In concluding the series of lectures given while he made his first and only visit to the U.S., Dr. Karl Barth expressed his hope to see a theology of freedom for humanity originating from the U.S. As a respectful response to the expressed hope of Karl Barth, Albert Walsh presents this essay as a pastoral proposal on the subject of freedom from the point of view of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Walsh presents both biblical and theological foundations for a theology of freedom, which he calls "graced-freedom," contending that this is that transcendent freedom that God alone confers and sustains as a freedom for humanity.
Pornography is everywhere, and many Christians have fallen prey to its snare. Tim Chester believes we can be captured by a better vision—a liberating confidence that God offers more than pornography does. Moving beyond pat answers or mere willpower, Chester offers spiritual, practical and corporate resources for living porn free.
A comprehensive, innovative, and coherent vision of the sacraments that takes into account current biblical, theological, liturgical, and ministerial developments and challenges the reader to a new awareness of their spiritual power to transform communities and lives.
2020 Christian Book Award® Winner (Bible Reference Works) This textbook offers students a biblically rich, creedally structured, ecumenically evangelical, and ethically engaged introduction to Christian theology. Daniel Treier, coeditor of the popular Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, discusses key Scripture passages, explains Christian theology within the structure of the Nicene Creed, explores the range of evangelical approaches to contested doctrines, acquaints evangelicals with other views (including Orthodox and Catholic), and integrates theological ethics with chapters on the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. The result is a meaty but manageable introduction to the convictions and arguments shaping contemporary evangelical theology.
A taut analysis of black liberation theology, connecting scholarship to practical congregational ministry. The chapters of this book focus on liberation and evangelism, the urban community, and black theology as well as church administration, worship, education, and self-esteem.
International best-selling author and theologian Tomáš Halík shares for the first time the dramatic story of his life as a secretly ordained priest in Communist Czechoslovakia. Inspired by Augustine's candid presentation of his own life, Halík writes about his spiritual journey within a framework of philosophical theology; his work has been compared to that of C. S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, and Henri Nouwen. Born in Prague in 1948, Halík spent his childhood under Stalinism. He describes his conversion to Christianity during the time of communist persecution of the church, his secret study of theology, and secret priesthood ordination in East Germany (even his mother was not allowed to know that her son was a priest). Halík speaks candidly of his doubts and crises of faith as well as of his conflicts within the church. He worked as a psychotherapist for over a decade and, at the same time, was active in the underground church and in the dissident movement with the legendary Cardinal Tomášek and Václav Havel, who proposed Halík as his successor to the Czech presidency. Since the fall of the regime, Halík has served as general secretary to the Czech Conference of Bishops and was an advisor to John Paul II and Václav Havel. Woven throughout Halík’s story is the turbulent history of the church and society in the heart of Europe: the 1968 Prague Spring, the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the self-immolation of his classmate Jan Palach, the “flying university,” the 1989 Velvet Revolution, and the difficult transition from totalitarian communist regime to democracy. Tomáš Halík was a direct witness to many of these events, and he provides valuable testimony about the backdrop of political events and personal memories of the key figures of that time. This volume is a must-read for anyone interested in Halík and the church as it was behind the Iron Curtain, as well as in where the church as a whole is headed today.
What difference does Jesus Christ make for the way we teach the Christian faith? If he is truly God and truly human, if he reveals God to us and us to ourselves, how might that shape our approach to teaching Christianity? Drawing on the work of Søren Kierkegaard, Karl Barth, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Adam Neder offers a clear and creative theological and spiritual reflection on the art of teaching the Christian faith. This engaging book provides a wealth of fresh theological insights and practical suggestions for anyone involved in teaching and learning Christianity.
Encompassing a wide range of topics--from the timely (health care and business ethics) to the traditional (atonement, suffering and the kingdom of God)—this work features an easy-to-use reference system and eighteen articles that introduce readers to key themes in moral, pastoral and practical theology. Edited by David J. Atkinson and David F. Field with consulting editors Arthur Holmes and Oliver O'Donovan.
First Freedom is an important gathering of messages from a recent conference on religious liberty held at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Editor Jason B. Duesing explains: "The purpose of this collection is, first, to provide an introductory look into the biblical and historical foundations of religious liberty combined with several instances of contemporary expression and defense for the purpose of instruction, edification, and encouragement to all who take the time to read this volume. Second, however, we wish to remind Baptists in the twenty-first century of the price that was paid by their forefathers for the establishment and defense of religious liberty. To be sure, there were people of various religious and denominational preferences that providence used to implement the religious freedoms now enjoyed by all, but for Baptists to overlook the contribution of their own would be a travesty."
Evangelicals, argues Wells, have largely lost the truth that God also stands outside all human experience, that he still summons sinners to repentance and belief regardless of their self-image, and that he calls his church to stand fast in his truth against the blandishments of the modern world.
