Robin R. Meyers Knihy

"A revelatory manifesto on how we can reclaim faith from abstract doctrines and rigid morals to find God in the joys and ambiguities of everyday life, from the acclaimed author of Saving Jesus from the Church. People across the theological and political spectrum are struggling with what it means to say that they believe in God. For centuries, Christians have seen him as a deity who shows favor to some and dispenses punishment to others according to right belief and correct behavior. But this transactional approach to a God "up there"--Famously depicted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel - no longer works, if it ever did, leaving an increasing number of Christians upset, disappointed, and heading for the exits. In this groundbreaking, inspiring book, Robin R. Meyers, the senior minister of Oklahoma City's Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ, shows how readers can move from a theology of obedience to one of consequence. He argues that we need to stop seeing our actions as a means for pleasing a distant God and rediscover how God has empowered us to care for ourselves and the world. Drawing on stories from his decades of active ministry, Meyers captures how the struggles of ordinary people hint at how we can approach faith as a radical act of trust in a God who is all around us, even in our doubts and the moments of life we fear the most"-- Provided by publisher

Prominent progressive writer, speaker, and minister Robin Meyers proposes that the best way for the faithful to recapture the spirit of the early Christian church is to recognize that Jesus-following was - and must be again - subversive in the best sense of the word because the gospel taken seriously turns the world upside down.

Calls readers to reinvigorate the church by returning it to its roots as a community of resistance, against the dominant culture, egoism, and forces that threaten human life and dignity.

Effective sermons transcend mere moralizing; they require a dynamic dialogue involving Scripture, the congregation, and the preacher's own introspection. Robin Meyers emphasizes the importance of being open to personal reflection and persuasion, suggesting that this approach fosters communication infused with passion, insight, and clarity. By integrating principles from rhetoric and modern communications theory, the book encourages preachers to engage deeply with their messages, enhancing their ability to connect meaningfully with their audience.

From One of America's Leading Pastors, a Bold Call to Restore Christianity's True Mission: Following Jesus The marriage of bad theology and hypocritical behavior by the church has eroded our spiritual lives. Taking the best of biblical scholarship, Meyers recasts core Christian concepts in an effort to save Christianity from its obsession with personal salvation. Not a plea to try something brand new, but rather the recovery of something very old, Saving Jesus from the Church shows us what it means to follow Jesus's teachings today.