Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the...

Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith
By Richard Foster
ISBN 0-0606-6743-5

Description: In this landmark work, Foster examines these "streams of living water" - the six dimensions of faith and practice that define Christian tradition.

He lifts up the enduring character of each tradition in the midst of constantly evolving faith and shows how a variety of practices, from individual study and retreat to disciplines of service and community, are essential elements of growth and maturity. Each of these great historical movements emphasizes a different aspect of life and faith. The six streams Foster presents are: the Contemplative, or prayer-filled life; the life of Holiness, or the virtuous life; the Charismatic, or Spirit-empowered life; the life of Social Justice, or the compassionate life; the Evangelical, or Word-centered life; and finally, the Incarnational, or sacramental life. Foster examines the unique contributions of these traditions, and offers as examples the inspiring stories of faithful people whose lives defined each of these "streams."

Reviews: Submit a review for Streams of Living Water

 

Understanding Jesus

By Alister E. McGrath
ISBN 0-3102-9811-3

Description: Understanding Jesus: Who Jesus Christ Is and Why He Matters shows that theology does not have to be either boring or irrelevant. Dr. McGrath does not need theological jargon. He presents his argument with clarity and simplicity.

Yet he always assumes that the reader has a good measure of critical intelligence, and readers will find themselves taken along on a surprisingly personal exploration of the very heart of their faith - the person and work of Jesus.

This is a basic and eminently readable introduction to Christology and soteriology for the student, pastor, teacher, and serious layperson.

Reviews: Submit a review for Understanding Jesus

 

The Next Reformation
Why Evangelicals Must Embrace Postmodernity

By Carl Raschke
ISBN: 0801027519

Baker Academic, 2004

Description: A wonderfully surprising treatment of postmodern philosophy in relation to evangelical theology.

Reviews: Submit a review for The Next Reformation

 

Renewing the Center

By Stanley Grenz
ISBN: 0801031818

Bridgepoint Books, 2000

Description: From Library Journal
A leading voice among American theologians, Grenz (theology and ethics, Carey/Regent Coll., British Columbia) builds upon and advances the discussion begun in his Revisioning Evangelical Theology. The first four chapters explain the "three concentric circles of evangelical theological history": the Reformation, the Evangelical revival of the 18th century, and modern conservative evangelicalism. The second half of the book is devoted to the author's call for a critical appropriation of postmodern insights for evangelical theological tasks. Grenz rejects the present "two-party system" of an orthodox commitment to an "external definable, and transcendent authority" and the "progressive" commitment to "resymbolize historic faiths according to the prevailing assumptions of contemporary life." He calls for a "generous orthodoxy, read through the lenses of conservative piety" that is left without too detailed a definition but is doctrinal in orientation and focuses on the gospel of salvation by faith. Perhaps in his future studies Grenz will spell out more of what this means in terms of specific doctrines and actionable policies. Recommended for public and academic librariesDEugene O. Bowser, Univ. of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Reviews: Submit a review for Renewing The Center

 

A Generous Orthodoxy

By Brian McLaren
ISBN: 0310257476

Zondervan, 2006

Description: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN

 

"You are about to begin an absurd and ridiculous book..."

Reviews: Submit a review for A Generous Orthodoxy

 

A Wideness in God’s Mercy

By Clark H. Pinnock
ISBN: 0310535913

Zondervan, 1992

Description: One of the very few books to present a strong proposal on the issue of religious pluralism while maintaining a rock-solid evangelical stance, Wideness in God's Mercy will no doubt launch a decade of discussion on a higher level among many Christians. This is a Lightning Source, Inc. print-on-demand title and can be ordered only from Spring Arbor Distributors by calling 800-395-5599. International Customers please call 615-793-5000 ext. 24882 or fax at 615-213-5720.

Reviews: Submit a review for A Wideness In God's Mercy

 

Reading the Bible Again for the First Time

By Marcus Borg
ISBN: 0060609192

Harper Collins 2001

Description: Amazon.com
Reading the Bible Again for the First Time is Marcus Borg's follow-up to Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time. Like his earlier book, this one is written for lay people whose faith has been frustrated by their misapprehension that fundamentalism's claim to be the one true faith is valid. Borg, a professor of religion at Oregon State University, describes an alternative to fundamentalists' so-called "literal" readings of scripture. (He believes that such "literal-factual" readings do not live up to that description, and that the limitations of such readings have alienated many people who would otherwise remain part of the church.) Borg calls his alternative "historical-metaphorical" reading, a way of "taking the Bible seriously without taking it literally." Reading the Bible begins with a history of recent conflicts regarding biblical interpretation. Borg navigates the minefields of his subject with sensitivity and precision, explaining, for example, the important distinction between evangelical and fundamentalist readings of the Bible. He then offers historical-metaphorical readings of some key texts from both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Throughout, Borg writes with calm assurance and respect for those who would disagree with him. Reading the Bible is a credible guide to the project it names. It is a faithful exercise of reason, undertaken to help Christians hear more clearly the many voices recorded in the Bible. --Michael Joseph Gross

