Success in today's business environment may seem difficult or elusive for those who desire to conduct themselves with integrity. To be genuinely successful, you need more than just talent; you need wisdom that can help conquer any situation or problem that comes your way. But wisdom that brings us real success is not worldly wisdom; we need godly wisdom to succeed in all aspects of our lives. Unlike success, godly wisdom is not elusive; it is readily accessible through prayer and God's written Word. In the Bible, a treasure trove of godly wisdom is found in the book of Proverbs. Solomon Was a Businessman examines the wisdom of those proverbs from a business perspective and presents devotionals that enlighten and encourage. Written by business professionals and based on real-life experiences, this book can be read over and over to reveal new treasures of godly wisdom as your life experiences and spiritual needs change.
Abortion. Poverty. Pornography. More than thirty years ago evangelical conservatives, moderates, and liberals alike began tackling these and other major social problems head on through concerted political effort. The intervening decades witnessed the rise of groups such as the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition, which supported numerous politicians and religiously driven policies. Why is it, then, that despite the seemingly great potential of these and other similar groups, the same pervading social problems still persist? How is it that evangelicals have been so ineffective at changing the political and social landscape of the United States in a positive way?
Based on a conference organized by Trinity Law School, God and Governing brings together theologians, politicians, law professors, and cultural critics in order to examine the root causes of evangelical political failure over the past thirty years. With a foreword by Charles Colson, contributors include David Wells, Paul Marshall, Os Guinness, Patrick Nolan, Vishal Mangalwadi, Dallas Willard, Donald McConnell, and Stephen Kennedy.
What role should ambition play in our lives? Our culture generally buys the American Dream that yes, we can fulfill all our aspirations. But to seek personal power and fame in the competitive world of Western culture has a dark side. Ambition can be subtle and enticing, leading to great unhappiness.
Questions about ambition are more urgent now than they have ever been. What is ambition, exactly, and is it okay to be ambitious? What part does self-esteem play in personal growth and productivity? Can the ego's drive to get ahead and make a name for oneself lead to obsession or a growing narcissism? Does the desire to do one's best constitute ambition, or faithfulness to one's calling? Can personal character and integrity be eroded by too much celebrity and success?
The writers in this book address these complex questions about ambition in a variety of ways and in wonderfully different voices. The pieces range from personal musings to thought experiments and more formal reflections. With elegance and wisdom, the writers raise and reflect on the question that lies at our most intimate core of being and at the very center of our culture.
This volume is dedicated to Marvin C. Meyer, a person of passionate spirit and personality, known to many as the preeminent scholar who brought to life the Gnostic Gospels. Meyer made ancient discoveries relevant to our lives: from his work with National Geographic, informing thousands, to the time he spent with individual students, opening their eyes to the mystery and meaning of a Coptic text. Friends, students, and scholars here pay tribute to Meyer with reflections, new pedagogies, and explorations in biblical texts, ancient magic, and archaeological discoveries.
This book represents the collected thinking of a few people who have had strong personal connections to Dr. Song Nai Rhee. Because the integration of faith and learning is a core value held by Dr. Rhee, the various authors have written essays on this topic in honor of his life and work. Such a book is typically referred to as a Festschrift, a celebratory writing given for a special person. Dr. Rhee's robust career at Northwest Christian College/University is celebrated by the essays brought together in this book. All the authors have known Dr. Rhee as students or as academic colleagues or both. What they write about ranges from topics found in biblical literature to expressly theological ideas to matters that are eminently practical. Yet each essay is held in place by its relevancy to the ongoing conversations about how faith and learning are integrated in the context of the Christian liberal arts university. More important, each author has a deep and abiding respect for Dr. Song Nai Rhee. His teaching and mentoring at Northwest Christian College/University have left an indelible mark on each of their lives.
In Prisms of Faith, a diverse and distinguished group of scholars approach the theme of religious education and Catholic identity from their respective disciplinary perspectives, offering compelling insights of interest to scholars, catechists, and the general reader alike. The first three chapters are more historical in nature, offering targeted studies that focus on the Apostolic Fathers as a resource in the formation of faithful Catholics, the preaching of St. Augustine, and religious education in modern Poland. The last four chapters have a more contemporary focus, approaching current initiatives and challenges in the formation of faithful Catholics. Issues under consideration include the rights and obligations enshrined in the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the catechetical dimension of liturgy, current obstacles and opportunities in the moral formation of Catholics, and a comparative analysis of three dominant approaches to Catholic religious education. Taken together, these seven chapters form a coherent whole, illustrating well the perennial importance of Catholic religious education, the various resources and methods employed in this work, and the stubborn challenges that effective formation entails.
The United Church of Christ was formed in 1957 to be first and foremost a proactive agent in the often tangled but nonetheless breathtaking ministry and mission of ecumenicity in the pursuit of ever greater visible unity among the diversity of Christian churches. This singular task of ecumenicity is arguably the most crucial in the formulation of an ecclesiology essential to the United Church of Christ as a «united and uniting» church; a mission Albert Walsh refers to in this book as her God given «vision-and-vocation.» In United and Uniting, Walsh contends that the identity and self-understanding of the UCC at both national and local levels is best comprehended as a «Christ-centered» and «conciliar» fellowship, and therefore her ecclesiology must be fundamentally ecumenical. A Christ-centered ecumenicity must shape, inform, and characterize the whole of her ecclesiology, and membership in the UCC is defined almost exclusively in terms of a «conciliar» identity. Walsh advocates a return to ecumenical formation at the level of the grassroots or membership in the local congregation as holding the greatest promise for furtherance of the wider ecumenical mission.
How do different Christian denominations in the United States approach immigration issues? In Immigrant Neighbors among Us, U.S. Hispanic scholars creatively mine the resources of their theological traditions to reflect on one of the most controversial issues of our day. Representative theologians from Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Methodist/Wesleyan, Pentecostal, and Independent Evangelical church families show how biblical narratives, historical events, systematic frameworks, ethical principles, and models of ministry shape their traditions' perspectives on immigrant neighbors, law, and reform. Each chapter provides questions for dialogue.
The beloved Chronicles of Narnia are only the «top layer» of the rich treasure trove of C.S. Lewis's writing. This brilliant Oxford don made a tremendous impact on contemporary Christian thought and has deeply influenced generations of followers of Jesus in the half-century since his death. The authors in this collection examine Lewis's many contributions and reflect deeply on their significance for theology, spiritual imagination, and the challenge of Christian discipleship today. From Narnian adventures to Screwtape's letters, through studies of Lewis's collaborators (like J.R.R. Tolkien) and inspirations (like George MacDonald), and by way of reflection on deeper theological themes like human will, joy, and the End of Days, this book will inspire and provoke contemplation of God's presence in your life and in our world.
What is our destiny? The final end of humanity and the universe is a subject of perennial interest, especially for Christians. What are we promised? Will anyone finally be left out of God's intentions to bless humanity? What sort of transformation will be needed to enter the presence of God? These questions have been at the heart of Christian teachings about last things. The 2013 Pro Ecclesia Conference of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology focused such issues on the theme «Heaven, Hell . . . and Purgatory?» The six essays in this volume cover a range of topics of interest to Catholic, Evangelical, and Orthodox theology.