An Inquirer's Guide to Christian Believing

An Inquirer's Guide to Christian Believing PDF

Author: Gunnar Urang

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2005-01-17

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 1597520586

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Living by a biblical faith requires of us a yes, a yes to the God continuously present to us within the life opportunities continuously offered us. Questions of 'belief', in contrast, require a yes 'and' no. Genuine faith, declares Brother David Steindl-Rast, holds its beliefs firmly, yes, but ever so lightly. And the I 'don't' mean maybe!? This has to do with the intensity in our questioning. Our ultimate concern, after all, is living a relationship in which we know ourselves not just as those who ask questions but as those who 'are' the question, and seek to know God not just as the one who gives answers but the one who 'is' the answer. This book consists . . . of a series of questions about basic Christian beliefs, the answers to which have been, and continue to be, controversial. Each chapter will try to make clear why the answer to its particular question has to be a yes 'and' no and how the response can also include, nevertheless, an emphatic And I 'don't' mean maybe! For those with some knowledge of Christianity but finding themselves confused about certain beliefs they have been led to identify as Christian, this book can provide a greater clarity in their understanding of this familiar yet strange religion--thus addressing, perhaps, what pollster George Gallup, Jr., identifies as the knowledge gap in the religious experience of Americans: the often vast difference between Americans' stated faith and their lack of the most basic knowledge about that faith. Non-Christians may find here a useful survey of Christian belief presented in nontechnical style and noncoercive rhetoric.

Christianity Considered

Christianity Considered PDF

Author: John M. Frame

Publisher: Lexham Press

Published: 2018-05-16

Total Pages: 111

ISBN-13: 1683590872

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Christianity is more than a religion: it is also a complex intellectual tradition. Christians and non-Christians who want to understand the world as it is today have to understand Christianity, too. Christianity makes objective claims, but also presents a new way of thinking about the world. In A Guide to Christianity for Skeptics and Seekers, renowned theologian Dr. John Frame introduces the reader to the Christian religion and its unique intellectual framework, describing the key pillars of Christian thought and how these shape the Christian worldview. Covering a range of topics, from the resurrection to the Christian posture toward politics, A Guide to Christianity for Skeptics and Seekers is a valuable guide to understanding the Christian faith as an intellectual tradition. Useful for both the Christian reader looking for a better understanding of the faith and the skeptical reader who seeks to understand the intellectual tradition that has done much to shape the modern world.

Know the Faith

Know the Faith PDF

Author: Michael Shanbour

Publisher:

Published: 2016-10-10

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 9781944967017

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Over the centuries since the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Churches, the two groups have diverged to the point that they often no longer understand each other's vocabulary, let alone the fundamental concepts on which each faith is built. Know the Faith is an attempt to present Orthodox Christianity in a way Western Christians can understand, grounding each point in Scripture and patristic theology, with comparisons to what Catholics and Protestants believe.Whether you are an Orthodox Christian seeking to explain your faith to others or an inquirer into this ancient faith, Know the Faith will help you understand and communicate the Orthodox faith as never before.

A Seeker's Guide to Christian Faith

A Seeker's Guide to Christian Faith PDF

Author: Ben Campbell Johnson

Publisher:

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 100

ISBN-13: 9780835809078

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This Christian primer is for those who are asking the question How can I experience God? A Seeker's Guide to Christian Faith serves as a simple introduction to the most basic understandings of the Christian faith and will help new believers (and long-time believers too) begin the journey toward knowing God. Ben Campbell Johnson has written 31 brief, easy-to-read articles or guidances to help seekers begin to deepen their faith. He gently leads the reader through the daily tenets of Christian living including prayer, scripture reading, meditation, outreach, and listening to God and helps them understand the importance of living faithfully. In ordinary language, free from church jargon, the guidances are organized in six overarching themes, essential to the Christian faith: Getting Your Bearings, Naming Your Hunger, Learning a New Language, Discovering the Book, Expressing the Faith, and Reaching Farther. This little book will encourage people who are mostly new to the faith to make sense of inner longings and to recognize that God has always been present in their lives.

The Pilgrim Way

The Pilgrim Way PDF

Author: Stephen Cottrell

Publisher: Canterbury Press

Published: 2017-12-01

Total Pages: 26

ISBN-13: 1781400644

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This short booklet provides a contemporary summary of the essentials of the Christian faith for enquirers, new Christians and baptism and confirmation candidates. Written by the authors of the popular Pilgrim course, it follows the pattern of one of the most ancient teaching traditions of the Church: catechism. Originally a form of baptism preparation in the early Church, it explores Christian belief through a series of questions and answers – the way that Christians across the centuries have learned and taken to heart the core truths of Christianity.

Living Faith

Living Faith PDF

Author: John Schwarz

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2005-07-01

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 1441202587

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How were the books of the Bible chosen? What was the Roman world like during Jesus' life and ministry? And how are Christians to live out their faith in today's world? Living Faith offers thoughtful and engaging answers to questions about the faith, enabling believers of all backgrounds to understand Christianity more fully. John Schwarz compares and contrasts Christianity with other world religions, proposes helpful disciplines for a believer's spiritual growth, and provides a clear and balanced look at such controversial topics as free will and end-times theology. Informative, insightful, and practical, Living Faith is an ideal resource for group or personal study, and also serves as the participant's guide in the curriculum series Living Faith: Exploring the Essentials of Christianity by Tom Wright.

Living Belief

Living Belief PDF

Author: Douglas F. Ottati

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2022-06-07

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13: 1467465429

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A leading theologian’s concise guide to the beliefs, commitments, and practices of Christianity. What do Christians believe? But also, what do they do? And feel? With decades of experience teaching the essentials of Christian faith, Douglas Ottati still finds these questions—and more like them—dynamic and compelling. In Living Belief, he moves beyond trite answers, drawing from the deep well of tradition to offer up wisdom from the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Lord’s Prayer. In so doing, Ottati explores key Christian themes, such as creation, redemption, and love—of neighbor, enemy, and the weak and dependent. Concise and approachable, Living Belief makes no claims to be a definitive account of Christianity but rather attempts “to introduce a faith that remains a source of meaning and direction, that orients, that encourages and assures, that supplies moral standards and calls for contrition, and that furnishes grounds for perseverance and hope.” In connection with each chapter, Ottati includes questions for discussion, so that readers—those revisiting the core components of their Christian faith and those learning about it for the first time—can together continue the work, begun here, of understanding the multifaceted life of devotion that is Christianity.

The God Who Is There

The God Who Is There PDF

Author: D. A. Carson

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2010-07-01

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9781441213853

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It can no longer be assumed that most people--or even most Christians--have a basic understanding of the Bible. Many don't know the difference between the Old and New Testament, and even the more well-known biblical figures are often misunderstood. It is getting harder to talk about Jesus accurately and compellingly because listeners have no proper context with which to understand God's story of redemption. In this basic introduction to faith, D. A. Carson takes seekers, new Christians, and small groups through the big story of Scripture. He helps readers to know what they believe and why they believe it. The companion leader's guide helps evangelistic study groups, small groups, and Sunday school classes make the best use of this book in group settings.