Download or read book The Uncontrolling Love of God written by Thomas Jay Oord and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2015-11-09 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: IVP Readers' Choice Award Rarely does a new theological position emerge to account well for life in the world, including not only goodness and beauty but also tragedy and randomness. Drawing from Scripture, science, philosophy and various theological traditions, Thomas Jay Oord offers a novel theology of providence—essential kenosis—that emphasizes God's inherently noncoercive love in relation to creation. The Uncontrolling Love of God provides a clear and powerful response to one of the perennial challenges to Christian faith.

Download or read book Uncontrolling Love written by L Michaels and published by SacraSage Press. This book was released on 2017-08-07 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What if God is not in control? And what if, instead, God always expresses uncontrolling love? Eighty leading thinkers explore the implications of a new way to think about God, the world, and our everyday lives. Their conclusions are radical, whether their writing is in story form or more academic. Essayists take ideas in Thomas Jay Oord's award-winning book, The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence (IVP Academic). Each contributor explores how we might think and live in light of uncontrolling love.

Download or read book God Can t written by Thomas Jay Oord and published by SacraSage Press. This book was released on 2019-01-05 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hurting people ask heart-felt questions about God and suffering. Some "answers" they receive appeal to mystery: “God’s ways are not our ways”. Some answers say God allows evil for a greater purpose. Some say evil is God's punishment. The usual answers fail. They don't support the truth that God loves everyone all the time. God Can't gives a believable answer to why a good and powerful God doesn't prevent evil. Author Thomas Jay Oord says God’s love is inherently uncontrolling. God loves everyone and everything, so God can't control anyone or anything. This means God cannot prevent evil singlehandedly. God can’t stop evildoers, whether human, animal, organism, or inanimate objects and forces. In God Can't, Oord gives a plausible reason why some are healed, but many others are not. God always works to heal everyone, but sometimes our bodies, organisms, or other creatures do not cooperate with God's healing work. Or the conditions of creation are not right for the healing God wants to do. Some people think God causes or allows suffering to teach us lessons or build our character. God Can't disagrees. Oord says God squeezes good from the evil God didn’t want in the first place. God uses pain and suffering without willing or even allowing it. Most people think God can overcome evil singlehandedly. In God Can't, Oord says God needs cooperation for love to reign now and later. This leads to a better view of the afterlife called “relentless love.” It rejects traditional ideas of heaven, hell, and annihilation. Relentless love holds to the possibility all creatures and all creation will respond to God’s love. God Can't is written in understandable language. As a world-renown theologian, Thomas Jay Oord brings credibility to the book’s radical ideas. He explains these ideas through true stories, illustrations, and scripture. God Can't is for those who want answers to tragedy, abuse, and other evils that make sense! What They're Saying... “If conventional notions of God make less and less sense to you, you’ll find Thomas Jay Oord’s new book a breath of fresh air. Simply put, “God Can’t” presents an understanding of God that thoughtful, ethical people can believe in.” -- Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration "I did not want this book to end. I wish Dr. Oord had written it 100 years ago, or 1000 years ago... To find your understanding of life and your love for God renewed, read this book." -- Dr. Karen Strand Winslow, Ph.D., Biblical and Jewish Studies Professor of Bible, Azusa Pacific University "As a clinical psychologist working with people in trauma, I owe Thomas Jay Oord an enormous debt of gratitude for recasting the so-called problem of evil in terms that are conceptually satisfying, theologically consistent, and pastorally liberating.” -- Dr Roger Bretherton- Principal Lecturer at the University of Lincoln (UK), Chair of the British Association of Christians in Psychology “Victims of trauma sometimes hear theological responses that imply their suffering is somehow “God’s will." A more careful theological reflection on the nature of the power of a God who is love can help. Oord gives us a clear and compelling alternative in this profoundly insightful and admirably concrete and accessible book.” -- Dr. Anna Case-Winters, Professor of Theology at McCormick Theological Seminary “I know of no book that speaks to suffering with the depth of theological sophistication and psychological sensitivity as God Can’t. This book is a rare combination of depth and accessibility, truly written for the wounded. I recommend it to my students, parishioners, and therapy clients.” -- Dr. Brad D. Strawn, Professor of the Integration of Psychology and Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary

