Many grandparents experience a surge of joy with the birth or adoption of a grandchild. For years afterward, time together is eagerly coveted, pictures are treasured and displayed, and multiple gifts along with various kinds of support are gladly provided. Richard Olson, a retired minister, professor of theology, and grandparent many times over, presents the unconditional love of a grandparent as indicative of a vocation, a calling from God. He explores the vocation of grandparent in all o...

This ebook is now available from Bloomsbury Academic. Bloomsbury Academic publish acclaimed resources for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as the general reader, across a broad range of subjects including Archaeology, Art & Visual Culture, Biblical Studies, Business & Management, Drama & Performance Studies, Economics, Education, Film & Media, History, Linguistics, Literary Studies, Music & Sound Studies, Philosophy, Politics & International Relations, Psychology, Religious ...

Revolutionary War officer Nathan Hale, one of America's first spies, said, "Any kind of service necessary to the public good becomes honorable by being necessary." A statue of Hale stands outside CIA headquarters, and the agency often cites his statement as one of its guiding principles. But who decides what is necessary for the public good, and is it really true that any kind of service is permissible for the public good?These questions are at the heart of James M. Olson's book,

Jerome Bruner is the vanguard of “the cognitive revolution” in psychology and the predominant spokesman for the role of culture and education in the making of the modern mind. In this text Olson encourages the reader to think about children as Bruner did, not as bundles of traits and dispositions to be diagnosed and remediated, but as thoughtful, keenly interested, agentive persons who are willing and indeed able to play an important role in their own learning and development.Throu...

Soor leads a new, highly secret society on a journey to save every species on planet Manza. Following the immense devastation from the Twelve Species War, the planet has seemingly turned barren. To make matters worse, the world's leaders are convinced the resulting famine will pass as they ignore it in favor of nation and wealth building. Being in the later years of his life after the war, bloodshed and strife seemed to be behind him. It is not to be, however, as the threat to Manza is too...

Ministry has never been an easy path, and the challenges of today’s changing church landscape only heighten the stress and burn-out of congregational leaders. A Guide to Ministry Self-Care offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of both the causes of stress and strategies for effective self-care. Written for both new and long-time ministers, the book draws on current research and offers practical and spiritual insights into building and maintaining personal health and sustaining min...

Under the Blade: The Conversion of Agricultural Landscapes examines the patterns, causes, and consequences of current land use decisions in the United States, particularly the conversion of farmland to housing, roads, and other development. Changes in land use are the result of complex interactions among law, economics, landscape characteristics, social and political forces, ethics, and aesthetics. By examining farmland loss from each of these perspectives, and then integrating the results...

The book is organized into three divisions, and as the title implies, there is a brief letter in the form of a New Testament epistle to the contemporary church, a portion of which begins each chapter. The first division reexamines the gifts and redemptive possibilities of anger and conflict. The barriers to healthy anger-conflict are considered and addressed. In the second, attention is given to conflicts surrounding the Bible. There is a chapter on conflict and reconciliation in the Bible...

Does religion need to look more like a science? If much of the contemporary work published in science and religion is any indication, the answer appears to be a resounding "yes." Yet the current tendency to dress religion up in the language and methods of science does more harm than good. In Kneeling at the Altar of Science, Robert Bolger argues that much of the recent writing in science and religion falls prey to the practice of what he calls "religious scientism," or the attempt to use s...

A Man of StihlNick Stihl Private InvestigatorDr. Richard A. OlsonRediscover America's Sin City. 1930's Peoria, Illinois, home to organized gambling, prostitution, and corruption. A town controlled by a ruthless gang and a Mayor with deep pockets. Peoria is nicknamed the Whiskey City and is the home of Burlesque and Vaudeville. "If it plays in Peoria, it plays anywhere." Enter the time of the Great Depression, where gangsters, guns, and fisticuffs rule. Our hero Nick...

A Man of Stihl: Nick Stihl Private InvestigatorBy: Dr. Richard A. OlsonRediscover America's Sin City. 1930s Peoria, Illinois, home to organized crime, gambling, prostitution, and corruption. A town controlled by a ruthless gang and a mayor with deep pockets.A city nicknamed the King of Burlesque. "If it plays in Peoria, it plays anywhere." Enter a world of depression, faith, and hope, where guns and fisticuffs rule. Our hero, Nick Stihl, is a boxer turned P.I., tryi...

Tells the story of how the Transcontinental Railroad was build during the 1800's. Written in graphic-novel format.