Download or read book Kingdom Over Empire Following Jesus in the American Empire written by Chris Kaufman and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2020-03-02 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today the American evangelical church is in a crisis. Evangelical Christians make up only 25% of the population and that number is dropping all the time. Movements like the "Exvangelical" are becoming more popular in what used to be the dominant vein of Christianity. Those outside the Evangelical church see us as judgmental, hypocritical, and angry and not without good reason. Many Christians can quote John 3:16 from memory, but few are as familiar with the rest of Jesus' life and teachings. Amidst an ever-growing political divide in the country and the church, we need to again ask ourselves, what does it mean to follow the Jesus revealed in the Gospels in this Empire? Join Chris on this journey through the life of Jesus in the first century. Uncover with him the responsibilities of modern Christians in America. Sit in the tension of life in the Empire and the Kingdom and laugh at the terrible jokes along the way. What you learn may just surprise you.
Download or read book God and Empire written by John Dominic Crossan and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The bestselling author and prominent New Testament scholar draws parallels between 1st–century Roman Empire and 21st–century United States, showing how the radical messages of Jesus and Paul can lead us to peace today Using the tools of expert biblical scholarship and a keen eye for current events, bestselling author John Dominic Crossan deftly presents the tensions exhibited in the Bible between political power and God’s justice. Through the revolutionary messages of Jesus and Paul, Crossan reveals what the Bible has to say about land and economy, violence and retribution, justice and peace, and ultimately, redemption. He examines the meaning of “kingdom of God” prophesized by Jesus, and the equality recommended to Paul by his churches, contrasting these messages of peace against the misinterpreted apocalyptic vision from the book of Revelations, that has been co-opted by modern right-wing theologians and televangelists to justify the United State’s military actions in the Middle East.
Download or read book Christian America and the Kingdom of God written by Richard T. Hughes and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The idea of the United States as a Christian nation is a powerful, seductive, and potentially destructive theme in American life, culture, and politics. And yet, as Richard T. Hughes reveals in this powerful book, the biblical vision of the "kingdom of God" stands at odds with the values and actions of an American empire that sanctions war instead of peace, promotes dominance and oppression instead of reconciliation, and exalts wealth and power instead of justice for the poor and needy. With extensive analysis of both Christian scripture and American history from the founding of the republic to the present day, Christian America and the Kingdom of God illuminates the devastating irony of a "Christian America" that so often behaves in unchristian ways.
Download or read book Kingdom of Nauvoo The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier written by Benjamin E. Park and published by Liveright Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-25 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Best Book Award • Mormon History Association A brilliant young historian excavates the brief life of a lost Mormon city, uncovering a “grand, underappreciated saga in American history” (Wall Street Journal). In Kingdom of Nauvoo, Benjamin E. Park draws on newly available sources to re-create the founding and destruction of the Mormon city of Nauvoo. On the banks of the Mississippi in Illinois, the early Mormons built a religious utopia, establishing their own army and writing their own constitution. For those offenses and others—including the introduction of polygamy, which was bitterly opposed by Emma Smith, the iron-willed first wife of Joseph Smith—the surrounding population violently ejected the Mormons, sending them on their flight to Utah. Throughout his absorbing chronicle, Park shows how the Mormons of Nauvoo were representative of their era, and in doing so elevates Mormon history into the American mainstream.
Download or read book A Faith of Our Own written by Jonathan Merritt and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2012-05-08 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every day, major headlines tell the story of how Christianity is attempting to influence American culture and politics. But statistics show that young Americans are disenchanted with a faith that has become culturally antagonistic and too closely aligned with partisan politics. In this personal yet practical work, Jonathan Merritt uncovers the changing face of American Christianity by uniquely examining the coming of age of a new generation of Christians. Jonathan Merritt illuminates the spiritual ethos of this new generation of believers who engage the world with Christ-centered faith but an un-polarized political perspective. Through personal stories and biblically rooted commentary this scion of a leading evangelical family takes a close, thoughtful look at the changing religious and political environment, addressing such divisive issues as abortion, gay marriage, environmental use and care, race, war, poverty, and the imbalance of world wealth. Through Scripture, the examples of Jesus, and personal defining faith experiences, he distills the essential truths at the core of a Christian faith that is now just coming of age.
