Search results for ""author christo"

Philip Pullman retells the story of Jesus in this Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling novel

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What is the biggest threat facing churches today? Not enough young people? Too little mission and evangelism? Unsustainable buildings? Unappealing styles of worship? Not enough diversity? Whatever the reasons, the church today seems to exist in a state of anxiety, concerned with its self-preservation. In this bold and hopeful book, Martyn Percy argues that a being a broken church is in fact good news, as it is only through the cracks that the overwhelming abundance of God can shine through. This collection of essays and reflections considers what it means to be a precarious church. The term suggests uncertainty and peril, yet it is rooted in the Latin precatio, meaning prayer. It argues that the Church’s vocation is not to be successful or even to survive but to be precarious, liminal, unpredictable and mysterious – a place of encounter with the holy. The questions that should consume us are not, “how shall we remove the risks and alleviate our anxieties?”, but rather “how shall we live in this age of uncertainty?” Every age has had its uncertainties and this inspiring volume explores what faithfulness to each other and to God looks like in an age of anxiety.

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The earliest Christians believed Jesus was an ancient celestial being who put on a bodysuit of flesh, died at the hands of dark forces, and then rose from the dead and ascended back into the heavens. But the writing we have today from that first generation of Christians never says where they thought he landed, where he lived, or where he died. The idea that Jesus toured Galilee and visited Jerusalem arose only a lifetime later, in unsourced legends written in a foreign land and language. Many sources repeat those legends, but none corroborate them. Why? What exactly was the original belief about Jesus, and how did this belief change over time? In Jesus from Outer Space, noted philosopher and historian Richard Carrier summarizes for a popular audience the scholarly research on these and related questions, revealing in turn how modern attempts to conceal, misrepresent, or avoid the actual evidence calls into question the entire field of Jesus studies--and present-day beliefs about how Christianity began.

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Across lines of tradition and denomination, many Christians express a purely propositional sense of belief, focused primarily on the existence of God and facts about Christ, contributing to a transactional approach to salvation. But belief is about more than the simple fact of God's existence. Augustine provides a starting point for restoring the relational sense of belief encapsulated in the phrase "believing into Christ." In Believing into Christ, Natalya Cherry explores this unique, grammatically awkward phrase that Augustine recognized and identified in his preaching as describing Christianity's distinct contribution to human flourishing. Around this idea, Augustine established and systematized a three-part formula for belief, one which his theological successors treated as defining Christian faith. Cherry tracks the origins of "believing into Christ" and its loss in translation. She then crafts a constructive theology that addresses how to restore the phrase and all it entails. Such a view of belief involves transforming catechesis and sacramental practices that can equip believers to overcome oppression and social barriers in contemporary ecclesial communities and the world they inhabit.Questions regularly arise about how one can believe in a loving God while being complicit with, or actively participating in, systems of violence and oppression. Christian faith informs our resistance against those systems when we practice the bold surrender engendered by believing into Christ. In this way, Cherry challenges us to consider the relational sense of belief, clinging to Christ by means of the Holy Spirit in a way that directs every relationship toward human flourishing, as the heart of Christian faith.

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Three Classic Andrew Murray Books in One Wisdom-Filled Volume The powerful writings of Andrew Murray, the nineteenth-century minister and author, still inspire today. · In Humility, Murray calls all Christians to turn from pride, empty themselves, and study the character of Christ, who will then fill them with His grace. It is often called the best work ever written on the topic. · Abiding in Christ invites you to listen to words from Scripture, read a daily meditation, pray, and surrender yourself anew to Christ. This thirty-one-day devotional is as timely now as it was in 1895 when it was first published. · Living a Prayerful Life outlines the way to overcome prayerlessness, which Murray believed was the greatest roadblock to spiritual growth. He offers inspiring and practical guidelines for becoming a prayer warrior, including examples from the prayer lives of the apostle Paul, George Müller, and Hudson Taylor. The wisdom in these pages will encourage and equip you to live a life of humility, surrender, and prayer, bringing you closer to the One who created you and longs to be with you. Each title in this collection has been edited for today's reader.

