Christianity for the Rest of Us

Author: Diana Butler Bass
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061741280
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 337

Book Description
For decades the accepted wisdom has been that America's mainline Protestant churches are in decline, eclipsed by evangelical mega-churches. Church and religion expert Diana Butler Bass wondered if this was true, and this book is the result of her extensive, three-year study of centrist and progressive churches across the country. Her surprising findings reveal just the opposite—that many of the churches are flourishing, and they are doing so without resorting to mimicking the mega-church, evangelical style. Christianity for the Rest of Us describes this phenomenon and offers a how-to approach for Protestants eager to remain faithful to their tradition while becoming a vital spiritual community. As Butler Bass delved into the rich spiritual life of various Episcopal, United Methodist, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and Lutheran churches, certain consistent practices—such as hospitality, contemplation, diversity, justice, discernment, and worship—emerged as core expressions of congregations seeking to rediscover authentic Christian faith and witness today. This hopeful book, which includes a study guide for groups and individuals, reveals the practical steps that leaders and laypeople alike are taking to proclaim an alternative message about an emerging Christianity that strives for greater spiritual depth and proactively engages the needs of the world.

Christianity After Religion

Author: Diana Butler Bass
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062098284
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Book Description
Diana Butler Bass, one of contemporary Christianity’s leading trend-spotters, exposes how the failings of the church today are giving rise to a new “spiritual but not religious” movement. Using evidence from the latest national polls and from her own cutting-edge research, Bass, the visionary author of A People’s History of Christianity, continues the conversation began in books like Brian D. McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity and Harvey Cox’s The Future of Faith, examining the connections—and the divisions—between theology, practice, and community that Christians experience today. Bass’s clearly worded, powerful, and probing Christianity After Religion is required reading for anyone invested in the future of Christianity.

Rebel

Author: Annette Hyslop
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781544852652
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 112

Book Description
If you go to church just to be seen there, you're going for the wrong reason. God cares little for appearances; if you don't feel moved by sermons, hymns, and stained glass, then maybe you shouldn't be at church. In Rebel: Christianity for the Rest of Us, Annette Hyslop focuses on what truly makes a Christian. Funnily enough, it has little to do with church attendance. Rather, it's about a personal connection with the faith and with God. You may not develop this connection in a man-made church; instead, you might feel God in nature or within the warmth of your family home. Instead of feeling guilty about skipping church, Annette Hyslop suggests that you find your own creative ways to worship. She supports her view with lines from scripture and draws lessons from the nature-loving Celtic Christians. There is no hierarchy among believers: either you're a Christian or you aren't. Though attending church is helpful and important for many Christians, others find spiritual fulfillment elsewhere. This book encourages you to worship God however you want. In short, be a rebel.

The Last Christian

Author: David Gregory
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 1400074975
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 418

Book Description
In the future, it’s possible to live forever—but at what cost? A.D. 2088. Christian missionary Abigail Caldwell emerges from the jungle for the first time in her thirty-four years, the sole survivor of a mysterious disease that killed her village. A curious message from her grandfather leads Abby to America, only to discover a nation where Christianity has completely died out. But a larger threat looms. The world's leading artificial intelligence industrialist has perfected a technique for downloading the human brain into a silicon form. Brain transplants have begun, and with them comes the potential of eliminating physical death altogether. As Abby navigates a society grown more addicted to stimulating the body than nurturing the soul, she and Creighton Daniels, a historian troubled by his father's unexpected death, become unwitting targets of powerful men who will stop at nothing to further their nefarious goals. Hanging in the balance—the spiritual future of all humanity. In this fast-paced thriller, startling near-future science collides with thought-provoking religious themes to create a spell-binding "what-if?" novel.

At Home in the World

Author: Margaret Guenther
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 1596270268
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 193

Book Description
A thoughtful, real-world interpretation of the Rule of St. Benedict to guide us into a more balanced life. From informal versions of the Rule of St. Benedict to Twelve-Step groups and Weight Watchers, the basic human need for guidance and structure in the quest for wholeness is palpable and real. Out of her long experience as a spiritual director, mentor, and teacher, Margaret Guenther offers a warm and sensible guide for “the rest of us”—singles, couples, parents, extended families, members of churches—to create a helpful and balanced rule of life to help us in our search for faith. She explores ancient and contemporary meanings for the classic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, along with the distinctively Benedictine ethos of stability and conversion, pointing out the pitfalls of each. A series of short essays follows on the different elements of a rule of life—such as authority, money, pleasure, stinginess, friends, enemies, and living through hard times. The final chapter gives practical ideas for crafting a rule of life that encourages each of us to grow, stretch, and flourish.