Download or read book The Jesus Tribe written by Ronnie McBrayer and published by Smyth & Helwys Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Jesus and Empire written by Richard A. Horsley and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major advance in Jesus studies and a critique of oppression. Horsley focuses his attention on how Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God relates to Roman and Herodian power politics.
Download or read book Jesus for President written by Shane Claiborne and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-08-30 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jesus for President is a radical manifesto to awaken the Christian political imagination, reminding us that our ultimate hope lies not in partisan political options but in Jesus and the incarnation of the peculiar politic of the church as a people 'set apart' from this world. In what can be termed lyrical theology, Jesus for President poetically weaves together words and images to sing (rather than dictate) its message. It is a collaboration of Shane Claiborne's writing and stories, Chris Haw's reflections and research, and Chico Fajardo-Heflin's art and design. Drawing upon the work of biblical theologians, the lessons of church history, and the examples of modern-day saints and ordinary radicals, Jesus for President stirs the imagination of what the Church could look like if it placed its faith in Jesus instead of Caesar. A fresh look at Christianity and empire, Jesus for President transcends questions of 'Should I vote or not?' and 'Which candidate?' by thinking creatively about the fundamental issues of faith and allegiance. It's written for those who seek to follow Jesus, rediscover the spirit of the early church, and incarnate the kingdom of God.
Download or read book The Incredible Shrinking Gospel written by Lee A Wyatt and published by Energion Publications. This book was released on 2015-09-22 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The church is working with a shrunken Gospel, robbed of its power, limited in its scope, and unable to catch the interest of those it needs to reach. Who is responsible? More importantly, how can we reclaim the full content and the powerful nature of the Gospel itself? In this book, retired pastor Lee Wyatt looks at the crisis in the church, one he believes is caused by our loss of this full Gospel message. To rebuild our understanding he then revisits Jesus, helping us to become acquainted with Him and the meaning of his mission. Then, and only then, with this rebuilt picture of Jesus, does he revisit evangelism, and tell us how we can turn our efforts to reach around the world. Only when we have "unshrunk" our gospel can we successfully evangelize. This book will be helpful for individual study, especially for church leaders, but will come into its own when used in a church-wide study.
Download or read book Third Way Allegiance written by Tripp York and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Both the United States and the church demand total allegiance. As York addresses various topics, he shows how easy it is to confuse our allegiance to the church with our allegiance to the state. Ultimately York wishes to be provocative in attempting to rouse Christians out of their tendency to make an idol of the sacred rituals that constitute their nation.
Download or read book A Pentecostal Political Theology for American Renewal written by Steven M. Studebaker and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-10-26 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book argues that Christians have a stake in the sustainability and success of core cultural values of the West in general and America in particular. Steven M. Studebaker considers Western and American decline from a theological and, specifically, Pentecostal perspective. The volume proposes and develops a Pentecostal political theology that can be used to address and reframe Christian political identity in the United States. Studebaker asserts that American Christians are currently not properly engaged in preventing America’s decline or halting the shifts in its core values. The problem, he suggests, is that American Christianity not only gives little thought to the state of the nation beyond a handful of moral issues like abortion, but its popular political theologies lead Christians to think of themselves more as aliens than as citizens. This book posits that the proposed Pentecostal political theology would help American Christians view themselves as citizens and better recognize their stake in the renewal of their nation. The foundation of this proposed political theology is a pneumatological narrative of renewal—a biblical narrative of the Spirit that begins with creation, proceeds through Incarnation and Pentecost, and culminates in the new creation and everlasting kingdom of God. This narrative provides the foundation for a political theology that speaks to the issues of Christian political identity and encourages Christian political participation.
Download or read book Jesus Is Lord Caesar Is Not written by Scot McKnight and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2013-03-28 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings together respected biblical scholars to evaluate the turn toward "empire criticism" in recent New Testament scholarship. While praising the movement for its deconstruction of Roman statecraft and ideology, the contributors also provide a salient critique of the anti-imperialist rhetoric pervading much of the current literature.
