Christ Absent And Present

Revised thesis (Ph.D.) - Durham University, UK, 2011.

What transpires when Classical Pentecostals pray for God to intervene within their suffering, but God does not? Traditionally, Classical Pentecostals center on encountering God as demonstrated through the relating of testimonies of their experiences with God. In seeking to contribute to a theology of suffering for Pentecostals, Pam Engelbert lifts up the stories of eight Classical Pentecostals to discover how they experienced God and others amidst their extended suffering even when God did not intervene as they had prayed. By valuing each story, this qualitative practical theology work embraces a Pentecostal hermeneutic of experience combined with Scripture, namely the Gospel of John. As a Pentecostal practical theological project it offers a praxis (theology of action) of suffering and healing during times when we experience the apparent absence of God. It invites the reader to enter into the space of the other’s suffering by way of empathy, and thereby participate in God’s act of ministry to humanity through God’s expression of empathy in the very person of Jesus.

Why does God feel so far away? Why is my worship so empty? Has God left me? David Bowden knows these questions firsthand, having wrestled for years with God’s apparent absence and studying what the Bible says about it. In this new book, Bowden tackles the subject head-on, finding the key to understanding it in the Bible’s depiction of a God who is infinitely far from us, free to move where he wants, but who chooses to come near in the person of Jesus. A resource of encouragement for those who struggle with feeling God’s absence and a wake-up call to those who take God’s presence for granted, When God Isn’t There will forever change your understanding of why God sometimes seems to vanish and how he can be found again. Praise for the work of David Bowden “Awesome and inspiring.”—Blake Mycoskie, Founder and Chief Shoe Giver at TOMS Shoes “David brings a fresh, engaging and highly impactful approach to Scripture. His passion for the Word is both contagious and inspirational.” —Roy Peterson, President of American Bible Society

This wonderfully blessed book is designed to comfort and encourage the people of the entire human race that death of the flesh is not only good, it is necessary if we want to be resurrected into the Kingdom of God. Since Jesus died on the cross for the sins of this world, death, hell, and the grave were all conquered at the foot of the cross. Our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ has given His followers the VICTORY to overcome this world and enter gracefully into the everlasting Kingdom of God. Death is an occurrence that most individuals still fear in todays world, especially when old age starts to creep in. It is a known fact that human beings will often fear the unknown. When we learn the truth about what really happens when we die, fear will suddenly leave. This extraordinary book will fully explain what happens when we die in the flesh and leave this earthly realm. Once we've learned the importance of stepping over into eternity, then we will know what a true blessing it is to enter into the presence of God! Jesus voluntarily gave His life on the cross so that you and I could enjoy everlasting life in Gods eternal Kingdom. Dont be left out! We invite you to visit our website at www.EdifyYourSpirit.com where there is a blessing waiting just for you!

What happens when Christians die? Some conclude that purgatory--a place of final purging and purification--is what awaits most believers after death in order to prepare for them to eventually fully enjoy God in heaven. But is purgatory what the Bible teaches? What are the theological implications of purgatory? Is purgatory, as some claim, a rational conclusion based on human freedom and moral transformation? In this introductory consideration to the topic of what Christians experience after death, it will be argued that there are clear biblical, theological, and rational reasons to reject any teaching of purgatory. Rather than anticipating a time of future purgation, the joyful expectation of every Christian is that, at the moment of death, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Safeguarding the distinction between God and world has always been a basic interest of negative theology. But sometimes it has overemphasized divine transcendence in a way that made it difficult to account for the sense of God's present activity and experienced actuality. Criticisms of the Western metaphysics of presence have made this even more difficult to conceive. On the other hand, there has been a widespread attempt in recent years to base all theology on (religious) experience; the Christian church celebrates God's presence in its central sacraments of baptism and Eucharist; process thought has re-conceptualized God's presence in panentheistic terms; and some have argued that God might be poly-present, not omnipresent. But what does it mean to say that God is present or absent? For Jews, Christians, and Moslems alike God is not an inference, an absentee entity of which we can detect only faint traces in our world. On the contrary, God is present reality, indeed the most present of all realities. However, belief in God's presence cannot ignore the widespread experience of God's absence. Moreover, there is little sense in speaking of God's absence if it cannot be distinguished from God's non-presence or non-existence. So how are we to understand the sense of divine presence and absence in religious and everyday life? This is what the essays in this volume explore in the biblical traditions, in Jewish and Christian theology and philosophy, and in contemporary philosophy of religion.