Search results for ""christian faith""

Ineffable Love asks what we can learn about life and some of the big questions of the Christian faith from the award-winning television adaptation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens, starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant. ‘It’s really hard to avoid the fact that the fundamentals of Good Omens are incredibly Jesus-y,’ write authors Alex Booer and Emma Hinds. ‘The story is about the frustrations of longing for justice in an unjust world and what it means to be Good or Bad, Right or Wrong. Like much of Jesus’ teaching, it is subversive and challenging.’ And it’s all about love. Based on key video clips from the show, the book offers Bible verses, discussion prompts, prayers, poetry and creative reflections, to help you delve deeper into themes of: • Justice • Body and Matter • Power • Belief • Hope • Love and Renewal. Ineffable Love has been written for personal reading, but can easily be adapted into a six-session course for groups.

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The Bible calls us to be good citizens who love God and love our neighbour how does that affect how we vote?People say that religion and politics shouldn't mix, but God has a lot to say about how we live together. Politics touches many things in our lives, and so, as Christians, we should examine our political beliefs in the light of what God says. Challenging us not to bury our heads in the sand, Joshua Wester encourages young adults to view politics through the lens of their Christian faith, and to test their beliefs against the Bible. This short guide tackles crucial topics that young adults should be thinking about as they think about politics, get involved in conversations and play their part as a member of society. Equipping young people with biblical perspectives and practicalities, Wester enables and equips young people to actively engage with the political process and make a difference. Contents:Introduction: Breaking all the RulesWhat is Politics Anyway?Why Should Chri

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Franz Liszt is well known for his early years as ''super-star'' pianist who excited audiences throughout Europe, but his later life is also of great interest. In his final 25 years he sought to achieve his life''s aims of promoting new forms of music and giving stronger witness to his Christian faith, while continuing to support his stalwart life partner Princess Carolyne. However, he was to face unexpected problems in the continued negative reception of his music and recrimination in his closest relationship.Drawing on detailed analysis of Liszt''s correspondence from his fiftieth year onwards, Peter G. Coleman approaches his later life as a case study of an older person grappling with a succession of often disturbing life experiences. These included the deaths of two of his children, political upheaval and war within Europe, and a growing realisation of his own past failings. Liszt suffered frequent bouts of depression but never ceased composing music nor steadfastly heeding Christ''

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The Mystery of Faith explores the essentials of Christian belief and the ancient spiritual practices that enable us to live and flourish in the light of God’s grace. It is written for those who are new to the Christian faith, are curious about it, want to understand their faith better or make more meaningful connections between faith and life. Using the structure of the Apostles Creed it offers clear explanations of core beliefs through the God we encounter in creation, in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit who makes God known in our world and in our lives today. John-Francis Friendship draws on the riches of the Christian tradition and his own experience of Religious life to introduce practices that guide our daily living as God’s people: prayer, scripture, the sacraments, worship, the company of saints. Throughout, questions for reflection and discussion make this an ideal resource for faith formation for individual and groups.

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If the Bible gives us the Maker's instructions for human life, why are they so confusing? And how can we call it the Good Book when it glorifies war, commands ethnic cleansing, and sanctions slavery? Or are we investing it with the wrong kind of authority and bringing the wrong expectations to it?This book examines where the Bible came from, what were the purposes for which it was originally intended, and how and why it became so central to the Christian faith. It asks: Has the Bible ever in fact been the supreme authority for Christians? Was it really meant to be? The author suggests that we should give up approaching the Bible reverentially as an authority, trying to get our heads around all its problems, or - just as bad - pretending it really says the things we want it to say. The best way we can honor the Bible is by coming to it as we are and seeing it as it is. In this way we can enter into a real dialogue with it and appreciate what a marvelous, passionate, vibrant collection of writings it is.

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Christians sometimes approach the Old Testament with a mixture of awe and bewilderment, knowing that it contains pearls of wisdom, but unsure how to dive for them ... especially when it comes to the Prophets.In The Message of the Prophets, author J. Daniel Hays offers a scholarly, yet readable and student-friendly survey of the Old Testament prophetic literature that presents the message of each prophet in its historical and its biblical context and then tracks that message through the New Testament to challenge readers with what it means for them today. Hays focuses on synthesizing the message of the prophets, which enables students to grasp the major contours of the prophetic books clearly and concisely. Hundreds of colorful pictures help to illustrate the historical and cultural background of the prophets. After identifying what the message meant for ancient Israel, Hays helps the readers to move toward theological application today, helping readers to gain a better understanding of God and the relationship between God and his people. The Message of the Prophets is essential for professors, students, and others seeking to understand the role that the OT prophets play in the Christian faith.

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Everything we do, say and think is, in some sense, emotional. We describe ourselves and our experiences in terms of how we feel. In the New Testament, Jesus and Paul displayed a wide range of emotions in their lives and teaching. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards and others have recognized the vital importance of emotion in Christian experience. However, in recent times, many preachers and theologians have pushed emotion to the sidelines. The relationship between reason and emotion can be confused or obscure in much of our thinking. We need to look afresh at the causes, nature and role of felt experience in Christian living. In this significant new study, Matthew Elliott asks 'What is an emotion?', and applies recent studies of emotion to the New Testament. While he discusses the vocabulary of emotion - love, joy, hope, jealousy, fear, sorrow, anger - his primary concern is with emotion itself, how it was perceived by the New Testament writers in their cultural context, and what role they thought it should play in the lives of Christian believers. He argues that our feelings play an essential role in Christian faith, theology and ethics.

