Credo for Today


Book Description

Pope Benedict XVI writes eloquently and persuasively about the importance for followers of Christ to understand well what they believe in order to live as a serious Christian in today's secular world.




Credo


Book Description

In this small, lucid gem of a book, the controversial Swiss theologian Hans Kung offers his thoughtful explanation of what the ancient profession of Christian faith can mean for us today. In doing so, Kung also flings a challenging response to the new Catechism of the Catholic Church, for 'Credo' is a fresh answer to the conservative stance of today's Vatican - a salvo that cannot be ignored. While controversy inevitably surrounds all of Kung's books, 'Credo' is his most accessible and straightforward work to date, written simply for all readers. It is the summation of a lifetime of theological thought by one of Christianity's most profound and original thinkers - a book that reaches out to non-Catholic Christians, as well as to Jews, Moslems, and those of the Eastern religions, and that gives everyone the dignity he or she deserves. Kung asks the big questions: Can we still believe in God? In the Virgin birth? In the divinity of Jesus? In his resurrection? In eternal life? And Kung also asks many unusual questions: Did Auschwitz disprove the existence in God? Is there any real difference between Jesus and the Buddha? Is resurrection from the dead un-Jewish? Must the Church be undemocratic?The answers he gives are, as always, profound and unexpected. This is not a book just for Catholics or even just for Christians, but a book for anyone with an interest in how religion can be integrated into contemporary life. Here is a great modern intellect - at his most reader friendly.




Credo


Book Description

In the twelve months before his sudden death, Hans Urs von Balthasar had been writing a series of reflections on the twelve articles of the Apostles' Creed. These texts, which are undoubtedly among the last things he wrote, take on the character of a legacy, a spiritual testament. For they amount in their extraordinary compactness and depth to a little "summa" of his theology. What he had set out in detail in numerous books over five decades, he summarizes here in contemplative plainness and simplicity. All the characteristics that make von Balthasar's work so distinctive and valuable are to be found here: breadth of vision, loveliness of style, and an intuitive-contemporary passion that allows him to "pray intellectually and think 'cordially'." In his warm and extensive introduction to the book, Medard Kehl speaks of von Balthasar's "unclouded, almost childlike joy in the richness and beauty of the Mystery" of the threefold God, which "is evidenced in his interpretation of the creed."




Simply Trinity


Book Description

What if the Trinity we've been taught is not the Trinity of the Bible? In this groundbreaking book, Matthew Barrett reveals a shocking discovery: we have manipulated the Trinity, recreating the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our own image. With clarity and creativity, Barrett mines the Scriptures as well as the creeds and confessions of the faith to help you rediscover the beauty, simplicity, and majesty of our Triune God. You will be surprised to learn that what you believe about the Trinity has untold consequences for salvation and the Christian life. To truly know God, you must meet the One who is simply Trinity.




Credo


Book Description

Offering inspiring words on issues ranging from charity and justice, politics, economic issues, the environment, nuclear disarmament, and mortality to the meaning of faith, the church, and a pastor's responsibility.




The Need for Creeds Today


Book Description

This brief, accessible invitation to the historic creeds and confessions makes a biblical and historical case for their necessity and shows why they are essential for Christian faith and practice today. J. V. Fesko, a leading Reformed theologian with a broad readership in the academy and the church, demonstrates that creeds are not just any human documents but biblically commended resources for the well-being of the church, as long as they remain subordinate to biblical authority. He also explains how the current skepticism and even hostility toward creeds and confessions came about.




Credo


Book Description

Credo provides a unique basis for personal daily meditations, while opening the way for the church to explain the basic significance of the creed it so often recites. Williams takes the classic Nicene Creed of the church and examines the meaning and modern application of each of its words and phrases. He shows the historical setting of the creedal statement, historical disputes that gave rise to the precise wording of the creed, and current situations that call for affirmation of the creed amid a multitude of ecclesiastical differences. Williams even provides a way to sing the creed.