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Reassessing human history in relation to the cosmic-earthly events of Christ’s incarnation, Rudolf Steiner stresses the significance of both Gnostic spirituality and the legends of the Holy Grail. The ‘Christ-Impulse’, he tells us, is not a one-time event but a continuous process, beginning well before Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth. This mighty impulse is a force that gives impetus to human development, such as with the extraordinary blossoming of free thinking of the last two millennia. Surveying this pattern of evolving human thought, Steiner explains the roles of contrasting historical figures, for example the great teacher Zarathustra, Joan of Arc and Johannes Keplar. We are shown the widespread influence of the clairvoyant prophetesses, the sibyls, who formed a backdrop to the Greco-Roman world. Steiner contrasts their revelations to those of the Hebrew prophets. The lectures culminate in the secret background to the Parzival narrative. Steiner illustrates how it is possible to experience the Holy Grail by reading the stellar script in the sky at Easter. Here, he provides a rare personal account of the processes he utilized to conduct esoteric research. The new edition of these much-loved lectures features a revised translation and an introduction, appendices and notes by Frederick Amrine.

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God wants His children to walk in the freedom purchased for them by Christ at Calvary. Every person has been given the responsibility to make right choices in life--we must choose truth, reject lies, and forgive those who hurt us--but God has not left us as orphans to fend for ourselves! The Holy Spirit gives us the power to walk in the freedom that is already ours in Christ. Following these twenty-one days of select readings will increase the liberating work that God has begun in you through the Steps to Freedom in Christ. Each daily devotional provides three truths--the truth about God, the truth about you, and the truth about freedom--as well as recommended Scripture readings that affirm each of the three. As readers begin to hide these truths in their hearts, they will learn how to stand firm in their freedom and build a strong and holy shield against the enemy's attacks.

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The relationship between eternity and time is a common subject for theologians and philosophers. What difference does it make for this discussion that God became man and inhabited time in Jesus Christ? In God's Time for Us, James J. Cassidy examines the theology of Karl Barth to show that God is our Father who does not neglect us for lack of time; he is the God who has time to be with us. God also quite literally has time in his own being by virtue of the incarnation. Cassidy shows that Barth seeks a rapprochement between eternity and time, which is overcome by Jesus Christ.There is today a resurgence in interest in the theology of Barth, especially among evangelicals. Yet Barth is often read without discernment and discussed in churches without full understanding. Cassidy illuminates his thought so evangelicals can make a better, more well-informed appraisal of the man and his theology.

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Discover the exciting story of J. Hudson Taylor and his mission to China. Driven by a deep concern for those without Jesus, and having an unshakeable confidence in the faithfulness of God, James Hudson Taylor sailed to China aged just 21. By the time he died aged 73, he had travelled to China 11 times, more than 18,000 Chinese Christians had been baptized, and the mission he founded was the largest in China. Recognized as one of the great 19th century missionaries, this classic biography is a true account of God's grace and what he can do with a life consecrated to him. Discover the exciting story of James Hudson Taylor and be inspired by one man's life in Christ. Content Benefits: Uncover the extraordinary story of J.Hudson Taylor, one of the great heroes of the faith, and be inspired by how God can use people who are willing to serve him wholeheartedly. Inspiring story of a man of faith who trusted God Highlights the power of prayer and obedience Riveting account of a missionary's life in China Part of the new Classic Authentic Lives Series An inspiring and fascinating look at one of the heroes of the faith Ideal reading for those who have read Mountain Rain, the biography of James O. Fraser Perfect book to encourage someone in their faith Ideal reading for anyone who loves to see God at work in the world Great gift idea for any occasion Binding - Paperback Pages - 384 Publisher - Authentic Media

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In this classic volume available now once again, Jay Haley in the controversial title article proposes an original interpretation of the Bible analyzing Jesus's actions as a man trying to build a mass movement to topple a power structure. Using wit and wry humour, Haley in the other essays discusses such topics as: what it takes to be schizophrenic; the art and technique required to have an awful marriage; and how to be an awful therapist. His rationale for a directive therapy is the subject of other essays.

