First Religion

In this electrifying social and intellectual history, Paula Fredriksen answers the question of how Jewish missionaries ended up inaugurating a movement that would grow into the gentile church by reconstructing the life of the earliest Jerusalem community. As her account arcs from this group’s hopeful celebration of Passover with Jesus, through their bitter controversies that fragmented the movement’s midcentury missions, to the city’s fiery end in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, she brings this vibrant apostolic community to life.

You are meant to be in relationships that bring joy and connection—that help you know soul-deep peace and leave you feeling loved instead of lonely. Instead, surface-level friendships, filtered social media feeds, unresolved conflicts, and unhealthy relationships can often seem to harm our self-worth, spiritual growth, and mental health—and keep us from the very relationships that could bring that true connection.

"WHO AM I?” is the most important question in life you’ll ever ask yourself. Yet many will go to their graves without EVER finding the True answer... Before finding love, happiness or success, the key is to first Know Thyself! The vast majority of the population live in a slumber and will go from birth to death without ever pausing for a moment to even wonder "Why am I here?" We dream that we are flesh and bone. In reality, we are spiritual beings witnessing a human experience. We spend our lives in the pursuit of happiness while failing to realize the Source of all we seek is right ...

They Lied to Us First: Reclaiming Truth Beyond the Bible and the Quran is a bold and unflinching exploration of how colonial religions reshaped African spirituality, identity, and cultural memory. In this revolutionary work, Zeamie Emanuel dismantles centuries of theological programming and reveals how Christianity and Islam were used not only to control land and labor—but to colonize the very soul. Drawing on historical context, spiritual philosophy, and cultural critique, this book exposes the roots of ideas like “eternal rest,” “fornication,” “sin,” and “salvation,” ...

The Christian church of the early centuries spread throughout much of Asia, Africa, and Europe, spoke many languages, was situated within diverse cultural settings, and had varied worship practices; yet it maintained a vital unity on core teachings. In The Global Church - The First Eight Centuries: From Pentecost through the Rise of Islam, author Donald Fairbairn helps listeners understand both the diversity and unity of the church in this pivotal era.

Best-selling author, humorist, and internationally known psychologist Dr. Kevin Leman helps firstborns understand their natural advantages for the highest level of personal success at home, at school, at work, and in relationships.

In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses 11 problems, in two categories. In the Life-Study of 1 Corinthians, Witness Lee helps us see that Christ is the unique factor to solve the first six problems, and that the church is the unique factor to solve the final five problems.

From the creative minds of the scholarly group behind the groundbreaking Jesus Seminar comes this provocative and eye-opening look at the roots of Christianity that offers a thoughtful reconsideration of the first two centuries of the Jesus movement, transforming our understanding of the religion and its early dissemination.

The Fearless Benjamin Lay chronicles the transatlantic life and times of a singular and astonishing man - a Quaker dwarf who became one of the first ever to demand the total, unconditional emancipation of all enslaved Africans around the world. He performed public guerrilla theater to shame slave masters, insisting that human bondage violated the fundamental principles of Christianity.

Jesus' treatment of women was revolutionary. That's why they flocked to him. Wherever he went, they sought him out. Women sat at his feet and tugged at his robes. They came to him for healing, for forgiveness, and for answers. In Jesus through the Eyes of Women, Rebecca McLaughlin explores the life-changing accounts of women who met the Lord. By entering the stories of the named and unnamed women in the Gospels, this book gives listeners a unique lens to see Jesus as these women did and marvel at how he loved them in return.

Marriage can be perilous for any couple, but for those facing infidelity and other dark secrets, it can be soul-crushing. Yet no matter how broken a relationship may seem, hope and healing remain within reach. Tim and Kathy Bush are proof. Theirs was a union built not on solid ground but on the shifting sands of childhood trauma, promiscuity, addiction, and a hunger that neither of them could satisfy. Through many tumultuous years, they stumbled to the brink of both relational and personal destruction again and again, nearly giving up on each other—and on life itself.

Ever wondered if there were more writings from the first few centuries by Christians? Well the answer is - yes! There is much that the early Christians left us and they are available in this day and time. The New Testament is our rock to stand upon, but there are other works that we can glean from that are filled with godly wisdom and virtue. The 1st Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians is just that kind of work that can further your walk with Christ in this present day.

The ever-popular and prolific Peter Kreeft says that the most important question he has written about is how one becomes holy, or, to put it another way, how one becomes a saint. This question is central to all the great religions, as Kreeft demonstrates, for striving toward holiness, moving toward perfect love, is the whole purpose of life.

When a marriage is new, it’s exciting. But as time passes, couples can drift apart and wrestle with the challenges that are common in any marriage. It can feel overwhelming, but together, couples will find that a healthy marriage has thousands of course changes. In this follow-up to Getting Ready for Marriage, authors Jim Burns and Doug Fields offer a practical guide designed to help newlyweds build a strong foundation for a marriage that will last a lifetime.

A comprehensive study guide. The Bible verses are given in bold with commentary on Paul's letters to the Thessalonians in a lighter font to assist with an in-depth study of all chapters of these Bible books. The pictures timelines, tables, and other visuals make the information easy to grasp. The book begins with How God solved the sin problem, how to witness to others, and how to live now that we are saved. A summary of each book and outlines and background. Why right division is really important. Features: four timelines, the Rapture contrasted with the Second Coming, and the Five Courses...

Christians begin their first steps in Christ at the moment of conversion. From that moment on, they have access to freedoms that weren't possible prior. But every disciple must understand those freedoms and learn how to walk in them, which requires practice. In First Freedoms, Jennifer Barnett unpacks many "first freedoms" that Christians own but often don't fully integrate into their relationship with God and explains how to foster freedoms such as cultivating a powerful prayer life, abiding fully in God's presence, healing emotional scars, battling the schemes of the enemy, and many others.

In the pattern of his best-selling book The Master Plan of Evangelism, author Robert E. Coleman offers a close examination of how Jesus made disciples and how his followers did the same throughout the book of Acts.

Scott Hahn is an internationally recognized Catholic lecturer and theologian. His books Hail, Holy Queen and Publishers Weekly best seller The Lamb's Supper began Hahn's examination of the Catholic faith. With First Comes Love, he thoughtfully focuses on the connection between the Church, the Holy Trinity, and the family.

Join Frederica Mathewes-Green on a guided retreat through an ancient Orthodox text. Regardless of your denominational background, First Fruits of Prayer will bring to life the prayer experience of first millennium Christianity through immersion in this poetic hymn, an extraordinarily beautiful work that is still chanted by Christians around the world each Lent. It weaves together Old and New Testament scriptures with prayers of hope and repentance and offers ancient ways of seeing Christ that still feel new today.

René Descartes is often described as the first modern philosopher, but much of the content of his "Meditations on First Philosophy" can be found in the medieval period that had already existed for more than a thousand years. Does God exist? If so, what is his nature? Is the human soul immortal? How does it differ from the body? What role do sense experience and pure reason play in knowing? Descartes stands out from his predecessors because of the method he developed to treat these and other fundamental questions.