John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, The Lord’s calling a basis of our way of life, III.X.6 (John T. McNeill ed., Ford Lewis Battles trans., Westminster Press 1960) (1559).
Chapter X, section 6 is a classic formulation of the Protestant idea of “calling.” Note that Institutes is available online here.
Showing posts with label Strengthening Your Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strengthening Your Faith. Show all posts
A Lawyer’s Miscellany: Scriptural Resources for Christian Lawyers
Joseph A. Allegretti, A Lawyer’s Miscellany: Scriptural Resources for Christian Lawyers, 26 Fordham Urb. L. J. 1183 (1999).
Can a Good Christian be a Good Lawyer?
Can a Good Christian be a Good Lawyer?: Homilies, Witnesses, and Reflections (Thomas E. Baker & Timothy W. Floyd eds., 1998).
From the publisher: Law professors Thomas E. Baker and Timothy W. Floyd asked some of their legal colleagues to respond to this provocative question: “Can a good Christian be a good lawyer?” Here are twenty-one highly personal narratives that answer the question of how each writer tries, sometimes but not always successfully, to be both a good Christian and a good lawyer. How does a lawyer called to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ reconcile his or her faith with the secular calling to the legal profession? The editors did not set out to provide some kind of final resolution or unified consensus. Instead, they have compiled a remarkable collection of reflections by lawyers, judges, and academics who represent many different branches of Christianity. The reader is likely to find many role models to emulate and the inspiration to continue to fight the good fight in these accounts grounded in legal and Christian thought. Reading about these real-life ethical dilemmas, conflicting loyalties, and personal difficulties offers the reassurance that others have shared their ongoing struggle to rhyme their career with their faith. Although every lawyer will find Can a Good Christian Be a Good Lawyer? especially meaningful, these essays speak to all persons of faith who strive to practice their beliefs in their work.
From the publisher: Law professors Thomas E. Baker and Timothy W. Floyd asked some of their legal colleagues to respond to this provocative question: “Can a good Christian be a good lawyer?” Here are twenty-one highly personal narratives that answer the question of how each writer tries, sometimes but not always successfully, to be both a good Christian and a good lawyer. How does a lawyer called to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ reconcile his or her faith with the secular calling to the legal profession? The editors did not set out to provide some kind of final resolution or unified consensus. Instead, they have compiled a remarkable collection of reflections by lawyers, judges, and academics who represent many different branches of Christianity. The reader is likely to find many role models to emulate and the inspiration to continue to fight the good fight in these accounts grounded in legal and Christian thought. Reading about these real-life ethical dilemmas, conflicting loyalties, and personal difficulties offers the reassurance that others have shared their ongoing struggle to rhyme their career with their faith. Although every lawyer will find Can a Good Christian Be a Good Lawyer? especially meaningful, these essays speak to all persons of faith who strive to practice their beliefs in their work.
Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life
Os Guinness, The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life (Word 1998).
This book is divided into 26 chapters for easy use as a devotional guide.
From the publisher (1998 edition): Os Guinness has penned a classic reflective work on life's purpose. Far bigger than our jobs and accomplishments and higher than our wildest ideas of self-fulfillment, our calling does more than give purpose and meaning to our lives--it completes God's plan for us.
Note: An updated edition was published in 2003 that includes a workbook for individual or group study.
This book is divided into 26 chapters for easy use as a devotional guide.
From the publisher (1998 edition): Os Guinness has penned a classic reflective work on life's purpose. Far bigger than our jobs and accomplishments and higher than our wildest ideas of self-fulfillment, our calling does more than give purpose and meaning to our lives--it completes God's plan for us.
Note: An updated edition was published in 2003 that includes a workbook for individual or group study.
Mere Christianity
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Macmillan Co. 1943).
A forceful and accessible discussion of Christian belief that has become one of the most popular introductions to Christianity and one of the most popular of Lewis's books. Uncovers common ground upon which all Christians can stand together. (From Harpers Collins Publishers).
