The Divine Inquiry


Book Description

Jesus had a lot to say about the way we live out our daily lives. In the process, he asks a lot of questions that are insightful, penetrating, and thought-provoking, all demanding an honest appraisal of oneself and an appropriate, life-changing response. He asks the same questions today. For example, Why are you so afraid? What do you want me to do for you? What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? This book explores a sampling of the questions Jesus asked, as he walked the streets of the ancient world. Every divine inquiry was/is designed to confront, convict, challenge, conform, and/or comfort (cf John 16:7-13) His listeners. His intention has always been the same – to give us a fresh, new set of eyes with which to assess our individual lives, address areas of personal weakness, encourage spiritual and emotional maturity, and press us to apply practical life-principles that actually work in everyday living. His purpose is discipleship, Christlikeness. His objective is to move us to consider the deepest of truths regarding the person I am, the person I could be, and the person I must be.




The God Relationship


Book Description

Paul K. Moser proposes a new approach to inquiry about God, including a new discipline of the ethics for such inquiry.




Hell and Divine Goodness


Book Description

Within the Christian theological tradition there has always been a variety of perspectives on hell, usually distinguished according to their views about the duration of hell’s torments for the damned. Traditionalists maintain that the suffering of the damned is everlasting. Universalists claim that eventually every person is redeemed and arrives in heaven. And conditional immortalists, also known as “conditionalists” or “annihilationists,” reject both the concept of eternal torment as well as universal salvation, instead claiming that after a finite period of suffering the damned are annihilated. Conditionalism has enjoyed somewhat of a revival in scholarly circles in recent years, buoyed by the influential biblical defense of the view by Edward Fudge. However, there has yet to appear a book-length philosophical defense of conditionalism . . . until now. In Hell and Divine Goodness, James Spiegel assesses the three major alternative theories of hell, arriving at the conclusion that the conditionalist view is, all things considered, the most defensible position on the issue.




The Nature of God


Book Description

The Nature of God explores a perennial problem in the philosophy of religion. Drawing upon developments in philosophy, most notably those in philosophical logic, Edward R. Wierenga examines the traditional divine attributes of omnipotence, omniscience, eternity, timelessness, immutability, and goodness. His philosophically defensible formulations of the nature of God are in accord with the views of classical theists. The author provides an account of each of the divine attributes by stating in contemporary terms what such classical theists as Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas wrote about the nature of God; he then seeks to determine whether one can defend the ascription of traditional divine attributes to God against philosophical objections.Clearly written and comprehensive, The Nature of God contains a wealth of illuminating and original material on a central topic in the philosophy of religion




The Gift of Living in the Divine Will in the Writings of Luisa Piccarreta


Book Description

Known for his previous best selling Catholic books such as, The Splendor of Creation and Proper Catholic Perspectives, Rev. Dr. Joseph L. Iannuzzi's long awaited book, The Gift of Living in the Divine Will in the Writings of Luisa Piccarreta, is finally available. Iannuzzi's thoroughly documented and highly researched account of Piccarreta's life is unparalleled in its scope and depth, and is the definitive work of the life and writings of Luisa Piccarreta. Born in 1865 in Corato, Italy, Luisa Piccarreta began receiving revelations at age 12 and was called by God to become a victim soul. At a very tender age God spoke to her about a gift he wishes to bestow upon the world that will set it free and inaugurate an Era of World Peace. God refers to this gift as “Living in the Divine Will”, for it is through an act of God’s will that the earth will be made pure and mankind will become holy. Just as God the Father created the world, and the Son of God redeemed it, so the Holy Spirit will sanctify it through the outpouring of this gift. According to Luisa’s revelations, although God created us without us, he cannot save us without us. Therefore, he reveals himself to Luisa so that through her, we may come to know the loving gift he has prepared for us – the gift that will restore us to the holiness that Adam and Even enjoyed in Eden, and that will set all creation free. St. Paul affirms that “all creation groans with eager longings, waiting to be set free from its slavery to corruption and enjoy the glorious freedom of the sons of God,” and God tells Luisa that those who live in the Divine Will will be those sons of God who set creation free. This book is divided into 7 chapters. Chapter 1 presents a biographical sketch of Luisa’s life; Chapters 2-4 explore the importance of the gift of Living in the Divine Will; Chapters 5-7 compare this gift to the Church’s Eastern and Western traditions. Because this book bears the ecclesiastical “seal of approval” of the Pontifical University of Rome that is authorized by the Holy See, it enjoys a particular status that ensures sound doctrinal content for the Christian faithful. If you are familiar with the extraordinary life of Luisa Piccarreta, then this book will truly bring you deeper into her life and the gift of the “Divine Will”. If you are not, then you are truly in for a special and extraordinary experience that will change your life. It is a story perhaps unparalleled in the history of mystical theology, written by whom many consider the Church’s most authoritative person on the subject.