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Spiritual direction is as old as the Christian faith. Today there is an ever growing demand for this ministry, despite the decline in membership of the institutional Church. The Bible has always had a privileged place in the director’s toolkit and has been mined as a resource in different ways. It has been a source of wisdom; it has provided material for prayer and reflection; it has encouraged those just beginning in prayer and those for whom prayer has run dry; it has challenged belief and behaviour in the struggle to discern God’s will and set boundaries for orthodoxy in Christian experience. With that all this in mind, the author suggests that spiritual direction is not just for individuals but for the flourishing of the Church as a whole. There is evidence of a loosening of the links between Christian orthodoxy and the practice of spiritual direction. It is also often perceived as a private and individualistic pursuit. The author therefore asks how the Bible challenges this interpretation of a key but often unacknowledged ministry in the Church, and how it may help the whole Church to own spiritual direction and thereby benefit the wider world.

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How Can We Have Faith? is a chapter from Nicky Gumbel's book, Questions of Life, and the fourth talk on Alpha. Nicky Gumbel looks at the evidence for believing in Christianity. He answers questions about Jesus such as, "What historical evidence is there, other than the Bible, that Jesus actually existed?" He also discusses how what Jesus said and did two thousand years ago could still be relevant to us today. This is a great booklet to pass along to family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. It can also be given to a guest who may have missed this Alpha talk.Alpha creates an environment of hospitality where people can bring their friends, family and work colleagues to explore the Christian faith, ask questions and share their point of view. Alpha makes it easy to invite friends to have spiritual conversations which explore life's biggest questions in a safe and respectful way. Alpha's approach to hospitality, faith and discussion is designed to welcome everyone, especially those who might not describe themselves as Christians or church-goers. Each session includes time for a large group meal, short teaching, and small group discussion.This resource is written in Spanish.

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God's rottweiler or shepherd of the faithful? There's no doubt about Benedict XVI's theological legacy. He's been at the center of every major theological controversy in the Catholic Church over the last fifty years. But he remains a polarizing figure, misunderstood by supporters and opponents alike. A deeper understanding of Benedict's theology reveals a man dedicated to the life and faith of the church. In this collection of essays, prominent Protestant theologians examine and commend the work of the Pope Emeritus. Katherine Sonderegger, Kevin Vanhoozer, and Carl Trueman-among others-present a full picture of Benedict's theology, particularly his understanding of the relationship between faith and reason and his pursuit of truth for the church. The global Christian faith can learn from Benedict's insight into the modern church and his desire to safeguard the future of the church by leaning on the wisdom of the ancient church. Contributors: Tim Perry Ben Myers Katherine Sonderegger Gregg R. Allison Kevin J. Vanhoozer R. Lucas Stamps Christopher R. J. Holmes Fred Sanders Carl R. Trueman David Ney Peter J. Leithart Joey Royal Annette Brownlee Preston D. S. Parsons Jonathan Warren P. (Pagán)

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When a stray dog helps himself to a bone from a display in the supermarket, he doesn't know his actions will brand him a criminal and spark a romance between two humans. Stewart Coolidge works as a bag boy at the store, and his outraged boss offers a reward and demands Stewart catch the thieving animal. He fails at that, but now he finally has the perfect excuse to talk to his cute neighbor, Lisa. Lisa has always dreamed of being a journalist and asks Stewart if she can interview him for the local paper. As she gets to know Stewart, she likes him more and more, and she's delighted to learn he shares her Christian faith. Stewart can't bring himself to tell her she's mistaken, that he's not religious at all. And that's not Stewart's only deception. When the dog shows up on the doorstep of their building, Stewart decides to harbor the furry fugitive. But this is no ordinary dog, he has a divine sense of how things should be--and recognizing how much Stewart needs Lisa, he decides to do all he can to bring them together.

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A comprehensive and accessible guide to the Hebrew BibleThis book brings together some of the world's most exciting scholars from across a variety of disciplines to provide a concise and accessible guide to the Hebrew Bible. It covers every major genre of book in the Old Testament together with in-depth discussions of major themes such as human nature, covenant, creation, ethics, ritual and purity, sacred space, and monotheism. This authoritative overview sets each book within its historical and cultural context in the ancient Near East, paying special attention to its sociological setting. It provides new insights into the reception of the books and the different ways they have been studied, from historical-critical enquiry to modern advocacy approaches such as feminism and liberation theology. It also includes a guide to biblical translations and textual criticism and helpful suggestions for further reading.Featuring contributions from experts with backgrounds in the Jewish and Christian faith traditions as well as secular scholars in the humanities and social sciences, The Hebrew Bible is the perfect starting place for anyone seeking a user-friendly introduction to the Old Testament, and an invaluable reference book for students and teachers.

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The love of God and neighbor is the heart of the Christian faith. Forgotten saint Samuel Pearce teaches us how to live a life faithful to the greatest commandment. Pearce was a Baptist pastor known in eighteenth-century England for his moving preaching and strong, pious character. In his short life, he supported believers in his own parish as well as in the many cities where he preached and helped send missionaries. Yet his personal faith, founded on the "holy love" of God, formed his most compelling witness to the world. By getting to know Pearce's story, readers will learn from his example what it looks like to love God and neighbor - in good times as well as challenging and seemingly mundane ones. The Lived Theology series explores aspects of Christian doctrine through the eyes of the men and women who practiced it. Interweaving the contributions of notable individuals alongside their overshadowed contemporaries, we gain a much deeper understanding and appreciation of their work and the broad tapestry of Christian history. These books illuminate the vital contributions made by these figures throughout the history of the church.

