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Author: Kenda Creasy Dean Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 0199758662 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 266
Book Description
Based on the National Study of Youth and Religion--the same invaluable data as its predecessor, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers--Kenda Creasy Dean's compelling new book, Almost Christian, investigates why American teenagers are at once so positive about Christianity and at the same time so apathetic about genuine religious practice. In Soul Searching, Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton found that American teenagers have embraced a "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism"--a hodgepodge of banal, self-serving, feel-good beliefs that bears little resemblance to traditional Christianity. But far from faulting teens, Dean places the blame for this theological watering down squarely on the churches themselves. Instead of proclaiming a God who calls believers to lives of love, service and sacrifice, churches offer instead a bargain religion, easy to use, easy to forget, offering little and demanding less. But what is to be done? In order to produce ardent young Christians, Dean argues, churches must rediscover their sense of mission and model an understanding of being Christian as not something you do for yourself, but something that calls you to share God's love, in word and deed, with others. Dean found that the most committed young Christians shared four important traits: they could tell a personal and powerful story about God; they belonged to a significant faith community; they exhibited a sense of vocation; and they possessed a profound sense of hope. Based on these findings, Dean proposes an approach to Christian education that places the idea of mission at its core and offers a wealth of concrete suggestions for inspiring teens to live more authentically engaged Christian lives. Persuasively and accessibly written, Almost Christian is a wake up call no one concerned about the future of Christianity in America can afford to ignore.
Author: Kenda Creasy Dean Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 0199758662 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 266
Book Description
Based on the National Study of Youth and Religion--the same invaluable data as its predecessor, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers--Kenda Creasy Dean's compelling new book, Almost Christian, investigates why American teenagers are at once so positive about Christianity and at the same time so apathetic about genuine religious practice. In Soul Searching, Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton found that American teenagers have embraced a "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism"--a hodgepodge of banal, self-serving, feel-good beliefs that bears little resemblance to traditional Christianity. But far from faulting teens, Dean places the blame for this theological watering down squarely on the churches themselves. Instead of proclaiming a God who calls believers to lives of love, service and sacrifice, churches offer instead a bargain religion, easy to use, easy to forget, offering little and demanding less. But what is to be done? In order to produce ardent young Christians, Dean argues, churches must rediscover their sense of mission and model an understanding of being Christian as not something you do for yourself, but something that calls you to share God's love, in word and deed, with others. Dean found that the most committed young Christians shared four important traits: they could tell a personal and powerful story about God; they belonged to a significant faith community; they exhibited a sense of vocation; and they possessed a profound sense of hope. Based on these findings, Dean proposes an approach to Christian education that places the idea of mission at its core and offers a wealth of concrete suggestions for inspiring teens to live more authentically engaged Christian lives. Persuasively and accessibly written, Almost Christian is a wake up call no one concerned about the future of Christianity in America can afford to ignore.
Author: C. Michael Patton Publisher: Crossway ISBN: 1433538075 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 178
Book Description
How do we help our friends who have just become Christians or are young in the faith? In this concise and accessible book, Mike Patton unpacks the basics of the Christian faith, helping new believers think rightly about God and live fully for God as they begin their new life in Christ. In ten easy-to-read chapters, Patton introduces readers to the foundational teachings and life-giving practices of Christianity—from the doctrine of the Trinity to reading and understanding the Bible. Designed for individual use or small group discussion, this handbook on the Christian faith has the potential to become the go-to guide for new believers wanting to follow Jesus with their heads and their hands.
Author: Anthony Selvaggio Publisher: EP BOOKS ISBN: 9780852346877 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 175
Book Description
In many ways, James is the forgotten epistle of the New Testament. Throughout church history the Epistle of James has encountered struggle, opposition and just plain neglect. In the period of the early church, it struggled to receive full acceptance in the canon of Scripture. At the time of the Reformation, it faced fierce opposition, particularly from the great Reformer Martin Luther. Luther dismissed the epistle outright, referring to it as an epistle of straw. Luther also charged that James mangles the Scriptures and thereby opposes Paul and all Scripture. In our modern age, James has suffered from both lay and scholarly neglect. When it comes to the New Testament epistles, the writings of Paul, Peter and John garner most of the attention. James and his epistle have been largely ignored and neglected throughout history. This is unfortunate, because it has much to say to us particularly regarding the crucial subject of the Christian life. Perhaps no other letter in the New Testament so comprehensively addresses the Christian life as does the Epistle of James. It is the purpose of this book to explore the Christian life through the panoramic lens of this grand epistle.
