Suffering is a philosophical problem, but it is much more. It is deeply personal. Why is this happening to me? How can I respond to friends and family in pain and loss, and to people in my care? Richard Rice guides readers through the seven most significant theodicies--approaches that have been used to make sense of suffering in light of God's justice or control. He considers the strengths and weaknesses of each option, while always guiding us toward greater understanding and compassion. Rice goes further by offering guidelines for constructing a personal framework for dealing practically with suffering, one that draws from philosophy, ethics, theology and real-world experience. Intending for each of us to find a response to our suffering that is both intellectually satisfying and personally authentic, Rice provides the resources for meeting this challenge. He weaves together the theoretical side of the theodicies with personal stories of people who have experienced great suffering. While no framework can perfectly account for the problem of pain, we are left with the overarching insight that suffering never has the final word.

2019 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year: Apologetics * 2018 The Gospel Coalition Book Award: Evangelism & Apologetics Apologetics at the Cross describes a much-needed approach to defending Christianity that uses Jesus as a model and the letter of 1 Peter as a guiding text. This is a guidebook for how to defend Christianity with Christ-like gentleness and respect toward those who persecute the faith, making you a stronger witness to the good news of the gospel than many other apologetics books that focus on crafting unbreachable arguments. Joshua D. Chatraw and Mark D. Allen first provide an introduction to the rich field of apologetics and Christian witness, acquainting students and lay learners with the rich history, biblical foundation, and ongoing relevance of apologetics. Unique in its approach, Apologetics at the Cross: Presents the biblical and historical foundations for apologetics. Explores various contemporary methods for approaching apologetics. Gives practical guidance in "how to" chapters that feature many real-life illustrations. But their approach pays special attention to the attitude and posture of the apologist, outlining instructions for the Christian community centered on reasoned answers, a humble spirit, and joy; rather than anger, arrogance, and aggression. Chatraw and Allen equip Christians to engage skeptics with the heart as well as the mind. Conversational in tone and balanced in approach, Apologetics at the Cross provides a readable introduction to the field of apologetics. You'll be informed and equipped for engaging a wide range of contemporary challenges with the best in Christian thought.

One of the most influential Swedish theologians of the twentieth century, Gustaf Wingren's career spanned more than forty years of upheaval both in his field and around the globe. Provocative and challenging, Wingren revelled in a good argument and this attitude set the tone for much of his scholarship. A Swedish Lutheran, he made his name through his research into the theology of Martin Luther, breaking away from both traditional interpretations of Luther and the theology of his famous teachers, Karl Barth and Anders Nygren, before shifting his focus onto systematic theology. In a fresh take, Bengt Kristensson Uggla delves into the influence of Wingren's second wife, Greta Hofsten, on the direction of his theology. Hofsten, a left-wing political activist who was searching for a new language of faith, wove Wingren's work together with her own political philosophy to create an unusual kind of Christian socialism. Her thinking had a profound effect on Wingren, causing him to recontextualise his older work entirely. In Becoming Human Again, Uggla examines how Wingren's combative nature often served him well as a theologian, driving him to engage with innovations in the field and re-examine his older views.

The Arguments of Aquinas is intended for readers with philosophical interests, who may not be specialists in medieval philosophy. Some think that a medieval saint must be, as such, wrong, dated, and boring; others feel that a saint, any saint, must be right, relevant, and inspirational. Both groups are likely to misread Aquinas, if indeed they read him at all. The works of great philosophers are products of their times, but that does not lessen their value for us. We profit by reading the works of St Thomas in the same interested but critical way that we read the works of our contemporaries. MacIntosh does not hesitated to compare Thomas's arguments with those of later philosophers as well as with those of his contemporaries and earlier philosophers. He chooses topics from a variety of still interesting problem areas: the existence and attributes of God, including God's foreknowledge and human free will, causality and the origin of the universe, time and necessity, human souls, angels, and the problem of evil. Additionally, the volume looks at his views on honesty and lying, and on human sexuality, on which he is, as ever, philosophically interesting whether or not we accept his conclusions.

This is a riposte to A.N. Wilson's book, "Paul: The Mind of the Apostle", which posited that Paul of Tarsus, not Jesus of Nazareth, was the founder of Christianity. The book aims to show how Wilson's arguments cover ground already well covered by biblical historians, and that these arguments fail to take account of the evidence which shows that while Paul's achievement was indeed to make Christianity available beyond the bounds of its original Jewish context, this did not involve re-inventing Jesus in the process. Tom Wright is the author of "The Climax of the Covenant", "Colossians and Philemon", "Romans", "Who Was Jesus?" and "The Original Jesus".

