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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > Christian theology
The nine chapters in this book, along with a critical introduction, address complex theological issues relating to structural inequalities of our society, exacerbated by the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pastoral theology as an academic discipline is not a value-free enterprise. This book strives to speak against all forms of injustice and to advocate for those who suffer under existing structural inequalities because such a liberative and social transformative task constitutes the fundamental work of pastoral theology. Each chapter in this book analyses how private problems of individuals are occurring within the immediate world of experience with public issues historically, socially, and politically. As a whole, this book addresses racial injustice, ableism, foster family care, and issues faced by Christian churches during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Pastoral Theology.
Many Christians believe our future in heaven is all that really matters. But that's not what the Bible teaches. In this six-session small group Bible study, Surprised by Hope, premier Bible scholar N. T. Wright brings you inside the Scriptures to grasp the full, breathtaking hope Jesus offers the world, and its impact on your life today. Gain an exciting new vision for your life on earth in light of your future in heaven. Wonderful as is the promise of heaven, a glorious hereafter is just part of what salvation is about. What about today? Jesus called his followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Your life here and now is of tremendous consequence, and what you believe about the future has a direct impact on how you live in the present. In six transforming, faith-inspiring sessions, premiere biblical scholar N. T. Wright opens your eyes to the amazing full scope of what God's Word has to say about the world to come and the world that is. Filled with discussion questions, thoughts for reflection, and ideas for personal application, this study guide will help you get the most out of each session as you explore such questions as What is heaven really like? Is our main duty as Christians simply to help non-Christians get there? What hope does the gospel hold for this present life? In what ways does God intend for us to experience that hope personally and spread its healing power to the world around us? Surprised by Hope provides a clearer vision both of the future and of God's kingdom at hand today. This Participant Guide is designed for use with the companion Surprised by Hope DVD (sold separately) and provides individual and group activities, additional background material, and between-session personal studies that will enhance your experience of the video sessions. Sessions include: 1. Hope for the World2. The Hope of the Resurrection 3. The Hope of Heaven 4. The Hope of Jesus Second Coming5. The Hope of Salvation 6. The Hope of the Church"
During study of the scriptures for his previous book, Alpha and Omega, it became apparent to the author that when the Lord talked to the disciples about His coming for Israel, He also intimated that there is likely to be a period of delay between the signs of His expected coming, and His actual appearance for them as their Messiah. In the light of this the author decided to follow through and find out what this period may involve, and his conclusions are set out in this book. Whilst Israel, the Lord's people, remain special to Him, even more important is that His Word and promises will be kept, and that His Father's will is completed in its perfection. This book is an attempt to interpret how Israel will be expected to play its part, and how in the process it will be proved faithful before the Lords return.
An informative, clarifying, and unifying book on the Holy Spirit Who is the Holy Spirit and what does he do? The world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham offers a sensitive and comprehensive portrait of the much discussed but often-misunderstood member of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit came to empower God's people and transform their lives, yet so often the doctrine of the Holy Spirit causes division in the church. It is crucial to develop a genuinely biblical understand of the Third Person of the Trinity-and to experience an authentic outpouring of his power.
For four years, John Bell has been a contributor to Radio 4's "Thought for the Day", attempting - as the project demands - to offer a religious perspective on matters of current social and international importance. Sometimes affirming, sometimes controversial but always contemporary, these short reflections represent the prickly interface between faith and politics from the perspective of a Christian believer.
The Lord's commitment to make himself known throughout the nations is the missionary theme that spans the Bible, and is the central theological concern of the book of Exodus. Countering scholarly tendencies to fragment the text due to theological problems, Ross Blackburn contends that Exodus can be read as a unified whole, and that an appreciation of this missionary theme in its canonical context is of great help in dealing with difficult issues that the book poses. For example, how is Exodus 6:3 best understood? Is there a tension between law and gospel, or mercy and judgment? How should we understand the painstaking detail of the tabernacle chapters? From a careful examination of Exodus, Blackburn demonstrates that: * the Lord humbles Pharaoh so that the world would know that only God can save; * the Lord gives Israel the law so that she might display his goodness to the world, and live in a state of order and blessing; * the Lord deals with Israel's idolatry severely, yet mercifully, for his goodness cannot be known if his glory is compromised. In the end, Exodus not only sheds important light on the church's mission, but also reveals what kind of God the Lord is, one who pursues his glory and our good, ultimately realizing both as he makes himself known in Christ Jesus.
In his reflections on God, Jesus, suffering, and liberation, James H. Cone relates the gospel message to the experience of the black community. But a wider theme of the book is the role that social and historical context plays in framing the questions we address to God as well as the mode of the answers provided.
