LITMIR.BIZ

Abraham and Sarah were presented with a paradox when God told them they would have a son in their old age. Paradox in the Old Testament plays an important part in the dialogue between God and the Jews.
In the New Testament, paradox is prominent in Jesus' teaching and helps to explain the Christian understanding of salvation.
Today paradox arises when religious meaning of traditional culture conflicts with secular meaning of modern culture. Heddendorf argues that a subversive quality in humor gradually replaces traditional values with new cultural meanings. The resulting humor becomes a substitute for faith.
As this secular humor becomes functional for society, it finds its way into many areas of the culture. This process of secularization in humor moves from faith to fun and, finally, to fun as faith. The result of this secularization could be called a «fun culture.» Redemption of this culture, Heddendorf asserts, should be a continuing concern of the church.

Подробнее

Born in 1934 in Dresden, Germany, Theo Lehmann lived through both the Nazi era and the Communist-ruled German Democratic Republic (GDR). Ordained in the Lutheran Church of Saxony, he was called to an urban parish in Chemnitz. There he introduced a youth worship service marked by contemporary music, uncompromising preaching of the gospel message, and calls to discipleship in Christ that attracted thousands. Lehmann then embarked on an itinerant ministry of youth evangelism with Jorg Swoboda, a Baptist musician and youth leader. He gained the undying enmity of the Communist regime, was under constant surveillance by the dreaded secret police, and was rejected by many of his own ministerial colleagues.
Theo Lehmann was also the best-known scholar of jazz and blues music in the GDR. Indeed these musical forms expressed so well his own longing for freedom. His reputation as an evangelist spread far beyond the narrow confines of East Germany, and he was named to the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. His dreams were fulfilled by the fall of the Berlin Wall, and he was then free to proclaim the Word of God throughout the reunited Germany.
The author of over twenty books and composer of numerous songs widely sung in churches and evangelical gatherings, Lehmann is today his country's foremost evangelist. His life is an extraordinary witness to the power of God and one person's faithfulness to the gospel message.

Подробнее

This book constitutes the first volume of a three-volume study of Christian testimonies to divine suffering: God's Wounds: Hermeneutic of the Christian Symbol of Divine Suffering, Divine Vulnerability and Creation. This study first develops an approach to interpreting the contested claims about the suffering of God. Thus, the larger study focuses its inquiry into the testimonies to divine suffering themselves, seeking to allow the voices that attest to divine suffering to speak freely, to discover and elucidate the internal logic or rationality of this family of testimonies, rather than defending these attestations against the dominant claims of classical Christian theism that have historically sought to eliminate such language altogether from Christian discourse about the nature and life of God. Through this approach this volume of studies into the Christian symbol of divine suffering then investigates the two major presuppositions that the larger family of testimonies to divine suffering normally hold: an understanding of God through the primary metaphor of love («God is love»); and an understanding of the human as created in the image of God, with a life (though finite) analogous to the divine life–the imago Dei as love. When fully elaborated, these presuppositions reveal the conditions of possibility for divine suffering and divine vulnerability with respect to creation.

Подробнее

Although the cry for justice in human society is an important theme in the Bible, in many church and academic circles action for and discourse about social justice is carried on without a thorough exploration of this theme in Scripture. This volume brings together chapters by experts in the various sections of the Old and New Testaments to give a full spectrum of what the Bible has to say about social justice, and to point to ways forward for Christians seeking to think and act in harmony with God in pursuing social justice in the world today.

Подробнее

What are the resources and teachings in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam that take hospitality–and its call to provide protective hospitality–seriously enough to inform shared action and belief on behalf of the threatened other?
This book argues that protective hospitality and its faith-based foundations as seen in the Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam merit greater theological attention and that the practice of protective hospitality in Christianity can be enhanced by better understandings of Judaism's and Islam's practices of hospitality, namely their codes and etiquettes related to honor.
Safeguarding the Stranger draws especially on two currents in contemporary Christian theologies: (1) a contextual and political theological approach informed by liberation and feminist theologies, and (2) a cooperative and complementary theological approach informed by interreligious, Abrahamic, and hospitable approaches to dialogue.
This book is unique in that it seeks to contribute to academic debates within theology and religious dialogue as well as to discussions within the fields of peace studies and conflict resolution on the positive role that religions might play in contexts of conflict.

