LITMIR.BIZ

What is the meaning of life? The question has been asked by the brightest philosophical minds for centuries. Still to this day answers vary greatly depending on the worldview. Solomon, the wisest king in Israel's history, set all his energies to search for the ultimate meaning of life under the sun. His conclusions may shock and surprise you–vanity, chasing after the wind, absurdity, vanishing smoke. Are these the musings of a genius or of a mad man? If you are looking for a candy-coated appraisal of life then go ahead and put this book down. However, if you are looking for a no-frills, brutally honest, ragged-edged assessment of reality, then you have discovered an indispensable volume. In Journal of a Mad Man, pastor and author Derrick McCarson will carefully guide readers verse by verse through Solomon's meditations recorded in the Old Testament book of wisdom–Ecclesiastes. Not only will readers attempt to plumb the depths of some of mankind's most vexing questions, but they will also discover Solomon's secrets for wise living in a warped world.

Подробнее

The revival of Trinitarian studies in the twentieth century ushered in a new era of theological innovation. The renewed and dedicated articulation of the Trinity as a doctrine in its own right is indeed noteworthy, but more important and praiseworthy are the recent endeavors of theologians in integrating the doctrine of the Trinity with other Christian doctrines and with the many variegated aspects of the life and ministries of the church. Today, it is common to encounter the term «Trinitarian» being used as a modifier: Trinitarian worship, Trinitarian ecclesiology, etc. This book presents Thomas F. Torrance as a participant theologian in this integrative paradigm. Because Torrance argues that the Trinity is «the ground and grammar of theology,» his doctrine of salvation is consistently Trinitarian. But how did he formulate his unique Trinitarian soteriology? This book attempts to spell this out.

Подробнее

Religious diversity is a persistent theological predicament for Christian thinkers. Historically, theologians have wrestled with the relationship between believing Christians and religious others. The clash between the Christian doctrine of salvation and non-Christian belief systems often comes down to the question, can non-Christians be «saved»? In a pluralist world, a second question arises: can believers of divergent traditions reconcile their theological differences? Is the logical answer that one believer abandon her faith convictions and promote a relativistic mindset?
This book draws upon original research, documenting conversations by women in an interreligious dialogue group, to show that when believers converse in honesty, empathy, and patience–in short, when engaged in virtuous dialogue–they can bridge the gap left by theory. When believers from different faiths come together in open conversation, it need not lead to relativism but, instead, can lead to strengthened belief. Sharing convictions with people who believe differently, sincere believers find they often come to hold their own core beliefs with newfound strength.

Подробнее

With an interdisciplinary approach, Edwards utilizes literature, aesthetics, world religions, and continental philosophy as avenues into the theology of natural beauty. This is an epistemological look at our aesthetically charged knowing of God through nature. Emphasizing our embodied experience of the world, Edwards examines the phenomenon of perceptual beauty, while questioning traditional notions of God's metaphysical «beauty.» Drawing upon Michael Polanyi's philosophy of science, Edwards explores the human aesthetic and religious interface with the natural world. This philosophical approach is then linked to the poetic: Polanyi's «tacit knowledge» and Jean-Luc Marion's «saturated phenomena» give support to Wordsworth's «pregnant vision» of the natural world. This approach culminates in a re-envisaging of John Ruskin's typology of natural beauty: Ruskin's vision of the world can be adapted toward an understanding of natural revelation. Edwards brings this Romantic theology back across the Atlantic in dialogue with American nature writers and the uniquely American experience of wilderness and «frontier.»

Подробнее

Democratic principles have not taken root readily in Latin America in part because spiritual inwardness, a necessary prerequisite of democracy that is inseparable from the Bible, has been lacking. During the twentieth century Protestant workers like John Mackay (1889-1983) brought the evangelical message to that continent through lectures and writings.
This collection of John Mackay's early essays presents a range of his contributions, and the ideas in the essays are grounded in his clear understanding of the nature and dignity of human beings in the light of God. The fruit of this teaching is self-confidence, courage, steadfastness, and other positive ethical attributes that accompany progress and success for individuals and peoples. The essays touch on religious, educational, literary, political, and philosophical themes in the service of Christian truth. They embody key ideas and strategic judgments related to the presentation of the Evangel, the most basic and first work of the church. The message balances spiritual and social aspects of Christianity to meet the needs of the people, and it accompanied progressive social and political changes in the region.
The historical experience of Protestantism in Latin America is well worth recalling today by readers in North America and elsewhere.