Between Heaven and Earth


Book Description

How is Yahweh to be differentiated from other deities? What is Yahweh's relationship to Israel in exile?".




Petitionary Prayer


Book Description

This volume explores the philosophical issues involved in the idea of petitionary prayer, where this is conceived as an activity designed to influence the action of the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfectly good God of traditional theism. Theists have always recognized various logical and moral limits to divine action in the world, but do these limits leave any space among God's reasons for petitionary prayer to make a difference? Petitionary Prayer: A Philosophical Investigation develops a new account of the conditions required for a petitionary prayer to be answered by employing the notion of contrastive explanation. With careful attention to recent developments in metaphysics, epistemology, and value theory, Scott A. Davison surveys the contemporary literature on this question. He considers questions about human freedom and responsibility in relation to different views of divine providence, along with the puzzles inherent in Christian teachings concerning petitionary prayer. Davison develops new challenges to the coherence of the idea of answered petitionary prayer based upon the nature of divine freedom, the limits of human knowledge, and the nature of those good things that require a recipient's permission before they can be given. He proposes new defenses, building upon careful analysis of the shortcomings of previous proposals and clarifying the issues for future debate.




The Severity of God


Book Description

This book explores the role of divine severity in the character and wisdom of God, and the flux and difficulties of human life in relation to divine salvation. Much has been written on problems of evil, but the matter of divine severity has received relatively little attention. Paul K. Moser discusses the function of philosophy, evidence and miracles in approaching God. He argues that if God's aim is to extend without coercion His lasting life to humans, then commitment to that goal could manifest itself in making human life severe, for the sake of encouraging humans to enter into that cooperative good life. In this scenario, divine agapē is conferred as free gift, but the human reception of it includes stress and struggle in the face of conflicting powers and priorities. Moser's work will be of great interest to students of the philosophy of religion, and theology.




The Art of Surrender


Book Description

**Winner of Reader's Favorite Book Award** **Winner of Book Excellence Award** **Winner of the Body Mind Spirit Book Award** For seekers of truth, Al Zaabi is a wise and intrepid guide through the wilderness of the self. In plainspoken and heartfelt language, she shine light on the spiritual path and reveals the beauty and necessity of surrender, which has for too long been misunderstanding in the west. -Krista Bremer, author of A Tender Struggle Do you ever wish you could switch off the chatter in your mind? This is what brings many of us to self-help, the fears and worries that go along with being human. It is the reason many of us investigate spirituality: emotions and the thoughts beneath them. Indeed, many approaches to religion and spirituality will tell you that the mind causes your suffering and teach you to quiet your inner voice. The Art of Surrender stands out among self-help books because it offers a completely new approach to spirituality, health, and healing. You do not have to silence your thoughts. Your brain and mind are a gift; they have a spiritual purpose, which is to seek the truth and establish genuine spirituality. Drawing on her Muslim heritage and her wise and careful exploration of spirituality without religion yet informed by it, Eiman Al Zaabi guides you in the delightful art of spiritual inquiry, investigating ideas for yourself and incorporating only those truths that resonate deeply. Whether you are taking the first steps on your spiritual journey or have long traveled such a path, The Art of Surrender will transform your relationship with yourself, the Divine, and the world around you. You’ll learn the deepest needs of your soul and discover how to meet them. You’ll be guided through the four stages of the spiritual journey: finding Source, knowing Source, aligning with Source, and surrendering to Source. With this approach to self-help, anxiety melts away as you develop a spirituality of gratitude and trust. When you read this book, you’ll discover the ultimate state of fulfillment and joy: surrender.