Foundations of the Christian Faith

The journey of Christian discipleship can only be embarked upon with a sure foundation under foot. For ages the church has provided a tool set of basic doctrines, ethics, and ordinances through which a child or convert could be initiated into ever increasing Christlikeness. This process is called “catechesis” (to sound down, or echo) and it has traditionally been a teaching exchange between a seasoned Christian and a new believer.

Working its way through doctrinal affirmations like the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and other foundational content on the means of grace, this collection of writings by Timothy Tennent forms core material that may be used by leaders and laypeople alike. Scripture references, notes, and suitable hymns highlight key concepts and provide additional value that can be engaged at varying degrees.

As Christianity in the Western world experiences a diminishing influence upon its surrounding culture, and as Christian families struggle to effectively pass their faith onto children, the rediscovery of catechesis will serve God’s people as they and future generations reinherit the treasures of biblical faith, or, the “faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). This work will prove to be an indispensable reference for those charged with teaching and modeling Christian faith to others.

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For the Body

Discover an easy way to get people together in your home, church space, or book club to wrestle with why our bodies matter. Learn how to think theologically and biblically about one of our culture’s most pressing issues, and do it from a positive posture that embraces the beauty of one of the most constant of God’s graces to us—our own bodies.

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The Spirit-Filled Life

Do you understand the work of Jesus but are confused by the work of the Spirit? It’s time the church again understands the incredible work of the Holy Spirit, which is not to merely inspire or educate you, but to transform you. In this book, Timothy Tennent studies acts of the Spirit in the Old and New Testament, historic conversion stories, as well as modern examples from around the world, exploring the three great channels through which the Holy Spirit works in our lives: 1) power for global witness, 2) holiness for sanctified purity, and 3) discernment for faithful living. You, too, can be filled with the Holy Spirit, and it will change your life and the life of your church forever.

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A Metrical Psalter

The Psalms are for singing—so why don’t we sing them? The word psalm simply means song, and the superscriptions that introduce many of the psalms indicate that the Psalms were indeed sung. In A Metrical Psalter: The Book of Psalms Set to Meter for Singing, Julie and Timothy Tennent have faithfully set the biblical text into poetical form in a beautiful hardback book—not writing new poetry about the text, but following the exact text of the psalm as closely as possible. In order to provide a way for psalms to be sung, a metrical Psalter sets the text of the psalm into meter and rhyme. This enables the text of the psalm to be sung to metered tunes that are currently known. Learn more and sing along at psalms.seedbed.com.

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A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms

The Psalms have been sung, prayed, read, cherished, and memorized by the people of God for thousands of years. It is no mistake that God put, right at the heart of the Bible, an inspired prayer and worship book. The Psalms were given to us as a means of grace. This beautiful hardback book is a collection of thoughts on each of the psalms by Timothy and Julie Tennent. While no single meditation could even begin to exhaust the meaning and insight of any given psalm, these particular meditations are the result of many prayerful conversations about each of these psalms that have arisen from a daily practice of psalm singing over the years.

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Keeping the Main Thing

Never-changing gospel. Ever-changing world. What gives? On the one hand, the gospel message does not change. Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross and raised from the dead to deliver condemned sinners like you and me. That basic message does not change. On the other hand, entering many churches today feels more like walking into a Starbucks or Panera Bread than entering a sanctuary of worship. And the truth? This is not a problem, until it is. Through this series of incisive scriptural reflections Timothy Tennent helps readers discern the challenges of living out an uncompromising gospel in an increasingly compromised culture.

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How God Saves the World

How God Saves the World: A Short History of Global Christianity takes a look at the mission of the church in a way you might not have understood it before. Rather than exploring the history of global Christianity through a long series of countless names and events, Timothy Tennent presents this remarkable journey in the three-act model of a true epic play. Complete with a world in turmoil, heroes and heroines of all shapes and sizes, and the ultimate Guide leading the way, this short book will remind you of the small, yet significant, role we play in a much larger story that spans both time and space.

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The Call to Holiness

Holiness is central to the Christian understanding of the gospel, and we are called to be holy because of the simple fact that God is holy. The meditations in The Call to Holiness: Pursuing the Heart of God for the Love of the World explore how God’s holiness is manifested within the larger framework of His self-revelation as found in the Bible and in our lives. These short reflections demonstrate that holiness—along with all of God’s other amazing attributes—always informs who He is in all of His dealings with us.

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Ten Words, Two Signs, One Prayer: Core Practices of the Christian Faith

The Christian faith is rooted in both what we believe and how we are to live. Ten Words, Two Signs, One Prayer: Core Practices of the Christian Faith is an exploration of the practices and shared life which we celebrate together as Christians. It follows a long tradition of discipleship and catechesis in focusing on the Ten Commandments, the two sacraments of baptism and Communion, and the Lord’s Prayer. This book serves as the third, and final installment, in a series of books dedicated to catechesis. Together, these three volumes set forth the basic core of Christian discipleship. These are designed to be practical resources for a small group study, a guide for parents in training their children, a personal devotional guide, or a core sermon series for pastors.

