Brian Zahnd

Is the existence of God essential to humanity? A World Without God is a philosophical exploration that challenges readers to consider the implications of a hypothetical society without divine influence. Like Dostoyevsky's enigmatic characters and the brutal depictions of reality in the book of Judges, this book considers--in the form of narrative philosophy--the consequences of abandoning faith in God. Journeying into the nihilistic haze of technological oversaturation and moral decline, Chris Palmer, PhD, confronts today's most persistent questions about meaning, purpose, and existence in a world adrift. A World Without God offers an honest yet hopeful path for those open to God but unsure why they should commit to a belief they cannot ground in science. In its fresh look at key influences in literature--from Albert Camus to Jordan Peterson--this book examines how people search for meaning without a creator and how the absence of the divine can lead to chaos and psychological collapse. Whether you're a Christian, a skeptic, or simply curious about the implications of a world without God, this book will spark imagination and deep reflection.

En av den kristna trons konstanter är Guds oföränderlighet. Gud är densamme igår, idag och för evigt. Nya testamentets budskap är att Jesus från Nasaret är Gud i mänsklig gestalt. Gud är som Jesus och har alltid varit som Jesus. Hur ska vi då hantera de bibeltexter som verkar beskriva en Gud som är arg och hämndlysten och inte alls lik Jesus? Under väckelsetider har det inte varit ovanligt med svavelosande förkunnelse som närmast skrämt människor till tro. Ja, den sortens förkunnelse verkade fungera - men är den sann? I denna bok gör Brian Zahnd upp med en gudsbild som formats utifrån vissa bibeltexter och av vår egen rädsla och skam. Boken hävdar att evangeliet är godare nyheter än många anat. För en del kommer bokens budskap störa, för vi är ofta så fast förankrade i våra hemmasnidade gudsbilder. Men för den som vill lyssna till rösten av en kärleksfull himmelsk Far är bokens budskap befriande.

Perhaps you've been captivated by Jesus for a long time or are newly intrigued by him. You already know it's possible to be a Christian and not be very much like Jesus, but that's not what you want. Whether through your own study or your spiritual intuition, you sense that following the way of Jesus ought to be transformational for you and for the world you inhabit. The urgent drive of our time-to always be moving upward and forward-has already taken its toll on you. You suspect an inward focus is necessary for personal healing and growth but wonder if it makes any difference for others in the world around you. And you definitely don't want to go backward, whether to past ways of thinking that were destructive or back to a world that is more hierarchical, violent, and exploitative. Perhaps you feel homeless spiritually and wonder which way you should go. The gospel narrative of Jesus' life suggests a path. Walking Otherward is a forty-day devotional that follows the Gospel texts of Jesus' final weeks before his crucifixion. Each entry invites you to try on Jesus' attitude, setting aside self-centered, ego-defending ambition in exchange for other-centered, co-suffering love. Rather than climbing upward, retreating backward, or withdrawing inward, Jesus' path invites us to walk otherward. Walking Otherward is suitable for use during Lent or any other season of spiritual introspection.

Aldrig mer våldets väg är, ursäkta ordvalet, en krutdurk. Den kommer ställa jobbiga frågor till sina läsare. Frågor vi inte kan blunda för. Ju närmare krigsrykten kommer oss, desto större är risken att vi ger upp tidigare ideal. Rädsla har den effekten. När det vi omhuldar mest hotas, blir vi defensiva och får tunnelseende. Behovet av teologisk reflektion kring icke-våld är stort i vår tid, därför blev denna bok översatt till svenska. Motivationen till boken i sig grundar sig helt på Jesus Kristus och de ord vi har av honom i Nya testamentet. Brian Zahnd, som gjort en omvälvande resa, är din guide till fredsstiftandets väg och utmanar oss att inte endast tro på Jesus som frälsare av enskilda individer, utan tro på hans politiska idéer om en värld grundad på kärlek och förlåtelse i stället för makt och våld. Att Guds rike kan, och ska, bryta in redan här och nu. Vågar, och vill, vi som bekänner oss till Kristus tro det när oron växer och rösterna höjs för upprustning och militära allianser? Var ligger vår djupaste lojalitet och vad får efterföljelsen kosta? Brian Zahnd är pastor i Word of Life Church (WOLC) i S:t Joseph, Missouri och har skrivit ett tiotal böcker, av vilka När allt står i brand – tro formad ur askan (Narin förlag 2023) är den första på svenska. Han är en tongivande röst för en evangelikal tro som söker sig vidare, bort från den nationalistiska och starkt parti¬politiska form av kristendom som präglat stora delar av USA:s kristenhet.

The cross is the heart of Scripture Everything about the gospel message leads to the cross, and proceeds from the cross. In fact, within the narrative of Scripture, the crucifixion of Jesus is literally the crux of the story--the axis upon which the biblical story turns. But it would be a mistake to think we could sum up the significance of the crucifixion in a tidy sentence or two. That kind of thinking only insulates us from the magnificence of what God has done. In our ongoing quest to make meaning of the cross, we need to recognize that this conversation will never conclude--that there is always something more to be said. Brian Zahnd reminds us that the meaning of the cross is multifaceted and should touch every aspect of our lives. Just as gazing through the eyepiece of a kaleidoscope reveals a new geometric image with every turn, Zahnd helps us see that there are infinite ways to behold the cross of Christ as the beautiful form that saves the world. The Wood Between the Worlds is an invitation to encounter the cross of Christ anew.

