LITMIR.BIZ

Veterans who experience the overwhelming trauma of war are often still stuck in the far country. In the aftermath, many feel abandoned by God. Adam D. Tietje suggests that Holy Saturday, Christ's descent into hell, is the place where God fully identifies with our God-abandonment. In light of the resurrection, it can be seen that the complete hiddenness of God on Holy Saturday is in fact the fullness of revelation. God has chosen to be revealed precisely through the cross and the grave. The author takes a Chalcedonian approach to the problem of relating a theology of Holy Saturday to the psychology of trauma. Through the use of this method, he suggests that pastoral caregivers might understand trauma and moral injury as soul wounds. Sanctuary, lament and confession, and forgiveness and reconciliation are found to provide a direction for the care of such wounds.

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Stop worrying. That is easier said than done. One of the greatest struggles in many of our lives is anxiety, dread, fear, and the feeling of hopelessness. In Stop Worrying, He Reigns, we take a journey through the book of Esther to discover the timeless truths regarding the sovereignty of God and its practical application for our anxious hearts and heavy souls. We are compelled by a storyline where God's name is never mentioned, yet he is the main character directing every piece of the story. In these truths, we find comfort, hope, and rest, the strength to be bold even in dire times. We learn to stop worrying, for he reigns.

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Robert Jenson has been praised by Stanley Hauerwas, David Bentley Hart, Wolfhart Pannenberg, and others as one of the most creative and important contemporary theologians. But his work is daunting for many, both because of its conceptual demands and because of Jenson's unusual prose style. This book is an attempt to give Jenson the kind of hearing that puts his creativity and significance on display, and allows newcomers to and old friends of his theology the opportunity to hear it afresh.

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Dao De Jing is an ancient wisdom book, purportedly written by Laozi, who flourished in the sixth century BCE according to the Chinese tradition. It is comprised of eighty-one short poems of which the source is diverse, ranging from personal life to communal and political life. It uses abundant metaphors taken from nature such as water, dust, river, wood, and valley. Laozi reminds his readers to rethink their worldview and purpose of life. Parables of Jesus also are stories about life, ranging from personal identity to social justice. Laozi and Jesus lived in different places at different times. Yet they share a passion and vision to make a better world, full of mercy, justice, and peace. Laozi asks his audience to appreciate the power of smallness in their perspectives. Likewise, in the Mustard Seed, Jesus also helps his audience to see the potential of a small seed that may grow miraculously to several feet tall. This book reads Jesus' parables from the perspective of the Dao De Jing. There is a new translation of the Dao De Jing in the Appendix.

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The congruence of the theology of Paul and Luke is a matter of debate. In particular, according to many scholars, the soteriologies of Paul and Luke are divergent. This volume argues that the usage of καλέω language by both Paul and Luke suggests that it may be a common element in their soteriologies. The author demonstrates that καλέω language is an important concept in the soteriologies of Luke and Paul and that although there are contrasts, there are a number of points of comparison. Crucial to this common understanding is the association of καλέω language with the OT covenants, election, covenant meals, and an expectation of the eschatological banquet. As a result of this prominent and consistent usage by Paul and Luke, the language of καλέω deserves a higher place in the Christian understanding of salvation. This has implications for Christian life and practice.

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In life there are a few major questions. Among them are, «What do we gain?» «What's new?» and «What's the point?» This book creatively uses the Book of Ecclesiastes–where these questions often pop up–to investigate how we question, what we question, and why we question. Along the way you will encounter some of history's great questioners: Socrates, Soren Kierkegaard, Virginia Woolf, Friedrich Nietzsche, G. K. Chesterton, and others, though they may appear in unexpected ways. Something Beyond Nothing? is an experiment in finding and making meaning that focuses on the unpredictable journey of living with questions. Taking the awkwardness of Ecclesiastes as a cue, Brian Niece's odd book is a mix of storytelling, theological analysis, poetic meditation, philosophical investigation, drama, and biblical interpretation. Herein is nonfiction and fiction–with no clear line between the two–suggesting that our modes of meaning may be as significant as the meaning they lead us to. What's more, if there is something beyond nothing, it may not be quite like what we think we know. And the God we don't yet know may surprise us.

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Who's Minding the Story? examines the trajectory of the United Church of Canada since its heyday in the mid-1960s. Jeff Seaton argues that the denomination accepted the criticisms leveled at it by proponents of secular theology in the 1960s and made sweeping changes to its practices, its presentation of the Christian story, and its engagement with the world. Seaton argues that these «adjustments,» which continue to exert strong influence in the denomination today–as witnessed in the approaches of influential contemporary United Church leaders John Pentland and Gretta Vosper–have seriously weakened the United Church's Christian identity and contributed to its decline. Engaging the work of Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor in his magisterial volume A Secular Age, Seaton questions the assumptions that undergird secular theology. The book concludes with an invitation to the United Church to make a course correction by reengaging with the Christian tradition while maintaining its commitment to social justice, in a formulation Seaton names «progressive orthodoxy.»

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Jesus was the descendant of sexually exploited women, narrowly survived a child homicide, and grew up to be the world's most prominent defender of children. Jesus reserved his harshest words for those who abused or neglected children and went so far as to say our treatment of children says everything about our view of God. Although the early church took this message to heart and distinguished itself by its treatment of children, this message has been distorted or ignored by many modern Christian leaders. As a result, the church has often failed to protect children from abuse and, in many instances, has contributed to their maltreatment.
In this insightful book, Christian theologian and internationally recognized child abuse expert Victor Vieth examines the role of Jesus' life and teachings in reducing child abuse in the New Testament world. Vieth urges Christians to once again take seriously everything Jesus had to say about children. Using the teachings of Jesus as a blueprint, Vieth sets forth a proposal for church reform to prevent many cases of abuse, improve the pastoral care of survivors of abuse, and witness to the world that Christian faith shows itself in service to children.

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Narrative Discipleship examines the thematic and theological impact of women in the Gospel of Mark. Using narrative analysis, Aernie explores how Mark intentionally crafts the narratives of women in the Gospel to extend his portrait of discipleship. Mark portrays these women as exemplars of four key aspects of discipleship–restored life, kingdom speech, sacrificial action, and cruciformity. These portraits of discipleship provide a transformative paradigm for Mark's audience. Mark creates a portrait of narrative discipleship as a means to encourage his audience toward embodied discipleship and faithful participation in God's in-breaking kingdom.

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The God Revolution takes a fresh approach to the roots of Christianity. It asks the reader to explore and join a revolution in lifestyle and thought rooted both in a personal wager on God as the source of a meaningful hope and in the story of Jesus of Nazareth. This book invites us to see Jesus' own Hebrew Bible something like the way he himself did. Then it turns our attention forward to the surprising impact Jesus had on those who followed him, how they reinvented the ancient world, and how we might reinvent ours. It is written for explorers, rather than those already weary of the form of religion they have known.

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