Western Culture Today and Tomorrow


Book Description

Well known for his important scholarly contributions to dogmatic theology and biblical commentary, Joseph Ratzinger has also written penetrating observations of our times. This book includes some of his keen insights about the social and political challenges confronting modern Western societies. Writing most of these chapters just before his election as pope, Ratzinger sought to remind Europeans, who at the time were crafting a new constitution, that the civilizational project we call “the West” is a cultural achievement with a history. Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome were the three foundation stones upon which Western civilization was built, he wrote. Their invaluable contributions form the basis for the Western understanding of human dignity and human rights, which spread from Europe to the United States and beyond. This book also includes, as an epilogue, a new essay by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on clerical sex abuse, which traces the moral disorder that preys upon the young to the collapse of faith both inside and outside the Church. “The witness of Christian lives nobly lived is the beginning of reconversion (or, in many cases, conversion) of the West—and that return to the truths taught by the God of the Bible is essential if the great Western civilizational project is not to crumble because of its current, postmodern incoherence. Joseph Ratzinger understood that danger long before many others. It would be well to attend to his prescription.” —George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center, from the Foreword




Credo


Book Description

Following the prayers, a brief compendium of various important lists and other information can be found, such as the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Precepts of the Church, and others.




Primal Credo


Book Description

Primal Credo is a fresh, modern reading of the Apostles' Creed. Some followers of Christ have never heard of the creed and others recite the creed Sunday after Sunday without giving it much thought. This book will help you grow in faith if you are a new Christian or a seasoned saint. Enter into the creed and discover your DNA as a believer in Jesus Christ. The Apostles' Creed is an entry point into God's story. From "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth" to "I believe in...the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting" the Apostles' Creed provides a helpful synopsis of God's story recorded in Scripture. Both the creed and the Scriptures are gifts from the historic church to the contemporary church. The creed works to keep us focused on the big ideas of the Bible, namely God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The creed has been around nearly as long as there has been a Christian Church and for centuries followers of Christ have looked to the creed as a guide to weed out wrong ideas about God, creation, Jesus, salvation, and the end of human history. This book offers a compelling reflection on the Apostles' Creed, guiding the reader through the language of the creed without big, hard-to-understand, theological words. Primal Credo allows everyday Christians to understand and live out the essentials of the Christian faith. Book reviews: Postmodern people are happily rediscovering spirituality, but must wonder if or where faith might find authentic roots. Vreeland's guidance through the Creed offers a fresh connection to the apostolic faith and community. These meditations take us to the heart of how Jesus' early disciples understood his message and still bear witness to it today. -Brad Jersak , Author / Teacher, Fresh Wind Christian Fellowship, Abbotsford, British Columbia In Primal Credo, Derek Vreeland offers the world an engaging reading of the Apostles' Creed. He writes well and crafts vivid images to convey the power and importance of a creed that many repeat weekly without reflecting on its true meaning. He weaves theological reflection around illustrations drawn from the best of modern and ancient sources. To drive home his writing, Vreeland ends each chapter with discussion questions that will help individuals and groups to go deeper in their own journey with God. I happily endorse Primal Credo and hope that it gains a wide audience. -Brian D. Russell, Ph.D., Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida Don't just read this book. Live it. In Primal Credo, Derek Vreeland provides a vehicle for personal and group study. Witty, scholarly, pastoral and above all, accessible, Primal Credo gives professional and layman alike a deeply personal interaction with a touchstone of the Christian faith. Today the creed is finding whole new audiences as Christians rediscover its pithy encapsulation of orthodoxy. In this concise study, Vreeland proves an apt and engaging companion for that discovery. -Walter Rogero, Pastor, Calvary Gospel Church of the Assemblies of God, Arlington, Virginia If you desire to go deeper in your walk with God, Primal Credo is a must read. This book is relevant and thoughtful. As Christians, we too often look for the new and the trendy while paying little attention to the power of the past. Derek has provided a livable guide from an ancient creed, one that can help you personally reconnect with, and find new meaning from, the basic theological foundations of the Christian faith. I highly recommend this book. -Dr. Stephen Gray, Church Planting Director, Free Methodist Church, Austin, Texas