A Supreme Love

Author: William Edgar
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 1514000679
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 167

Book Description
Theologian and jazz pianist William Edgar places jazz within the context of the African American experience and explores the work of musicians like Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald, arguing that jazz, which moves from deep lament to inextinguishable joy, deeply resonates with the hope that is ultimately found in the good news of Jesus Christ.

Oasis of Imagination

Author: Ted Turnau
Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press
ISBN: 1789744776
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 422

Book Description
What should the church's cultural witness be? Too often, it has been marked by political strong-arming or fearful withdrawal into the "Christian bubble." There is another way: creative cultural engagement, using our imaginations to plant oases in the desert, breathable spaces that refresh, challenge, and draw together Christians and non-Christians alike. Oases refresh the soul, provoke discussion, challenge assumptions, and lead the imagination to a new place. In Oasis of Imagination, Ted Turnau lays out the Biblical mandate for engaging culture, and why the imaginative path holds promise. He explores the nature of the imagination from both Scripture and nature. He asks, "What makes a Christian imagination that resonates with non-Christians different?" He explores examples of Christian creativity done well from video games to movies to music to The Lord of the Rings. He challenges the church, artist and non-artist alike, to be intentional about their own imaginative lives, how artists and non-artists can support each other, as they together engage in building bridges and being cultural ambassadors to the wider community. In-depth and wide-ranging, Oasis of Imagination equips and encourages Christians, whatever their calling, to consider how to imaginatively enter into the broader cultural conversation, beyond the culture-warring and Christian bubbles. It seeks to provoke a conversation within the church between its artists and non-artists about how best to unleash our God-given creativity to shine light into the broader culture.

Fundamental Theology

Author: Matthew L. Becker
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567705714
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 781

Book Description
Encyclopedic in scope, this book offers wide-ranging coverage of the foundational teachings and practices within the mainstream of the classical Christian tradition. It begins with their roots in the Scriptures, and also branches out into Eastern and Western Christianity, ancient, medieval, and modern, to the present-day. Part I provides an overview of some of these routes, then presents an historical survey of Christianity's major traditions. Part II unpacks some of the character of that revelation, focusing particularly on epistemological and procedural questions. Finally, Part III looks at Christian theology in a university setting: the possibility and shape of theology as a university discipline, its major subfields, and its relations with humanities and the sciences respectively. Fundamental Theology: A Protestant Perspective, 2nd edition, includes a wide range of pedagogical features: - each chapter begins with an outline thesis statement, highlighted in bold - charts and graphs - relevant headings and subheadings employed throughout the book - keywords - provides a survey of pertinent reference literature - questions for review and discussion - annotated suggestions for further reading

Ford's The Modern Theologians

Author: Rachel E. Muers
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119746744
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 726

Book Description
Captures the multiple voices of Christian theology in a diverse and interconnected world through in-depth studies of representative figures and overviews of key movements Providing an unparalleled overview of the subject, The Modern Theologians provides an indispensable guide to the diverse approaches and perspectives within Christian theology from the early twentieth century to the present. Each chapter is written by a leading scholar and explores the development and trajectory of modern theology while presenting critical accounts of a broad range of relevant topics and representative thinkers. The fourth edition of The Modern Theologians is fully updated to provide readers with a clear picture of the broad spectrum and core concerns of modern Christian theology worldwide. It offers new perspectives on key twentieth-century figures and movements from different geographical and ecclesial contexts. There are expanded sections on theological dialogue with non-Christian traditions, and on Christian theology's engagement with the arts and sciences. A new section explores theological responses to urgent global challenges - such as nationalism, racism, and the environmental crisis. Providing the next generation of theologians with the tools needed to take theological conversations forward, The Modern Theologians: Explores Christian theology's engagement with multiple ways of knowing across diverse approaches and traditions Combines introductions to key modern theologians and coverage of the major movements within contemporary theology Identifies common dynamics found across theologies to enable cross-contextual comparisons Positions individual theologians in geographical regions, trans-local movements, and ecclesial contexts Features new and revised chapters written by experts in particular movements, topics, and individuals Providing in-depth critical evaluation and extensive references to further readings and research, Ford's The Modern Theologians: An Introduction to Christian Theology since 1918, Fourth Edition, remains an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in Theology and Religious Studies, such as Introduction to Christian Theology, Systematic Theology, Modern Theology, and Modern Theologians. It is also an invaluable resource for researchers, those involved in various forms of Christian ministry, teachers of religious studies, and general readers engaged in independent study.

The Art of Living in Season

Author: Sylvie Vanhoozer
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 1514006979
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 170

Book Description
Continuing the tradition of nativities peopled by santons, Sylvie Vanhoozer brought these "little saints" from her native Provence to England, Scotland, and the United States. Now she invites readers to join the tradition in the rhythms of nature and the church calendar through weekly reflections and her own botanical illustrations.

