Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire


William T. Cavanaugh - 2008
    Examining pathologies of desire in contemporary "free market" economies, Being Consumed puts forth a positive and inspiring vision of how the body of Christ can engage in economic alternatives. At every turn, Cavanaugh illustrates his theological analysis with concrete examples of Christian economic practices.

The End of Christianity: Finding a Good God in an Evil World


William A. Dembski - 2009
    The neo-atheist view in this debate has dominated recent bestseller lists through books like The God Delusion (Richard Dawkins), God Is Not Great (Christopher Hitchens), and The End of Faith (Samuel Harris). And their popularity illuminates a changing mental environment wherein people are asking harder questions about divine goodness. Surprisingly, these books please intelligent design champion William Dembski, because “They would be unnecessary if Christianity were not again a live issue.”Entering the conversation, Dembski’s provocative The End of Christianity embraces the challenge to formulate a theodicy that is both faithful to Christian orthodoxy and credible to the new mental environment. He writes to make peace with three claims: (1) God by wisdom created the world out of nothing. (2) God exercises particular providence in the world. (3) All evil in the world ultimately traces back to human sin. In the process, Dembski brings the reader to a fresh understanding of what “the end (result) of Christianity” really means: the radical realignment of our thinking so that we see God’s goodness in creation despite the distorting effects of sin in our hearts and evil in the world.Endorsements:"The End of Christianity towers over the others in profundity and quality . . . I have read very few books with its deep of insight, breadth of scholarly interaction, and significance. From now on, no one who is working on a Christian treatment of the problem of evil can afford to neglect this book."—J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Biola University and author of The God QuestionA thought-provoking and well-worth reading book by a brilliant evangelical thinker on the perennial and puzzling problem of how to explain physical evil in the world before the Fall. I could not put it down. It has so much intellectually stimulating material in it.—Norman Geisler"Believers have badly needed the kind of compelling case for biblical theodicy provided in Dr. Dembski's new book-grounded, as it is, not in traditional philosophical arguments (often not merely obtuse but irrelevant in today's scientific climate), but in intelligent design, of which Dr. Dembski is the world's foremost academic proponent."—John Warwick Montgomery"William Dembski is a first-rate scholar who has focused his attention on the perennial challenge to Christianity: Why does God allow such evil and cruelty in the world? While staying well within the bounds of Christian orthodoxy, Dembski offers fresh insights that can truly be described as groundbreaking. Whether you end up embracing his solution or not, The End of Christianity is a book all Christians-and even non-Christians-need to wrestle with. We enthusiastically recommend it."—Josh and Sean McDowell, co-authors of Evidence for the Resurrection and More Than A Carpenter

Irreligion: A Mathematician Explains Why the Arguments for God Just Don't Add Up


John Allen Paulos - 2007
    In Irreligion he presents the case for his own worldview, organizing his book into twelve chapters that refute the twelve arguments most often put forward for believing in God's existence. The latter arguments, Paulos relates in his characteristically lighthearted style, "range from what might be called golden oldies to those with a more contemporary beat. On the playlist are the firstcause argument, the argument from design, the ontological argument, arguments from faith and biblical codes, the argument from the anthropic principle, the moral universality argument, and others." Interspersed among his twelve counterarguments are remarks on a variety of irreligious themes, ranging from the nature of miracles and creationist probability to cognitive illusions and prudential wagers. Special attention is paid to topics, arguments, and questions that spring from his incredulity "not only about religion but also about others' credulity." Despite the strong influence of his day job, Paulos says, there isn't a single mathematical formula in the book.

Christian Worldview: A Student's Guide


Philip Graham Ryken - 2013
    Whether we realize it or not, basic beliefs about God, humanity, history, and the future inevitably shape how we live.Philip Ryken, prolific author and president of Wheaton College, explains the distinguishing marks of the Christian worldview, helping us to engage thoughtfully with our increasingly pluralistic society. Based on the notion that ideas have consequences, this accessible resource will help you see life's "big picture" by equipping you with a well-reasoned framework of Christian beliefs and convictions.

The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories to Your Inner Atheist


Daniel Taylor - 2013
    But there are also Skeptical Believers, a particular kind of believer who lives with an Inner Atheist that is constantly raising objections. The Skeptical Believer is a book about making peace with your Inner Atheist, and about working out useful responses to questions that have no definitive answers. It steers a middle course between the modernist conviction that faith is agreement with a set of statements about God and the postmodernist assertion that religious faith is just one story among many, no more or less true than any other. The Skeptical Believer proposes that one can live a rich and meaningful life of faith without proof (and despite the weaknesses of the church) by seeing oneself as a character within an ancient story. As believers, skeptical or otherwise, always have.