Download or read book Open and Relational Theology written by Thomas Jay Oord and published by Sacrasage Press. This book was released on 2021-07 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most theologies suck. They're too technical or they describe a God nobody understands. Sometimes the God portrayed sounds like a controlling boyfriend or absentee parent. Rather than woo or persuade, most theology books clobber readers into submission. This book is different. Thomas Jay Oord presents a theology that makes sense. It fits the way we live our lives and matches our deepest intuitions. To the surprise of some, it harmonizes with sacred scripture... at least the good parts. And it promotes a genuinely loving God. Open and relational theology is controversial. Oord and others have lost their jobs because they embrace it. Others have been booted from religious communities or shunned by families and friends. It's that radical! This way of thinking is life-changing - for good - for so many. This theology doesn't suck. People around the world are turning to open and relational theology. It answers our biggest questions about good and evil, purpose and freedom, love and science. "Timely!" - Cody Stauffer & Craig Morton, All That's Holy Podcast "Cosmic!" - Pete Enns & Jared Byas, Bible For Normal People Podcast "Conceptual!" - Seth Price, Can I Say This in Church? Podcast "Inspirited!" - Jay McDaniel, Conversations in Process Podcast "Clear!" -Joe Smith and Drew Dunbar, Crisis of Faith Podcast "Radical!" - Shaleen Kendrick & Holland Fields, Desert Voices Podcast "Prodigious!" - John Williamson, Deconstructionists Podcast "Relieving!" - Joey Monteleone, Dismantle Podcast "Compelling!" - Loren Richmond Jr, Future Christian Podcast "Liberating!" - Melanie Mudge & Gary Alan Taylor, Holy Heretics Podcast "Magnificent!" - Tripp Fuller, Homebrewed Christianity Podcast "Enlivening!" - Michael Frost, In the Shift Podcast "Tantalizing!" - Jim Stump, Language of God Podcast "Captivating!" - Jason Elam, Messy Spirituality Podcast "Thought-Provoking!" - Gabriel Gordon, Misfits Theology Podcast "Interrogating!" - Todd Littleton, Patheological Podcast "Exceptional!" - Keith Giles, Peace Catalyst Podcast "Zesty!" - Mason Mennenga, A People's Theology Podcast "Tangible!" - Hayden Bruce, Pragmatic Christian Podcast "Clarifying!" - Mary-Anne & Andre Rabe, Question Your Answers Podcast "Trailblazing!" - Todd R. Vick, Reconstruction Rebel Podcast "Peace-Bringing!" - Chris Harman, Redrawing the Bath Podcast "Stimulating!" - Greg Boyd and Dan Kent, ReKnew Podcast "Punchy!" - Ryan T. Mullins, Reluctant Theologian Podcast "Exciting!" - Josh Patterson & Marty Fredrick, (Re)thinking Faith Podcast "A Gift!" - Beth Hayward, Souls in Soles Podcast "Inviting!" - Kurt Willems, Theology Curator Podcast "Accessible!" - Dustin Kensrue, Thrice & Carry the Fire Podcast "R-/evolutionary!" - Tim Victor, Urban Mystic Podcast "User-Friendly!" - Glenn Siepert, What If? Podcast "Reinvigorating!" - Jon Steingard, Wonder & Mystery of Being Podcast

Download or read book The Uncontrolling Love of God written by Thomas Jay Oord and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2015-11-09 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rarely does a new theological position emerge to account well for life in the world, including not only goodness and beauty but also tragedy and randomness. Drawing from Scripture, science, philosophy and various theological traditions, Thomas Jay Oord offers a novel theology of providence—essential kenosis—that emphasizes God's inherently noncoercive love in relation to creation.

Download or read book Defining Love written by Thomas Jay Oord and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2010-06 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Engages cutting-edge scientific research on love and altruism to offer a definition of love that is scientifically, theologically, and philosophically adequate.

Download or read book Pluriform Love written by Thomas Jay Oord and published by SacraSage Press. This book was released on 2022-02-25 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A masterpiece from the preeminent theologian of love!" A strong case can be made that love is the core of Christian faith. And yet Christians often fail to give love center stage in biblical studies and theology. And most fail to explain what they mean by love. Why is this? Thomas Jay Oord explores this question and offers ground-breaking answers. Oord addresses leading Christian thinkers today and of yesteryear. He explains biblical forms of love, such as agape, philia, hesed, and ahavah. We should understand love’s meaning as uniform, he says, but its expressions are pluriform. Widely regarded as the world's foremost theologian of love, Thomas Jay Oord tackles our biggest puzzles about the nature and meaning of love, divine and creaturely. His proposals are novel. They align with love described in scripture and expressed in everyday experience. Oord also provides radical and yet persuasive answers to questions about evil, hell, the Big Bang, divine violence, divine abandonment, and more. Pluriform Love changes the landscape of Christian love studies. ... What they're saying... “Thomas Jay Oord is the first to systematically clarify a variety of types of love and show that all are characteristic of God. This is an original contribution to theology. Though a complex task, Oord writes in an accessible and attractive way.” John B. Cobb, Jr., Cobb Institute, Author of Salvation: Jesus’s Mission and Ours “Christian theology in the years to come will need a facelift—a true restoration of the biblical witness to the centrality of God’s love. If we wish to help make the faith truly relatable to our world today, Oord’s clear, compassionate, and compelling voice is one we will be thankful for.” Peter Enns, Eastern University and Co-host of The Bible for Normal People “Thomas Jay Oord adds to his proposals on open and relational theology, developing a theology of love which is both uniform in meaning and pluriform according to situation and recipients. The volume is indispensable for those researching the nature of love.” Paul Fiddes, University of Oxford “The glowing multiform forcefield of love embraces every sentence of Pluriform Love. Free of sentimentality and pretense, refusing to pit eros and agape against each other, it unfolds a full-scale theology. This amorous vision will attract a wide readership.” Catherine Keller, Drew University, Author of Facing Apocalypse "Thomas Oord is a global leader exploring the primacy of love within Christian thought and practice. In this book, he presents a theology of love in a loving way. When he grapples with the Scriptures, he shows an attitude of fairness. His writing style combines scholarly depth with accessible simplicity. In the end, Oord makes a radical claim: much of traditional Christian theology cannot take love as seriously as it must. Love must revolutionize Christian theology, and Oord explains how.” Brian D. McLaren, Author of Do I Stay Christian? “This is a rigorous, provocative, creative, and very readable account of the meaning of love, especially divine love. It’s a very important contribution to theological thought on this central topic.” Keith Ward, University of Oxford ...

