With faith, hope, and compassion, acclaimed religion scholar Timothy Beal shows us how to navigate the inevitabilities of the climate crisis and the very real—and very near—possibility of human extinction What if it’s too late to save ourselves from climate crisis? When Time is Short is a meditation for what may be a finite human future that asks how we got here to help us imagine a different relationship to the natural world. Modern capitalism, as it emerged, drew heavily upon the Christian belief in human exceptionalism and dominion over the planet, and these ideas still undergird our largely secular society. They justified the pillaging and eradication of indigenous communities and plundering the Earth’s resources in pursuit of capital and lands. But these aren’t the only models available to us—and they aren’t even the only models to be found in biblical tradition. Beal re-reads key texts to anchor us in other ways of being—in humbler conceptions of humans as earth creatures, bound in ecological interdependence with the world, subjected to its larger reality. Acknowledging that any real hope must first face and grieve the realities of climate crisis, Beal makes space for us to imagine new possibilities and rediscover ancient ones. What matters most when time becomes short, he reminds us, is always what matters most.
Religious encounters with mystery can be fascinating, but also terrifying. So too when it comes to encounters with the monsters that haunt Jewish and Christian traditions. Religion has a lot to do with horror, and horror has a lot to do with religion. Religion has its monsters, and monsters have their religion. In this unusual and provocative book, Timothy Beal explores how religion, horror, and the monstrous are deeply intertwined. This new edition has been thoughtfully updated, reflecting on developments in the field over the past two decades and highlighting its contributions to emerging conversations. It also features a new chapter, "Gods, Monsters, and Machines," which engages cultural fascinations and anxieties about technologies of artificial intelligence and machine learning as they relate to religion and the monstrous at the dawn of the Anthropocene. Religion and Its Monsters is essential reading for students and scholars of religion and popular culture, as well as for any readers with an interest in horror theory or monster theory.
The Book of Hiding offers a fluent and erudite analysis of the parallels between the Bible and contemporary discussions of gender, ethnicity and social ambiguity. Beal focuses particularly on the traditionally marginalised book of Esther, in order to examine closely the categories of self and other in relation to religion, sexism, nationalism, and the ever-looming legacies and future possibilities of annihilation. Beal applies the critical tools of contemporary theorists, such as Cixous, Irigaray and Levinas, challenging widely held assumptions about the moral and life-affirming message of Scripture and even about the presence of God in the book of Esther. The Book of Hiding draws together a variety of different perspectives and disciplines, creating a unique space for dialogue raising new questions and reconsidering old assumptions, which is profoundly interesting and well-articulated.
An acclaimed author takes readers back to early Christianity to ask how a box of handwritten scrolls became the Bible, and forward to see how the multibillion-dollar business that has created Biblezines and Manga Bibles is selling down the Bible's sacred capital.
It's hard to think of a single aspect of American culture, past or present, in which religion has not played a major role. The roles religion plays, moreover, become more bewilderingly complex and diverse every day. For all those who want--whether out of curiosity, necessity, or civic duty--a vivid picture and fuller understanding of the current reality of religion in America, this Very Short Introduction is the go-to book they need. Timothy Beal describes many aspects of religion in contemporary America that are typically ignored in other books on the subject, including religion in popular culture and counter-cultural groups; the growing phenomenon of "hybrid" religious identities, both individual and collective; the expanding numbers of new religious movements, or NRMs, in America; and interesting examples of "outsider religion," such as Paradise Gardens in Georgia and the People Love People House of God in Ohio. He also offers an engaging overview of the history of religion in America, from Native American traditions to the present day. Beal sees three major forces shaping the present and future of religion in America: first, unprecedented religious diversity, which will continue to grow in the decades to come; second, the information revolution and the emergence of a new network society; and third, the rise of consumer culture. Taken together, these forces offer the potential to create a new American pluralism that would enrich society in unimaginable ways, but they also threaten the great ideal of e pluribus unum. With visual aids that help readers navigate America's diverse religious landscape, this informative, thoughtful, and provocative book is a must-read in the emerging public conversation concerning religion in America. About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.
The life and times of the New Testament’s most mystifying and incendiary book Few biblical books have been as revered and reviled as Revelation. Many hail it as the pinnacle of prophetic vision, the cornerstone of the biblical canon, and, for those with eyes to see, the key to understanding the past, present, and future. Others denounce it as the work of a disturbed individual whose horrific dreams of inhumane violence should never have been allowed into the Bible. Timothy Beal provides a concise cultural history of Revelation and the apocalyptic imaginations it has fueled. Taking readers from the book’s composition amid the Christian persecutions of first-century Rome to its enduring influence today in popular culture, media, and visual art, Beal explores the often wildly contradictory lives of this sometimes horrifying, sometimes inspiring biblical vision. He shows how such figures as Augustine and Hildegard of Bingen made Revelation central to their own mystical worldviews, and how, thanks to the vivid works of art it inspired, the book remained popular even as it was denounced by later church leaders such as Martin Luther. Attributed to a mysterious prophet identified only as John, Revelation speaks with a voice unlike any other in the Bible. Beal demonstrates how the book is a multimedia constellation of stories and images that mutate and evolve as they take hold in new contexts, and how Revelation is reinvented in the hearts and minds of each new generation. This succinct book traces how Revelation continues to inspire new diagrams of history, new fantasies of rapture, and new nightmares of being left behind.
In the summer of 2002, Timothy K. Beal loaded his family into a twenty-nine-foot-long motor home and hit the rural highways of America in search of roadside religious attractions-sites like the World's Largest Ten Commandments and Precious Moments Chapel. Roadside Religion tells of his attempts to understand the meaning of these places as expressions of religious imagination and experience, and to encounter faith in all its awesome absurdity.
