How can Christianity touch the imagination of our contemporaries when ever fewer people in the West identify as religious? Timothy Radcliffe argues we must show how everything we believe is an invitation to live fully. God says: 'I put before you life and death: choose life'. Anyone who understands the beauty and messiness of human life – novelists, poets, filmmakers and so on – can be our allies, whether they believe or not. The challenge is not today's secularism but its banality. We accompany the disciples as they struggle to understand this strange man who heals, casts out demons and offers endless forgiveness. In the face of death, he teaches them what it means to be alive in God. Then he embraces all that afflicts and crushes humanity. Finally, Radcliffe explores what it means for us to be alive spiritually, physically, sacramentally, justly and prayerfully. The result is a compelling new understanding of the words of Jesus: 'I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.'

If in an earlier generation people sometimes were said to be so heavenly-minded that they were no earthly good," begins Carl F. H. Henry, "in our day the very opposite is more apt to be the case." At the same time the hunger for spiritual vitality is growing. What, then, is the nature of spiritual experience, and how can it be integrated into Christian and academic disciplines?

Have you ever wondered if God is real? Have you asked either yourself or others, "Is God truly real?" only to never receive a definitive answer? Perhaps, you've grown up in a Christian household, or are a devout Christian, or perhaps you are a nonbeliever. But whoever you are, at your core, you do not know for sure if God is truly real. This book unlocks the truth of how real God is and how alive He is in our lives today. In this book, Pastor Ae Cha, through her personal relationship with God, shares individual testimonies revealing in detail how God answered her to prove that He indeed is real. Within the chapters of this book, she not only reveals that God is real and alive, but she also demonstrates that God is a loving and caring Father. These stories illustrate in detail how much our Heavenly Father cares and loves His greatest creation""humanity. Each story reveals how He loves you and yearns to be in a personal relationship with you. Contained within each chapter is the revelation of how God is with you when you need a job, when you are facing severe health issues, dealing with feelings of unbelief and doubt, mistaken understandings about His character, and so much more. Within the pages of this book lies the answer of whether or not "God is Real" and the truth of His existence and never-ending love to help you in every area of life.

Gallup Editor-in-Chief Frank Newport examines religion in America today, reviews just how powerfully intertwined religion is with every aspect of American society, and explores what appears to be religion's vibrant future in the U.S. -- all based on more than a million interviews conducted by Gallup since 2008. Popular books such as The God Delusion have dismissed religion as a delusional artifact of evolution and ancient superstitions. But should millions of Americans' statements of belief and their behavior be dismissed that quickly? The pattern of religious influence in American society suggests mass consequence rather than mass delusion. In God Is Alive and Well, Frank Newport, Gallup's Editor-in-Chief, provides a new evidence-based analysis of Americans' religious beliefs and practices -- and bold predictions about religion's future in the U.S. Most Americans are at least marginally religious, significantly more so than in most developed nations around the world. The majority of Americans believe in God and say that religion is important in their daily lives. And Americans routinely participate in religious rituals. Levels of religious consciousness are not distributed equally. Systematic patterns of differences in religion occur with surprising regularity. An American's religiosity is very much bound up with social position and geographic space. There is an important interplay between religion and life status factors -- age, gender, marital status, having children -- and with achieved status distinctions -- class, education, income. Those who are most religious are demonstrably different across a wide spectrum of outcomes from those who are not. These include lifestyle choices, social participation, ideology, partisanship, and views on political and social issues. Religion can be the driver for highly disruptive social behaviors, up to and including the taking of human life. Unlike citizens of any other country in the world, Americans group themselves into hundreds of distinct micro religious groups and denominations. These groups are constantly evolving, splitting like amoeba to form new groups. The most common pattern today is the development of the "no name" religious group, consisting of Americans who worship only under the banner of their own nondenominational predilections. These religious groupings are sociologically related to social status, geography, politics, and social and political attitudes. The emotional, non-negotiable bases of religion and the nature of its appeal to the most ultimate of rationales mean that highly religious Americans are one of the most potentially influential groups in society. Religious beliefs provide a foundation for much of today's American politics. America is and will remain a religious nation, and it is entirely possible that in many ways, religion will be more, rather than less, important in the years ahead. The foundation for God Is Alive and Well is the perspective of science -- analyzing what people think, do, and believe about religion. Frank Newport's distinction as a well-known social scientist and authority on American life, his media experience, and his unique personal history as the son of a Southern Baptist theologian will increase this book's sales potential. God Is Alive and Well is based in large part on more than a million interviews Gallup has conducted in recent years -- interviews that asked Americans about their religion, their religious beliefs, and their religious behavior. The resulting data provide an unparalleled and unprecedented database of information about Americans and their religions. Written for lay readers using a conversational tone, God Is Alive and Well presents new information with an entertaining style.

Every 12.3 minutes someone completes suicide, and I was almost one of them. I had written letters, picked a day, and packed up all my belongings because I believed my life was worthless and disposable.What lies ahead of you is my journey from suicide attempt towards abundant life. I share it with you in hopes that you can see yourself or someone you love in my story and find the courage to start conversations about faith, mental health, depression, and suicide.I am not a pastor, a deep-sea diver, an Avenger, or a mongoose whisperer. I have never sawed off my own arm, had my hand digested by a shark, or experienced any other amazing feat of humanity. I am just an average guy who found his world slipping away and-in a moment of extreme clarity-made the terrifying decision to stay and chase a life that is fully and recklessly alive.