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Theology Questions Everyone Asks
paperback
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Everyone has questions about God and what matters most in life. When we ask those questions, we are asking about theology.
While books about doctrine supply description and analysis of the classic questions of the faith, they often miss the contemporary questions on the minds of readers. This book fills that gap. Organized around the key topics of Jesus, the Bible, church, the Holy Spirit, evil, salvation and hope, the sometimes-provocative questions on these topics aim to ring true with the lived experience of real people. Even more, they look to inspire reflection, debate, disagreement, and above all, engagement in what the Christian faith is all about.
"Students, teachers and pastors everywhere face the same challenge: how do you deal with the perennial questions of theology? This excellent set of essays draws on the authors' extensive teaching experience to explain with creativity and clarity how to address a wide range of commonly asked questions. The authors demonstrate a commendable ability to combine scholarly depth with an accessible and engaging style of writing. Theology Questions Everyone Asks should provoke many thoughtful discussions in classrooms and churches everywhere."
"This book is so well done that many people who teach introductory Christian theology courses will wonder how they got along without it. It provides lucid and engaging answers to important theological questions that students care about. This is an unusually helpful resource."
"Theology Questions Everyone Asks is exactly the kind of book needed in the undergraduate theology classroom. This text examines questions that my students ask on a regular basis and does so in a way that is engaging and relevant. The authors have done an excellent job weaving together both the biblical text and salient moments from the Christian tradition, making this book a much-needed addition to the tools at hand for every undergraduate theology professor."
"Don't we all have questions? I do. Not just the acceptable questions people feel comfortable asking, but the haunting questions that linger in your mind and heart--the kind of questions you may be afraid to verbalize because people will accuse you of doubt or irreverence. But these essays freely engage our questions and ask ones we have not even yet thought about. Thankfully, they also provide thoughtful answers, built on solid research and reflection, yet remaining always accessible and clear. This is a fantastic book for all who long to have their questions about the faith taken seriously."
"Some of the most penetrating and intriguing theological questions are the ones asked not by professional theologians but by sincere students and laypersons. Helpful answers to such questions are not, alas, as common as we might think. Thankfully, in Theology Questions Everyone Asks, we get some real-truth answers to go with real-life questions."
"This book will be a helpful resource for many readers who want a single tool that addresses their most frequently asked questions. It will aid learner and teacher alike."
"This volume gathers short essays (and suggestions for further reading) from theology professors at Wheaton College. They have listened and reflected as generations of students have asked about human life and purpose. The book aims to assure curious or wavering believers that 'good and thoughtful answers are at hand that can help.'"
"More than a catechism, and more elaborate than a profession of faith, this explicitly didactic and accessible series of answers to typical quandaries ought to be useful as a point of departure for many Christian education classes."
"All in all this is a good approach to biblical theology. It is conservative in thought and methodology, but fair and open-minded. The book is well organized. The scholars are well qualified. The topics are pertinent to theological dialog. I will use this book for my biblical theology course."
Foreward by Philip G. Ryken
Contributors
Preface
1. What is Christianity? Timothy Larsen
2. What is the Bible? Kevin J. Vanhoozer
3. Who is God? George Kalantzis
4. How Does God relate to the world? Gregory W. Lee
5 . What is the meaning of evil and suffering? Jennifer Powell McNutt
6. Who is Jesus? Gary M. Burge
7. What is Salvation? Keith L. Johnson
8. Who is the Holy Spirit? Jeffrey W. Barbeau
9. Who are Human Beings? David Lauber
10. Who is the Church? Daniel J. Treier
11. How should I live? Vincent Bacote
12. What is Christian Hope? Beth Felker Jones
Notes
Where Do We Go from Here?