Download or read book Windows to the World Literature in Christian Perspective written by Leland Ryken and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2000-04-10 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a teacher's book, written by an able teacher.... Most people are interested in literature because of a deep love for literature itself. They want to understand the reasons for that love. Ryken helps us do this, but he also helps Christians understand and validate their love for literature.... Ryken has also provided a solid means for non-Christians to understand a Christian perspective on literature.... It [Windows to the World] comes closer to defining the goal and task of the teacher of literature than any work I have read." - Christianity and Literature

Download or read book The Character of God written by Thomas E. Jenkins and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1997-12-04 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Educated people have become bereft of sophisticated ways to develop their religious inclinations. A major reason for this is that theology has become vague and dull. In The Character of God, author Thomas E. Jenkins maintains that Protestant theology became boring by the late nineteenth century because the depictions of God as a character in theology became boring. He shows how in the early nineteenth century, American Protestant theologians downplayed biblical depictions of God's emotional complexity and refashioned his character according to their own notions, stressing emotional singularity. These notions came from many sources, but the major influences were the neoclassical and sentimental literary styles of characterization dominant at the time. The serene benevolence of neoclassicism and the tender sympathy of sentimentalism may have made God appealing in the mid-1800s, but by the end of the century, these styles had lost much of their cultural power and increasingly came to seem flat and vague. Despite this, both liberal and conservative theologians clung to these characterizations of God throughout the twentieth century. Jenkins argues that a way out of this impasse can be found in romanticism, the literary style of characterization that supplanted neoclassicism and sentimentalism and dominated American literary culture throughout the twentieth century. Romanticism emphasized emotional complexity and resonated with biblical depictions of God. A few maverick religious writers-- such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, W. G. T. Shedd, and Horace Bushnell--did devise emotionally complex characterizations of God and in some cases drew directly from romanticism. But their strange and sometimes shocking depictions of God were largely forgotten in the twentieth century. s use "theological" as a pejorative term, implying that an argument is needlessly Jenkins urges a reassessment of their work and a greaterin understanding of the relationship between theology and literature. Recovering the lost literary power of American Protestantism, he claims, will make the character of God more compelling and help modern readers appreciate the peculiar power of the biblical characterization of God.

Download or read book Windows to Heaven written by Elizabeth Zelensky and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2005-02 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this useful guidebook, the authors debunk common misconceptions about Orthodox icons and explain how they might enrich the devotional lives of non-Orthodox Christians.

Download or read book Liberal Arts for the Christian Life written by Jeffry C. Davis and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2012-04-30 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For over forty years, Leland Ryken has championed and modeled a Christian liberal arts education. His scholarship and commitment to integrating faith with learning in the classroom have influenced thousands of students who have sat under his winsome teaching. Published in honor of Professor Ryken and presented on the occasion of his retirement from Wheaton College, this compilation carries on his legacy of applying a Christian liberal arts education to all areas of life. Five sections explore the background of a Christian liberal arts education, its theological basis, habits and virtues, differing approaches, and ultimate aims. Contributors including Philip Ryken, Jeffry Davis, Duane Litfin, John Walford, Alan Jacobs, and Jim Wilhoit analyze liberal arts as they relate to the disciplines, the Christian faith, and the world. Also included are a transcript of a well-known 1984 chapel talk delivered by Leland Ryken on the student's calling and practical chapters on how to read, write, and speak well. Comprehensive in scope, this substantial volume will be a helpful guide to anyone involved in higher education, as well as to students, pastors, and leaders looking for resources on the importance of faith in learning.

Download or read book The Forest and the Trees written by Richard A. Widder and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2008-03-01 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Why do we have to learn this?" For as long as there have been students, teachers have been answering this question, but we haven't always answered it very well--for our students or for ourselves. We sometimes forget that everything we teach, whether "sacred" or "secular," has value because it is part of God's truth, and integrating that truth across the curriculum is what makes an education Christian. This book from a father-and-daughter team of seasoned Christian educators offers a comprehensive, biblically based presentation of integration. Its goal is to help readers view all aspects of the curriculum within the framework of God's story as told from Genesis to Revelation. By organizing subject areas under five broad categories--nature, people, communication, beauty, and ultimate issues--the authors demonstrate that each subject area flows from the biblical story. Each chapter concludes with a summary of the truths presented, a set of teacher tips, and a list of additional resources.

