FREE/BARGAIN - Christian Interest - 2015

[ATDrake]

X-link to the Non-Fiction megathread since this was written by a Catholic former nun and deals with some faith issues on the way to her becoming a former nun, so this might be of interest to less apostate Gentle Readers:

Free from the author via KDP Select @ Amazon: The Scent of God: A Memoir by Beryl Singleton Bissell, an autobiographical account of her original calling and subsequent leaving, originally out from Perseus' Counterpoint imprint in 2006.

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I don't know how many of you might find this useful. Maybe there are some of you who will.

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing has a large number of free downloads. The downloads probably are all pdf, but I am not sure because I didn't go through all of the list.

I doubt that there are any complete books. It appears that the downloads are mainly book excerpts and supplementary material for books, like study guides. Maybe some of you will find the book excerpts useful (they appear to be fuller than the previews that you get at Amazon). Or, if you own a WaterBrook Multnomah book, maybe the supplementary materials will be something that you will really like. And, again, I didn't go through all of the list, so who knows what treasures (like a complete book!) may be lurking? Do let the rest of us know if you do find a treasure, okay?

A "heads up" . . . . After you have finished going through the list on the first page, you haven't reached the end! It is not very large, but at the bottom of the page there is a link for "older entries." There are, in fact, a total of nine pages of downloads.

Happy hunting.

[GtrsRGr8]

This book has a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur.

In addition to reading the book description below, I encourage you to read the review from the Library Journal, on the Amazon webpage for the book.

My posting of this book does not necessarily indicate my agreement with any doctrinal positions taken in the book.

The Catholicism Answer Book: The 300 Most Frequently Asked Questions. By Kenneth Brighenti; John Trigilo Jr. Rated 4 stars, from 41 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $16.99; digital list price $15.99; regular digital price $9.99; Kindle price now $0.99. Sourcebooks, publisher. 417 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Catholicism-An...dle+Edition%5D.

Book Description
As religion continues to dominate the news, politics and society in general, more and more laypeople are looking for a reliable guide to understanding the beliefs and practices of each faith.

The Roman Catholic Church-the largest branch of Christianity-claims a total of 1.086 billion baptized members around the globe and has been revered by millions of followers for thousands of years. Why?

The Catholicism Answer Book answers 300 pivotal questions about one of the world's oldest religions. From the basic tenets of Christianity to the differences between a Catholic Bible and a Protestant Bible, readers can round out their knowledge on such inquiries as:

--What are the "lost" or "missing" books of the Bible?
--Why does it seem like Catholics worship Mary?
--What are the Last Things?
--Why confess to a priest when I can go directly to God?

[GtrsRGr8]

There are reasons to believe that this book is better than the 3 1/2 stars rating at Amazon indicates.

[The] "God" Part of the Brain: A Scientific Interpretation of Human Spirituality and God. By Matthew Alper. Rated 3 1/2 stars, from 121 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $19.99; digital list price $16.99; regular digital price $9.99; Kindle price now $0.99. Sourcebooks, publisher.

Book Description
Acclaimed by a wide range of experts, The "God" Part of the Brain is a classic. Matthew Alper presents a stunning argument: that our brain is hardwired to believe in a God. He offers a scientific explanation that we inherit an evolutionary mechanism that allows us to cope with our greatest terror - death.

The author also evokes his personal odyssey as he sought to understand why mankind created the concept of a higher power to deal with the fear and terror we experience due to our species' unique awareness of the inevitability of death.

The "God" Part of the Brain has sparked praise by scientists such as E.O. Wilson, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner; E. Fuller Torry, "the most famous psychiatrist in America"; and Arnold Sadwin, former Chief of Neuropsychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. The book has been adopted by universities across the country.

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Why People Don't Believe: Confronting Seven Challenges to Christian Faith. By Paul Chamberlain. Rated 4 1/2 stars, but from only 7 reviews at the present moment. Digital list price $15.00; regular digital price $9.99; Kindle price now $1.99. Baker Books, publisher. 176 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Why-People-Don...hristian+Faith.

Book Description
What good is religion?

Religious faith is increasingly seen as dangerous and violent. The litany of allegations being brought against religion includes that it is the cause of intolerance, imperialism, irrationality, bigotry, and war, to name a few. How are Christians to respond?

In Why People Don't Believe, Paul Chamberlain honestly represents the challenges raised against religious faith and Christianity in particular. He deftly responds to these criticisms, evaluating whether they have merit, and outlines the many positive contributions Christianity has made to the world over the past two thousand years.

If you are troubled by today's headlines involving religious violence or if you're at a loss when it comes to responding to critics, you will find Why People Don't Believe a helpful and hopeful book.

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ADDITIONAL INFO SINCE FIRST POSTED: The editor and compiler is David McCasland, who wrote a biography of Chambers, Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God: The Life Story of the Author of My Utmost for His Highest.