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Beginning in the twelfth century, clergy and laity alike started wondering with intensity about the historical and developmental details of Jesus' early life. Was the Christ Child like other children, whose characteristics and capabilities depended on their age? Was he sweet and tender, or formidable and powerful? Not finding sufficient information in the Gospels, which are almost completely silent about Jesus' childhood, medieval Christians turned to centuries-old apocryphal texts for answers. In The Quest for the Christ Child in the Later Middle Ages, Mary Dzon demonstrates how these apocryphal legends fostered a vibrant and creative medieval piety. Popular tales about the Christ Child entertained the laity and at the same time were reviled by some members of the intellectual elite of the church. In either case, such legends, so persistent, left their mark on theological, devotional, and literary texts. The Cistercian abbot Aelred of Rievaulx urged his monastic readers to imitate the Christ Child's development through spiritual growth; Francis of Assisi encouraged his followers to emulate the Christ Child's poverty and rusticity; Thomas Aquinas, for his part, believed that apocryphal stories about the Christ Child would encourage youths to be presumptuous, while Birgitta of Sweden provided pious alternatives in her many Marian revelations. Through close readings of such writings, Dzon explores the continued transmission and appeal of apocryphal legends throughout the Middle Ages and demonstrates the significant impact that the Christ Child had in shaping the medieval religious imagination.

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Right views of sin have a tendency to lead us to right views of the Person of the Saviour. But the converse is also true; right views of the Saviour’s person lead to the right views of Sin. The Person of Christ is a wonderful encouragement for Christians today. Despite the difference between this edition’s original publication date, the truths Bonar addresses are timeless. Focusing his structure on topics from the person of Christ as the essence of good tidings to views on Christ and the second coming, Bonar sets out a precedent for heartfelt evangelical exposition of the Gospel via the personal relationship Christians have with the Person of Christ.

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Do Your Beliefs Reflect the Truth? We all have faith in something. No doubt, the voices we listen to and follow will determine whether we live in freedom--or in bondage. Is your faith rooted in enduring truth? Or in the world's ever-changing messages? And how can you recognize one from the other? In Your Foundation in Christ, Dr. Neil Anderson shows us how intricately intertwined we are with the God who created us, and how only His truth can set us free. In this third of eight Victory Series studies, you will discover what it means to live with Christ as your sure foundation, see your faith grow, gain power to live by His Spirit, and ultimately learn to overcome fear and live boldly for Him. This study, with six sessions, can be used individually or in a group, and includes a leader's guide, along with illustrations and questions for deeper reflection and practical applications. Now is the time to deepen the roots of your faith, know more intimately the One who is truth alone--and courageously live out what you believe.

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The small Byzantine church of the Soter (Christ the Saviour) stands on modern Egnatia Street in Thessaloniki, to the west of the arch of Galerius. Its name is preserved from the Ottoman period in the oral tradition alone. Tradition also provides the information that the people of Thessaloniki, particularly families who had lost children, used to baptise their infants in the small church and give the child the name of the Soter invoking his protection for their children. This short monograph on the little church of Christ the Saviour in Thessaloniki, is a brief account of the findings of the archaeological excavation that was carried out as part of the work of restoration of the damage caused during the 1978 earthquake. Special emphasis is placed on the iconographic and stylistic analysis of the wall paintings of the monument. The objective is to give prominence to the theological and artistic value of this significant, though little known, Byzantine monument in the second most important city of the Byzantine empire. Parallel text Greek and English

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The debate about men and women in the church and in marriage continues to cause division among Christians. Most books on this issue are written from a firmly partisan point of view – complementarian or egalitarian. This one is unique. Andrew Bartlett draws on his theological learning and his skills as a judge and arbitrator to offer an even-handed assessment of the debate. His analysis is thorough but accessible. He engages with advocates of each view and all the key biblical texts, weighing the available evidence and offering fresh insights. He invites the reader to move beyond complementarian and egalitarian labels and seeks progress towards healing the division.

