Being Open, Being Faithful

Being Open, Being Faithful PDF Author: Douglas Pratt
Publisher: World Council of Churches
ISBN: 9782825415757
Category : Christianity and other religions
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
What does Christian identity mean in the face of religious pluralism? In some ways, the frontier of global Christianity lies not in repairing its past divisions so much as bravely facing its future in a world of many other faiths and conflicting convictions. Being Open, Being Faithful is a brief history, astute analysis, and trustworthy guide for Christian encounters in this pluralistic environment. A central argument of this perceptive book is that interreligious dialogue has moved so far as to fundamentally change the attitudes and openness of world religious traditions to each other, promising a future more open and less hostile than one might otherwise think. The book presents and reflects on the recent history of interreligious encounter and dialogue, and it traces the manifold difficulties involved, especially as they are experienced in Roman Catholic and World Council of Churches' engagements with other faiths. Yet, it goes even further: along with the history of such encounters, Being Open, Being Faithful examines the issue of Christian discipleship in the context of interfaith engagement, the operative models, the thorny issue of core theological commitments, and what might be the shape of Christian identity in light of such encounters. [Subject: Religious Studies, Christianity, Ecumenical Studies]

Being Open, Being Faithful

Being Open, Being Faithful PDF Author: Douglas Pratt
Publisher: World Council of Churches
ISBN: 9782825415757
Category : Christianity and other religions
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
What does Christian identity mean in the face of religious pluralism? In some ways, the frontier of global Christianity lies not in repairing its past divisions so much as bravely facing its future in a world of many other faiths and conflicting convictions. Being Open, Being Faithful is a brief history, astute analysis, and trustworthy guide for Christian encounters in this pluralistic environment. A central argument of this perceptive book is that interreligious dialogue has moved so far as to fundamentally change the attitudes and openness of world religious traditions to each other, promising a future more open and less hostile than one might otherwise think. The book presents and reflects on the recent history of interreligious encounter and dialogue, and it traces the manifold difficulties involved, especially as they are experienced in Roman Catholic and World Council of Churches' engagements with other faiths. Yet, it goes even further: along with the history of such encounters, Being Open, Being Faithful examines the issue of Christian discipleship in the context of interfaith engagement, the operative models, the thorny issue of core theological commitments, and what might be the shape of Christian identity in light of such encounters. [Subject: Religious Studies, Christianity, Ecumenical Studies]

Being Faithful: Christian Commitment in Modern Society

Being Faithful: Christian Commitment in Modern Society PDF Author: Judith A. Merkle
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567611507
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
This book explores how the Christian life is lived in a pluralistic situation where different contexts of belonging give rise to different moral challenges. While it is characteristic of modern life to exist in a postmodern situation where there is an erosion of comprehensive systems of meaning, we still live today in contexts of belonging. We still seek to gather out of the fragments of modern life the sustenance of a network of belonging, belief and practice which comprise a faithful life. The construction of such a life, not only for us, but for others, serves as the framework for our moral commitments. Furthermore, sustaining and transforming social frameworks which shape various aspects of human life form the life task of adult Christians.

Remaining Faithful in Ministry

Remaining Faithful in Ministry PDF Author: John MacArthur
Publisher: Crossway
ISBN: 1433563061
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Book Description
Perhaps no one else has ever faced as much hardship, opposition, or relentless suffering as the apostle Paul. And yet, through it all, Paul stood firm in Christ and remained faithful—to the very end. The power of Paul’s example has captivated veteran pastor John MacArthur for years, and here he outlines nine unwavering convictions that contributed to this remarkable perseverance. In an age when pastoral failure and burnout are increasingly common, this book is a call to endurance in ministry, encouraging pastors to stand strong in their role and not lose heart, regardless of what God sends their way.

Growing Your Faith by Being Faithful

Growing Your Faith by Being Faithful PDF Author: Tabitha Osborne
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 794