The publisher Discovery House is offering a free Oswald Chambers pdf book. It is The Quotable Oswald Chambers.

Chambers was a Scottish preacher and teacher of the late 1800's and early 1900's, associated with Baptists and the Holiness Movement. Interestingly, he wrote only one book in his lifetime. After his death, at 43 years of age, his widow created some 30 books and numerous articles from notes that she had taken of his sermons and lessons! Among those books was the devotional My Utmost for His Highness, the written work of Chambers' of which most of us probably are the most familiar, and one which has never been out of print.

The Quotable Oswald Chambers is a 344-page book of quotes from Oswald Chambers' books and articles. It is organized by subject and, in addition, has a Scripture and subject index in the back. There is also a bibliography of Chambers' writings. The layout, formatting, and other aesthetics of this ebook are very pleasing to the eye. This is a nice, helpful book. I consider it a real treat to be able to obtain it for free.

Alas, nothing in life is ever really free, though, is it? Discovery House does ask that, in exchange for sending you the ebook, that you allow them to send you weekly email updates about new products by Oswald Chambers and others. Personally, I do not consider this very much to ask in order to get this fantastic ebook, and they state that "you can unsubscribe at any time."

Here is the link.

[GtrsRGr8]

C.S. Lewis wore several different hats. Among these was that of writer of "Christian" works.

This biography was published recently--less than 2 years ago.

C S Lewis. By Colin Duriez. Rated 4 1/2 stars, but from only 7 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $16.95; digital list(?) price $10.99; Kindle price now $0.99. Lion Books, publisher. 265 pages. http://www.amazon.com/C-S-Lewis-Coli...s+lewis+duriez.

Book Description
Who was the real C S Lewis, behind the remarkable enigma? This sparkling new biography brings out the significance of the key friendships in his life, showing how these influenced his thoughts and writings.

[GtrsRGr8]

I have not read the book, but apparently in his book Love Wins, evangelical Rob Bell opened the door to the possibility of universalism (the idea that all people will be saved). This has stirred up quite a bit of controversy in the evangelical Christian world. Although I've seen numerous articles responding to Bell, I can't say that I've seen a book before dedicated to the subject. Whatever the case, this is one of them, and it is highly-rated.

Christ Alone: An Evangelical Response to Rob Bell's "Love Wins." By Michael Wittmer. Rated 4 1/2 stars, from 14 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $12.00; digital list price $9.99; Kindle price now $0.99. Edenridge Press, publisher. 172 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Christ-Alone-E...22Love+Wins%22.

Book Description
In this highly readable and wonderfully engaging response to Rob Bell’s "New York Times" best seller "Love Wins," Michael Wittmer examines Bell’s claims about “heaven, hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived” in the light of the Bible and historic Christian doctrine. Wittmer writes in the introduction, “I respect Rob Bell. He wrote "Love Wins" to start a dialogue about the most important issues of our faith, and this book is my attempt as an evangelical to join that conversation.”

[pendragginp]

I'm puzzled about the quotation marks around the word Christian ~ as though Lewis's books weren't really Christian works. ??

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by pendragginp

I'm puzzled about the quotation marks around the word Christian ~ as though Lewis's books weren't really Christian works. ??

The word "Christian" never appears as an adjective in the New Testament (the first place where it appears), only as a noun. I put quotation marks around the word (and there are several others that I do that way, too) in order to indicate that I do not agree with the way that I am using it, but I have acquiesced, anyway, to a common usage of the word.

[GtrsRGr8]

I'm not posting this because I agree or disagree with the author's position(s) (not that I know of any rule against doing that) on the issues brought up in this book (I don't even know what they are). I am just putting the book "out there" because it looks like something that could provoke thought and study, is very highly rated, and is very inexpensive with the current markdown in force.

Disarming Scripture: Cherry-Picking Liberals, Violence-Loving Conservatives, and Why We All Need to Learn to Read the Bible Like Jesus Did. By Derek Flood. Rated 5 stars, from 35 reviews at the present moment (at Goodreads: 4.39, from 41 ratings). Digital list price $8.99; Kindle price now $0.99. Metanoia Books, publisher. 295 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Disarming-Scri...Like+Jesus+Did.

Book Description
A GOD OF LOVE AND GENOCIDE? For many Christians the problem of violence of Scripture can result in a crisis of faith—especially when we see how such passages have been used throughout history to justify horrific bloodshed in God's name. Moving beyond typical conservative and liberal approaches, which seek to either defend or whitewash over violence in the Bible, Disarming Scripture takes a surprising yet compelling approach: Learning to read the Bible like Jesus did.