In this culmination of his widely read and highly acclaimed Cultural Liturgies project, James K. A. Smith examines politics through the lens of liturgy. What if, he asks, citizens are not only thinkers or believers but also lovers? Smith explores how our analysis of political institutions would look different if we viewed them as incubators of love-shaping practices--not merely governing us but forming what we love. How would our political engagement change if we weren't simply looking for permission to express our "views" in the political sphere but actually hoped to shape the ethos of a nation, a state, or a municipality to foster a way of life that bends toward shalom? This book offers a well-rounded public theology as an alternative to contemporary debates about politics. Smith explores the religious nature of politics and the political nature of Christian worship, sketching how the worship of the church propels us to be invested in forging the common good. This book creatively merges theological and philosophical reflection with illustrations from film, novels, and music and includes helpful exposition and contemporary commentary on key figures in political theology.

Setting the Captives Free explores how a theological understanding of slavery goes against the idea of a God who is loving and just with the intention of being widely used in churches, activist organisations and groups, and by individuals. Ardently arguing that slavery is incompatible with Christianity, Marion Carson analyses how both anti-slavery and pro-slavery movements have been justified with the help of Scripture. In Setting the Captives Free, she provides an answer to the question "What can the Bible say to us about contemporary human trafficking?" By looking through important passages from the Old and the New Testament, Carson suggests what they might have to say to us about slavery in the twenty-first century. She analyses how Christians changed their views of slavery after its abolition, before closely examining what the Bible has to say about slavery in general, especially with regards to prostitution. At the end of each chapter, study questions are included to aid individual and group discussions in the hope that they will increase awareness of human trafficking and encourage more Christians to become actively involved in its eradication.

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is widely regarded as America's greatest philosopher-theologian. In the last half century there has been a resurgence of interest in Edwards' work from historians, theologians and philosophers, aided by the publication of the Yale edition of Edwards' Works. Edwards' thinking on sin has long been a mystery to scholars trying to fit his thought into the traditional categories of Reformed theology. What this study shows is that Edwards' theory of sin was an original contribution to philosophical theology, which can only be understood when read on its own terms as a philosophical theory about the nature of sin, its origin and transmission. This constitutes a substantial contribution to the literature on Edwards and, more broadly, to philosophical theology in general.

The Bible proclaims a message of liberation. Though the Bible arose in an age when slavery and patriarchalism permeated society, the biblical authors sought to elevate the rights of slaves, the poor, and women. Their attempts to elevate the oppressed set in motion a trajectory of evolution, which we should still be advancing today. Critics of the Bible declare that it accepts slavery and the subordination of women, but they fail to understand the biblical texts in their historical context. For their age the biblical authors were advanced in their understanding of human rights, and the democratic values we hold today actually resulted from their early attempts to affirm the dignity and rights of slaves and women. It is equally important that we critique those spokespersons of the church who quote the Bible literally but have lost sight of its historical context so that they might still subordinate women today. Such spokespersons also declare that the Bible condemns homosexuality. But a closer reading of the text discerns that those few passages that address same-sex relations actually condemn rape, ritual prostitution, and master-slave relations. To use the Bible to condemn people is to misuse the Bible.

Could A Deceased Rabbi Be The Messiah?

He was called the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and he was arguably the most influential Jewish leader of the twentieth century. Presidents and prime ministers sought personal audiences with him. He established outreach centers in virtually every Jewish community worldwide. And by the time of his death in 1994, his followers believed he was the Messiah. Many still believe this today, more than twenty-five years after his death.

But is that possible?

Author Biography:
Sabina Flanagan is Australian Research Council Fellow in the Department of History at the University of Melbourne. Her most recent publication is a collection of her own translations from Hildegard's writings Secrets of God: Writings of Hildegard of Bingen

How freely can salvation be offered to people? How do Law and Grace find balance? What influence does federal theology have on the overall theological enterprise? How does a confessional church interact with both the civil government and other religious communions? These are the questions roiling the twenty-first-century church; these were the questions threatening to splinter the Scottish church in the early eighteenth century. In those earlier days of mounting theological confrontation within the Scottish church, Ebenezer Erskine - a parish minister renowned for his evangelistic zeal - had a major role to play. Through this examination of the theology and ministry of Erskine, one therefore gains not only a deeper understanding of a man critically important within Presbyterian history, but also insight into the pressing theological disputes of the day. By analysing Erskine's contributions to ongoing theological discussion, greater clarity is gained on the development of federal theology; on the root causes of the Marrow controversy; and on the challenges involved as increasing religious diversity penetrated lands once dominated by national churches. In these areas and more, Erskine serves both to illuminate an obscure era and to refine modern understandings of still controversial theological issues.