Download or read book With Paul at Sea written by Linford Stutzman and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2012-04-18 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What Jesus began on and around the Sea of Galilee, Paul continued on and around the Mediterranean Sea. With Acts as the stage, the biblical narrative shifts from land to sea. Paul is the central actor in this part of the drama. Luke, the playwright, traveling with Paul on portions of his journeys, was deeply impressed by Paul's challenges and his creative engagement with both the pagans and the Jews living in the Roman Empire. In With Paul at Sea, Linford Stutzman, himself an accomplished sailor, relates key highlights of his personal experience of sailing Paul's voyages two thousand years later. Including examples of discoveries in the cities and harbors of Acts, combined with historical, archeological, and biblical evidence, Stutzman demonstrates the contribution and relevance of Paul for Christians in the twenty-first century. Portraying the modern world as a sea, the church as a ship, and a life of faith as sailing, With Paul at Sea is an invitation for today's Christians to travel with Paul.
Download or read book Daniel s Prophesy written by Tom Butler and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2008-05 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Daniel, a young Jewish man taken by the Babylonians as they overrun Jerusalem, is brought to Babylon to serve the great King Nebuchadnezzar. Once there, Daniel begins an incredible journey as he becomes ruler over the province of Babylon, receives visits from archangels, and ultimately, stands in the presence of God. This is all brought about because Daniel chooses to worship God, and because of this, God blesses Daniel with incredible wisdom and insight to interpret "visions and dreams of all kinds." On two occasions Daniel and his friends are faced with the command to worship false gods or be killed. But, in some of the most miraculous events of the entire Bible, God intervenes and keeps them from sure death. Because of the blessing from God, Daniel is able to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream about the future of four powerful kingdoms from the time of King Nebuchadnezzar right up until the time of Jesus Christ's return when God's everlasting kingdom will finally be ushered in. God reveals three powerful kingdoms that will succeed Babylon and carry on their traditions of religion and worship. As you read this book you'll be surprised to learn what kingdom we're now in, how the Babylonian religious system is all around us, and what God says is in store in the future for the nations. Just as in the time of Daniel, those who make the choice to worship the true God today will be blessed with understanding during this turbulent time at the end of the age.
Download or read book Strangers and Pilgrims Once More written by Addison Hodges Hart and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2014-04-18 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book Addison Hodges Hart articulates some crucial questions for contemporary Christians: What sort of church must we become in today's post-Christendom world, where we can no longer count on society to support Christian ideals? What can we salvage from our Christendom past that is of real value, and what can we properly leave behind? How do we become "strangers and pilgrims" once more, after being "at home" in Christendom for so long? Summoning readers to wise and faithful discipleship in our post-Christendom age, Hart suggests both how Christ's disciples can say "yes" to much that was preserved during the age of Christendom and why they should say "no" to some of the cherished accretions of that passing epoch.
Download or read book Speaking Christian written by Marcus J. Borg and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-04-12 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Speaking Christian, acclaimed Bible scholar Marcus Borg, author of Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, argues that the very language Christians use has become dangerously distilled, distorted, and disconnected from the beliefs which once underpinned it. Stating a case that will resonate with readers of N. T. Wright’s Simply Christian, Borg calls for a radical change to the language we use to invoke our beliefs—the only remedy that will allow the Church's words to once again ring with truth, power, and hope.
Download or read book The Kingdom of God Has No Borders written by Melani McAlister and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-07-02 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Award of Merit, 2019 Christianity Today Book Awards (History/Biography) More than forty years ago, conservative Christianity emerged as a major force in American political life. Since then the movement has been analyzed and over-analyzed, declared triumphant and, more than once, given up for dead. But because outside observers have maintained a near-relentless focus on domestic politics, the most transformative development over the last several decades--the explosive growth of Christianity in the global south--has gone unrecognized by the wider public, even as it has transformed evangelical life, both in the US and abroad. The Kingdom of God Has No Borders offers a daring new perspective on conservative Christianity by shifting the lens to focus on the world outside US borders. Melani McAlister offers a sweeping narrative of the last fifty years of evangelical history, weaving a fascinating tale that upends much of what we know--or think we know--about American evangelicals. She takes us to the Congo in the 1960s, where Christians were enmeshed in a complicated interplay of missionary zeal, Cold War politics, racial hierarchy, and anti-colonial struggle. She shows us how evangelical efforts to convert non-Christians have placed them in direct conflict with Islam at flash points across the globe. And she examines how Christian leaders have fought to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS in Africa while at the same time supporting harsh repression of LGBTQ communities. Through these and other stories, McAlister focuses on the many ways in which looking at evangelicals abroad complicates conventional ideas about evangelicalism. We can't truly understand how conservative Christians see themselves and their place in the world unless we look beyond our shores.