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Christianity Today 2023 Book Award Finalist (Culture & the Arts) Midwest Book Review 2023 Gold Book Award Winner (Nonfiction - Religion/Philosophy) Learning from Black voices means listening to more than snippets. It means attending to Black stories. Reading Black Books helps Christians hear and learn from enduring Black voices and stories as captured in classic African American literature. Pastor and teacher Claude Atcho offers a theological approach to 10 seminal texts of 20th-century African American literature. Each chapter takes up a theological category for inquiry through a close literary reading and theological reflection on a primary literary text, from Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man and Richard Wright's Native Son to Zora Neale Hurston's Moses, Man of the Mountain and James Baldwin's Go Tell It on the Mountain. The book includes end-of-chapter discussion questions. Reading Black Books helps readers of all backgrounds learn from the contours of Christian faith formed and forged by Black stories, and it spurs continued conversations about racial justice in the church. It demonstrates that reading about Black experience as shown in the literature of great African American writers can guide us toward sharper theological thinking and more faithful living.

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Winner of the 2022 Nautilus Book Award in Religion / Spirituality of Western Thought (#24B) Mark Clavier examines a series of paradoxes that lie at the heart of Christian faith: eternity and time, silence and words, and wonder and the commonplace. In an intellectual reflection on an overnight trek on Cadair Idris in Wales and other wilderness walks, he explores the oft-hidden connections between faith, society, and nature. Each reflection ranges widely through history, folklore, poetry, philosophy, and theology to consider what these paradoxes can teach us about God, ourselves, and our world. Drawing on the recent upsurge in interest in the personal experience of landscapes and memory, this book invites readers to walk with Clavier in the Appalachians, Norway, Iceland, the Alps, and around Britain as he discovers the ways in which Christianity is profoundly earthed. By weaving together nature-writing, memoir, social commentary, and theological reflection A Pilgrimage of Paradoxes uses a memorable mountain journey in the ancient landscape of Wales to draw readers into reflecting about what it means to belong. Please find the study guide for this book here: https://convivium-brecon.com/a-pilgrimage-of-paradoxes/

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This discussion guide is a companion to either the Alpha Film Series or Alpha with Nicky Gumbel. This guide is divided up by session with an easy-to-read outline so that guests can follow along during each talk. With simple bullet-point organization and plenty of room for notes, the guide functions as an invaluable resource to the guest during Alpha, and as a reference tool for individual reflection long after Alpha. It is considered an essential resource for Alpha guests as well as the host and helpers on Alpha.Alpha creates an environment of hospitality where people can bring their friends, family and work colleagues to explore the Christian faith, ask questions and share their point of view. Alpha makes it easy to invite friends to have spiritual conversations which explore life's biggest questions in a safe and respectful way.Alpha's approach to hospitality, faith, and discussion is designed to welcome everyone, especially those who might not describe themselves as Christians or church-goers. Each session includes time for a large group meal, short teaching and small group discussion. This resource is written in Russian.

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We live in the midst of a crisis of home. It is evident in the massive uprooting and migration of millions across the globe, in the anxious nationalism awaiting immigrants in their destinations, in the unhoused populations in wealthy cities, in the fractured households of families, and in the worldwide destruction of habitats and international struggles for dominance. It is evident, perhaps more quietly but just as truly, in the aching sense that there is nowhere we truly belong. In this moment, the Christian faith has been disappointingly inept in its response. We need a better witness to the God who created, loves, and reconciles this world, who comes to dwell among us. This book tells the "story of everything" in which God creates the world as the home for humans and for God in communion with God's creatures. The authors render the story of creation, redemption, and consummation through the lens of God's homemaking work and show the theological fruit of telling the story this way. The result is a vision that can inspire creative Christian living in our various homes today in faithfulness to God's ongoing work.

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'Alister McGrath is a brilliant guide to Jim Packer's invigorating theological vision. Crisp, incisive commentary on every page!' - Andrew Atherstone, Wycliffe Hall, University of OxfordJ. I. Packer was one of the most influential evangelical theological and spiritual writers of the twentieth century, best known for his classic work of spirituality Knowing God. In the 1990s, Christianity Today readers named him one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century, second only to C. S. Lewis. But who was Jim Packer, and what is the story of his own faith? Bestselling author and friend of Jim's Alister McGrath tells his story, and in the process opens up how Packer's faith nourished and sustained him - exploring questions of theology and spirituality as they arise along the way. Alternating narrative with reflection, Alister sets out Packer's ideas and presents them engagingly, and in doing so helps to explain why Packer and his writing continue to be so helpful and useful to all on the journey of faith. This beautiful tribute to a giant of the Christian faith is both a celebration of his life and the perfect introduction to his thought and writings for a new generation of readers.

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Christianity figured prominently in the imperial and colonial exploitation and dispossession of indigenous peoples worldwide, yet many indigenous people embrace Christian faith as part of their cultural and ethnic identities. A Chosen People, a Promised Land gets to the heart of this contradiction by exploring how Native Hawaiian members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (more commonly known as Mormons) understand and negotiate their place in this quintessentially American religion.Mormon missionaries arrived in Hawai‘i in 1850, a mere twenty years after Joseph Smith founded the church. Hokulani K. Aikau traces how Native Hawaiians became integrated into the religious doctrine of the church as a “chosen people”—even at a time when exclusionary racial policies regarding black members of the church were being codified. Aikau shows how Hawaiians and other Polynesian saints came to be considered chosen and how they were able to use their venerated status toward their own spiritual, cultural, and pragmatic ends.Using the words of Native Hawaiian Latter-Day Saints to illuminate the intersections of race, colonization, and religion, A Chosen People, a Promised Land examines Polynesian Mormon articulations of faith and identity within a larger political context of self-determination.