A forceful and accessible discussion of Christian belief that has become one of the most popular introductions to Christianity and one of the most popular of Lewis's books. Uncovers common ground upon which all Christians can stand together. (From Harpers Collins Publishers).
The Abolition of Man
C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (London, Oxford University Press, H. Milford 1943).
From the back cover: In this graceful work, C. S. Lewis reflects on society and nature and the challenges of how best to educate our children. He eloquently argues that we need as a society to underpin reading and writing with lessons on morality and in the process both educate and re-educate ourselves. In the words of Walter Hooper, "If someone were to come to me and say that, with the exception of the Bible, everyone on earth was going to be required to read one and the same book, and then ask what it should be, I would with no hesitation say The Abolition of Man. It is the most perfectly reasoned defense of Natural Law (Morality) I have ever seen, or believe to exist. If any book is able to save us from future excesses of folly and evil, it is this book."
From the back cover: In this graceful work, C. S. Lewis reflects on society and nature and the challenges of how best to educate our children. He eloquently argues that we need as a society to underpin reading and writing with lessons on morality and in the process both educate and re-educate ourselves. In the words of Walter Hooper, "If someone were to come to me and say that, with the exception of the Bible, everyone on earth was going to be required to read one and the same book, and then ask what it should be, I would with no hesitation say The Abolition of Man. It is the most perfectly reasoned defense of Natural Law (Morality) I have ever seen, or believe to exist. If any book is able to save us from future excesses of folly and evil, it is this book."
Roger Williams: The Church and the State
Edmund Morgan, Roger Williams: The Church and the State (1967).
From the publisher: A classic of its kind, Edmund S. Morgan's Roger Williams skillfully depicts the intellectual life of the man who, after his expulsion in 1635 from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, founded what would become Rhode Island. As Morgan re-creates the evolution of Williams's thoughts on the nature of the church and the state, he captures with characteristic economy and precision the institutions that informed Williams's worldview, from the Protestant church in England to the Massachusetts government in the seventeenth century. In doing so, Morgan reveals the origins of a perennial—and heated—American debate, told through the ideas of one of the most brilliant polemicists on the subject, a man whose mind, as Morgan describes, "drove him to examine accepted ideas and carry them to unacceptable conclusions." Forty years after its first publication, Roger Williams remains essential reading for anyone interested in the church, the state, and the right relation of the two.
From the publisher: A classic of its kind, Edmund S. Morgan's Roger Williams skillfully depicts the intellectual life of the man who, after his expulsion in 1635 from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, founded what would become Rhode Island. As Morgan re-creates the evolution of Williams's thoughts on the nature of the church and the state, he captures with characteristic economy and precision the institutions that informed Williams's worldview, from the Protestant church in England to the Massachusetts government in the seventeenth century. In doing so, Morgan reveals the origins of a perennial—and heated—American debate, told through the ideas of one of the most brilliant polemicists on the subject, a man whose mind, as Morgan describes, "drove him to examine accepted ideas and carry them to unacceptable conclusions." Forty years after its first publication, Roger Williams remains essential reading for anyone interested in the church, the state, and the right relation of the two.
Can Man Live Without God?
Ravi K. Zacharias, Can Man Live Without God? (1994).
From the publisher: In this brilliant and compelling defense of the Christian faith, Ravi Zacharias shows how affirming the reality of God's existence matters urgently in our everyday lives. According to Zacharias, how you answer the questions of God's existence will impact your relationship with others, your commitment to integrity, your attitude toward morality and your perception of truth.
From the publisher: In this brilliant and compelling defense of the Christian faith, Ravi Zacharias shows how affirming the reality of God's existence matters urgently in our everyday lives. According to Zacharias, how you answer the questions of God's existence will impact your relationship with others, your commitment to integrity, your attitude toward morality and your perception of truth.
