A Letter to My Anxious Christian Friends
A Letter to My Anxious Christian Friends

Author: David P. Gushee

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

Published: 2016-08-02

Total Pages: 138

ISBN-13: 1611646944

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The last few years have seen dizzying social change in the United States. Many of these changes—such as the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage—seem to challenge or overturn long-standing Christian teachings, while disputes over issues such as immigration, racism, and the abuse of police authority create uncertainty and confusion about what a faithful Christian response looks like. Small wonder, then, that the dominant mood among many Christians is anxiety about what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the world today. In a clear and readable style, leading Christian ethicist David P. Gushee explores the many social and political changes that are causing Christian anxiety, offering ways to understand and act on these issues that are grounded in the reign of God rather than in human fear. What do we see when we look at a given political issue, argument, or candidate? What do we wish to see? And what might Christian faith contribute to seeing, interpreting, and acting rightly in this particular moment? Gushee helps average Christians think through and make sense of their fears and anxieties about rapid social change in American society, showing how our faith is calling us not to fear and worry but to hope.

Still Christian
Still Christian

Author: David P. Gushee

Publisher: Presbyterian Publishing Corp

Published: 2017-09-15

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 1611648270

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This is a book for folks whose commitment to Jesus has put them at odds with American evangelicalism. —Shane Claiborne So many Americans today love their faith but have found their church doesn't love them back. They then leave, seeking community elsewhere. Of all those personal stories, few have ever been told by someone so far inside the powerful places of white evangelical Christianity. In this provocative tell-all, David Gushee opens the door to the frictions and schisms of evangelicalism, tells his own story of leaving, and shows that you, too, can find a Christianity that is worth following. Gushee’s experiences begin with becoming a born-again Southern Baptist in 1978 and end with being kicked out of evangelicalism in 2014 for his principled stance on full LGBTQ inclusion. But his religious pilgrimage proves even broader than that, as he leads his doctoral studies at Union Seminary in New York, his dismay when the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary expelled female professors and fellow colleagues, to his days as every evangelical’s least-favorite liberal, and more. In telling his story, Gushee speaks to those who have been disillusioned by American Christianity. As he describes his own struggles to find the right path at different stages of his journey, he highlights the turning points and decisions that we all face. When do we compromise, and when do we stand our ground? Is holding to moral conviction worth sacrificing friendship, jobs, and security? As he takes us through his sometimes-amusing, sometimes-heartbreaking, and always-stirring journey, Gushee shows us that we can retain our faith in Christ even when Christians disappoint us.

A Stone in My Shoe
A Stone in My Shoe

Author: J. Michael Walters

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2021-06-15

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 166670198X

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What’s more miserable than trying to walk with a stone in your shoe? Many American evangelicals are experiencing pain and discomfort in their relationship to the church. “Stones” in their shoes make the faith journey uncomfortable and increasingly untenable. They either leave the church altogether, become “church shoppers,” or live on the margins of the church as outliers. This book presents the vantage point of a lifelong evangelical pastor and religious educator who sees himself as an outlier. Walters draws on decades of pastoral life and classroom experience to engage the church in a conversation aimed at clarifying the concerns and discomforts of evangelical outliers. While this is one person’s story it intersects with the stories of many others in American evangelicalism, especially clergy. In identifying the stones which trouble and discomfort so many like him, Walters continually calls the church, his church, back to its biblical and theological foundations.

Community as Church, Church as Community
Community as Church, Church as Community

Author: Michael Plekon

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2021-07-22

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1725287536

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Parishes of all denominations are in decline, shrinking, closing, dying. We know that there are increasing numbers, young and older, who are religious “nones” and “dones.” This book explores why the decline is taking place, why the distancing is going on. But it goes on to examine parishes from all over the country and from various church bodies that are resurrecting. The central theme of death and resurrection shapes the analysis of parishes covered. Parishes are resurrecting by reinventing their ministries, by repurposing their building to better serve their neighborhoods, thus replanting and reconnecting with them. All of this is the Spirit’s doing but through the community of sisters and brothers who make up each congregation of faith. Community as the core of church is the other reality shaping the book’s reflection. And community, a parish being with those around, living for more than its own survival are visions for going forward. Other aspects of congregational life are also examined, most importantly the pastors—how they serve when budgets shrink, how they are trained, how pastors act with the community not above it. No recipes are suggested for parish resurrection, but the stories of the parishes that have revived bear within numerous lessons for us in the future.

A Letter to My Congregation, Second Edition
A Letter to My Congregation, Second Edition

Author: Ken Wilson

Publisher: Read the Spirit Books

Published: 2016-05-20

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1942011407

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“A breakthrough work coming from the heart of evangelical Christianity,” writes theologian David Gushee. “Wilson shows how God has led him on a journey toward a rethinking of what the fully authoritative and inspired Bible ought to be taken to mean in the life of the church today.” “This book … will shape what the church becomes,” writes anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann. “One of the most exquisite, painful, candid, brilliant pieces … that I have ever seen,” writes Christian author Phyllis Tickle. The second edition contains expanded material.