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A cancer diagnosis is a seismic event. It divides life into before and after, and propels the diagnosed into places of suffering, pain and isolation; life is turned upside down in the present while the future horizon clouds with uncertainty and fear. Despite someone getting diagnosed with cancer in the UK every two minutes, cancer is a disease that is often described as lonely as the sufferer sets out on a tough journey through waiting, treatment and recovery. In this wise and compassionate book, cancer survivor Gillian Straine proposes that this journey through illness, pain and anxiety be reconceptualised as a pilgrimage of discovery. The Christian faith is that we are never abandoned by God, and this promise holds wherever we might find ourselves, whether that is in the doctor's waiting room, in a chair receiving chemotherapy or lying on the surgeons table. Following the journey of Jesus through the darkness of Gethsemane, to the cross and into the silent waiting of Holy Saturday, this book invites the reader to seek God in their experience of cancer and, by pointing to the glimmers of resurrection hope in remission and beyond, to find healing in their own story of illness.

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While the Christian faith has played a major part in the history of both Wales and Scotland, there has been little previous work looking at their histories in a comparative manner. In the light of the establishment of the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament, this issue is of particular contemporary importance. This collection discusses religion in Scotland and Wales from a historical perspective and examines the contribution of religion to the sense of national identity in the period from the Evangelical Revival to the present day. It suggests that the histories of the two nations are only understood when the religious dimension is taken seriously. The various essays collected here offer new perspectives on particular denominations, from the Scottish Covenanters to Welsh Methodism, as well as discussing individual figures such as Howell Harris, Edward Irving and Arthur Price, in order to examine the complex relationship between language, national identity and religion. Religion and National Identity is an original and timely contribution, not only to the religious histories of Wales and Scotland, but also to the collective history of Great Britain in the modern period.

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"Smith's sage advice will aid Christians in recognizing the simple joys of practicing their faith."--Publishers Weekly Western culture is in a tailspin, and Christian faith is entangled in it: we do kingdom things in empire ways. Western approaches to faith leave us feeling depressed, doubting, anxious, and burned out. We know something is wrong with the way we do faith and church in the West, but we're so steeped in it that we don't know where to begin to break old habits. Popular pastor and speaker Mandy Smith invites us to be unfettered from the deeply ingrained habits of Western culture so we can do kingdom things in kingdom ways again. She explores how we can be transformed by new postures and habits that help us see God already at work in and around us. The way forward isn't more ideas, programs, and problem-solving but in Jesus's surprising invitation to the kingdom through childlikeness. Ultimately, rediscovering childlike habits is a way for us to remember how to be human. Unfettered helps us reimagine how to follow God with our whole selves again and join with God's mission in the world. Foreword by Walter Brueggemann.

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Jane and Cassandra Austen were the closest of sisters from early childhood. Cassandra was the most important person in Jane’s life; Jane looked up to and adored her older sister, who was devoted to her in return. As well as sharing the same education, interests, friends and Christian faith, the inseparable sisters supported each other through various emotional crises and family troubles. Most importantly, Cassandra, who was privy to Jane’s imaginary world, supported and encouraged her in her writing. The Austen Girls explores the lives of the Austen sisters and traces their relationship throughout Jane’s life and literary career, until Jane’s premature death at the age of forty-one. It also looks at Cassandra’s life after the loss of her sister. ‘I Jane Austen of the Parish of Chawton do … give and bequeath to my dearest Sister Cassandra Elizabeth every thing of which I may die possessed, or which may be hereafter due to me… I appoint my said dear Sister the Executrix of this my last Will & Testament.’ Jane Austen, 27 April 1817. The bequest included the manuscripts of Jane’s unpublished and unfinished novels.

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Bono is one of the most influential musicians at work today. Over the past twenty-five years his band, U2, have sold a staggering 130 million albums and collected 14 Grammys. Their success has made Bono one of the most recognisable faces in the world.Here, in a series of conversations with his friend, the music journalist, Michka Assayas, Bono reflects on his transformation from extrovert singer of a small, Irish, post-punk band into an international rock star. Along the way he speaks candidly about his childhood, about his mother's death, about his Christian faith and about his difficult relationship with his father, who died recently. Bono also speaks passionately about how he has used his fame as a platform to campaign fervently on a range of global issues, and why these issues - which include the IRA ceasefire, Third World debt and, most recently, the growing AIDS crisis in Africa - are so important to each of us.Intimate, humorous, and fiercely opinionated, BONO ON BONO is Bono's story in his own words. It will fascinate and challenge fans of U2 and general readers alike.