Reviews: Submit a review for Reading the Bible Again for the First Time

 

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time

By Marcus Borg
ISBN: 0060609176

Harper San Francisco 1995

Description: Amazon.com
All Christianity is, to some extent, idolatrous. Christian worship is a response to a worshiper's image of Jesus, and all images of Jesus fall short of his reality--in the same way that all biographies and portraits fail to depict a whole person. In Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, New Testament scholar Marcus Borg attempts to understand how popular images of Jesus connect Christians to their savior and isolate them from him. Borg writes about his own evolving ideas of who Jesus was, considers the scholarly and popular religious evolution of Jesus' public image, and investigates with special care the effects of Historical Jesus research on contemporary images of Jesus. Meeting Jesus Again is written in an affable, gracious, and unflinchingly honest voice. Borg's description of his own faith particularly exemplifies these qualities, and gives the reader a simultaneously safe and unsettling new perspective on the peasant from Galilee: "[T]he central issue of the Christian life is not believing in God or believing in the Bible," he writes. "Rather, the Christian life is about entering into a relationship with that to which the Christian tradition points, which may be spoken of as God, the risen, living Christ, or the Spirit. And a Christian is one who lives out his or her relationship to God within the framework of the Christian tradition." --Michael Joseph Gross

Reviews: Submit a review for Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time

 

The Remaking of Evangelical Theology

By Gary J. Dorrien
ISBN: 0664258034

Westminster John Knox Press, 1998

Description: Insightful historical and theological overview, September 24, 2002

Reviewer: www.DavidLRattigan.com (United Kingdom)

I could not recommend a more accessible, readable, and insightful survey of 20th century (American) evangelicalism. Dorrien takes the reader through the early days of fundamentalism, and traces evangelicalism from the days of Princeton seminary, through the foundation of Fuller Seminary (perhaps one of the most seminal events in evangelicalism's recent history), the disputes over inerrancy in the '60s, '70s, and '80s, and the emerging progressive elements of evangelicalism. He covers in detail the major evangelical thinkers, ranging from Warfield and Machen in the early fundamentalist era, to Henry and Ramm in the era of 'new evangelicalism,' through to Pinnock and Bloesch in more recent times.

Writing as (I think) a theological liberal, Dorrien gives a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of evangelicalism's development. He is honest about the strengths and weaknesses of the movement, with no particular axe of his own to grind. The Remaking of Evangelical Theology represents a far more even-handed approach than some anti-fundamentalist polemics to be written in recent years, such as that written some twenty years ago by Professor James Barr. In an interview five or six years ago, Barr insisted that evangelicalism has still not progressed since he wrote his earlier critique. Barr paints a picture of evangelicalism as a monolithic movement still clinging to the indefensible inerrancy doctrine of the sort propogated by Harold Lindsell. Dorrien's more nuanced and honest look at the historical development of recent evangelical thought, however, reveals a multi-layered movement in the midst of progression.

Reviews: Submit a review for The Remaking of Evangelical Theology

 

Does God Exist?

By Hans Kung
ISBN: 0879758236

Doubleday 1980

Description: "The idea of God is either a fact, like sand, or a fantasy, like Santa..."

Reviews: Submit a review for Does God Exist?

 

The God We Never Knew

By Marcus J. Borg
ISBN: 0060610352

Harper San Francisco 1998

Description: From Library Journal
Under three headings?thinking about God, imaging God, and living with God?Borg (religion and culture, Oregon State Univ.; Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, LJ 1/94) examines what belief entails today. Borg holds that traditional Christianity emphasizes God's transcendence too much; he makes a case for pantheism, that is, God as spirit present in the world. Borg argues that how we think about God matters, and that the Christian tradition makes sense if understood at a deeper level. He seems not to believe in the divinity of Jesus, nor even necessarily in a transcendent God, but comes across as an honest seeker after meaning. While not all readers will agree with him, Borg offers a compelling reflection on what it means to believe today, and his discussion of the politics of compassion and of images of salvation are noteworthy. For both general readers and scholars.?Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, N.J.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Reviews: Submit a review for The God We Never Knew?