Faith in a Society of Instant Gratification

Faith in a Society of Instant Gratification
Author: Maureen Junker-Kenny
Publisher: Orbis Books
Total Pages: 156
Release: 1999
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

Some contributions translated by John Bowden and Paul Burns. Includes bibliographical references. Introduction: Faith in an experience society / Maureen Junker-Kenny -- Societies of instant gratification in different cultures. Europe and North America / Zygmunt Bauman. Asia / John Joseph Puthenkalam. Latin America at the turn of the millennium : between immediatism and holiness / Maria Clara Lucchetti Bingemer -- Sociological analysis. Individualism, a change in values, the experience society : converging trends in sociology / Miklos Tomka -- Theological interpretations. The dangerous memory of Jesus Christ in a post-traditional society / Alberto Moreira. Instant gratification and liberation / Ferdinand Dagmang. The river and the mountain / Subhash Anand. Aesthetic existence and Christian identity / Michael Bongardt -- Ecclesial praxis: challenges, opportunities, models. Decline or transformation of solidarity? / Norbert Mette. New affective communities and the problem of mutual understanding / Diana L. Hayes. Fulfilment--experienced for a moment yet painfully lacking? / Hans Kessler. Documentation: The success of 'the experience society' and the most obvious mistakes in its reception / Gotz Lechner. Seminary collection.

Embedded Faith

Embedded Faith
Author: Carlton Johnstone
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2013-12-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1630870919

Embedded Faith explores the way Christian faith journeys of young adults are embedded within church communities. It discusses why young adults go to church, why they change churches, why some are involved in the practice of church two-timing, and what they are looking for in a church. Embedded Faith also provides valuable insight into the relationship between geographic mobility and belonging to a faith community in a transient age. Embedded Faith discusses areas where young adults are engaging and disengaging with church life, such as preaching and worship. It addresses how stage of life transitions and life experience impact on one's experience and involvement in church. This book will enable anyone working with young adults in a church context to give shape to a ministry that is more sensitive and connected to the realities faced by young adults, and will call you to the importance of listening to the lived experience of young adults as it relates to faith and church.

The Impulse Society

The Impulse Society
Author: Paul Roberts
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 330
Release: 2014-09-02
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1608198189

It's something most of us have sensed for years-the rise of a world defined only by “mine” and “now.” A world where business shamelessly seeks the fastest reward, regardless of the long-term social consequences; where political leaders reflexively choose short-term fixes over broad, sustainable social progress; where individuals feel increasingly exploited by a marketplace obsessed with our private cravings yet oblivious to our spiritual well-being or the larger needs of our families and communities. At the heart of The Impulse Society is an urgent, powerful story: how the pursuit of short-term self-gratification, once scorned as a sign of personal weakness, became the default principle not only for individuals, but for all sectors of our society. Drawing on the latest research in economics, psychology, political philosophy, and business management, Paul Roberts shows how a potent combination of rapidly advancing technologies, corrupted ideologies, and bottom-line business ethics has pushed us across a threshold to an unprecedented state: a virtual merging of the market and the self. The result is a socioeconomic system ruled by impulse, by the reflexive, id-like drive for the largest, quickest, most “efficient” reward, without regard for long-term costs to ourselves or to broader society. More than thirty years ago, Christopher Lasch hinted at this bleak world in his landmark book, The Culture of Narcissism. In The Impulse Society, Roberts shows how that self-destructive pattern has grown so pervasive that anxiety and emptiness are becoming embedded in our national character. Yet it is in this unease that Roberts finds clear signs of change-and broad revolt as millions of Americans try step off the self-defeating treadmill of gratification and restore a sense of balance. Fresh, vital, and free of ideological, right-wing/left-wing formulations, The Impulse Society shows the way back to a world of real and lasting good.