Faith and the Law
Symposium, Faith and the Law, 27 Tex. Tech. L. Rev. 911 (1996).
More than forty lawyers and law professors share how their faiths have influenced their practice and lives in the law.
More than forty lawyers and law professors share how their faiths have influenced their practice and lives in the law.
The Relevance of Religion to a Lawyer’s Work: An Interfaith Conference
Symposium, The Relevance of Religion to a Lawyer’s Work: An Interfaith Conference, 66 Fordham L. Rev. 1075 (1998).
From the Foreword by Russell G. Pearce: Interest in the relevance of religion to a lawyer's work is no longer limited to a small group of legal academics. Religious lawyering today become a full fledged movement drawing upon a sizeable and significant body of scholarship, and attracting the attention of a growing number of lawyers and judges. In bringing together lawyers, legal scholars, clergy, and theologians from a variety of faiths including no faith at all-to examine the implications of religion for lawyers, this conference marks another milestone for the religion and lawyering movement. It offers a comprehensive series of articles and essays exploring the implications of religion for lawyering with regard to both broad theoretical issues and specific ethical questions. It also offers a series of agendas for scholarship, teaching, bar programs, and congregational activities.
Note: The table of contents for this Fordham Law Review symposium article is available here.
From the Foreword by Russell G. Pearce: Interest in the relevance of religion to a lawyer's work is no longer limited to a small group of legal academics. Religious lawyering today become a full fledged movement drawing upon a sizeable and significant body of scholarship, and attracting the attention of a growing number of lawyers and judges. In bringing together lawyers, legal scholars, clergy, and theologians from a variety of faiths including no faith at all-to examine the implications of religion for lawyers, this conference marks another milestone for the religion and lawyering movement. It offers a comprehensive series of articles and essays exploring the implications of religion for lawyering with regard to both broad theoretical issues and specific ethical questions. It also offers a series of agendas for scholarship, teaching, bar programs, and congregational activities.
Note: The table of contents for this Fordham Law Review symposium article is available here.
Knowing Scripture
R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture (InterVarsity Press 1977).
Note: An updated edition was published in 2009, of which the publisher writes: The Bible is the written Word of God, and it is treasured by many. But it is also an ancient book about people and cultures very different than us. Thus, while we know we should read it, many of us have a hard time understanding the Bible. In this updated edition of Knowing Scripture, R. C. Sproul helps us dig out the meaning of Scripture for ourselves. The author says, "The theme of this book is not how to read the Bible but how to study the Bible." He presents in simple, basic terms a commonsense approach to studying Scripture and gives eleven practical guidelines for biblical interpretation and applying what we learn. With a minimum of technical jargon, Sproul tackles some of the knotty questions regarding differences of interpreting the Bible, including
• discovering the meanings of biblical words
• understanding Hebrew poetry, proverbs and parables
• approaching historical and didactic passages
• being careful with predictive prophecy
• discerning how culture conditions the Bible
• choosing and using Bible translations, commentaries, Bible software and other helps
Knowing Scripture is a basic book for both beginning Bible readers and experienced students of Scripture.
Note: An updated edition was published in 2009, of which the publisher writes: The Bible is the written Word of God, and it is treasured by many. But it is also an ancient book about people and cultures very different than us. Thus, while we know we should read it, many of us have a hard time understanding the Bible. In this updated edition of Knowing Scripture, R. C. Sproul helps us dig out the meaning of Scripture for ourselves. The author says, "The theme of this book is not how to read the Bible but how to study the Bible." He presents in simple, basic terms a commonsense approach to studying Scripture and gives eleven practical guidelines for biblical interpretation and applying what we learn. With a minimum of technical jargon, Sproul tackles some of the knotty questions regarding differences of interpreting the Bible, including
• discovering the meanings of biblical words
• understanding Hebrew poetry, proverbs and parables
• approaching historical and didactic passages
• being careful with predictive prophecy
• discerning how culture conditions the Bible
• choosing and using Bible translations, commentaries, Bible software and other helps
Knowing Scripture is a basic book for both beginning Bible readers and experienced students of Scripture.
