Theology Books - Page 2

The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore

Deepak Chopra

Amazon Price: $16.32 List Price: $24.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harmony Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $14.52

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Authors, A-Z -> Chopra, Deepak
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Christology
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Spirituality -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 86 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Who is Jesus Christ?

In The Third Jesus, bestselling author and spiritual leader Deepak Chopra provides an answer to this question that is both a challenge to current systems of belief and a fresh perspective on what Jesus can teach us all, regardless of our religious background. There is not one Jesus, Chopra writes, but three.

First, there is the historical Jesus, the man who lived more than two thousand years ago and whose teachings are the foundation of Christian theology and thought. Next there is Jesus the Son of God, who has come to embody an institutional religion with specific dogma, a priesthood, and devout believers. And finally, there is the third Jesus, the cosmic Christ, the spiritual guide whose teaching embraces all humanity, not just the church built in his name. He speaks to the individual who wants to find God as a personal experience, to attain what some might call grace, or God-consciousness, or enlightenment.

When we take Jesus literally, we are faced with the impossible. How can we truly “love thy neighbor as thyself”? But when we see the exhortations of Jesus as invitations to join him on a higher spiritual plane, his words suddenly make sense.

Ultimately, Chopra argues, Christianity needs to overcome its tendency to be exclusionary and refocus on being a religion of personal insight and spiritual growth. In this way Jesus can be seen for the universal teacher he truly is–someone whose teachings of compassion, tolerance, and understanding can embrace and be embraced by all of us.

The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics

C. S. Lewis

Amazon Price: $17.79 List Price: $26.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperOne Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $15.08

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Authors, A-Z -> ( L ) -> Lewis, C.S.
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Classics -> General AAS
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 78 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Awesome book. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have not finished reading the whole thing, but I have read three of the books included already. This man was a genius.

Wonderful Investment 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

An awesome, moving, collection of books. I am a changed man for reading his works.

This book is HUGE! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I usually know when my husband is asleep when he drops his book, which usually lands on my head. As he climbed in bed with this HUGE text-book sized book, he said to me, "Been nice knowin' ya."
It's neat to have all CS Lewis' books together in one place, but this thing really is huge. Too heavy to hold to read comfortably unless you're at a desk and it's laying flat. Or maybe if you're sitting up and it can lay in your lap. But for snuggly bedtime reading, no go. (Except it will put you to sleep since it takes so much concentration to understand Lewis' deepth of thinking.)

Editorial Review:

Seven Spiritual Masterworks by C. S. Lewis

This classic collection includes C. S. Lewis's most important spiritual works:

Mere Christianity
The Screwtape Letters
The Great Divorce
The Problem of Pain
Miracles
A Grief Observed
The Abolition of Man

Mother Angelica's Private and Pithy Lessons from the Scriptures

Raymond Arroyo

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Doubleday Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $9.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Bible & Other Sacred Texts -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Bible & Other Sacred Texts -> General AAS
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Catholicism -> Inspirational

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Word is made fresh by the irrepressible Mother Angelica as she personally escorts you through the Scriptures, unearthing lessons for daily living--the perfect companion to the New York Times bestselling Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality.

The founder of the world's largest religious media empire shares her beloved wit and down-to-earth spirituality in MOTHER ANGELICA'S PRIVATE AND PITHY LESSONS FROM THE SCRIPTURES. Editor Raymond Arroyo draws on hundreds of never-before-released private lessons to present the renowned nun's definitive take on the Good Book. Angelica provides readers with guided meditations, probing personal questions, and reveals an often-overlooked practical spirituality. She doesn't just explain the stories, she relates them to our daily lives, helping even those who've never opened the Bible experience its power and life-altering lessons. The apostles Paul ("the little shrimp"), Peter ("that great bungler") and all the characters of the Scriptures are suddenly human again, complete with their foibles and triumphs. Here is the Greatest Story, newly told as only Mother Angelica can. The Bible and you will never be the same.

A portion of the royalties from this book goes to support the work of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery

23 Minutes in Hell

Bill Wiese

Amazon Price: $10.39 List Price: $12.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Charisma House Amazon Marketplace: 81 new & used starting at $6.84

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> General AAS
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Eschatology

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 191 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Avoid This Book 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Written by Bill Wiese, '23 Minutes In Hell' purports to be his story of the author's brief visit to hell.

