Book picks similar to
The Dark Box: A Secret History of Confession by John Cornwell
non-fiction
history
religion
nonfiction
A Treatise on Purgatory
Catherine of Genoa
She died in that city in 1510.Her fame outside her native city is connected with the publication in 1551 of the book known in English as the Life and Doctrine of Saint Catherine of Genoa.[3]She and her teaching were the subject of Baron Friedrich von Hügel's classic work The Mystical Element of Religion (1908).
Refuting Rabbinic Objections to Christianity & Messianic Prophecies
Eitan Bar - 2019
Not in our school system, not in our synagogues, and not in our media. Nor do we have easy access to the New Testament. Jesus has been studiously avoided, and hidden from our people. Today in Israel, 99.7% of the Jewish population, reject Jesus as the Messiah. How did our country, where the gospel first took place, come to be so adamantly against it? Within Judaism over the last two millennia, any kind of spiritual message had to go through the “gate keepers”, the Orthodox Jewish Rabbis. The Rabbinic Judaism of the Orthodox comes directly from the sect of the “Pharisees”, whom Jesus rebuked: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13) Ever since the days of Messiah, the Rabbis have set themselves in opposition to the gospel, blocking the message of Jesus from Israel. They deliberately prevent Jewish people from hearing about the free salvation offered to them in the death and resurrection of their own Jewish Messiah. They have gone to great lengths to conceal Jesus, and keep him the best kept secret in Judaism., keeping our people in spiritual darkness. But now the secret is out! After almost 2000 years, Jesus, or as we call him in Hebrew, Yeshua, can no longer be hidden from the people! Today, our ministry, ONE FOR ISRAEL, reaches Jewish and Arab Israelis exactly where they are – online. We no longer need the rabbis’ permission for anything. We can go straight into the smartphones, tablets, and computers of every Israeli, sharing the saving good news of Yeshua the Messiah! In the past, the message of the gospel came to Israel from outside our borders, delivered by people who didn’t understand our language, our culture, our heritage or our way of thinking. Today the messengers look very different. Now it is Jewish and Arab Israelis who are bringing the gospel back to where it started – back to our own people Israel. We can explain the gospel to our people in a way that makes sense to them, in our own native tongues of Hebrew and Arabic as only Israelis can, and help our people understand who Yeshua really is. The Orthodox rabbis in Israel operate an “anti missionary” organization called Yad L'Achim, specifically to fight against the spread of the gospel among the Jewish people. This very well-funded organization, works very closely with the Minister of Interior in the Israeli government. They seek to prevent Jewish people from leaving the confines of Rabbinic Judaism by any means necessary (not always legally), and relentlessly persecute us, the Jewish believers in Jesus in Israel. With over 90% of the names, photos and addresses of all the Messianic Jews in Israel on file, Yad L’Achim began sending a magazine called “Searching” to the homes of believers in Israel back in 2014. The magazine contains objections and refutations from Orthodox rabbis about the messiahship of Jesus, the credibility of the New Testament, and trying to ridicule and destroy the belief in Jesus. This caused several Jewish believers, even including some who had been missionaries, to deny their faith in Jesus and revert to rabbinic Judaism. Over the past five years, I decided to go over all of their magazines, books and videos, in order to answer their arguments and prove their objections false. Since 2015 we have released about 150 short videos where we share the gospel and directly refute these rabbinic objections to Jesus, New Testament and Christianity.
Poets and Saints: Eternal Insight, Extravagant Love, Ordinary People
Jamie George - 2016
This unique exploration of people such as Saint Thérèse, George MacDonald, and C.S. Lewis offers insight into eleven of the world’s most thoughtful and authentic Christ followers. Weaving biography and spiritual formation together, Poets and Saints reminds us of the onvictions that set us apart as Christians — and the truth that has set us free in every generation.
Unabashedly Episcopalian: Proclaiming the Good News of the Episcopal Church
C. Andrew Doyle - 2012
Bishop Andy Doyle has mined the Baptismal Covenant and his own experiences leading the Diocese of Texas. The result is a heartfelt, smart and practical book that calls Episcopalians to wake up to the church s unique gifts and story, and equips them to share that witness in their neighborhoods and out in the world.
