Mystery Of God Mystery Of Christ

"The Mystery of Christ is well-written, displays ample knowledge of issues discussed concerning covenant theology by Baptists and paedobaptists, grounds its arguments in scriptural exegesis and theology, recovers old arguments for a new day, presents a cohesive map of the covenants of Scripture, and exalts our Lord Jesus Christ, the last Adam, throughout." -- from cover review by Richard C. Barcellos

A thoroughgoing examination of Maximus Confessor's singular theological vision through the prism of Christ's cosmic and historical Incarnation. Jordan Daniel Wood changes the trajectory of patristic scholarship with this comprehensive historical and systematic study of one of the most creative and profound thinkers of the patristic era: Maximus Confessor (560-662 CE). Wood's panoramic vantage on Maximus's thought emulates the theological depth of Hans Urs von Balthasar's Cosmic Liturgy while also serving as a corrective to that classic text. Maximus's theological vision may be summed up in his enigmatic assertion that "the Word of God, very God, wills always and in all things to actualize the mystery of his Incarnation." The Whole Mystery of Christ sets out to explicate this claim. Attentive to the various contexts in which Maximus thought and wrote--including the wisdom of earlier church fathers, conciliar developments in Christological and Trinitarian doctrine, monastic and ascetic ways of life, and prominent contemporary philosophical traditions--the book explores the relations between God's act of creation and the Word's historical Incarnation, between the analogy of being and Christology, and between history and the Fall, in addition to treating such topics as grace, deification, theological predication, and the ontology of nature versus personhood. Perhaps uniquely among Christian thinkers, Wood argues, Maximus envisions creatio ex nihilo as creatio ex Deo in the event of the Word's kenosis: the mystery of Christ is the revealed identity of the Word's historical and cosmic Incarnation. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of patristics, historical theology, systematic theology, and Byzantine studies.

How did the apostle John know that, two thousand years after he lived, your life would need a fresh touch from God? How did John know that, at the beginning of a new millennium, our lives would be so busy, our focus so divided, our bodies so tired, our minds so bombarded, our families so attacked, our relationships so strained, our churches so programmed . . . that we would be desperate for the simplicity and the purity, the freedom and the fulfillment of a life lived in Jesus’ name? John probably didn’t know. But God did. That’s why He gives us Jesus! And that’s why, as Anne Graham Lotz reveals, John’s eyewitness account of Jesus’ life is unmistakably relevant to your life today. The same Jesus who turned water into wine is the One who provides for your needs at this very moment. Enter into His life and find your soul refreshed with Living Water. This new edition of Just Give Me Jesus contains an in-depth devotional guide to help you explore the words of John in a personal and practical way, either on your own or in a group. You’ll find inspiration and revelation as you study the Scripture more closely and record your reflections in space provided at the back of the book.

A unique look at Christian biblical interpretation and theology from the perspective of Native American tradition. This book focuses on four specific experiences of Jesus as portrayed in the synoptic gospels. It examines each story as a “vision quest,” a universal spiritual phenomenon, but one of particular importance within North American indigenous communities. Jesus’ experience in the wilderness is the first quest. It speaks to a foundational Native American value: the need to enter into the “we” rather than the “I.” The Transfiguration is the second quest, describing the Native theology of transcendent spirituality that impacts reality and shapes mission. Gethsemane is the third quest. It embodies the Native tradition of the holy men or women, who find their freedom through discipline and concerns for justice, compassion, and human dignity. Golgotha is the final quest. It represents the Native sacrament of sacrifice (e.g., the Sun Dance). The chapter on Golgotha is a discussion of kinship, balance, and harmony: all primary to Native tradition and integral to Christian thought.

How can I know God if he is incomprehensible? Is it possible to know God in a way that takes seriously the fact that he is beyond knowledge? Steven Boyer and Christopher Hall argue that the "mystery of God" has a rightful place in theological discourse. They contend that considering divine incomprehensibility invites reverence and humility in our thinking and living as Christians and clarifies a variety of theological topics. The authors begin by investigating the biblical, historical, and practical foundations for understanding the mystery of God. They then spell out its implications for theological issues and practices such as the incarnation, salvation, and prayer, rooting knowledge of God in a concrete life of faith. Evangelical yet ecumenical, this book will appeal to theology students, pastors, church leaders, and all who want intellectual and practical guidance for knowing the unknowable God.

Now available in English for the first time, Ysabel de Andia’s double exploration of Christian and Hindu mysticism provides a valuable addition to the field. Composed from lectures given in Benares in 2015 to priests of the Missions Étrangères de Paris, Mystery of God, Mystery of Christ combines the two main research interests that have defined de Andia’s career: first, an understanding of Christian mysticism as growing out of the Christian mystery of Christ and the sacrament, and secondly, the relationship between this and Hindu contemplative prayer as articulated by Jules Monchanin. Beginning with the Cappadocian fathers, de Andai traces the developing interpretation of Mystery through Christian thinkers from Origen and Gregory of Nyssa to Basil and Dionysios the Areopagite. From here, she begins to dovetail this study with an exploration of Hindu contemplation, relating the Carmelite mystic St John of the Cross to the Advaitist tradition, especially as expounded by Shankara. Throughout, her masterful understanding of both traditions is apparent. For English readers, her insight will provide a fresh perspective on this lively subject area.

This book considers five major mysteries in the Bible: the mystery of the universe, the mystery of man, the mystery of God, the mystery of Christ, and the mystery of the church.