Религия: прочее
Различные книги в жанре Религия: прочееJustification in a Post-Christian Society
Since the Reformation in the sixteenth century, Lutheran traditions have had a great impact on culture and politics in many societies. At the same time Lutheran churches have impacted personal faith, basic morality, and ethics. Modern society, however, is quite different from the time of the Reformation.
How should we evaluate Lutheran tradition in today's Western multicultural and post-Christian society? Is it possible to develop a Lutheran theological position that can be regarded as reasonable in a society that evidences a considerable weakening of the role of Christianity? What are the challenges raised by cultural diversity for a Lutheran theology and ethics? Is it possible to develop a Lutheran identity in a multicultural society, and is there any fruitful Lutheran contribution to the coexistence of different religious and nonreligious traditions in the future?
Preaching the New Testament as Rhetoric
Since the rise of the «New Homiletic» a generation ago, it has been recognized that sermons not only say something to listeners, they also do something. A truly expository sermon will seek not merely to say what the biblical text said, but also to do what the biblical text did in the lives of its original audience. In Preaching the New Testament as Rhetoric, MacBride looks how at the discipline of rhetorical criticism can help preachers discern the function of a New Testament text in its original setting as a means of crafting a sermon that can function similarly in contemporary contexts. Focusing on the letters of Paul, he shows how understanding them in light of Greco-Roman speech conventions can suggest ways by which preachers can communicate not just the content of the letters, but also their function. In this way, the power of the text itself can be harnessed, leading to sermons that inform and, most importantly, transform.
Alasdair MacIntyre, George Lindbeck, and the Nature of Tradition
What should we believe, and why should we believe it? This book addresses these questions through a critical exposition of the work of the contemporary philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre and of the theologian George Lindbeck, the father of postliberal theology. The book argues that MacIntyre's philosophical development can be seen as a response to the question of how belief in a comprehensive metaphysical system can be justified. Such a system provides its believers with an account of the nature of the universe and human nature, and a basis for their ethical reasoning and action. The book draws on Lindbeck's cultural-linguistic account of religion to argue that such a system is primarily a way of interpreting the world and the place of humanity within it, rather than a speculative theory. The justification of belief in such systems can be understood in terms of MacIntyre's account of tradition-constituted rationality, provided that this notion of rationality is made more specific by the incorporation of elements of Lindbeck's theology. Equally, the book argues that Lindbeck's theology can be strengthened by the incorporation of elements drawn from MacIntyre's work. This book will be of value to students of philosophy and theology and to the general reader who is interested in the question of the grounds of belief.
Truth That Never Dies
The Dr. G. R. Beasley-Murray Memorial Lectures were delivered between 2002 and 2012 with the aim of extending the legacy of this significant New Testament scholar and church leader into the twenty-first century. Themes addressed include baptism, ministry, preaching, mission, and theological faithfulness. Having first been delivered at the annual Assembly of the Baptist Union of Great Britain the lectures in this volume are now made available to a wider audience and will be of interest to church leaders across the denominations and across the world, and not least to those who stand in Beasley-Murray's own Baptist tradition. George Beasley-Murray died in 2000.
Taking the Adventure
What is the relationship between faith, especially Christian faith, and a lifestyle that respects animals as our neighbors and kin? Why should faith entail a commitment to vegetarianism? Are animals meant to be heirs of the kingdom of God as well as human beings? Taking the Adventure offers answers to these questions in the context of important biblical themes: of Eden and Exodus, of the prophetic imperative, of Jesus as a prophet proclaiming liberty to the oppressed and the captives, of the feast of the kingdom, of the resurrection and life beyond death. It explores imagery from familiar novels such as A Christmas Carol and The Hobbit that deal with cravings, anxiety, and true abundance. It proposes that committing ourselves to live in God-given peace with all living beings, and sharing with others the good news of that peace, is an adventure worth the best we can give–an arduous and painful, yet joyous adventure climaxing in return to the heart of God.
Blood Cries Out
John McConnell Jr. was the famed founder and visionary of Earth Day. McConnell's vision was one of creating a day of remembrance, solitude, and action to restore the broken human relationship to the land. Little acknowledged are McConnell's religious convictions or background. McConnell grew up in a Pentecostal home. In fact, McConnell's parents were both founding charter members of the Assemblies of God in 1914. His own grandfather had an even greater connection to the origins of Pentecostalism by being a personal participant at the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906. Earth Day, thus, began with strong religious convictions. McConnell, seeing the ecological demise through his religious background, envisioned a day where Christians could «show the power of prayer, the validity of their charity, and their practical concern for Earth's life and people.»
In the spirit of McConnell, today's Pentecostal and Charismatic theology has something to say about the earth. Blood Cries Out is a unique contribution by Pentecostal and Charismatic theologians and practitioners to the global conversation concerning ecological degradation, climate change, and ecological justice.
Brothers, Stand Firm
There are pivotal moments in history when the trajectory of marriages, families, businesses, movements, and nations could go one way or another, producing very different outcomes. This is such a moment for the church in America. The need of our generation is the same as every other: a disciplined army of credible men who know, practice, and invest seven things in the next generation. This book is designed to help men get started in this most important adventure of their lives.
A Jubilee for All Time
In 1965, the Second Vatican Council formally issued a historic document titled Nostra Aetate (In Our Time). It was an attempt to frame the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the Jewish people. Never before had an ecumenical council attempted such a task. The landmark document issued by the Council and proclaimed by Pope Paul VI precipitated a Copernican revolution in Catholic-Jewish relations and started a process that has spread to the Protestant and Orthodox worlds as well.
This volume, consisting of essays and reflections by Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and Jewish scholars and theologians, by pastors and professors from the United States, Canada, Ireland, Great Britain, and Israel, is an evaluation of what Nostra Aetate has accomplished thus far and how Christian-Jewish relations must proceed in building bridges of respect, understanding, and trust between the faith groups.
A Jubilee for All Times serves as a source of discussion, learning, and dialogue for scholars, students and intelligent laypersons who believe that we must create a positive relationship between Judaism and Christianity.
Weathering the Psalms
The weather is all around us all the time. From ancient times people have attributed the weather to the work of the gods. Ancient Israel shared this perception. The book of Psalms reflects theologically significant views on the weather that have not, until now, been fully explored. In this meteorological survey of the Psalms, whimsically called «meteorotheology,» every reference to the weather is translated in accordance with the known climate and weather of ancient Israel. Each verse is discussed with particular attention to the function of the weather in the hymnal of ancient Israel. This book will be a resource for translators, clergy, and scholars with an interest in how the weather impacted religious outlooks in ancient Israel. Readers will learn that some expected associations, such as thunder and lightning, did not influence Israelite views on the natural world in the same way that they do today. Yahweh was God of the weather, and the Psalms frequently use this paradigm as a reason for both praise and fear of the Lord.
Spirit of Liberality
The themes covered in this collection of essays span a wide area, from Christology and the doctrine of God to human rights and Christian spirituality, and they were written and delivered in a variety of contexts, from colleges to churches, on both sides of the Atlantic. Some have been published previously, while others are new. The papers speak from within the liberal tradition of theology, and were written from 2005-14, following on an earlier volume, Traces of Liberality. The author has added a biographical essay and a personal bibliography.