The Emerald Guide to Zygmunt Bauman

The Emerald Guide to Zygmunt Bauman
Author: Shaun Best
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2020-09-17
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1839097388

This book is the first introductory guide to the work of Zygmunt Bauman, designed specifically for students and those new to his work. It provides a firm foundation for the independent reading of Bauman and for exploring the many interpretations of his influential ideas.

Understanding the Diaconate

Understanding the Diaconate
Author: W. Shawn McKnight
Publisher: CUA Press
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2018-07-13
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0813230357

What is a deacon? More than fifty years since the restoration of the permanent diaconate by the Second Vatican Council, the office of deacon is still in need of greater specificity about its purpose and place within the mission and organizational structure of the Church. While the Church is more than a social reality, the Church nonetheless has a social reality. Our understanding of the diaconate therefore benefits from a theological discussion of the divine element of the Church and a sociological examination of the human element. Understanding the Diaconate adds the resources of sociology and anthropology to the theological sources of scripture, liturgy, patristic era texts, theologians, and magisterial teachings to conclude that the deacon can be understood as “social intermediary and symbol of communitas” who serves the participation of the laity in the life and mission of the Church. This research proposes the deacon as a servant of the bond of communion within the Church (facilitating the relationship between the bishop/priest and his people), and between the People of God and the individual in need. Thus authentic diaconal ministry includes a vast array of many concrete contexts of pastoral importance where one does more than simply serve at Mass.

The Faith

The Faith
Author: Brian Moynahan
Publisher: Image
Total Pages: 818
Release: 2007-12-18
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0307423948

Beginning with the birth of Jesus and tracing the religion established by his followers up to the present day, The Faith is a comprehensive exploration of the history of Christianity. Judiciously covering all the signal moments without bogging down in minutia, author Brian Moynahan's superbly written and generously illustrated book is of central importance to Christians, historians, and anyone interested in a faith that shaped the modern world. Moynahan's research uses little-known sources to tell a magnificent story encompassing everything from the early tremulous years after Jesus' death to the horrors of persecution by Nero, from the growth of monasteries to the bloody Crusades, from the building of the great cathedrals to the cataclysm of the Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation, from the flight of pilgrims from Europe in pursuit of religious freedom to the Salem Witch Trials, from the advent of a traveling pope to the rise of televangelists. Coming just in time for Jubilee 2000, this ambitious book reveals and commemorates the significance of the Christian faith.

Faith, Hope, and Love in the Technological Society

Faith, Hope, and Love in the Technological Society
Author: Franz A. Foltz
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2018-07-31
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1532636261

Franz and Frederick Foltz examine how modern technology creates an environment that significantly affects Christianity by reducing the mysteries of faith to manageable techniques. The body of their work analyzes the effects of technology on the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, the triad that believers have used for a common narrative to understand and express their thoughts and experiences. They begin by looking at how recent developments have brought us into a post-truth era by removing words from their context in nature, time, place, and community. Popular theologies such as the power of positive thinking, the laws of creation, the plan for salvation, and the prosperity gospel reflect this change by gearing all for efficiently getting what we want and ignoring tradition. The authors then examine each of the virtues separately, finding that faith has become a risk management tool that depends on confidence in systems rather than personal relationships, hope is defined as the expectation that our present desires shall be granted rather than a vision of the future, and love has become an intimacy that provides escape from the real world and community rather than a self-denying care for them. Finally, the authors take a look at some appropriate responses.

The Individualized Society

The Individualized Society
Author: Zygmunt Bauman
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2013-04-25
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0745657036