Download or read book Crazy Love written by Francis Chan and published by David C Cook. This book was released on 2013-04-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Revised & Updated Edition! God is love. Crazy, relentless, all-powerful love. Have you ever wondered if we're missing it? It's crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe—the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor—loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Whether you've verbalized it yet or not, we all know something's wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and don'ts—it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same. Because when you're wildly in love with someone, it changes everything. Learn more about Crazy Love at www.crazylovebook.com.

Download or read book God Will Be All in All written by Anna Case-Winters and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 2021-10-26 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The early Christians saw in Jesus the focus and fulfillment of the conviction that God is with us. Over time, they learned to speak of that presence in terms of divine incarnation. That one theological affirmation raises questions for practically all other Christian beliefs. If God is incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth, how does that change our understanding of God's presence in all things? What does it mean to be human if the life of God has been so intimately joined to human life? How can we say "God is with us" when there is so much suffering and evil in the world? What do we mean by “us”? Just us Christians or all of us? Just human beings or also the whole creation? If we find life in the wider cosmos, is God with them too? Looking through the lens of the incarnation, how wide is the divine embrace? In this volume, Anna Case-Winters demonstrates that the doctrine of the incarnation of God in Christ is not simply one belief among others; it is the cornerstone on which all other Christian convictions are built. Throughout, she carefully lays out the consequences for Christian belief and Christian life of the ancient confession that in Christ, “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”

Download or read book The God Who Risks written by John Sanders and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2009-09-20 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If God is all-knowing and all-powerful, can he in any way be vulnerable to his creation? Can God be in control of anything at all if he is not constantly in control of everything? John Sanders says yes to both of these questions. In The God Who Risks defends his answer with a careful and challenging argument. He first builds his case on an in-depth reading of the Old and New Testaments. Then Sanders probes philosophical, historical and systematic theology for further support. And he completes his defense with considerations drawn from practical theology. The God Who Risks is a profound and often inspiring presentation of "relational theism"--an understanding of providence in which "a personal God enters into genuine give-and-take relations with his creatures." With this book Sanders not only contributes to serious theological discussion but also enlightens pastors and laypersons who struggle with questions about suffering, evil and human free will.

Download or read book Divine Impassibility written by Robert J. Matz and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2019-08-13 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does God suffer? Does God experience emotions? Does God change? How should we interpret passages of Scripture that seem to support one view or the other? And where do the incarnation and Christ's suffering on the cross fit into this? This Spectrum Multiview volume brings together four theologians with decidedly different answers to these questions. The contributors make a case for their own view—ranging from a traditional affirmation of divine impassibility (the idea that God does not suffer) to the position that God is necessarily and intimately affected by creation—and then each contributor responds to the others' views. The lively but irenic discussion that takes place in this conversation demonstrates not only the diversity of opinion among Christians on this theological conundrum but also its ongoing relevance for today. Views and Contributors: Strong Impassibility (James E. Dolezal, assistant professor in the School of Divinity at Cairn University) Qualified Impassibility (Daniel Castelo, professor of dogmatic and constructive theology at Seattle Pacific University) Qualified Passibility (John C. Peckham, professor of theology and Christian philosophy at Andrews University) Strong Passibility (Thomas Jay Oord, professor of theology and philosophy at Northwest Nazarene University Spectrum Multiview Books offer a range of viewpoints on contested topics within Christianity, giving contributors the opportunity to present their position and also respond to others in this dynamic publishing format.

