A Contemporary Theology of Grace

A Contemporary Theology of Grace PDF

Author: Charles R. Meyer

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2002-05-30

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1725202085

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For many Christians traditional theology is a rather dull, if not a dead subject. This neither proves that modern people have lost their awareness of God nor their interest in theology; it merely indicates that theologians, by and large, have been speaking in their own tongue to fellow theologians and both what and how they have been saying it seem rather irrelevant to the educated Christian. This is particularly true of the doctrine of grace, especially when presented in the garb of scholasticism which overemphasizes the rational at the expense of the empirical. This book is a new beginning; it is an invitation to explore and develop new perspectives and to make a focal doctrine more vital and more intelligible to our times. In explaining grace - "God's loving presence and [human] transformation in it" - the author displays a profound understanding of the religious moods, culture and needs of our time, as well as an expert knowledge of scriptural, patristic, theological and modern ideas on the subject. Here is a relevant, seminal and eminently readable study for all those interested in a vibrant theology for today and tomorrow.

The Transforming Power of Grace

The Transforming Power of Grace PDF

Author: Thomas C. Oden

Publisher:

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 9780687422609

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How does an infinite God relate to finite human beings? How does the death of Jesus Christ bring about human salvation? How are Christians able to actively address the world's ills while maintaining their citizenship in the kingdom of God? These are questions the church grapples with today, as it always has. Yet, according to Thomas C. Oden, contemporary theology has neglected the church's traditional answer to these questions: the doctrine of grace. All too often modern theologians either ignore the doctrine of grace or relate it to the achievement of a particular political agenda. Oden asserts that only by reclaiming the centrality of grace--defined as God's self-giving through Jesus Christ in personal encounter with the individual human will--can Christian theology be true to the gospel. In order to reclaim the doctrine of grace, the author reaches back, beyond the fragmentation of theology that took place during and after the Enlightenment. He draws upon the ecumenical consensus held by early Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theologians, councils, and creeds regarding this cardinal Christian doctrine. By adducing this ancient unity, Oden challenges modern assumptions concerning the sources and methods of the theological enterprise and calls contemporary Christians to discern what their forebears in the faith knew to be essential to the gospel: that to be a Christian is to be formed, nurtured, and upheld solely by divine grace.

Jesus and Salvation

Jesus and Salvation PDF

Author: Robin Ryan

Publisher: Liturgical Press

Published: 2015-04-08

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0814682782

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How does the Christian proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ relate to the lives of the people who suffer most? Does salvation consist entirely of the hope for eternal life with God? How might the church effectively preach the message of salvation in Christ today? In Jesus and Salvation, Robin Ryan adopts a historical approach to these questions, discussing key themes and classic authors in the developing tradition about Christ the Savior. He examines modern soteriology by engaging the thought of Karl Rahner, Edward Schillebeeckx, Gustavo Gutiérrez, and Elizabeth Johnson. He also discusses contemporary conceptions of salvation within an evolutionary view of the cosmos as well as issues related to the Christian confession of Jesus as universal savior in a religiously pluralistic world. Ryan concludes by offering his own reflections on the meaning of salvation from God in Jesus Christ. By understanding salvation in Christ as both gift and call, Ryan invites readers to recognize in the saving grace of God a responsibility for the well-being of the human family and the rest of creation.

The Gracing of Human Experience

The Gracing of Human Experience PDF

Author: Donald L. Gelpi SJ

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2008-04-01

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 1725220431

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This study ponders different ways Christian thinkers understood humanity in its relationship to divine grace. It names fallacies that have in the past skewed theological understanding of that relationship. It argues that the philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce avoided those same fallacies and provides a novel frame of reference for rethinking the theology of grace. The author shows how the insights of other American philosophers flesh out undeveloped aspects of Peirce's thought. He formulates a metaphysics of experience derived from his philosophical analysis. Finally, he develops an understanding of supernatural grace as the transmutation and transvaluation of human experience.