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Book Description
Have you pulled up anchor and deliberately sailed away from God, or maybe you're just slowly drifting? Until one day, God's voice calls to you like the lighthouse will beckon to the nearby ships, alerting them to danger. God comes for us shining His light into the dark and dismal place that has us trapped. I made many mistakes in my life while being away from God, from the small barely noticeable ones, which seemed easy to fix, to the earth-shattering, knee-bending ones that I couldn't crawl out of without help. Today, I know that a strong relationship with God takes time and effort. Faith isn't stagnant. Faith involves active participation. Like a seed develops its roots beneath the soil, our faith grows deeper as we take our time getting to know God intimately through His Word. The more we understand and see His faithfulness throughout the Bible, the more we will love Him. Then our faith strengthens and becomes rooted in Him. In being faithful to my relationship with God, I found myself anchored in place by deep roots, and every gardener knows deep, strong roots are hard to uproot. These devotions were written to share my I-finally-get-it moments when God would teach me through my work, my relationships, and my daily activities. It didn't matter whether I was gardening, traveling, or cooking. God used these moments to open my eyes to certain truths He wanted me to know. On a roller coaster, where only death was expected, faith was finally understood. While chasing a storm with my mother, I understood a reason for trials. As I wrote, I prayed for the readers, and I longed that they, too, would draw and stay closer to Him, and I hope that you will be one of them.

Open and Unafraid

Open and Unafraid PDF Author: W. David O. Taylor
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1400210496
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
"A book you will want to read and read again." -- Eugene Peterson Afterword by Bono. How can we find a more transparent, resilient, and fearless life of faith? The book of Psalms has been central to God's people for millennia, across all walks of life and cultural contexts. In reading it, we discover that we are never alone in our joys, sorrows, angers, doubts, praises, or thanksgivings. In it, we learn about prayer and poetry, honesty and community, justice and enemies, life and death, nations and creation. Open and Unafraid shows us how to read the psalms in a fresh, life-giving way, and so access the bottomless resources for life that they provide. "David Taylor’s take is 'open and unafraid' alright. He really goes there, exposing himself before God in the most beautiful way. He might have called the book Naked, because if you don’t find your own self feeling a little exposed here, it might be time to take some armor off." -- Bono, from the Afterword "A book that you will want to read and read again, and yet again, in order to discover the wisdom of the Psalms that shows us how to walk in the life-giving way of Jesus." -- Eugene Peterson, from the Foreword "A winsome, accessible entry into the Book of Psalms…Connects the poetry of the psalms to real-life wonders and struggles." -- Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary "Taylor reads these biblical prayers with Dr. Seuss, rappers, and other poets, along with theologians and the daily news....Guides readers in tracing out patterns of holy speech that have the potential for healing our hearts and our communities." -- Ellen F. Davis, Duke Divinity School "I have always loved the psalms--for their defiant devotion, their deep joy, and their brutal yet beautiful honesty. And after reading this fantastic book about them, I love them even more." -- Matt Redman, worship leader and song writer "In these fraught and fearsome days, we need the psalms more than ever. And we need more faithful artists and thinkers like David Taylor to mine the infinite gifts the psalms offer across the ages." -- Karen Swallow Prior, author of Fierce Convictions

Being Faithful to Your Spouse (Before You Meet)

Being Faithful to Your Spouse (Before You Meet) PDF Author: Amber Stapp
Publisher: WestBow Press
ISBN:
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 134

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Book Description
What if love, honor, and faithfulness began long before you ever laid eyes on your future spouse? As a teenager, Amber committed to wait faithfully for the husband God had chosen and set apart for her. She chose to save her heart and all physical affection for him alone. In the waiting, she grew closer to Jesus and fell more in love with Him, serving Him with joy and abandon. Then, at thirty-six years of age, Amber met her prince, the one God had been saving and preparing just for her. As their love story unfolded, she came to see that truly, when we trust in God and wait on Him, He exceeds our greatest hopes and dreams and does more than we can imagine! This book you are holding is her story (much of which was written when she was still single) and is filled with encouragement to the one who is waiting and the one who desires to wait but is unsure of what that looks like. It also offers encouragement to the one who hasn’t waited, but who longs to give up the world’s way of finding true love and discover the wonder and beauty of letting God unfold His story for them. And most of all, it’s for the one who longs for Jesus to be their first love. Read Amber’s testimony of waiting faithfully for her future husband and be amazed at the goodness and faithfulness of God. As He was to her, He will be to you ... faithful.