War, Peace, and Reconciliation invites Christians and their churches into a dialogue regarding how to think about war from a standpoint rooted in faith. It asks how reconciliation, which is central to Christian life and doctrine, can engage with the realities of war without surrendering its fundamental affirmations. Theodore Weber defines these realities politically by discussing the meanings of power, peace as a particular organisation of power, and the international system. The study of war and politics is unavoidable, as is engagement with reconciliation, because all human activity exists in the context of the gracious work of God to renew and reconcile the fallen creation. Weber's inquiry is theocentric and christocentric. It culminates in a stirring call to churches to examine all their practices in the light of this perspective.

Amid the crisis of authority in our modern and postmodern era, Christians need to be able to point to God's revelation in the natural world in addition to defending God's unique revelation in the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ. Classical apologetics takes a two-step approach to commending the Christian picture of reality. First, arguments for the existence of God, such as those of natural theology, are employed to create common ground with people outside the household of the Christian faith and to provide intellectual support for Christians. Second, classical apologetics defends key items of Christian revelation, including the reliability of the Bible, the identity of the historical Jesus, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. In the Knowledge of God in the World and the Word Workbook, designed to be used alongside the Knowledge of God in the World and the Word textbook by authors Douglas Groothuis and Andrew I. Shepardson, students are guided through learning exercises that introduce them to classical apologetics and to innovative defenses of natural theology.

Exploring the unity of the practice of prayer and the practice of theology, this book draws together insights from world-class theologians including Rowan Williams, Andrew Louth, Frances Young, Margaret R. Miles, Sebastian Brock, and Nicholai Sakharov. Offering glimpses of the prayer-life and witness that undergirds theological endeavour, some authors approach the topic in a deeply personal way while others express the unity of prayer and the theologian in a traditionally scholarly manner. No matter what the denomination of the Christian theologian - Greek or Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist - authors demonstrate that the discipline of theology cannot properly be practiced apart from the prayer life of the theologian. The prayer of the theologian shapes her or his approach to theology. Whether it be preaching, teaching, writing or research, the deep soundings of prayer inform and embrace all.

People who are in trouble must discern the source of the problem. A correct assessment of the problem's origins is the first step toward responding well and resolving the situation. Is the issue explainable by natural causes? If not, it is likely that the believer is under spiritual attack. The Believer's Guide to Spiritual Warfare is a practical guide to overcoming the forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil that come against believers' personal lives, families, vocations, and ministries. The Holy Spirit is ready and willing to free Christians from spiritual attack, and this essential handbook will help readers access that power. They will learn to discern the source of an attack, free themselves and others from spiritual bondage, and pray effectively to protect their homes, businesses, churches, and ministries from the forces of evil. The Believer's Guide to Spiritual Warfare goes beyond theory to equip believers with simple, effective tools and techniques for winning victory.

Medieval masters Thomas Aquinas and Meister Eckhart considered problems inherent to speaking of God, exploring how religious language might compromise God's transcendence or God's immanence ultimately hindering believers in their journey of faith seeking understanding. Going beyond ordinary readings of Aquinas and building a foundation for further insights into the works of both theologians, this book draws out the implications of the thought of Eckhart and Aquinas for contemporary issues, including ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, liturgy and prayer, and religious inclusivity. Reading Aquinas and Eckhart in light of each other reveals the profound depth and orthodoxy of both of these scholars and provides a novel approach to many theological and practical religious issues.

A must-read for church leaders and members alike, this book outlines 9 essential marks that distinguish a healthy, biblical church. This classic book is now revised with a new preface and additional content on prayer and missions. Fourth edition.

The Theology of Louis-Marie Chauvet provides a much needed accessible introduction to the philosophical and theological foundations of Chauvet's sacramental theology. Particular attention is given to his appropriation of Heidegger and use of the Social Sciences to elucidate the nature of the symbolic exchange that lies at the heart of the sacramental tradition. This book highlights the prophetic, deconstructive and even iconoclastic message for contemporary society and the church implicit in the Eucharistic liturgy. Common conceptions of God's presence and sacrifice are critically analyzed and the connection between sacramental worship and ethics is emphasized.

This collection of essays by distinguished authors explores the present-day field of theological aesthetics: from von Balthasar's contribution and parallel developments to correctives and alternatives to his approach. A tribute to von Balthasar's own project expands into a dialogue with ancient and medieval traditions in search of revelatory aesthetics. The contributors outline challenges to his approach (including Protestant perspectives) and introduce new ways of viewing the field of theological aesthetics, which ultimately opens up to the idea of concrete cultural contexts and practical human needs determining the use of the arts and aesthetic sensibilities in theology.