A recent string of popular-level books written by the New Atheists
have leveled the accusation that the God of the Old Testament is
nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser. This
viewpoint is even making inroads into the church. How are
Christians to respond to such accusations? And how are we to
reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of God portrayed in
the two testaments? God is arrogant and jealous Copan not only answers God's critics, he also shows how to read both the Old and New Testaments faithfully, seeing an unchanging, righteous, and loving God in both.
St. Gregory Palamas (ca. 1296-1357) is among the most well-known and celebrated theologians of late Byzantium. This book provides a comprehensive account of the essence-energies distinction across his twenty-five treatises and letters written over a twenty-year period. An Athonite monk, abbot, and later Metropolitan of Thessalonica, Gregory is remembered especially for his distinction between God's essence and energies, and his celebrated doctrine still generates a great deal of debate. What does Palamas actually mean by the term energies? Are they 'activities' that God performs, and if so, how can they be eternal and uncreated? Indeed, how could God be simple if he possesses energies distinct from his essence? Going beyond the Triads and the One Hundred and Fifty Chapters, this book explores Palamas's answers to these long-standing questions by analyzing all of the treatises produced by Palamas between the years 1338 and 1357. It seeks to understand what Palamas means when he speaks of God's energies, how he seeks to prove that they are distinct from the divine essence, and how he explains that this distinction in no way violates the unity and simplicity of the one God in Trinity. Essence and Energies is a useful resource for upper-level undergraduates, postgraduates, and scholars interested in Byzantine theology in the fourteenth century.
Many Christians have a good understanding that salvation is by grace through faith, and that there is nothing they can do to earn their salvation. However, many have fallen into the trap that once saved, they must try to maintain God's acceptance by working hard and doing the right things. They focus so much on how well they are behaving as children of God that they miss experiencing life in the reality of God's grace. In the end they become stressed out, burned out, or fed up with trying to act like they think Christians should act but never quite managing it. Tragically they usually come to believe that they will never be "good enough." This course is designed to help Christians understand what it means to be God's child, to help them receive the assurance of what makes them acceptable to God, to point out the things that don't affect their acceptance, and to encourage them to deal with any hindrances that may be stopping them from walking in the fullness of God's grace every day. The intention is that they will then be free to glorify God in their behavior, not because they feel they have to but because they want to. A natural follow-up to the Alpha or Freedom in Christ Course (sold by Gospel Light in North America as the Beta course), The Grace Course has been developed by Freedom in Christ Ministries. The Leader's Guide provides all the material necessary to lead the course and includes a CD with PowerPoint presentations developed to make the lessons quick and easy for the leader. Participants are not required to prepare before the sessions but a Participant's Guide that emphasizes the take-away of each lesson is also available. The DVD is hosted by Steve Goss and Rich Miller and shows them teaching the entire course supplemented by interviews of the leaders. Materials to promote the Grace Course are available at www.ficm.org.
This book focuses on the question of theological paradox, exploring what it means and its place in theological method from a Christian perspective. Just as paradoxes are unavoidable in logic and mathematics, paradoxes are inevitable in religious and theological discourses. The chapters in this volume examine a number of cases, including the 'Red Heifer paradox', the 'liar paradox', and the 'paradox of omnipotence', and attention is given to Christian doctrines such as the Trinity and the Incarnation. Arguing for a renewed understanding and appreciation of the role of paradox, this study will be of interest to scholars of theology and the philosophy of religion.
This book explores the issues of power, authority and love with current concerns in the Christian theological exploration of feminism and feminist theology. It addresses its key themes in three parts: (1) power deals with feminist critiques, (2) authority unpacks feminist methodologies, and (3) love explores feminist ethics. Covering issues such as embodiment, intersectionality, liberation theologies, historiography, queer approaches to hermeneutics, philosophy and more, it provides a multi-layered and nuanced appreciation of this important area of theological thought and practice. This volume will be vital reading for scholars of feminist theology, queer theology, process theology, practical theology, religion and gender.
The author of the New York Times bestseller The Good Book champions the recovery of the Western moral tradition.
A steaming cup of coffee, a heart-warming story, a poignant time of meditation and prayer in your favorite place of solitude. A few quiet moments alone with God―what a great way to begin . . . or end . . . your day. Now, Charles, Swindoll, the master communicator whose compelling stories and eye-opening insights have helped millions of people find and build meaningful relationships with God, brings you this moving collection of 365 daily devotionals. Based on the Bible and his best-selling classic, "The Finishing Touch," this new book provides just what you need to open your heart to the Lord's love and leading every day. Your soul-strengthening journey through this volume can begin at any time during the year. And you will be drawn ever nearer to the heart of God through these brief encounters with Him as you study and worship "Day by Day with Charles Swindoll."
