The Many Faces of Faith

The Many Faces of Faith PDF Author: Michael Taylor
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 145000623X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
Faith is one of the most critical aspects of the Christian life, because it is the means by which we receive all that God has secured for us; yet the nature of faith is one of the most misunderstood concepts of Christianity. Some conceptualize faith as some mental state that one must reach before they are able to “tap into” God’s “resources.” Others view faith as some sort of incorporeal substance that is “out there” for which we must reach. All of these concepts of faith are deficient, if not heretical, and yet all of them are found in the church. Others view faith as a mere fantasy or hope with no basis in reality, and thus religious claims are excluded from the arena of knowledge. “For a number of years my heart has been trilled over the doctrine of faith as it is received and taught among evangelical Christians everywhere. Great emphasis is laid upon faith in orthodox circles, and that is good, but still I am troubled. Specifically, my fear is that the modern conception of faith is not the biblical one; that when the teachers of our day use the word, they do no mean what Bible meant when they used it”. I also share the same concerns with A.W.Tozer, when he said; “the cause of my uneasiness are these”: 1. The lack of spiritual fruits in the lives of so many who claim to have faith. 2. The rarity of a radical change in the conduct and general outlook of persons professing their new faith in Christ as their personal Savior. 3. The failure of our teachers to define or even describe the thing to which the word faith is supposed to refer. 4. The heartbreaking failure of multitudes of seekers is they are even so earnest to make anything out of the doctrine or to receive any satisfying experience through it. 5. The real danger that a doctrine that is parroted so widely and received so uncritically by so many is false as understood by them. 6. I have seen faith put forward as an escape from reality, a refuge from the necessity of hard thinking, a hiding place for weak character, natural optimism, emotional thrills and nervous tics. Therefore, in the pages of this book, I will endeavor to outline for your benefit the dynamics of faith. What is faith? How does faith works? How to grow in faith? The power of faith; the Excellency of faith; the demand of faith; the perseverance of faith; the challenges of faith; the object of faith, the effect of faith; the response of faith; the discipline of faith; the necessity of faith and many more are discussed.

The Many Faces of Faith

The Many Faces of Faith PDF Author: Michael Taylor
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 145000623X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 228

Get Book Here

Book Description
Faith is one of the most critical aspects of the Christian life, because it is the means by which we receive all that God has secured for us; yet the nature of faith is one of the most misunderstood concepts of Christianity. Some conceptualize faith as some mental state that one must reach before they are able to “tap into” God’s “resources.” Others view faith as some sort of incorporeal substance that is “out there” for which we must reach. All of these concepts of faith are deficient, if not heretical, and yet all of them are found in the church. Others view faith as a mere fantasy or hope with no basis in reality, and thus religious claims are excluded from the arena of knowledge. “For a number of years my heart has been trilled over the doctrine of faith as it is received and taught among evangelical Christians everywhere. Great emphasis is laid upon faith in orthodox circles, and that is good, but still I am troubled. Specifically, my fear is that the modern conception of faith is not the biblical one; that when the teachers of our day use the word, they do no mean what Bible meant when they used it”. I also share the same concerns with A.W.Tozer, when he said; “the cause of my uneasiness are these”: 1. The lack of spiritual fruits in the lives of so many who claim to have faith. 2. The rarity of a radical change in the conduct and general outlook of persons professing their new faith in Christ as their personal Savior. 3. The failure of our teachers to define or even describe the thing to which the word faith is supposed to refer. 4. The heartbreaking failure of multitudes of seekers is they are even so earnest to make anything out of the doctrine or to receive any satisfying experience through it. 5. The real danger that a doctrine that is parroted so widely and received so uncritically by so many is false as understood by them. 6. I have seen faith put forward as an escape from reality, a refuge from the necessity of hard thinking, a hiding place for weak character, natural optimism, emotional thrills and nervous tics. Therefore, in the pages of this book, I will endeavor to outline for your benefit the dynamics of faith. What is faith? How does faith works? How to grow in faith? The power of faith; the Excellency of faith; the demand of faith; the perseverance of faith; the challenges of faith; the object of faith, the effect of faith; the response of faith; the discipline of faith; the necessity of faith and many more are discussed.

