{"title":"Gary Scott Smith","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"duty-and-destiny-book-gary-scott-smith-9780802877000","title":"Duty and Destiny","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA nuanced portrait of a great historical figure considered everything from a God-haunted man to a stalwart nonbeliever\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat did faith mean to Winston Churchill? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChurchill was far from transparent about his religious beliefs and never regularly attended church services as an adult, even considering himself not a pillar of the church but a buttress, in the sense that he supported it from the outside. But Gary Scott Smith assembles pieces of Churchill's life and words to convey the profound sense of duty and destiny, partly inspired by his religious convictions, that undergirded his outlook. Reflecting on becoming prime minister in 1940, he wrote, It felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial. In a similarly grand fashion, he described opposing the Nazis--and later the Soviets--as a struggle between light and darkness, driven by the duty to preserve humane, enlightened, Christian society. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThough Churchill harbored intellectual doubts about Christianity throughout his life, he nevertheless valued it greatly and drew on its resources, especially in the crucible of war. In \u003ci\u003eDuty and Destiny\u003c\/i\u003e, Smith unpacks Churchill's paradoxical religious views and carefully analyzes the complexities of his legacy. 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His varied experiences as a journeyman printer, river boat pilot, prospector, journalist, novelist, humorist, businessman, and world traveller, combined with his incredible imagination and astonishing creativity, enabled him to devise some of American literature's most memorable characters and engaging stories.   Twain had a complicated relationship with Christianity. He strove to understand, critique, and sometimes promote various theological ideas and insights. His religious perspective was often inconsistent and even contradictory. While many scholars have overlooked Twain's strong interest in religious matters, others disagree sharply about his religious views--with many labelling him a secularist, an agnostic, or an atheist. In this compelling biography, Gary Scott Smith shows that throughout his life Twain was an entertainer, satirist, novelist, and reformer, but also functioned as a preacher, prophet, and social philosopher. Twain tackled universal themes with penetrating insight and wit including the character of God, human nature, sin, providence, corruption, greed, hypocrisy, poverty, racism, and imperialism. 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Perhaps no other topic captures the popular imagination quite like heaven. In this book, Gary Scott Smith looks at heaven through an American lens, tracing the history of heaven in the American imagination from the Puritans to the present. Concepts of heaven, he argues, are ever-changing, constantly adapting to the spirit of the age. In the colonial era, heaven focused primarily on the glory of God. For the Victorians, heaven was a warm comfortable home where people would live forever with their family and friends. Today, heaven has less Christian identity; many see it as a celestial entertainment center or a paradise where everyone can reach their full potential. Drawing on an astounding array of sources, including works of art, music, sociology, psychology, folklore, liturgy, sermons, poetry, fiction, and devotional books, Smith paints a sweeping, provocative portrait of what Americans--from Jonathan Edwards to Mitch Albom--have thought about heaven.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50345704194321,"sku":"CIN0199738955G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51000202330385,"sku":"NIN9780199738953","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52435029066001,"sku":"NLS9780199738953","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53434154385681,"sku":"CIN0199738955VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0199738955.jpg?v=1750812654"},{"product_id":"faith-and-the-presidency-book-gary-scott-smith-9780195300604","title":"Faith and the Presidency","description":"In the wake of the 2004 election, pundits were shocked at exit polling that showed that 22% of voters thought \"moral values\" was the most important issue at stake. People on both sides of the political divide believed this was the key to victory for George W. Bush, who professes a deep and abiding faith in God. While some fervent Bush supporters see him as a man chosen by God for the White House, opponents see his overt commitment to Christianity as a dangerous and unprecedented bridging of the gap between church and state.  In fact, Gary Scott Smith shows, none of this is new. Religion has been a major part of the presidency since George Washington's first inaugural address. Despite the mounting interest in the role of religion in American public life, we actually know remarkably little about the faith of our presidents. Was Thomas Jefferson an atheist, as his political opponents charged? What role did Lincoln's religious views play in his handling of slavery and the Civil War? How did born-again Southern Baptist Jimmy Carter lose the support of many evangelicals? Is George W. Bush, as his critics often claim, a captive of the religious right? 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Her Methodist faith has been very important to many of Clinton’s high-profile endeavors and in helping her cope with the prominent travails brought on by two presidential campaigns, never-ending conservative rancor, and her husband’s infidelity. Smith’s account examines Clinton’s faith in the context of work ranging from her 1990s pursuit of healthcare reform to a “Hillary doctrine” of foreign policy focused on her longtime goal of providing basic human rights for children and women--a project she saw as essential to United States security. The result is an enlightening reconsideration of an extraordinary political figure who has defied private doubts and public controversy to live by John Wesley’s dictum: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50347312513297,"sku":"CIN0252045319G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52621550747921,"sku":"CIN0252045319VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0252045319.jpg?v=1778753278"},{"product_id":"strength-for-the-fight-book-gary-scott-smith-9780802879424","title":"Strength for the Fight","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50367398019345,"sku":"CIN080287942XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":53041249517841,"sku":"NGR9780802879424","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/080287942X.jpg?v=1750979447"},{"product_id":"suffer-the-children-book-gary-scott-smith-9781532600715","title":"Suffer the Children","description":"We all say that we care about children. We all know that millions of children around the world, including in the United States, are suffering physically, materially, and emotionally and are unable to reach their full potential. Moreover, their material deprivation and physical ills often prevent them from responding to the gospel. Most of us conclude that we cannot do anything significant to help the impoverished children living in our own backyards let alone those living in the slums of Nairobi or the hinterlands of Haiti. We can, however, do much to improve their lives materially and spiritually. Through praying, giving generously, sponsoring children, volunteering with aid organizations, living more simply, investing and shopping more prudently, and advocating more zealously in the political arena, we can make a difference. We can prod politicians, business executives, and church leaders to prioritize aiding destitute children. We can support one of the hundreds of organizations that are working effectively to help indigent children have better lives. Suffer the Children describes the plight of poor children and provides many practical ways we can participate in one of the most important crusades to improve our world. Children are those most impacted by war, conflict, and crisis--and as Jesus' own example makes clear, it's not an option for us to turn a blind eye. Suffer the Children takes an unflinching look at the hardships faced by millions of children each day, but then also turns our gaze toward approaches and organizations that are creating lasting change. Clear, compelling, and thoroughly biblical, this book envisions a future in which children exchange their suffering for hope. --Peter Greer, president \u0026amp; CEO, HOPE International; co-author of Mission Drift An excellent book full of fine biblical discussion, current socio-economic data, and powerful stories. A solid help for Christians wanting practical help on how they can act effectively to reduce poverty here and around the world. --Ronald Sider, author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger Gary Scott Smith chairs the History Department at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. He is the author or editor of eleven books, including Religion in the Oval Office (2015) and Heaven in the American Imagination (2011). Jane Marie Smith served for fifteen years as the Coordinator of Instruction\/Government Documents Librarian at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. 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