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Christianity Today Book Award Winner Outreach Recommended Resource of the Year (Counseling and Relationships) The church and science have drifted apart over the past century. Today the church is often deemed irrelevant by those who trust science, and science is often deemed irrelevant by those whose primary loyalties are to the church. However, this book shows that the new science of virtue--the field of positive psychology--can serve as a bridge point between science and the church and can help renew meaningful conversation. In essence, positive psychology examines how ordinary people can become happier and more fulfilled. Mark McMinn clarifies how positive psychology can complement Christian faith and promote happiness and personal flourishing. In addition, he shows how the church can help strengthen positive psychology. McMinn brings the church's experience and wisdom on six virtues--humility, forgiveness, gratitude, grace, hope, and wisdom--into conversation with intriguing scientific findings from positive psychology. Each chapter includes a section addressing Christian counselors who seek to promote happiness and fulfillment in others.

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Astrology is the oldest of the occult sciences, and it has had an unshakeable hold on the human mind for centuries. Universities, such as Oxford and the Sorbonne, offer courses on it. In THE FATED SKY Benson Bobrick gives us a fascinating history of the discipline that Ralph Waldo Emerson called 'astronomy brought down to earth and applied to the affairs of men.' Notable Greeks and Romans fervently believed in astrology. St. Augustine condemned it, but St. Thomas Aquinas thought astrology not incompatible with Christian faith. Shakespeare accepted it, and when Edmund Halley disparaged astrology, Isaac Newton said to him, 'I, sir, have studied the subject, and you have not.' All the great Renaissance astronomers believed in the influence of the stars and planets over human affairs. In more recent times, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle and Ronald Reagan consulted astrologers. As Carl Jung predicted, astrology is again a subject of serious study, and now Benson Bobrick has written the first complete history of the world's oldest subject.

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We live in a time when believing in anything or nothing is considered equally "truthful." Many people don't identify with a specific religion, preferring to think of themselves as "spiritual" to avoid seeming intolerant of other beliefs. This has led to some squishy ideas about right and wrong, as well as false teachings infiltrating our churches. More than ever, we must stand firm on the clear teaching of God's Word. In What Every Christian Should Know, Dr. Robert Jeffress equips you to understand ten core doctrines of Christianity so you can be confident that your faith is built on solid ground and stand strong against false teaching. Each chapter illuminates a core belief of the Christian faith, such as God's Word, the Trinity, angels and demons, sin, salvation, future things, and more. Nothing is more hopeful and beneficial in our trying times than good theology. With vivid illustrations, clear explanations, and practical applications for believers today, this book will help you ground your faith in capital T truth.

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What does it mean to love your neighbor in today's fraught, divided world?Join Dr. Emily Smith, global health expert and creator of the popular Facebook page Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist, as she dives into what loving your neighbor--as illustrated in the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan--truly means. Combining Dr. Smith's expertise as a scientist with her deep Christian faith while drawing from her journey from small-town Texas to a prestigious university, The Science of the Good Samaritan shares fascinating stories from Dr. Smith's life and the lives of other inspiring people around the world to show us how to: Find shared values with people from different backgrounds, faiths, and cultures than our own Reach outside our immediate circles to bring in those on the margins Redefine our concept of "neighbor" and love our neighbors in more practical and global ways Bridge the gaps of society's disparities and inequities You can help reimagine and create a better world--and it all starts with authentically loving your neighbor.

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Yes, And . . . brings together some of Richard Rohr’s best and most thought-provoking writings in a book of 366 daily meditations, one for every day of the year. Arranged around seven themes, Yes, And . . . is packed full of open, engaging reflections that will expand your understanding of spirituality and leave you inspired and challenged in your walk of faith with Christ. A daily devotional designed for you to dip in and out of, this is perfect to use in early morning to help you feel spiritually invigorated for the day ahead, and for bedtime reading to round off your day with a quiet reflection. A wonderful exploration of the Christian faith, it will help revitalise your relationship with God and your own spirituality. Yes, And . . . is a perfect daily devotional for fans of Richard Rohr’s work and those new to his writings, and for anyone who are looking for an alternate way to live out their faith—a way centred around the open-minded search for spiritual relevance of a transforming nature.

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Margaret Barker believes that Christianity developed so quickly because it was a return to far older faith - far older than the Greek culture that is long-held to have influenced Christianity. Temple Theology explains that the preaching of the gospel and the early Christian faith grew out of the centuries' old Hebrew longing for God's original Temple. These longings form the basis of the Old Testament exile theology and cause us reassess the relationship between Christianity and the Hebrew tradition. This is no fundamentalist work harking back to the idea that 'the oldest is the purest' Rather it is recognition that the Old Testament has a complex heritage and that those who shared this heritage did not share the same beliefs or scriptures - amongst these people were the first Christians. In her exploration of temple theology, Margaret Barker finds clear references and beliefs in fundamental Christian concepts such as atonement, creation and covenant. This is a thorough and fascinating exploration of the theology of the original Jewish Temple.

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The study is based on a multidisciplinary approach from the perspective of science, religion and art. Biblical and scientific approaches - namely computistics and astronomy - are juxtaposed. By contrasting pictorial representations, written interpretations and historical facts, it becomes convincingly clear how strongly scientific representations and biblical iconography have influenced each other. Medieval scribes and illuminators did not separate these two genres. In the course of recent research, the work shows that Isidore of Seville, Beda Venerabilis or Alcuin were extremely important mediators of ancient cosmological knowledge for the modern world and that Christian authors have made lasting and still relevant contributions in the scientific field. One of these fields is computistics, originally the calculation of the exact date of Easter, in a broader sense the calculation of time. The spiritual nature of medieval science is extremely valuable for the comparison of science and art against the background of the main messages of the Christian faith. This work is the first to systematically describe the significance of the so-called Schematisms for the interpretation of medieval art, beginning in the Carolingian period and spanning a period of 300 years. Previously unknown illuminations are included in the analysis. The work convincingly illustrates the close interweaving of iconography - formed by schematic representations - and eschatology.

