From the halls of Harvard to the aisles of bookstores to the kitchen tables of Main Street, Americans are developing a new grammar of God that is fresh and rooted in history. Phyllis Tickle shows us snapshots of religion in America from the 1930s to the present. God-Talk in America argues that there is an emerging new understanding of who and what God is, and of what religion must do. As always, religion is being created in the streets and cafes and bedrooms and kitchens of real America rather than in the seminaries or cathedrals. Phyllis Tickle listens in those ordinary places and shows why a sea-change in religion, theology and spirituality is underway. Her book is both map of the present and compass to the future.
A New York Times Notable Book A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2012 A bold approach to understanding the American evangelical experience from an anthropological and psychological perspective by one of the country's most prominent anthropologists. Through a series of intimate, illuminating interviews with various members of the Vineyard, an evangelical church with hundreds of congregations across the country, Tanya Luhrmann leaps into the heart of evangelical faith. Combined with scientific research that studies the effect that intensely practiced prayer can have on the mind, When God Talks Back examines how normal, sensible people—from college students to accountants to housewives, all functioning perfectly well within our society—can attest to having the signs and wonders of the supernatural become as quotidian and as ordinary as laundry. Astute, sensitive, and extraordinarily measured in its approach to the interface between science and religion, Luhrmann's book is sure to generate as much conversation as it will praise.
In God Doesn't Whisper, Pastor Jim Osman examines the assumptions, practices, and Scriptural citations of those who promote Hearing the Voice of God theology. This book provides a thorough examination of the Scriptures often used to promote the practice of listening for the voice of God. What is the still small voice? Does God speak through signs? What about open doors, dreams, and "feeling led"? What is the biblical model for decision-making? Scripture is clear: God Doesn't Whisper.
How can YOU help bring hope to our nation? At a time when it seems that our nation is toppling over—morally, culturally, economically, and politically—you may be asking this question: Is there any hope for America? Dr. Tony Evans says YES. In America: Turning a Nation to God, Dr. Evans helps Christians understand that at the core, America's problems are spiritual. And, God and His rule are America's only hope. As His people, God is calling us to return to Him in humility and repentance, to submit to His rule and authority. Only as we commit to doing so, individually and collectively, will we realize that hope. We hold within the collective body of Christ not only the power but also the capacity to put our country back on the path of ascendancy. This straight-forward teaching, when embraced by believers in our nation, will usher in the greatest revival in American history.
We live in an age of skepticism. Our society places such faith in empirical reason, historical progress, and heartfelt emotion that it’s easy to wonder: Why should anyone believe in Christianity? What role can faith and religion play in our modern lives? In this thoughtful and inspiring new book, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller invites skeptics to consider that Christianity is more relevant now than ever. As human beings, we cannot live without meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, justice, and hope. Christianity provides us with unsurpassed resources to meet these needs. Written for both the ardent believer and the skeptic, Making Sense of God shines a light on the profound value and importance of Christianity in our lives.
Showing that Southern Baptist women are more complex and rebellious than outsiders might think, the author presents the views of more than 150 women, often using their own words, and finds in them an unshakable belief that God speaks as directly to them as to any pastor.
Recently, and seemingly overnight, the once cliche slogan "God Bless America" became almost a national mantra. John MacArthur gets to the heart of the matter by asking the questions most Americans choose to ignore: "Should God bless America?" and "Is America deserving of blessing?" Turning to the Old Testament, he presents the simple truth of God's word, his blessing has always had conditions. MacArthur calls the Nation to turn back to God by showing us how we can become a nation that is once again blessed by God.
What an incomparable gift Lee Greenwood gave us with 'God Bless the U.S.A', a song ingrained in America's soul. It endures as one of the most loved patriotic songs of the last century. This legendary, award-winning country music artist now offers personal insights into America's challenges and her future in his book, Does God Still Bless the U.S.A.' The book calls for citizens to embrace an authentic patriotism while pointing out problems that simply should not be happening in our country. When our ancestors landed in America, they believed their 'inalienable' rights came from a God who loved them and blessed them with the opportunity to establish a new nation. Unapologetically, Lee urges the return to faith and the founding principles that have proven to be the strength of our civilization. Each chapter illuminates areas essential for maintaining our freedom, prosperity, and safety. Lee Greenwood believes America is at a crossroads and people are wanting someone to tell the truth. Here it is...
Despite all the hype surrounding the "New Atheism," the United States remains one of the most religious nations on Earth. In fact, 95% of Americans believe in God--a level of agreement rarely seen in American life. The greatest divisions in America are not between atheists and believers, or even between people of different faiths. What divides us, this groundbreaking book shows, is how we conceive of God and the role He plays in our daily lives. America's Four Gods draws on the most wide-ranging, comprehensive, and illuminating survey of American's religious beliefs ever conducted to offer a systematic exploration of how Americans view God. Paul Froese and Christopher Bader argue that many of America's most intractable social and political divisions emerge from religious convictions that are deeply held but rarely openly discussed. Drawing upon original survey data from thousands of Americans and a wealth of in-depth interviews from all parts of the country, Froese and Bader trace America's cultural and political diversity to its ultimate source--differing opinions about God. They show that regardless of our religious tradition (or lack thereof), Americans worship four distinct types of God: The Authoritative God--who is both engaged in the world and judgmental; The Benevolent God--who loves and helps us in spite of our failings; The Critical God--who catalogs our sins but does not punish them (at least not in this life); and The Distant God--who stands apart from the world He created. The authors show that these four conceptions of God form the basis of our worldviews and are among the most powerful predictors of how we feel about the most contentious issues in American life. Accessible, insightful, and filled with the voices of ordinary Americans discussing their most personal religious beliefs, America's Four Gods provides an invaluable portrait of how we view God and therefore how we view virtually everything else.
