Willingness to Die and the Gift of Life

Willingness to Die and the Gift of Life
Author: Paul K.-K. Cho
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 359
Release: 2022-09-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1467465356

One particularly challenging aspect of the Hebrew Bible is its treatment of various forms of voluntary death: suicide, suicide attack, martyrdom, and self-sacrifice. How can people of faith make sense of the ways biblical literature at times valorizes these sensitive and painful topics? Willingness to Die and the Gift of Life surveys a diverse selection of Hebrew Bible narratives that feature characters who express a willingness to die, including Moses, Judah, Samson, Esther, Job, Daniel, and the “suffering servant” of Isaiah 53. The challenging truth uncovered is that the Hebrew Bible, while taking seriously the darker aspects of voluntary death, nevertheless time and again valorizes the willingness to die—particularly when it is for the sake of the group or in faithful commitment to God. Many biblical authors go so far as to suggest that death willingly embraced can unlock immense power: endowing the willing with the charism necessary to lead, opening the possibility of salvation, and even paving the way for resurrection into a new, more glorious life. Paul K.-K. Cho’s unflinching analysis raises and wrestles with provocative questions about religious extremism, violent terrorism, and suicidal ideation —all of which carry significant implications for the biblically grounded life of faith today. Cho carefully situates the surveyed texts in their original cultural context, discussing relevant topics such the shame and honor culture of ancient Israel and the importance attached to the group over the individual. Closing with an epilogue that reflects on the surprising issue of whether biblical authors considered God to be capable of dying or being willing to die, Cho’s fascinating study showcases the multifaceted relationship between death and life in the Hebrew Bible.

Living Life Backward

Living Life Backward
Author: David Gibson
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 164
Release: 2017-07-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433556308

What if it is death that teaches us how to truly live? Keeping the end in mind shapes how we live our lives in the here and now. Living life backward means taking the one thing in our future that is certain—death—and letting that inform our journey before we get there. Looking to the book of Ecclesiastes for wisdom, Living Life Backward was written to shake up our expectations and priorities for what it means to live "the good life." Considering the reality of death helps us pay attention to our limitations as human beings and receive life as a wondrous gift from God—freeing us to live wisely, generously, and faithfully for God's glory and the good of his world.

In Death, the Gift of Life

In Death, the Gift of Life
Author: Frank Hall
Publisher:
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2020-02-27
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 9781949122169

In Death, the Gift of Life is a book meant to open an important conversation starting on the local level. Inspired by one son's experience with his father's end-of-life passage, this anthology contains the stories of ten individuals from the town of Westport, Connecticut. It asks readers to examine what end-of-life choices and options are available, as well as the challenges faced by those who have transformative and terminal illnesses. Each moving narrative explores men and women who have faced the modern medical establishment head-on, and then deliberately embraced courage and grace in the aftermath. These individuals have influenced an entire community with their unique views about living and dying well, and will continue to inspire through the power of their stories.

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die
Author: Sarah J. Robinson
Publisher: WaterBrook
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2021-05-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0593193539

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Live Before You Die

Live Before You Die
Author: Daniel Kolenda
Publisher: Charisma Media
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2013-01-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1621360369

Whether your journey takes you to the mission field or medical school...whether you become a construction worker, stay-at-home mom, businessman, teacher, chef, or pastor—YOU can experience the wonder of God’s will for your life and live His adventure for you. It’s time to go for it!

