A Theology of Compassion PDF Download

Author: Oliver Davies
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532604734
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 399

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Book Description
The wholesale rejection of metaphysics today has become the test of the postmodern. In this groundbreaking volume Oliver Davies argues for a renewal of metaphysics, as the language of createdness, based not in a return to outmoded concepts of essence but in a dynamic new understanding of ontology as narrative and performance. This repairing of the Western metaphysical tradition is grounded both in the divine self-naming in Exodus--which, for the rabbis, identified God's presence in the world with God's compassionate acts--and in the compassionate resistance of Etty Hillesum and Edith Stein to the violence of the Holocaust. Building on a new metaphysics of compassion that is attentive to the histories of the contemporary world, Davies offers a renewed systematic theology of divine speech and relation, focused in Jesus Christ, who, as the triadic "Word" of God, speaks creatively at the heart of human culture and action and who, as the redeeming "Compassion" of God, regenerates the world.

Author: John Swinton
Publisher: SCM Press
ISBN: 0334056403
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 277

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Book Description
In "Raging with Compassion", Michael Ramsey prize-winning author John Swinton argues for a practical theodicy, one embodied in the life and practices of the Christian community. This practicality does not seek to provide an explanation for the existence of evil, but rather presents ways in which evil and suffering can be resisted and transformed. This, he insists, will enable Christians to live faithfully with unanswered questions as they await God's redemption of the whole creation. Swinton explores essential practices of redemption - lament, forgiveness, thoughtfulness, hospitality, and friendship - drawing out their implications for the faithful resistance of evil. Enhanced by case studies from current events and by Swinton's own experience as a pastor and mental health nurse, "Raging with Compassion" seeks to inspire fresh Christian responses and modes of practice in our broken, fallen world.

Author: Henri J. M. Nouwen
Publisher: Image
ISBN: 0385517521
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description
In this provocative essay on that least understood virtue, compassion, the authors challenge themselves and us with these questions: Where do we place compassion in our lives? Is it enough to live a life in which we hurt one another as little as possible? Is our guiding ideal a life of maximum pleasure and minimum pain? Compassion answers no. After years of study and discussion among themselves, with other religious, and with men and women at the very center of national politics, the authors look at compassion with a vigorous new perspective. They place compassion at the heart of a Christian life in a world governed far too long by principles of power and destructive control. Compassion, no longer merely an eraser of human mistakes, is a force of prayer and action -- the expression of God's love for us and our love for God and one another. Compassion is a book that says no to a compassion of guilt and failure and yes to a compassionate love that pervades our spirit and moves us to action. Henri Nouwen, Donald McNeill, and Douglas Morrison have written a moving document on what it means to be a Christian in a difficult time.

Author: Andrew Purves
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 9780664250652
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 148

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Book Description
The meaning of compassion is more than just sympathy, empathy, pity, and concern. Compassion has a theological meaning. In this book, Andrew Purves sees compassion as the center of pastoral care, holding theology, spirituality, and ministry together. He examines how a renewed compassion gives ministry shape and content which "grows out of the life of God, and God's care for the world."

Author: Barry H. Corey
Publisher: NavPress
ISBN: 1496438426
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Kindness is not what we have been taught it is. It isn’t a soft virtue, expressed only by sweet grandmothers or nice Boy Scouts. Kindness is neither timid nor frail. Instead, it is brave and daring, willing to be vulnerable with those with whom we disagree. It is the revolutionary way that Jesus himself called us to live. The way of selfless risks. The way of staggering hope. The way of authenticity. Dr. Barry Corey, president of Biola University, believes we tend to devalue the importance of kindness, opting instead for caustic expressions of certainty that push people away. We forget that the essence of what God requires of us is to “love kindness.” In this book, filled with stories from his travels around the globe, Barry shows us the forgotten way of kindness. It is a life that calls us to put ourselves at risk. A life that calls us to hope. A life of a firm center and soft edges. It is the life Christ invites us to follow, no matter what the cost. This new paperback edition has an added chapter and a foreword from Steven Curtis Chapman.

