Unbelievers

“How has unbelief come to dominate so many Western societies? The usual account invokes the advance of science and rational knowledge. Ryrie’s alternative, in which emotions are the driving force, offers new and interesting insights into our past and present.” —Charles Taylor, author of A Secular Age Why have societies that were once overwhelmingly Christian become so secular? We think we know the answer, pointing to science and reason as the twin culprits, but in this lively, startlingly original reconsideration, Alec Ryrie argues that people embraced unbelief much as they have always chosen their worldviews: through the heart more than the mind. Looking back to the crisis of the Reformation and beyond, he shows how, long before philosophers started to make the case for atheism, powerful cultural currents were challenging traditional faith. As Protestant radicals eroded time-honored certainties and ushered in an age of anger and anxiety, some defended their faith by redefining it in terms of ethics, setting in motion secularizing forces that soon became transformational. Unbelievers tells a powerful emotional history of doubt with potent lessons for our own angry and anxious times. “Well-researched and thought-provoking...Ryrie is definitely on to something right and important.” —Christianity Today “A beautifully crafted history of early doubt...Unbelievers covers much ground in a short space with deep erudition and considerable wit.” —The Spectator “Ryrie traces the root of religious skepticism to the anger, the anxiety, and the ‘desperate search for certainty’ that drove thinkers like...John Donne to grapple with church dogma.” —New Yorker

This study of the Qur'an arises from an interest in a pressing contemporary issue, the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims ('the Ummah and the Other'). This text explores how the Qur'an comments on this relationship as it changed in the course of Muhammad's ministry. Particular attention is paid to the portrayal in the Meccan 'punishment-narratives' of a fascinating and complex triangular relationship between God, the powerless and persecuted believing community with Muhammad at its centre, and the unbelieving Meccans who rejected Muhammad's preaching. The text raising questions about the possible contemporary relevance of this analysis, focusing firstly on discussions about the appropriate models for Islamic society today, and secondly on dialogue between Christians and Muslims. This book presents a detailed and illuminating analysis of many important Qur'anic themes and passages, and offers a coherent and original account of significant developments within the thought of the Qur'an as a whole.

Life has its consequences. After repeated warning, certain people find themselves in the most unexpected place...after death.

How should Christians conduct themselves in an increasingly secular society? Jesus answered this troubling question on the eve of His death with some of the most poignant, powerful teaching in His entire ministry. During those hours He taught His apostles and, consequently, all believers throughout history, How To Survive in a World of Unbelievers. Respected pastor, teacher, and author John MacArthur, plumbs the depths of Jesus' final words of encouragement to us, based on John 13-16. By studying this valuable book, you will find answers to these and other difficult questions: How can you remain pure-hearted and spiritually sound in a church seemingly full of hypocrites? How do you help your children stay morally pure when they want to "fit in" with school friends who prefer objectionable activites? How can you keep your family anchored to Christ in a society that is drifting far away from His teaching on family issues, such as divorce, homosexuality and abortion? How do you retain your Christian ethics when you boss asks you to lie or cheat? How can you keep your life focused on glorifying Christ in a society that proclaims self, pride, and personal achievement as marks of success?