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The Provocative God
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Download or read book The Provocative God written by Dan Lacich and published by . This book was released on 2014-07-10 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is your God too safe? We human beings have an unhealthy tendency to domesticate God--to fashion a comfortable, predictable deity who will cater to our whims and accommodate our preferences. Fortunately, for our sakes, the words and actions of the God revealed in Scripture are far more radical and provocative than any deity our imaginations could concoct. With a writing style both readable and theologically deep, pastor and author Dan Lacich investigates some of the most compelling--and sometimes irritating--passages found in the Bible and uncovers what they tell us about the Author Himself. Is Jesus truly the only way to Heaven? Why is the resurrection so important? What does the Bible mean when it tells us to "work out our salvation"? Are we actually supposed to love our enemies? Is it possible for a Christian to avoid suffering? What does it really mean to be "unequally yoked"? Dr. Lacich addresses these and many more questions with compassionate yet straightforward answers from Scripture, and he gives readers the tools to continue discovering truth as they explore the Bible for themselves.
Book Synopsis Provocative Grace by : Robert Corin Morris
Download or read book Provocative Grace written by Robert Corin Morris and published by Upper Room Books. This book was released on 2015-05-01 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A restless search is on. Cover stories about the "real" Jesus are on the increase in news magazines, best sellers based on alternative Gospels, and documentaries. Whether you're a devout Christian, an inquiring seeker or a rank skeptic, this book is for you if you wish to explore the teaching of Jesus. Provocative Grace focuses on the words of Jesus, not as rules to live by but as challenges to precipitate growth into greater maturity. Morris asks us to enlarge our existing concepts and to stretch our beliefs about Jesus beyond the borders of formal Christianity and what we learned in Sunday school. "The Jesus of the Gospels, in all his modes of encountering people—as prophet, healer, wisdom teacher, mystic, social critic, and nonviolent revolutionary—is a disturber of our immaturities, one who challenges us to find and use our strengths," writes Morris. "Jesus was neither a rule maker or idealist but a provocateur. Rather than impossible ideals imposed upon us, his sayings are proddings to grow step-by-step, by trial-and-error learning, into the best possibilities of our nature." Listen to Jesus' words not with an attitude of uncritical acceptance or blind faith but rather with an openness to hear the message in a fresh way. Provocative Grace dares us to wrestle with Jesus' sayings and to experience a vivid revelation of God's love and grace. Each chapter helpfully arranges the book so that it may be an aid to personal reflection, journaling, or discussion.
Book Synopsis The Provocative Church by : Graham Tomlin
Download or read book The Provocative Church written by Graham Tomlin and published by SPCK. This book was released on 2014-03-20 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sometimes Christians assume that people 'out there' are eager to listen to what the Church has to offer. But why should those we try to evangelize want to hear the gospel? Surely people will only be intrigued by Christian life and community when they see something provocative or attractive. Then they will want to know what's going on. The Provocative Church offers a liberating understanding of evangelism as a corporate activity, in which all the gifts needed to enact the life of the kingdom - to stir people into asking, 'What does this mean?' - are spread throughout the whole Church. It encourages the development of a theology of conversion that sees beyond 'becoming a Christian' to bring each individual life increasingly under the rule of God. 'The Provocative Church is about an evangelism that begins with the kingdom, not the Church. Graham Tomlin helps us see that the New Testament, while not saying much about evangelism itself, does have an awful lot to say about new life in Christ. The work of the Church is to demonstrate what this new life looks like. This in turn will provoke a response, and it is in the dialogue that follows that real evangelism takes place. [This volume] is one of the best, most honest, most theologically grounded and therefore most practically helpful books on evangelism to have come out in recent years.' Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford 'A refreshingly honest book from a theologian who clearly knows that most of society doesn't think the way the church does, and wants to do something about it.' Church of England Newspaper
Download or read book Evolving God written by Barbara J. King and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2017-04-21 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where does religion come from? Evolving God examines the origins of religion in prehistory and how the evolution of primates gave rise to behaviors that we identify as spiritual. As a biological anthropologist, King has studied monkey and ape behavior in Africa and approaches the topic from her observations of individuals and their connections to each other and to their larger group. Researchers have reported reconciliation behavior, rituals, and meaning-making among apes. King suggests a religious imagination emerged out of a sense of belonging to a group and cognitive empathy. She presents a wide array of examples drawn from archeology, biology, and anthropology from prehistoric hominids to the first evidence of human religion. The overviews of the historical record and opposing positions about the origins of religion are a very useful introduction to evolution and religion in prehistory. This Second Edition includes a 25-page Afterword on recent studies relating to King s work and how her own ideas have evolved."