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Text in German. The work of Baruch de Spinoza (1632−1677) experienced a changeable and complex reception. Ostracized as a heretic during his lifetime, the Dutch philosopher was finally rediscovered as a radical early enlightener and pioneer of modern secularism. Since the emancipation period, Spinoza, who after his banishment from the Amsterdam community broke away from Judaism without accepting the Christian faith, represented a figure of identification for Jewish scholars and intellectuals. In his essay on the appropriation of Spinoza in Zionist and Israeli memory, Jan Eike Dunkhase illuminates an aspect of its history that has hardly been taken into account. In doing so, he draws an arc from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv, from the 17th century to the present day. Thinkers like Moses Hess and historians like Heinrich Graetz are taken into account as well as Zionists from Eastern Europe: Joseph Klausner, Nachum Sokolow and David Ben-Gurion. Special attention is paid to the Hebrew work translations - the basis for creative engagement with the early modern philosopher in modern Israeli culture. The genealogy of the memorial figure Spinoza the Hebrews opens up a perspective on the history of ideas on the tension between Jewish affiliation and the secular self-image in Israel.

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Evangelicals have been scandalized by their association with Donald Trump, their megachurches summarily dismissed as “religious Walmarts.” In The Subversive Evangelical Peter Schuurman shows how a growing group of “reflexive evangelicals” use irony to critique their own tradition and distinguish themselves from the stereotype of right-wing evangelicalism. Entering the Meeting House – an Ontario-based Anabaptist megachurch – as a participant observer, Schuurman discovers that the marketing is clever and the venue (a rented movie theatre) is attractive to the more than five thousand weekly attendees. But the heart of the church is its charismatic leader, Bruxy Cavey, whose anti-religious teaching and ironic tattoos offer a fresh image for evangelicals. This charisma, Schuurman argues, is not just the power of one individual; it is a dramatic production in which Cavey, his staff, and attendees cooperate, cultivating an identity as an “irreligious” megachurch and providing followers with a more culturally acceptable way to practise their faith in a secular age. Going behind the scenes to small group meetings, church dance parties, and the homes of attendees to investigate what motivates these reflexive evangelicals, Schuurman reveals a playful and provocative counterculture that distances itself from prevailing stereotypes while still embracing a conservative Christian faith.

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A Publishers Weekly Best Religion Book of the YearA Choice Outstanding Academic TitleFor many Americans, being Christian is central to their political outlook. Political Christianity is most often associated with the Religious Right, but the Christian faith has actually been a source of deep disagreement about what American society and government should look like. While some identify Christianity with Western civilization and unfettered individualism, others have maintained that Christian principles call for racial equality, international cooperation, and social justice. At once incisive and timely, Christian delves into the intersection of faith and political identity and offers an essential reconsideration of what it means to be Christian in America today.“Bowman is fast establishing a reputation as a significant commentator on the culture and politics of the United States.”—Church Times“Bowman looks to tease out how religious groups in American history have defined, used, and even wielded the word Christian as a means of understanding themselves and pressing for their own idiosyncratic visions of genuine faith and healthy democracy.”—Christian Century“A fascinating examination of the twists and turns in American Christianity, showing that the current state of political/religious alignment was not necessarily inevitable, nor even probable.”—Deseret News

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The Cambodian Civil War and genocide of the late 1960s and ’70s left the country and its diaspora with long-lasting trauma that continues to reverberate through the community. In this book, Briana L. Wong explores the compelling stories of Cambodian evangelicals, their process of conversion, and how their testimonials to the Christian faith helped them to make sense of and find purpose in their trauma.Based on ethnographic fieldwork with Cambodian communities in the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Paris, and Phnom Penh, Wong examines questions of religious identity and the search for meaning within the context of transnational Cambodian evangelicalism. While the community has grown in recent decades, Christians nevertheless make up a small minority of the predominantly Buddhist diaspora. Wong explores what it is about Christianity that makes these converts willing to risk their social standing, familial bonds,and, in certain cases, physical safety in order to identify with the faith. Contributing to ongoing dialogues on conversion, reverse mission, and multiple religious belonging, this book will appeal to students and scholars of world Christianity, missiology, and the history of Christianity, as well as Southeast Asian studies, secular sociologies, and anthropologists operating within the field of religious studies.

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After surviving the fifth century fall of the Western European Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire flourished as one of the most powerful economic, cultural, and military forces in Europe for a thousand years. In this Very Short Introduction Peter Sarris introduces the reader to the unique fusion of Roman political culture, Greek intellectual tradition and Christian faith that took place in the imperial capital of Byzantium under the emperor Constantine and his heirs. Using examples from Byzantine architecture, art and literature, Sarris shows how their legacy was re-worked and re-invented in the centuries ahead, in the face of external challenges and threats. Charting the impact of warfare with the Persian and Islamic worlds to the east, Sarris explores the creativity of Byzantine statecraft and strategy, as well as the empire's repeated (but ultimately forlorn) attempts to enlist aid from the Christian powers of Western Europe to ensure its survival. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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The history of Britain and Ireland is incomprehensible without an understanding of the Christian faith that has shaped it. Introduced when the nations of these islands were still in their infancy, Christianity has provided the framework for their development from the beginning. Gerald Bray’s comprehensive overview demonstrates the remarkable creativity and resilience of Christianity in Britain and Ireland. Through the ages, it has adapted to the challenges of presenting the gospel of Christ to different generations in a variety of circumstances. As a result, it is at once a recognizable offshoot of the universal church and a world of its own. It has also profoundly affected the notable spread of Christianity worldwide in recent times. Although historians have done much to explain the details of how the church has evolved separately in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, a synthesis of the whole has rarely been attempted. Yet the story of one nation cannot be understood properly without involving the others; so, Gerald Bray sets individual narratives in an overarching framework. Accessible to a general readership, The History of Christianity in Britain and Ireland draws on current scholarship to serve as a reference work for students of both history and theology.

