To many people who believe that Christ is coming again, his absence of almost 2,000 years is a mystery. But Altar Call explores ways to become acquainted with what he is doing in the control center of the universe. Through learning about Christ's ministry from the sanctuary services recorded in the Bible, we can enjoy interaction with him, experience his transforming power, and have confidence that we are at peace with God. Questions addressed in the book include: When you sin, do you have assurance that you are saved? How can you live a holy life? Why are you saved by grace through faith but judged by works? When does God's judgment begin and how does it affect your spiritual experience? What does God expect of you now?
Although Altar Call is based on nearly two decades of scholarly work, several features make it easy and enjoyable to read: (1) Clear language, many illustrations (humorous at times), some diagrams, and a study guide. (2) Direct encounter with the Bible itself. (3) Connects fresh scholarship with practical spirituality. (4) Explains step by step, without assuming that the reader begins with knowledge of the topic. (5) Forthrightly deals with highly controversial issues and challenges common assumptions, but in a positive way.
Roy Gane was born in Sydney, Australia in 1955 and moved to the United States with his parents in 1962. He grew up mainly in Lincoln, Nebraska and later moved to California, where he completed his Ph.D. in Biblical Hebrew Language and Literature at the University of California, Berkeley in 1992. His Ph.D. dissertation was entitled "Ritual Dynamic Structure: Systems Theory and Ritual Syntax Applied to Selected Ancient Israelite, Babylonian and Hittite Festival Days." Gane has also studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and participated in archaeological excavations in Iraq and Jordan. He has authored a number of articles and a book entitled God's Faulty Heroes (Review and Herald, 1996). He taught at Pacific Union College (Angwin, California) from 1992 until 1994, when he joined Andrews University (Berrien Springs, Michigan), where he is currently Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Languages in the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. Roy is married to Connie Clark Gane, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in Mesopotamian Archaeology at the University of California, Berkeley. The Ganes have a young daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, born in 1991.