Eclipse of Grace

Eclipse of Grace PDF

Author: Nicholas Adams

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2013-02-19

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13: 1118465873

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Eclipse of Grace offers original insights into the roots of modern theology by introducing systematic theologians and Christian ethicists to Hegel through a focus on three of his seminal texts: Phenomenology of Spirit, Science of Logic, and Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion. Presents brilliant and original insights into Hegel’s significance for modern theology Argues that, theologically, Hegel has been misconstrued and that much more can be gained by focusing on the logic that he develops out of an engagement with Christian doctrines Features an original structure organized as a set of commentaries on individual Hegel texts, and not just presenting overviews of his entire corpus Offers detailed engagement with Hegel’s texts rather than relying on generalizations about Hegelian philosophy Provides an illuminating, accessible and lucid account of the thinking of the major figures in modern German philosophy and theology

Grace, Governance and Globalization

Grace, Governance and Globalization PDF

Author: Martin G. Poulsom

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-04-06

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0567667669

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What role does, could or should theology play in current discussions about our political realities? Is there a place for theological worldviews in the public conversation about policy making? Should theology critically unmask the underlying theological and metaphysical sources of contemporary politics? The contributors to this volume reflect on new questions in public and political theology, inspired by the theology of Edward Schillebeeckx. They discuss a variety of theological traditions and theories that could offer substantial contributions to current political challenges, and debate whether theology should contribute to the liberation of communities of poor and suffering people.

Learning from All the Faithful

Learning from All the Faithful PDF

Author: Bradford E. Hinze

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2016-10-31

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 1498280226

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Do various members of the church--regardless of their generation, gender, race, sexual orientation, country of origin, and whatever their doubts are about official church teachings and policies--have any role in determining, safeguarding, and assessing the authentic teaching and praxis of the faith of the church? This has always been a haunting question in the life of the Christian church, though only recently acknowledged, because of the long-standing role of male clergy of European descent with a Eurocentric outlook who held hierarchical offices and determined official doctrines and moral and disciplinary codes. There have been controversies that bear on these matters over the course of the church's history. But it has only been over the last fifty years that the question has received increasing attention among Roman Catholics in terms of the baptismal anointing of the Spirit that bestows the gift of the sense of the faith on individuals and the collective sense of the faithful. This gift provides discerning skills to recognize, receive, and imaginatively and practically apply the living faith in history and society. This book explores these issues from historical, sociological, systematic and theological ethical perspectives, infused by the contributions of world Christianities.

The Gracing of Human Experience

The Gracing of Human Experience PDF

Author: Donald L. Gelpi

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2008-04-01

Total Pages: 381

ISBN-13: 1556355939

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This study ponders different ways Christian thinkers understood humanity in its relationship to divine grace. It names fallacies that have in the past skewed theological understanding of that relationship. It argues that the philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce avoided those same fallacies and provides a novel frame of reference for rethinking the theology of grace. The author shows how the insights of other American philosophers flesh out undeveloped aspects of PeirceÕs thought. He formulates a metaphysics of experience derived from his philosophical analysis. Finally, he develops an understanding of supernatural grace as the transmutation and transvaluation of human experience.

Paul and the Power of Grace

Paul and the Power of Grace PDF

Author: John M. G. Barclay

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2020-11-10

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 1467459224

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Paul and the Gift transformed the landscape of Pauline studies upon its publication in 2015. In it, John Barclay led readers through a recontextualized analysis of grace and interrogated Paul’s original meaning in declaring it a “free gift” from God, revealing grace as a multifaceted concept that is socially radical and unconditioned—even if not unconditional. Paul and the Power of Grace offers all of the most significant contributions from Paul and the Gift in a package several hundred pages shorter and more accessible. Additionally, Barclay adds further analysis of the theme of gift and grace in Paul’s other letters—besides just Romans and Galatians—and explores contemporary implications for this new view of grace.

The Gift of Grace

The Gift of Grace PDF

Author: Niels Henrik Gregersen

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published:

Total Pages: 388

ISBN-13: 9781451418804

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This landmark volume, the first of two, assesses the prospects and promise of Lutheran theology at the opening of a new millennium. From four continents, the thirty noted and respected contributors not only gauge how such classic themes as grace, the cross, and justification wear today but also look to key issues of ecumenism, social justice, global religious life, and the impact of contemporary science on Christian belief.