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With `Crocus: a brief history’, John F. Deane sets his Dear Pilgrims in motion, a series of brief histories of time, a time that is rich in incident and in redemption. In a decisively secular age, Deane’s is a poetry of Christian belief. It explores renewal, alive with and to the kinds of witness he has learned from George Herbert, Gerard Manley Hopkins and R.S. Thomas. His `I’, like theirs, makes space for a reluctant `us’. Dear Pilgrims includes actual pilgrimages. The poet moves through England (East Anglia in particular), Israel and Palestine, disclosing a `new testament’ that revisions the Christian faith through the eyes of an unknown female disciple of Christ. He vividly adapts the Middle English poem Pearl and realises it for our time. He is also a master of the sonnet as an instrument of love, doubt and faith. The poet’s voice, perhaps because of the timeless wisdom it carries, is vital and contemporary. It is no surprise that the founder of Poetry Ireland and Dedalus Press is a poet of wide reading and vision. The clarity of his verse and purpose makes his voice unique. Rowan Williams celebrates his `Music, a stony, damp and deeply alive landscape (both Ireland and the Holy Land), a passionate and searching engagement with God’.

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What is the place-if any-for violence in the Christian life? At the core of Christian faith is an experience of suffering violence as the price for faithfulness, of being victimized by the world's violence, from Jesus himself to martyrs who have died while following him. At the same time, Christian history had also held the opinion that there are situations when the follower of Jesus may be justified in inflicting violence on others, especially in the context of war. Do these two facets of Christian ethics and experience present a contradiction? Christian Martyrdom and Christian Violence: On Suffering and Wielding the Sword explores the tension between Christianity's historic reverence for martyrdom (suffering violence for faith) and Christianity's historical support of a just war ethic (involving the inflicting of violence). While the book considers the possibility that the two are unreconcilable, it also argues that they are ultimately compatible; but their compatibility requires a more humanized portrait of the Christian martyr as well as a stricter approach to the justified use of violence.

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Augustine's 'Confessions', written at the close of the fourth century CE, is a highly significant text in the history of European culture. Augustine explains just how and why he came to abandon a successful career and the personal enjoyments of a largely secular existence to follow a life of prayer and study, leading to a true comprehension of God and the Bible. The avowed approach of this introductory book is to 'historicise' - to set Augustine's own experiences of religion, philosophy and Christian faith against the long-standing political, cultural and religious traditions of the classical world. Late antiquity saw the transformation of the classical heritage and its transmission by Christian authors. Augustine's ideas about how texts may be presented and read, how people respond to written and spoken language, find resonance in recent critical theory.The world in which Augustine lived, the structure, style and purpose of the Confessions, and the problems of rhetoric and truth posed by its author's personal search for himself are all scrutinised in this lucid introductory account. The volume also offers a useful guide to further reading.

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Can we know if Jesus actually lived? Have Jesus's followers been a force for good or evil in history? A respected journalist set out to find the answers--not from opinion but from artifacts. The evidence led him to an unexpected conclusion: Jesus really existed and launched the greatest movement for social good in human history. A first-of-its-kind book for a new generation, Jesus Skeptic takes nothing for granted as it explores whether Jesus actually lived and how his story has changed our world. You'll - learn what heroes like Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman believed about Jesus - discover how Jesus inspired women's rights, education rights, and modern hospitals - see visual proofs of Jesus's impact, never before compiled in one place - be inspired to continue Jesus's fight for human rights, justice, and progress Jesus Skeptic unveils convincing physical evidence that will enlighten seekers, skeptics, and longtime Christians alike. In a generation that wants to make the world a better place, we can discover what humanity's greatest champions had in common: a Christian faith.

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'An exciting, engaging and intellectually serious book' Dr Rowan Williams, 104th Archbishop of Canterbury 'I think it's brilliant!' Bishop Stephen CottrellHow is it that a faith that began in 1st century Palestine with a handful of followers has become the largest movement the world has ever known? Christianity: A Complete Introduction traces the story of the Christian faith from sandals to cyberspace. It describes the origins and key ideas of Christianity and gives an account of how it looks in the modern world. Socially, scientifically, economically and politically, Christianity today inhabits a very different world from that of Jesus of Nazareth and his early disciples. Yet it seems to possess an inherent ability to survive and thrive in the face of great change. It remains a compelling and powerful faith in the modern world, with a rich and diverse heritage. Whether you are preparing for an essay, studying for an exam, or simply want to expand your knowledge, Christianity: A Complete Introduction is your go-to guide.

