The God of Hope and the End of the World

The God of Hope and the End of the World
John Polkinghorne F.R.S. K.B.E. | 2003-09-01 00:00:00 | Yale University Press | 192 | Theology
Do we live in a world that makes sense, not just now but forever? If the universe is going to end in collapse or decay, can it really be a divine creation? Is there a credible hope of a destiny beyond death? In this engaging book, a leading scientist-theologian draws on ideas from science, scripture, and theology to address these and other important questions.
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For such a simple book, this is one of the more profound books I have read in recent years (I have an MA in Theology) in any realm of Christian Theology and particularly in the area of Eschatology.
Reviews
Polkinghorne's book is a summary for the general reader of the discussions on eschatology by several scientists and theologians found in the earlier work, The End of the World and the Ends of God. However, as Polkinghorne alone wrote the latter work, it bears his mark as a well-known former scientist and current Anglican priest and writer on religious topics for the general public. The ideas he expresses would not be well-received either by doctrinaire fundamentalists, or by committed atheists. However, for the reader with an open mind, it presents a thought-provoking inquiry and meditation on the questions dealing with, to put it concisely, the meaning of it all. Does existence have a point, and if so, what is it?

Of course, as mentioned before, the author in an Anglican priest, so he writes from the Christian perspective. But there is no hint of dogmatism in what he has to say; and no apologies or lack of conviction either. Whether one agrees or disagrees with his ideas, they are stimulating. For example, in contast to most earlier theologians who speculated that any future existence must be beyond time, and thus an eternal Now, Polkinghorne points out that human beings are creatures of space and time, that cherished art-forms such as music require time, and proposes that any redeemed universe would contain some type of both space and time. Although he does not, of course, claim to know what a redeemed time would be like, he envisions the new creation as having its own history. Though it would be a history of fulfilment rather than becoming. And it would be based on the template set by the old universe, tho the new would have God as the direct underlying basis of it, rather than the laws of physics as now, based as they are on death and decay, as well as on life and creation.

To the sceptics who bemoan the seemingly inevitable boredom of an eternal existence, Polkinghorne agrees that from our current perspective, even the most fanatical golf enthusiast might begin to tire of it after his millionth game. But the new creation he looks for would be one in which everyone could explore the endless beauties, interests, and possibilities of God's truly infinite, endless nature. In such a state, there would be a tension between continuity and discontinuity: for both the universe as a whole and the resurrected beings within it,the new life would have to be substantially different from the old. At the same time, the redeemed would truly have to be continuations of what they were in this existence, not just copies. Only in this way can redemption really be redemption. All in all, this is a book that should be read by anyone curious about a modern Christian perspective on eschatological questions.
Reviews
The author is an intellectual thinker and speaks that language well. It's no surprise then that his audience will be other intellectuals. While the author talks over my head, there are many who can appreciate his writing. Afterall, it's not a sin to have an extensive vocabulary or high I.Q.!!! Only God can speak the language of 'all' people.
Reviews
I had to use my dictionary many times, and found myself rereading whole sections over, sometimes more than once. But I found the scope of Polkinghorne's book wonderful and challenging, from the physics of the Big Bang and the eschatological challenge of infinite expansion (vs. the Big Crunch) to pastoral implications for Anglican priests. This book is a condensation of a series of academic papers, certainly more dense and obscure, but it does a remarkable job of stretching our minds and perspective while still being inspriational. One of the most meaningful books of my spritual journey.
Reviews
An author is supposed to communicate with the reading audience. This book greatly misses the mark, unless of course you are a top intellectual professor. And even then you might have difficulty. The author's sentence structure is needlessly complex, and his vocabulary is filled with obscure words, rarely used in normal communication. The words are not there for any purpose other than to impress the reader with the author's intellect. I had to reread passages of the book numerous times in an attempt to comprehend what he was saying. I have two college graduate degrees, so I am no dummy. This book made my head hurt and I eventually stopped reading it.