Download or read book The Provocative God written by Dan Lacich and published by . This book was released on 2019-08 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Holy Curiosity written by Winn Collier and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-12-27 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since we think of Jesus as a teacher with divine authority, it may be surprising to discover how often he asked his disciples a question rather than giving them an answer. What kind of an all-knowing God asks questions of mere humans? This thought-provoking study of the "questioning" Jesus explores the depths of his subversive ways. In Holy Curiosity, Winn Collier invites readers to allow Jesus' persistent questions to penetrate the soul, to be called toward the untamed life Jesus offers.
Download or read book God Can't written by Thomas Jay Oord and published by SacraSage Press. This book was released on 2019-01-05 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hurting people ask heart-felt questions about God and suffering. Some "answers" they receive appeal to mystery: “God’s ways are not our ways”. Some answers say God allows evil for a greater purpose. Some say evil is God's punishment. The usual answers fail. They don't support the truth that God loves everyone all the time. God Can't gives a believable answer to why a good and powerful God doesn't prevent evil. Author Thomas Jay Oord says God’s love is inherently uncontrolling. God loves everyone and everything, so God can't control anyone or anything. This means God cannot prevent evil singlehandedly. God can’t stop evildoers, whether human, animal, organism, or inanimate objects and forces. In God Can't, Oord gives a plausible reason why some are healed, but many others are not. God always works to heal everyone, but sometimes our bodies, organisms, or other creatures do not cooperate with God's healing work. Or the conditions of creation are not right for the healing God wants to do. Some people think God causes or allows suffering to teach us lessons or build our character. God Can't disagrees. Oord says God squeezes good from the evil God didn’t want in the first place. God uses pain and suffering without willing or even allowing it. Most people think God can overcome evil singlehandedly. In God Can't, Oord says God needs cooperation for love to reign now and later. This leads to a better view of the afterlife called “relentless love.” It rejects traditional ideas of heaven, hell, and annihilation. Relentless love holds to the possibility all creatures and all creation will respond to God’s love. God Can't is written in understandable language. As a world-renown theologian, Thomas Jay Oord brings credibility to the book’s radical ideas. He explains these ideas through true stories, illustrations, and scripture. God Can't is for those who want answers to tragedy, abuse, and other evils that make sense! What They're Saying... “If conventional notions of God make less and less sense to you, you’ll find Thomas Jay Oord’s new book a breath of fresh air. Simply put, “God Can’t” presents an understanding of God that thoughtful, ethical people can believe in.” -- Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration "I did not want this book to end. I wish Dr. Oord had written it 100 years ago, or 1000 years ago... To find your understanding of life and your love for God renewed, read this book." -- Dr. Karen Strand Winslow, Ph.D., Biblical and Jewish Studies Professor of Bible, Azusa Pacific University "As a clinical psychologist working with people in trauma, I owe Thomas Jay Oord an enormous debt of gratitude for recasting the so-called problem of evil in terms that are conceptually satisfying, theologically consistent, and pastorally liberating.” -- Dr Roger Bretherton- Principal Lecturer at the University of Lincoln (UK), Chair of the British Association of Christians in Psychology “Victims of trauma sometimes hear theological responses that imply their suffering is somehow “God’s will." A more careful theological reflection on the nature of the power of a God who is love can help. Oord gives us a clear and compelling alternative in this profoundly insightful and admirably concrete and accessible book.” -- Dr. Anna Case-Winters, Professor of Theology at McCormick Theological Seminary “I know of no book that speaks to suffering with the depth of theological sophistication and psychological sensitivity as God Can’t. This book is a rare combination of depth and accessibility, truly written for the wounded. I recommend it to my students, parishioners, and therapy clients.” -- Dr. Brad D. Strawn, Professor of the Integration of Psychology and Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary
Book Synopsis How Could a Loving God? by : Ken Ham
Download or read book How Could a Loving God? written by Ken Ham and published by New Leaf Publishing Group. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It really isn't a fair fight, is it? The finite against the infinite. The limited against the unlimited? Is God indifferent to my suffering? How do I resolve this anger at God? Why didn't God prevent this from happening? Will I see loved ones again? Or is heaven just a "feel good" myth? People assume Christians have all the answers; yet, in the face of tragedy, death, or suffering, everyone struggles to find just the right words to bring comfort or closure to those in need. Sometimes just hearing "It is God's will" isn't enough. Sometimes just saying "God will turn this to good" seems so meaningless when despair is so profound. Often the pain goes too deep, the questions won't go away, and even the assurance of faith doesn't help. How could God let this happen? How can God love us, yet allow us to suffer in this way? What is the point of this? What is the purpose? In this provocative new book, Ken Ham makes clear answers found in the pages of Scripture - powerful, definitive, and in a way that helps our hearts to go beyond mere acceptance. When you grasp the reality of original sin (and all that it means), it creates a vital foundation for your heart to finally understand what follows.
