Books published by Wipf & Stock Publishers

The title of the book, The X-Manual, is taken from the word exousia, from the subtitle. It is the Greek word for authority. The word is used throughout the New Testament. For our purposes, it is used to express the divine authority or right to cast out demons--""I have given you authority [exousia] to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you"" (Luke 10:19 NIV). Jesus gives believers authority to cast out demons. This book is about spiritual authority over evil. The X-Manual is a practical ""how to"" handbook for clergy and laity on deliverance and exorcism. One reason I wrote the book is because so few understand and/or operate effectively in deliverance ministry. Nowhere is the church more inadequate or excessive than in deliverance ministry. The X-Manual contains specific time-tested biblical instructions on selecting and training a deliverance team, pre-deliverance work, the deliverance session, post-deliverance work, and other useful tools like the C1-13 instrument that helps determine if one needs deliverance. Deliverance is essential to the church's New Testament healing and evangelism ministry. It is time for the church to walk in the authority and power that Christ gave us to set the captives free!

Since the garden of Eden, a choice between true and false wisdom has confronted human beings, and the need for discernment is consistent throughout Scripture. This volume engages with the canny decisions of the Hebrew midwives, the moral chaos of the judges' era, dilemmas in the monarchy, and prophetic responses to the turmoil of the threat of empires, along with themes from Psalms, Job, and Proverbs. Wise preaching and teaching are enriched by insights from Tanzania, Myanmar, and Central Asia, and wisdom in daily life is found in biblical practices and is centered on Christ. Colleagues and students honor Lindsay Wilson, whose wisdom interests extend across the canon. This work is valuable for students and teachers of Old Testament and for anyone seeking to become wise.

In this book of essays for Paul Goodliff, some of the loves of his life are put into conversation with the practice of ministry. Paul Goodliff has been a Baptist minister for nearly thirty-five years, in roles that have been local, regional, national, and ecumenical. Ministry has also been the subject of his own research and publications. Ministry in Conversation seeks to extend his work and offer new insights.

Want to make your life more meaning-FULL? Most of us do. This book is a guide offering ways to do just that. Charles Kniker brings fifty-plus years of listening as a teacher, preacher, observer, and writer to a conversation with you. With questions and real-life stories and solutions, he'll support you; it won't be a one-way model. The many forms of spirituality will help explore life's big questions and ultimate mysteries.With tomorrow's climate changes, pandemics, political extremism, and battered moral boundaries, we need a transformational spirituality, a spirituality deeper than a few dusty rituals, more reliable than snappy slogans from a smart phone. This book is for young adults searching for answers to major questions; mid-life seekers, thankful for family, friends, and faith, but needing more; and seniors whose traditional communities seem irrelevant. Chapters in Part One are on home, self, voices of influence, and healthy spiritual communities. Chapters in Part Two offer a ""YESS"" to life, through various ways of joyous Yearning, truth-seeking Education, Soul care (for yourself and others), and Service to a world of neighbors. Kniker passionately believes human DNA wires us to be spiritual--transforming dreams to become deeds.

This book introduces the reader to the various perspectives involved in the interpretation of the New Testament from the lexicographical to the feminist approach. Each chapter contains examples of the perspective involved--its presuppositions and method, followed by a caveat. This book promises to be a welcome companion and invaluable source for students of New Testament theology.