and why God loves us--God's good creation This book will talk about the doctrine of creation and invite us to look closely at who God is and who we are in relationship with God. As people of faith, we believe that our gracious God created all there is, but does that also mean that God also created evil? How does creation jive with what scientists are telling us about the origin of the universe? What does the doctrine of creation tell us about what we call "the creation," that is, the world, its value, purpose, etc? How does understanding the world as God's creation teach us about our role in creation care? The Bible tells us that God created the heavens and earth, but does that deny the science of the Big Bang? What does believing that God is the Creator say about how God loves, redeems, and sustains us today or does creation say something only about the past? What about the "new creation''? Does this have anything to do with the old creation? Does it mean simply that God is so tired of the rebelliousness of creation that it seems best to erase the present one and start anew? Or is there a connection between the two? What does the doctrine of creation say about us? Aren't we created in God's image and aren't we part of the good creation of a loving God? If so, why is there evil and rebelliousness in us? Where does our ill-will, our desire to do evil, come from? Is there freedom of the will or are all things preordained by God? Just how detailed is God's plan for us? While no one author can deal with all these questions, this book will help us begin the conversation and gain new understanding of how the doctrine of creation can help us address these very human and timeless questions. Series Description: Belief Matters: How to Love God with Your Mind is a series of books written by widely recognized authors who will help readers think more clearly about their faith and better understand their beliefs, so that they can live more faithfully. These books will also help readers become aware of thoughtful resources and conceptual frames of reference that not only will deepen their faith, but also help them better understand what we say and do in Church. Conversational in tone, these books are reflections on major theological topics and are suitable for a 4-session individual or group study. The intent of the series is to help readers feel as though they are sitting, having coffee as authors share their "take" and show that by thinking more clearly about the faith, persons can love God more fully, live with confidence, and change the world.

Theological education has always been vital to the Church's life and mission; yet today it is in crisis, lacking focus, direction, but also resources and even students. In the early Church, there is no doubt that to lead worship one had to be able to read and interpret the Bible. In order to lead, it was necessary to know at least something about the history of Israel and the work of God in the Gospels, and interpret that history, making it relevant to daily living. Quickly the Church developed schools for its teachers, whether lay or clergy. A catechetical system was organized through which candidates prepared for baptism were given a basic form of theological education. Hence to be a Christian meant persons knew what and why they believed. But over the years, theological education has come to mean education for clergy and church professionals. It has drifted, seeking new moorings.

Among all the writers of the New Testament, no one has been more undervalued than Luke. Not only are Luke's Gospel and Acts more extensive than all of Paul's epistles put together; Luke's particular slant on the story he tells also sets him apart. In this book Justo Gonzalez examines Luke's characteristic perspective and its relevance for the church today. Gonzalez highlights eight themes in Luke's writing, including his concern for gender inclusivity, his emphasis on Jesus as Savior, his interest in eating and its connection to worship, and his stress on the great upheaval that God is bringing about. Focusing especially on the unique perspective that Luke brings to his writing as a historian, Gonzalez shows how Luke's narrative invites us into his story and connects us with the entire history of humanity.

Spanning more than 500 years, this illustrated book covers the rich history of Christianity in Latin America. The authors use an analytical framework as they describe the institutional religious history for the period covered in that chapter, providing the context to look at other concurrent though non-institutional developments within Christianity. Each section includes sources that look at the way Christianity manifested and continues to manifest itself in the life of Latin American society, including its women, its enslaved and indigenous populations, and the modern-day marginalized sectors.

Spanning more than 500 years, this illustrated book covers the rich history of Christianity in Latin America. The authors use an analytical framework as they describe the institutional religious history for the period covered in that chapter, providing the context to look at other concurrent though non-institutional developments within Christianity. Each section includes sources that look at the way Christianity manifested and continues to manifest itself in the life of Latin American society, including its women, its enslaved and indigenous populations, and the modern-day marginalized sectors.

In this revised and updated version of his popular history, Justo Gonzalez retains the essential elements of his earlier three volumes as he describes the central figures and debates leading to the Councils of Nicea and Chalcedon. Then he moves to Augustine and shows how Christianity evolved and was understood in the Latin West and Byzantine East during the Middle Ages. Finally, he introduces the towering theological leaders of the Reformation and continues to trace the development of Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christianities through modernity in the twentieth century to postmodernity in the twenty-first.

Sharing the Good News might be understood as the prime directive of the Church from its earliest times, but the Church soon discovered unforeseen obstacles and its own set of temptations, including its lust for power and domination. Although the gospel might be joyfully offered, it was not always received in the same spirit. And the Church was not always gracious with dissent and criticism. Even so, it continues to reach out to the least, the last, and the lost--attempting to bring them into the family of God. But for mission to be effective today, it must take advantage of indigenous resources and recognize its limitations as well as its gifts. This book broadly introduces prominent missionary practices and major historical figures using three perspectives. First, it takes into account the missionary activity proceeding from the margins rather than only discussing the center of theological and ecclesial activity. Second, it narrates the cross-cultural, cross-confessional, and cross-religious dynamics that characterize Christian missionary activity. And third, it emphasizes that much missionary activity is generated by national rather than international missionaries. The text concludes with a chapter on the postmodern and postcolonial world.

In this revised and updated version of his popular history, Justo Gonzalez retains the essential elements of his earlier three volumes as he describes the central figures and debates leading to the Councils of Nicea and Chalcedon. Then he moves to Augustine and shows how Christianity evolved and was understood in the Latin West and Byzantine East during the Middle Ages. Finally, he introduces the towering theological leaders of the Reformation and continues to trace the development of Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christianities through modernity in the twentieth century to postmodernity in the twenty-first.