The Queer Bible Commentary

The Queer Bible Commentary PDF Author: Deryn Guest
Publisher: SCM Press
ISBN: 0334054427
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
The Queer Bible Commentary brings together the work of several scholars and pastors known for their interest in the areas of gender, sexuality and Biblical studies. Rather than a verse-by-verse analysis, typical of more traditional commentaries, contributors to this volume focus specifically upon those portions of the book that have particular relevance for readers interested in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues such as the construction of gender and sexuality, the reification of heterosexuality, the question of lesbian and gay ancestry within the Bible, the transgendered voices of the prophets, the use of the Bible in contemporary political, socio-economic and religious spheres and the impact upon lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Accordingly, the commentary raises new questions and re-directs more traditional questions in fresh and innovative ways, offering new angles of approach. This comprehensive, cutting-edge commentary is prefaced by an introductory essay by Professor Mary Tolbert. Contributors draw on feminist, queer, deconstructionist, utopian theories, the social sciences and historical-critical discourses. The focus is both how reading from lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender perspectives affect the reading and interpretation of biblical texts and how biblical texts have and do affect lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender communities. The commentary includes an extensive bibliography that directs the reader to a full range of literature relating to queer interpretation of scripture.

Take Back the Word - A Queer Reading of the Bible

Take Back the Word - A Queer Reading of the Bible PDF Author: Robert E. Goss
Publisher: The Pilgrim Press
ISBN: 0829820809
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 376

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Book Description
Perhaps the most revolutionary contribution of "Take Back the Word" is its presentation of resistant practices of reading the Bible that challenge oppressive applications of Scripture to "clobber" queer folx. If lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender, non-gender-conforming, and questioning people are to take back the word of Scripture for themselves, they must take it back in a new way. Essays examine queer strategies for reading, queer ethical models from the Hebrew Scriptures, and queer good news stories from the Christian Scriptures.

Remain Faithful

Remain Faithful PDF Author: Kenneth O. Peterman
Publisher: Xulon Press
ISBN: 1606473352
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description
With this book you can . . . .Strengthen your marriage by implementing biblical principles. .Repair 'rocky' marriages regardless of the severity of the problem - even unfaithfulness. Using biblical principles in this book, you can . . . Learn the importance of forgiveness. Minister to your spouse with positive results. Stay married even in the worst of times. Repair a broken relationship. Understand why divorce is never the answer. Shield your marriage from moral weakness. Deal with moral weakness in a spouse. Emphasize the importance of child rearing. Kenneth O. Peterman has been a Christian counselor since 1967. He also served as a pastor, a Bible college instructor and the Program Director for one of the largest drug rehabilitation centers in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Peterman earned a B.S. in Bible from the Philadelphia Biblical University, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from California Graduate School of Theology. He has also written You Can Improve Family Communication. He and his wife, Evie, live in Baltimore, Maryland, and are the parents of two children.

Promoting Abstinence, Being Faithful, and Condom Use with Young Africans

Promoting Abstinence, Being Faithful, and Condom Use with Young Africans PDF Author: Mary Louisa Plummer
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 0739168452
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 501

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Book Description
Promotion of the low risk “ABC” behaviors—Abstinence, Being faithful, and Condom use—has had only limited success in Africa. This book draws on a large qualitative study affiliated with an adolescent intervention trial to examine how ABC promotion can be improved. It evaluates the MEMA kwa Vijana sexual health program, which was implemented in 62 primary schools and 18 health facilities in rural Tanzania, scrutinizing its teacher-led curriculum, peer education, youth-friendly health services, youth condom distribution, and community mobilization components. The book examines how implementing such a low-cost, large-scale program involved many compromises, including those between national policies and international “best practice” recommendations, between the most desirable intervention design and one that was affordable and sustainable at a large scale, between optimal teaching methods and real-world teaching capacity, between ideal curriculum content and what was acceptable to the local community, and between adults’ values and youths’ realities. The program’s impact is evaluated by triangulating findings from three person-years of participant observation, in-depth interviews, survey interviews, and biomedical tests. The book also provides in-depth case studies to examine the motivations and strategies of extraordinary young people who practiced ABC behaviors. It outlines broad principles for ABC promotion, including: acknowledging existing youth sexual relationships; promoting each low risk behavior in complexity and depth; working with preexisting, culturally compelling motivations; and intervening at individual, interpersonal, community, and structural levels. Many recommendations for the promotion of specific ABC behaviors are discussed, such as reducing pressures and incentives for girls to have sex; targeting male risk-perception and self-preservation; promoting alternative forms of masculinity than sexual conquest; strengthening premarital and marital relationships; tailoring fidelity programs for hidden couples, couples planning to marry, and monogamous and polygynous married partners; and addressing pleasure, trust, pregnancy prevention, and fertility protection in condom promotion. The book concludes with additional recommendations specific to school programs, and a review of promising complementary interventions for out-of-school youth, women, men, couples, and parents.