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How does Jesus feel about his people amid all their sins and failures? This book takes readers into the depths of Christ’s very heart—a heart of tender love drawn to sinners and sufferers.

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The period from 1959–1972 was the crucial years during which the French priest, paleontologist, and writer Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s writing and thought significantly impacted the spiritual thought of the United States. During this time his writings first became available in North America; indeed, over five hundred works concerning him were published in the US during these years.America’s Teilhard: Christ and Hope in the ­1960s is a study of the reception of Teilhard in the United States during this period and contributes to an awareness of the thought of this important figure and the impact of his work. Additionally, it further develops an understanding of U.S. Catholicism in all its dimensions during these years, and provides clues as to how it has unfolded over the past several decades.Susan Sack argues that the manner and intensity of the reception of Teilhard’s thought happened as it did at this point in history because of the confluence of the then developing social milieu, the disintegration of the immigrant Catholic subculture, and the opening of the church to the world through Vatican II. Additionally, as these social and historical events unfolded within U.S. culture during these years, the way Teilhard was read, and the contributions which his thought provided changed. This book considers his work as a carrier at times for an almost Americanist emphasis upon progress, energy and hope; in other years his teleological understanding of the value of suffering moves to center. Additionally, the stories of numerous persons—scientists, theologians, politicians, and scholars—who became involved in the American Teilhardian effort are detailed.Finally American Teilhard notes that in the end, it has been Teilhard’s attempts to leap the interstice between the secular and the sacred, particularly in terms of Christology, that remain of value today. It is those which most had, and which continue to have impact upon U.S. Catholic theology.

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Effectively communicate Christ across CulturesThe gospel message transcends cultures, but human communication does not. In Transforming Communication missionary and professor Vee J. D-Davidson provides principles for the intercultural communication of Christ.Using her twenty-five-plus years of experience teaching as a Westerner in Asia as a starting point, Davidson provides transferable principles that encourage awareness of context-specific issues and that see opportunities for intercultural communication as wholly unique opportunities, regardless of any perceived communication barriers. Readers from multiple different cultures will be able to apply the principles presented by use of relevant examples, illustrations, and enlightening insights provided from a wide range of Global South and Global North multicultural and intercultural perspectives.Transforming Communication offers practical principles to encourage and challenge Christian readers to build relationships that might well require engaging with issues that bring them out of their comfort zone but, the book also offers insights and encouraging devotional nuggets that feed into a triad of knowledge-impartation, self-examination and challenge, along with spiritual enrichment for the task.

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In this devotional book, Stephen Cottrell reflects on five paintings from Stanley Spencer's Christ in the Wilderness series. These paintings give us startling insight into Jesus' own vocation and self-understanding of his ministry. They show his great love for the earth, for the whole created order and for all creatures within it. For Christians, the wilderness is a place of discovery. By dwelling in the wilderness of these beautiful and provocative paintings, Stephen Cottrell encourages us to refine our own discipleship and learn again what it means to follow Christ. His three previous SPCK books are all best-sellers. This book is excellent reading for Lent but can be enjoyed at any time of year. It includes full-colour illustrations, making it a lovely gift book.

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Scholar Benjamin Merkle shares insights from the theologically rich book of Ephesians, explaining its major themes and significance for the church today.

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How did the movement founded by Jesus transform more in the first seventy-five years after his death than it has in the two thousand years since? This book tells the story of how the Christian movement, which began as relatively informal, rural, Hebrew and Aramaic speaking, and closely anchored to the Jewish synagogue, became primarily urban, Greek speaking, and gentile by the early second century, spreading through the Greco-Roman world with a mission agenda and church organization distinct from its roots in Jewish Galilee. It also shows how the early church's witness can encourage the church today.