Download or read book The Openness of God written by Clark H. Pinnock and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-02-25 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Voted one of Christianity Today's 1995 Books of the Year! The Openness of God presents a careful and full-orbed argument that the God known through Christ desires "responsive relationship" with his creatures. While it rejects process theology, the book asserts that such classical doctrines as God's immutability, impassibility and foreknowledge demand reconsideration. The authors insist that our understanding of God will be more consistently biblical and more true to the actual devotional lives of Christians if we profess that "God, in grace, grants humans significant freedom" and enters into relationship with a genuine "give-and-take dynamic." The Openness of God is remarkable in its comprehensiveness, drawing from the disciplines of biblical, historical, systematic and philosophical theology. Evangelical and other orthodox Christian philosophers have promoted the "relational" or "personalist" perspective on God in recent decades. Now here is the first major attempt to bring the discussion into the evangelical theological arena.

Download or read book The Fury of God written by Jeremy J. Lundmark and published by WestBow Press. This book was released on 2014-05 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is God loving? The Bible says that God is love; however, it also portrays a God that floods the earth, takes the lives of the firstborn in Egypt, and lashes out time and again in His fury. How can a God of love be synonymous with the God of fury displayed in the Old Testament? Are we fools? “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowled≥ fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Pro 1:7). Twice in the Proverbs we’re told that the beginning of knowledge and wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Is it possible that we have become altogether ignorant simply because we’ve tossed out the Bible’s basic teaching on God’s fury? The Fury of God penetrates the paradox and shows that we cannot truly understand God’s love until we fully understand His fury. If believers today are truly abiding in God’s Word, they will come face-to-face with the fury of God, and its truth will bring satisfaction to their souls. God’s people must know the truth. They longingly desire it. The truth is that our God is a consuming fire. He is a jealous God. He is a holy God. He is an unchanging God. He is a triune God. Our God is a God of fury. It is that God, the God of the Scriptures, whom I hope to resurrect in the hearts and minds of His people with this book.

Download or read book Winning the War in Your Mind written by Craig Groeschel and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2021-02-16 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: MORE THAN 500,000 COPIES SOLD! Are your thoughts out of control--just like your life? Do you long to break free from the spiral of destructive thinking? Let God's truth become your battle plan to win the war in your mind! We've all tried to think our way out of bad habits and unhealthy thought patterns, only to find ourselves stuck with an out-of-control mind and off-track daily life. Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel understands deeply this daily battle against self-doubt and negative thinking, and in this powerful new book he reveals the strategies he's discovered to change your mind and your life for the long-term. Drawing upon Scripture and the latest findings of brain science, Groeschel lays out practical strategies that will free you from the grip of harmful, destructive thinking and enable you to live the life of joy and peace that God intends you to live. Winning the War in Your Mind will help you: Learn how your brain works and see how to rewire it Identify the lies your enemy wants you to believe Recognize and short-circuit your mental triggers for destructive thinking See how prayer and praise will transform your mind Develop practices that allow God's thoughts to become your thoughts God has something better for your life than your old ways of thinking. It's time to change your mind so God can change your life.

Download or read book The Nature of Love written by Thomas Jay Oord and published by Chalice Press. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God is love. Consequently, shouldn't love exist at the center of Christian theology? When love is at the center, theology is understood differently than it has typically been understood. Some theologians have placed faith at the center, others God's sovereignty, still others-the Church, but Dr. Oord places the emphasis on love. God's love for us, revealed in Christ, in the Church, and in creation, and our love for God and others as ourselves-must be afforded its rightful place. Beginning with the foundation of "love" is what differentiates the Christian faith from others.a loving God. Dr. Oord defines love as: "To love is to act intentionally, in sympathetic/empathetic response to God and others, to promote overall well-being." Is this not what has defined Christians throughout history?

Download or read book Divine Echoes written by Mark Gregory Karris and published by . This book was released on 2018-01-23 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can we engage in prayer that is more effective, less harmful, and doesn't make God look bad? Theologian, therapist, and ordained pastor Mark Karris offers a first-of-a-kind book that explores petitionary prayer alongside theodicy, social justice, and personal moral responsibility. Is petitionary prayer an archaic and superstitious practice better left for old-time religious folk? Is there a more effective method of praying that doesn't put all the responsibility on God? Mark Karris tackles these questions and much, much more! Rich with theological wisdom, provocative insights, and enormously practical, Divine Echoes journeys through the investigation, deconstruction, and reconstruction of petitionary prayer. Karris also reveals a revolutionary model of petitionary prayer that he refers to as "conspiring prayer." Filled with real-life examples and case studies, this book will inform and equip both individuals and churches to pray transformative and subversive prayers that will increase God's love, healing, and beauty in the world.--Back cover.

Download or read book Unlocking Divine Action written by Michael J. Dodds and published by CUA Press. This book was released on 2012-09-26 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides a sustained account of how the thought of Aquinas may be used in conjunction with contemporary science to deepen our understanding of divine action and address such issues as creation, providence, prayer, and miracles.