Download or read book Theology and Joy written by Juergen Moltmann and published by SCM Press. This book was released on 2013-08-13 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this provocative study, Dr Moltmann develops his interest in political theology with particular reference to the questions of liberation, joy and the glory of God. How, he asks, can we laugh and rejoice when there are still so many tears to be wiped away and when new tears are being added every day? He cites the recent musical Fiddler on the Roof. Are the Jewish congregation here singing just to forget, or is there really such a thing as freedom in the midst of slavery, joy in the midst of suffering ? The rest of his extended essay investigates the possibility that in playing we can anticipate our liberation and with laughter rid ourselves of the bonds which alienate us from real life. David Jenkins, who writes an extended introduction and comment, takes up two points from Dr Moltmann's work. Moltmann argues that instead of using God to enjoy the world, men can now use the world to enjoy God. Furthermore, this development liberates the concept of 'God' to become what it really is, free and sovereign, instead of an idea enmeshed in our own plans and purposes.
Download or read book Joy and Human Flourishing written by Miroslav Volf and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2015-11-01 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joy is crucial to human life and central to God’s relationship to the world, yet it is remarkably absent from contemporary theology and, increasingly, from our own lives! This collection remedies this situation by considering the import of joy on human flourishing. These essays—written by experts in systematic and pastoral theology, Christian ethics, and biblical studies—demonstrate the promise of joy to throw open new theological possibilities and cast fresh light on all dimensions of human life. With contributions from Jurgen Moltmann, N. T. Wright, Marianne Meye Thompson, Mary Clark Moschella, Charles Mathewes, and Miroslav Volf, this volume puts joy at the heart of Christian faith and life, exploring joy’s biblical, dogmatic, ecclesiological, and ethical dimensions in concert with close attention to the shifting tides of culture. Convinced of the need to offer to the world a compelling Christian vision of the good life, the authors treat the connections between joy and themes of creation, theodicy, politics, suffering, pastoral practice, eschatology, and more, driven by the conviction that vital relationship with the living God is integral to our fullest flourishing as human creatures.
Download or read book The Joy of Hearing written by Thomas R. Schreiner and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2021-11-17 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Join New Testament scholar Thomas Schreiner as he explores the meaning and purpose of the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation can feel more intimidating to read than other books of the Bible. It invites readers into a world that seems confusing and sometimes even strange: golden lampstands, seven seals, a dragon, and a rider on a white horse. But at its core, Revelation is a message of hope written to Christians facing hardship, and it's worth the effort to read it and understand it. In this first volume in the New Testament Theology series, trusted scholar Thomas Schreiner walks step-by-step through the book of Revelation, considering its many themes—the opposition believers face from the world; the need for perseverance; God as sovereign Creator, Judge, and Savior—as well as its symbolic imagery and historical context. The Joy of Hearing brings clarity to the content and message of Revelation and explores its relevance for the church today.
Download or read book Prophetic Witnesses to Joy written by Juliet Mousseau and published by Liturgical Press. This book was released on 2021-11-08 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A life of consecration prefigures what Christians hope for by calling into question the value of power, sexuality, and material possessions. Religious life challenges the idea that these things alone bring happiness and shows that we can be more fulfilled, happier, and more whole without being attached to them. Furthermore, detaching ourselves from these desires allows others to live with more dignity and greater ease, as well. Consecrated life, then, is a prophetic witness to the joy of the eschatological call of Christianity. In the words of Pope Francis to religious men and women leading up to the Year of Consecrated Religious, “Wake up the world! Be witnesses of a different way of doing things, of acting, of living!”
Download or read book A Theology of Joy written by Matthew Everhard and published by Jesociety Press. This book was released on 2018-04-27 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The quest for joy is as universal as it is elusive. Happiness is that which all human beings desire; yet only few ever discover it in deeply personal and lasting experiences. Among the theologians and philosophers who sought to apprehend a personal experience of joy, the great colonial thinker Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) stands out as a brilliant voice from the past, speaking boldly on what constitutes the true nature of joy, as well as identifying the sad and deceiving counterfeits to real happiness. In A Theology of Joy: Jonathan Edwards and Eternal Happiness in the Holy Trinity, Reformed pastor and Edwards scholar Matthew Everhard studies the primary works of the puritan sage, combing through his many sermons, manuscripts, and major treatises to uncover and systematize the primary concepts, images, and motifs related to joy. This book works through such important pieces as Edwards' The Religious Affections, The End for Which God Created the World, and The Miscellanies; as well as some of Edwards lesser-known writings such as his "Treatise on Grace" and his "Essay on the Trinity." These literature studies identify important strands of Edwards' public teaching and private musings on the concept of happiness. As the book progresses, Everhard begins to group together Edwards' thoughts on joy and happiness into several major categories; especially as they relate to the doctrine of the Trinity, salvation, the holy life, and the believer's final estate in Heaven. Concluding the study, Everhard makes several practical applications that are especially relevant to ministers of the gospel, as well as to all Christians generally.
