Download or read book This We Believe written by William H. Willimon and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deepen your understanding of Methodism's core beliefs.

Download or read book How God Becomes Real written by T.M. Luhrmann and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The hard work required to make God real, how it changes the people who do it, and why it helps explain the enduring power of faith How do gods and spirits come to feel vividly real to people—as if they were standing right next to them? Humans tend to see supernatural agents everywhere, as the cognitive science of religion has shown. But it isn’t easy to maintain a sense that there are invisible spirits who care about you. In How God Becomes Real, acclaimed anthropologist and scholar of religion T. M. Luhrmann argues that people must work incredibly hard to make gods real and that this effort—by changing the people who do it and giving them the benefits they seek from invisible others—helps to explain the enduring power of faith. Drawing on ethnographic studies of evangelical Christians, pagans, magicians, Zoroastrians, Black Catholics, Santeria initiates, and newly orthodox Jews, Luhrmann notes that none of these people behave as if gods and spirits are simply there. Rather, these worshippers make strenuous efforts to create a world in which invisible others matter and can become intensely present and real. The faithful accomplish this through detailed stories, absorption, the cultivation of inner senses, belief in a porous mind, strong sensory experiences, prayer, and other practices. Along the way, Luhrmann shows why faith is harder than belief, why prayer is a metacognitive activity like therapy, why becoming religious is like getting engrossed in a book, and much more. A fascinating account of why religious practices are more powerful than religious beliefs, How God Becomes Real suggests that faith is resilient not because it provides intuitions about gods and spirits—but because it changes the faithful in profound ways.

Download or read book Being Catholic written by Daniel E. Pilarczyk and published by Franciscan Media. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is…an act of witnessing, a testimony to the generosity of God that Catholics experience in accepting and living out the gift of faith that Christ has bestowed on them.—from the Introduction A bishop is not only a spiritual shepherd but a teacher. In Being Catholic Archbishop Pilarczyk teaches in clear, concise language the basic beliefs and practices of Catholics and what shapes a Catholic's thinking. The book discusses: HOW WE BELIEVE: Believing Catholic is a matter of knowing, understanding and responding to a story-the true story of God's love for us. It offers "the fundamentals that have to be there if thinking and practicing Catholic are going to have any appeal or make any sense." HOW WE PRACTICE: Reflections on the behaviors that express our faith and our membership in the Church, such as going to Mass, receiving the sacraments and raising children Catholic. By being a practicing Catholic, we strengthen our behaviors so we can proclaim them to others. HOW WE THINK: A series of thoughtful, pastoral and heartfelt reflections on all aspects of our lives in the world, seen through the eyes of one deeply faithful to the tradition and teachings of the church. Topics for "Thinking Catholic" include respect for life, spiritual maturity and a universal Church.

Download or read book After You Believe written by N. T. Wright and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-03-02 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of the acclaimed Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope comes a book that addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries—what is our purpose? As Christians, what are we to do with that ambiguous time between baptism and the funeral? It's easy to become preoccupied with who gets into heaven; the real challenge is how we are going to live in the here and now. Wright dispels the common misconception that Christian living is nothing more than a checklist of dos and don'ts. Nor is it a prescription to "follow your heart" wherever it may lead. Instead, After You Believe reveals the Bible's call for a revolution—a transformation of character that takes us beyond our earthly pursuit of money, sex, and power into a virtuous state of living that allows us to reflect God and live more worshipful, fulfilling lives. We are all spiritual seekers, intuitively knowing there is more to life than we suspect. This is a book for anyone who is hoping there is something more while we're here on Earth. There is. We are being called to join the revolution, and Wright insightfully encourages readers to find new purpose and clarity by taking us on an eye-opening journey through key biblical passages that promise to radically alter the work of the church and the direction of our lives.

Download or read book We Believe Therefore We Speak written by David J. Valleskey and published by . This book was released on 1995-01-01 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Why Religion written by Elaine Pagels and published by HarperLuxe. This book was released on 2018-11-06 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is religion still around in the twenty-first century? Why do so many still believe? And how do various traditions still shape the way people experience everything from sexuality to politics, whether they are religious or not? In Why Religion? Elaine Pagels looks to her own life to help address these questions. These questions took on a new urgency for Pagels when dealing with unimaginable loss—the death of her young son, followed a year later by the shocking loss of her husband. Here she interweaves a personal story with the work that she loves, illuminating how, for better and worse, religious traditions have shaped how we understand ourselves; how we relate to one another; and, most importantly, how to get through the most difficult challenges we face. Drawing upon the perspectives of neurologists, anthropologists, and historians, as well as her own research, Pagels opens unexpected ways of understanding persistent religious aspects of our culture. A provocative and deeply moving account from one of the most compelling religious thinkers at work today, Why Religion? explores the spiritual dimension of human experience.

Download or read book A Vindication of the Sentiments and Practice of Those who Believe in God s Everlasting Covenant and Apply the Seal to Their Infant Offspring written by John Smith and published by . This book was released on 1812 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book How to Believe in God written by Clark Strand and published by Harmony. This book was released on 2009-03-03 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In How to Believe in God, Clark Strand, an accomplished master of both Eastern and Western mystical practices, takes on the most troublesome and provocative passages from Judeo-Christian scripture, transforming the Bible into a manual of spiritual liberation for the twenty-first-century seeker. Offering a revolutionary new model of approaching the Bible, he frees those sacred scriptures from superstition, dogma, and tribalism, and in the process recovers their universal teaching on salvation and belief. Drawing on his personal experiences, including his Bible Belt upbringing, his years as a Buddhist monk, and his life as a father and husband in a small rural community, Strand makes even the most subtle spiritual teaching heartfelt and accessible. How to Believe in God illuminates a clear path to reclaiming a God that leaves nothing out and leaves no one behind. His open, gentle, pioneering approach to faith allows everyone—from churchgoing Christians to those with no religious affiliation at all—to experience the Bible in new and exciting ways.

