The Emptying God
The Emptying God

Author: John B. Cobb

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2005-10-11

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 1597524212

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Masao Abe is widely acknowledged as a leader in the worldwide dialogue on Buddhism. A profound scholar of Buddhism and of Christian theology, his critical and constructive reflections culminate in the seminal essay that is the cornerstone of this volume. Seven eminent scholars respond to the challenge of Abe's construal of Kenotic God and Dynamic Sunyata.Ó Abe demonstrates powerfully the dynamism of the Buddhist appreciation of the divine Emptiness at the heart of Being. His essay suggests how the doctrine of sunyata can provide a needed corrective to the reified understanding of God prominent in Jewish and Christian traditions. Abe opens the way for new and deeper engagement of these traditions with the wisdom of Buddhism. Leading Christian and Jewish theologians--Thomas J. J. Altizer, Eugene Borowitz, John B. Cobb, Jr., Catherine Keller, Schubert M. Ogden, Jÿrgen Moltmann, and David Tracy--respond to Abe's challenge. From perspectives as diverse as American feminism, post-Holocaust Judaism, process thought, and hermeneutics, they reply to Abe's proposals for considering God to be intrinsically self-emptying. Abe responds to these essays in a conclusion. Provocative and illuminating, The Emptying God shows how interfaith dialogue, at its very best, provides materials for the mutual transformation of all traditions.

God Does His Best Work with Empty
God Does His Best Work with Empty

Author: Nancy Guthrie

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1496439694

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It's amazing how heavy the weight of emptiness can feel, how much room it can take up in our souls, how much pain can be caused by something that isn't even there.But while we may see the emptiness of our lives as our greatest problem, that's not how God sees it. When God looks into the empty places of our lives, He sees His greatest opportunity. God does His best work in the emptiness of our . . . Insatiable craving for things that don't satisfy Relational disappointments and loneliness Frustrated search for purpose and meaning Relentless desire for comfort and security Ongoing struggle to live with loss and unfulfilled dreams Join Nancy Guthrie in discovering why emptiness has never been, and never will be, a problem to God. As Nancy pulls back the curtain on God's work to fill up emptiness as revealed throughout the Bible, you'll experience page after page of grace and hope that your emptiness can and will be filled. You'll begin to see that God really does do His best work with empty--as he fills it with Himself.

Exploring Kenotic Christology
Exploring Kenotic Christology

Author: C. Stephen Evans

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 378

ISBN-13: 9780199283224

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This collection of essays, by a team of Christian philosophers, theologians, and biblical scholars, explores the viability of a kenotic account of the incarnation. Such an account is inspired by Paul's lyrical claims in Philippians 2:6-11 that Christ Jesus, though God in nature, 'emptied himself' or 'made himself nothing' by becoming human. The biblical support for such a view can be found throughout the four gospels and the book of Hebrews, as well as in other places. A kenotic account takes seriously the possibility that Christ, in becoming incarnate, temporarily divested himself of such properties as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. Several of the contributors argue that this view is fully orthodox, and that it has great strengths in giving us a picture of a God who is willing to become completely vulnerable for the sake of human beings, and one that is completely consistent with the very human portrait of Jesus in the New Testament. The proponents of kenotic Christology argue that the philosophical accounts of God's nature that have led to rejection of this theory ought themselves to be subjected to criticism in light of the biblical data. Some essays test the theory by raising critical questions and arguing that traditional accounts of the incarnation can achieve the goals of kenotic theories as well as kenotic theories can. The book also explores the implications of a kenotic view of the incarnation for philosophical theology in general and the doctrine of the Trinity in particular, and it concludes with essays that examine the validity of the ideal of kenosis for women, and a challenge to traditional Christology to take a kenotic theory seriously. Book jacket.

The Way Up Is Down
The Way Up Is Down

Author: Marlena Graves

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2020-07-14

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 0830846751

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For writer, professor, and activist Marlena Graves, formation and justice always intertwine on the path to a balanced life of both action and contemplation. Drawing on the rich traditions of Eastern and Western Christian saints, she describes the process of emptying herself that allows her to move upward toward God and become the true self that God calls her to.

Made to Worship
Made to Worship

Author: Phil Stacey

Publisher: Focus on the Family

Published: 2022-03-08

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1684282241

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Performing on the hugely popular American Idol television show in 2007 almost ruined Phil Stacey’s life. Fame, and the temptations that came with it, led this part-time worship pastor to a dark place. Eventually Phil cut through the confusion, realizing that he was created not for entertaining people or for fame but for one thing—to worship God. In Made to Worship, Phil shares the exciting details of his quick rise to fame as well as the resulting emptiness it offered him. You’ll be encouraged as you read how Phil escaped the lure of an empty idol and instead experienced the fullness of God. And you’ll be amazed by how God ultimately used Phil’s notoriety to spread the gospel around the world. You can use your talents and skills to worship God and to share the gospel with others in a unique way that fits you and your family. Read about Phil’s encounter with fame—and how the notoriety from this world-renowned show surprisingly opened doors for Phil to spread the gospel and minister to others. Like Phil, you’ll learn that we only find true fulfillment when we find it in Jesus Christ.

