In this book, Christopher Southgate proposes a new way of understanding the glory of God in Christian theology, based on glory as sign. Working from the roots of the concept in the Hebrew Bible, Theology in a Suffering World: Glory and Longing shows that 'glory' is not necessarily about beauty or radiance, but is better understood as a sign of the unknowable depths of God. Southgate goes on to show how John and Paul transform the concept of glory in the light of the cross. He then explores where glory may be discerned in the natural world, including in situations of pain and suffering. In turn glory is explored in the poetry of R. S. Thomas and the writings of the Jewish mystic Etty Hillesum. Finally, the book considers what it might mean for Christians to be 'transformed from one degree of glory to another': that might mean becoming a sign of the great sign of God that is Christ, and conforming their longing to God's longing for the Kingdom to come.

Theology in a Suffering World: Glory and Longing

Religion & Spirituality

Southgate, Christopher

Christian Books & Bibles

Cambridge University Press

Monotheism and the Suffering of Animals in Nature (Elements in Religion and Monotheism)

Politics & Social Sciences

Sociology

Theology in a Suffering World

A remarkable, wide-ranging attempt to read the Pauline literature from an ecological perspective, Greening Paul, the first book of its kind, traverses carefully between extremes claiming to present Paul's narrative world and simply subjugating the Bible to a contemporary set of ethical values. Skillfully the authors craft their reading of Paul according to the cutting-edge insights of narrative criticism and tackle burning questions which assail Christians in the present ecological crisis: Does the biblical tradition inculcate an anthropocentric worldview that gives humanity license to exploit the earth for our benefit? Does biblical eschatology imply that the earth is of only passing significance for the elect? Greening Paul is a timely and adroit re-reading of the apostle Paul that provides a potentially very fruitful ecological vision, all the while staying true to the biblical text.

Greening Paul: Rereading the Apostle in a Time of Ecological Crisis

Horrell, David G.

Hunt, Cherryl

Baylor University Press

As a spiritual director, theologian, teacher and chaplain, Christopher Southgate's poetry resonates deeply with human experience and has received wide recognition. Here he collects together new and some of his most popular poems that touch on spiritual themes. A number of commissioned poems feature in this collection, including one on the King James Bible, quoted by Rowan Williams at the 400th anniversary service in Westminster Abbey. Other poems are drawn directly from biblical narratives, or reflect on the person of Jesus. Also included are poems focusing on places of spiritual significance: Iona, Lindisfarne, Patmos, and the site of 9/11 in Manhattan, as well as poems about suffering and grief including the popular work 'Coming to Terms', featured on BBC Radio 4.

Rain Falling by the River: New and selected poems of the spirit

Literature & Fiction

Poetry

Canterbury Press Norwich

Love and Its Sounding: Explorations of T.S. Eliot

Poetry Salzburg

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Southgate, Christopher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Southgate, Christopher