Подробнее

Much like the book of Revelation, Joel L. Watts' Praying in God's Theater aims to pull readers into a deeper spirituality to confront the daily struggles of Christian life. Drawing from the rich well of Christian mystics and theologians from across the ecumenical experience, Watts uses the Apocalypse to build a series of prayers and devotions aimed at increasing what he identifies as the contemplative unity and the certain unity between the individual and Christ. He urges a radical vision of the prayer and the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Each chapter of Revelation is considered, explored, and finally used as a basis to draft prayers. Added to this is an application commentary that explores ancient liturgical practices similar to the scenes in Revelation while looking at Revelation in a mystical manner. Watts offers Revelation as an early liturgy, using this proposition as a catalyst for building prayers and a vision of life based on the Eucharist as the emblem of how we are to approach God. What emerges is a profound view on how we envision Scripture, prayer, and the book of Revelation.

Подробнее

Does reading the Bible sometimes leave you confused? Do you have difficulty seeing the relevance of the Bible to modern concerns or to important issues in your life? Do you believe Bible reading and intellectual inquiry are mutually exclusive? This book explores how the Bible can serve as a resource for discovering truth. It provides a method that accepts and incorporates the knowledge gained from modern scholarship while also recognizing that truth-discovery is a personal, multifaceted journey. It honors the integrity of Scripture while remaining open to insight from additional truth-sources. In exploring what we mean when we speak of the Bible's authority, it is honest about the challenges presented to modern readers by the cultural chasm separating the biblical writers from today's world. How to Read the Bible Without Losing Your Mind shows how the Bible can be read with full engagement of both mind and heart.

Подробнее

A quick scan of any newsstand is enough to confirm the widespread preoccupation with technological change. As a myriad of articles and advertisements demonstrate, not only are we preoccupied with technology, but we are bombarded with numerous reminders that the cutting edge is in constant motion. Most often the underlying assumption of Christians is that we have no choice but to find ways to cope with the latest and greatest. Indeed, it is often assumed that the church has no choice but to find ways to cope with its new technological context.
This book does not make the same assumptions. Building on the work of Mennonite theologian John Howard Yoder, it argues that the practices of the church make it possible for Christians to conscientiously engage technology. This happens when we recognize that marks of the church such as patience, vulnerability, and servanthood can put technological ideals such as speed, control, and efficiency in their proper place. In the course of grappling with three examples of morally formative technologies–automobiles, genetically modified food, and the Internet–this book goes beyond Yoder's thought by emphasizing that the church also plays a crucial role in our moral formation.

Подробнее

This is the most complete translation of the Acts of Paul in English, together with a detailed commentary. The orientation is primarily literary, with detailed attention to the history of composition and revision. Unlike many studies, this commentary does not focus upon the story of Thecla.

Подробнее

Powerful ideas have the capacity to inspire great good. They also have the capacity to prompt unspeakable acts of evil. The ideas of «America» and «the gospel» have been used for both. The situation was no different when the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) brought these two ideas together in its evangelistic work from 1860 to 1920, including during the Civil War and the First World War. Methodist Evangelism, American Salvation traces the MEC's home missions among African Americans and whites in the South; among Native Americans, Mexicans, and white settlers in the West; and among newly arrived immigrants, their children, the poor, and the rich in the East's burgeoning cities. It shows the innovative and courageous work of the MEC to improve the quality of life for these most marginalized populations in the United States. It also shows the fear the MEC had that these populations would overthrow American civilization if they did not conform to the values held by white, middle-class, native-born Americans.

Подробнее