An understanding of what we mean by the present is one of the key issues in literature, philosophy, and culture today, but also one of the most neglected and misunderstood. Present Hope develops a fascinating philosophical understanding of the present, approaching this question via discussions of the nature of historical time, the philosophy of history, memory, and the role of tragedy. Andrew Benjamin shows how we misleadingly view the present as simply a product of chronological time, ignoring the role of history and memory. Accordingly, discussion of what is meant by the present disappears from philosophical concern. To draw attention to this absence, Andrew Benjamin introduces the notion of hope and asks what this concept can tell us about the present. At the heart of the outstanding work is an emphasis on the relation between hope and the Jewish tradition. Through discussions of philosophical responses to the Holocaust, the work of Walter Benjamin, Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum, and the poetry of Paul Celan, Present Hope shows how we must look beyond the purely philosophical horizon to understand the present we live in.

Our culture has lost its mind. Now, we are waging a bigger fight—a war for our soul. Is it possible our world has gone mad? We are under siege and the war is not from without; it is from within. The collapse of the Roman Empire occurred in a single generation and was not so much the result of invasions by their enemies but the result of moral decay and internal corruption. Similar patterns are emerging in America. We neglected or abandoned our traditional institutions long ago, but now it’s time to take them back. Today, forces are at work to strip the principles and precepts of faith from public venues or minimize their significance. Many progressive leaders are convinced that when Christianity disintegrates it will create peace on earth. But the loss of our heritage will merely create a spiritual vacuum that will be filled with folly, crammed with chaos, or invaded by Islam. The reality is: Western civilization will become so decadent and reckless that America will collapse like a house of cards. In Hope for This Present Crisis, Dr. Youssef provides a diagnosis of the insanity of the current culture and a seven-step prescription for restoring sanity to a world gone mad. Here’s the seven-step path to restoring a world gone mad: Remember the Truth – Stand firm on the truth of the gospel. Restore the Soul – Seek God’s approval─ not the approval of other people. Revitalize theFamily – Guard your children from the horrors of the Internet. Reestablish the Classroom – Support conscientious, caring public school teachers. Respect our Freedoms – Know your rights. Reform our Society – Morally and spiritually purify yourself. Revive the Church – Demonstrate the forgiving love of Jesus at all times. This book will teach you how to stand up to attacks on your faith, and defend Christianity as a meaningful contribution to society.

When news arrives that her uncle has just defected Communist Romania by swimming across the Danube River during the midnight shifting of the guards, Sperantza's life radically changes. Suddenly, she and her family become the target of the Securitate (Romanian KGB). Overnight, life's circumstances catapult her into a poker-faced young girl who at only 14 must run for her life, evade the government officials and leave behind the comforts of home, her four-year-old sister and adoring father, not knowing if she will ever see them again. Her heart-stopping venture will inspire your own journey, enrich your worldview and perspective on life, and no doubt, strengthen your convictions.

An understanding of what we mean by the present is one of the key issues in literature, philosophy, and culture today, but also one of the most neglected and misunderstood. Present Hope develops a fascinating philosophical understanding of the present, approaching this question via discussions of the nature of historical time, the philosophy of history, memory, and the role of tragedy. Andrew Benjamin shows how we misleadingly view the present as simply a product of chronological time, ignoring the role of history and memory. Accordingly, discussion of what is meant by the present disappears from philosophical concern. To draw attention to this absence, Andrew Benjamin introduces the notion of hope and asks what this concept can tell us about the present. At the heart of the outstanding work is an emphasis on the relation between hope and the Jewish tradition. Through discussions of philosophical responses to the Holocaust, the work of Walter Benjamin, Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum, and the poetry of Paul Celan, Present Hope shows how we must look beyond the purely philosophical horizon to understand the present we live in.

The study of end times often gets bogged down in minutiae that rarely affects daily life. Or we find ourselves passively waiting for God's future, Avoiding both of these traps, Essential Eschatology gets to the heart of the matter by examining how the Christian hope and practice of resurrection affects Christian mission and everyday life. Author John Phelan notes, "Eschatology is not about the end only but the beginning and middle of faith and life as well. Christianity...is eschatological to its core." Raised with Christ, Jesus' followers are called to practice resurrection, which reshapes relationships with our families, our neighbors and the world at large. "All that is anticipated in the new heavens and the new earth is to be lived out in the Christian community—a community that has already died and been raised with Christ." This creates within the world a unique community hope. Essential Eschatology explores Christian hope in relation to the failure of modernism living in the midst of empire the resurrection and judgment the kingdom of God and Christian mission the return of Jesus and the millennium God's promises to Israel In Essential Eschatology professors, students and pastors will find a sure guide in a frequently misunderstood and often confusing theological landscape. With the thoroughly biblical perspective found in this book, we discover the future spilling into the present.