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2015 Book of the Year Award, Academy of Parish Clergy Amid conflicting ideas about what the church should be and do in a post-Christian climate, the missing voice is that of Paul. The New Testament's most prolific church planter, Paul faced diverse challenges as he worked to form congregations. Leading biblical scholar James Thompson examines Paul's ministry of planting and nurturing churches in the pre-Christian world to offer guidance for the contemporary church. The church today, as then, must define itself and its mission among people who have been shaped by other experiences of community. Thompson shows that Paul offers an unprecedented vision of the community that is being conformed to the image of Christ. He also addresses contemporary (mis)understandings of words like missional, megachurch, and formation.

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The scholarly interest in the Battle of Marathon remains undiminished. This book presents all the ancient sources and all the scientific theories concerning the battle of Marathon. It provides a full bibliography (from the 17th century to the present day), richly illustrated with old maps. It proposes exciting and original solutions to all the historical issues surrounding this battle of cosmic importance, fought in 490 BC. Historian Christos Dionysopoulos goes head-to-head with 669 authors and 913 articles and books, emerging triumphant with a detailed study which casts light on the events, discovers unseen aspects and proposes interesting and original solutions to the questions surrounding this historic battle. The Academy of Athens awarded a prize for this study, judging it ‘to constitute the fullest, most comprehensive and most scholarly approach to the Battle of Marathon’, and that the author, with his talent for analysis and synthesis, has ‘contributed an archaeological and historical monograph of great significance for the subject of the battle which will underpin scholarship for many years to come’.

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Pain is often treatable but doctors, medical professionals, and patients don't understand the intricacies of chronic pain. Millions who suffer from pain become hopeless. With Aches and Gains, Dr. Paul Christo, a Johns Hopkins physician and leading pain specialist sheds new light on what it means to live with and overcome chronic pain. Dr. Christo shares celebrity interviews, including Naomi Judd, Lisa Swayze, Montel Williams, Ally Hilfiger, and Clay Walker, from his Sirius XM radio show Aches and Gains®, and stories from patients who have found a way to overcome the pain that once controlled their lives. Offering traditional, integrative, and innovative methods of easing pain, the book is a life-changing tool for anyone associated with pain including pain sufferers themselves, doctors, nurses, medical professionals, and caregivers.Features a foreword by renowned talk show host Montel Williams.

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A thoroughgoing examination of Maximus Confessor’s singular theological vision through the prism of Christ’s cosmic and historical Incarnation. Jordan Daniel Wood changes the trajectory of patristic scholarship with this comprehensive historical and systematic study of one of the most creative and profound thinkers of the patristic era: Maximus Confessor (560–662 CE). Wood's panoramic vantage on Maximus’s thought emulates the theological depth of Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Cosmic Liturgy while also serving as a corrective to that classic text. Maximus's theological vision may be summed up in his enigmatic assertion that “the Word of God, very God, wills always and in all things to actualize the mystery of his Incarnation.” The Whole Mystery of Christ sets out to explicate this claim. Attentive to the various contexts in which Maximus thought and wrote—including the wisdom of earlier church fathers, conciliar developments in Christological and Trinitarian doctrine, monastic and ascetic ways of life, and prominent contemporary philosophical traditions—the book explores the relations between God’s act of creation and the Word’s historical Incarnation, between the analogy of being and Christology, and between history and the Fall, in addition to treating such topics as grace, deification, theological predication, and the ontology of nature versus personhood. Perhaps uniquely among Christian thinkers, Wood argues, Maximus envisions creatio ex nihilo as creatio ex Deo in the event of the Word’s kenosis: the mystery of Christ is the revealed identity of the Word’s historical and cosmic Incarnation. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of patristics, historical theology, systematic theology, and Byzantine studies.

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The second installment in the Reformed Systematic Theology series draws on historical theology of the Reformed tradition, exploring the doctrines of man and Christ with an accessible, comprehensive, and experiential approach.

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Signs of Christ presents a varied collection of Christian symbols with notes about their origins and examples of their appearance in Roman Catholic liturgy today. Among the symbols included are: The Sun, The Lion, Light, The Phoenix, The Unicorn and The Flower.

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