Abraham S Search For God

"Who made the clouds?" Abraham asks. "Who made the flowers?" Even as a child, he knows there must be something greater than idols of clay and stone. As he observes and questions the world around him, Abraham comes to the conclusion that there is one God. A creative midrash about the father of the world's religions.

It is traditional to think we should praise Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son as proof of his love for God. But have we misread the point of the story? Is it possible that a careful reading of Genesis 22 could reveal that God was not pleased with Abraham's silent obedience? Widely respected biblical theologian, creative thinker, and public speaker J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and shows that God desires something other than silent obedience in difficult times. Middleton focuses on the ethical and theological problem of Abraham's silence and explores the rich biblical tradition of vigorous prayer, including the lament psalms, as a resource for faith. Middleton also examines the book of Job in terms of God validating Job's lament as "right speech," showing how the vocal Job provides an alternative to the silent Abraham. This book provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 22 and reinforces the church's resurgent interest in lament as an appropriate response to God.

Creatio ex nihilo is a foundational doctrine in the Abrahamic faiths. It states that God created the world freely out of nothing - from no pre-existent matter, space or time. This teaching is central to classical accounts of divine action, free will, grace, theodicy, religious language, intercessory prayer and questions of divine temporality and, as such, the foundation of a scriptural God but also the transcendent Creator of all that is. This edited collection explores how we might now recover a place for this doctrine, and, with it, a consistent defence of the God of Abraham in philosophical, scientific and theological terms. The contributions span the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and cover a wide range of sources, including historical, philosophical, scientific and theological. As such, the book develops these perspectives to reveal the relevance of this idea within the modern world.

This exciting addition to Kay Arthur and Janna Arndt's Discover 4 Yourself® Inductive Bible Studies for Kids series takes readers and characters Max, Molly, and Sam along the rugged Oregon Trail. With God's trail map, the Bible, they set out on a wagon train to discover the lessons Abraham learned when he left his home and moved to an unknown land because God told him to. As they explore the new territory they face the excitement, fears, and blessings of walking by faith. Perfect for Sunday school classes, Bible studies, and independent study, Abraham—God's Brave Explorer teaches young kids all about listening to God and trusting His guidance even when the path gets bumpy.

Abraham Joshua Heschel was one of the most revered religious leaders of the 20th century, and God in Search of Man and its companion volume, Man Is Not Alone, two of his most important books, are classics of modern Jewish theology. God in Search of Man combines scholarship with lucidity, reverence, and compassion as Dr. Heschel discusses not man's search for God but God's for man--the notion of a Chosen People, an idea which, he writes, "signifies not a quality inherent in the people but a relationship between the people and God." It is an extraordinary description of the nature of Biblical thought, and how that thought becomes faith.

Tryggve Mettinger's much-praised work analyzes the major names for God in the Old Testament to trace, through the many confrontations and challenges of individuals and groups that mark Israel's story, the historical development of Israel's conception of God.

The first and most complete religion belonged to Adam and Eve. They lived with God, and after being cast out, they retained a memory of living in God's presence. Adam taught the first eight patriarchs born after him the Religion of the Fathers, which involved direct communion, contact, and connection between mankind and God. It enabled the faithful to hear directly from the Lord His promise of eternal life, to seal them by covenant into His Heavenly Family. Despite nearly universal apostasy and rebellion against God while Adam lived, the line of first or Patriarchal Fathers preserved the true religion. Their religion was Adam's religion, and their understanding reached back to the Garden of Eden. They experienced visions, ascended into Heaven, obtained promises of exaltation, and were transformed by their experiences from men into angels of God. After Shem (Melchizedek), an apostasy lasted until Abraham. Although he was raised by an idolater, Abraham searched for the true God of Heaven. He "sought for the blessings of the Fathers," the very thing Malachi prophesies will return before the great and dreadful return of the Lord. Like Adam (at the beginning) and his descendant, Enoch, Abraham was caught up into Heaven and received a tutorial endowment from God. The covenant of the first Fathers was renewed and conferred upon him by Melchizedek, thereby restoring continuity back to Adam. Abraham represents the key Patriarchal Father prophesied of in Malachi. Abraham not only renewed the covenant of the Fathers (including Noah and Enoch), but also, through the Abrahamic covenant, God established Abraham as the new head of the family of God on Earth. The Book of Abraham has become a battleground because it is so important for our salvation. Recovering the Religion of the Fathers, becoming of one heart with the Fathers, and fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi are directly connected to Abraham. The more we can learn of Abraham, the more we can know of the covenant with the Fathers spoken of by Malachi, and those same blessings of the Fathers that will be administered again before the end. We can, if faithful, obtain all that the original Fathers received from God at the beginning. Therefore, any book written by Abraham should be priceless to us. The Lord's "strange act" is approaching completion. The promises made to the Fathers are being vindicated. The Restoration has recommenced, and if we are faithful, it will not be paused or interrupted again. Although Israel's numbers are few, there have never been great numbers willing to sacrifice everything for God. The Religion of the Fathers presents a strong defense of the authenticity of the Book of Abraham as translated through Joseph Smith Jr. in 1835, and subsequently published in the Times & Seasons in 1842. It also presents an expanded view of the Restoration of the gospel, its ancient roots, current covenants, and prophesied future. Topics covered include Christianity, miracles, heaven, hell, the apocalypse, truth, the Bible, the devil, historical evidence, Lectures on Faith, the Ten Commandments, signs of the times, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the law of consecration, the Joseph Smith Papers, Joseph's journal, the translation process, the destiny of the Christian church, polygamy, saving grace, and many more.

In this book noted scholar Thomas L. Pangle brings back a lost and crucial dimension of political theory: the mutually illuminating encounter between skeptically rationalist political philosophy and faith-based political theology guided ultimately by the authority of the Bible. Focusing on the chapters of Genesis in which the foundation of the Bible is laid, Pangle provides an interpretive reading illuminated by the questions and concerns of the Socratic tradition and its medieval heirs in the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic worlds. He brings into contrast the rival interpretive framework set by the biblical criticism of the modern rationalists Hobbes and Spinoza, along with their heirs from Locke to Hegel. The full meaning of these diverse philosophic responses to the Bible is clarified through a dialogue with hermeneutic discussions by leading political theologians in the Judaic, Muslim, and Christian traditions, from Josephus and Augustine to our day. Profound and subtle in its argument, this book will be of interest not only to students and scholars of politics, philosophy, and religion but also to thoughtful readers in every walk of life who seek to deepen their understanding of the perplexing relationship between religious faith and philosophic reason. -- James V. Schall