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In the Holy Land, despite the politics and conflict that divide Jews and non-Jews, the Body of Christ is growing. Author Julia Fisher presents fourteen true stories from Jewish, Arab and Palestinian believers living in Israel and Palestinian areas that describe what God is doing despite the current tide of political and religious turmoil. Reconciliation is at the heart of each story, though reconciliation in the context of the Middle East is fraught with danger and seemingly impossible challenges. These interviews, demonstrate how, despite the tensions and the dreadful headlines, the Christian faith is growing. More and more Muslims are becoming Christians - stories of Palestinian Muslims becoming Christians and stories of Jewish people, some of them former orthodox Jews, becoming believers. Interviewees include expatriate Jews, children of Holocaust survivors, believers from Muslim backgrounds, a former drug addict, a pastor in Bethlehem, and an Egyptian setting up an underground church in Gaza. This will be enjoyed by those fascinated by the land of Israel, and the narrative of the Jewish people.

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Claud was just six years old when he first held a gun in his hands. Now, over twenty years later, he is returning to communities just like the one he grew up in, this time holding a Bible. Guns to God is the incredible autobiography of Claud Jackson, a young boy who became a drug dealer and professional criminal before giving his life to God through the Alpha Course and later being called to become a Christian minister. Though exceptional in parts, Claud's journey is remarkably relatable: it is one of being shaped by circumstance and formed through faith, of losing yourself only to be found. Guns to God is an inspiring and thought-provoking Christian autobiography for anyone wanting a stronger understanding of and insight into the struggle against drugs and drug dealing in urban communities in the UK, and the role that the Christian faith has to play. The story of one man’s search for belonging, this an incredible and moving testament to the life-changing power of God.

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In The Day the Revolution Began Tom Wright invites you to consider the full meaning of the event at the heart of the Christian faith - Jesus' crucifixion. As he did in his acclaimed Surprised by Hope, Wright once again challenges commonly held beliefs, this time arguing that the Protestant Reformation did not go far enough in reshaping our understanding of the Cross. With his characteristic rigour and incisiveness, he goes back to the New Testament to show that Jesus' death not only releases us from the guilt and power of sin, but is nothing less than the beginning of a world-wide revolution that continues to this day – a revolution that creates and energizes a movement responsible for restoring and reconciling the whole of God's creation. The Day the Revolution Began will take you to a new level in your appreciation of the meaning of Jesus' sacrifice: opening up its powerful and amazing implications, inspiring you with a renewed sense of purpose and hope, and reminding you of the crucial role you can play in the world-transforming movement that Jesus started.

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New York Times Bestseller: A “beautifully written” and “truly outstanding” novel based on the life of Paul the Apostle (The Cincinnati Enquirer). Born a veritable great lion of God to a devout Jewish family, Saul of Tarsus is raised by his parents to embrace their love of humanity. Dogged by what he perceives as a lack of true faith, he embarks on a journey to save his people from sacrilege. But on the road to Damascus a vision of the resurrected Jesus changes the course of his life. Converting to Christianity, the newly christened Paul transforms from persecutor of blasphemers into apostle to the gentiles, becoming one of the supreme influences on the Catholic Church and the Western world. Great Lion of God paints a unique and very human portrait of Saint Paul, one of the most passionate, dauntless, and complex figures of early Christianity—Pharisee, lawyer, theologian, and above all, a “man like ourselves with our own despairs, doubts, anxieties and angers and intolerances, and ‘lusts of the flesh.’” The central novel in author Taylor Caldwell’s biblical trilogy, which also includes Dear and Glorious Physician and I, Judas, Great Lion of God is both “sheer entertainment” and a moving tribute to the majesty and power of the Christian faith (Fort Worth Star-Telegram).

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In the face of religious and cultural diversity, some doubt whether Christian faith remains possible today. Critics claim that religion is irrational and violent, and the loudest defenders of Christianity are equally strident. In response, Desire, Faith, and the Darkness of God: Essays in Honor of Denys Turner explores the uncertainty essential to Christian commitment; it suggests that faith is moved by a desire for that which cannot be known. This approach is inspired by the tradition of Christian apophatic theology, which argues that language cannot capture divine transcendence. From this perspective, contemporary debates over God’s existence represent a dead end: if God is not simply another object in the world, then faith begins not in abstract certainty but in a love that exceeds the limits of knowledge. The essays engage classic Christian thought alongside literary and philosophical sources ranging from Pseudo-Dionysius and Dante to Karl Marx and Jacques Derrida. Building on the work of Denys Turner, they indicate that the boundary between atheism and Christian thought is productively blurry. Instead of settling the stale dispute over whether religion is rationally justified, their work suggests instead that Christian life is an ethical and political practice impassioned by a God who transcends understanding.

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Lisa Kaaren Bailey's Christianity's Quiet Success: The Eusebius Gallicanus Sermon Collection and the Power of the Church in Late Antique Gaul is the first major study of the Eusebius Gallicanus collection of anonymous, multi-authored sermons from fifth- and sixth-century Gaul. Bailey sheds new light on these sermons, which were strikingly popular and influential from late antiquity to the High Middle Ages, as the large number of surviving manuscripts attests. They were used for centuries by clergy as a preaching guide and by monks and pious lay people as devotional reading. Bailey's analysis demonstrates the extent to which these stylistically simple and straightforward sermons emphasize consensus, harmony, and mutuality as the central values of a congregation. Preachers encouraged tolerance among their congregants and promoted a model of leadership that placed themselves at the center of the community rather than above it. These sermons make clear the delicate balancing act required of late antique and early medieval pastors as they attempted to explain the Christian faith and also maintain the clerical control considered necessary for a universal church. The Eusebius Gallicanus collection gives us fresh insight into the process by which the Catholic Church influenced the lives of Western Europeans.

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