Admittedly, I was skeptical about the book before I started reading it. That only intensified as I read Wiese's book. Essentially, he claims that he was taken from his house, transported to hell, tortured, observed all kinds of demonic activity, and then was brought back by Jesus personally and had a conversation with Him.

Obviously, no one except Wiese and God know the truth for sure. Here are some things that we can consider. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man died and was buried. He then had a conversation with Abraham and asked to have Lazarus go and warn his brothers about hell. He wanted them to avoid his fate. Abraham replied: 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' Are we to think that although we are told that unbelievers will not believe even if someone rises from the dead, they will take the word of a California realtor?

In the book, Wiese claims that Jesus made it so that he would not remember he was a Christian during his trip to hell. One wonders how that correlates with Titus 1:2 which indicates that God does not lie.

Another claim made by Wiese is that in his converation with Jesus, he was told that he was taken to hell so that he would spread the message that He would be returning 'very soon' - that time was running out. Wiese says that he should have asked Jesus how long. The Scriptures tell us clearly that only the Father knows the time of his return.

Another consideration is that the whole point of Mr. Wiese's 'testimony' is his claim of a special revelation from God. This implies that the general revelation of God's word is insufficient. One might ponder how that fits with Revelation 22:18-19 which clearly warns not to add or take away from the words of 'this book of prophecy'. It gives very clear consequences for such action.

My advice for Christians would be to avoid this book like the plague and certainly not recommend it to others.

Editorial Review:

What is hell like, and how does one avoid an eternity of torment? Bill Wiese shares his unforgettable experience during which God allowed him to see and feel the agony people endure in hell.

Wiese's visit to the devil's lair lasted just twenty-three minutes, but he returned from this with vivid details etched in his memory. He records an accurate account of his experience in this book, presenting more than three hundred scriptures that verify the horrors he endured and observed.

Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate

Jerry Bridges

Amazon Price: $12.91 List Price: $18.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: NavPress Publishing Group Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $12.12

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> General AAS
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Ethics

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Challenging book 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Bought this book for a men's group Bible study at my church. It was personally challenging and led to lively discussion over sins we accept.

Editorial Review:

As Christians, we believe that all sins are considered equal in God's eyes. Yet while evangelicals continue to decry the Big Ones--such as abortion, adultery, and violence--we often overlook more deceptive sins.

It seems we have created a sliding scale where gossip, jealousy, and selfishness comfortably exist within the church. In short, some sins have simply become acceptable.

Acclaimed author Jerry Bridges believes that just as culture has lost the concept of sin, the church faces the same danger. Jerry writes not from a sense of achievement, but from the trenches of his own personal battles. Drawing from scriptural truth, he sheds light on subtle behaviors that can derail our spiritual growth.

Throughout, Jerry encourages victory over personal sin through the gospel's transforming power. This release is perfect for readers who long to thoughtfully examine their lives and discover a deeper walk with God.

The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief

Francis S. Collins

Amazon Price: $10.20 List Price: $15.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Free Press Amazon Marketplace: 89 new & used starting at $4.07

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Reference -> Theology -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Apologetics
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Philosophy

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 303 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An Honest Discussion by a Leading Scientist 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Francis Collins is perhaps the world's leading scientist. His writing defeats the myth that science and religion are not compatible. They actually are similar in methodology and in their concern for truth.

Editorial Review:

Dr. Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, is one of the world's leading scientists. He works at the cutting edge of the study of DNA, the code of life. Yet he is also a man of unshakable faith in God and scripture.

Dr. Collins believes that faith in God and faith in science can coexist within a person and be harmonious. In The Language of God he makes his case for God and for science. He has heard every argument against faith from scientists, and he can refute them. He has also heard the needless rejection of scientific truths by some people of faith, and he can counter that, too. He explains his own journey from atheism to faith, and then takes readers for a stunning tour of modern science to show that physics, chemistry, and biology can all fit together with belief in God and the Bible. The Language of God is essential reading for anyone who wonders about the deepest questions of faith: Why are we here? How did we get here? What does life mean?

Jesus of Nazareth

Pope Benedict XVI

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Ignatius Press Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $9.10

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Catholic
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Christology
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 154 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Now in Paperback, with a new Index!

In this bold, momentous work, Joseph Ratzinger--in his first book written since he became Pope--seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from recent "popular" depictions and to restore Jesus' true identity as discovered in the Gospels. Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal conviction as a believer, the Pope shares a rich, compelling, flesh-and-blood portrait of Jesus and invites us to encounter, face-to-face, the central figure of the Christian faith.

