Red And Blue God Black And Blue Church

A master of satire with a theological black belt, Becky Garrison shines a bright light on hypocrisy from both sides of the political spectrum, exposing how both red and blue Christians hold hostage the teachings of Jesus in service to their own partisan gain. What’s lacking is a true understanding of Christ’s mandate to love all of humanity—including our enemies—which, if honored, would open the door to honest dialogue and understanding that transcends political labels.

Politics isn’t a four-letter word. Everyone’s been at that dinner party. The conversation takes a political turn. The arguments start, the atmosphere grows tense, and all that remains is a hopeless stalemate and an awkward silence. Makes you wonder . . . is thoughtful and productive dialogue about politics even possible? In Honoring God in the Red or Blue, Dr. Amy Black addresses the debaters as well as those intimidated or annoyed by the debaters; political junkies and the contented uninvolved. She explains the purposes and limitations of our system and helps readers create realistic expectations for government. While God’s truth is perfect, human application of it is not, a reality that shouldn’t deter us from engaging in debate and staying informed. Rather, it should challenge us to raise our standards for how we speak about the issues—and those in office. It’s time to approach political divides with an extra measure of grace. Success begins with seeking God’s honor first and foremost, regardless of where we fall on the political spectrum. Don’t limit yourself to chatting about the weather.

From Christian Piatt: "When I was a teenager, my youth minister threw a bible at my head for asking questions." Too often, for various reasons, people don't have the opportunity to ask the hard questions they have about faith, religion, salvation and the bible. And when questions are left unanswered in communities of faith, people either seek answers elsewhere or lose interest all together. The purpose of the series is to collect the most compelling and challenging questions from various theological areas and pose them to a panel of "experts" who are challenged with responding in two hundred words or less in plain English. This volume addresses challenging or controversial questions about scripture collected from people on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking media. Respondents include theology professors, clergy, lay leaders, liberals, conservatives and voices representing a spectrum of views. The idea behind the books is not so much to provide definitive answers as it is to stimulate thought, reflection and discussion. By offering multiple perspectives, readers have the opportunity to arrive at their own questions. Better, they come to understand that questioning faith is not taboo, but rather that it can be at the foundation of a strong and growing faith. The directive given to each respondent guided them to be concise and to speak in plan language, but also not to rely exclusively on "the Bible says it" justifications, or to wax abstract or overly intellectual. Instead, they write from personal experience as much as possible, and provide real-life contexts that will allow the average seeker or churchgoer to apply such ideas to their daily lives.

This book proposes a theology of preaching from the perspective of the poor. Traditional homiletic methodology concentrates on the "how" of preaching. Pastro maintains that the real question for a renewal of preaching is theological, the "who" of the preaching. The center of the "who" is the Triune God living in the poor community.

Evangelical Christianity in the United States is currently in a dramatic state of change. Yet amidst this sometimes tumultuous religious environment a rather unique blend of both ancient and contemporary Christian theology has found its way into the hearts and minds of emerging generations of Christians. The Theology of Dallas Willard both describes and conveys the essence of this increasingly popular and perhaps mediating view of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Blending both a prophetic critique with pastoral encouragement, Willard's unique understanding of the reality present within a life lived as a disciple of Jesus in the kingdom of God is attracting both new and traditional Christians to reconsider their faith.

A challenge has been issued on matters of faith and Becky Garrison meets it head on in this witty yet poignant answer to the Anti-God gurus Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett. Becky Garrison, religious satirist and senior contributing editor for The Wittenberg Door, is taking a stand. Where most Christians assume the character of the Cowardly Lion chanting, "I do believe, I do believe, I do believe," Garrison refuses to simply thrust tracts at these self-proclaimed infidels. Instead, Garrison steels her pen and takes on the ungodly program of the New Atheists, skewering each argument with her sharp satiric wit. Garrison turns aside the atheists' assault without ignoring its real criticisms, namely, the church's inadequate response to war, evolution, medical ethics, social justice, and other important issues in the post-9/11 world.

This collection of essays by American and European authors focuses on the diverse interactions between religious and commercial practices in U.S. history. In essays ranging from colonial American mercantilism to modern megachurches, from literary markets to popular festivals, the authors explore how religious behaviour is shaped by commerce and how commercial practices are informed by religion.

Our culture has been reeling from divisiveness and strife. People have been divided politically (into red and blue states), morally, and spiritually. How can you reach across these rifts, mend fractured relationships, and share the healing love of God? You can become a "purple" Christian-a follower of Christ who finds middle ground, not to compromise but to converse. A purple Christian... embodies the love of God and avoids evangelistic cliches, encourages creativity and the arts as expressions of God's goodness, revels in love and joy but also faces disappointment and doubt honestly advocates for all people, not only the unborn but also those lacking education and health care or struggling with poverty, helps all people experience the benefits of Christ's reign instead of determining who is "in" and who is "out". Christians have become known for what they oppose rather than what they propose-faith, hope, and love. A Purple State of Mind dismantles unhelpful misrepresentations of Jesus' life-giving message and shows how you can live out the good news in a pluralistic world. Book jacket.