Imperfect Believers
Imperfect Believers

Author: Susan E. Hylen

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

Published: 2009-10-30

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780664233723

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This book is a solid study of characters in the Gospel of John--Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the disciples, the Jews, Martha and Mary, Peter and the Beloved Disciple, and Jesus. Susan Hylen argues that John's characters are not simply one-dimensional depictions of belief and unbelief, but are in fact far more complex and ambiguous. This ambiguity has an important literary function: it invites the reader to understand biblical characters within the context of the inherent logic of the Gospel. The Gospel establishes ideals like believing and abiding in Jesus. The reader is left to decide to what extent a character's actions and speech reflect these aims. Individual character portraits explore what readers may learn from studying John's complex characters. This is an excellent secondary source for seminary classes on the fourth Gospel.

Bible Made Impossible, The
Bible Made Impossible, The

Author: Christian Smith

Publisher: Brazos Press

Published: 2011-08

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1587433036

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A world-renowned sociologist argues that evangelical biblicism is impossible and produces unwanted pastoral consequences.

Plurality and Ambiguity
Plurality and Ambiguity

Author: David Tracy

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1994-06-10

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 0226811263

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In Plurality and Ambiguity, David Tracy lays the philosophical groundwork for a practical application of hermeneutics, while constructing an innovative model of theological interpretation developed out of the notions of conversation and argument. He concludes with an appraisal of the religious significance of hope in an age of radically different voices and constantly shifting meanings.

Basic Christian Leadership
Basic Christian Leadership

Author: John Stott

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2016-04-01

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 0830882073

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Leadership today is no easy task. Too often our models of leadership are shaped more by culture than by Christ. John Stott rejects popular models of leadership and holds up instead the servant leadership exemplified by Paul in his ministry to the church in Corinth. Stott reassures us that God is at work even in the midst of human weakness.

Leading Across Cultures
Leading Across Cultures

Author: James E. Plueddemann

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2012-10-04

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 0830866302

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Missiologist James E. Plueddemann presents a roadmap for crosscultural leadership development in the global church. With keen understanding of current research on cultural dynamics, he integrates theology with leadership theory to apply biblical insights to practical issues in world mission.

The Gospel According to Eve
The Gospel According to Eve

Author: Amanda W. Benckhuysen

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2019-10-29

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 0830873651

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Do women and men have different intellectual, spiritual, moral, or emotional capacities? Over the centuries, women have read and interpreted the story of Eve, scrutinizing the details of the text to discern God's word for them. Biblical scholar Amanda Benckhuysen traces the history of women's interpretation of Genesis 1-3, allowing the voices of women to speak of Eve's story and its implications for life today.

How the Bible Actually Works
How the Bible Actually Works

Author: Peter Enns

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2019-02-19

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 0062686771

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Controversial evangelical Bible scholar, popular blogger and podcast host of The Bible for Normal People, and author of The Bible Tells Me So and The Sin of Certainty explains that the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth by refusing to provide us with easy answers but instead forces us to acquire wisdom. For many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not static, Peter Enns argues. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God’s wisdom within us. “The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible’s true subject matter,” writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in other words, really isn’t the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading. Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today. How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that “being right” is the most important measure of faith, Enns’s freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God—which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.