The author weaves together the issues of theology, the Bible, and everyday experience, to present a fresh telling of the grand story of God. Kivar.

The Story of God: Wesleyan Theology & Biblical Narrative

Religion & Spirituality

Michael Lodahl

Christian Books & Bibles

Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City

Throughout the Gospel of John, we see images of Christ who bends low to the ground in order to reach others. In When Love Bends Down, author Michael Lodahl examines four specific passages in the Gospel of John-Jesus scrawling in the dust, making mud from spittle to smear on a blind man’s eyes, washing His disciple’s feet, and cooking breakfast for his disciples-and shows how these help illustrate the fundamental truth that God was willing to bend down and dwell among us in order to reach us where we are. Lodahl emphasizes that by understanding the bent-down theology of Jesus we can better understand how the Church is called to a ’bent-down’ life together as Christ’s body in the world today. When Love Bends Down offers students, teachers, pastors, church leaders, and laypeople a new vision of Christ and the kind of people He calls us to be.

When Love Bends Down: Images of the Christ Who Meets Us Where We Are

Since its publication in 1994, The Story of God has played an important role in implementing and advancing the study of narrative theology. One of the first books to formulate and examine Wesleyan theology using the Bible’s overarching story, it continues to serve as a popular text in colleges and universities and as a reliable resource for ministers and theologians.Unlike other books, which use a topical or systematic approach to understanding theology, The Story of God uses the flesh-and-blood stories of the Bible to help readers see the complete picture of God s love for the world and in doing so, gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Christian faith. Updated and revised to include current language and ideologies, this new edition provides readers with an even more engaging and accessible introduction to Christian theology. Drawing from Scripture, everyday experience, and contemporary reflection, Michael Lodahl weaves together the stories and themes of the Bible to present a compelling picture of the grand story of God and the amazing love He has for His people.

The Story of God: A Narrative Theology

The Bible is filled with amazing stories, but even more amazing is its overarching account of God. It’s a story that, despite its twists and turns, portrays God’s mercy and love and His never-ending effort to connect with His people.This celebrated text is an engaging and accessible introduction to Wesleyan narrative theology. Unlike other books, which use a topical or systematic approach for understanding Christian theology, this foundational text weaves together the events and themes of the Bible to tell God’s remarkable story and present a complete picture of his enduring love for us.This updated and expanded second edition will impact your study and appreciation of Scripture and challenge you to find yourselfor better yet, to be foundin the incredible story of God.As part of the inSIGHTmedia Series, this resource includes:A copy of the featured book, The Story of GodA DVD containing 10-minute video lessons, which correspond to the book’s various chaptersA printable leader’s guide- also included on the DVD- which will enhance group discussion and study

The Story of God, DVD + Book: Lessons for Faith Communities

The Bible contains hundreds of stories, but overarching them all is a single story--the story of God. Through all its twists and turns, the Bible reveals a single picture of God and his purposes for us.As you explore the incredible account of God’s love for his people, The Story of God will help you understand this story, as well as your place within it.Session 1: Telling the Story of God: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and ExperienceSession 2: The God Who Creates: And the Creation God Invites Us to BeSession 3: The Tragedy of God’s Story: The Doctrine of SinSession 4: The People of Israel in God’s Story: The Doctrine of CovenantSession 5: A New Twist in God’s Story: The Doctrine of ChristSession 6: Living in God’s Story: The Doctrine of the ChurchSession 7: The End of God’s Story: The Doctrine of Last ThingsThe DIALOG SERIES offers Bible-based, life related studies for small groups, Sunday school classes, or personal discoveries. Each 7-week study is written by qualified and thought-provoking Christian thinkers to promote community and growth in Christ.

The Story Of God: Exploring the Biblical Narrative, Facilitator's Guide (Dialog)

The Story of God: Exploring the Biblical Narrative, Participant's Guide (Dialog)

John and Charles Wesley often use the New Testament language of ’renewal in God’s image,’ and sometimes ’renewal in love,’ to describe the life of Christian holiness. In Renewal in Love, theologian Michael Lodahl and biologist April Maskiewicz explore the implications of the idea of renewal in the image of God when it is planted deeply in the soil of Genesis 1.Our renewal in the image of God occurs through the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ our Lord. But too often the redemption freely given through Jesus is not connected, either in our thinking or our doing, to the doctrine of creation. The argument of this volume is that Christian holiness, rightly understood, is a renewal and deepening of God’s calling upon human beings to care for the Creator’s beloved creation.

Renewal in Love: Living Holy Lives in God's Good Creation

April Cordero Maskiewicz

"In Praying with Jesus, Michael Lodahl breaks down the Lords Prayer line by line, infusing fresh meaning into the ancient words. The added biblical context, theological background, and cultural understanding will bring new life to our corporate recitations of this well-known prayer, and help readers discover the power and purpose behind it"--

Praying with Jesus: Meditations on the Lord's Prayer

The Foundry Publishing

This monograph is helpful in understanding the position that the Church of the Nazarene has historically embraced on the inspiration of Scripture; it also addresses why the Church's position is appropriate, offering clarity for those in the Wesleyan-holiness tradition.

All Things Necessary to Our Salvation: The Hermeneutical and Theological Implications of the Article on the Holy Scriptures in the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene (Monograph Series, 4)

Point Loma Press

Many of the Bible's characters and stories are also found in the Qur'an, but there are often differing details or new twists in the Qur'an's retelling of biblical narrative. In this compelling book, seasoned theologian Michael Lodahl explores these fascinating divergences to discover the theological difference they make. Writing from a Christian perspective that is respectful of the Islamic tradition, Lodahl offers an accessible introduction to Muslim theology and to the Qur'an's leading themes to help readers better understand Islam. Lodahl compares and contrasts how the Bible and the Qur'an depict and treat certain characters in common to both religions, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. He offers theological reflection on doctrines held in common by Christians and Muslims, such as creation, revelation, and the resurrection of the body. Lodahl also explores the Jewish tradition as an important source for understanding the Qur'an.

Claiming Abraham: Reading the Bible and the Qur'an Side by Side

Brazos Press

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Books by Michael Lodahl