The Gospel and the Modern World
The Gospel and the Modern World

Author: D. A. Carson

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2023-09-19

Total Pages: 413

ISBN-13: 1433590964

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Thirty-Three Collected Essays from D. A. Carson Biblical scholar D. A. Carson has contributed a tremendous amount to the field of evangelical thought, serving as cofounder of the Gospel Coalition, editor of the theological journal Themelios, and, beginning in 2022, as president of the Evangelical Theological Society. Reflecting on his esteemed career, Carson's colleagues have gathered some of his best work in this warm, enriching collection. The Gospel and the Modern World features 33 of Carson's essays from Themelios on a wide range of topics, including his vision for the evangelical church, the authoritative word of God, Christ and culture, and Christian discipleship. It also includes articles from editor Brian J. Tabb, Andrew David Naselli, and Collin Hansen. Celebrating an illustrious, Christ-exalting career, this collection imparts years of experience and Christian scholarship to a new generation of readers. A Celebration of the Work of D. A. Carson: Marks Carson's 2022 presidency of the Evangelical Theological Society and the 50th anniversary of Themelios Informative: A valuable resource for pastors, seminary students, missionaries, and thoughtful Christians Theologically Robust Articles: Includes 33 essays previously published in Themelios, the journal that Carson led as general editor from 2008 to 2018 Copublished by Crossway (US) and IVP Apollos (UK and International)

The Witness of Religion in an Age of Fear
The Witness of Religion in an Age of Fear

Author: Michael Kinnamon

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

Published: 2017-03-10

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13: 1611648025

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We live in a world driven by fear. But should we allow fear to play such a large role in our lives? According to the religions of the world, the answer is no. In this helpful and illuminating book, Michael Kinnamon challenges readers to consider why we find ourselves in this age of fear and what we can do about it. Drawing on support from a diversity of religious traditions and teachers, Kinnamon argues that religious faith is the best way to combat a culture of fear. He explores fear in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the American political scene, and he shares courageous examples of individuals from different religions working for peace. Perfect for individuals or group study, this book helps readers understand the manipulative power of fear and how religious beliefs call us to reject fear at all costs. A study guide is included.

A Bigger Table
A Bigger Table

Author: John Pavlovitz

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

Published: 2017-09-22

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1611648254

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No one likes to eat alone; to approach a table filled with people, only to be told that despite the open chairs there isn't room for you. The rejection stings. It leaves a mark. Yet this is exactly what the church has been saying to far too many people for far too long: “You're not welcome here. Find someplace else to sit.†How can we extend unconditional welcome and acceptance in a world increasingly marked by bigotry, fear, and exclusion? Pastor John Pavlovitz invites readers to join him on the journey to findâ€"or buildâ€"a church that is big enough for everyone. He speaks clearly into the heart of the issues the Christian community has been earnestly wrestling with: LGBT inclusion, gender equality, racial tensions, and global concerns. A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, Hopeful Spiritual Community asks if organized Christianity can find a new way of faithfully continuing the work Jesus began two thousand years ago, where everyone gets a seat. Pavlovitz shares moving personal stories and his careful observations as a pastor to set the table for a new, more loving conversation on these and other important matters of faith. He invites us to build the bigger table Jesus imagined, practicing radical hospitality, total authenticity, messy diversity, and agenda-free community.

LGBTIQ + people and Pentecostals
LGBTIQ + people and Pentecostals

Author: Marius Nel

Publisher: LIT Verlag Münster

Published: 2021-11-30

Total Pages: 397

ISBN-13: 364391248X

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This book provides Pentecostals with the necessary equipment and motivation to contribute to one of Africa's important ethical challenges, LGBTIQ+ people and Africa's homophobic reaction to them. The study is aimed at Christian believers and pastors, to empower them with relevant information about the issue. The issue is discussed in terms of existing biological, psychological, anthropological, sociological, philosophical and queer theory knowledge, along with a study of the biblical texts, in order to answer the question, what should a responsible African Pentecostal response be towards the LGBTIQ+ issue, and what should Pentecostals' attitude be towards such people?

Changing Our Mind
Changing Our Mind

Author: David P. Gushee

Publisher: Read the Spirit Books

Published: 2017-05-31

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1942011857

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“Every generation has its hot-button issue,” writes David P. Gushee, “For us, it’s the LGBT issue.” In Changing Our Mind, Gushee takes the reader along his personal and theological journey as he changes his mind about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender inclusion in the Church. With 19 books to his name, Gushee is no stranger to the public arena. He is the author of the “Evangelical Declaration Against Torture” and drafted the “Evangelical Climate Initiative. “For decades now, David Gushee has earned the reputation as America's leading evangelical ethicist. In this book, he admits that he has been wrong on the LGBT issue.” writes Brian D. McLaren, author and theologian. In the definitive third edition of this book, David Gushee issues a scholarly response to his critics. Brian D. McLaren says it best: “Not only is David Gushee's work deep, thoughtful and brilliant; and not only is David philosophically and theologically careful and astute; he is also refreshingly clear and understandable by ‘common people’ who know neither philosophical nor theological mumbo jumbo.”