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A new book from InterVarsity Press asks the question, “Does Religion Cause War?” It seems that the popular answer to that questions is an emphatic “Yes!” I just read in the ‘Letters’ section of Time Magazine a reader respond negatively to Time’s portrayal of Pastor Rick Warren because she claims that it is a well known fact that religions cause war.
In the 20th century there are many things that have caused wars, and some of the more flagrant wars were not caused by religion but rather by irreligious societies. The Soviet Union and China purged millions of their own, and these societies slammed the idea of God. Hitler’s Germany caused much chaos, violence, and war and the underlying philosophy was far from religion.
Both George Bush’s led our country to war for economic and resource issues–not religion (I recognize that the jury is still out on why we are at war in Iraq, but I think we can agree that religion was not the cause of either wars). Of course religion can cause war. I grew up in a country marred by a bloody civil war in the name of “religion.”
So I appreciate Meic Pearse’s exploration of that question in his book The Gods of War. What do you think is the underlying motive for war? (Meic explores that question in chapter 7) Do you think that the motive for why nations go to war has changed over the centuries? Does the motive for war change based on a nation’s government or economic system? In other words, would a Communist China have different motives for war than a Theocracy like Iran and a Democracy/Capitalistic system like the United States?
I will mail out this book (includes free shipping) to the person who best articulates (I’m the judge) the cause for war. You can do something on your own blog or respond to this post regarding this question. (Make sure you link back to this post to notify me of your answer)
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Every year, thousands of new Christian books hit the market and very few of them will stand the test of time and become a classic. Author John White has sold over 1.5 million copies of his books, with Daring to Draw Near being one of his most popular and impacting books.
This book draws on ten prayers in scripture that teach us about the character of God and our relationship to a very personal God. Personally, I have been in a season in the past half-a-year learning about personal prayer (both petitionary and intercessory). And currently, I have invited John White to serve as a literary mentor to me through his other classic, The Fight.
By the way, I recommend that we all adopt mentors through books, who can walk with us in our journey of faith and guide us to God. Eugene Peterson, Dallas Willard, and Henry Nouwen have been a blessing in my journey. |
Some may argue that White’s books are for new Christians, and that maturing Christians should look for resources elsewhere. And they are. They are fantastic resources for new believers who are on a steep learning curve to know what it means to know God, be known by God, and follow him in obedience. For me, his book during my Sabbaths has served as a refresher course, to reconnect with the essence of knowing God.
I will mail out this book (includes free shipping) to the first person who comments on this post or on his or her blog regarding this question: In what ways are you growing in your prayer life? (Make sure you link back to this post to notify me of your answer)
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Every year, there is a handful of students in my circles of influence who find their faith challenged by some of the fallacies that are spewed in their religious studies classes. This faith shake-up is not necessarily a bad thing, as it serves well to force students to study the scriptures and come to conclusions about their faith (not unlike the noble Bereans in Acts 17).
There is a lot of garbage that is taught in these classes—through the lectures and reading material. In Misquoting Truth, Timothy Paul Jones confronts Bart Ehrman’s fallacies through his books Misquoting Jesus and Lost Christianities. You don’t need to be familiar with Ehrman to appreciate Jones’s work. You will appreciate this book for how it debunks some of the unorthodox claims of the past few years like whether there were conspiracies to silence certain “gospels” and only promote the ones that were aligned with the agenda of the early church fathers.
Ehrman has plenty of initials after his name, noting his so-called expertise in matters of scripture and church history. His books may be less of a product of his research and more of a product of his convictions.
I will mail out this book (includes free shipping) to the first person who comments on this post or on his or her blog regarding this question: In your opinion, what is the fascination of religious study professors at secular universities in promoting agnostic or atheist point of views? (Make sure you link back to this post to notify me of your answer)
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This is my second [tag]
book giveaway[/tag], where I will give away a book (free to you, including free shipping).
If you would like to win the [tag]free book[/tag], all you have to do is respond to my post on your blog (if you have one) or in a comment response (if you do not have a blog). If there are multiple responses, I will be the judge of the winner.
The second giveaway will be The IVP Introduction to the Bible edited by Philip S. Johnston. This volume provides the reader with background information to the whole Bible and introduces all the main sections of the Bible and each biblical book. This is a fantastic companion to either your in-depth study of the Bible or your regular stroll through it. (In my opinion, everyone who is serious about studying the Bible on their own should have an introductory book such as this one in their library)
Instructions for giveaway:
- Respond on your blog (if you have one) or respond in a comment (only if you don’t have a blog): “Why or how is the [tag]Word of God[/tag] important to you? In what ways do you find yourself formed and transformed by God’s word?”
- Link back to this post with the anchor text, Word of God. For example, you could write something like, “In response to the book giveaway at ServingBread.net, I am answering the question, ‘How is the Word of God important to me?’”
(Linking back with anchor text means that you attach an html code back to this post with the words ‘Word of God’. So when people click Word of God, they come to this post)
- If you don’t want the giveaway, or someone else won it, I would still love for people to post about how they allow the Word of God to transform them.
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One of the perks of working with InterVarsity is InterVarsity Press (IVP). Every year, IVP publishes between 75 to 100 books, ranging anywhere from academic topics to personal Christian living. Over the years, I have been mentored by many authors—most of whom I will probably never meet. I am going to try something new on this blog.
Periodically, I will host a [tag]book giveaway[/tag] (free to you, including free shipping). It will be a simple “contest”, where I will ask a question along the lines of the book’s theme or topic and solicit responses.
If you would like to win the [tag]free book[/tag], all you have to do is respond to my post on your blog (if you have one) or in a comment response (if you do not have a blog). If there are multiple responses, I will be the judge of the winner.
The first giveaway will be Getting Your Feet Dirty by Don Everts (IVP, 2007).
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This book functions as a sort of sequel to Jesus with Dirty Feet. In the first book, Everts draws a picture of Jesus that many people seem to forget—not one of an inaccessible, uncaring Jesus, but one where Jesus engages with people, calling them to a life greater than one for which they had settled.
In this second book, we walk alongside Jesus, recognizing that God calls us not to be passive worshipers sitting on pews on Sunday mornings, but one where God calls us to follow him as witnesses that become part of the movement of God in a dying and broken world. |
Instructions for giveaway:
- Write on your blog (if you have one) or respond in a comment (if you don’t have a blog): “What is one way that [tag]following Jesus[/tag] has been messy for you? (i.e. It has been more than just sitting in Church on Sunday mornings)”
- Link back to this post with the anchor text, following Jesus. For example, you could write something like, “In response to the book giveaway at ServingBread.net, I am answering the question, ‘What is one way that following Jesus has been messy for me?’”
(Linking back with anchor text means that you attach an html code back to this post with the words ‘following Jesus’. So when people click following Jesus, they come to this post)
- If you don’t want the giveaway, or someone else won it, I would still love for people to post about how their feet have gotten dirty following Jesus.
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