Why God Won't Go Away
Why God Won't Go Away

Author: Alister Mcgrath

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Published: 2011-05-17

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780849946455

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An accessible discourse written by a trusted expert and scholar critiquing the new atheism on its own merits and claims. The rise of the new atheism, which includes the manifestos of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, has created a public willingness in today's marketplace to talk about God and religion. Yet the debate up to this point has focused largely on rebutting the new atheist critique of Christianity. Why God Won't God Away moves into new territory by challenging the new atheism on its own grounds. Chapters include discussion on: What is the new atheism The problem of religion The problem of human nature Believing only what can be proved Dealing with imagined worlds and myths The new humanism and the new enlightenment Violence and dogmatism This book is written by a theology professor and Christian apologist who not only has a best-selling book rebutting the new atheist critique of Christianity but has debated Richard Dawkins in Oxford, Christopher Hitchens in Washington, and Daniel Dennett in London.

Coming Back to God When You Feel Empty
Coming Back to God When You Feel Empty

Author: Tanya Marlow

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2015-02-02

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781507685358

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Where do you go when you're feeling empty, disappointed with God, and you need some sort of path back to faith? The Old Testament book of Ruth is a surprisingly good place to start, as Tanya Marlow discovered when she gave birth and lost the ability to walk more than twenty metres. A former lecturer in Biblical Theology, she gently interweaves her own story with Ruth's story, getting under the skin of the characters, and bringing the biblical book to life. She has personally wrestled with spiritual disappointment and doubt, and knows what it is to search for hope when you're feeling empty. The five chapters of this short book follow the structure of the Bible's book of Ruth, and there are creative exercises and questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. Ideal for both small group Bible study discussion and personal enrichment, Coming Back to God When You Feel Empty is a compelling, uplifting, and quick read for anyone who wants to reconnect with God. "Tanya Marlow's wonderful reflections on the book of Ruth are rooted in life experiences. She shows how the story of Ruth still lives and resonates. "- Dr Jenni Williams, Tutor in Old Testament, Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford, and author of God Remembered Rachel: Women's Stories in the Old Testament and Why They Matter "Marlow shows how God remains faithful today by sharing her own stories of loss, suffering, and faith alongside the narrative of Ruth."- Ed Cyzewski, author of Coffeehouse Theology and A Christian Survival Guide "Intensely honest yet wonderfully gentle... I recommend this little book to anyone who has ever doubted God, anyone who has been angry with him, anyone mired in exhaustion and despair - in short, anyone who is a Christian."- Dr Ros Clarke, author and Discipleship and Training Pastor

Counterfeit Gods
Counterfeit Gods

Author: Timothy Keller

Publisher: Hachette UK

Published: 2010-09-16

Total Pages: 181

ISBN-13: 1848948530

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The issue of idolatry has been with the human race for thousands of years; the subtle temptation is always to take what is good and turn it into the ultimate good, elevating it above all other things in the search for security and meaning. In this timely and challenging book, New York pastor Timothy Keller looks at the issue of idolatry throughout the Bible -- from the worship of actual idols in the Old Testament, to the idolatry of money by the rich young ruler when he was challenged by Jesus to give up all his wealth. Using classic stories from the Bible Keller cuts through our dependence on the glittering false idols of money, sex and power to uncover the path towards trust in the real ultimate -- God. Today's idols may look different from those of the Old Testament, but Keller argues that they are no less damaging. Culturally transforming as well as biblically based, COUNTERFEIT GODS is a powerful look at the temptation to worship what can only disappoint, and is a vital message in today's current climate of financial and social difficulty.

The God Who Gave You Birth
The God Who Gave You Birth

Author: Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam

Publisher: Liturgical Press

Published: 2021-08-15

Total Pages: 112

ISBN-13: 0814666574

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Over time our ideas about God and religion tend to match the stage of our own maturity and the level of our own consciousness. In addition to our different ideas of God, there are also those who profess some form of monotheistic religion but worship other gods: the power of the economy, military strength, fame. Perhaps they even use––or misuse––the name of God or credit God with whatever is gained. Thus, the challenge for our times is this: how do we think of God as Jesus introduces God to us? While exploring Scripture, the thoughts of theologians, Benedictine monasticism, Jewish and Islamic traditions, along with his own personal reflections, Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam, shows us what it means to be church, to be a follower of Jesus, and to be like God: to imitate the self-emptying of God and Christ. We are called to show the world God as Jesus reveals God to be: merciful, compassionate, healer to all.