The Cross Of Christ

"I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. . . . In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?" With compelling honesty John Stott confronts readers with the centrality of the cross in God's redemption of our pain-filled world. Can we see triumph in tragedy, victory in shame? Why should an object of Roman distaste and Jewish disgust be the emblem of our worship and the axiom of our faith? And what does it mean for us today? From one of the foremost preachers and Christian leaders of his generation, The Cross of Christ is a classic, accessible, and compelling look at the work of Christ. At the cross Stott finds the majesty and love of God disclosed, the sin and bondage of the world exposed. More than a study of the atonement, this book brings Scripture into living dialogue with Christian theology and contemporary issues. What emerges is a pattern for Christian life and worship, hope and mission. In honor of John Stott's one hundredth birthday, this centennial edition includes an updated foreword by Alister McGrath and a new timeline of Stott's life. A study guide equips individuals and groups to more deeply reflect on and apply the book's message.

Why should the cross--an object of Roman distaste and Jewish disgust--be the emblem of our worship and the axiom of our faith? And what does it mean for us today? In this thoughtful, comprehensive study of Scripture, tradition and the modern world, John R. W. Stott brings you face to face with the centrality of the cross in God's plan of redemption.

John Stott presents Bible studies based on his book The Cross of Christ on the meaning and purpose of the cross in our lives. These thirteen-session LifeGuide® Bible Study provide the ever-increasing understanding of the cross needed by every believer.

The Cross of Jesus, by Father Louis Chardon, O.P. is a two-volume spiritual masterpiece from the seventeenth century. Published in 1647 after Father Chardon had spent many years as a theologian, master of novices and director of souls, this expert theologian explains the Christian's imitation of Christ and transformation in grace by faithfully suffering the crosses which constitute the active and passive purifications of the senses and spirit, leading the soul to consummate holiness. By considering the dark night of the spirit and the soul's progress in perfect charity and contemplation in the light of the mysteries of the Hypostatic Union in Our Lord Jesus Christ, the soul's incorporation into the Mystical Body of Christ, the life of Our Lady, the indwelling of the Holy Trinity and the sublime missions of the Divine Persons into the baptized soul in the state of grace, Father Chardon's work richly complements the writings of the Mystical Doctor, St. John of the Cross. Thus, he contemplates in the light of divine revelation and traditional Catholic doctrine the mysterious relation of ineffable divine peace and voluntarily-embraced suffering, a dynamic which is manifested supremely in the life and Passion of Our Lord and mirrored in a measure in the lives of His saints--as well as in the life of any interior soul striving towards the perfection of the transforming union.To bear and make satisfaction for sin and its terrible effects and to make reparation to God's perfect justice and infinite holiness, the incarnate Word, sent in the greatest mercy as man's Redeemer, was in His Soul ever inclined by His love for God and man towards suffering and the Cross. However, the privations and sufferings which He voluntarily embraced in His consuming love for His Bride, the Church, were means to the rich and complete union which God wills to effect with souls faithful to the Savior and His Cross. Guided by Father Chardon's masterful application of traditional Catholic doctrine, the devout soul can contemplate and adore the mysteries of grace in the Blessed Trinity, Our Lord and Our Lady and strive likewise to conform themselves, thus proceeding more generously and surely in the path of prayer, love and suffering that leads to the highest beatitude and union with the thrice holy God.

In this small gem of theological reflection, North America's foremost "theologian of the cross" offers a profound and compelling contemplation on the relevance of the church's most fundamental confession. Hall ponders what confessing Jesus as crucified means in today's context, one that is postmodern, pluralistic, multicultural, and in some respects post-Christian. A digest of his monumental trilogy, this book lays out in brief compass the heart of Hall's theology of the cross, contrasting it sharply with the theology of established Christianity, showing how it reframes classical Christology and soteriology, and drawing the implications for what it means to be human, for Christian ethics, and for the church.

In Cross-Shattered Christ, theologian Stanley Hauerwas offers a moving reflection on Jesus's final words from the cross. This small and powerful volume is theologically poignant and steeped in humility. Hauerwas's pithy discussion opens our ears to the language of Scripture while opening our hearts to a truer vision of God. Touching in original and surprising ways on subjects such as praying the Psalms and our need to be remembered by Jesus, Hauerwas emphasizes Christ's humanity as well as the sheer "differentness" of God. Ideal for personal devotion during Lent and throughout the year, Cross-Shattered Christ offers a transformative reading of Jesus's words that goes directly to the heart of the gospel.

In this thoughtful, comprehensive study of Scripture, tradition and the modern world, John R. W. Stott brings readers face to face with the centrality of the cross in God's plan of redemption.