When the Christmas season begins, you can always count on at least one major media company to publish a story debunking the myths of Christmas. The effect, if not the intent, of such stories is to question the historical value … Continue reading Debunking Christmas Myths | Influence Podcast
Turning Points is a one-volume history of Christianity written for laypeople and students. It tells the Church’s story by describing “decisive moments in the history of Christianity” when the doctrine, character, and institutions of Christianity took a new direction. (The … Continue reading Turning Points, 4th Ed. | Book Recommendation
The life and ministry of Charles Fox Parham (1873–1929) pose a dilemma to Pentecostals: On the one hand, he was an important leader in the early years of the Pentecostal revival. On the other hand, he was a morally flawed … Continue reading Charles Fox Parham | Book Review
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central claim of Christian theology. As the apostle Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” But is belief in … Continue reading Did Jesus’ Resurrection Really Happen? | Influence Podcast
Muhammad is the world’s most common personal name. This reflects the honor that Muslims give the founder of their religion. Indeed, Islam’s confession of faith requires affirmation of two propositions: “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the … Continue reading A Concise Guide to the Life of Muhammad | Book Review
One of my goals this year is to read the Bible cover to cover twice. I read The NIV Sola Scriptura Bible (review) in the first half of the year, and the second half I’m reading Immerse: The Reading Bible (review). … Continue reading Kingdoms, Volume 3 of Immerse: The Reading Bible | Book Review
In the nineteenth century, Ferdinand Christian Baur founded the so-called “Tubingen School” of New Testament interpretation. Using the Hegelian dialectic of thesis-antithesis-synthesis, Baur argued that Luke synthesized the thesis of Petrine Jewish Christianity with the antithesis of Pauline Gentile Christianity … Continue reading Acts: Brazos Theologial Commentary on the Bible | Book Review
Is The Acts of the Apostles a source of authentic historical information about earliest Christianity? Colin J. Hemer answers that question affirmatively in The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History, published after his untimely 1987 death and … Continue reading The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History | Book Review
Dean Merrill is the author, co-author, or editor of more than 30 books. His newest is 50 Pentecostal and Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know (Chosen Books), forthcoming in March. Merrill recently talked with Influence Executive Editor George P. Wood … Continue reading Spirit-Filled Trailblazers: An Interview with Dean Merrill
Christianity in the United States is a mile wide but an inch deep. The faith, especially its Protestant variety, has exerted considerable influence on the nation’s history and culture. A supermajority of citizens continue to identify themselves as believers. On … Continue reading Resilient Faith | Book Review
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