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The Fulfillment: Jesus and the Old Testament

The Old Testament is both common and strange to many Christians. On one hand, it contains some of the most familiar stories known to us, while on the other hand, it can be intimidating and difficult to understand. In The Fulfillment: Jesus and the Old Testament, Timothy Tennent focuses on four—those of Adam, Abraham, Moses, and David—that are of such immense importance that every Christian must know how to relate to them. Through the devotionals in The Fulfillment, you will come to appreciate the Old Testament more fully and see with even greater clarity the full power and revelation of Jesus Christ.

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Thirty Questions: A Short Catechism on the Christian Faith

The word “catechism” comes from an ancient Greek word, and it means literally, “to echo.” Though catechism is an old word, we believe it’s time to reclaim it with renewed meaning. The work of the Church is that of faithfully echoing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the saving grace of the whole world. Thirty Questions: A Short Catechism on the Christian Faith translates the historic faith of the Church into a basic training resource for both believers and those yet to believe. Here you will find the very core and essence of the Gospel set in the framework of short questions and thought provoking responses. It’s a resource for a month of daily devotions, small group studies, and conversations around the family table.

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This We Believe! Meditations on the Apostles’ Creed

In this insightful book, Timothy C. Tennent brings together a wealth of theological and biblical insight with years of practical experience in making disciples. Broken into twelve chapters, one for each of the great faith declarations of the Apostles’ Creed, this resource makes for an excellent introduction or refresher course on the essentials of the Christian faith. It works well for personal or group study as well as a congregation wide journey.

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Awakening Holiness: A Call to the 21st Century Church

In the fall of 2010, Timothy Tennent, the eighth president of Asbury Theological Seminary, delivered a series of addresses which crystallized and captured nothing short of a clarion call to a new movement. Combining biblical exposition, theological insight and a stirring call to action, Tennent makes a compelling invitation for the people of God to rise up into fresh expressions of mission and worship befitting our calling to “spread scriptural holiness throughout the world.” This resource is “required reading” for leaders in the 21st century church. Though it will stretch many, this little book is also very accessible for the laity. Is a resource we want to see widely read and extravagantly spread.

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Theology in the Context of World Christianity

It’s no secret that the center of Christianity has shifted from the West to the global South and East. While the truths of the Christian faith are universal, new contexts bring new questions, new understandings, and new expressions. What does this mean for theology? Is the Christian faith not only culturally translatable, but also theologically translatable? Timothy Tennent answers this question with a resounding yes. Theological reflection is alive and well in the majority world church, and these new perspectives need to be heard, considered, and brought into conversation with Western theologians. Global theology can make us aware of our own blind spots and biases. Because of its largely conservative stance, global theology has much to offer toward the revitalization of Western Christianity. Tennent examines traditional theological categories in conversation with theologians from across the globe, making this volume valuable for students, pastors, missionaries, and theologians alike.

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Invitation to World Missions: A Trinitarian Missiology for the Twenty-first Century

This unique text is arranged in three parts according to the Trinity’s roles, relationships, and activity. Tennent questions whether missions as currently conceptualized is adequate and he challenges the reader by building the book around key theological foundations such as “mission dei” and the “new creation” vision for the global church. This volume will call and enable the reader to understand how missions is biblically and theologically basic to Christianity, and how missions is essential to living out an abundant and impassioned life.

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Christianity at the Religious Roundtable: Evangelicalism in Conversation with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam

In our contemporary setting, Christianity is faced with a different apologetic task than in ages past. Rather than being at the head of the table, Christianity now finds itself at a roundtable, dialoguing with competing faiths. This book offers a focused treatment that engages doctrinal challenges to Christianity from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Students of world religions and missions will appreciate Tennent’s attempt to stimulate serious dialogue with competing world faiths

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Building Christianity on Indian Foundations

Although Brahmabandhav Upadhyay (1861- 1907) has been called the father of Indian Christian Theology no comprehensive study of his theology has been published. This book addresses this neglect and in the process demonstrates how this 19th century Indian continues to speak with relevance and power to the church today. In Building Christianity on Indian foundations, Dr Tennent explores the three major theological attempts made by Upadhyay to find an adequate foundation upon which an indigenous expression of Christianity in India might be built and flourish. This book, will take the reader on a powerful theological journey from the universal knowledge of God revealed through natural theology to the intricate philosophical arguments of great thinkers like Sankara and St Thomas Aquinas to the theological significance of some of the popular expressions of Indian culture in contemporary India.

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