Steve Wilkens

Mark L. Sanford

Why do we buy what we buy, vote the way we vote, eat what we eat and say what we say? Why do we have the friends we have, and work and play as we do? It's our choice? Yes, but there are forces, often unseen, that shape every decision we make and every action we take. These hidden, life-shaping values and ideas are not promoted through organized religions or rival philosophies but fostered by cultural habits, lifestyles and the institutional structures of society. Steve Wilkens and Mark Sanford shine a spotlight on the profound challenges to Christianity and faithful Christian living that come from worldviews that comprise the cultural soup we swim in. The authors show how to detect the individualism, consumerism, nationalism, moral relativism, scientific naturalism, New Age thinking, postmodern tribalism and salvation as therapy that fly under our radar. Building on the work of worldview thinkers like James Sire, this book helps those committed to the gospel story recognize those rival cultural stories that compete for our hearts and minds.

Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives

Hidden Worldviews

With this introductory text, Steve Wilkens takes a fresh, friendly approach to understanding and evaluating various ethical systems. Beginning each chapter with a "bumper sticker" slogan ("If it feels good, do it"; "God said it, I believe it, that settles it;" "When in Rome..."), he then moves on to examine the complex questions, conclusions and assumptions that lie at its heart. Wilkens acquaints students with the vast array of classic and contemporary approaches to ethics: cultural relativism, emotivism, behaviourism, hedonism, ethical egoism, atheistic existentialism, utilitarianism, categorical imperative, hierarchicalism, situation ethics, theistic existentialism, theological voluntarism, and natural law ethics. For each system, his thorough introduction explores its popular "bumper sticker" expression, its core assumptions and basic elements, the questions that give rise to it, and its strengths and weaknesses. Students, professors and general readers will welcome Wilken's engaging text which simultaneously offers a well-rounded assessment of ethical systems and shows the relevance and prevalence of ethical ideas in daily life.

An Introduction to Theories of Right & Wrong

Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics

Colin Brown

Alan G. Padgett

In this much-anticipated sequel to Colin Brown's Christianity and Western Thought, Volume 1, Steve Wilkens and Alan Padgett follow Christianity and philosophy's interaction through the monumental changes of the nineteenth century.

Christianity & Western Thought: Faith & reason in the 19th century

Don Thorsen

Twelve scholars take us on a journey through twelve books that have defined the methodologies and orthodoxies of key disciplines within the university curriculum. These books have not only been formative for their respective disciplines, but have reshaped the university and continue to reframe our understanding of education. Each chapter places a Great Book in its historical context, summarizes the key ideas, and assesses the influence of the text on its discipline and society as a whole. In addition, each contributor offers an evaluation from a Christian perspective, explaining both the benefits of the book and the challenges it presents to a Christian worldview and philosophy of education.

And Why Christians Should Care

Twelve Great Books that Changed the University

Why isn't Easter on the same day every year? Where did the song "Kum Ba Yah" come from and what exactly does it mean? Why don't we know exactly how to pronounce God's name? What's the definition of those theological words like eschatology? hermeneutics? supralapsarianism? Can I join the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys? Who was St. Patrick and is it true he wasn't Irish? How is it that nearly every hotel room has a Gideon's Bible? Steve Wilkens offers answers and reflections on these and scores of other questions in this thoroughly instructional and often amusing almanac of things you should have learned in Sunday School, but somehow didn't. Also offered are quizzes on famous biblical phrases and definitions of theological terms. This volume is thoroughly instructional, and totally fun. A great gift! Market/Audience Gift buyers Humour readers Laypeople Endorsements "Almanacs are a wonderful American tradition. From Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac to The Farmer's Almanac, people have been able to count on them to provide useful information, helpful hints about everything under the sun and occasional heart-warming stories. Year after year, they enrich our lives. Dr. Steve's Almanac is not like that." GARY W. MOON, Ph.D., vice president and chair of integration, Psychological Studies Institute, and author of Falling for God "I kept telling his dad that lead-based paint wasn't a very good idea when we repainted his bedroom." DR. STEVE'S MOM Features and Benefits A great gift book Instructional Humourous Packaged in "bite-sized nibbles"

A Miscellany of Oddities, Instructional Anecdotes, Little-Known Facts and Occasional Frivolity

The Original Dr. Steve's Almanac of Christian Trivia

While evangelicals make up a significant portion of American society, they still constitute a mystery for many. They exert considerable influence on virtually every aspect of American life and culture, yet by those who don't appreciate them they're seen as rednecks, crypto-fundamentalists, and people without education. Wilkens and Thorsen contend that evangelicals are tired of being caricatured and provide an insider's look at myths and realities surrounding the movement. They winsomely and sometimes humorously assess the breadth and depth of evangelical beliefs, values, and practices, arguing that evangelicalism is identifiable by a family resemblance, vitality, and relevance that transcends particular theological and political stereotypes that arise inside as well as outside of it. The book provides a synthetic presentation of contemporary evangelical Christianity as well as critiques of it.

Steve Wilkens

Books

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