Leland Ryken

Christians throughout the ages have written poetry as a way to commune with and teach about God, communicating rich truths and enduring beauty through their art. These poems, when read devotionally, provide a unique way for Christians to deepen their spiritual insight and experience. In this collection of over 90 poems by poets such as Emily Dickinson, T. S. Eliot, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare, and over 30 more, literary expert Leland Ryken introduces readers to the best of the best in devotional poetry, providing commentary that helps them see and appreciate not only the literary beauty of these poems but also the spiritual truths they contain. Literary-inclined readers and first-time poetry readers alike will relish this one-of-a-kind anthology carefully compiled to help them encounter God in fresh ways.

For the last 60 years, J. I. Packer has exerted a steady and remarkable influence on evangelical theology and practice. His many books, articles, and lectures have shaped entire generations of Christians, helping elevate their view of God and enliven their love for God. In this new biography, well-known scholar Leland Ryken provides readers with a compelling overview of Packer's interesting life and influential legacy. Exploring his childhood, college days, theological education, and professional life in both England and America, this volume combines detailed facts with personal anecdotes so as to paint a holistic portrait of the man himself. Finally, Ryken identifies lifelong themes evident in Packer's life, ministry, and writings that shed light on his enduring significance for Christians today.

In this comprehensive and systematic volume, renowned literary expert Leland Ryken introduces readers to the specific themes, patterns, and techniques used by the biblical authors. A companion to Ryken’s A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible, this practical guidebook will equip you to interpret each book of the Bible through the lens of its literary forms and features—helping you faithfully read, understand, and teach the Bible with greater insight.

We’ve all heard about the classics and some of us have even read them on our own. But for those of us who remain a bit intimidated or simply want to get more out of our reading, this companion to Crossway’s Christian Guides to the Classics series is here to help. In this brief guidebook, popular professor, author, and literary expert Leland Ryken explains what the classics are, how to read them, and why they’re still valuable. Written to help you become a seasoned reader and featuring a list of books to get you started, this guide will give you the tools you need to read and enjoy some of history’s greatest literature.

To truly understand God’s Word, we must know both what it says (content) and how it says it (form). This accessible guide features over 250 alphabetically arranged entries explaining common literary forms found in the Bible. Each entry contains a succinct definition, helpful illustrations, and a representative list of passages where that particular literary form is present. More than merely a dictionary, this indispensable resource will help Bible readers better understand the underlying structure of Scripture—giving a clearer shape and deeper meaning to each and every page of God’s Word.

Why does Bible study flourish in some churches and small groups and not in others? In this updated edition of a trusted classic, two Christian education specialists provide readers with the knowledge and methods needed to effectively communicate the message of the Bible. The book offers concrete guidance for mastering a biblical text, interpreting it, and applying its relevance to life. Its methods, which have been field-tested for twenty-five years, help pastors, teachers, and ministry students improve their classroom skills. Readers will learn how to develop the "big idea" of a passage and allow the text itself to suggest creative teaching methods. This new edition has been updated throughout and explores the changed landscape of Bible study over the past two decades. Readable and interdisciplinary in approach, this book will help a new generation of Bible students teach in a purposeful and unified way.

Modern Bible translations are at a crossroads. Multiple translation philosophies argue that there is a right way and a wrong way to translate the Bible. But who is right? And what has been the historic view of English Bible translators? Leland Ryken, an expert on the literature of the Bible, brings clarity to these questions as he traces the history of English Bible translation from William Tyndale to the King James Bible and argues that the English Standard Version is the true heir of this classical stream. Here is a great resource for Christians who have questions about why we have different Bible translations and how to choose between them.

From the KJV to the NIV, NLT, ESV, and beyond, English Bible translations have never been as plentiful as they are today. This proliferation has also brought confusion regarding translation differences and reliability. This book brings clarity to the issues and makes a strong case for an essentially literal approach. Taking into account the latest developments in Bible translation, Leland Ryken expertly clarifies the issues that underlie modern Bible translation by defining the terms that govern this discipline and offering a helpful Q&A. He then contrasts the two main translation traditions-essentially literal and dynamic equivalence-and concludes with sound reasons for choosing the former, with suggestions for using such a translation in the church. This book will appeal to thoughtful readers who have questions about Bible translation; individuals, churches, and ministries in the process of choosing a translation; and college and seminary students and faculty.

The task of those who employ an essentially literal Bible translation philosophy is to produce a translation that remains faithful to the original languages, preserving as much of the original form and meaning as possible while still communicating effectively and clearly in the receptor language. The contributors of

The arts--merely entertaining or indispensable? The arts belong to the Christian life. And in 'The Liberated Imagination, ' author Leland Ryken explores the God-ordained significance of art--its nature and purpose in relating to truth and everyday life. For both artist and audience, for student, teacher, and critic, this book is a road to discovering how participation in art and the imagination leads to a more intense sharing in life's riches, a deeper celebration of all that God has created, and a new awareness of the wideness of his grace. 'The Liberated Imagination' is a civilized, not to say baptized, treatment of what happens when a Christian confronts culture. What Leland Ryken has done is simply to validate the artistic experience and to tell Christians the deep artistic truth that they already unconsciously know."" --William Griffin, contributing editor of 'Publisher's Weekly' Professor Ryken reawakens the wonder and tension in our response to the arts by suggesting ways in which the Christian may find and value intimations of the divine in human creations. --Sr. Maura Eichner, Professor of English, College of Notre Dame of Maryland All too many Christians are uneasy about the arts. This book provides a brilliantly clear and systematic approach to the arts from a Christian perspective."" --Corbin Scott Carnell, Professor of English, University of Florida, Past President of the Conference on Christianity and Literature Leland Ryken is an eminently reasonable and insightful critic. All the essential questions about the arts and Christianity are here. 'The Liberated Imagination' should liberate its readers to experience the reflection of God's glory to be found in the arts. I recommend it highly."" --Harold Fickett, author of The Holy Fool Leland Ryken is widely respected in Christian higher education as a scholar and prolific writer. His reputation for being both thorough and insightful is borne out in this examination of the relationship of the Christian faith to the arts. Thoughtful Christians will find 'The Liberated Imagination' to be provocative and highly readable."" --Karen A. Longman, Greenville College Leland Ryken is Clyde S. Kilby Professor of English at Wheaton College. He has authored fourteen books including 'How to Read the Bible as Literature, ' 'Worldly Saints: The Puritans as They Really Were, ' and 'Work and Leisure in Christian Perspective.'