Finding the Groove

Author: Robert Gelinas
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 031056168X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 115

Book Description
'A jazz-shaped faith ... balances freedom with boundaries, the individual with the group, and traditions with the pursuit of what might be. I have discovered in jazz a way of thinking, living, communicating---a way of being ... a groove.' You don't have to be a jazz musician, or even a jazz connoisseur, for this book to speak to you. If you love God and his Word, and if you've longed to follow Jesus Christ outside the slick corporate structures that some American churches erect, this book is for you. If you want to discover a freer, more genuine expression of Christianity, Finding the Groove will be music to your ears, your heart, and your mind. Using brilliant metaphors from the world of jazz, Robert Gelinas reveals breathtaking possibilities for the body of Christ. What might a 'jazz-shaped faith' look like---and how could it help us fulfill the message of the gospel in a way no method, movement, or structured program ever could? How can understanding the beauty of jazz help you better understand Jesus, his vision for those who follow him, and his heartbeat for a world that is badly out of sync? But this book isn't about music. It is about a passionate, biblical, fully integrated way of looking at life and salvation that will free you to find your own unique groove in the kingdom of God.

The Greatest Story Never Told

Author: Leonard I. Sweet
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426740328
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 159

Book Description
God raises up Methodists for such a time as this. Here is a ditty Len Sweet's Methodist grandfather used to sing: A Methodist, a Methodist will I be A Methodist will I die. I've been baptized in the Methodist way And I'll live on the Methodist side. What "genius" of Methodism inspired this kind of love and loyalty in the earlier years of the faith? What did it mean to live in "the Methodist way" and to die on "the Methodist side?" Perhaps it is time to resurrect a neo-Wesleyan identity and to challenge the prevailing "one-calorie Methodism" that characterizes so much of our tribe today. What makes a Methodist? How can we re-ignite the spark of genius that motivated such commitment in our cloud of witnesses? The essence of Methodism's genius resides in two famous Wesleyan mantras: "heart strangely warmed" (inward experiences with a fire in the heart) and "the world is our parish" (outward experiences with waterfalls of cutting-edge intelligence). For Wesley, internal combustion, the former, led to external combustion, the latter. In the 18th century, Methodists in general (and in their younger years, the Wesley brothers themselves) were accused of being too "sexy." What else could all those "love feasts" and "strangely warmed hearts" be about? Why else were all those women in positions of leadership? With this book the author hopes to bring back to life some of Methodism's sexiness so that our current reproduction crisis can be reversed.

Resurrection City

Author: Peter Heltzel
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 0802867596
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 220

Book Description
In Resurrection City Peter Heltzel paints a prophetic picture of an evangelical Christianity that eschews a majority mentality and instead fights against racism, inequality, and injustice, embracing the concerns of the poor and marginalized, just as Jesus did. Placing society's needs front and center, Heltzel calls for radical change and collective activism modeled on God's love and justice. In particular, Heltzel explores the social forms that love and justice can take as religious communities join together to build "beloved cities." He proclaims the importance of "improvising for justice" -- likening the church's prophetic ministry to jazz music -- and develops a biblical theology of shalom justice. His vision draws inspiration from the black freedom struggle and the lives of Sojourner Truth, Howard Thurman, and Martin Luther King Jr. Pulsing with hope and beauty, Resurrection City compels evangelical Christians to begin "a global movement for love and justice" that truly embodies the kingdom of God.

God's Mind in That Music

Author: Jamie Howison
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 162189469X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 250

Book Description
As part of the growing literature on theology and the arts, God's Mind in that Music explores the substantial theological insight expressed in the music of jazz legend John Coltrane. Focusing on eight of Coltrane's pieces, themes under consideration include lament ("Alabama"), improvisation ("My Favorite Things" and "Ascension"), grace ("A Love Supreme"), and the Trinity ("The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost"). By attending to the traditions of theology and of jazz criticism, and through a series of interviews with musicians, theologians, and jazz writers, Jamie Howison draws the worlds of theology and jazz into an active and vibrant conversation with each other. Built around a focused listening to John Coltrane's music as heard against the background of his life and social context, and interacting with the work of a range of writers including James Baldwin, Dorothee Soelle, Jeremy Begbie, and James Cone, God's Mind in that Music will be of interest not only to those interested in the intersection of music and theology, but also to Coltrane fans, students of jazz studies, and anyone who believes that music matters.

Finding the Groove

Author: Robert Gelinas
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0310282527
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Book Description
Picture the possibilities if American churches operated like jazz combos instead of slick corporations. Drawing brilliant parallels between the body of Christ and the qualities inherent to jazz, Robert Gelinas points us beyond the ordinary to the often overlooked freedom, beauty, grace, unity, creativity, and power that are our birthright as believers.