Download or read book Theology and Joy written by Jürgen Moltmann and published by SCM Press. This book was released on 1973 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Gravity of Joy written by Angela Williams Gorrell and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2021-03-09 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “My vocation was supposed to be joy, and I was speaking at funerals.” Shortly after being hired by Yale University to study joy, Angela Gorrell got word that a close family member had died by suicide. Less than a month later, she lost her father to a fatal opioid addiction and her nephew, only twenty-two years old, to sudden cardiac arrest. The theoretical joy she was researching at Yale suddenly felt shallow and distant—completely unattainable in the fog of grief she now found herself in. But joy was closer at hand than it seemed. As she began volunteering at a women’s maximum-security prison, she met people who suffered extensively yet still showed a tremendous capacity for joy. Talking with these women, many of whom had struggled with addiction and suicidal thoughts themselves, she realized: “Joy doesn’t obliterate grief. . . . Instead, joy has a mysterious capacity to be felt alongside sorrow and even—sometimes most especially—in the midst of suffering.” This is the story of Angela’s discovery of an authentic, grounded Christian joy. But even more, it is an invitation for others to seize upon this more resilient joy as a counteragent to the twenty-first-century epidemics of despair, addiction, and suicide—a call to action for communities that yearn to find joy and are willing to “walk together through the shadows” to find it.
Download or read book Theology of Play written by Jürgen Moltmann and published by HarperCollins Publishers. This book was released on 1972 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Happiness written by Randy Alcorn and published by Tyndale House Publishers. This book was released on 2024-06-04 with total page 575 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you ever wonder whether God even cares if we're happy? This world can be so hard, and we aren't promised an easy road. But that's not the whole story. The Bible is filled with verses that prove that ours is a God who not only loves celebrations but also desperately wants his children to experience happiness. Why else would he go to the lengths he did to ensure our eternal happiness in his presence? We know that we will experience unimaginable joy and happiness in heaven, but that doesn't mean we can't also experience joy and happiness here on earth. In Happiness, noted theologian Randy Alcorn (bestselling author of Heaven) dispels centuries of misconceptions about happiness, including downright harmful ideas like the prosperity gospel, and provides indisputable proof that God not only wants us to be happy, he commands it. Randy covers questions like: How can I cultivate happiness in my life? What's the difference between joy and happiness? Can good things become idols that steal our happiness? Is seeking happiness selfish? How can I achieve happiness through gratitude? What does it look like to receive God's grace? The most definitive study on the subject of happiness to date, this book is a paradigm-shifting wake-up call for the church and Christians everywhere.
Download or read book Choosing Joy written by Dan Lord and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2012-11-15 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is joy? Ask ten different people and you'll get ten different answers. Yet if you asked: a man who grew up fatherless and destitute in the slums of Atlanta a young widow who decided to bring a neglected garden back to life in spite of agonizing physical pain and a deeply wounded spirit or author Dan Lord himself, ex-frontman for a popular indie rock band each would point to the one source of their joy: Jesus. They made the choice for joy, against all odds, and so can you, though the obstacles might seem insurmountable. Worry and anxiety, pain and suffering, the daily grind -- all these and more can block your path. When faced with such challenges, is it possible to get past the barriers, let go, and experience God's joy? When you look around, you might wonder -- although joy is a fruit of the Spirit, it doesn't seem to be hanging visibly from many Christian boughs. Choosing Joy aims to change that -- and change your life in the process -- as it helps you discover the key to this most attractive but seemingly elusive gift. Choosing Joy will help you overcome the obstacles and focus your heart, mind and strength on God so that you can receive the happiness and peace that the world cannot give.
Download or read book Joy in Our Weakness written by Marva J. Dawn and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2002-07-08 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neither a commentary on the book of Revelation nor a devotional work -- though it offers aspects of both -- Joy in Our Weakness is instead a theological and practical guide that ushers readers into the very presence of Christ and His Lordship over the powers of evil. Marva Dawn writes compassionately for those who suffer, for this book was born out of her own struggles with physical limitations and chronic illness, and it is intended to help the whole Church learn how to find Joy in every circumstance of life, especially in trials and sufferings. After outlining some important foundational principles in three introductory chapters, Dawn guides readers through the whole book of Revelation, pointing out the errors of those who try to calendarize the end of the world and instead delineating how The Revelation reveals Christ's Lordship, exposes the workings of the powers, and sustains those who suffer until evil is ultimately defeated. Now thoroughly revised for a wider readership, Joy in Our Weakness highlights The Revelation's original purpose -- to comfort afflicted, suffering believers -- and spells out a biblically grounded "theology of weakness," offering a rare gift to the Church today. A wealth of insight and encouragement truly awaits the readers of these pages.
