Kirjahaku

Many contemporary theologians seek to retrieve the concept of beauty as a way for people to encounter God. This groundbreaking book argues that while Martin Luther's view of beauty has often been ignored or underappreciated, it has much to contribute to that quest. Mark Mattes, one of today's leading Lutheran theologians, analyzes Luther's theological aesthetics and discusses its implications for music, art, and the contemplative life. Mattes shows that for Luther, the cross is the lens through which the beauty of God is refracted into the world.

In this significant book Mark C. Mattes critically evaluates the role of justification in the theologies of five leading Protestant thinkers -- Eberhard Jungel, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Jurgen Moltmann, Robert W. Jenson, and Oswald Bayer -- pointing out their respective strengths and weaknesses and showing how each matches up with Luther's own views. Offering both an excellent review of recent trends in Christian theology and a powerful analysis of these trends, Mattes points readers to the various ways in which the doctrine of justification has been applied today. Despite the greatness of their thought, Jungel, Pannenberg, and Moltmann each accommodate the doctrine of justification to goals aligned with secular modernity. Both Jenson and Bayer, on the other hand, construe the doctrine of justification in a nonaccommodating way, thus challenging the secularity of the modern academy. In the end, Mattes argues that Bayer's position is to be preferred as closest to Luther's own, and he shows why it offers the greatest potential for confronting current attempts at self-justification before God.

This booklet introduces readers to the Augsburg Confession, one of the most important charters of Christian liberty. From the time of its appearance in the sixteenth century to this day, the Augsburg Confession connects back to the first Christians and shows how the Bible can be read and Christian life can be lived today. You will see how the gospel enlivens all aspects of the life of faith and the mission of the church.

Let's face it: Christianity has a PR Problem. The secular world often paints Christian faith as intolerant, oppressive, superstitious, and incompatible with the modern world we live in. Amidst such attacks, faithful Christians can feel powerless in defending their views, especially when the opposition points to wrongdoings done in the name of Christianity or by Christians. In Christianity's PR Problem, Dr. Mark Mattes addresses these concerns head on. By unmasking the inconsistencies of these assumptions and relying on the cross of Jesus Christ, he accepts the challenge presented by secularism to help faithful Christians who want to share their faith with loved ones and those who buy into secular assumptions about the faith.

Many contemporary theologians seek to retrieve the concept of beauty as a way for people to encounter God. This groundbreaking book argues that while Martin Luther's view of beauty has often been ignored or underappreciated, it has much to contribute to that quest. Mark Mattes, one of today's leading Lutheran theologians, analyzes Luther's theological aesthetics and discusses its implications for music, art, and the contemplative life. Mattes shows that for Luther, the cross is the lens through which the beauty of God is refracted into the world.

Seamos honestos: el cristianismo tiene un problema de relaciones p blicas. El mundo secular a menudo presenta la fe cristiana como intolerante, opresiva, supersticiosa y fuera de sinton a con la vida moderna. Ante estos ataques, los cristianos fieles pueden sentirse impotentes para defender sus creencias, especialmente cuando los cr ticos se alan los errores cometidos en nombre del cristianismo o por quienes se identifican como cristianos. En El problema de relaciones p blicas del cristianismo, el Dr. Mark Mattes enfrenta directamente estas preocupaciones. Al desenmascarar las incoherencias de tales suposiciones y centrar la mirada en la cruz de Jesucristo, acepta el desaf o del secularismo. Su prop sito es claro: ayudar a los cristianos comprometidos que desean compartir su fe con seres queridos y con quienes han adoptado una visi n secular de la religi n.