Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
We are at our human best when we give and forgive. But we live in a world in which it makes little sense to do either one. In our increasingly graceless culture, where can we find the motivation to give? And how do we learn to forgive when forgiving seems counterintuitive or even futile?
A deeply personal yet profoundly thoughtful book, Free of Charge explores these questions--and the further questions to which they give rise--in light of God's generosity and Christ's sacrifice for us. Miroslav Volf draws from popular culture as well as from a wealth of literary and theological sources, weaving his rich reflections around the sturdy frame of Paul's vision of God's grace and Martin Luther's interpretation of that vision.
Blending the best of theology and spirituality, he encourages us to echo in our own lives God's generous giving and forgiving. A fresh examination of two practices at the heart of the Christian faith--giving and forgiving--the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lenten study book for 2006 is at the same time an introduction to Christianity. Even more, it is a compelling invitation to Christian faith as a way of life.
"Miroslav Volf, one of the most celebrated theologians of our day, offers us a unique interweaving of intense reflection, vivid and painfully personal stories and sheer celebration of the giving God . . . I cannot remember having read a better account of what it means to say that Jesus suffered for us in our place." -- Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
Miroslav Volf
Miroslav Volf is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and the Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. He was educated in his native Croatia, the United States, and Germany, earning doctoral and post-doctoral degrees (with highest honors) from the University of Tübingen, Germany. He has written or edited more than 20 books and over 100 scholarly articles. His most significant books include Exclusion and Embrace (1996), winner of the Grawemeyer Award in Religion, and one of Christianity Today’s 100 most important religious books of the 20th century; Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World (2016) and (with Matthew Croasmun) For the Life of the World: Theology that Makes a Difference (2019).
Read more from Miroslav Volf
Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For the Life of the World (Theology for the Life of the World): Theology That Makes a Difference Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Allah: A Christian Response Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of the Trinity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Home of God (Theology for the Life of the World): A Brief Story of Everything Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Redeeming Capitalism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Gravity of Joy: A Story of Being Lost and Found Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hunger for Home: Food and Meals in the Gospel of Luke Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRedeeming Capitalism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Spirit and the Common Good: Shared Flourishing in the Image of God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Free of Charge
Related ebooks
The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Called to Community: The Life Jesus Wants for His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Subversive Jesus: An Adventure in Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness in a Broken World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gospel in a Pluralist Society Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony (Expanded 25th Anniversary Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Embracing Prodigals: Overcoming Authoritative Religion by Embodying Jesus’ Nurturing Grace Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJoy and Human Flourishing: Essays on Theology, Culture, and the Good Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProper Confidence: Faith, Doubt, and Certainty in Christian Discipleship Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mission of God's People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Slavery of Death Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Crucifixion of the Warrior God: Volumes 1 & 2 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Christian Life Profile Assessment Workbook Updated Edition: Developing Your Personal Plan to Think, Act, and Be Like Jesus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith without Losing It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Turn My Mourning into Dancing: Finding Hope in Hard Times Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Interrupting Silence: God's Command to Speak Out Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Unfettered Hope: A Call to Faithful Living in an Affluent Society Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Reappearing Church: The Hope for Renewal in the Rise of Our Post-Christian Culture Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Life Together - new edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stranger God: Meeting Jesus in Disguise Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Messiah in Weakness: A Portrait of Jesus from the Perspective of the Dispossessed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Love over Fear: Facing Monsters, Befriending Enemies, and Healing Our Polarized World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Salt and Light: Living the Sermon on the Mount Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Fellowship of Differents: Showing the World God's Design for Life Together Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Divine Gravity: Sparking a Movement to Recover a Better Christian Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThirsty for God: A Brief History of Christian Spirituality Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5NIV, Holy Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Reviews for Free of Charge
56 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I've worked my way through this book in fits and starts over the past several months which hinders the task of "reviewing" a work. For those who want a brief synopsis of the text, Volf's afterword gives a great 4-point summation of the book's intentions:> To present a "case for Christianity"> To present a particular reading of the Apostle Paul> To present a particular reading (in the Finnish tradition) of Martin Luther> To do so in a way that bends and blends the categories of "theological" and "spiritual" writingThat's a good summation of what Volf accomplishes here, and the accomplishment is brilliant: He achieves that elusive point of being utterly convincing that he's broadly read and deeply studied...that he has truly mastered the content about which he writes (and since that content is the writings of Paul and Martin Luther, that is no small feat)...WITHOUT falling over into the over-explanation and "and furthermores..." that are the bane of most theologians. This is a book that ANYONE can read with profit, including scholars of Paul and Luther. It is a gift from a master theologian with a fine sense of how to speak to the true issues of our day.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5An exploration of the questions of how we can find the motivation to give in our increasingly graceless culture and how we can learn to forgive when forgiving seems counterintuitive or futile. Volf draws from popular culture and from a wide variety of literary and theological sources to provide us this compelling invitation to Christian faith as a way of life.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Good stuff! One of these books that are easy to read but then need reread because there is so much in them - Volf is like that.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Engaging treatment of giving and forgiving. Volf shows what theology should be: he draws from Scripture, tradition, history, and his personal life in a playful and sober way while exploring his topics. While the discussion can touch on emotional topics, Volf never employs cheap sentimentalism or manipulation. More accessible than Exclusion and Embrace, though not as hard-hitting.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Begins with careful explanation of giving, to others and where God fits in, then moves on to forgiving, and being forgiven. The writing is methodical but this makes it too long to be of wide appeal but if you persist there is a very good explanation of satisfaction atonement and unity with Christ. Good interaction with modern literature and films, final chapter addressed, (a bit late), to a sceptic about the very idea of God. Ends up recommending Paul and especially Luther's understanding of him.