Book picks similar to
The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism by Michael Himes
1-religion-spirituality
teaching
theology
theology-philosophy
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church
N.T. Wright - 2007
Wright tackles the biblical question of what happens after we die and shows how most Christians get it wrong. We do not “go to” heaven; we are resurrected and heaven comes down to earth--a difference that makes all of the difference to how we live on earth. Following N.T. Wright’s resonant exploration of a life of faith in Simply Christian, the award-winning author whom Newsweek calls “the world’s leading New Testament scholar” takes on one of life’s most controversial topics, a matter of life, death, spirituality, and survival for everyone living in the world today.
Reconcile: Conflict Transformation for Ordinary Christians
John Paul Lederach - 2014
Originally published as The Journey Toward Reconciliation and based on Lederach’s work in twenty-five countries across five continents, this revised and updated book tells dramatic stories of what works—and what doesn’t—in resolving and transforming conflicts. A section of resources for congregations and small groups offers litanies, discussion questions, resource lists, and practical ideas for peacemaking in everyday life.“Lynne and I feel deeply called to the work of peacemaking these days. We know it is very near to the heart of the One we serve. No one’s writings have helped us more than John Paul Lederach’s.”—Bill Hybels, co-founder and senior pastor, Willow Creek Community Church
The Holy Ghost, Our Greatest Friend: He Who Loves Us Best
Paul O'Sullivan - 1952
Again and again, he shows us how we are the living temples of the Holy Ghost and how our souls are God's greatest masterpiece—because they are made in His own Image and Likeness. Of the Divine Tenant we possess within us, Fr. O'Sullivan says, “The Holy Ghost does not only give His wonderful help to Apostles, to martyrs, to missionaries, but to all Christians without exception, if only they will ask Him as they should." (Page 39). The greatest tragedy, he points out, is that many Christians never pray to this Divine Guest within their souls. Therefore, it is to help us understand, at least a little, the Incomparable Treasure we Christians possess within ourselves as a result of Baptism that the author has written this book – but also to teach us how to help ourselves in the most unfailing way by praying often and fervently to the Holy Ghost for assistance in all our needs.
Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church
Matt Chandler - 2012
When the gospel is rightly declared and applied to God’s people, the church becomes “a creature of the Word.” She understands, embraces, and lives out the reality of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection in more than her doctrinal statement. The gospel impacts all the church is and does.Creature of the Word lays out this concept in full, first examining the rich, scripture-based beauty of a Jesus-centered church, then clearly providing practical steps toward forming a Jesus-centered church. Authors Matt Chandler, Eric Geiger, and Josh Patterson write what will become a center- ing discussion piece for those whose goal is to be part of a church that has its theology, culture, and practice completely saturated in the gospel.
According to Plan
Graeme Goldsworthy - 1991
Concise, pithy chapters with dozens of charts, highlighted summaries and study questions make Graeme Goldsworthy's introductory text enormously useful for understanding how the Bible fits together as the unfolding story of God's plan for salvation.
The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
Timothy J. Keller - 2008
S. Lewis for the twenty-first century" in a feature on his first book, The Reason for God. In that book, he offered a rational explanation of why we should believe in God. Now, in The Prodigal God, he uses one of the best-known Christian parables to reveal an unexpected message of hope and salvation.Taking his trademark intellectual approach to understanding Christianity, Keller uncovers the essential message of Jesus, locked inside his most familiar parable. Within that parable Jesus reveals God's prodigal grace toward both the irreligious and the moralistic. This book will challenge both the devout and skeptics to see Christianity in a whole new way.Look out for Timothy Keller's latest book, The Songs of Jesus, coming from Viking on November 10, 2015.
A Little Book for New Theologians: Why and How to Study Theology
Kelly M. Kapic - 2012
Yet theology isn't just a matter of what we think. It affects who we are.In the tradition of Helmut Thielicke's A Little Exercise for Young Theologians, Kelly Kapic offers a concise introduction to the study of theology for newcomers to the field. He highlights the value and importance of theological study and explains its unique nature as a serious discipline.Not only concerned with content and method, Kapic explores the skills, attitudes and spiritual practices needed by those who take up the discipline. This brief, clear and lively primer draws out the relevance of theology for Christian life, worship, mission, witness and more."Theology is about life," writes Kapic. "It is not a conversation our souls can afford to avoid."
