Divine Deception

Christian Camara and Lee Randolph were both successful San Francisco singles whose paths could have crossed while sipping Irish coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe on the wharf, strolling through the Legion of Honor, or riding the Number 61 cable car. But God chose the most unlikely, unromantic setting for their "chance" meeting""St. Luke's Hospital, where both were reluctant visitors. Their attraction was mutual and immediate and romance inevitable, until their love story was edited by an all-powerful author who chose to introduce into it some devastating twists and one deadly turn. As a result, Chris was forced to reexamine his life, his faith, and his heritage, which led him down a trail of deceit and into an uncertain future. Lee's fate was abruptly placed in the hands of her mother, Evelyn, who had no fear of dying but was horrified by the thought of having the lie she had been living for decades be revealed and reviled. That lie took on new life as Evelyn's ended, and Chris and Lee were forced to embark on a search for truths long kept secret. This one startling revelation changed forever the lives of a revered priest accused of despicable crimes, a doctor who could cure anything but his own broken heart, a lawyer who sentenced himself to a life without the possibility of love, and a devious real estate developer who defiled and corrupted innocents released from the foster care system, and applauded as the once great city of San Francisco fell from glory, much as ancient Corinth had centuries before. Witnessing the lies and liars seek and find sanctuary while truth and truth tellers cowered before the thought police, the star-crossed lovers knew that only divine intervention would save them and the city of their birth. For some there would be no more choices. Only consequences.

Young Fallon Ashby -- abused, neglected, and disheartened -- marries the mysterious Trader Donavon, a wealthy landowner and respected denizen of the town who conceals his face within the shadows of a black cowl. Then Fallon's malicious uncle, intent on avenging his own losses at Trader Donavon's hand, sets out to destroy Trader. Will Fallon's wicked uncle succeed and perhaps annihilate the man that his niece secretly loves above all else?

Divine Deception is an journey into the mysteries and secrets of ancient and modern Christianity. A discovery of new age answers to old age questions. It is here where we find that almost everything we have been taught...is a lie.

Revised version of the author's thesis (Ph.D.)--Baylor University, 2010.

Is it ever right to lie? Does the Bible allow us to deceive? These are perennial questions that have been discussed and debated by theologians for centuries with little consensus. Entering this discussion, Just Deceivers provides a fresh analysis of thisimportant topic through a comprehensive examination of the motif of deception in the books of Samuel. While many studies have explored deception in other Old Testament texts-especially the patriarchal narratives of Genesis-and a few articles have initiated examination of this motif in Samuel, Just Deceivers builds upon this groundwork and offers an exhaustive treatment of this theme in an important portion of the Hebrew Bible. Newkirk takes the reader through the books of Samuel, investigating every occurrence of deception in the narrative and exploring how the author depicts these various acts of deception, and then synthesises the results to offer an exegetically based theology of deception. In so doing, this study both challenges commonly held views concerning the Bible's stance on falsehood and illustrates the importance of attending to the sophisticated literary character of biblical narrative.

Themelios is an international, evangelical, peer-reviewed theological journal that expounds and defends the historic Christian faith. Themelios is published three times a year online at The Gospel Coalition (http://thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/) and in print by Wipf and Stock. Its primary audience is theological students and pastors, though scholars read it as well. Themelios began in 1975 and was operated by RTSF/UCCF in the UK, and it became a digital journal operated by The Gospel Coalition in 2008. The editorial team draws participants from across the globe as editors, essayists, and reviewers. General Editor: D. A. Carson, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Managing Editor: Brian Tabb, Bethlehem College and Seminary Consulting Editor: Michael J. Ovey, Oak Hill Theological College Administrator: Andrew David Naselli, Bethlehem College and Seminary Book Review Editors: Jerry Hwang, Singapore Bible College; Alan Thompson, Sydney Missionary & Bible College; Nathan A. Finn, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; Hans Madueme, Covenant College; Dane Ortlund, Crossway; Jason Sexton, Golden Gate Baptist Seminary Editorial Board: Gerald Bray, Beeson Divinity School Lee Gatiss, Wales Evangelical School of Theology Paul Helseth, University of Northwestern, St. Paul Paul House, Beeson Divinity School Ken Magnuson, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Jonathan Pennington, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary James Robson, Wycliffe Hall Mark D. Thompson, Moore Theological College Paul Williamson, Moore Theological College Stephen Witmer, Pepperell Christian Fellowship Robert Yarbrough, Covenant Seminary

The fourth-century Christian thinker, Gregory of Nyssa, has been the subject of a huge variety of interpretations over the past fifty years. Morwenna Ludlow analyses these recent readings, and asks: What do they reveal about modern and postmodern interpretations of the Christian past? What do they say about the nature of Gregory's writing?