Joel Houston – författare

When approaching the most public disagreement over predestination in the eighteenth century, the ‘Free Grace’ controversy between John Wesley and George Whitefield, the tendency can be to simply review the event as a row over the same old issues. This assumption pervades much of the scholarly literature that deals with early Methodism. Moreover, much of that same literature addresses the dispute from John Wesley’s vantage point, often harbouring a bias towards his Evangelical Arminianism. Yet the question must be asked: was there more to the ‘Free Grace’ controversy than a simple rehashing of old arguments?

This book answers this complex question by setting out the definitive account of the ‘Free Grace’ controversy in first decade of the Evangelical Revival (1739-49). Centred around the key players in the fracas, John Wesley and George Whitefield, it is a close analysis of the way in which the doctrine of predestination was instrumental in differentiating the early Methodist societies from one another. It recounts the controversy through the lens of doctrinal analysis and from two distinct perspectives: the propositional content of a given doctrine and how that doctrine exerts formative pressure upon the assenting individual(s).

What emerges from this study is a clearer picture of the formative years of early Methodism and the vital role that doctrinal pronouncement played in giving a shape to early Methodist identity. It will, therefore, be of great interest to scholars of Methodism, Evangelicalism, Theology and Church History.

When approaching the most public disagreement over predestination in the eighteenth century, the ‘Free Grace’ controversy between John Wesley and George Whitefield, the tendency can be to simply review the event as a row over the same old issues. This assumption pervades much of the scholarly literature that deals with early Methodism. Moreover, much of that same literature addresses the dispute from John Wesley’s vantage point, often harbouring a bias towards his Evangelical Arminianism. Yet the question must be asked: was there more to the ‘Free Grace’ controversy than a simple rehashing of old arguments?

This book answers this complex question by setting out the definitive account of the ‘Free Grace’ controversy in first decade of the Evangelical Revival (1739-49). Centred around the key players in the fracas, John Wesley and George Whitefield, it is a close analysis of the way in which the doctrine of predestination was instrumental in differentiating the early Methodist societies from one another. It recounts the controversy through the lens of doctrinal analysis and from two distinct perspectives: the propositional content of a given doctrine and how that doctrine exerts formative pressure upon the assenting individual(s).

What emerges from this study is a clearer picture of the formative years of early Methodism and the vital role that doctrinal pronouncement played in giving a shape to early Methodist identity. It will, therefore, be of great interest to scholars of Methodism, Evangelicalism, Theology and Church History.

Survive. That''s what the owners of startups and small businesses must do-or perhaps starve. Singlehandedly (often) and courageously (always), they embrace immense personal and financial risk to start new ventures. As they attempt to transform a dream into a reality, the stakes are extremely high for them and their employees.

After publishing his first survival book (Surviving Babies and Toddlers), author Joel Houston presents an in-the-trenches, practical, and humorous memoir designed to help business startup owners like him. Avoiding the standard books on business theory, he focuses on the core business survival tactics that he learned as a successful owner of a startup warehouse.

In this witty, gritty book, readers will learn about:

·       Embracing risk with wisdom

·       Cultivating authentic customer relations

·       Developing a positive business culture

·       Supporting all-important operations

·       Simple approaches to marketing

·       Sustaining a healthy work-life balance

·       And . . . the "cogs" in the global supply chain that enable the world to survive (literally)

Surviving a Startup is primarily written to the millions of overlooked small business owners who run unglamorous but essential companies. Joel has a heart for the people who operate trucking and construction firms, restaurants, bookstores, warehouses (like Joel''s), small markets, and for many other hardworking entrepreneurs who keep the global economy running.