Hidden Treasures in the Book of Job: How the Oldest Book in the Bible Answers Today's Scientific Questions
Hugh Ross - 2004
Far from a book that is just about suffering, Job is filled with rich insight into both ancient and modern questions about the formation of the worldthe difference between animals and humanscosmologydinosaurs and the fossil recordhow to care for creationand more With careful consideration and exegesis, internationally known astrophysicist and Christian apologist Hugh Ross adds yet another compelling argument to the case for the veracity of the biblical commentary on the history of the universe, Earth, life, and humanity. "Hidden Treasures in the Book of Job" shows that the Bible is an accurate predictor of scientific discoveries and a trustworthy source of scientific information, and that both the book of Scripture and the book of nature are consistent both internally and externally.
On Faith: Lessons from an American Believer
Antonin Scalia - 2019
Featuring a personal introduction by Justice Scalia's son Father Paul Scalia, this volume will enrich every reader's understanding of the legendary justice.
Antonin Scalia reflected deeply on matters of religion and shared his insights with many audiences over the course of his remarkable career. As a Supreme Court justice for three decades, he vigorously defended the American constitutional tradition of allowing religion a prominent place in the public square. As a man of faith, he recognized the special challenges of living a distinctively religious life in modern America, and he inspired other believers to meet those challenges. This volume contains Justice Scalia's incisive thoughts on these matters, laced with his characteristic wit. It includes outstanding speeches featured in Scalia Speaks and also draws from his Supreme Court opinions and his articles. In addition to the introduction by Fr. Scalia, other highlights include Fr. Scalia's beautiful homily at his father's funeral Mass and reminiscences from various friends and law clerks whose lives were influenced by Antonin Scalia's faith.
Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife
Lisa Miller - 2010
Drawing on history & popular culture, textual research & everyday beliefs, Heaven offers an understanding of one of the most shared ideals of spiritual life. Miller raises discussions not just about visions of the afterlife, but about how beliefs have influenced the societies we've built & the lifestyles to we've adopted, exploring the roots of beliefs in heaven & how these have evolved through the ages to offer hope. She also reveals how the notion of heaven has been used for manipulation, as inspiration for selfless behavior & as justification for mass murder. As she demonstrates, the desire for a celestial afterlife is shared by the faithful around the world & across religions. While there are many notions of what exactly heaven is & how to get there, Jews, Christians & Muslims all agree that heaven is god's home. From Revelation to the Left Behind series, Augustine to Osama bin Laden, Muslims in the W. Bank to Mormons baptizing the dead, Heaven is a look at a cherished religious ideal.IntroductionWhat is heaven?The miracleThe kingdom is near Green, green pastures ResurrectionSalvation VisionariesReunionsIs heaven boring?EpilogueAuthor's Note & AcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex
Pope Francis: Pastor of Mercy
Michael J. Ruszala - 2013
What exactly do people find so attractive about Pope Francis? There is something about him that captivates and delights people, even people who hardly know anything about him. Aldo Cagnoli, a layman who developed a friendship with the Pope when he was serving as a cardinal, shares the following: “The greatness of the man, in my humble opinion lies not in building walls or seeking refuge behind his wisdom and office, but rather in dealing with everyone judiciously, respectfully, and with humility, being willing to learn at any moment of life; that is what Father Bergoglio means to me.” This book uncovers the life of the 266th Bishop of Rome, Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is
N.T. Wright - 1999
In the midst of well publicized and controversial books on Jesus, N. T. Wright's lectures and writings have been widely recognized for providing a fresh, provocative and historically credible portrait. Out of his own commitment to both historical scholarship and Christian ministry, Wright challenges us to roll up our sleeves and take seriously the study of the historical Jesus. He writes, "Many Christians have been, frankly, sloppy in their thinking and talking about Jesus, and hence, sadly, in their praying and in their practice of discipleship. We cannot assume that by saying the word Jesus, still less the word Christ, we are automatically in touch with the real Jesus who walked and talked in first-century Palestine. . . . Only by hard, historical work can we move toward a fuller comprehension of what the Gospels themselves were trying to say." The Challenge of Jesus poses a double-edged challenge: to grow in our understanding of the historical Jesus within the Palestinian world of the first century, and to follow Jesus more faithfully into the postmodern world of the twenty-first century.