Download or read book New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics written by Gavin McGrath and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2014-07-16 with total page 801 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics is a must-have resource for professors and students, pastors and laypersons--in short, for any Christian who wishes to understand or develop a rational explanation of the Christian faith in the context of today's complex and ever-changing world. Packed with hundreds of articles that cover the key topics, historic figures and contemporary global issues relating to the study and practice of Christian apologetics, this handy one-volume resource will make an invaluable addition to any Christian library. Editors Gavin McGrath and W. C. Campbell-Jack, with consulting editor C. Stephen Evans, have divided the dictionary into two parts: Part one offers a series of introductory essays that set the framework for the dictionary. These essays examine the practice and importance of Christian apologetics in light of theological, historical and cultural concerns. Part two builds on these essays to present numerous alphabetized articles on individuals, ideas, movements and disciplines that are vital to a rational explanation of the Christian faith. Both essays and articles are written by leading Christian philosophers and theologians. Together, they form an indispensable resource for Christians living in today's pluralistic age.

Download or read book Symbols and Reality written by Leland Ryken and published by Lexham Press. This book was released on 2021-10-21 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the fifth of a six-volume series called Reading the Bible as Literature. In this volume, the author not only explores the intersection of the Bible and literature, but he also shows pastors, students, and teachers of the Bible how to appreciate the craftsmanship of visionary literature and prophetic oracles and how to interpret them correctly. Dr. Ryken goes one step further than merely explaining the genre by including exercises to help students master this rich literary treasure. Speaking of the entire series, Ryken says, "The niche that these volumes are designed to fill is the literary approach to the Bible. This has been my scholarly passion for nearly half a century. It is my belief that a literary approach to the Bible is the common reader's friend, in contract to the more specialized types of scholarship on the Bible."

Download or read book A Persevering Witness written by Elizabeth Davey and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2016-05-16 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Margaret Avison, one of Canada's premier poets, is a highly sophisticated and self-conscious writer, both charming and intimidating at the same time. She calls to mind her more famous predecessors--the religious poets George Herbert, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and T. S. Eliot--as she vigorously engages both heart and intellect. "She has forged a way to write against the grain, some of the most humane, sweet and profound poetry of our time," write the judges of the 2003 Griffin Poetry Prize. Becoming a Christian in her mid-forties, her life and her vocation were transformed and her lyrics record that shift. In "Muse of Danger," she writes to Christian college students, "But in His strange and marvelous mercy, God nonetheless lets the believer take a necessary place as a living witness in behavior with family and classmate and stranger, in conversation, or in a poem." How she blends her twin passions of poetry and Christian faith becomes a story of a kind of perseverance. Readers who respond with understanding and empathy recognize both the distinctive mystery of poetic witness and the mystery inherent in Christ's saving work to which it points. Her enduring witness becomes an implicit call for us to persevere in what Avison identifies as the "mix of resurrection life and marred everyday living."

Download or read book Love in Interpretation written by Bryant K. Owens and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2019-02-28 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. Bryant K. Owens presents the argument of the value of the Christian tradition of caritas (or love) from the philosophy and the subsequent hermeneutic of Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430) within contemporary philosophical scholarship. Dr. Owens’s study of Augustine’s investigations into biblical interpretation will reveal that he sought the beauty of understanding as evidenced through caritas. The shift in the Western philosophical tradition during the Enlightenment period resulted in a solid break from authority-based hermeneutics to the autonomy of the mind. The result was a greater emphasis on the literal meaning of a text, as gleaned from the subjective mind of the reader and through grammatical and historical criticism, over the spiritual meaning of the text, or application of the greater meaning to Christian living. Dr. Owens proposes that the benefits of Augustine’s caritas as the a priori spirit of the biblical text and the proper application of that spirit in contemporary scholarship, should be the epistemological focus of hermeneutics rather than the emphasis on method prevalent from Spinoza to Dilthey. The concluding value from Augustine’s hermeneutic is that caritas is a product of understanding while at the same time is the method, or means, by which caritas is produced. Therefore, Augustine’s hermeneutic argues that the sense, or spirit, of Scripture is caritas and is the truth to which all Christian philosophy must cohere.

Download or read book Rethinking Worldview written by J. Mark Bertrand and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2007-10-05 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Everyone has a worldview. How did we get it? How is it formed? Is it possible by persuasion and logic to change one's worldview? In Rethinking Worldview, writer and worldview teacher J. Mark Bertrand has a threefold aim. First, he seeks to capture a more complex, nuanced appreciation of what worldviews really are. Then he situates worldviews in the larger context of a lived faith. Finally, he explores the organic connections between worldview and wisdom and how they are expressed in witness. Bertrand's work reads like a conversation, peppered with anecdotes and thought-provoking questions that push readers to continue thinking and talking long after they have put the book down. Thoughtful readers interested in theology, philosophy, and culture will be motivated to rethink their own perspectives on the nature of reality, as well as to rethink the concept of worldviews itself.

