To Be A Christian

With 360+ pairs of questions and answers, as well as Scripture references to support each teaching, this catechism instructs new believers and church members in the core beliefs of Christianity from an Anglican perspective.

Written by a team of theologians and teachers comprehensive of the various theological schools within the Anglican tradition, To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism is an in depth but very usable articulation of the Christian faith that will also prove to be a resource for Christians in other traditions. This catechism includes 345 Questions & Answers, with practical applications--all in simple modern English. Each section begins with an explanation especially intended for those with no prior knowledge of Christianity. This superb special edition features bonded leather, gold foil cover, gilt-edge pages, ribbon bookmark, a presentation page, and an Introduction by the eminent theologian JI Packer. In the early church converts underwent systematic teaching, called catechesis, leading up to their baptism. Sadly, the practice of catechizing adults to any degree has declined to the point of ceasing altogether in most of today's churches. To Be a Christian aims to correct this. It is meant as a tool for all comers - the adult inquirer, the new convert, and the long-time believer seeking deeper grounding in the full reality of Christian faith and life. Essential Christian instruction is presented in today's language, drawing on the three traditional foundations of catechesis: The Apostles' Creed, The Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments. Tens of millions of Anglicans on six continents trace their tradition back through the centuries to laymen like William Wilberforce, who led the abolition of the slave trade in England, to the bishops and martyrs of the English Reformation, like Thomas Cranmer, and to missionaries like Augustine of Canterbury and St. Patrick who spread the Gospel throughout the British Isles. A lucid statement of the Apostolic Faith that Anglicans share with all Christians, To Be A Christian is truly a resource for the entire Body of Christ. It is offered with the prayer that it may serve to build up the Body of Christ by helping many to full Christian faith, and faithfulness, in today's increasingly post-Christian world.

Catechesis is an ancient practice of Christian disciple making that uses a simple question-and-answer format to instruct new believers and church members in the core beliefs of Christianity. To Be a Christian, by J. I. Packer and a team of other Anglican leaders, was written to renew this oft-forgotten tradition for today’s Christians. With over 360 questions and answers, plus Scripture references to support each teaching, this catechism covers the full range of Christian doctrine and life, drawing from the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and other important doctrinal summaries. Clear, concise, and conversational, this resource was written for all believers who seek to be grounded more deeply in the truth of God’s Word.

Since the days of the early church, Christians have struggled to find a way to be "good"--to please God by their own efforts. They end up carrying a burden God never intended them to bear. And what's more, their brand of Christianity ends up looking like any other religion of the world--bound by joyless rules and rituals. Fritz Ridenour's study of the book of Romans provides an antidote to the pharisaical spirit and shows that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. It is not people reaching up, but God reaching down. All Christians can enjoy their birthright when they realize who they are in Christ. The result is a life full of hope, joy, power, and potential.

Jesus divided the world into two groups—those who follow him and those who don't. But what happens when someone thinks he or she is a Christian, but isn't? With his witty, engaging style, Mike McKinley takes readers on a journey of what it means to be a Christian. He asserts that "manipulative evangelism techniques and a poor understanding of the gospel have resulted in an abundance of professing Christians who have no idea what it means to follow Christ." Each chapter title begins with "You're not a Christian [if/when/just because you]..." As he surveys what it means to be Christian, McKinley offers criteria for evaluating one's standing before God. Readers are guided through a series of challenges to reflect, repent, remember, and report to another person. Am I Really a Christian? ends with chapters on salvation and the local church. This unique book is written for nominal or new Christians and can be used in personal or small-group study.

A national worship and preaching consultant offers a provocative look at the core elements of Christian faith, articulating centrist, mainline Christianity in a way that is fresh and easy to understand. Original.

Why should one be a Christian? Is there something more to being a Christian than to being human? Just what does it mean to be a Christian, especially in today's modern world? Hans Küng, one of the greatest theologians of this century, ponders these questions and, from a lifetime of study, suggests the answers. He looks carefully at the evidence in the Bible, at the challenges of modern humanisms and of the world-religions, at the questions concerning death, at the local and the universal church, at the individual's own personal decisions, and at the freedom that Christianity brings, including the freedom to serve.On Being a Christian is a vital and important statement about what it means to be a Christian. Hans Küng has himself said of the book, which he regards as his magnum opus, that it intends to "clarify and challenge Christian faith and life at a time when the churches have unfortunately lost rather than gained in credibility. It seeks to bring to light for this present time the original Christian message and particularly the figure of Jesus of Nazareth." The book continues to offer a strong message to today's Christians. As Küng says in the closing of the book, "By following Jesus Christ, people in the world today can live, act, suffer and die in a truly human way; in happiness and unhappiness, life and death, sustained by God and helpful to fellow men and women."