Download or read book Jesus Unplugged written by Bert Gary and published by FaithWalk Publishing. This book was released on 2005 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is much emphasis in the church today'by laity and clergy'on being respectable, nice and presentable. Yes where in scripture did Jesus say that we should make being well-dressed and well-behaved priorities? Is the church guilty of reducing Christianity to mere social etiquette? The Jesus of scripture rejected these priorities with word and deed. This book goes back to the original passages in the Gospels that reveal not a cautious, image-conscious Jesus, but a provaocative, politically incorrect cage-rattler for whom appearance and reputation meant nothing. It examines the original Gospel passages that are regularly avoided or sanitized by pastors, teachers and writers exploring those times when Jesus said no and when he disturbed the peace. There are profound implications in understanding that the Jesus of the Bible is no passive pushover, but a vigorous truth warrior who slays falsehoods with a sharp, double-edged sword. Jesus Unplugged is provocative and accurate.
Download or read book The Insanity of God written by Nik Ripken and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An amazing story of a missionary couple's journey into the toughest places on earth is combined with stories about remarkable people of faith they encountered to challenge and inspire those curious about the sufficiency of God.
Book Synopsis One Nation Under God by : Kevin M. Kruse
Download or read book One Nation Under God written by Kevin M. Kruse and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2015-04-14 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The provocative and authoritative history of the origins of Christian America in the New Deal era We're often told that the United States is, was, and always has been a Christian nation. But in One Nation Under God, historian Kevin M. Kruse reveals that the belief that America is fundamentally and formally Christian originated in the 1930s. To fight the "slavery" of FDR's New Deal, businessmen enlisted religious activists in a campaign for "freedom under God" that culminated in the election of their ally Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. The new president revolutionized the role of religion in American politics. He inaugurated new traditions like the National Prayer Breakfast, as Congress added the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance and made "In God We Trust" the country's first official motto. Church membership soon soared to an all-time high of 69 percent. Americans across the religious and political spectrum agreed that their country was "one nation under God." Provocative and authoritative, One Nation Under God reveals how an unholy alliance of money, religion, and politics created a false origin story that continues to define and divide American politics to this day.
Book Synopsis The Otherness of God by : Orrin F. Summerell
Download or read book The Otherness of God written by Orrin F. Summerell and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume offers essays on the nature of God and the fundamental tasks of philosophy and theology written by internationally recognized thinkers in the distinct fields of philosophy, religious studies, and theology. The Otherness of God traces the lineage of its theme from Plato and Aristotle through Neoplatonic, medieval, and Renaissance expression, and on through Reformation thought and German idealism to dialectical theology and deconstruction. This provocative collection, drawn primarily from an interdisciplinary conference at the University of Virginia, should attract those interested in the philosophy of religion, the history of philosophy and theology, and the theological interpretation of secular culture.
Book Synopsis New Way to be Human by : Charlie Peacock
Download or read book New Way to be Human written by Charlie Peacock and published by Shaw. This book was released on 2004 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God calls his people to faithfully follow Jesus in a new way--to study him, walk with him, and let him live through them. In this engaging book, award-winning recording artist and producer Peacock-Ashworth invites readers to discover the new way and to start living it.
Book Synopsis Provocative Teacher by : Bill Donahue
Download or read book Provocative Teacher written by Bill Donahue and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-08-22 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guide by Bill Donahue presents Jesus as a teacher with unconventional wisdom. This look at Jesus will shatter your illusions about religious leaders. And as you clear your mind, you will find unexpected hope that can replace illusion. Come and meet Jesus the teacher. The Jesus 101 Series engages both mind and heart. The sessions bring a fresh perspective on who Jesus is, how he interacted with people in Scripture and how he relates to us. The discussion questions are designed particularly to help a group to learn from each other but also provide an interesting context for individual reflection. As you discover the ways Jesus fulfills our lives, you may fall in love with him again--or for the first time.