The Universal Christ

The Universal Christ PDF Author: Richard Rohr
Publisher: Convergent Books
ISBN: 1524762105
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From one of the world’s most influential spiritual thinkers, a long-awaited book exploring what it means that Jesus was called “Christ,” and how this forgotten truth can restore hope and meaning to our lives. “Anyone who strives to put their faith into action will find encouragement and inspiration in the pages of this book.”—Melinda Gates In his decades as a globally recognized teacher, Richard Rohr has helped millions realize what is at stake in matters of faith and spirituality. Yet Rohr has never written on the most perennially talked about topic in Christianity: Jesus. Most know who Jesus was, but who was Christ? Is the word simply Jesus’s last name? Too often, Rohr writes, our understandings have been limited by culture, religious debate, and the human tendency to put ourselves at the center. Drawing on scripture, history, and spiritual practice, Rohr articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of God’s constant, unfolding work in the world. “God loves things by becoming them,” he writes, and Jesus’s life was meant to declare that humanity has never been separate from God—except by its own negative choice. When we recover this fundamental truth, faith becomes less about proving Jesus was God, and more about learning to recognize the Creator’s presence all around us, and in everyone we meet. Thought-provoking, practical, and full of deep hope and vision, The Universal Christ is a landmark book from one of our most beloved spiritual writers, and an invitation to contemplate how God liberates and loves all that is.

Pragmatic Realism, Religious Truth, and Antitheodicy

Pragmatic Realism, Religious Truth, and Antitheodicy PDF Author: Sami Pihlström
Publisher: Helsinki University Press
ISBN: 9523690051
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
As a traditional theological issue and in its broader secular varieties, theodicy remains a problem in the philosophy of religion. In this remarkable book, Sami Pihlström provides a novel critical reassessment of the theodicy discourse addressing the problem of evil and suffering. He develops and defends an antitheodicist view, arguing that theodicies seeking to render apparently meaningless suffering meaningful or justified from a ‘God’s-Eye-View’ ultimately rely on metaphysical realism failing to recognize the individual perspective of the sufferer. Pihlström thus shows that a pragmatist approach to the realism issue in the philosophy of religion is a vital starting point for a re-evaluation of the problem of theodicy. With its strong positions and precise arguments, the volume provides a new approach which is likely to stimulate discussion in the wider academic world of philosophy of religion.

Many Faces of Mulian

Many Faces of Mulian PDF Author: Rostislav Berezkin
Publisher: University of Washington Press
ISBN: 0295742534
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
The story of Mulian rescuing his mother’s soul from hell has evolved as a narrative over several centuries in China, especially in the baojuan (precious scrolls) genre. This genre, a prosimetric narrative in vernacular language, first appeared around the fourteenth century and endures as a living tradition. In exploring the evolution of the Mulian story, Rostislav Berezkin illuminates changes in the literary and religious characteristics of the genre. He also examines material from other forms of Chinese literature and from modern performances of baojuan, tracing their transformation from tools of Buddhist proselytizing to sectarian propaganda to folk ritualized storytelling. Ultimately, he reveals the special features of baojuan as a type of performance literature that had its foundations in multiple literary traditions.

The Many Faces of Credulitas

The Many Faces of Credulitas PDF Author: Stefania Tutino
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197608957
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
This book is about the relationship between belief, credibility, and credulity in post-Reformation Catholicism. It argues that, starting from the end of the sixteenth century and due to different political, intellectual, cultural, and theological factors, credibility assumed a central role in post-Reformation Catholic discourse. This led to an important reconsideration of the relationship between natural reason and supernatural grace and consequently to novel and significant epistemological and moral tensions. From the perspective of the relationship between credulity, credibility, and belief, early modern Catholicism emerges not as the apex of dogmatism and intellectual repression, but rather as an engine for promoting the importance of intellectual judgment in the process of embracing faith. To be sure, finding a balance between conscience and authority was not easy for early modern Catholics. This book seeks to elucidate some of the difficulties, anxieties, and tensions caused by the novel insistence on credibility that came to dominate the theological and intellectual landscape of the early modern Catholic Church. In addition to shedding light on early modern Catholic culture, this book helps us to understand better what it means to believe. For the most part, in modern Western society we don't believe in the same things as our early modern predecessors. Even when we do believe in the same things, it is not in the same way. But believe we do, and thus understanding how early modern people addressed the question of belief might be useful as we grapple with the tension between credibility, credulity, and belief.