Подробнее

Roots Matter recognizes the impact of transgenerational trauma, as a result of chattel slavery, on the African American community. It emphasizes the importance of discovering the silent stories (those that were overlooked and ignored); unearthing the secret stories (those that were intentionally covered up); and being attentive to the reverberations of the severed stories of slavery and how they influence family history and family members. Interrupting the transference of generational trauma through mourning, forgiveness, and prayers for healing accelerates the transference of generational resilience. Through celebration and blessing, the fortitude, courage, and determination in the family narrative moves current and future generations toward healing and wholeness. Roots Matter prunes the family tree of trauma, the silent, secret, and severed stories that stunt the growth of the family, and tends to family roots, fertilizing them with the recognition of the resilience, achievements, gifts, and talents of the ancestors, thus creating a healthier environment for future generations to flourish.

Подробнее

It is a common misconception that Lutheran theology is inherently antinomian, or unconcerned with Christian ethics. This unfortunate caricature of the doctrine of the Reformation has been furthered by certain strands of Lutheran theology, which reject the third use of the law and the necessity of expounding Christian ethics in preaching. In this book, Jordan Cooper challenges the claim that Lutheranism emphasizes justification at the expense of sanctification, demonstrating that the two kinds of righteousness are a historical Lutheran framework that gives prominence to both salvation by grace and one's duty to serve the neighbor in love. Through an evaluation of Luther's writings, the confessional documents, Lutheran Orthodoxy, and contemporary writers, Cooper demonstrates that an emphasis on the passive nature of one's relationship to God does not diminish or negate the necessity of sanctified living. This is done not by departing from Lutheran teaching, but by delving deeper into historic Lutheran theology as found in the scholastic tradition.

Подробнее

From battling apartheid to saving the environment, fighting racism to urging tax justice, and Sunday preaching to visiting the sick, this book tells the story of nearly fifty years of active church ministry. The writer has ministered to congregations in three English cities, traveled to five continents, sometimes with his congregations, and engaged in the major dimensions of Christian mission today. The story begins in the late sixties, at the Fourth Assembly of the World Council of Churches. Chapters cover the struggle against apartheid, the Program to Combat Racism, the rise of Transnational Corporations, local ministry, the challenge of climate change, movements against racism and caste discrimination, and the growing campaign for tax justice. Each chapter ends with a reflection on a theologian who has influenced and encouraged the author. They range from Dietrich Bonhoeffer through Gustavo Gutierrez and Ann Morisy to James Cone and Tissa Balasuriya. The book mixes experiences of the local and global, congregational life and international engagement. It offers a sweep of concern and action, enlivened by humorous incidents. Readers will gain insight into how broad contemporary ministry can be, and how the churches can still make a contribution to bringing God's peace-with-justice to today's world.

Подробнее

The Old Testament prophets and their writings were hugely instrumental in the formation of the second temple eschatology, so an appreciation of the Old Testament prophetic literature greatly helps us in understanding the life and ministry of Jesus and the rationale of the early church. Israel's story of divine election lay at the core of their identity as a nation and people, constantly reinforced in the religious practices and rituals that made up their lives. That story, by the time of Jesus, was heavily influenced by the eschatological expectations created by the prophets. The people of Israel expected, looked for, and waited for God's intervention in their history and in their lives once again as he had intervened in the past. The eschatological message of the prophets focused on two themes, the kingdom of God and the day of the Lord. The first theme largely found its fulfillment in the coming of Jesus and the birth of the church, though it awaits his return for its culmination. The book of Revelation presents an unfolding of the second theme, the day of the Lord. This forms the common theme in the prophets of God's final and culminating act of righteousness and justice in this age.

Подробнее

This two-volume set is part of a growing body of literature concerned with the history of biblical interpretation. The ample introduction first sets key players into the story of the development of the major strands of biblical interpretation since the Enlightenment, identifying how different theoretical and methodological approaches are related to each other and describing the academic environment in which they emerged and developed. Volume 1 contains fourteen essays on twenty-two interpreters who were principally active before 1980, and volume 2 has nineteen essays on twenty-seven of those who were active primarily after this date. Each chapter provides a brief biography of one or more scholars, as well as a detailed description of their major contributions to the field. This is followed by an (often new) application of the scholar's theory. By focusing on the individual scholars and their work, the book recognizes that interpretive approaches arise out of certain circumstances, and that scholars are influenced by, and have influences upon, both other interpreters and the times in which they live. This set is ideal for any class on the history of biblical interpretation and for those who want a greater understanding of how the current field of biblical studies developed.

Подробнее