A Critique of the New Natural Law Theory
Russell Hittinger, A Critique of the New Natural Law Theory (1989).
Reviews from the publisher:
"Few authors possess Hittinger’s extraordinary command of contemporary as well as classical moral theory…This book establishes Hittinger as a moral philosopher of first rank."
-Jude Doughterty, Catholic University of America
"The book is written in a clear and forceful style. It is ideal for use in ethics and logic classes as a model of critical reasoning, although its principal audience will no doubt be philosophers and theologians interested in natural law ethics."
-International Philosophical Quarterly
Reviews from the publisher:
"Few authors possess Hittinger’s extraordinary command of contemporary as well as classical moral theory…This book establishes Hittinger as a moral philosopher of first rank."
-Jude Doughterty, Catholic University of America
"The book is written in a clear and forceful style. It is ideal for use in ethics and logic classes as a model of critical reasoning, although its principal audience will no doubt be philosophers and theologians interested in natural law ethics."
-International Philosophical Quarterly
God Has Spoken: Revelation And The Bible
J.I. Packer, God Has Spoken: Revelation and the Bible (Baker Academic 3d ed. 1994).
"At no time since the Reformation," observes J.I. Packer, "have Protestant Christians as a body been so unsure, tentative and confused as to what they should believe and do." The church has suffered a famine of hearing God's Word, Packer contends, and he points the way to the understanding and application of the life-changing truths of the Bible. Packer urges a reborn church to
*preach the Word as a means of grace
*teach the Word as vital doctrine
*subject the mind of faith to God's promises
*expect lay Bible reading as a constant lifestyle
*follow the real person of Jesus Christ as revealed in the gospel.
"At no time since the Reformation," observes J.I. Packer, "have Protestant Christians as a body been so unsure, tentative and confused as to what they should believe and do." The church has suffered a famine of hearing God's Word, Packer contends, and he points the way to the understanding and application of the life-changing truths of the Bible. Packer urges a reborn church to
*preach the Word as a means of grace
*teach the Word as vital doctrine
*subject the mind of faith to God's promises
*expect lay Bible reading as a constant lifestyle
*follow the real person of Jesus Christ as revealed in the gospel.
God's People in God's Land: Family, Land, and Property In The Old Testament
Christopher J.H. Wright, God's People in God's Land: Family, Land, and Property In The Old Testament (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ’g Co. 1990).
From the publisher: In recent sociological approaches to the Old Testament, Christians have been finding unexpected resources for their ethical reflection and action relative to the modern world's pressing social and economic dilemmas. This unique survey by Christopher Wright examines life in Old Testament Israel from an ethical perspective by considering how the economic facts of Israel's social structure were related to the people's religious beliefs. Observing the centrality of the family in the social, economic and religious spheres of Israelite life, Wright analyzes Israel's theology of land, the rights and responsibilities of property owners, and the socioeconomic and legal status of dependent persons in ancient Israel — wives, children, and slaves — showing the mutual interaction between such laws, institutions, and customs and the nation's covenant relationship with God. While primarily exegetical, God's People in God's Land contains many useful insights for Christian social ethics: Wright suggests how the ethical application of his findings might proceed as Christians with different theological perspectives and cultural contexts seek to work out the relevance of the Old Testament for today.
From the publisher: In recent sociological approaches to the Old Testament, Christians have been finding unexpected resources for their ethical reflection and action relative to the modern world's pressing social and economic dilemmas. This unique survey by Christopher Wright examines life in Old Testament Israel from an ethical perspective by considering how the economic facts of Israel's social structure were related to the people's religious beliefs. Observing the centrality of the family in the social, economic and religious spheres of Israelite life, Wright analyzes Israel's theology of land, the rights and responsibilities of property owners, and the socioeconomic and legal status of dependent persons in ancient Israel — wives, children, and slaves — showing the mutual interaction between such laws, institutions, and customs and the nation's covenant relationship with God. While primarily exegetical, God's People in God's Land contains many useful insights for Christian social ethics: Wright suggests how the ethical application of his findings might proceed as Christians with different theological perspectives and cultural contexts seek to work out the relevance of the Old Testament for today.
