God's Provision, Humanity's Need

God's Provision, Humanity's Need
Author: Christa L. McKirland
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 327
Release: 2022-06-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493436791

In a world often consumed with self-sufficiency, this book reminds us that humans have an innate need for the grace of God's personal presence. Christa McKirland, an author doing research at the intersection of Christian theology and the sciences, argues for a new way of understanding the image of God that might precondition science-engaged theology. She makes an exegetical and theological case that human beings were created to need the presence of God in order to flourish. Such a need is not a liability but our greatest human dignity. Foreword by Alan J. Torrance.

God and Humanity

God and Humanity
Author: Nathaniel Gray Sutanto
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2024-07-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567709027

This is the first book to apply Bavinck's theological anthropology to contemporary theological issues. Sutanto provides a sustained close reading of Herman Bavinck's contributions to theological anthropology and positions him in conversation with current and historical dialogues on embodiment, revelation, affect theory, phenomenology, the cognitive science of religion, ethics, race, covenant, and the beatific vision. Sutanto explores the holistic character of Bavinck's vision of humanity, suggesting ways in which his theological anthropology cuts across several potential binaries in contemporary discourse, between affect and reason, body and soul, animality and religiosity, unity and diversity, and between a this-worldly or other-worldly eschatology.

Why We Pray

Why We Pray
Author: John C. Peckham
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2024-07-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493446231

If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and entirely good, why do we need to ask God to do good things? Won't God act for the best regardless? Do our prayers even make a difference? Why do some go unanswered? This brief, accessible book provides a fresh angle on our questions to help us think differently about why we pray and what happens when we pray. John Peckham applies the insights from his successful book Theodicy of Love to the perennial problem of petitionary prayer, offering practical implications for how we might pray and live in ways that advance God's kingdom of unselfish love. Since our understanding of petitionary prayer is inseparable from our understanding of God, Peckham sheds significant light on the nature and character of God and the often-mysterious workings of divine providence. He does so by bringing theological and philosophical nuance to readings of key biblical texts on prayer, weaving in other scriptural clues to articulate an understanding of prayer that highlights not only its necessity but also its urgency. This book will appeal to students, pastors, church leaders, and thoughtful laypeople.

Inhabiting Eden

Inhabiting Eden
Author: Patricia K. Tull
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Total Pages: 205
Release: 2013-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0664233333

In this thoughtful study, respected Old Testament scholar Patricia K. Tull explores the Scriptures for guidance on today's ecological crisis. Tull looks to the Bible for what it can tell us about our relationships, not just to the earth itself, but also to plant and animal life, to each other, to descendants who will inherit the planet from us, and to our Creator. She offers candid discussions on many current ecological problems that humans contribute to, such as the overuse of energy resources like gas and electricity, consumerism, food production systems--including land use and factory farming--and toxic waste. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions and a practical exercise, making it ideal for both group and individual study. This important book provides a biblical basis for thinking about our world differently and prompts us to consider changing our own actions. Visit inhabitingeden.org for links to additional resources and information.

Creation and Christian Ethics

Creation and Christian Ethics
Author: Dennis P. Hollinger
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2023-11-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 149344431X

Creation is a foundational pillar of the biblical storyline, yet it plays little role in contemporary evangelical ethics. Seeking to correct this oversight, Dennis Hollinger employs the creation story and creation themes throughout Scripture as a foundation for Christian ethics. After demonstrating why creation is theologically significant and important for Christian ethics, Hollinger develops major creation paradigms that provide ethical guidance on a wide range of issues, including money, sex, power, racism, creation care, social institutions, and artificial intelligence, among many others. Creation and Christian Ethics shows throughout that the triune God creates from love, and in that creation are moral designs for humanity's journey in God's world. Professors and students of Christian ethics will find this a valuable resource for the classroom, while pastors and church leaders will benefit from personal and small-group study.

Dignity and Destiny

Dignity and Destiny
Author: John F. Kilner
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 414
Release: 2015-01-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0802867642

Misunderstandings about what it means for humans to be created in God's image have wreaked devastation throughout history -- for example, slavery in the U. S., genocide in Nazi Germany, and the demeaning of women everywhere. In Dignity and Destiny John Kilner explores what the Bible itself teaches about humanity being in God's image. He discusses in detail all of the biblical references to the image of God, interacts extensively with other work on the topic, and documents how misunderstandings of it have been so problematic. People made according to God's image, Kilner says, have a special connection with God and are intended to be a meaningful reflection of him. Because of sin, they don't actually reflect him very well, but Kilner shows why the popular idea that sin has damaged the image of God is mistaken. He also clarifies the biblical difference between being God's image (which Christ is) and being in God's image (which humans are). He explains how humanity's creation and renewal in God's image are central, respectively, to human dignity and destiny. Locating Christ at the center of what God's image means, Kilner charts a constructive way forward and reflects on the tremendously liberating impact that a sound understanding of the image of God can have in the world today.

