Search results for ""Author The Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin""

Sometimes Christians assume that people 'out there' are eager to listen to what the Church has to offer. But why should those we try to evangelize want to hear the gospel? Surely people will only be intrigued by Christian life and community when they see something provocative or attractive. Then they will want to know what's going on. The Provocative Church offers a liberating understanding of evangelism as a corporate activity, in which all the gifts needed to enact the life of the kingdom - to stir people into asking, 'What does this mean?' - are spread throughout the whole Church. It encourages the development of a theology of conversion that sees beyond 'becoming a Christian' to bring each individual life increasingly under the rule of God.

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‘A powerful defence of Christian orthodoxy, opening up its expansive, generous and life-giving vision.’ ALISTER McGRATH ‘Learned and wise, this is a book that achieves what even many Christians may find a startling feat: a demonstration that orthodoxy is far more radical & interesting a concept than heresy.’ TOM HOLLAND ‘Generous orthodoxy’ is a liberating outlook that encourages the Church to embrace different traditions of belief, worship and prayer within a broad framework of Christian faith. But is it really possible to be both generous and orthodox? In Navigating a World of Grace, Graham Tomlin offers his own invigorating vision of a generous orthodoxy that is rooted in the creeds’ description of a God who is, by nature, the essence of generous grace. Looking at the history of the church, he explores how orthodoxy can enrich and enhance our perception of the world. Rather than restricting us, it liberates us to be generous in our expressions of faith. This tantalizingly different theology, that brings together the best from every tradition, shows why orthodoxy is so important to the Christian faith – and how it can bring us together as a revitalized, unified and visionary Church. Accessible and insightful, Navigating a World of Grace acts as a companion volume to The Bond of Peace but can also be read by itself as an exploration and celebration how Christians of all denominations can show generosity and grace in embracing different traditions of worship while remaining united by a single orthodoxy of faith. Ideal reading for anyone wanting to understand the meaning of generous orthodoxy better or how we can engage with different parts of the church with grace, this is an encouraging and inspiring vision for the future of the church. Navigating a World of Grace challenges us to see that adopting an attitude of generosity towards other Christians and those outside the Christian faith is part of orthodoxy, and will result in a deeper, fuller experience of God than we can possibly imagine.

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In The Widening Circle, Graham Tomlin explores an exhilarating new approach to priesthood. The author suggests that ‘Priest’ is much more than a term to describe certain Christian ministers – it is a vital category for understanding God’s way of blessing his world. This world was made for joy: the joy of God and the joy of Creation. But to know that joy, the world needs the divine blessing that is focused in Jesus Christ, the only true High Priest. His priestly ministry consists of mediating between God and the world, perfecting that very creation, and then offering this perfected creation back to the God from whom it came. Yet this very ministry is enacted through others. As we explore how this priesthood of Christ has an impact on everyday life, we discover that the human race is chosen to play a priestly role between God and Creation. The Church is then called out to be a kingdom of priests, enabling humanity to fulfil its divine calling. And, finally, the minister himself or herself – experiencing as Christ did, both strands of priestly reality, the mundane and the heavenly, the routine and the remarkable, the normal and the numinous – is called to enable the rest of the Church to play its distinct part. In each case, the part is the means by which the whole becomes all that it is intended to be, in an ever widening circle of divine blessing, so that the world might know the joy for which it was created.

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The referendum may have rent the country asunder like no other issue in recent memory, but there are significant resonances with events in the past. Almost 500 years ago, in a sixteenth-century version of Article 50, Britain made a break from Europe, declaring the King – rather than the Pope – Supreme Head of the English Church. The split did not end the story. In the turmoil that followed, ‘fake news’ spread, families were divided and blood was shed. However, an attempt was made to find a peaceable solution. In this brief but powerful book, Graham Tomlin draws on that history to remind us of the age-old political and spiritual task of harmonizing past and future, identity and openness, the local and the universal. The events of the last three years have shown how polarization can affect even those who are naturally generous and accommodating; the challenge of rising above division, of loving our neighbours – and even our enemies – has never been greater for us all.

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