Download or read book Knowing and Doing written by John McQuoid and published by Anchor Books. This book was released on 2011 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Practice of the Presence of God written by Brother Lawrence and published by Hyweb Technology Co. Ltd.. This book was released on 2011-10-15 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book They Like Jesus But Not the Church written by Dan Kimball and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2007 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kimball provides an overview of the six most common objections emerging generations have with church and Christianity along with the biblical answers to these objections and examples of how churches are facing this challenge.

Download or read book Practicing written by Kathy Escobar and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 2020-01-18 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the masses of young people spurning organized religion to faithful followers of Jesus, there is a deep hunger across gender, age, socioeconomics, and denominational backgrounds for practical, tangible ways to live a life of love, mercy, and justice in our divided, fragmented world. But where do we start? Its easy to feel overwhelmed by the worlds problems, with solutions to violence and poverty and oppression seeming so far out of reach. But you have more power to change the world than you realizeand it starts with changing yourself. In Practicing, Pastor Kathy Escobar inspires and challenges readers with practical encouragement to live their faith through real action using ten transformational practices, including listening more, including the marginalized, advocating for justice, and mourning with those who grieve. By putting our hearts, hands, and feet behind our good intentions, we can transform our groups, our communities, and our world. Extremely interactive, relational, and practical, Practicing can be read alone or processed together with a group, church, or class.

Download or read book The Eternal Current written by Aaron Niequist and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2018-08-07 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A call for Christians to move past the shallows of idealized beliefs and into a deeper, more vibrant, beatitude-like faith rooted in sacred practices and intimate experiences with God. When the limits of his own faith experience left him feeling spiritually empty, Niequist determined God must have a wider vision for worship and community. In his search, Aaron discovered that there was historical Christian precedent for enacting faith in a different way, an ancient and now future way of believing. He calls this third way "practice-based faith." This book is about loving one's faith tradition and, at the same time, following the call to something deeper and richer. By adopting some new spiritual practices, it is possible to learn to swim again with a renewed sense of vigor and divine purpose.

Download or read book The Steal Like an Artist Journal written by Austin Kleon and published by Workman Publishing. This book was released on 2015-10-06 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the New York Times bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work! comes an interactive journal and all-in-one logbook to get your creative juices flowing, and keep a record of your ideas and discoveries. The Steal Like an Artist Journal is the next step in your artistic journey. It combines Austin Kleon’s unique and compelling ideas with the physical quality that makes journals like Moleskines so enormously popular. Page after page of ideas, prompts, quotes, and exercises are like a daily course in creativity. There are lists to fill in—Ten Things I Want to Learn, Ten Things I Probably Think About More Than the Average Person. Challenges to take. Illustrated creative exercises—Make a Mixtape (for someone who doesn’t know you) and Fill in the Speech Balloons. Pro and con charts—What Excites You?/What Drains You? The journal has an elastic band for place-marking and a special pocket in the back—a “swipe file” to store bits and pieces of inspiration. Because if you want to steal like an artist, you need a place to keep your loot.

Download or read book The New Teacher Book written by Terry Burant and published by Rethinking Schools. This book was released on 2010 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teaching is a lifelong challenge, but the first few years in the classroom are typically a teacher's hardest. This expanded collection of writings and reflections offers practical guidance on how to navigate the school system, form rewarding relationships with colleagues, and connect in meaningful ways with students and families from all cultures and backgrounds.

Download or read book Know Doubt written by John Ortberg and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2014-11-04 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this refreshingly candid look at what it takes to live a life of faith, John Ortberg takes an honest look at the misgivings and uncertainties that often shake our beliefs as we navigate through the highs and lows of life. Reflecting on his own bouts with doubt and uncertainty, Ortberg shares with readers his discovery that, rather than being a contradiction in terms, doubt and faith may be very much a part of each other. He challenges readers to consider how doubt can motivate us to study and learn, how questioning expands our understanding, and how uncertainty can lead to trust. These challenges point us toward the relief of being totally honest. The right kind of doubt can be a gift—an action-generating truth that actually allows us to deepen our faith and intimacy with God. Written to challenge, comfort, and inspire readers, Know Doubt reveals uncertainty as a cause for celebration.

Download or read book Practicing Our Faith written by Dorothy C. Bass and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-12-15 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An updated edition of the down-to-earth resource that offers twelve practices to make Christian faith a way of life Many Christians are looking for ways to deepen their relationship with God by practicing their faith in everyday life. This best-selling guide helps take belief out of the realm of theory and shows how to live it out in a series of twelve central practices such as hospitality, forgiveness, healing, testimony, and keeping Sabbath. Designed to work across a wide range of Christian laypeople, leaders, denominations, and study groups, this is the second edition of the book that Theology called "... a stimulating contribution to the work of making explicit the connection between what Christians do and what they believe." Contains information on the practices discussed in the book and shows how they relate to and intersect with prayer, worship, and Bible study Offers a guide for conversation, learning, and growth at the back of the book This updated and expanded new edition includes a new introduction and two additional chapters that describes new insights into and experiences with the "practicing our faith" approach The book includes a variety of prominent contributors, who draw on their rich shared experience as believers, theologians, ethicists, and educators.