Finding Faith: A Self-Discovery Guide for Your Spiritual Quest


Brian D. McLaren - 1999
    Finding Faith aims to help spiritual seekers progress through their spiritual search by confronting questions -- in non-Christian language -- about God, the nature of faith, truth, and religious life.

The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam


Mirza Ghulam Ahmad - 1993
    The scholars of Muslims, Christians, Arya Samaj and other religions were invited to represent their religions at the conference of Great Religion. They were required to write on the following five topics on the basis of their Holy Books.1. The physical, moral and spiritual states of man2. What is the state of man after death?3. The object of man's life and the means of its attainment,4. The operation of the practical ordinances of the Law in this life and the next 5. Sources of Divine knowledge.Allah revealed to the Promised Messiah(as) that his essay will be declared supreme over all other essays. And so it was. For instance the Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, wrote that Hadrat Ahmad's essay was the only one worth mentioning and the only one paper which was commended highly. The essay has been published in several languages in different countries.It is the best and most comprehensive introduction to Islam within the scope of the above five questions. The book was translated into English by Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan Sahib.

The Call to Discernment in Troubled Times: New Perspectives on the Transformative Wisdom of Ignatius of Loyola


Dean Brackley - 2004
    Dean Brackley integrates a realistic analysis of today's social crisis with the deep personal spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola.

An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion


Brian Davies - 1982
    He explains how a range of thinkers have approached the subject -- including Anselm, Aquinas, Descartes, Leibniz, Hume, and Kant -- and also discusses how contemporary author now engage with the issues involved. Completely revised to cover the latest developments in the field, the new edition of this established textbook will prove the ideal introduction for all students of the philosophy of religion.

Atheism: A Philosophical Justification


Michael Martin - 1990
    Carefully examining the debate in Anglo-American analytic philosophy regarding God's existence, this book presents a comprehensive critique of the arguments for the existence of God and a defense of arguments against the existence of God, showing in detail their relevance to atheism.

Ethics for a Brave New World


John S. Feinberg - 1993
    We strongly disagree. Scripture sets forth enough principles that it is possible to evaluate contemporary practices in light of biblical teaching. Moreover, it is not only possible to address these matters biblically--it is mandatory to do so. As Christians we must speak to these topics." (from Preface)Two respected theological spokesmen present here a carefully reasoned, thoroughly biblical discussion of basic ethical issues confronting church and society. An invaluable resource for all who desire to become better prepared to face and resolve the moral dilemmas of our day.

Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith


Douglas R. Groothuis - 2011
    But are those answers reliable?In this systematic text, Douglas Groothuis makes a comprehensive apologetic case for Christian theism--proceeding from a defense of objective truth to a presentation of the key arguments for God from natural theology to a case for the credibility of Jesus, the incarnation and the resurrection. Throughout, Groothuis considers alternative views and how they fare intellectually.

Proper Confidence: Faith, Doubt, and Certainty in Christian Discipleship


Lesslie Newbigin - 1995
    What results is a perspective that allows Christians to confidently affirm the gospel as public truth in our pluralistic world.

The Consolation of Philosophy


Boethius
    When he became involved in a conspiracy and was imprisoned in Pavia, it was to the Greek philosophers that he turned. THE CONSOLATION was written in the period leading up to his brutal execution. It is a dialogue of alternating prose and verse between the ailing prisoner and his 'nurse' Philosophy. Her instruction on the nature of fortune and happiness, good and evil, fate and free will, restore his health and bring him to enlightenment. THE CONSOLATION was extremely popular throughout medieval Europe and his ideas were influential on the thought of Chaucer and Dante.

God's Universe


Owen Gingerich - 2006
    Stars and galaxies have formed, and elements come forth from great stellar cauldrons. The necessary elements are present, the environment is fit for life, and slowly life forms have populated the earth. Are the creative forces purposeful, and in fact divine?Owen Gingerich believes in a universe of intention and purpose. We can at least conjecture that we are part of that purpose and have just enough freedom that conscience and responsibility may be part of the mix. They may even be the reason that pain and suffering are present in the world. The universe might actually be comprehensible.Taking Johannes Kepler as his guide, Gingerich argues that an individual can be both a creative scientist and a believer in divine design--that indeed the very motivation for scientific research can derive from a desire to trace God's handiwork. The scientist with theistic metaphysics will approach laboratory problems much the same as does his atheistic colleague across the hall. Both are likely to view the astonishing adaptations in nature with a sense of surprise, wonder, and mystery.In God's Universe Gingerich carves out "a theistic space" from which it is possible to contemplate a universe where God plays an interactive role, unnoticed yet not excluded by science.