Book Synopsis God: The Evidence by : Patrick Glynn
Download or read book God: The Evidence written by Patrick Glynn and published by Harmony. This book was released on 2010-06-09 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the modern age science has been winning its centuries—old battle with religion for the mind of man. The evidence has long seemed incontrovertible: Life was merely a product of blind chance—a cosmic roll of an infinite number of dice across an eternity of time. Slowly, methodically, scientists supplied answers to mysteries insufficiently explained by theologians. Reason pushed faith off into the shadows of mythology and superstition, while atheism became a badge of wisdom. Our culture, freed from moral obligation, explored the frontiers of secularism. God was dead. "Glynn's arguments for the existence of God put the burden of disproof on those intellectuals who think that the question has long since been settled." — Andrew M. Greeley But now, in the twilight of the twentieth century, a startling transformation is taking place in Western scientific and intellectual thought. At its heart is the dawning realization that the universe, far from being a sea of chaos, appears instead to be an intricately tuned mechanism whose every molecule, whose every physical law, seems to have been design from the very first nanosecond of the big bang toward a single end—the creation of life. This intellectually and spiritually riveting book asks a provocative question: Is science, the long-time nemesis of the Deity, uncovering the face of God? Patrick Glynn lays out the astonishing new evidence that caused him to turn away from the atheism he acquired as a student at Harvard and Cambridge. The facts are fascinating: Physicists are discovering an unexplainable order to the cosmos; medical researchers are reporting the extraordinary healing powers of prayer and are documenting credible accounts of near-death experiences; psychologists, who once considered belief in God to be a sign of neurosis, are finding instead that religious faith is a powerful elixir for mental health; and sociologists are now acknowledging the destructive consequences of a value-free society. God: The Evidence argues that faith today is not grounded in ignorance. It is where reason has been leading us all along.
Book Synopsis The Insistence of God by : John D. Caputo
Download or read book The Insistence of God written by John D. Caputo and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2013-09-13 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A tour de force . . . provocative ideas expressed in Heideggerian, Derridean, and Deleuzian rhetoric . . . for a new wave of Christian theologians” (Bibliographia). The Insistence of God presents the provocative idea that God does not exist—God insists. God’s existence is a human responsibility, which may or may not happen. For John D. Caputo, God’s existence is haunted by “perhaps,” which does not signify indecisiveness but an openness to risk, to the unforeseeable. Perhaps constitutes a theology of what is to come and what we cannot see coming. Responding to current critics of continental philosophy, Caputo explores the materiality of perhaps and the promise of the world. He shows how perhaps can become a new theology of the gaps God opens. “John D. Caputo is at the top of his game, and he is not content to reiterate what he has already expressed, but continues to develop his own ideas further by way of a thorough engagement with the fields of theology, Continental philosophy, and religious thought.” —Clayton Crockett, University of Central Arkansas “For those allergic to theological certainty―whether of God’s existence or of God’s death―Caputo delivers storm-fresh relief: the theopoetics of God’s insistence.” —Catherine Keller, Drew University “In my life I have read no more stimulating book of theology. Buckle your seatbelt!” —Dialog “An excellent text that opens the way into new forms of theological thinking. He puts forward an argument that must be wrestled with and brings to light new avenues for both religious and theological thought. Caputo is not for the faint of heart.” —Reviews in Religion and Theology
Book Synopsis For the Love of God by : Alicia Suskin Ostriker
Download or read book For the Love of God written by Alicia Suskin Ostriker and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the Love of God is a provocative and inspiring re-interpretation of six essential Biblical texts: The Song of Songs, the Book of Ruth, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Jonah, and Job. In prose that is personal and probing, analytically acute and compellingly readable, Ostriker sees these writings as "counter-texts," deviating from convention yet deepening and enriching the Bible, our images of God, and our own potential spiritual lives. Attempting to understand "some of the wildest, strangest, most splendid writing in Western tradition," she shows how the Bible embraces sexuality and skepticism, boundary crossing and challenges to authority, how it illuminates the human psyche and mirrors our own violent times, and how it asks us to make difficult choices in the quest for justice.
