LITMIR.BIZ

"Is there a God?" is one of those irrepressible questions that has been debated throughout human history, with scholars from opposites camps making the case for or against the existence of God. It is a never-ending debate. This book first examines the theistic arguments developed by Islamic scholar Said Nursi in the twentieth century. Although his arguments initially seem to be mere presentations of well-established theistic arguments for God–such as teleological and cosmological, and arguments from miracles and morals–it is clear that Nursi takes a fresh approach to these existing philosophical defences. The book then analyses how Nursi tackles certain atheistic arguments–such as the problem of evil and the possibility of existence without a creator–and criticism leveled against the prophets and the Qur'an.

Подробнее

Philip Clayton is well known as a major thinker working at the interface of science, philosophy, and Christian theology. Here, for the first time, a representative selection of his far-reaching works have been brought together into one place. After a general introduction to the breadth of Clayton's writing, the book is divided into six main sections: 1) Science & Religion; 2) Science, Faith, & God; 3) Panentheistic Reflections on Science & Theology; 4) Science & Emergence; 5) Science, Spirit, & Divine Action; and 6) Progressive Theology. This introduction and reader will become the go-to text for all inquiries regarding Philip Clayton's expansive theology.

Подробнее

The rise of China as a superpower and of Chinese Christians as vital members of the global church mean that world Christianity would be a dynamic transformation and bountiful blessing to the world by engaging with Chinese biblical interpretations among global theologies. This book, a twentieth-anniversary revised and expanded edition, includes studies that range from exploration of the philosophical structure of Eastern culture to present-day sociopolitical realities in Malaysia and China–all in support of cross-cultural methods of reading the Bible culturally and reading the cultures biblically.

Подробнее

Soteriology and the End of Animal Sacrifice traces the historically sustained critique of animal sacrifice in both the Jewish prophets and Greek philosophers and offers a reinterpretation of the fundamental expression of piety in both cultures. The Jewish prophets, such as Isaiah, and Greek philosophers beginning with Pythagoras, provided not only an unequivocal denunciation of animal sacrifice as a religious ritual. Equally important, they also offered an alternative conception of piety in and through a language dedicated to the therapeutic health and well-being of others. In the philosophies of Socrates and Epicurus in the Greek world and in the teaching and healing of Jesus in the Jewish world of first-century Palestine, we reach a decisive moment in the revolution of religion in the ancient world. The practice of animal sacrifice in the temples of Greece and Jerusalem begins to be reconceived and eventually abolished and replaced by a soteriology or healing wholly dedicated to the well-being of individuals no less than entire societies. The replacement of animal sacrifice with soteriological speech is the single most important revolution in the religions of antiquity.

Подробнее

"Love people." An oft-proclaimed rallying cry for Christians, but what does it look like, in practice, to love? We may believe that love is «the greatest» (1 Cor 13:13). Love may be our destination. But do we know how to get there?
This book addresses essential questions about the Christian life. What is a true, compelling, and helpful Christian understanding of love? What is spiritual growth supposed to do to us or for us (or for others, through us)? How can we speak of grace and personal initiative in one theological vision? How do we go beyond a spirituality that is either too privatized and insular or too activist without the undergirding character needed to sustain such activism? How do we ensure love is not simply a principle we hold or a slogan we applaud but a powerful force that perpetually grows in us and ripples out to others in concrete, transformative ways?
This book is a guide to love. Drawing on virtue ethics, psychology, theology, and spirituality, it offers a love-centered, hopeful vision of the Christian spiritual life. The story in which God invites us to live is about a journey of love, toward love. Is this your story?

Подробнее

This book offers a fresh perspective on the ongoing evangelical debate concerning whether the Son eternally submits to the Father. Beginning with the pro-Nicene account of will being a property of the single divine nature, Glenn Butner explores how language of eternal submission requires a modification of the classical theology of the divine will. This modification has problematic consequences for Christology, various atonement theories, and the doctrine of God, because as historically developed these doctrines shared the pro-Nicene assumption of a single divine will. This new angle on an old debate challenges the reader to move beyond the inaccurate characterization of views on eternal submission as «Arian» or «feminist» toward a more accurate understanding of the real theological issues at stake.

Подробнее

While it is true the Bible does relate important episodes in the history of the Jewish people, it is thought of as being much more than a history book. This is why many question the Bible's rationale for including a book such as Numbers, one that seems to be little more than a history book. In comparison, Genesis as a history book makes sense. It tells of the creation of the heavens and earth and the foundational stories of the Jewish people. Even Exodus, which relates the departure of the Jewish people from Egypt, has many legal sections. This thus begs the question: what exactly is the Book of Numbers, and what role does it play in the overall narrative of the Bible? Presenting Numbers as the book of character development is the major guiding principle of the pedagogical approach set forth in this book for teaching Numbers. This approach can also be used for teaching Genesis. However, the characters in Genesis are portrayed as either «very good» or «evil.» Not so in Numbers, whose main personalities can and should be viewed in hues of grey, making it a very appropriate vehicle for teaching character development to high school students.

Подробнее

I used to know it all; who was bound for heaven and who would be in hell, how the contradictions in the Bible all fit together when read with guidance from the Spirit and in keeping with our church's exact teaching. How to fix government, end war, and balance capitalism with community, what was true and what was false, how the world made sense and why it was fair. Then my sure answers became unacceptable. Now I know mostly little things; the love of family, the importance of children, the need to live in the circle of a tribe, the freedom of unknowing, the joy of being in trees and on rocks under birds in flight, the comfort of not being responsible for all things and all people, the power each moment to choose behavior that will add to the heaven or hell experienced in the present by real people, the beauty of the dance of atoms and stars bracketing the grand diversity and mysteries of life. I know One Universe which creates, knows, sustains, and is. One is enough.

Подробнее

Keeping the Sabbath is the only commandment God called holy and said to remember. The moment the women light the Sabbath candle, we glimpse the boundless realm of the world to come as all work is put down and we meet with the Lord. The flame reveals our distinctions and makes known our gifts, a flame that spoke from Mount Sinai, led the Israelites through the desert, consumed offerings, and anointed the new church. Jesus said, «Come.» Let anyone who hears this say, «Come.» He opens his kingdom with generous hospitality, an invitation to a place at the table for anyone called to reconcile the wild and natural branches of the olive tree. Under the shared commandment to know God, the radiance is drawing together a family at his table in an unprecedented movement bringing Jew and Gentile into the one new humanity Jesus prayed for us to be. Sabbath is the only ritual listed in the ten commandments. In it he has set a table before us in the presence of the enemy who tried to divide the wholeness of the body of Christ, the feminine importance in bringing light, and the sacredness of heritage.

Подробнее

The trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens made a strong impression on fans. Many were excited by what they saw as a return to the spirit of George Lucas's 1977 creation. Others–including several white supremacy groups–were upset and offended by key differences, most notably the shift away from a blond, blue-eyed, male protagonist. When the film was finally released, reactions similarly seemed to hinge on whether or not The Force Awakens renewed the «mythic» aspects of the original trilogy in ways that fans approved of. The Myth Awakens examines the religious implications of this phenomenon, considering the ways in which myth can function to reinforce «traditional» social and political values. In their analyses the authors of this book reflect on fan responses in relation to various elements of (and changes to) the Star Wars canon–including toys, video games, and novels, as well as several of the films. They do so using a variety of critical tools, drawing from studies of gender, race, psychology, politics, authority, music, ritual, and memory.

Подробнее