"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 Faith, hope, and love—we hear a lot about each on their own, but how are they related? Why is this triad mentioned so often in the New Testament? Written in the form of fifty-eight questions and answers, this book reveals how these three theological virtues—also referred to as "three divine sisters"—together serve as the foundation for our whole Christian life. Deeply scriptural, steeped in key theological texts, and modeled after the classic catechisms of church history, this book will instruct our minds, stir our hearts, and motivate us to faith-filled obedience.
This volume, three separate books in one edition, is a collection of Josef Pieper's famous treatises on the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love. Each of these treatises was originally published as a separate work over a period of thirty-seven years, and here they are brought together in English for the first time. The first of the three that he wrote, On Hope, was written in 1934 in response to the general feeling of despair of those times. His "philosophical treatise" on Faith was derived from a series of lectures he gave in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His most difficult work, one that he struggled with for years - and almost abandoned - was his work On Love. Pieper now feels that this is the most important book he has written. He discusses not only the theological virtue of caritas-agape, but also of eros, sexuality, and even "love" of music and wine.
Is there any eternal value to your day job? Is it possible to find gospel meaning in your "secular" career? If you really love Jesus, shouldn't you quit your job and go into full-time ministry? How does your everyday work have anything to do with God's mission in the world? Many marketplace Christians have wrestled with these questions in their lives and in their work. But from entrepreneurs to assembly line workers, from high-paid execs to minimum-wage hospitality staff, more Christians are becoming overwhelmingly filled with renewed purpose as they realize that their work has a role in God's kingdom plan. In Missional Marketplace, author Erik Cooper offers his perspective through personal stories and reflections on the sacredness of all work, framing the faith and work discussion through the lenses of The Great Story, The Great Commandment, and The Great Commission. This book will create a gospel-collision between your faith, your work, and the global mission of God in this world.
The Introduction to African American Preaching is an important, groundbreaking book. This book acknowledges African American preaching as an academic discipline, and invites all students and preachers into a scholarly, dynamic, and useful exploration of the topic. Author Frank Thomas opens with a “bus tour” study of African American preaching. He shows how African American preaching has gradually moved from an almost exclusively oral to an oral/written tradition. Readers will gain insight into the history of the study of the African American preaching tradition, and catch the author’s enthusiasm for it. Next Thomas traces the relationship between homiletics and rhetoric in Western preaching, demonstrating how African American preaching is inherently theological and rhetorical. He then explores the question, “what is black preaching?” Thomas introduces the reader to methods of “close reading” and “ideological criticism.” And then demonstrates how to use these methods, using a sermon by Gardner Calvin Taylor as his example. The next chapter considers the question, “what is excellence in black preaching?” The next chapter seeks to create bridges and dialogue within the field of homiletics, and in particular, the Euro-American homiletic tradition. The goal of this chapter is to clearly demonstrate connections between the African American preaching tradition and the field of homiletics. Thomas next turns to questions about the relevancy of the church to the Millennial generation. Specifically, how will the African American church remain relevant to this generation, which is so deeply concerned with social justice?
What beliefs are core to the Christian faith? This book is here to help you understand the reason for your hope as a Christian so that you can see it with fresh sight and invite others into the conversation. A lot of Christians take their story—the narratives that give rise to their beliefs—for granted. They pray, go to church, perhaps even read their Bible. But they might be stuck if a stranger asked them to explain what they believe and why they believe it. Author, pastor, and theologian Mike Horton unpacks the essential and basic beliefs that all Christians share in a way that is easy to understand and applicable to our lives today. And in a way that will make you excited to be a Christian! Core Christianity covers topics like: Jesus as both fully God and fully man. The doctrine of the Trinity. The goodness of God despite a broken world. The ways God speaks. The meaning of salvation. What is the Christian calling? Includes discussion questions for individual or group use. This introduction to the basic doctrines of Christianity is perfect for those who are new to the faith, as well as those who have an interest in deepening their understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
This is a masterpiece on a forgotten virtue by one of the great Christian philosophers of the twentieth century. Pieper applies the perennial wisdom of Thomas Aquinas to the needs of the present day. Pieper illuminates the entire Christian life through the virtue of hope.
There are some things we would rather not talk about. There are issues we are unwilling to discuss. We consider them "off-limits," and when they come up, we try to change the subject as quickly as possible:* Absolute truth* Heaven and hell* Miracles* Repentance* Holiness* Purity* Generosity* Race* Gay marriage* PoliticsBut we live in a world that is too full of difficult challenges and controversial issues for us to refuse to engage. The Scriptures were given so that Christians could be "thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:17 NIV). One of those "good works" is the ability to show a sincere inquirer that God has provided wise answers and reliable guidance not only for how to get to heaven, but also for how to respond and live effectively in this confused generation.In Untouchables, Jack Hilligoss demonstrates how God's Word never hides from any subject but, rather, handles these sensitive and intimidating topics with grace and truth. In doing so, he aims to equip the body of Christ with practical and profound Christian responses to these "untouchable" topics.
The Story of Faith, Hope and Love is a book about discovering God's nature, character, love, justice, forgiveness, and truth. The Bible answers these questions and offers people hope for eternal life. This book answers important questions that inquiring minds might wonder about. For example: where did people come from? What is the purpose of their existance? What happens to them when they die? Does their spirit live forever? What happens to the spirit of people when the body dies? This book gives an answer to all these questions and offers people hope for eternal life. If this book is read without prejudice, it will have the intended effect of producing faith in God. Faith will lead to a desire to obey God and except Jesus Christ as the Son of God, which can lead to eternal life. The story of faith, hope and love would be a great help to anyone in the missionary field as well as being an aid for Bible School teachers or anyone wanting to know more about the teachings of the Bible and their own personal salvation.
What is a good human being and who is good? Has anyone ever been perfect and, if so, who? How does one grow in goodness and become perfect? What is man really? What would we be like, male and female, if human nature could ever be brought to perfection? This book is an attempt to answer these questions by examining the meaning of virtue following the coming of Christ, or what one might call the 'Christian Revolution' of virtue ethics, particularly in regard to the theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity.