In this booklet, adapted from his book The Word of God in English, Leland Ryken examines the principles that make for reliable English Bible translation and looks at common translation fallacies. Asserting that Bible translations should be essentially literal, he puts forward a standard by which Christians can evaluate and compare contemporary Bible translations.

The Christian Imagination brings together in a single source the best that has been written about the relationship between literature and the Christian faith. This anthology covers all of the major topics that fall within this subject and includes essays and excerpts from fifty authors, including C. S. Lewis, Flannery O'Connor, Dorothy Sayers, and Frederick Buechner.

A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible is consideration of the Bible from a literary perspective, reflecting contemporary interest in the academic world of the Bible as literature. This collection of essays addresses both specific books of the Bible and general topics dealing with the Bible. The four main sections of the book are; The Bible as Literature, The Literature of the Old Testament, The Literature of the New Testament, and The Literary Influence of the Bible. The editors for A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible are Leland Ryken and Tremper Longman III. Contributors include:Fredrick Buechner, NovelistJohn Sailhamer, Trinity Evangelical Divinity SchoolWilson G. Baroody, Arizona State UniversityWilliam F. Gentrup, Arizona State UniversityKenneth R. R. Gros, Louis Indiana UniversityWillard Van Antwerpen, Indiana UniversityNancy Tischler, The Pennsylvania State UniversityMichael Hagan, North American Baptist SeminaryRichard L. Pratt, Jr., Reformed Theological SeminaryDouglas Green, Yale UniversityWilma McClarty, Southern CollegeJerry A. Gladson, First Christian Church, Garden Grove, CaliforniaRaymond C. Van Leeouwen, Calvin Theological SeminaryRichard Patterson, Liberty UniversityJames H. Sims, The University of Southern MississippiBranson L. Woodard, Jr. Liberty UniversityAmberys R. Whittle, Georgia Southern UniversityJohn H. Augustine, Yale UniversityMichael Travers, Grand Rapids Baptist CollegeMarianne Meye Thompson, Fuller Theological SeminaryJohn W. Sider, Westmont CollegeCarey C. Newman, Palm Beach Atlantic CollegeWilliam G. Doty, The University of Alabama/TuscaloosaChaim Potak, NovelistGene Warren Doty, University of Missouri-RollaSidney Greidanus, Calvin Theological Seminary

In this introduction to Scripture, Leland Ryken organizes biblical passages into literary genres including narratives, poetry, proverbs, and drama, demonstrating that knowledge of a genre's characteristics enriches one's understanding of individual passages. Ryken offers a volume brimming over with wonderful insights into Old and New Testament books and passages--insights that have escaped most traditional commentators.

"Ryken's Worldly Saints offers a fine introduction to seventeenth-century Puritanism in its English and American contexts. The work is rich in quotations from Puritan worthies and is ideally suited to general readers who have not delved widely into Puritan literature. It will also be a source of information and inspiration to those who seek a clearer understanding of the Puritan roots of American Christianity." -Harry Stout, Yale University "…the typical Puritans were not wild men, fierce and freaky, religious fanatics and social extremists, but sober, conscientious, and cultured citizens, persons of principle, determined and disciplined excelling in the domestic virtues, and with no obvious shortcomings save a tendency to run to words when saying anything important, whether to God or to a man. At last the record has been put straight." -J. I. Packer, Regent College "Worldly Saints provides a revealing treasury of primary and secondary evidence for understanding the Puritans, who they were, what they believed, and how they acted. This is a book of value and interest for scholars and students, clergy and laity alike." -Roland Mushat Frye, University of Pennsylvania "A very persuasive...most interesting book...stuffed with quotations from Puritan sources, almost to the point of making it a mini-anthology." -Publishers Weekly "With Worldly Saints, Christians of all persuasions have a tool that provides ready access to the vast treasures of Puritan thought." -Christianity Today "Ryken writes with a vigor and enthusiasm that makes delightful reading-never a dull moment." -Fides et Historia "Worldly Saints provides a valuable picture of Puritan life and values. It should be useful for general readers as well as for students of history and literature." -Christianity and Literature

Why the Good Book Is a Great Read If you want to rightly understand the Bible, you must begin by recognizing what it is: a composite of literary styles. It is meant to be read, not just interpreted. The Bible’s truths are embedded like jewels in the rich strata of story and poetry, metaphor and proverb, parable and letter, satire and symbolism. Paying attention to the literary form of a passage will help you understand the meaning and truth of that passage. How to Read the Bible as Literature takes you through the various literary forms used by the biblical authors. This book will help you read the Bible with renewed appreciation and excitement and gain a more profound grasp of its truths. Designed for maximum clarity and usefulness, How to Read the Bible as Literature includes * sidebar captions to enhance organization * wide margins ideal for note taking * suggestions for further reading * appendix: "The Allegorical Nature of the Parables" * indexes of persons and subjects