A People's History of Christianity

Author: Diana Butler Bass
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061448702
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 374

Book Description
For too long, the history of Christianity has been told as the triumph of orthodox doctrine imposed through power and hierarchy. In A People's History of Christianity, historian and religion expert Diana Butler Bass reveals an alternate history that includes a deep social ethic and far-reaching inclusivity: "the other side of the story" is not a modern phenomenon, but has always been practiced within the church. Butler Bass persuasively argues that corrective—even subversive—beliefs and practices have always been hallmarks of Christianity and are necessary to nourish communities of faith. In the same spirit as Howard Zinn's groundbreaking work The People's History of the United States, Butler Bass's A People's History of Christianity brings to life the movements, personalities, and spiritual disciplines that have always informed and ignited Christian worship and social activism. A People's History of Christianity authenticates the vital, emerging Christian movements of our time, providing the historical evidence that celebrates these movements as thoroughly Christian and faithful to the mission and message of Jesus.

Faith Vs Faithfulness

Author: Justin Perdue
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781693648717
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 52

Book Description
Many Christians evaluate their lives and ask the same questions: Am I doing enough? Have I shown enough discipline, enough dedication, or enough effort? Would praying and reading my Bible more help meovercome . . . remove . . . have . . .? You may feel that you put so much effort into improving your Christian life with no apparent fruit. Sins you thought would have been easier to overcome are still plaguing your daily life.You are not alone, and you are not crazy! Many Christians today live on this sort of performance-based treadmill, running fast and getting nowhere. Trying harder and doing more haven't produced assurance or victory over sin. You're exhausted. You feel empty and fake inside. You feel guilty for merely wanting to just coast, to give in, to stop trying. The foundation of Christianity is faith. And the foundation of the Christian faith, we will argue in this primer, is rest. In this book, Jon Moffitt, Jimmy Buehler, and Justin Perdue explain how weary pilgrims can find rest in Jesus Christ. To learn more about Theocast, please visit Theocast.org

God's Love for the Rest of Us

Author: Vince Antonucci
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 1496410580
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 81

Book Description
The world is filled with the walking dead. They're not fully dead. They're kind of alive--walking, talking, and drinking coffee. But their hearts have become deadened. Their souls are dry, yearning to be sparked alive by God's love. Many of us are like this: sleepwalking through life, inadvertently missing hidden invitations from God in our daily lives. God wants to love each of us back to life. The question is: Will you let Him?

Burying White Privilege

Author: Miguel A. De La Torre
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467453250
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 144

Book Description
Short. Timely. Poignant. Pointed. Burying White Privilege is all of these and more. This is the book that everybody who cares about contemporary American Christianity will want to read. Many people wonder how white Christians could not only support Donald Trump for president but also rush to defend an accused child molester running for the US Senate. In a 2017 essay that went viral, Miguel A. De La Torre boldly proclaimed the death of Christianity at the hands of white evangelical nationalists. He continues sounding the death knell in this book. De La Torre argues that centuries of oppression and greed have effectively ruined evangelical Christianity in the United States. Believers and clerical leaders have killed it, choosing profits over prophets. The silence concerning—if not the doctrinal justification of—racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia has made white Christianity satanic. Prophetically calling Christian nationalists to repentance, De La Torre rescues the biblical Christ from the distorted Christ of white Christian imagination.

Jesus for the Rest of Us

Author: John Selby
Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing
ISBN: 1612831621
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 231

Book Description
Jesus for the Rest of Us by John Selby is written for the many millions of Americans who don't find traditional or right-wing Christian theologies fulfilling, but who want to explore the direct meditative experience of Jesus' presence and guidance in their lives.Despite an artificially-boosted high profile, fundamentalist Christians actually make up less than 7 percent of the American public. Meanwhile, a growing number of people inside and outside the Church are turning away from religious extremism and outmoded beliefs - a full third of American adults now identify themselves as "spiritual, but not religious."If you yourself have had your curiosity about Jesus squashed by fundamentalist extremism, or if you hesitate to pursue feelings of connectedness with the presence of Jesus because you don't like dogmatic beliefs, you're going to love Jesus for the Rest of Us. Former minister John Selby offers a compassionate experiential guide that will enable you to encounter Jesus' meditative presence where all words stop . . . and true spiritual experience begins.From John Selby's extensive research into the mechanics of meditation, as well as his lifelong work as a therapist and spiritual counselor, he now teaches this new meditation technique that actively nurtures the love and guidance of Jesus' presence in our hearts. A landmark text, Jesus for the Rest of Us will help you connect with the contemplative and mystical qualities of Jesus' teachings that have sustained deep spiritual experience in millions of hearts from the time of Jesus to the present.John Selby offers a remarkably simple yet powerful post-Christian meditation process, focusing on Jesus' actual presence in our lives - beyond all theology and dogma. The program, available online as well at www.johnselby.com, will appeal to everyone seeking to experience a more meaningful spiritual life through their own direct connection with the divine.