Author: J. Frank Norris Publisher: Solid Christian Books ISBN: 1533171734 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 285
Book Description
This is the climax of God’s revelation of His will to a lost world, and given through the greatest mind of all times. What a blessing it has been to my soul, these studies, made on our tour clear around the world. I studied it night and day. It was my meditation on land and sea. Whether in the snow-capped majestic Alps or in the desert sands of Arabia, whether in the storms of the Atlantic, or in the quiet calm of the “Pacific, my soul fairly rejoiced in this the greatest, the highest mountain peak of divine revelation. Often I would bow my head in humiliation, confess my sins, that I would ever complain or hesitate one second’s time to proclaim the gospel of the Son of God. I could wish I could roll back the hands of time and begin once more the simple ministry of an earnest country preacher.
Author: Patrick Morley Publisher: Zondervan ISBN: 0310356091 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 254
Book Description
In The Christian Man, Patrick Morley--bestselling author of The Man in the Mirror--offers men practical ways to deal with life's problems and become the men of God they aspire to be. No man fails on purpose. Quite the opposite. When our feet hit the floor every morning, we're looking for a win. But these are turbulent times to be a man. In gathering material for this book, Morley interviewed many men. Their input was powerful. And transparent. They agreed that it's increasingly difficult to juggle all their responsibilities as men, husbands, fathers, friends, workers, churchmen, and citizens. No one understands what you're going through more than men's expert Patrick Morley, author of the landmark bestseller The Man in the Mirror, which has sold over 4 million copies. And now, Morley has put together a game plan so you can get that win you're looking for. The Christian Man is filled with powerful stories and refreshingly practical answers to questions like: How can I lead a more balanced life? How can I have a deeper walk with God? What makes a great husband? How can I become a dad who makes a difference? How should I think about my work? What's the right way to deal with lust? By the end of this must-read book, you will know how to intentionally release the power of God on the issues that matter most to you. You'll be able to walk with confidence in the one identity that matters most: The Christian Man.
Author: J. Warner Wallace Publisher: David C Cook ISBN: 1434705463 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 224
Book Description
Written by an L. A. County homicide detective and former atheist, Cold-Case Christianity examines the claims of the New Testament using the skills and strategies of a hard-to-convince criminal investigator. Christianity could be defined as a “cold case”: it makes a claim about an event from the distant past for which there is little forensic evidence. In Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace uses his nationally recognized skills as a homicide detective to look at the evidence and eyewitnesses behind Christian beliefs. Including gripping stories from his career and the visual techniques he developed in the courtroom, Wallace uses illustration to examine the powerful evidence that validates the claims of Christianity. A unique apologetic that speaks to readers’ intense interest in detective stories, Cold-Case Christianity inspires readers to have confidence in Christ as it prepares them to articulate the case for Christianity.
Author: J. C. Ryle Publisher: Destiny Image Publishers ISBN: 0768461863 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 529
Book Description
Practical Religion, by J. C. Ryle (1816-1900), was first published in 1878 and is renowned as a theological and apologetic Christian classicesteemed for its clear, profound and penetrating narrative on the practice of genuine Christian living. Within its pages, Ryle masterfully unfolds practical biblical truths in a series of treatises, or papers as he calls them, each written to address a critical aspect of where personal faith in Christ and the practice of that faith in holy living unite and are essential for Christian growth and effectiveness as a witness for Christ in the world. Ryle exposes hypocrisy and nominalism in religion, or Churchianity as he calls it, which was as systemic in his day as it is today. His poignant narrative appeals to the Church as well as to individuals who profess to be Christiansa call to self-examination in all things, and a return to sound Biblical truths seriously and practically applied in every aspect of Christian life. Some of the subjects addressed include: Self-Inquiry, Reality, Prayer, Bible Reading, Zeal, Formality, The World, Sickness, Riches and Poverty, Eternity, among others. Ryles unique style penetrates the heart and challenges the mind of its readers and is not for the faint of heartbut is designed for those who genuinely and humbly seek a deeper abiding, surrendered life in Christ. No wonder his equally renowned contemporary English minister, Charles Spurgeon, called him an evangelical champion. One of the bravest and best of men. J. C. (John Charles) Ryle was the first Bishop of Liverpool, and one of the most influential evangelical ministers and writers of the nineteenth century. Ryle quotes from Practical Religion: Real religion is not mere show, and pretense, and skin-deep feeling, and temporary profession, and outside work. It is something inward, solid, substantial, intrinsic, living, lasting. A lack of reality is a striking feature of a vast amount of religion in the present day. The subject is of deep importance in every age. There has never been a time, since the Church of Christ was founded, when there has not been a vast amount of unreality and mere nominal religion among professing Christians. I am sure it is the case in the present day It is not the Christianity of Peter, and James, and John, and Paul. It is Churchianityand nothing more!
Author: Kenda Creasy Dean
Author: Kenda Creasy Dean
Author: C. Michael Patton
Author: Anthony Selvaggio
Author: J. Frank Norris
Author: Patrick Morley
Author: J. Warner Wallace
Author: J. C. Ryle
Author: John Wesley
Author: John Charles Ryle
Author: CHRISTIAN DISCRETION.