Death by Living

Death by Living
Author: N. D. Wilson
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2013-05-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0849965039

Each of us is in the middle of a story. In this astoundingly unique book, bestselling author N.D. Wilson reminds us that to truly live we must recognize that we are dying. Cause of death: life. Death by Living is a poetic exploration of faith, futility, and the incredible joy of this mortal life. N.D. Wilson recounts stories from his life in poetic prose, giving perspective on the life we're given by God. Death by Living explores the topics of family, grappling with the death of loved ones, and how to live with intention to get the most out of our time on Earth. Wilson encourages us to live hard and die grateful, and to see Christ in every pair of eyes. To write a past we won’t regret. All of us must pause and breathe. See the past, see life as the fruit of providence and thousands of personal narratives. We did not choose where to set our feet in time, but we choose where to set them next. We stand in the now. God says create. Live. Choose. Shape the past. Etch your life in stone, and what you make will be forever. In Death by Living, you will: Experience life with renewed wonder Recognize mundane moments as opportunities Learn to live hard and die grateful Recognize death as a gift instead of something to be feared At once inspiring, humorous, and unbelievably moving, this a book that you will read again and again, finding fresh perspective each time you open it.

All My Tomorrows

All My Tomorrows
Author: Eric Gregory
Publisher: Word Association Publishers
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2017-08-31
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9781633852136

No experience is worse than being a parent who has suffered the death of a child. It's so horrible that the English language doesn't have a word for it. Chris Gregory, a nineteen-year-old Freshman at Loyola University New Orleans, had a girlfriend. He was rushing a fraternity and although he had had a rough first semester, he told his parents he was certain he was finally getting "this college thing right." One night during a casual after-dinner conversation about driver's licenses, Chris's parents learned that he had opted to become an organ donor. "What am I going to do with my organs after I'm dead? And besides," he added with a grin, "who wouldn't want this body?" Life's funny. One day, some kid is a happy-go-lucky college freshman, healthy as a horse, and another guy is standing at death's door. And then in a matter of hours, they somehow trade places. Chris collapsed and died of an aneurysm with no warning. Five people who had been near death lived to see another day because they received Chris's organs. Eric Gregory, his father, wrote this book to chronicle this miracle of science and how meeting these recipients of his son's organs filled a special need in their hearts that few outside the organ donation community can understand.

Between Life and Death

Between Life and Death
Author: Kathryn Butler
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2019-04-17
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433561042

“To prepare yourself to make difficult medical decisions in a distinctly Christian way, you won’t do better than to read Between Life and Death.” —Tim Challies Modern medical advances save countless lives. But for all their merits, sophisticated technologies have created a daunting new challenge, namely a blurring of the expanse between life and death. The dying process is often hidden behind a complex web of medical terminology, statistics, and ethical decisions, making it difficult for patients and loved ones to know how to approach the end of life in a dignity-affirming, Godhonoring, faith-filled way. This book offers a distinctly Christian guide to end-of-life care. It equips readers by explaining common medical jargon, exploring biblical principles that connect to common medical situations, and offering guidance for making critical decisions. In these pages, readers will find the medical knowledge and scriptural wisdom they need to navigate this painful and confusing process with clarity, peace, and discernment.

The Gospel of Life

The Gospel of Life
Author: Pope John Paul II
Publisher: Random House Incorporated
Total Pages: 228
Release: 1995
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780679758648

The Gift of Death

The Gift of Death
Author: Jacques Derrida
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 123
Release: 1996-06
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0226143066

In The Gift of Death, Jacques Derrida's most sustained consideration of religion to date, he continues to explore questions introduced in Given Time about the limits of the rational and responsible that one reaches in granting or accepting death, whether by sacrifice, murder, execution, or suicide. Derrida analyzes Patocka's Heretical Essays on the History of Philosophy and develops and compares his ideas to the works of Heidegger, Levinas, and Kierkegaard. A major work, The Gift of Death resonates with much of Derrida's earlier writing and will be of interest to scholars in anthropology, philosophy, and literary criticism, along with scholars of ethics and religion. "The Gift of Death is Derrida's long-awaited deconstruction of the foundations of the project of a philosophical ethics, and it will long be regarded as one of the most significant of his many writings."—Choice "An important contribution to the critical study of ethics that commends itself to philosophers, social scientists, scholars of relgion . . . [and those] made curious by the controversy that so often attends Derrida."—Booklist "Derrida stares death in the face in this dense but rewarding inquiry. . . . Provocative."—Publishers Weekly