The Joy of the Gospel

The Joy of the Gospel PDF Author: Pope Francis
Publisher: Image
ISBN: 0553419544
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
The perfect gift! A specially priced, beautifully designed hardcover edition of The Joy of the Gospel with a foreword by Robert Barron and an afterword by James Martin, SJ. “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus… In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.” – Pope Francis This special edition of Pope Francis's popular message of hope explores themes that are important for believers in the 21st century. Examining the many obstacles to faith and what can be done to overcome those hurdles, he emphasizes the importance of service to God and all his creation. Advocating for “the homeless, the addicted, refugees, indigenous peoples, the elderly who are increasingly isolated and abandoned,” the Holy Father shows us how to respond to poverty and current economic challenges that affect us locally and globally. Ultimately, Pope Francis demonstrates how to develop a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ, “to recognize the traces of God’s Spirit in events great and small.” Profound in its insight, yet warm and accessible in its tone, The Joy of the Gospel is a call to action to live a life motivated by divine love and, in turn, to experience heaven on earth. Includes a foreword by Robert Barron, author of Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith and James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

The Many Faces of Philosophy

The Many Faces of Philosophy PDF Author: Amélie Oksenberg Rorty
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195176553
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 545

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Book Description
This historically based collection of philosophers' reflections--the letters, journals and prefaces that reveals their hopes and hesitations, their triumphs and struggles, their deepest doubts and convictions--allows us to witness philosophical thought in process. Ranging from Plato to Hannah Arendt, with contributions from 44 philosophers (Augustine, Maimonides, AlGhazali, Descartes, Pascal, Leibniz, Voltaire, Rousseau, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Wittgenstein, among others) this remarkable collection documents philosophers' claim that they change as well as understand the world. In her introductory essay, "Witnessing Philosophers," Amelie Rorty locates philosophers' reflections in the larger context of the many facets of their other activities and commitments.

Bede Griffiths

Bede Griffiths PDF Author: Judson B. Trapnell
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 0791491137
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
Bede Griffiths, O.S.B.Cam. (1906–1993) was a pioneer in the meeting of faiths and of cultures in the second half of the twentieth century. This captivating study of his pioneering work in intercultural and interreligious dialogue draws from meticulous research of Griffiths's writings and his sources, as well as numerous personal interviews with the man himself. Born in England, Griffiths immersed himself in Western culture through an Oxford education and twenty-five years in Benedictine monasteries. Yet early mystical experiences in nature and the study of Asian scriptures sparked a life-long search for what he called "the other half of my soul"—a search that would in 1958 take him to India. After participating in two Christian monastic experiments, he accepted leadership of Saccidananda Ashram, a community dedicated to pursuing the recently renewed Christian contemplative ideal in an India context. Here he boldly explored interreligious dialogue and inculturation, two projects of the Second Vatican Council. Envisioning "the marriage of East and West" in his writings and incarnating that marriage in spirituality, Griffiths became a prophet of our age, publishing more than a dozen books and scores of articles. In latter years, Griffiths attracted large audiences and received recognition from fellow pioneers in the dialogue of faiths, including the Dalai Lama.

Wanderlost

Wanderlost PDF Author: Natalie Toon Patton
Publisher: Paraclete Press
ISBN: 1640606750
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 245

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Book Description
A coming-of-age travel memoir that probes thorny spiritual questions while taking the reader on a wild ride from the deep American South to the Middle East, Europe, and the Far East. Once the golden girl of her Arkansas town, Natalie finds herself squeezed under small town shame and rejection after being kicked out of church for getting a divorce. It’s a hard fall off of a sanctimonious high horse, and religious fundamentalism has left her feeling broken and stuck. But she can’t shake the ‘wanderlust woes’ that have plagued her since childhood, so she runs away to the Middle East. As a mostly-sheltered Southerner, she struggles to adapt but is determined to be ‘at home’ in the world. Her journey is more than a pilgrimage, it’s a peregrination: a one-way ticket to elsewhere in search of the place of her own resurrection. Within these pages is a suspenseful adventure filled with love, loss, laughter, tears, and a little bit of scandalous behavior, but at the heart of it, Natalie walks squarely into the unknown to confront the secret matters of the soul that we wrestle with at night.

Faith, Reason, and Philosophy

Faith, Reason, and Philosophy PDF Author: George F. McLean
Publisher: CRVP
ISBN: 9781565181304
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 300

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Book Description