In this book Raymund Schwager surveys the church's christological tradition and proposes an understanding of Jesus that is informed by a conversation with the great theologians and leaders of the past and influenced by two contemporary pioneers in Christian thought: Hans Urs von Balthasar, known for his "theodramatic" approach, and Rene Girard, widely recognized for his mimetic scapegoat theory. The result is both a convincing scholarly picture of Jesus in relation to his Jewish historical context and to the beginnings of the Christian community and a coherent message of Jesus as God's word of salvation to humankind.
Where Will You Spend Eternity? The drama of salvation involves every man, woman, and child on earth. In this life, all of us are suspended between heaven and hell. Few people understand what Jesus did or how it affects us. Worse yet, there are endless squabbles between Christians of different persuasions, leading to confusion on a massive scale. In this book, Jimmy Akin uses his expertise in Scripture and Church teaching to cut through the confusion and provide clear answers on important issues like: What we need to do to be saved Whether salvation is a one-time event or a process Whether penance is part of God's plan What indulgences are How faith and works relate What the Church teaches about justification How far apart Protestants and Catholics are on this question Whether you have to be a Catholic (or a Christian) to be saved No other book takes on these questions with the clarity and precision that Akin brings to them and the answer will affect you and those you love . . . forever.
This bestselling textbook surveys the grand narrative of the Bible, demonstrating how the biblical story forms the foundation of a Christian worldview. The second edition has been thoroughly revised. Additional material is available online through Baker Academic's Textbook eSources, offering course help for professors and study aids for students. Resources include discussion questions, a Bible reading schedule, an adult Bible class schedule, and a course syllabus.
Growing up in an ethnic suburb in Cleveland, Aaron Milavec was an impressionable adolescent whose religious and cultural influences made it natural for him to pity, blame, and despise Jews. All of that began to change in 1955 when Mr. Martin, a Jewish merchant, hired Milavec as a stock boy. Milavec's initial anxieties over working for a Jew surprisingly gave way to profound personal admiration. This, in turn, plunged Milavec into a troubling theological dilemma: How could God consign Mr. Martin to eternal hellfire due to his ancestral role in the death of Jesus when it was clear that Mr. Martin would not harm me, a Christian, even in small ways? This book is not for the faint-hearted. Most Christians imagine that the poison of anti-Judaism has been largely eliminated. In contrast, Milavec reveals how this poison has gone underground--disfiguring not only the role of Israel in God's plan of salvation but also horribly twisting the faith, the forgiveness, and the salvation that Christians find through Jesus Christ. This painful realization serves as the necessary first step for our healing. At each step of the way, Milavec's sure hand builds bridges of mutual understanding that enable both Christians and Jews to cross the chasm of distrust and distortion that has infected both church and synagogue over the centuries. In the end, Milavec securely brings his readers to that place where Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity can again be admired as sister religions intimately united to one other in God's drama of salvation.
Christopher Wright uses this verse as a lens through which he surveys the Bible’s teaching on 'salvation’. Every phrase in the verse resonates with significant themes in the Old and New Testaments, all of which combine to show that the Bible tells the story of God’s salvation very broadly indeed, in relation to the character and purposes of God, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the redemption of all creation, the joy of Christian experience and the responsibility of Christian mission. This clear, deep and warm-hearted exposition enriches our grasp of the Bible’s multi-faceted teaching about salvation.
"The Christian message of the drama of salvation provides the context for the dynamic exploration of the fundamental issues for human self-reflection and for theological enquiry. English language publication of this, the final work of Raymund Schwager, one of the key exponents of the ideas of Rene Girard, has been eagerly awaited."--BOOK JACKET.
An in-depth look at the powerful story and symbolism behind God's unique design of our universe. Thousands of words have been written about the first ten words in the Bible: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," a simple and profound statement that has ignited a firestorm of debate and controversy. People often only focus on the "how" and "when" of creation, but Story in the Stars explores the "why." Why did God create such a vast universe? Why did He choose the sun and moon to light our paths? Why did He design images with stars in the night sky? The Bible is very clear when it states that God created, named, and positioned all of the stars of the universe in their place in a very specific way-a way that tells us the greatest story ever to be told. In Luke 21:25 Jesus says, "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars." Signs are meant to point us towards something: Jesus. Story in the Stars takes an in-depth look at the Bible and all the signs God mapped out through constellations, planets, and even the way the Earth is tilted. We are uniquely designed by God, and He loves us so much that He ensured a way for all inhabitants of the earth, through all of time, to see the messages of salvation and redemption that He painted in the stars.
The pressure of being a teenager can be overwhelming. School, sports, jobs, and relationships all press in at the same time. But the hardest thing can be feeling alone, that you have no one to share your most difficult problems with. In The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School, thirty authors such as Scott Sauls, Sandra McCracken, Michelle ...
There are times when you just know, as if by instinct, and often before you're able to say exactly why, that an argument you're hearing is fatally flawed; it gives off something like the hollow thunk of cheap glass. But then there are those rare and precious times when you read a book or an article and -- ping! -- there's no mistaking: This is the real thing. At the banquet table of apologetics, James Akin's The Salvation Controversy is the finest of fine crystal. Questions relating to salvation -- especially faith versus works, but also penance, purgatory, indulgences, and free cooperation with God's grace -- have been sore points in the dialogue between Catholics and Protestants. Mr. Akin knows and respects the Protestant tradition in which he was raised and the Catholicism he has come to embrace. He is not about to falsify either or to pretend that crucial differences do not exist. But he is also unwilling to allow theological slogans (such as "faith alone") to distract us from significant points of agreement. His method is to follow Scripture and Tradition wherever they lead -- and he is formidably equipped for the task -- with honesty, clarity of mind, and an abundance of logical skill. Book jacket.