Along the way the book deals with some very big issues, ranging from passages commanding genocide and infanticide in the Old Testament to passages in the New Testament that have been used to justify slavery, child abuse, and state violence. The take-away is an approach to Scripture that not only sees questioning as an acceptable part of a healthy faith, but as an absolutely essential part of it.

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This is the expanded edition (April 11, 2006).

This study Bible has been on sale only a couple of previous times, in the last 3 years, and at not nearly this large of a discount. If you want it, you better grab it now.

Open Bible, Classic Edition (NKJV). Thomas Nelson. Rated 4 stars, from 37 reviews at the present moment. Print list price ?; digital list(?) price $19.99; Kindle price now $4.99. Thomas Nelson, publisher. 1856 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Open-Bible-Cla...lassic+Edition.

Book Description
The study Bible that gets you quickly and fully into the Word. Find what you need! The Open Bible, New King James Version is designed for the hungry reader. This Bible is filled with amazing study aids including comprehensive book introductions and outlines, 64-page concordance, Read-Along references and translation notes, and the classic Biblical Cyclopedic Index covering more than 8,000 textual entries. The Open Bible, New King James Version also features a seven-step method on How to Study the Bible, a Visual Survey of the Bible, The Christian's Guide to the New Life, and The Greatest Archaeological Discoveries of the Bible.

[ATDrake]

Free from the specialty small press publisher via KDP Select @ Amazon:

The Life and Prayers of Saint Jude by Wyatt North Publishing, another one in their series of mini-biographies of notable faith figures.

Also known as Saint Jude Thaddeous, Saint Jude is known as the most powerful Patron Saint of Desperate Cases. Christians turn to Saint Jude for hope in what often seem like hopeless circumstances.

Whether it an illness in the family, a dissolving marriage, or financial struggles, Saint Jude answers our calls when we are at our darkest hour.

God rewarded Saint Jude with the incredible power to help the desperate. Saint Jude is a true friend, who we can look to when feeling hopeless and alone.

During a time in our world when resources are few and families find themselves in desperate times, calls to Saint Jude are louder than ever.

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The "author" (he actually appears to be more of an editor than an author. The book is authored by various contributors), Ken Ham, is probably best known now for his debate with Bill ("The Science Guy") Nye a year or so ago.

Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions Volume 2 is not marked down at the moment from its usual price.

Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions Volume 1. By Ken Ham. Rated 4 1/2 stars, from 25 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $12.99; digital list price $9.99; Kindle price now $3.49. Master Books, publisher. 146 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Demolishing-Su...tions+Volume+1.

Book Description
One of the most popular misconceptions by people who have walked away from the Church and their faith is that the Bible contains errors or inaccurate accounts. Many people also simply accept without question the claim by others that the Bible is full of contradictions. Even more disturbing is that a growing number of Christians are unable to respond when presented with an apparent inconsistency in the Bible.

Now in a bold defense for the accuracy of Scripture, Ken Ham leads a powerful team of contributors in providing core biblical truths to help refute claims regarding the inaccuracy of God’s Holy Word. Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions:

* Addresses over 40 issues of contention in the Old and New Testaments including Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Matthew, John, Acts, and Revelation

* Contains vital and relevant context by Steve Fazekas, Bodie Hodge, Roger Patterson, Stacia McKeever, Gary Vaterlaus, Dr. Jason Lisle, Paul F. Taylor, John Upchurch, and Dr. Georgia Purdom

* Equips you to accurately defend your faith while challenging secular or humanistic agendas

With nearly two-thirds of young people leaving the Church when they move from home, there has never been a more important time to have a reasoned response for those who desire only to undermine your faith. This book is a great starting point in teaching you how to think and then respond to false claims regarding the Bible. It is imperative that believers are able to stand firm in their faith, and have answers to the culture’s attacks on the Bible.

[Difflugia]

God or Godless?: One Atheist. One Christian. Twenty Controversial Questions by John W. Loftus and Randal Rauser is $.79 at Christianbook and $.99 at B&N, Kobo and Amazon. The last time I checked, Baker books were couponable at Kobo.

Perhaps the most persistent question in human history is whether or not there is a God. Intelligent people on both sides of the issue have argued, sometimes with deep rancor and bitterness, for generations. The issue can't be decided by another apologetics book, but the conversation can continue and help each side understand the perspectives of the other.

In this unique book, atheist John Loftus and theist Randal Rauser engage in twenty short debates that consider Christianity, the existence of God, and unbelief from a variety of angles. Each concise debate centers on a proposition to be resolved, with either John or Randal arguing in the affirmative and the opponent the negative, and can be read in short bits or big bites. This is the perfect book for Christians and their atheist or agnostic friends to read together, and encourages honest, open, and candid debate on the most important issues of life and faith.

If anyone's interested, the authors discussed the book on the June 15, 2013 episode of the radio show/podcast "Unbelievable".