Aparte de los autores del Nuevo Testamento, ningun escritor ni pensador cristiano ha dejado en la vida y pensamiento de la iglesia a traves de los siglos una hella que pueda compararse a la de San Agustin... fue a traves de los ojos de Agustin que la cristiandad medieval de habla latina leyo las Escrituras y compriendio la fe. Cuando, mil anos mas tarde, aquella cristiandad occidental se dividio como resultado de la Reforma protestante, ambos bandos del gran debate reclamaban la autoridad de Agustin, cada cual en apoyo de sus posturas. Hasta el dia de hoy, la inmensa mayoria de los cristianos, al ver por ejemplo las epistolas de Pablo, lo hace - sin siquiera saberlo - a traves de los ojos de Agustin. The subject of "mestizaje"--the in-between-ness of living between two cultures, and belonging at once to both and to neither of the two--is a crucial theme in U. S. Hispanic reflection today, theological as well as not. This book is, as its title says, a basic introduction to the thought of Saint Augustine. But it takes into account the dual roots of Augustine himself, his African mother on the one hand, and his Roman father and Greco-Roman education on the other. These two were at tension throughout his life and help us understand much of the drama leading to his conversion as well as his theology.

Sharing the Good News might be understood as the prime directive of the Church from its earliest times, but the Church soon discovered unforeseen obstacles and its own set of temptations, including its lust for power and domination. Although the gospel might be joyfully offered, it was not always received in the same spirit. And the Church was not always gracious with dissent and criticism. Even so, it continues to reach out to the least, the last, and the lost attempting to bring them into the family of God. But for mission to be effective today, it must take advantage of indigenous resources and recognize its limitations as well as its gifts. This book broadly introduces prominent missionary practices and major historical figures using three perspectives. First, it takes into account the missionary activity proceeding from the margins rather than only discussing the center of theological and ecclesial activity. Second, it narrates the cross-cultural, cross-confessional, and cross-religious dynamics that characterize Christian missionary activity. And third, it emphasizes that much missionary activity is generated by national rather than international missionaries. The text concludes with a chapter on the postmodern and postcolonial world."

Introduccion a la historia de la iglesia es una obra formidable en la que de manera amena, entretenida y sin dejar de ser academica, el Dr. Justo Gonzalez repasa los acontecimientos fundamentales que sucedieron en la historia de la iglesia y que le han dado cuerpo. Este libro es fundamental como introduccion para entender el porque la iglesia tiene la forma que tiene en la actualidad, y servira de base para cualquiera que desee adentrarse en los detalles de tan extensa y a veces complicada historia. Written in Spanish by the renowned Hispanic author Justo L. Gonzalez, this easy-to-understand and entertaining, yet academic introduction to the history of the church reviews the major events that happened in the history of the church and how they shape today's church. This book is ideal for helping readers understand today's church structure, and serves as guide for those interested in the extensive, and at times, complicated history of the church.

Conozca su Biblia, developed in partnership with the Asociacion para la Educacion Teologica Hispana and the Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a unique Bible commentary series written in Spanish by leading Hispanic theologians and Bible educators. The twenty-five volume series, which covers all the books of the Bible, also includes three general volumes designed to introduce readers to the Bible and to biblical study: La Biblia en espanol: Como nos llego (The Spanish Bible: How It Came to Be); Como se formo la Biblia (How the Bible Was Formed), and Como estudiar la Biblia (How to Study the Bible).

From Justo L. Gonzalez, author of the acclaimed three-volume History of Christian Thought, The Story of Christianity Volume II: The Reformation to the Present Day is the fully revised and updated second volume of The Story of Christianity. Gonzalez's astute scholarship, lucid prose, and impassioned focus tell the narrative history of Christianity, beginning with the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century and leading all the way up to present day.

In The Story of Christianity: Volume 1, Justo L. Gonz lez, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought, presents a narrative history of Christianity, from the Early Church to the Dawn of the Protestant Reformation. From Jesus' faithful apostles to the early reformist John Wycliffe, Gonz lez skillfully traces core theological issues and developments within the various traditions of the church, including major events outside of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World. This updated and expanded edition incorporates recent archaeological discoveries about the life of Early Christian Communities, as well as important contemporary research revealing the significant role of women throughout the history of the church. With lively storytelling, The Story of Christianity provides a fascinating and panoramic history of the dramatic events, colorful characters, and revolutionary ideas that shaped the first fifteen centuries of the church.

El ministerio de la palabra escrita constituye una guia practica para todas las personas que esten contemplando la idea de escribir y publicar un libro. De una manera amena y entretenida, Justo Gonzalez nos introduce en el mundo del escritor y las dinamicas de publicacion. El autor ofrece en este volumen sus anos de experiencia como escritor y editor, y anima al lector a participar en la produccion de material escrito para el pueblo hispano-latino con afan de solventar su escasez. This title, translated as "the ministry of the written word" constitutes a practical guide for all who contemplate writing and publishing a book. In apractical, and easy-to-understand manner, Justo Gonzalez introducesto the world of the writer and the dynamics of publication. The author offers in this volume his many years of experience as the writer and publishing, and encourages readers to participate in the production of material written for the Hispanic-latino American communities where there is a shortage of quality ministerial books."

Conozca su Biblia, developed in partnership with the Asociacion para la Educacion Teologica Hispana and the Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a unique Bible commentary series written in Spanish by leading Hispanic theologians and Bible educators. Justo L. Gonzalez, the General Editor for the series, is a distinguished biblical scholar and the author of numerous books, including Hechos (Acts) in this series.