In hot and steamy Sedona, Arizona, three women are about to be granted their most intimate desires. Dani, Bailey, and Kaya think they know what they want from life- success, independence, and a gorgeous man to share their beds-but when they perform an old wish-making ritual together, each of them gets a sinful surprise. In these three interrelated love stories, these women discover that two is company...and three is even better.
This book provides an in-depth analysis of the virtues of evangelical life according to three major Franciscan authors: Francis of Assisi, Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, and David of Augsburg. It is the first to offer a historical and source-based treatment of early Franciscan virtue discourse, by answering the following questions: How do the authors describe and prescribe the essential virtues for the life in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? How are the spiritual virtues acquired or lost? How do the development and application of these virtues shape “perfect” individuals as well as the “good” of the community? This work is a valuable contribution to our understanding of how the virtues functioned as central, organizing elements in early Franciscan literature and instruction.
Do you feel as if you have been “burned” by the church and its institutions? Or have you stayed away for fear of being “burned”? In either case, you are not alone. Confidence in the church and its institutions has plummeted since the turn of the century, especially among the younger generation. The rush to judgment is premature. In David McKenna’s growing years, he had to go through the hoops and hurdles of a radical holiness tabernacle. At the time, the human standards were odious. But now, from the perspective of seventy years or more, he can see how the threads of grace were being woven together into the whole cloth of God’s perfect will for his life. With confidence, then, he only asks that this young generation give the church a chance. It is imperfect, but it is still an instrument of the grace of God. With full candor and full confidence, then, McKenna offers his spiritual odyssey as witness to the triumphs of God’s grace.
This carefully crafted ebook: "Summa Theologica (All Complete & Unabridged 3 Parts + Supplement & Appendix + interactive links and annotations)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. This ebook is the best-known work of Thomas Aquinas (c.1225–1274). Although unfinished, the Summa is "one of the classics of the history of philosophy and one of the most influential works of Western literature." It is intended as an instructional guide for moderate theologians, and a compendium of all of the main theological teachings of the Catholic Church. It presents the reasoning for almost all points of Christian theology in the West. The Summa Theologica is divided into three parts, and each of these three parts contains numerous subdivisions. Part 1 deals primarily with God and comprises discussions of 119 questions concerning the existence and nature of God, the Creation, angels, the work of the six days of Creation, the essence and nature of man, and divine government. Part 2 deals with man and includes discussions of 303 questions concerning the purpose of man, habits, types of law, vices and virtues, prudence and justice, fortitude and temperance, graces, and the religious versus the secular life. Part 3 deals with Christ and comprises discussions of 90 questions concerning the Incarnation, the Sacraments, and the Resurrection. Some editions of the Summa Theologica include a Supplement comprising discussions of an additional 99 questions concerning a wide variety of loosely related issues such as excommunication, indulgences, confession, marriage, purgatory, and the relations of the saints toward the damned. Scholars believe that Rainaldo da Piperno, a friend of Aquinas, probably gathered the material in this supplement from a work that Aquinas had completed before he began working on the Summa Theologica. It seeks to describe the relationship between God and man and to explain how man’s reconciliation with the Divine is made possible at all through Christ. To this end, Aquinas cites proofs for the existence of God and outlines the activities and nature of God. Approximately one-half of the Summa Theologica then examines the nature and purpose of man. Finally, Aquinas devotes his attention to the nature of Christ and the role of the Sacraments in effecting a bridge between God and man. Within these broad topical boundaries, though, Aquinas examines the nature of God and man in exquisite detail. His examination includes questions of how angels act on bodies, the union of body and soul, the cause and remedies of anger, cursing, and the comparison of one sin with another. Aquinas is attempting to offer a truly universal and rational view of all existence. Thomas Aquinas, O.P. (1225 – 1274), also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, within which he is also known as the "Doctor Angelicus", "Doctor Communis", and "Doctor Universalis". He was the foremost classical proponent of natural theology, and the father of Thomism. His influence on Western thought is considerable, and much of modern philosophy was conceived in development or refutation of his ideas, particularly in the areas of ethics, natural law, metaphysics, and political theory.
The abbey of Bec was founded in the eleventh century and was one of the best-known and most influential monasteries in Normandy. Celebrated for its high standard of religious life and its intellectual activity, Bec also had an exceptional degree of institutional independence. The three treatises collected and translated in this volume - Tractatus de professionibus monachorum ('The Profession of Monks'), De professionibus abbatum ('The Profession of Abbots'), and De libertate Beccensis monasterii ('On the Liberty of the Monastery of Bec') - are a striking statement of the position of Bec in relation to episcopal and ducal (later royal) authorities. Little is known about the anonymous author of these works except that he was a twelfth-century monk with an attachment to Augustine and Gregory the Great, and that he had considerable knowledge of canon law. His purpose in writing these treatises was to assert and justify the privileges of Bec at a time when many bishops were reacting against monastic freedom, especially with regard to profession. This volume is an important contribution to understanding not only monasticism in Normandy, but also the conflict between church and state in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
What is grace? And more important, what difference do the "comfortable words" of grace make in the lives of everyday people? These are the questions to which Paul F. M. Zahl has devoted his life, and this book is a collection of essays written in honor of him that seeks to answer these great questions. From literary theory to exegesis to systematic theology, these essays are representative of the breadth and depth of the influence Dr. Zahl has had on a variety of scholars, and reflect his emphasis on the relationship between theology as an academic discipline and the pastoral impact of "one-way love" on everyday people. Contributors include: C. FitzSimons Allison, Todd Brewer, George Carey, James D. G. Dunn, Susan G. Eastman, Mark Mattes, Geiko Muller-Farenholz, Justin S. Holcomb, John D. Koch Jr., Lauren Larkin, Jonathan A. Linebaugh, Jurgen Moltmann, Heinz-Dieter Neef, J. Ashley Null, Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., Dylan D. Potter, Justyn Terry, Tullian Tchividjian, Jonathan K. M. Wong, Paul F. M. Zahl, and Simeon Zahl.
Like books, people can become 'classics.' Great in their day, but richer and more fulfilling with time. Not yet a classic, Vos's never-before-published Reformed Dogmatics is more like a lost Shakespeare play recently discovered. --Michael Horton Until recently, Reformed Dogmatics was only available in its original Dutch. But now you too can access Geerhardus Vos' monumental work of systematic theology. This brand-new English translation was edited by biblical theologian and Vos expert, Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. In Volume Two, Anthropology, Vos discusses: Humanity Sin The covenant of grace The body and the soul God's covenants And more
Many Christians believe that they have to understand everything about their faith for that faith to be genuine. This isn't true. There are many things we don't understand about God, His Word, and His works. And this is actually one of the greatest things about the Christian faith: that there are areas of mystery that lie beyond the keenest scholarship or even the most profound spiritual exercises. Sadly, for many people these problems raise so many questions and uncertainties that faith itself becomes a struggle. But questions, and even doubts, are part of faith. Chris Wright encourages us to face the limitations of our understanding and to acknowledge the pain and grief they can often cause. In The God I Don't Understand, he focuses on four of the most mysterious subjects in the Bible and reflects upon why it's important to ask questions without having to provide the answer: The problem of evil and suffering. The genocide of the Canaanites. The cross and the crucifixion. The end of the world. "However strongly we believe in divine revelation, we must acknowledge both that God has not revealed everything and that much of what he has revealed is not plain. It is because Dr. Wright confronts biblical problems with a combination of honesty and humility that I warmly commend this book." —John Stott