The Embers and the Stars
Erazim V. Kohák - 1984
Despite the author's criticisms of Thoreau, it is more like Walden than any other book I have read. . . . The book makes great strides toward bringing the best insights from medieval philosophy and from contemporary environmental ethics together. Anyone interested in both of these areas must read this book."—Daniel A. Dombrowski, The Thomist"Those who share Kohák's concern to understand nature as other than a mere resource or matter in motion will find his temporally oriented interpretation of nature instructive. It is here in particular that Kohák turns moments of experience to account philosophically, turning what we habitually overlook or avoid into an opportunity and basis for self-knowledge. This is an impassioned attempt to see the vital order of nature and the moral order of our humanity as one."—Ethics
Nooma 001-010 (Nooma)
Rob Bell - 2008
This series of short films featuring innovative Bible teacher Rob Bell dives head-first into tough questions about faith, authenticity, and living as a follower of Christ. Use them in small groups, classes, even as sermon illustrations. Each 10--14 minute DVD video comes with a 32-page guide for group discussion and personal reflection. This NOOMA series library includes 10 titles: Rain, Flame, Trees, Sunday, Noise, Kickball, Luggage, Dust, Bullhorn, and Lump.
God's Choice: Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church
George Weigel - 2005
With God's Choice, he gives us an extraordinary chronicle of the rise of Pope Benedict XVI as well as an unflinching view of the Catholic Church at the dawn of a new era.When John Paul II lapsed into illness for the last time, people flocked from all over the world to pray outside his apartment. He had become a father figure to millions in a world bereft of strong paternal examples, and those millions now felt orphaned. After more than twenty-six years of John Paul II's guidance, the Catholic Church is entering a new age, with its bedrock traditions intact but with pressing questions to address in a rapidly changing world. Beginning with the story of John Paul's final months, God's Choice offers a remarkable inside account of the conclave that produced Benedict XVI as the next pope, drawing on George Weigel's unrivaled access to this complex event.Weigel also incisively surveys the current state of the Church around the world: its thriving populations in Africa, Latin America, and parts of the post-communist world; its collapse in western Europe; its continued struggles in Asia; and the vibrancy of many aspects of Catholic life in the United States, even as the Church in America struggles to overcome its recent experience of scandal.Reflecting on John Paul II's greatness, drawing on firsthand interviews to paint an intimate portrait of the new Pope, and boldly assessing the Church's current condition, God's Choice is an invaluable book for anyone seeking to understand the Catholic future and the larger human future the Church will help to shape.
The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Guide to Understanding the New Testament
Frank Viola - 2005
A major reason is because it is not arranged in chronological order. Paul's letters, for example, are arranged by size rather than chronologically. This makes the New Testament a bit like a Chinese puzzle! For this reason, one famous Bible scholar said that reading the New Testament letters is like hearing one end of a phone conversation. The book you hold in your hands reconstructs the other end so that you can understand virtually every word."The Untold Story of the New Testament Church" is a unique Bible handbook that weaves Acts and the Epistles together chronologically . . . creating one fluid story. This epic volume gives readers a first-hand account of the New Testament drama that is riveting and enlightening. It includes dates, maps, and background information about the people, the cities, and the events of the first-century church using a "you-are-there" approach.Get up-close and personal with apostles Paul, Peter, James and John and learn of their personal struggles. Understand the circumstances behind each inspired letter they penned. Watch the chaotic swirl of first-century people and events fall into place before your very eyes. Discover what Paul's "thorn in the flesh" really was. Learn what happened to all the apostles after the book of Acts was finished. Be ushered into the living, breathing atmosphere of the first century and uncover the hidden riches found in God's Word.
Yawning at Tigers: You Can't Tame God, So Stop Trying
Drew Dyck - 2014
Yet we're restless. And our failed attempts to ease our unrest point to an ancient ache for an experience of the holy.Drew Dyck makes a compelling case that what we seek awaits us in the untamed God of Scripture--a God who is dangerous yet accessible, mysterious yet powerfully present. He is a God who beckons us to see him with a fresh, unfiltered gaze.Yawning at Tigers takes us past domesticated Christianity, into the wilds where God's raw majesty, love, and power become more real and transformative than we could ever imagine.
Long Before Luther: Tracing the Heart of the Gospel From Christ to the Reformation
Nathan Busenitz - 2017
As a result, many Roman Catholics are quick to allege that the Reformation understanding of the gospel simply did not exist before the 1500s. They assert that key Reformation doctrines, like sola fide, were nonexistent in the first fifteen centuries of church history. Rather, they were invented by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others.That is a serious charge, and one that evangelicals must be ready to answer. If an evangelical understanding of the gospel is only 500 years old, we are in major trouble. However, if it can be demonstrated that Reformers were not inventing something new, but instead were recovering something old, then key tenets of the Protestant faith are greatly affirmed. Hence, the need for this book.After reading Long Before Luther, readers will:Possess a greater understanding of church history and the role it plays in the church today.Have a deeper appreciation for the hard-won victories of the Reformation.Be equipped to dialogue with Catholic friends about the presence of Reformed doctrines throughout church history.Feel renewed gratefulness for the unearned nature of grace and the power of the gospel.