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In his introductory essay to this selection from the writing and
preaching of C.H. Spurgeon, Helmut Thielicke - himself among the
best preachers of the twentieth century - expresses his surprise
and delight at his discovery of the great Victorian preacher. He
draws out those qualities which made Spurgeon one of the most
influential ministers of his day, and explains what it was that
attracted him to the self-educated Baptist preacher. They share a
recognition of the urgency of their message: 'We stand in need of
the simple way in which Spurgeon dares to say that what really and
ultimately counts is to save sinners.' Warmth, immediacy and
directness are Spurgeon's hallmarks; qualities which Thielicke's
own remarkable sermons share but which he felt much preaching of
his day lacked. It is still a convincing testament to Spurgeon's
continuing vitality and relevance that Thielicke, one of the
greatest modern preachers, should say, 'Sell all that you have
...and buy Spurgeon.'
Between Heaven and Earth grew out one of Thielicke's visits to the
United States in 1963, during which he travelled across the country
preaching and lecturing. The conversations recorded here are the
fruit of his more informal discussions with small groups of clergy,
students and lay people. "You have disturbed our peace and upset
our doubts," said one pastor. "You have freed the fettered and
bound the wandering spirits," said another. The questions that
American Christians asked of Thielicke are direct and wide-ranging,
concerned not only with the fundamental problems of faith but with
its bearing on issues of social and political morality. Thielicke's
answers, though equally direct, are neither simplistic nor
dogmatic. His approach is refreshingly open and his conclusions
emerge from a reasoned consideration of the evidence and
alternative possibilities. Above all, Thielicke's answers reveal
the warmth and deep concern for humanity's spiritual welfare that
is at the root of his teaching and writing.
The Waiting Father is a collection of sermons by Helmut Thielicke,
the great German preacher and theologian, which offer deep insights
into the spiritual message of Jesus's fifteen major parables. They
were originally preached in Michaelskirche, Hamburg, in the
mid-1950s. Thielicke approaches the parables in novel ways. In
treating the prodigal son, for instance, he concentrates more on
the loving father than the rebellious son, emphasising the
centrality of forgiveness. Similarly, when discussing the pharisee
and the publican he shows that the publican is guilty of spiritual
pride and arrogance, drawing attention to the dangers for the
faithful. Both among expositions of the parables and among books
for preachers, The Waiting Father stands in a class of its own.
Great scholars are usually poor preachers, and great scholars are
rarely good preachers, but Thielicke manages to combine
distinguished scholarship with fine preaching.
"The question of where we come from and where we are going is one
of the elementary challenges of life. Perhaps it is the question of
life. Only when we get an answer to it do we learn who we are." So
begins How the World Began, a book that asks the most fundamental
of all questions: who are we? And what did God intend us to be?
Despite - perhaps even because of - the immense technological
advances of our time, and the frightful consequences for the human
race of the misuse of that power, humanity is brought face-to-face
time and again with the essential problem that has haunted us since
the beginning of time: the mystery of good and evil. Helmut
Thielicke's work in these sermons on the first eleven chapters of
Genesis is thought-provoking and exceptionally powerful.
In this series of sermons, first delivered over radio and
television in Germany during the 1960s, Helmut Thielicke wrote
about the true meaning of Christian festivals such as Good Friday,
Easter and Pentecost. He saw deeply into the mystery, despair, and
confusion of life in his time and spoke a truly prophetic word to
Christians that still resonates today. As Thielicke meditates on
Christmas, the reader will understand anew how light shines in the
darkness of this world. As he preaches about Christ's suffering on
the cross, humanity's suffering is given meaning; and, in talking
of death, he gives us encouragement to live in hope. Christ and the
Meaning of Life explores subjects as far apart from each other -
and as close together - as rehabilitation and retribution, beauty
and terror, and love and brutality. Here Thielicke faces the
fearsome questions that plague humanity and brings the Christian
Gospel to bear on each of them with a clarity and persuasiveness
that echoes in these troubled times.
Christians have always turned to the Sermon on the Mount for
inspiration. In Life Can Begin Again, Helmut Thielicke, himself one
of the great preachers of the twentieth century, comes to grips
with what is often seen as a collection of lovely but impossible
ideals. Thielicke makes it clear that the Sermon on the Mount can
never be understood if, even for a moment, we forget the person of
the Preacher of the Sermon. For without the person and work of
Jesus Christ the marvellous words of the Beatitudes and the
injunctions that follow them are the most radical and devastating
distillation of God's claims that can be conceived - they leave us
in utter hopeless dismay. Only through Christ can these words of
the law become the glorious Gospel that promises a new life. Once
again, as in his other best-selling works How the World Began and
The Prayer that Spans the World, Thielicke brings profoundly
biblical religion alive for modern readers.
A potentially difficult text for today's Christians, The Ethics of
Sex gives a fascinating insight into the mindset of how a Christian
thinker considered gender and sexuality when the definitions of
both were becoming more and more fluid. Caught between the points
of the harsh restrictions of the Third Reich, and the revolutionary
approach popularised in the 1960s, Thielicke offers a modern reader
the opportunity to understand more of this pivotal period in
history. In The Ethics of Sex, Thielicke confronts hot-button
issues, many of which are still controversial today, like abortion,
homosexuality and artificial insemination. Here he forges a path
for the Christian philosopher that is consistent with Christian
values of compassion and understanding. While a complex text, The
Ethics of Sex rewards both the scholar and the historian.
'The Lord's Prayer can be spoken at the cradle or the grave. It can
rise from the altars of great cathedrals and from the dark hovels
of those who "eat their bread with tears". It can be prayed at
weddings and on the gallows. All seven colours of our life are
contained in it, and so there is never a time when we are left
alone.' In these sermons delivered in the shattered city of
Stuttgart during the last days of the war, Helmut Thielicke
examined the Lord's Prayer phrase by phrase, drawing from it both
immediate comfort and inspiration for the future. As he expounded
upon the inner meaning of the familiar phrases, he enabled his
despairing congregation to share in this promise of hope - to see
the world in a new way, through prayer. Today, for those who are
prepared to listen, his words still carry the same power.
Helmut Thielicke's lectures, first spoken in defiance of the Nazi
regime, are recorded here. He covers a wide range of topics,
including, ethics, politics, the state, war, atomic power,
economics, sex and art. Revolutionary in their time, they offer an
example of how Christian faith can provide a strong ground to stand
on when living in the constant danger of death. Delivered during
World War II when one after another of Thielicke's meeting places
were bombed, the lectures were aimed at people who were not
conventional churchgoers and were not accustomed to the language
and premises of the church. They were people who had to be met on
their own ground, and then introduced to the Christian faith.
Thielicke had a unique gift for finding the "point of contact" and
addressing the Gospel to this point. Relevant even to this day, his
words remind us what it means to be a Christian.
This is a new release of the original 1942 edition.
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of
rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for
everyone!
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of
rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for
everyone!
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of
rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for
everyone!
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