A Faith of Your Own: Naming What You Really Believe

by Ronald J. Allen

Overview

A faith should be a living thing. What we believe necessarily evolves in response to insights into the Bible, to questions or doubts we face, to changes in life circumstances, or to things that happen in the larger world. Nevertheless, Christians often find it helpful to identify what they can most fully believe at a given moment. Such clarity empowers the present and leads us toward the future. Such moments can also be mile markers by which we measure our faith journey.

In each chapter the first section lists the most common ways a certain topic is understood in the Bible. The second section identifies important ways the church has interpreted that topic since the Bible's inception. The third section introduces contemporary perspectives. With that foundational knowledge, readers can make a judgment as to which viewpoints seem more or less persuasive to them personally. Finally, each chapter ends with questions for reflection for individuals or small groups.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611640298
Publisher:	Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date:	01/25/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Ronald J. Allen is Nettie Sweeney and Hugh Th. Miller Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of numerous books about preaching and about the New Testament, including The Life of Jesus for Today.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

1 Resources for Developing a Faith 1

2 God 15

3 Jesus Christ 29

4 The Holy Spirit 43

5 The Trinity 55

6 God's Ultimate Purposes 69

7 The Church 83

8 Evil 97

9 Christianity and Other Religions 113

Final Exercise: Formulating a Faith of Your Own 127

Notes 137

Selected Bibliography 143