Beyond Jesus


Book Description

In the crucible of grief following a friend's death, Presbyterian pastor Patricia Pearce sensed a dimension of existence beneath her ordinary perception-and became resolved to discover it. She soon found herself in a vortex of revelatory dreams, synchronicities, energy openings, and insights that shattered her worldview, exposed a unified Reality of Love, and unveiled the illusory nature of the ego and the world it has created. Faced with these discoveries, she struggled to remain in a religion that, she now realized, has been shaped by the very ego consciousness Jesus transcended and urged others to abandon. Enlightening, revelatory, and bold, Beyond Jesus reveals how our political and religious institutions are an outward manifestation of the inner beliefs we hold about who we are, and that beneath the layers of dogma about Jesus lies a key to our spiritual evolution and the astonishing possibility it holds for the future.




A Faith of Our Own


Book Description

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.




Living for Jesus Beyond the Spiritual High


Book Description

You soar on a spiritual high at a retreat or fly with emotion at a special meeting. You joyously revel in the presence of your friends at a party. But when the feelings are gone, what will keep you going? Can you really keep a relationship with Jesus that is vibrant even in the boring times? Faith based on fact will do it! God's Word will give you strength for a steady walk when the emotions are gone. This book does more than entertain-it is practical. Greg Speck's interesting style will keep you reading and growing-for the long haul-after the party is over and you're slugging it out in everyday life.




Beyond Awkward


Book Description

We love to share good news with the world—a great restaurant, a coveted promotion, a new baby—and that makes us evangelists for many things. So why don't we do the same with Jesus? Simply put, talking about Jesus is awkward. Yet when we brave the awkwardness, we see God work. Beau Crosetto helps us move out of our comfort zones and beyond the awkwardness to share the life-transforming power of God with others.




Beyond the Bounds


Book Description

"Everyone who believes in God at all believes that He knows what you and I are going to do tomorrow." –C. S. Lewis This understanding of God's foreknowledge has united the church for twenty centuries. But advocates of "open theism" are presenting a different vision of God and a different view of the future. The rise of open theism within evangelicalism has raised a host of questions. Was classical theism decisively tainted by Greek philosophy? How should we understand passages that tell us that God repents? Are essentials of biblical Christianity–like the inerrancy of Scripture, the trustworthiness of God, and the Gospel of Christ–at stake in this debate? Where, when, and why should we draw new boundaries–and is open theism beyond them? Beyond the Bounds brings together a respected team of scholars to examine the latest literature, address these questions, and give guidance to the church in this time of controversy. Contributors include: John Piper Wayne Grudem Michael S. Horton Bruce A. Ware Mark R. Talbot A. B. Caneday Stephen J. Wellum Justin Taylor Paul Kjoss Helseth Chad Brand William C. Davis Russell Fuller "We have prepared this book to address the issue of boundaries and, we pray, bring some remedy to the present and impending pain of embracing open theism as a legitimate Christian vision of God. . . . As a pastor, who longs to be biblical and God-centered and Christ-exalting and eternally helpful to my people, I see open theism as theologically ruinous, dishonoring to God, belittling to Christ, and pastorally hurtful. My prayer is that Christian leaders will come to see it this way, and thus love the church by counting open theism beyond the bounds of orthodox Christian teaching." –From the Foreword by John Piper




Jesus Beyond Christianity


Book Description

This anthology brings together historic readings on Jesus from Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism in one volume. The volume provides fresh translations of important texts, 'Key-Issues' introductions, notes, questions for discussion and guides for further reading. Each set of readings ends with a reflection from a leading scholar in the field.




Beyond God the Father


Book Description

'Certainly one of the most promising theological statements of our time.' --The Christian Century 'Not for the timid, this brilliant book calls for nothing short of the overthrow of patriarchy itself.' --The Village Voice




Beyond the Battle


Book Description

All men face some degree of temptation or discontentment. Here is your guide to get you past frustration into freedom. We live in a culture where 55% of married men and 70% of single men look at porn at least once a month and over half of all marriages end in divorce. To understand why that is we have to look beyond the battle to the root of both the problem and the solution... Most books for men on how to defeat lust and improve their relationships with the women in their lives preach a plan for trying harder, thinking better, and battering their behavior into submission. The problem with this approach: no matter how strong we are today, the battle continues tomorrow, and nothing ever seems to change in the long run. In Beyond the Battle, author and pastor Noah Filipiak shows you why symptom-based behavior management approaches offer short-term solutions. Instead, he unpacks the keys to a gospel-centered, long-term victory, helping you win the war against temptation and entitlement. Beyond the Battle is an accessible, effective, man-to-man resource for individual or small group use that will guide you toward freedom from sexual temptations by connecting you more deeply to Jesus—to his sacrifice and sufficiency. Filipiak addresses deep questions of marriage, singleness, and sexual temptation like: What's really the worst enemy in a man's marriage? How are my assumptions about my wife contributing to the problem? How does a corrected understanding of God's grace change my outlook on marriage or singleness? This book turns typical "purity" strategies on their head by addressing head-on our sense of self-entitlement and our self-seeking tendencies, showing how to look to God—instead of to women—for intimacy, approval, acceptance, and validation. Includes free access to 7-week small group video curriculum plus an option 40-day devotional.




Queering Christ


Book Description

In 'Queering Christ', Robert E. Goss summarizes a decade of his thinking as a queer Christian theologian, sharing his queering of four critical areas: sexuality, Christ, the Bible, and theology. These areas form the quadrants of his own spirituality that aims at the queer reconstruction of Christianity and reflects a life that strives to integrate the depths of spirituality and sexuality with a practice of justice. Many aspects of the work are guaranteed to be highly controversial within and outside of the LGBT community.




Beyond Homelessness


Book Description

This book is a brilliant use of metaphor that makes clear why the world leaves us feeling so uneasy!