From Jesus of Nazareth: "the great question that will be with us throughout this entire book: What did Jesus actually bring, if not world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has he brought?

The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God! He has brought the God who formerly unveiled his countenance gradually first to Abraham, then to Moses and the Prophets, and then in the Wisdom Literature--the God who revealed his face only in Israel, even though he was also honored among the pagans in various shadowy guises. It is this God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the true God, whom he has brought to the peoples of the earth.

He has brought God, and now we know his face, now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beings have to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about where we are going and where we come from: faith, hope, and love."

The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Bollingen Series, No. 17)

Joseph Campbell

List Price: $16.95 By: Princeton University Press Amazon Marketplace: 191 new & used starting at $2.50

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Fairy Tales
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> Mythology -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> Mythology -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 110 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Joseph Campbell's classic cross-cultural study of the hero's journey has inspired millions and opened up new areas of research and exploration. Originally published in 1949, the book hit the New York Times best-seller list in 1988 when it became the subject of The Power of Myth, a PBS television special.

The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers not only the patterns and stages of mythology but also its relevance to our lives today--and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence.

Myth, according to Campbell, is the projection of a culture's dreams onto a large screen; Campbell's book, like Star Wars, the film it helped inspire, is an exploration of the big-picture moments from the stage that is our world. It is a must-have resource for both experienced students of mythology and the explorer just beginning to approach myth as a source of knowledge.

Great Emergence, The: How Christianity Is Changing and Why (emersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith)

Phyllis Tickle

Amazon Price: $12.23 List Price: $17.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Baker Books Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $11.20

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> General AAS
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Noticed the serious problems with her thesis? 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

There simply is no real evidence to support her thesis. Gregory the Great as the creator of a great emergence of monasticism? Nonsense. Monasticism emerged in the 3rd century and there was a slow but steady growth of the church and of monasticism throughout the first 1,500 years. Gregory the Great was famous for lots of things. But there was no Great Emergence.

And can the schism between the Latin and Eastern churches be called a "Great Emergence"? What the heck emerged? No theology, no new moral changes; indeed, many of the various Eastern churches quietly returned to full communion with the Roman church without any noticeable changes. So, mostly, it was a political spat.

No, there is only one era that could be called a "Great Emergence" and that was the Protestant reformation. And I cannot see how you can take that one instance and call it a trend for change every 500 years.

Moreover, although Tickle is a good writer and she posits a number of intriguing theories, she is crippled by her narrow viewpoint. Again and again she mistakes a small number of liberal believers in America for the world itself.

The growth in religion is in places like Africa and Asia. There, membership is extraordinary, an explosion unimaginable here in America or in the new dark continent for religion: Europe. And it is an explosion of traditional religion, conservative, orthodox religion.

Moreover, what emergence is even going on here? Liberal denominations are shrinking to size of peas and blowing away. Surely she can't think anything will come from the ranks of those ancient citizens--feminist nuns in their 70's, gay bishops lording it over nonexistent churchgoers, and hippie theologians no one reads anymore. Are you kidding?

No, what is emerging here in the US is...ta dum...no religion. If you look at the statistics for the young--that is, the future--you find a group of theological illiterates. Bookstores are stocked with books on wicca, psychics, magic crystals, revivals of pagan religions, and magical books on how to believe your way to great wealth.

A "Great Emergence" it is not.

Editorial Review:

Rooted in the observation that massive transitions in the church happen about every 500 years, Phyllis Tickle shows readers that we live in such a time right now. She compares the Great Emergence to other "Greats" in the history of Christianity, including the Great Transformation (when God walked among us), the time of Gregory the Great, the Great Schism, and the Great Reformation. Combining history, a look at the causes of social upheaval, and current events, The Great Emergence shows readers what the Great Emergence in church and culture is, how it came to be, and where it is going. Anyone who is interested in the future of the church in America, no matter what their personal affiliation, will find this book a fascinating exploration.

Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church

N. T. Wright

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperOne Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $12.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( W ) -> Wright, N.T.
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Eschatology
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

For years Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven.

Award-winning author N. T. Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian's future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright, who is one of today's premier Bible scholars, asserts that Christianity's most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection. He provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus and shows how this became the cornerstone for the Christian community's hope in the bodily resurrection of all people at the end of the age. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth," revealing what happens to the dead until then and what will happen with the "second coming" of Jesus. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise.

Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation—and if this has already begun in Jesus's resurrection—the church cannot stop at "saving souls" but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life.

Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life, not only after death but before it.