This book is about the tension revealed in scripture. Our efforts to systematically understand spiritual truth have often meant removing the tensions found in the Bible. We sometimes ignore passages we dont like or understand in order to make things fit together. We practice, to our harm, the either/or response to most of these conflicting biblical issues. When we remove the tensions present in scripture, well find ourselves to the right or the left, instead of being on the straight and narrow road that leads us to life in His grace. When we remove the tension found in scripture (and there is a lot of it), we end up creating more tension between each other. As we embrace both sides of the spiritual revelations regarding any subject, the answers will come. The tension provides safety, balance, protection, and keeps us in a place to receive. With this in mind, I address the problem, present the theology of tension, and begin to apply it to many familiar, but often controversial, doctrines. Amazing answers are revealed not by choosing sides, but by affirming both, even when our natural minds cannot discern them. In essence, we short circuit the purpose provided by these tensions when we dismiss them. The tension is in the scriptures: we need to live in it and remain in grace.

If you have picked up this book, chances are you are a committed follower of Christ. Like many searching Christians you are tired of religious busywork and showy piety. You long for authentic worship and meaningful service. You came to Christ with deep expectations of transformation and service, but those passions have been starved by shallow theology and superficial relationships. You are looking for something more. You are ready to sink your mind into what the Bible says about the call of God, the priesthood of all believers, and what it means to live for Christ and his kingdom. The two-volume Living in Tension offers in-depth spiritual direction on the crucial issues shaping a theology of ministry. This is not a book for pastors only. Webster intentionally blurs the distinction between pastor and congregation. This book is for all believers who take God's call to salvation, service, sacrifice, and simplicity seriously. Living in Tension provides need-to-know insights for every congregation. Pastors will find that this passionate and practical theology translates well into their own lives and into the life of the church.

"An examination of the frameworks of science and religion that provides a multi-cultural view of how they affect our perception of the truth"--Provided by publisher.

In Tension: Empowering Christian Thought and Life, author Gerald L. Borchert wrestles with the many ways in which Christians experience tension both in the church and in real life. The very nature of choice is a source of tension, and all humans are confronted daily with choices that can have significant impacts on themselves and those around them. Borchert examines what it means to live with freedom and to engage with our choices in a meaningful way. Pulling from personal experience, Borchert recalls how, as a young child, he first encountered tension in the ongoing debate over the timing of creation and the dichotomy of how science and Bible handle the origin of the universe. "Our task as humans," he writes, "is to recognize what is science and what it is not. The task likewise is to recognize what the Bible claims to be hard truth or reality and what it does not. Our further task, therefore, is to recognize what is true biblical exegesis (interpretation) and what is merely an assumption concerning statements in Scripture. Our task is to work at understanding what statements are rooted in observable fact and what are theological or scientific reflections. In this pursuit of understanding, it is not a question of truth but the kind of truth that is present in an issue." Borchert continues to reflect on a number of areas inherent with tension: Christian salvation; our personal mindset; the ancient understanding of "time"; the nature of human failure and suffering; and what it means to be Christ-like. "I trust these and other preliminary reflections will set your thoughts into high gear. Hopefully they will stir your mind and challenge you to reflect more on the tensions and polarities that may be present in your theologies and the way you approach life. Some of these tensions may be easily discernible, while others may not be so evident in your thinking. Wherever you are on the spectrum, I suggest that there is a need to reconsider the issues concerning tension as we look to the challenges of the future." Borchert's goal is to encourage the reader to think about tension as an instructive force that makes us look at both sides of an issue and learn to deal with the uncomfortable feeling that our current perspective might by in need of updating. "I think we need repeatedly to ask: Is our theology ready to deal better with old tensions and accept the fact that new tensions loom in the future? Perhaps, seeing the incredible power that is present in dealing more effectively with both sides of tensions may be more productive. Dynamic power may be present if we are a people who are willing to accept and creatively integrate such tensions into new combinations. Will we be among the new explorers of Christianity?"

Ira Brent Driggers examines the character of God as portrayed in the Gospel of Mark, paying particular attention to the way God factors into the unfolding conflict between Jesus and his disciples. Arguing that Mark depicts God as acting in two logically opposite ways, both independently of Jesus (as a distinct character) and through Jesus (possessing him from his baptism), he adds a level of complexity to Mark's portrayal of Jesus and sheds new light on the most enigmatic feature of Mark's narrative: the consistent and troubling misunderstanding of the disciples.