It's hard to think of a single aspect of American culture, past or present, in which religion has not played a major role. The roles religion plays, moreover, become more bewilderingly complex and diverse every day. For all those who want--whether out of curiosity, necessity, or civic duty--a vivid picture and fuller understanding of the current reality of religion in America, this Very Short Introduction is the go-to book they need. Timothy Beal describes many aspects of religion in contemporary America that are typically ignored in other books on the subject, including religion in popular cu.
“The Bible…is a locked treasure for those unfamiliar with the Scriptures….Beal offers a key with his accessible guide.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer “With skill and insight, Timothy Beal has given us a great gift: a lucid and engaging introduction to the most important book ever published.” —Jon Meacham, author of American Lion, winner of the Pulitzer Prize In the tradition of Stephen Prothero’s Religious Literacy, and with the deftness of Bill Bryson’s Mother Tongue, Timothy Beal’s Biblical Literacy is a one-stop course in the Bible passages and background information that everyone needs to know to navigate our nuanced cultural landscape—from devout believers to decided atheists, average citizens to pop-culture aficionados. Like Religion in America, Religion and its Monsters, and other of his highly acclaimed books, Beal’s Biblical Literacy is a must-have handbook for understanding today’s world.
Theory for Religious Studies presents the key theoretical influences on religious studies since the 1960s - an essential guide to the figures and ideas animating religious studies today. Drawing on thier complementary knowledge of Eastern and Western religious traditions, William Deal and Timothy Beal begin with four foundartional figures - Marx, Nietzsche, Saussure and Freud - and go on to provide guided introductions to Althusser, Bakhtin, Barthes, Bataille, Baudrillard, Benjamin, Bourdieu, Butler, Cixous, Deleuze and Guattari, Derrida, Foucault, Gadamer, Irigaray, Kristeva, Lacan, Lefebvre,
Ninety days of open-Bible devotionals with Timothy Keller and Richard Coekin. Includes space for journaling. Find guidance to navigate the storms of life with these insightful devotionals by Timothy Keller and Richard Coekin. Carefully-crafted questions, insightful explanations and helpful prompts to apply God's word to your life, will take you to the heart of God's word and then push God's word deep into your heart. These 90 devotionals in Galatians, Judges and Ephesians, taken from the Explore Quarterly range, are a great way to start reading the Bible. If you already spend time each day in God’s word, this book will take you deeper in to the riches of Scripture, drawing you closer to the Lord and gaining fresh appreciation for His love for us in Christ.
Theory for Religious Studies' takes major theoretical writers in the humanities & social sciences, & explains their relevance to the study of religion.
We want to be all right in the eyes of the law of our Land, of those we respect, of our Loved ones, of those we work with We strive to gain and then keep this right standing. In other words, we long to be "righteous." And there is ore right standing that is far better and more important than any of those. It changes grid Liberates every aspect of our Lives, for ever, and yet none of us can earn or maintain it ourselves. It's right standing with God. Romans 1 -7 is all about that righteousness It shows us why we don't have it, why we need it, and how we can receive it. It thrills us that "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" [Romans 6 v 23] These seven studies will help you to understand one of the most read, most written-about parts of the Bible. And as they enable you to unwrap Gods precious gift of right standing with him, they'll transform your hearts, lives, identities and perspectives. Book jacket.
Paul's final epistle is written to his beloved son in the faith Timothy. His instruction is practical. Giving Timothy information on how to confront false teachers, the choosing of leaders and the role of men and women in the church. Following Paul's advice is the beginning of a biblical foundation
For 30 years, Bayly wrote Eternity magazine's popular "Out of My Mind" column. Now, for the first time, the best of those much-talked-about columns--plus sermons, interviews, poems, and letters--has been collected in a book that's sure Kenneth Taylor, and C. Everett Koop.
It always Keeps me on the edge to see what The Lord has to say. The Lamp is a way David's seed receives God's Blessing. Mankind needs to open their eyes and ears to The Word of God. God's Anointed calls out to man; for all to Return to The Lord. He calls man to receive The Spirit from The Father, God our maker. A Right Spirit and A Contrite Heart is The Sacrifice of Man. God's Outstretched Arms are ready to receive us. The Voice of The Bridegroom again teaches us God's Knowledge. And David will Shepherd Us., what a blessing! The Lord knew we would reach this point, where we needed Him to Redeem Us. Amen Yahweh!
Free at Last in the Promised Land goes into detail as how and why Moses, a common person, and the people of Israel left the slavery of Egypt to enter the promised land. Moses, the leader of the people of Israel, with great sacrifice and with God’s help, forced Egypt’s Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go, which put them on their way to the promised land. On their way to the promised land, the people of Israel committed great sins against God, and they were punished for their behaviors. Moses also disobeyed God, which caused him and his brother Aaron to not be allowed to enter the promised land. Also, along the way to the promised land, Moses and the people of Israel fought with their own distant relatives, and they were able to defeat them with God’s help and with God turning them into a great nation, as promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There may be many who don’t know that there were two partings during Moses’s and the people of Israel’s march to the promised land: God’s parting of the Red Sea and Jordan River. There were also other major partings from the beginning—God separated the waters of heavens and of the earth. Elijah and Elisha were allowed to part the Jordan River with God’s help. Free at Last in the Promised Land is an essential reading for anyone who wonders about the deepest parts of the journey of Moses and the people of Israel’s march toward the promised land.
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