Thinking Christianity

This book examines the work of Czech philosopher Jan Patočka from the largely neglected perspective of religion. Patočka is known primarily for his work in phenomenology and ancient Greek philosophy, and also as a civil rights activist and critic of modernity. In this book, Martin Koci shows Patočka also maintained a persistent and increasing interest in Christianity. Thinking Faith after Christianity examines the theological motifs in Patočka's work and brings his thought into discussion with recent developments in phenomenology, making a case for Patočka as a forerunner to what has become known as the theological turn in continental philosophy. Koci systematically examines his thoughts on the relationship between theology and philosophy, and his perennial struggle with the idea of crisis. For Patočka, modernity, metaphysics, and Christianity were all in different kinds of crises, and Koci demonstrates how his work responded to those crises creatively, providing new insights on theology understood as the task of thinking and living transcendence in a problematic world. It perceives the un-thought element of Christianity--what Patočka identified as its greatest resource and potential--not as a weakness, but as a credible way to ponder Christian faith and the Christian mode of existence after the proclaimed death of God and the end of metaphysics.

Throughout Church history, a lack of clear thought has been the chief cause of heresy: wherever indifference to doctrine and theology has arisen, neglect and rejection have soon followed. Christianity today faces a crisis in thinking: there is both an indifference toward, and neglect of, serious thought about Christian doctrine and theology. Instead, personal experience has been given primacy. Thinking Christianity attempts to reverse this popular attitude and forestall the rejection of the Christian gospel that will otherwise inevitably follow. Author Daniel Klassen covers two aspects of thinking in the Christian faith: the necessity for thinking, and the need for proper thinking. Addressing the first aspect, he answers questions such as “Why should Christians think?”, “Is faith reasonable and rational?”, “How do we know God?”, and “How do we know the truth?”. Addressing the second aspect, he explores foundational beliefs for the Christian faith, covering questions such as, “What is salvation?”, “What is sanctification?”, How do we gain assurance?”, and “What does it mean to worship God?”. Throughout the book, he attempts to answer these questions with clarity and truthfulness by expounding Scripture, using historical examples from the Reformation, and exploring philosophical ideas. This clearly reasoned, timely book will help Christians live in assurance and confidence in God—and preserve the gospel for future generations.

Inspired by C.S. Lewis’s classic Mere Christianity, the renowned Christian author presents a bold new vision of faith in modern times. In 1952, C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity turned the tide of public debate surrounding the validity of Christian faith. In a series of essays, Lewis made compelling arguments for the existence of God and the divinity of Jesus, answering popular criticisms of the era. Now author Michael Phillips takes up the mantle, going beyond “mere” Christianity to present intellectually rigorous faith as an essential component of contemporary life. Once an avowed atheist, Lewis found spiritual inspiration in the spiritual writings of George MacDonald. As the leading authority on MacDonald’s work, Michael Phillips draws from the same wellspring of wisdom to provide an equally stimulating examination of Christian theology.

The Christian faith is often charged with being outmoded and anachronistic. A monolithic institution rooted in the past, many critics have claimed that it lacks the resources to adapt to modern society's needs and advances. In "Rethinking Christianity", Keith Ward argues persuasively that this view is not only uncharitable, but refuted by historical evidence. Mapping the evolution of six major beliefs, from the Hellenistic restatement to the challenged of evolutionary theory, Ward demonstrates that Christianity has always been expressed in constantly changing ways in response to new knowledge and understandings of the world. Controversial, liberal, and confronting the principal questions facing Christianity today, Ward uses this basis to support the construction of his own ground-breaking theology: a 'systematic theology' for the post-scientific age.

Winner of the 2020 Emerging Scholar’s Theological Book Prize presented by the European Society for Catholic Theology This book examines the work of Czech philosopher Jan Patočka from the largely neglected perspective of religion. Patočka is known primarily for his work in phenomenology and ancient Greek philosophy, and also as a civil rights activist and critic of modernity. In this book, Martin Koci shows Patočka also maintained a persistent and increasing interest in Christianity. Thinking Faith after Christianity examines the theological motifs in Patočka's work and brings his thought into discussion with recent developments in phenomenology, making a case for Patočka as a forerunner to what has become known as the theological turn in continental philosophy. Koci systematically examines his thoughts on the relationship between theology and philosophy, and his perennial struggle with the idea of crisis. For Patočka, modernity, metaphysics, and Christianity were all in different kinds of crises, and Koci demonstrates how his work responded to those crises creatively, providing new insights on theology understood as the task of thinking and living transcendence in a problematic world. It perceives the un-thought element of Christianity—what Patočka identified as its greatest resource and potential—not as a weakness, but as a credible way to ponder Christian faith and the Christian mode of existence after the proclaimed death of God and the end of metaphysics.

Seth Andrews wasn't an idiot during his thirty years as an evangelical Christian. He wasn't unintelligent, nor did his IQ shift when he ultimately left religion entirely. He considered himself thoughtful, moral, reasonable, and at least as smart as the average person. In other words, he wasn't an idiot. Yet strangely, he often sounded like one. In any other context, Christians would likely smirk, scoff, or recoil at many of their "normal" beliefs and practices: reenacted Easter crucifixions, eating monthly communion "flesh," singing hymns about being washed in blood, and the embrace of a Bible containing scripture verses about golden hemorrhoids, apocalypse dragons, and human sacrifice, So what gives? Are these notions embraced only because they're familiar? Do they make any sense? And do they cause otherwise reasonable people to sound like idiots? Seth Andrews admits that, for himself, the answer was a definite yes. For everyone else? Read the book and decide.

Black-and-white thinking is a common form of thinking with individuals. All or nothing. Good or bad. Right or wrong. With black-and-white thinking, there is rarely any middle ground or gray area. While many people see this as a negative pattern of thinking, there is reason to see black-and-white thinking as reflecting God, who presents himself as being black-and-white in the Old Testament. Created in His Image, many reflect God's black and white thinking in their interpretations, perspectives, and speech. Yet God is also relational, as emphasized in the New Testament. The Black-and-White Thinking Christian is a resource for black and white thinkers (BWTs) and those who are in relationship with them. This book helps the reader see black and white thinking through a biblical lens and offers practical wisdom for marriage, emotions, and daily living.

This user-friendly guide will equip Christian students to apply their faith in various academic fields and make the most of their education.