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An Introduction to Third World Theologies (Introduction to Religion)

An Introduction to Third World Theologies (Introduction to Religion)
John Parratt | 2004-06-21 00:00:00 | Cambridge University Press | 198 | Theology
Providing the first overview of the main trends and contributions to Christian thought of Third World theologies, this book gathers essays from experts on Latin America, India, East Asia, West and East Africa, Southern Africa and the Caribbean. It analyzes the common context of the Third World theologies in their experience of colonialism and Western missions, and suggests that they provide different perspectives on what it means to be a Christian in today's world.
Reviews
The value of this work may not match up to its price-point for many, but I found it to be an invaluable introduction to the various modes of thought and theologizing being done outside of first-world contexts. Aiming to serve as an introduction to an overwhelmingly vast and complex field, (the theologies of the majority of Christianity in less than 200 pages?) this book accomplishes what it sets out to do well, providing concise summaries of the various movers and shakers in their respective continent and general directions of the dialogue and study. The short bibliographies concluding each essay provide the unitiated with a helpful path to follow for more in-depth study if so desired. This Western reader was especially forced to reconsider many aspects of hermeneutics, authority and acculteration regarding theology and the timeless message of the Church. All in all, an excellent, if not too brief work that hopefully will not intimidate too many buyers with its high MSRP.

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Theosis in the Theology of Thomas Torrance (Ashgate New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology, and Biblical Studies)

Theosis in the Theology of Thomas Torrance (Ashgate New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology, and Biblical Studies)
Myk Habets | 2009-08-28 00:00:00 | Ashgate | 224 | Theology
Torrance's vision of Theosis (deification/divinization) is explored through his doctrine of creation and anthropology, his characterization of the incarnation, his accounts of reconciliation and union with Christ, and his theology of church and sacraments. Myk Habets study distinguishes Torrance's vision of theosis from other possible accounts of salvation as divinization, and situates it within Reformed Theology, and informed by patristic thought and opposed to some constructions of the doctrine within Eastern Orthodoxy. This book presents the first critique of the theology of T.F. Torrance to focus on theosis, and presents a model of theosis within the realm of reformed theology built upon Western theology.

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Explanation of Important Lessons for Every Muslim

Explanation of Important Lessons for Every Muslim
Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdullah Bin Baz | 2003-06-02 00:00:00 | Dar-us-Salam for Publishing & Distribution | 392 | Theology
Indeed, all praise is for Allah, we praise Him, repent to Him, and seek His forgiveness and help. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own selves and our wicked deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can lead astray; and whomsoever Allah leaves astray, none can guide. And I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, and He has no partner; and I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah, send peace and blessings upon him, his family and his Companions until the Day of judgment. Indeed Allah Almighty has protected this religion and raised its status among the nations, sending to the world the final Messenger, Muhammad , and with him the final and most complete religion - as Allah Almighty says: This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.Allah Almighty has made the scholars inheritors of the Prophets; they explain to the people their religious duties and they enlighten them, so that their worship of Allah Almighty is based on knowledge and insight. One such scholar, whom the Muslims recently lost, is the noble Shaikh and Imam, 'Abdul-'Aziz bin 'Abdullah bin Baz - may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, for he spent his life in knowledge, in teaching, in passing scholarly judgments and rulings. But over and above his knowledge, he was a man who was righteous and pious; he sought little from this world, and his manners were truly noble. From the many works in which the Shaikh served the different branches of Islamic knowledge - 'Aqidah, Fiqh, Hadith, Da'wah, and so on - is this very important work, "Important Lessons For Every Muslim", a book that is much needed at the present time because so many Muslims lack a grasp on the fundamentals of the religion, in terms of belief, worship, and manners.Seeking reward, seeking to benefit others, and seeking to apply the Hadith: the best of people is he who benefits others most. I decided to explain this important book, expanding on the clear concepts and rules mentioned by the Shaikh. In explaining and expanding on the Shaikh's words, I relied heavily, first upon Allah Almighty, and then upon the many other works of the Shaikh himself. I chose to explain the copy printed by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Preaching and Guidance; it is the last edition that was printed during the life of the Shaikh - may Allah have mercy upon him. I chose it because it is the best copy in terms of organization and editing; moreover, it has an additional section on the topic of Ihsan. To further help and encourage the reader - whether he is a student, teacher, caller to Islam, male, or female - I inserted questions for each lesson (at the end of the book), to help the student both understand and digest the material.I ask Allah Almighty by His Beautiful Names and Most High Attributes to rectify our intentions and to make our children righteous, and to grant us sincerity in speech and in deed; indeed, He is the One upon Whom we rely, and He is Most Capable of answering our prayers. And the last of our supplications is that all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all that exists. Muhammad bin 'Ali Al-'Arfaj(May Allah forgive him, his parents, and all Muslims).

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