Biblical Doctrine

Biblical Doctrine
Author: John MacArthur
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 1270
Release: 2017-01-13
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433545942

Long-Awaited Systematic Theology by Well-Known Pastor, Author, and President of the Master's Seminary Doctrine isn't just for theologians—it's important for every Christian because it shows us who God is and how we should live. Systematizing the robust theology that has undergirded John MacArthur's well-known preaching ministry for decades, this overview of basic Christian doctrine covers topics such as God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, salvation, and more. Comprehensive in scope yet written to be accessible to the average reader—with non-technical vocabulary, minimal footnotes, and a helpful bibliography—this volume offers Christians a solid foundation for what they believe and why.

Paul and the Hope of Glory

Paul and the Hope of Glory
Author: Constantine R. Campbell
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Total Pages: 528
Release: 2020-11-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 031052122X

A Unique Study of Pauline Eschatology that Is Both Exegetical and Theological One of the trajectories coming out of Constantine Campbell's award-winning book Paul and Union with Christ is the significance of eschatology for the apostle. Along with union with Christ, eschatology is a feature of Paul’s thinking that affects virtually everything else. While union with Christ is the "webbing" that joins Paul's thought together, eschatology provides the "shape" of his thought, and thus gives shape to his teaching about justification, resurrection, the cross, ethics, and so forth. There is considerable debate, however, about Paul's eschatology, asking whether he is a "covenant" or an "apocalyptic" theologian. In Paul and the Hope of Glory Campbell conducts a thorough exegetical study of the relevant elements of Paul's eschatological language, metaphors, and images including "parousia," "the last day," "inheritance," "hope," and others. He examines each passage in context, aiming to build inductively an overall sense of Paul's thinking. The results of this exegetical study then feed into a theological study that demonstrates the integration of Paul's eschatological thought into his overall theological framework. The study is comprised of three parts: The first part introduces the key issues--both exegetical and theological--and sets the parameters and methodology of the book. It also offers an historical survey of the scholarly work produced on Paul's eschatology through the twentieth century to the present day. The second part contains the detailed exegetical analysis, with chapters on each important Pauline phrase, metaphor, and image related to eschatology. The third part turns its attention to theological synthesis. It recapitulates relevant conclusions from the evidence adduced in part two and launches into theological discussion engaging current issues and debates. This volume combines high-level scholarship and a concern for practical application of a topic currently debated in the academy and the church. More than a monograph, this book is a helpful reference tool for students, scholars, and pastors to consult its treatment of any particular instance of any phrase or metaphor that relates to eschatology in Paul's thinking.

Suffering and Salvation in Ciudad Juárez

Suffering and Salvation in Ciudad Juárez
Author: Nancy Pineda-Madrid
Publisher: Fortress Press
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2011
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0800698479

Nancy Pineda-Madrid re-conceives traditional Christian notions of salvation by closing attending to the experience of the embattled women of Ciudad Ju rez in Mexico, where hundreds have been slain and where survivors have found healing and salvation in solidarity and community practices that resist rather than acquiesce in the violence.

You're Only Human

You're Only Human
Author: Kelly M. Kapic
Publisher: Brazos Press
Total Pages: 391
Release: 2022-01-18
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493435256

Work. Family. Church. Exercise. Sleep. The list of demands on our time seems to be never ending. It can leave you feeling a little guilty--like you should always be doing one more thing. Rather than sharing better time-management tips to squeeze more hours out of the day, Kelly Kapic takes a different approach in You're Only Human. He offers a better way to make peace with the fact that God didn't create us to do it all. Kapic explores the theology behind seeing our human limitations as a gift rather than a deficiency. He lays out a path to holistic living with healthy self-understanding, life-giving relationships, and meaningful contributions to the world. He frees us from confusing our limitations with sin and instead invites us to rest in the joy and relief of knowing that God can use our limitations to foster freedom, joy, growth, and community. Readers will emerge better equipped to cultivate a life that fosters gratitude, rest, and faithful service to God.