Faithful Living: discipleship, creed, and ethics

by Michael Leyden

Overview

How can the things we do and say in Church impact our lives and shape the decisions we make on a daily basis? What kind of life is implied for people who believe the things that Christians believe?


Faithful Living attempts to think through these questions and considers the formational impact worship can have on Christian ethics, and therefore on the lives of Christian disciples. It focuses on one of the Church’s regular practices, reciting the Nicene Creed, and offers an ethical commentary on the Creed’s key ideas and themes, challenging Christians from all traditions to think through their faith in order to live faith-fully before God. In so doing, it seeks to hold Christian belief and practice (what are often more formally called doctrine and practice) together. 


Each chapter addresses one clause from the Creed, attending to its theological meaning, before turning to the ethical implications associated with it. 


Topics include community, food, politics, disability, suffering, hope, discernment, and catechesis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780334058199
Publisher:	Hymns Ancient & Modern
Publication date:	12/30/2019
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.37(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Revd Dr Michael Leyden is Dean of Emmanuel Theological College, UK, and the author of Faithful Living.

Table of Contents

Preface 1 Nicene Creed 8 1. Ethics by Implication 9 2. ‘We Believe in God’: Community and Morality 29 3. ‘Maker of Heaven and Earth’: Consuming Our Fellow Creatures 51 4. ‘In One Lord, Jesus Christ’: Political Responsibility 75 5. ‘Conceived of the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary’: Disability and Humanity 95 6. ‘Suffered Death and was Buried’: Suffering 116 7. ‘On the Third Day He Rose Again’: Hope and Moral Vision 132 8. ‘The Lord and Giver of Life’: The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life 148 9. ‘Communion of Saints, Forgiveness of Sins’: The Church and Practical Catechesis 165 Bibliography 183 Index of Biblical References Index of Names and Subjects

Editorial Reviews

"In this book Leyden makes a persuasive case for the decisive importance of ethics for Christian discipleship, and doctrine for Christian ethics. His engaging reflections illuminate how core Christian beliefs are connected to everyday questions of how Christians should work together, eat, vote, and empower those with disabilities, as well as how they should think about euthanasia, hope, prayer, and worship."

David Clough

In the theological academy, doctrine is often divorced from ethics and in the church, belief and worship from action. Michael Leyden does us all a great favour by bringing them together, showing how Christian life flows from and is an integral part of Christian faith. This is a book that can help Christians live more integrated and coherent lives as they listen again to the claim of Jesus Christ on the whole of human life.

Graham Tomlin

Michael Leyden mines a fresh seam into the richness of our spiritual and theological inheritance. He digs deep into the doctrines of the Nicene Creed to bring the precious ores of the Christian faith into the testing fires of 21st century ethics. He is an insightful teacher and writer, scholar and parish priest; he integrates doctrine and ethics with the skill of a master blacksmith. History demonstrates that the most enduring works of theology are crafted at the coal face. I have faith that Michael’s writing will be no exception.

Jill Duff