LITMIR.BIZ

What does it mean to die? What is the role of death in human life? The theme of this novel focuses on these two questions in the medium of a duel between the god of death, Mowt, and Dr. Athenaion, a devotee of the god of love. In the course of delineating the duel, the author spotlights the meaning of death as a human phenomenon in the context of a truly loving family. Mowt inflicts several devastating calamities upon Dr. Athenaion, but in spite of this infliction, two love affairs sprout and see the light of day in the Athenaion family.

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While meaning and purpose are often seen as synonymous, this book argues that they sometimes are in opposition, the search for meaning at times suicidal, and living with purpose life-enhancing and invigorating. No people seemed to search for meaning in their lives more than did the ancient and classical Greeks. They were not content with living simple lives but oftentimes took on gargantuan tasks which resulted in a great deal of upheaval and unpleasantness in their everyday lives, and oftentimes to disaster, indeed suicide. The biblical human being, in contrast, is not driven to search for meaning in this way. One's purpose is inherent in daily life. He does not need to search for it. The God of the Hebrew Bible makes the human being, man and woman, in His own image. He then breathes life into man. Life has an inherent purpose. Man must be a steward of God's creation.

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Among the numerous sets of conferences that Thomas Merton presented to young prospective monks during his decade (1955-1965) as novice master at the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani is a wide-ranging introduction to biblical studies, made available for the first time in the present volume. Drawing on church tradition, teaching of recent papal documents, and scholarly resources of the time, he reveals the central importance of the Scriptures for the spiritual growth of his listeners. The extensive introduction situates material of these conferences in the context of Merton's evolving engagement with the Bible from his own days as a student monk through the mature reflections from his final years on the biblical renewal in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. For Merton, at the heart of any meaningful reading of the Scriptures, not only for monks but for all Christians, is the invitation to respond not just intellectually but with the whole self, to recognize the gospel as «good news,» as a saving, liberating, consoling, challenging word, reflecting his fundamental belief that «the Holy Spirit enlightens us, in our reading, to see how our own lives are part of these great mysteries–how we are one with Jesus in them.»

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How should the Methodist tradition continue to embody its evangelistic mission? Some believe effective evangelism requires ecclesial adaptation seeking relevance to attract outsiders. But does this strategy result in the church's embrace of consumer market practices, pandering to a world of church shoppers? Others suggest the most evangelistic thing the church can do is to be the church, displaying to the world the attractive beauty of a holy community. But could this ironically distance the church from its context and neglect the many ways the church is called to engage the world? The Wesleys formed a people called Methodist, embodying an evangelistic mission combining commitments to disciplined spiritual life and vital social engagement. In this book, Conklin-Miller suggests faithful (United) Methodist evangelism requires living in the tension between the church and the world, «leaning both ways at once,» emphasizing the holiness of the church as a particular people, but at the same time, being a people sent to intercede in the world as servants, advocates, and witnesses. This understanding constitutes not only a broader reframing of evangelistic mission but also a vision for the identity and agency of the church in the Wesleyan tradition: a Methodist missional ecclesiology.

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Is being a good American the same thing as being a good Christian? Are they the same thing? Are they opposed? Or perhaps they overlap in important ways. The «Christ and Culture» question is not new. It showed itself in the reaction of many Jews to Jesus. The early Christians had to find some way to relate to their Greek and Roman societies, with questionable results for their faith and their cultures. This problem has haunted Christians throughout history, and still is with us today. This book looks at much of the history of the church and the various answers that have been given to the issue. It does not attempt to arrive at a definitive answer to these questions but invites the reader to come to their own conclusions.

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The apostle Paul said, «Oh death, where is your sting?» (1 Corinthians 15:55) And yet when faced with their own end, most believers are very anxious. We know death is a fact of living, but we are not too keen to go through the pain and anguish associated with it. And it is how we address death's anguish that is the subject of this book. Through a close examination of the recently legalized «medical assistance in dying (MAID),» Levan suggests that Canadians can now face their own end with a different spirit. While death is the disease that will get us all, he points out that dying is a process that can be «healed» if we are given the time and permission to face it. Taking insights that arise from the Abrahamic religious traditions, Levan shows how palliative care can be enhanced by MAID, a new tool in the repertoire of end-of-life therapies. For newcomers to the subject, Levan outlines the facts on MAID–what is allowed and who is excluded. He studies the many taboos surrounding the taking of one's own life and points a way forward for believers. Healing Death is a fresh and inspiring perspective on a very old and anxiety-ridden subject.

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Churches in the West are renowned for responding to the measured needs of the vulnerable within their communities. Yet what about those who present as self-sufficient? With no apparent or obvious needs? Whatever Happened to the Rich Young Man? The Church and the New Marginalized challenges the church to broaden its reach beyond welfare and to seek to engage with (what Foster calls) the New Marginalized (non-welfare demographic), those whose spiritual needs are just as great. Including two case studies within evangelical third place cafes, that are seeking to do just that, this book will awaken the church to embark on a broader vision.

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I and Thou is a summons calling us to dialogue today. Like the call Buber himself received, the book invites us to encounter the Other, our counterparts both human and eternal. Buber's spiritual awakening, his engagement with his people and his times, his wide reading, and his grief are contexts that open up this call to us to join with him in the fullness of a life of dialogue. If we follow Buber into his study, into the struggle of his inner life, into his achievement of dialogical existence–he opens up the wonders of I and Thou to us as his testament and his call to us to turn to dialogue, and he shows us the path to the fulfillment of that life. This book ushers us to that place.

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The impact Jesus had on numerous lives during his earthly ministry is obvious from the Gospel records themselves. But what we do not have is personal testimonies by those persons whom Jesus helped, healed, befriended, or recruited as disciples. In this creative exploration of what sort of testimonies those original encounters might have produced, Ben Witherington paints a picture for us of what the well known and the less well known eyewitnesses might have said had they been asked. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the historical context in which Jesus operated, Witherington brings these men and women out of the shadows and into the light of day.

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