We are spurred into action by our troubles and fears; but all too often our action fails to address the true causes of our worries. When trying to make sense of our lives, we tend to blame our own failings and weaknesses for our discomforts and defeats. And in doing so, we make things worse rather than better. Reasonable beings that we are, how does this happen and why does it go on happening? These are the questions addressed in this new book by Zygmunt Bauman - one of the most original and perceptive social thinkers writing today. For Bauman, the task of sociology is not to censor or correct the stories we tell of our lives, but to show that there are more ways in which our life stories can be told. By bringing into view the many complex dependencies invisible from the vantage point of private experience, sociology can help us to link our individual decisions and actions to the deeper causes of our troubles and fears - to the ways we live, to the conditions under which we act, to the socially drawn limits of our imagination and ambition. Sociology can help us to understand the processes that have shaped the society in which we live today, a society in which individualization has become our fate. And sociology can also help us to see that if our individual but shared anxieties are to be effectively tackled, they need to be addressed collectively, true to their social, not individual, nature. The Individualized Society will be of great interest to students of sociology, politics and the social sciences and humanities generally. It will also appeal to a broader range of readers who are interested in the changing nature of our social and political life today.

Unshaken: Standing Firm in Faith in a World of Doubt

Unshaken: Standing Firm in Faith in a World of Doubt
Author: Rick Anton
Publisher: Rick Anton
Total Pages: 86
Release:
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

In a world teeming with uncertainty, where the foundations of societal norms and beliefs are continuously challenged, the journey of maintaining a steadfast faith is more pertinent than ever. "Unshaken: Standing Firm in Faith in a World of Doubt" is a profound exploration of the enduring strength and necessity of faith in modern times. This book offers an in-depth look at the trials and triumphs of living out one’s faith in a society that often seems to operate in contradiction to religious principles and values. The Need for a Steadfast Faith Every day, believers are confronted with a society that frequently appears indifferent or even antagonistic to spiritual truths. Secularism, relativism, and a culture of instant gratification challenge the very core of Christian doctrines and ethical living. In such a landscape, how does one maintain a vibrant, unwavering faith? How does one stand firm and not lose heart or direction when the currents of societal norms and values seem to flow in the opposite direction? "Unshaken" addresses these critical questions by delving into the scripture, providing practical advice, and sharing inspirational stories of those who have navigated these waters successfully. This book is designed not only to reaffirm the foundations of Christian faith but also to empower believers to live out their faith boldly and effectively. Key Themes and Structure The book is structured to guide readers through various aspects of living a faith-filled life in a world filled with doubt. Each chapter tackles a specific theme, providing biblical insights, practical guidance, and real-life examples that illustrate both challenges and victories in the faith journey. 1. Understanding the Times Starting with a broad overview, the first chapter discusses the current spiritual and cultural landscape, identifying the major challenges to faith in our time. This sets the stage for understanding the need for a resilient, informed Christian stance. 2. Biblical Foundation and Spiritual Practices Subsequent chapters explore the foundational elements of Christian faith, such as prayer, scripture reading, and community engagement. These practices are essential for building and maintaining a strong, active faith that can withstand the pressures of a secular world. 3. Engaging the World The book also addresses how to engage positively with the world while remaining true to Christian convictions. Topics include handling ethical dilemmas in the workplace, navigating media and technology, and interacting with those of differing or no faith. 4. Mentorship and Legacy Looking toward the future, "Unshaken" emphasizes the importance of mentoring the next generation and ensuring the continuation of a robust Christian legacy. This involves practical advice for fostering spiritual growth in others and living in such a way that one’s faith journey inspires and instructs long after one’s time. 5. Hope and Encouragement The concluding sections of the book focus on hope and encouragement, essential components of a faith that not only endures but also thrives. Readers are reminded of the eternal perspective and the joy that comes from a deep, personal relationship with God. For Whom is This Book? "Unshaken" is written for anyone who desires to deepen their understanding of how to live faithfully as a Christian in a modern, often secular world. It is for new believers who are just beginning their faith journey and seasoned Christians who are looking for renewal or reassurance. Pastors, leaders, and lay Christians will find this book a valuable resource for personal growth and ministry.

The Struggles of a Christian

The Struggles of a Christian
Author: Harry Graham
Publisher: WestBow Press
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2015-05-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1490879552

This book started out with me penning my thoughts and concerns into a blog. Several people read it; then my wife suggested a book. After several positive reactions to this idea, here we are.