Christ Absent and Present


Book Description

Revised thesis (Ph.D.) - Durham University, UK, 2011.




Christ Absent and Present


Book Description




The Presence and Absence of God


Book Description

Safeguarding the distinction between God and world has always been a basic interest of negative theology. But sometimes it has overemphasized divine transcendence in a way that made it difficult to account for the sense of God's present activity and experienced actuality. Criticisms of the Western metaphysics of presence have made this even more difficult to conceive. On the other hand, there has been a widespread attempt in recent years to base all theology on (religious) experience; the Christian church celebrates God's presence in its central sacraments of baptism and Eucharist; process thought has re-conceptualized God's presence in panentheistic terms; and some have argued that God might be poly-present, not omnipresent. But what does it mean to say that God is present or absent? For Jews, Christians, and Moslems alike God is not an inference, an absentee entity of which we can detect only faint traces in our world. On the contrary, God is present reality, indeed the most present of all realities. However, belief in God's presence cannot ignore the widespread experience of God's absence. Moreover, there is little sense in speaking of God's absence if it cannot be distinguished from God's non-presence or non-existence. So how are we to understand the sense of divine presence and absence in religious and everyday life? This is what the essays in this volume explore in the biblical traditions, in Jewish and Christian theology and philosophy, and in contemporary philosophy of religion.




Who is Present in Absence?


Book Description

What transpires when Classical Pentecostals pray for God to intervene within their suffering, but God does not? Traditionally, Classical Pentecostals center on encountering God as demonstrated through the relating of testimonies of their experiences with God. In seeking to contribute to a theology of suffering for Pentecostals, Pam Engelbert lifts up the stories of eight Classical Pentecostals to discover how they experienced God and others amidst their extended suffering even when God did not intervene as they had prayed. By valuing each story, this qualitative practical theology work embraces a Pentecostal hermeneutic of experience combined with Scripture, namely the Gospel of John. As a Pentecostal practical theological project it offers a praxis (theology of action) of suffering and healing during times when we experience the apparent absence of God. It invites the reader to enter into the space of the other’s suffering by way of empathy, and thereby participate in God’s act of ministry to humanity through God’s expression of empathy in the very person of Jesus.




Grammars of Resurrection


Book Description

This comprehensive study situates Jesus’ resurrection at the center of theological reflection and explores its implications for Christian imagination, discourse, and practice. Drawing upon broad array of theological and philosophical resources, it examines issues related to textual analysis, history, memory, embodiment, violence, forgiveness, aesthetics, and spirituality.




How to Be Present in an Absent World


Book Description

Experience the fullness of life that Jesus promises by learning how to engage with the present--even in the increasing busyness of work and family life. Do you ever wonder how long can you keep: grinding out eighty-hour work weeks? putting your marriage on the backburner? treating your employees like cogs in a machine? pushing your life aside before you realize your time is all up? At the heart of this collaborative project is the belief that the pain we experience is the result of absence--living disconnected from our authentic selves and lacking deep, meaningful relationships with others and with God. Daniel Montgomery, the founding pastor of Sojourn Community Church; Kenny Silva, a PhD candidate at Trinity International University; and Eboni Webb, who holds a doctorate of Clinical Psychology, pooled their efforts and expertise to focus on the problem of modern absence and the pain it causes us and those around us. This book is a guide for how to cultivate a self-awareness that empowers you to take ownership and engage in every area of influence. It's arranged into five sections, each focusing on one of the major areas of our lives where many of us struggle with absence: Time Place Body Others Story How to Be Present in an Absent World provides biblical, practical ways to handle the daily pressures of life without denying or escaping the present. Its goal is to help you rediscover what it means to show up for your own life. With interludes that offer a deep dive into the neurobiology of presence as well as principles and exercises that Dr. Webb employs in her clinical practice, Montgomery and his coauthors will equip you with the kind of self-understanding that allows you to realize God's design for human flourishing--whether in your church, in your job, or in your family.




A Theology of the Presence and Absence of God


Book Description

In a consumer-driven and technologized world, can we still experience the mystery of God? This book answers yes by exploring the rich resources of the Christian tradition of thinking and speaking about God. Focusing on God’s dialectical character—divine availability (“presence”) and divine excess (“absence”)—and the belief that “God is love” (1 John 4:16), professor Anthony J. Godzieba tracks how God became a problem in Western culture, then responds by showing how human experience is open to divine transcendence and how that openness encounters the revelation of God as Trinity. The book’s contemporary edge comes from its insistence that belief as embodied performance is the most authentic way to participate in the mystery of God’s love, which is “the answer to the mystery of the world and human beings” (Walter Kasper).




Absent in the Body, Present with the Lord


Book Description

This wonderfully blessed book is designed to comfort and encourage the people of the entire human race that death of the flesh is not only good, it is necessary if we want to be resurrected into the Kingdom of God. Since Jesus died on the cross for the sins of this world, death, hell, and the grave were all conquered at the foot of the cross. Our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ has given His followers the VICTORY to overcome this world and enter gracefully into the everlasting Kingdom of God. Death is an occurrence that most individuals still fear in today's world, especially when old age starts to creep in. It is a known fact that human beings will often fear the unknown. When we learn the truth about what really happens when we die, fear will suddenly leave. This extraordinary book will fully explain what happens when we die in the flesh and leave this earthly realm. Once we've learned the importance of stepping over into eternity, then we will know what a true blessing it is to enter into the presence of God! Jesus voluntarily gave His life on the cross so that you and I could enjoy everlasting life in God's eternal Kingdom. Don't be left out! We invite you to visit our website at www.EdifyYourSpirit.com where there is a blessing waiting just for you!




The Eighteen Absent Years of Jesus Christ


Book Description

Where was Jesus between the ages of 12 and 30? The Bible says nothing of these years or his whereabouts during that time. There are clues, however, and the author follows some of them in this book, bringing us to a conclusion which he feels is the most obvious. Because this book is easy to read it is recommended for young readers as well as old.




The Absent Christ


Book Description

"Heinzekehr explores the significance of the empty tomb and Jesus's absence for Anabaptist ecclesiology and theology in conversation with postmodern philosophy and power analysis." "[summary]"--