Download or read book Searching for the Self written by Adrian T. Smith and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2018-01-22 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Who am I?” If you are unsure of your personal identity, you are not alone. Our postmodern culture multiplies identity-crisis. Identity comes from story—the better our story, the healthier our identity and our behavior. Searching for the Self helps you discover your own story, and discern how cultural narratives shape your behavior. Channeling the ancient wisdom of classic stories—including Christian Scripture viewed as true story—this book offers hope to anyone searching for a better story to live by. Searching for the Self provides a groundbreaking synthesis of narrative psychology, cultural analysis, biblical studies, and English Literature 101—all written in an engaging style and interwoven with revealing personal anecdotes.

Download or read book Unseduced and Unshaken written by Rosalie De Rosset and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2012-08-01 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You can’t afford to live casually, haphazardly. No matter your age, you were born into a plethora of expectations of what it means to be a woman. How easily we assume impoverished views of womanhood as we hoist beauty and desirability above the more enduring traits of self-possession and dignity. We tend to live as divided and distracted selves, allowing our bodies and minds to drift to opposite poles while swapping our pursuit of God for tamer, lesser loves. This collection of essays is more than a call to modesty or chastity. It is a thoughtful provocation to speak well, read often, make choices that reflect the character of God, and even to establish a theology of play or leisure. Being intentional with your choices, cultivating your intellect, and taking seriously your voice determines not only what kind of person you are, but also what kind of woman you will be. “[Unseduced and Unshaken] raises the bar for young Christian women...It’s a call for all Christian women to examine their personal faith presuppositions, deliberately choose a life of Biblical ‘dignity,’ and to not be frightened to allow ‘theology to inform our choices.’” Just Between Us, Summer 2013 issue

Download or read book Window on the World written by Molly Wall and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2018-10-30 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you appreciate Operation World as an adult, your kids will love this invaluable and age-appropriate prayer resource that develops cultural, political, and geographical awareness. This revised edition includes new entries for more countries and people groups, with updated information and prayer points. Young people and adults alike can discover and pray for the peoples of the world.

Download or read book Lit written by Tony Reinke and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2011-09-09 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I love to read. I hate to read. I don't have time to read. I only read Christian books. I'm not good at reading. There's too much to read. Chances are, you've thought or said one of these exact phrases before because reading is important and in many ways unavoidable. Learn how to better read, what to read, when to read, and why you should read with this helpful guide from accomplished reader Tony Reinke. Offered here is a theology for reading and practical suggestions for reading widely, reading well, and for making it all worthwhile.

Download or read book A Textlinguistic Analysis of Selected Old Testament Texts in Matthew 1 4 written by Jeffery L. Capshaw and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2004 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While providing exciting research opportunities, the New Testament's use of the Old Testament continues to create interpretive difficulties. Although Matthew's use of the Old Testament generated much scholarly discussion throughout the historical-critical period, during the contemporary period specific interest in Matthew's Old Testament usage seemed to decrease. Recently, however, many powerful analytical approaches have come to the fore in biblical studies, including various text-centered methods such as textlinguistics (also known as discourse analysis). This book applies one specific type of discourse grammar to several Old Testament citations in Matthew's Gospel. This analysis is presented both to initiate discussion and to show how this and similar methods might be utilized to contribute important perspectives on the New Testament's use of the Old Testament.

Download or read book Faith and Learning written by David S. Dockery and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2012 with total page 562 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two dozen Christian higher education professionals thoroughly explore the question of the faith's place on the university campus, whether in administrative matters, the broader academic world, or in student life.

Download or read book C S Lewis and the Art of Writing written by Corey Latta and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2016-11-02 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: C. S. Lewis and the Art of Writing is written for readers interested in C. S. Lewis, the writing life, and in becoming better writers. Lewis stands as one of the most prolific and influential writers in modern history. His life in letters offers writers invaluable encouragement and instruction in the writing craft. In Lewis, writers don't just learn how to write, they also learn something about how to live. This volume explores Lewis's life in, as well as his practice of, writing. From his avid reading life, to his adolescent dreams to be a great poet, through his creative failures, to his brilliant successes, to his constant encouragement of other writers, C. S. Lewis and the Art of Writing celebrates one of the twentieth-century's greatest authors.