Ironies of Faith

Ironies of Faith
Author: Anthony Esolen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 429
Release: 2023-04-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1684516234

In Ironies of Faith, celebrated Dante scholar and translator Anthony Esolen provides a profound meditation upon the use and place of irony in Christian art and in the Christian life. Beginning with an extended analysis of irony as an essentially dramatic device, Esolen explores those manifestations of irony that appear prominently in Christian thinking and art: ironies of time (for Christians believe in divine Providence, but live in a world whose moments pass away); ironies of power (for Christians believe in an almighty God who took on human flesh, and whose "weakness" is stronger than our greatest enemy, death); ironies of love (for man seldom knows whom to love, or how, or even whom it is that in the depths of his heart he loves best); and the figure of the Child (for Christians ever hear the warning voice of their Savior, who says that unless we become like unto one of these little ones, we shall not enter the Kingdom of God). Esolen's finely wrought study draws from Augustine, Dante, Shakespeare, Tolkien, Mauriac, Milton Herbert, Hopkins, and Dostoyevsky, among others, including the anonymous author of the medieval poem Pearl. Such authors, Anthony Esolen believes, teach us that the last laugh is on the world, because that grim old world, taking itself so seriously that even its laughter is a sneer, will finally - despite its proud resistance - be redeemed. That is the ultimate irony of faith. Readers who treasure the Christian literary tradition should not miss this illuminating book.

Daily Afflictions

Daily Afflictions
Author: Andrew Boyd
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 150
Release: 2002
Genre: Affirmations
ISBN: 9780393322811

Revolutionizing a bestselling genre, this thinking man's parody hijacks the format of "daily affirmations" by offering "daily afflictions" to give readers inspiration, practical advice, and food for thought.

Irony and Meaning in the Hebrew Bible

Irony and Meaning in the Hebrew Bible
Author: Carolyn J. Sharp
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 377
Release: 2008-12-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 025300344X

Was God being ironic in commanding Eve not to eat fruit from the tree of wisdom? Carolyn J. Sharp suggests that many stories in the Hebrew Scriptures may be ironically intended. Deftly interweaving literary theory and exegesis, Sharp illumines the power of the unspoken in a wide variety of texts from the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Writings. She argues that reading with irony in mind creates a charged and open rhetorical space in the texts that allows character, narration, and authorial voice to develop in unexpected ways. Main themes explored here include the ironizing of foreign rulers, the prostitute as icon of the ironic gaze, indeterminacy and dramatic irony in prophetic performance, and irony in ancient Israel's wisdom traditions. Sharp devotes special attention to how irony destabilizes dominant ways in which the Bible is read today, especially when it touches on questions of conflict, gender, and the Other.

The Irony of the Cross

The Irony of the Cross
Author: Paul D. Shirley
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2017-02-17
Genre:
ISBN: 9781543211962

The cross of Christ is the greatest irony in the history of the universe. It is far too easy to lose track of the paradoxical details of Christ's death. Familiarity replaces what should be shock as we read through the Passion narrative. The Irony of the Cross puts the shock back in the cross by highlighting the ironies of Christ's death. Examining Mark 15:21-29, this book identifies eleven ironies of the cross that will deepen your understanding of the death of Christ and the gospel of grace. Each of these presents Jesus eschewing the prerogatives of his power for the salvation of his people. There is no other point in time when Christ was more emptied and stripped of his divine dignity, and yet there is no other place where Christ's glory is more prominently displayed.

Irony and Religious Belief

Irony and Religious Belief
Author: Gregory L. Reece
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2002
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9783161477799

The concept of irony is difficult to pin down, difficult to capture. This book is a critical examination of how Soren Kierkegaard and the pragmatist Richard Rorty approach the complex subject of irony. Gregory L. Reece traces the development of the philosophical concept of irony from Socrates to Hegel, Schlegel, Kierkegaard and Rorty, while addressing the very question that is central for both Kierkegaard and Rorty, the question of the relationship of ironic philosophy to an ironic life. Must ironic philosophy result in what Kierkegaard calls infinite, absolute negativity or in what Rorty describes as doubt and meta-stability? Gregory L. Reece argues that the answer is no, and that the belief that it must is based on an important philosophical mistake which in different forms is committed by both the early Kierkegaard and by Rorty. The insights of these philosophers, as well as those developed by Wittgenstein, are used to develop the beginning of an ironic philosophy of religion. Specifically, this work follows Kierkegaard and pursues these questions with special concern for the relation of ironic philosophy to religious belief.

Man Seeks God

Man Seeks God
Author: Eric Weiner
Publisher: Hachette+ORM
Total Pages: 317
Release: 2011-12-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1455505706

