It is basic to the Christian understanding of theology, history, and every other field of knowledge. Indeed, it is an issue so vast and significant that few books even attempt to span the broad spectrum of topics it raises.

The most momentous time in all of recorded history was when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world to proclaim the kingdom of God. Because He challenged the Jewish and Roman authorities with the Truth of God, He was arrested, condemned to death, nailed to the cross, died for the sins of the world, and rose from the grave. Therefore God has highly exalted Him. Christ fulfilled the reason for which the Father had sent Him into the world. On the cross, our sins were exchanged for Christs righteousness. On the cross was Christ, the Righteousness of God; standing before the cross were we, sinners in need of redemption. He died as the evidence of the love of God. The result of the cross is that we have been redeemed and reconciled to our Father and Creator. We have peace with God; we have become the children of God. He who knew no sin became sin for us. The Righteous for the unrighteous, the Sinless for the sinner. Therefore, the cross of Christ symbolizes the glory of the Christian gospel (I Cor. 1:17); the fact that, through this cruel and inhuman death, the debt of sin was nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14); and we, having been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20), have been freed from sin and death and made alive in God (Rom. 6:6-11). The cross is the symbol of Christs love, Gods power to save, and our faith in Him, who died for us.

Why should the cross--an object of Roman distaste and Jewish disgust--be the emblem of our worship and the axiom of our faith? And what does it mean for us today? In this thoughtful, comprehensive study of Scripture, tradition and the modern world, John R. W. Stott brings you face to face with the centrality of the cross in God's plan of redemption.

Andrew Murray relates in this work the importance of the cross to Christian belief, and to the lessons which Jesus Christ wanted to teach all of mankind. Although demonstratively brief, Murray's explanations contain a conviction and poignancy, explaining the centrality and vitality of the crucifix to the Christian faith. The crucifixion's importance in Christ's message and destiny, and the reasons behind why his spirit was led to a painful end upon the cross, are keenly discussed by Murray. He delivers explanations of the cross as a symbol of Christian attainment, wherein God takes possession of the human soul and frees it from sin for eternity. Andrew Murray authored 200+ works on the religion and ministry of Christianity, the Bible, and on topics inspiring Christians to lead virtuous and happy lives. Murray spent most of his life imparting the word of God in churches throughout South Africa, and in the 1880s became an important figure in the founding of the South African General Mission.

The Cross of Christ: Islamic Perspectives takes an in-depth look at all of the classical Muslim scholars considered to have affirmed Jesus' crucifixion. Each chapter provides the important historical and intellectual context for the commentators. As well, critical new translations of key texts are provided, offering important access to vital documents. The author argues that, rather than affirming the historicity of the crucifixion, the Isma'ilis tend to assume its historicity, in order to advance important Isma'ili doctrines. The author also contends that the commentators who explored ways to affirm the crucifixion, nonetheless made extensive use of traditional substitution legends that deny the crucifixion. In order to orient the reader, the book starts by introducing the reader to the Jesus of the Qur'an. It then compares Him to the Jesus of the New Testament and the Jesus of para-biblical literature. Upon this Qur'anic skeleton, the author layers a myriad of details found in seventeen works of classic Islamic literature, so that a truly unique, authentic and authoritative Jesus of Islam emerges.

For the past two thousand years, the cross has been a powerful symbol of the Christian faith and an anchor of its symbol system. In this volume, a group of distinguished scholars delves into the theologies and spiritualities of the cross at select moments in the tradition. They examine biblical texts and commentaries, lectionaries, liturgical poetry, sermons, and theological spiritual treatises in: Paul, the early liturgy, Origen, Augustine and Bonaventure. Each chapter provides a window into how particular contexts influenced the interpretation of the cross and how the cross functioned in each unique historical moment. Originally presented at Saint Mary's College, these papers offer a fresh and distinctive approach to the literature on the cross. The authors' historical perspective points to the tradition as a transforming agent for theology and spirituality today. Contributors: - Elizabeth A. Dreyer - Jerome Murphy-O'Connor - Nathan D. Mitchell - Peter J. Gorday - John Cavadini Here is a book that will interest liturgists and Christian educators, university and seminary students and members of religious orders. Although scholarly in tone, can be read with profit by adult educated Christians as well. +

Who are enemies of the cross, and who are defenders of the faith? In Defense of the Cross of Christ is a wake-up call to sleeping Christians who keep hitting the conviction snooze button of God's command for obedience and holiness through His grace that compels us and equips us to personify Jesus in selfless love. In Defense of the Cross of Christ is an uncompromising warning to church leaders who have invaded the church with humanistic thinking and become stumbling blocks for babes in Christ while deceiving others to follow their pernicious ways of iniquity and to rejoice in it. Over a decade in preparation, In Defense of the Cross of Christ is now ready for you. The question is, are you ready for it? "I know of no other current author who addresses the issue of iniquity among the body of Christ as clearly and concisely as it is dealt with in this work. Just as importantly, I testify that the words written have the testimony of the Spirit by the demonstration of a life lived by the principles here taught." Corey Dawes, Father's Honor Ministry "With passion and conviction, Steven has presented an excellent defense of the cross. Through Scripture and his insight, the reader is drawn to move away from elementary teachings of Scripture and toward deeper water by allowing the love of Christ to guide every decision of their lives. In Defense of the Cross of Christ is intended for slow digestion so the reader may obtain the full nutrients it contains." Kevin Clouse, pastor and writer, First Church of God

Christ and the cross are the center and the reality of the Bible. In their writing, all the apostles emphasized Christ and the cross, and when we know this matter, we will truly appreciate the preciousness of the Bible. “In order for us to grow in life, to see the spiritual things and the spiritual way, and to be proper Christians, we must know Christ and the cross. A person who does not know Christ and the cross cannot do a spiritual work or service that satisfies God’s heart. In order to grow spiritually or do a spiritual work, such as preaching the gospel or administrating the church, we must know Christ and the cross.”

In The Cross of Christ in African American Christian Religious Experience: Piety, Politics, and Protest Demetrius K. Williams examines and explores the ideational importance and rhetorical function of cross language and terminology in the spirituals, conversion narratives, and Black preaching tradition through an ideological lens.