Download or read book Joy for the World written by Greg Forster and published by Cultural Renewal. This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offering an antidote to the church's cultural irrelevance, this book helps us to cultivate and live out the joy of God as the key to having a transformative impact on the world.
Download or read book Maximum Joy written by David R Anderson and published by . This book was released on 2013-07-31 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: MAXIMUM JOY Anyone who has raised a child understands the difference between relationship and fellowship. A parent has a permanent relationship with his/her child. But fellowship with a child means the parent and the child are enjoying their relationship. And though their relationship is eternal, their fellowship is not. A father and his son have a permanent relationship, but unless they spend time together sharing with one another, they will not have much fellowship. The apostle John wrote one book about how to have an eternal relationship with God the Gospel of John (John 20:31). And he wrote another book about how to enjoy that relationship, or how to have fellowship with God First John (1 John 1:3-4). Dr. Anderson explains that First John is not about whether one has an eternal relationship with God, but it is about how to enjoy that relationship by having fellowship with God. And enjoying fellowship with God is what Dr. Anderson calls MAXIMUM JOY.
Download or read book Joy to the World written by Scott Hahn and published by Image. This book was released on 2014-10-21 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What could be more familiar than the Christmas story--and yet what could be more extraordinary? The cast of characters is strange and exotic: shepherds and magicians, an emperor and a despot, angels, and a baby who is Almighty God. The strangeness calls for an explanation, and this book provides it by examining the characters and the story in light of the biblical and historical context. Bestselling author Scott Hahn who has written extensively on Scripture and the early Church, brings evidence to light, dispelling some of the mystery of the story. Yet Christmas is made familiar all over again by showing it to be a family story. Christmas, as it appears in the New Testament, is the story of a father, a mother, and a child--their relationships, their interactions, their principles, their individual lives, and their common life. To see the life of this "earthly trinity" is to gaze into heaven.
Download or read book The Slavery of Death written by Richard Beck and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2013-12-23 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to Hebrews, the Son of God appeared to "break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." What does it mean to be enslaved, all our lives, to the fear of death? And why is this fear described as "the power of the devil"? And most importantly, how are we--as individuals and as faith communities--to be set free from this slavery to death?In another creative interdisciplinary fusion, Richard Beck blends Eastern Orthodox perspectives, biblical text, existential psychology, and contemporary theology to describe our slavery to the fear of death, a slavery rooted in the basic anxieties of self-preservation and the neurotic anxieties at the root of our self-esteem. Driven by anxiety--enslaved to the fear of death--we are revealed to be morally and spiritually vulnerable as "the sting of death is sin." Beck argues that in the face of this predicament, resurrection is experienced as liberation from the slavery of death in the martyrological, eccentric, cruciform, and communal capacity to overcome fear in living fully and sacrificially for others.
Download or read book Flourishing written by Miroslav Volf and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2016-01-12 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than almost anything else, globalization and the great world religions are shaping our lives, affecting everything from the public policies of political leaders and the economic decisions of industry bosses and employees, to university curricula, all the way to the inner longings of our hearts. Integral to both globalization and religions are compelling, overlapping, and sometimes competing visions of what it means to live well. In this perceptive, deeply personal, and beautifully written book, a leading theologian sheds light on how religions and globalization have historically interacted and argues for what their relationship ought to be. Recounting how these twinned forces have intersected in his own life, he shows how world religions, despite their malfunctions, remain one of our most potent sources of moral motivation and contain within them profoundly evocative accounts of human flourishing. Globalization should be judged by how well it serves us for living out our authentic humanity as envisioned within these traditions. Through renewal and reform, religions might, in turn, shape globalization so that can be about more than bread alone.
Download or read book The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air written by Søren Kierkegaard and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2018-04-03 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A masterful new translation of one of Kierkegaard's most engaging works In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers to let go of earthly concerns by considering the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. Søren Kierkegaard's short masterpiece on this famous gospel passage draws out its vital lessons for readers in a rapidly modernizing and secularizing world. Trenchant, brilliant, and written in stunningly lucid prose, The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air (1849) is one of Kierkegaard's most important books. Presented here in a fresh new translation with an informative introduction, this profound yet accessible work serves as an ideal entrée to an essential modern thinker. The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air reveals a less familiar but deeply appealing side of the father of existentialism—unshorn of his complexity and subtlety, yet supremely approachable. As Kierkegaard later wrote of the book, "Without fighting with anybody and without speaking about myself, I said much of what needs to be said, but movingly, mildly, upliftingly." This masterful edition introduces one of Kierkegaard's most engaging and inspiring works to a new generation of readers.