Bestselling author of Geography of Bliss returns with this funny, illuminating chronicle of a globe-spanning spiritual quest to find a faith that fits. When a health scare puts him in the hospital, Eric Weiner-an agnostic by default-finds himself tangling with an unexpected question, posed to him by a well-meaning nurse. "Have you found your God yet?" The thought of it nags him, and prods him-and ultimately launches him on a far-flung journey to do just that. Weiner, a longtime "spiritual voyeur" and inveterate traveler, realizes that while he has been privy to a wide range of religious practices, he's never seriously considered these concepts in his own life. Face to face with his own mortality, and spurred on by the question of what spiritual principles to impart to his young daughter, he decides to correct this omission, undertaking a worldwide exploration of religions and hoping to come, if he can, to a personal understanding of the divine. The journey that results is rich in insight, humor, and heart. Willing to do anything to better understand faith, and to find the god or gods that speak to him, he travels to Nepal, where he meditates with Tibetan lamas and a guy named Wayne. He sojourns to Turkey, where he whirls (not so well, as it turns out) with Sufi dervishes. He heads to China, where he attempts to unblock his chi; to Israel, where he studies Kabbalah, sans Madonna; and to Las Vegas, where he has a close encounter with Raelians (followers of the world's largest UFO-based religion). At each stop along the way, Weiner tackles our most pressing spiritual questions: Where do we come from? What happens when we die? How should we live our lives? Where do all the missing socks go? With his trademark wit and warmth, he leaves no stone unturned. At a time when more Americans than ever are choosing a new faith, and when spiritual questions loom large in the modern age, Man Seeks God presents a perspective on religion that is sure to delight, inspire, and entertain.

Irony

Irony
Author: Nick White
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2024-06-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

Of all the evidences for God to be found on the Wiki page 'Existence of God', you won't find irony listed. In fact, historically, writers have used irony to argue against God. Literary giants like Voltaire used irony to obliterate faith. But what if the real irony of Alanis Morissette's iconic song was that the lyrics really were ironic after all? What if God had created irony to hint at his existence? This non-fiction book is written for the agnostics, the seekers, the doubters, the sceptics. It is not primarily aimed at believers or atheists (although these two groups will find it interesting). It is particularly aimed at those who find it difficult not to blame a seemingly malevolent God when things go wrong. It is a practical book which doesn't shy away from the fact that God allows negative irony to take place within our lives. In the book I call for a wider definition of the word in keeping with today's understanding. Language evolves and for many people irony today is not the strict dictionary definition. Irony can also be hypocrisy, 'crazy bad luck' and even serendipity. But we live in post-ironic, post-truth, and post-God times - we are far too sophisticated to accept dogmas which we may have been expected to accept in the past. So how can irony be evidence for a benevolent God? To find that out you may need to read this book. This book won't resolve the issue of suffering. It won't make you rich or make your tweets go viral. 'Why should I read your book then?' I hear you think. Firstly, because, you may want to know why everything is currently conspiring to keep you from reading it. Secondly, because it's original and brings fresh ideas forward. Thirdly, because it's shiny?

Canaan and Israel in Antiquity: A Textbook on History and Religion

Canaan and Israel in Antiquity: A Textbook on History and Religion
Author: K. L. Noll
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 396
Release: 2013-03-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567182584

This comprehensive classic textbook represents the most recent approaches to the biblical world by surveying Palestine's social, political, economic, religious and ecological changes from Palaeolithic to Roman eras. Designed for beginners with little knowledge of the ancient world, and with copious illustrations and charts, it explains how and why academic study of the past is undertaken, as well as the differences between historical and theological scholarship and the differences between ancient and modern genres of history writing. Classroom tested chapters emphasize the authenticity of the Bible as a product of an ancient culture, and the many problems with the biblical narrative as a historical source. Neither "maximalist" nor "minimalist'" it is sufficiently general to avoid confusion and to allow the assignment of supplementary readings such as biblical narratives and ancient Near Eastern texts. This new edition has been fully revised, incorporating new graphics and English translations of Near Eastern inscriptions. New material on the religiously diverse environment of Ancient Israel taking into account the latest archaeological discussions brings this book right up to date.

Hearing Things

Hearing Things
Author: Leigh Eric Schmidt
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2002-11-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0674009983

ÒFaith cometh by hearingÓÑso said Saint Paul, and devoted Christians from Augustine to Luther down to the present have placed particular emphasis on spiritual arts of listening. In quiet retreats for prayer, in the noisy exercises of Protestant revivalism, in the mystical pursuit of the voices of angels, Christians have listened for a divine call. But what happened when the ear tuned to GodÕs voice found itself under the inspection of Enlightenment critics? This book takes us into the ensuing debate about Òhearing thingsÓÑan intense, entertaining, even spectacular exchange over the auditory immediacy of popular Christian piety. The struggle was one of encyclopedic range, and Leigh Eric Schmidt conducts us through natural histories of the oracles, anatomies of the diseased ear, psychologies of the unsound mind, acoustic technologies (from speaking trumpets to talking machines), philosophical regimens for educating the senses, and rational recreations elaborated from natural magic, notably ventriloquism and speaking statues. Hearing Things enters this labyrinthÑall the new disciplines and pleasures of the modern earÑto explore the fate of Christian listening during the Enlightenment and its aftermath. In SchmidtÕs analysis the reimagining of hearing was instrumental in constituting religion itself as an object of study and suspicion. The mysticÕs ear was hardly lost, but it was now marked deeply with imposture and illusion.

Redemptive Reversals and the Ironic Overturning of Human Wisdom

Redemptive Reversals and the Ironic Overturning of Human Wisdom
Author: Gregory K. Beale
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2019-11-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433563312

“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” –Matthew 19:30 The Bible is full of ironic situations in which God overturns the world’s wisdom by doing the opposite of what is expected—people are punished by their own sin, the persecution of the church is the catalyst for its growth, Paul claims to have strength through weakness, and more. In this book, biblical scholar G. K. Beale explores God’s pattern of divine irony in both judgment and salvation, finding its greatest expression in Jesus’s triumph over death through death on a cross. Unpacking this pattern throughout redemptive history, Beale shows us how God often uses what is seemingly weak and foolish to underscore his own strength and power in the lives of his people today.