Discover your spiritual gifts, personal style, and God-given passion for serving in the body of Christ. Network, the leading course for discovering spiritual gifts and empowering people for ministry has been revised and updated. This material, developed in partnership with the Willow Creek Association, helps churches appropriately guide people to the place of ministry that best reflects who they are. Churches will see increased participation, greater effectiveness, more enthusiasm, and less burn-out in their congregation. Believers in their church will discover the spiritual gifts God has given them. They will have a better understanding of God s will for their lives because of gaining a better understanding of who God created them to be. Participants will be assessed on their personal style, spiritual passion, and gifts. Network works with any size group, from small groups of 4 to 12 to large groups of 15 to 150. The six Network sessions can be presented successfully in three flexible formats: three sessions of two hours each; six sessions of forty-five minutes each; or one- two- or three-day retreats."
This is the first full-length detailed survey and critique of modern Jerome scholarship, covering the crucial period 1880-2014. At one level, the author ably argues that, despite Jerome's faults, his work holds many important insights into the Early Church's formation of Christian identity and Christian orthodoxy. On another level, by examining aspects of Jerome's writing through the lens of modern scholarship, the study also illumines the changing directions and perspectives of Jerome studies. As such, it is a valuable and unique account of the scholarly representation of Jerome's oeuvre. Christopher Knight's work will continue to have a respected place amongst Jerome studies for years to come. Content 1. Introduction 2. Jerome and Biblical Interpretation in the Early Church 3. Early Modern Jerome Scholarship: 1880-1965 4. Later Modern Jerome Scholarship: 1966-2012 5. Present Jerome Scholarship: 2013-2015 6. The Future of Jerome Studies 7. Conclusion
It is the dream of every publisher to hit upon a project that will win praise for contributing to the intellectual and cultural life. Theology Today Ignatius of Loyola: Spiritual Exercises and Selected Works edited by George E. Ganss, S.J. with the collaboration of Parmananda R. Divarkar, S.J., Edward J. Malatesta, S.J., and Martin E. Palmer, S.J. preface by John W. Padberg, S.J. I close by asking God through his infinite goodness to give us the perfect grace to know his most holy will and fulfill it completely. May it please the Sovereign Goodness that everything be ordered to his holy service and continual praise. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) September 27, 1990 marks the 450th anniversary of the foundation of the Society of Jesus in 1540, and the year 1991 brings the 500th anniversary of the birth of its founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola. In these circumstances the present volume will contribute to the study of Ignatius' charism and of the ministries he initiated-in Christian education, foreign missions, and other fields. It presents his four major writings: the Autobiography and Spiritual Exercises in their entirety, and his Spiritual Diary and Constitutions of the Society of Jesus in selections so chosen as to give an overview of each work. It also offers ten samples of his almost 7,000 letters. Ample explanations are given in the introductions and commentaries by way of notes. The General Introduction is an intellectual and spiritual biography that sketches the fascinating steps by which, largely through mystical favors from God, Ignatius reached his inspiring worldview, with everything in it ordered to the greater glory of God. In his Exercises we find a synthesis of his chief spiritual principles, and in his Constitutions an example of his organizational ability. The Autobiography tells of his mystical illuminations and gifts, and the Spiritual Diary lets us peer deeply into his heart in his most intimate dealings with God. His writing reveals many facets of the warm personality of this influential saint.
Gain a thorough understanding of the competing views on the historicity, chronology, and theological implications of the exodus. The biblical account of the Israelite exodus from Egypt is one of the most enduring narratives ever told and is a foundational event for several world religions. It resonates across cultures with its timeless themes of redemption and deliverance. It is also the only explanation the Bible gives for Israel's origin. Despite its unique legacy, many scholars regard the exodus as fictitious or a cultural memory that may not be a historical event. Even among those who believe the exodus happened, there is no consensus regarding its date. Five Views on the Exodus brings together experts in the fields of biblical studies, Egyptology, and archaeology to discuss and debate the most vexing questions about the exodus. Each offers their own view and constructive responses to other leading views: Early Date: The Exodus Took Place in the Fifteenth Century BC (Scott Stripling) Late Date: A Historical Exodus in the Thirteenth Century BC (James K. Hoffmeier) A Hyksos Levite Led Exodus in the Time of Ramesses II (Peter Feinman) Alternative Late Date: The Exodus Took Place in the Twelfth Century BC (Gary A. Rendsburg) The Exodus as Cultural Memory: A Transformation of Historical Events (Ronald Hendel) The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.
What does Plato have to do with the Christian faith? Quite a bit, it turns out. In ways that might surprise us, Christians throughout the history of the church and even today have inherited aspects of the ancient Greek philosophy of Plato, who was both Socrates's student and Aristotle's teacher. To help us understand the influence of Platonic thought on the Christian faith, Louis Markos offers careful readings of some of Plato's best-known texts and then traces the ways that his work shaped the faith of some of Christianity's most beloved theologians, including Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine, Dante, and C. S. Lewis. With Markos's guidance, readers can ascend to a true understanding of Plato's influence on the faith. |
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