Author: Justin Giboney
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830848118
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 165

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Book Description
Christian Book Award® program Outreach Resource of the Year Have you ever felt too progressive for conservatives, but too conservative for progressives? Too often, political questions are framed in impossible ways for the faithful Christian: we're forced to choose between social justice and biblical values, between supporting women and opposing abortion. As a result, it's easy for Christians to grow disillusioned with civic engagement or fall back into tribal extremes. This state of affairs has damaged Christian public witness and divided the church. The authors of this book represent the AND Campaign, which exists to educate and organize Christians for faithful civic and cultural engagement. They insist that not only are we called to love our neighbors through the political process but also that doing so requires us to transcend the binary way the debates are usually framed. In simple, understandable language, they lay out the biblical case for political engagement and help Christians navigate the complex world of politics with integrity, from political messaging and the politics of race to protests, advocacy, and more. The book includes a study guide for classroom use and group discussion. When we understand our civic engagement as a way to obey Christ's call to love our neighbor, we see that it is possible to engage the political process with both love and truth—compassion and conviction.

Author: Monty L. Lynn
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1725251167
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
Although not always unswervingly, from antiquity until today, Christians have engaged in charity. As settings changed, compassion evolved, laying in place an ongoing mosaic of Christian ideas and institutions surrounding care. From the antique and medieval to the modern and contemporary, each age offers unique actors and insights into how compassion is viewed and achieved. We consider repeating motifs and novel appearances in the arc of Christian compassion which enlighten and inspire. Encountered on the journey are the formation and sacrifice of ancient Christians; an emphasis on virtues taught through sparing and sharing; the nascent social welfare of the Byzantine church; the sacralization and mobilization of a medieval church; innovative ideas from reformers who advance the role of the state; and modern movements in justice, peace, humanitarianism, mutual aid, and community development.

Author: Rupen Das
Publisher: Langham Global Library
ISBN: 1783681144
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
Why does God care for the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalized? This book traces God’s compassion as it is revealed in the Old and New Testaments, exploring the expression and impact of compassion in the early church through its actions and teachings as part of its witness. Focusing on the church’s responsibility to be compassionate, Dr Rupen Das underlines the theological and missiological questions central to any discussion on the compassion of God. Culminating with how compassion is lived out by God’s people, the book looks at concepts of transformation and the demonstration of the kingdom of God in the real world. This book provides an excellent biblical and theological foundation for anyone involved or interested in ministries of social justice, relief, development and compassion.

Author: Adam T. Barr
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1441264760
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
Loving, Biblical Answers on Homosexuality In the next year at least one of these things will happen in your life: • A family member will come out of the closet and expect you to be okay with it. • Your elementary-age child's curriculum will discuss LGBT families. • Your company will talk about building a tolerant workplace for LGBT co-workers. • Your college-age child will tell you your view on homosexuality is bigoted. Are you ready? In their role as pastors, Adam Barr and Ron Citlau have seen how this issue can tear apart families, friendships, and even churches. In this book they combine biblical answers with practical, real-world advice on how to think about and discuss this issue with those you care about. They also tell the story of Ron's personal journey from same-sex attraction and sexual brokenness to healing. Truth does not preclude kindness--and a good dose of humility is necessary to love our neighbors. With sensitivity and winsomeness, this book will offer an honest but inviting message to readers: We are all in need of the healing that can only come from the truth of the gospel.

Author: Frank Rogers
Publisher: Upper Room Books
ISBN: 0835815684
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
Jesus was a spiritual teacher who demonstrated personal and social transformation. His earliest disciples were first known not as Christians but as followers of the Way. Jesus' Way was a spirituality of radical compassion. He taught how to love and be loved by an extravagantly compassionate God; how to cultivate love for ourselves; and how to love our neighbors by extending love to the outcasts, the offensive, and even our enemies. Compassion in Practice is an introduction to Christian compassion. It explains not just what Christian compassion looks like but how to practice it in a world ravaged by violence, fear, and reactivity. This book teaches us how to love as Jesus loved. Expanding on the foundation of Practicing Compassion, Frank Rogers defines the way Jesus prepared his disciples to transform hearts hardened from the assaults of life into compassionate hearts.