Theology Questions Everyone Asks

Christian Faith in Plain Language

Edited by Gary M. Burge and David Lauber

Ebook

Length: 203 pages
Published: February 10, 2014
Imprint: IVP Academic
ISBN: 9780830884483

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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.

Isn't talk about God really a guessing game?
What good is the Old Testament?
How can we have freewill if God controls everything?
The virgin birth. Really?
What does an earthquake say about God?
Is the Holy Spirit still at work in churches today?
What did Jesus think about getting married?
Does being a Christian mean having particular political views?

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.

REVIEWS

"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."

"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."

"Don't we all have questions? I do. Not just the acceptable questions people feel comfortable asking, but the haunting questions that lingerin your mind and heart--the kind of questions you may be afraid to verbalize because people will accuse youof 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."

"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."

"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."

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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?

Foundations of the Christian Faith

Creation and Doxology

Rational Faith

Called by Triune Grace

Representing Christ

Karl Barth's Infralapsarian Theology

Talking Doctrine

Words of Life

Exploring Christian Doctrine

ABOUT Gary M. Burge

Gary M. Burge (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is dean of the faculty and professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary. He previously taught for twenty-five years at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Among his many published books are The New Testament in Seven Sentences, Theology Questions Everyone Asks (with coeditor David Lauber), A Week in the Life of a Roman Centurion, Mapping Your Academic Career, The New Testament in Antiquity(coauthored with Gene Green), and the award-winning Whose Land? Whose Promise? What Christians Are Not Being Told About Israel and the Palestinians.

ABOUT David Lauber

David Lauber (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is dean of the School of Biblical and Theological Studies and associate professor of theology at Wheaton College. He is the author of Barth on the Descent into Hell and the coeditor of several volumes, including Theology Questions Everyone Asks (with coeditor Gary Burge), Trinitarian Theology for the Church, The People's Book, and The Bloomsbury Companion to the Doctrine of Sin.

Theology Questions Everyone Asks

Christian Faith in Plain Language