Website: Catholic Resources for Bible, Liturgy, Art, and Theology
Catholic Resources
A website (http://catholic-resources.org/) maintained by Felix Just, S.J. containing "a variety of materials, mostly related to biblical and liturgical studies."
A website (http://catholic-resources.org/) maintained by Felix Just, S.J. containing "a variety of materials, mostly related to biblical and liturgical studies."
Excellent website: Monergism.com
Monergism.com
This website has an amazing collection of books, essays, and other resources. One of their goals: "To proclaim the truths of Scripture as reiterated in the 16th century Reformation that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in the Scripture alone to the glory of God alone."
This website has an amazing collection of books, essays, and other resources. One of their goals: "To proclaim the truths of Scripture as reiterated in the 16th century Reformation that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in the Scripture alone to the glory of God alone."
The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses
Vern A. Poythress, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses (1991).
As we look to Scripture to guide us in issues facing our legal system, a great place to start, of course, is the law that God gave His people to govern themselves as a nation in the time of Moses. Special issues arise, however, as we seek to apply the lessons (or the specifics) of those laws to our time. Dr. Poythress first explains the Old Testament laws, with special attention to interpreting the law of Moses in light of Christ. In Part II, he discusses the specific penalties of the law, drawing applications for the modern state as well. Although its 400 pages are filled with theological terms and tools, the book is accessible to the layman.
As we look to Scripture to guide us in issues facing our legal system, a great place to start, of course, is the law that God gave His people to govern themselves as a nation in the time of Moses. Special issues arise, however, as we seek to apply the lessons (or the specifics) of those laws to our time. Dr. Poythress first explains the Old Testament laws, with special attention to interpreting the law of Moses in light of Christ. In Part II, he discusses the specific penalties of the law, drawing applications for the modern state as well. Although its 400 pages are filled with theological terms and tools, the book is accessible to the layman.
Condemning Current Errors
Pius IX, Encyclical Letter Condemning Current Errors: Quanta Cura (1864) and accompanying Syllabus of Errors (1864).
Pope Pius lists most of the philosophical and theological errors of modernity. The syllabus includes, among others, pantheism, naturalism, rationalism, socialism, communism, biblical societies, and a large number of other specific errors concerning the teachings of the church, the role of the state, and questions of civil and ecclesiastical authority.
Read this Resource
Pope Pius lists most of the philosophical and theological errors of modernity. The syllabus includes, among others, pantheism, naturalism, rationalism, socialism, communism, biblical societies, and a large number of other specific errors concerning the teachings of the church, the role of the state, and questions of civil and ecclesiastical authority.
Read this Resource
Understanding the Times
David A. Noebel, Understanding the Times: Religious Worldviews of Our Day and the Search for Truth (1994).
The writing style is simple, and there is a chapter each on law, theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, politics, history, and economics, covering the difference in worldview for each of those from the Marxist, Secular Humanist, New Age, and Christian perspectives.
The writing style is simple, and there is a chapter each on law, theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, politics, history, and economics, covering the difference in worldview for each of those from the Marxist, Secular Humanist, New Age, and Christian perspectives.
Love Your God with All Your Mind
J.P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul (1997).
The best book available on the Christian life of the mind. Moreland argues why the life of the mind is central to the faith, the problems in the church and culture caused by the loss of the concept of the “Christian mind,” and personal and communal solutions.
The best book available on the Christian life of the mind. Moreland argues why the life of the mind is central to the faith, the problems in the church and culture caused by the loss of the concept of the “Christian mind,” and personal and communal solutions.
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