Paul proclaims in 90 percent of what he wrote that we have been set free, resurrected, and transformed through Christ at the behest of a loving God. This gospel proclamation can be found wherever he speaks of being "in Christ." But this gospel and its account of salvation have been captured by "another gospel," which also lays claim to being Paul's account of salvation. And this gospel is retributive, conditional, and ultimately damaging. "Justification theory," as we call this false account, lays claim to just under 10 percent of what Paul wrote. The presence of both these gospels within Paul's interpretation causes numerous acute problems. To name just a few, they create an image of Paul as someone who is fundamentally confused, frequently harsh, and unavoidably anti-Jewish. If we reread Paul's justification texts, however, paying more attention to the original historical circumstances within which they were composed, then they turn out to say something subtly but significantly different. Paul's justification texts can be interpreted carefully, faithfully, and consistently, in terms of his usual gospel--our transformation in Christ. Thus Justification theory is never activated. Paul's true gospel is thereby liberated from its long captivity to a false alternative. We can now see a kinder, gentler, and more consistent apostle.

Paul proclaims in 90 percent of what he wrote that we have been set free, resurrected, and transformed through Christ at the behest of a loving God. This gospel proclamation can be found wherever he speaks of being "in Christ." But this gospel and its account of salvation have been captured by "another gospel," which also lays claim to being Paul's account of salvation. And this gospel is retributive, conditional, and ultimately damaging. "Justification theory," as we call this false account, lays claim to just under 10 percent of what Paul wrote. The presence of both these gospels within Paul's interpretation causes numerous acute problems. To name just a few, they create an image of Paul as someone who is fundamentally confused, frequently harsh, and unavoidably anti-Jewish. If we reread Paul's justification texts, however, paying more attention to the original historical circumstances within which they were composed, then they turn out to say something subtly but significantly different. Paul's justification texts can be interpreted carefully, faithfully, and consistently, in terms of his usual gospel--our transformation in Christ. Thus Justification theory is never activated. Paul's true gospel is thereby liberated from its long captivity to a false alternative. We can now see a kinder, gentler, and more consistent apostle.

Utifrån personlig och pastoral erfarenhet, ger oss Zahnd i denna bok en inbjudan att vandra tillsammans på en resa mot rekonstruktion. I en värld som snabbt förändras och som känns alltmer inkompatibel med kristendom, ger denna bok oss ett välbehövligt hopp. En tryggare och mer grundad tro är möjlig – om den får byggas på Kristi skönhet och sanning. ”När vi ska sortera i vad som är omistligt i den kristna tron och vad som måste överges behöver vi hjälp av någon som gått före. Brian Zahnd är en sådan lots. Somliga kommer att provoceras av den här boken, andra ska finna bröd till sin undernärda själ. Att Zahnd äntligen kommer på svenska i Thomas Arvidssons utmärkta översättning är mycket glädjande.” Fredrik Lignell, pastor i Ryttargårdskyrkan Linköping ”I en tid där allt fler kristna förlorar tilliten till både Bibeln och kyrkan kommer Brian Zahnd med ett berörande evangelium. Några av kapitlen läste jag med tårar i ögonen.” Eleonore Gustafsson, skribent och pastor i Pingstkyrkan Linköping samt Nya Slottet Bjärka-Säby

Deconstruction: Trendy brand name for falling away from belief in God? Or a process essential to authentic faith? Liberation or trauma? Prison break or exile? It's complicated. Just like you. Christian history records a Great Reformation and a Great Awakening. But today's "Great Deconstruction" will surely leave an equally profound impact. In Out of the Embers, Bradley Jersak explores the necessity, perils, and possibilities of the Great Deconstruction--how it has the potential to either sabotage our communion with God or infuse it with the breath of life, the light and life of Christ himself. In this collection of vulnerable memoirs, philosophical memos, and candid provocations, Jersak resists both the hand-wringing urge to corral stray sheep and the exultant desire to play the happy-clappy Ex-vangelical cheerleader. He employs the wisdom and expertise of the great deconstructionists--Christianity's ancient influences (Moses, Plato, Paul, and the Patristics), "beloved frenemies" (from Voltaire to Nietzsche), and the masters of deconstruction (Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, and Weil)--to double down and deconstruct deconstruction itself. Where is faith after deconstruction? The author's heart is to engage and empathize with the bereft and disoriented, stoking the brittle ashes for live embers. In this quest for the resilient gospel of the martyrs, the marginal, and those outside the threshold...inexplicably, in this liminal space, life stirs. A Light shines through the ashes. We find, often for the first time, that living connection Jersak calls "presence in communion." There is a sea change occurring across the Western church and civilization. Whether we're watching a radical course correction or a complete collapse remains to be seen, and how it pans out will likely depend on how we see what's happening, who we are becoming, how we live in response--and, most important, where we find Christ situated in this storm.

Is it possible to hold on to faith in an age of unbelief? Intellectual certainty has long been a cornerstone of the Christian faith. But in an age of secularism, skepticism, and cynicism, our worldviews have been shaken. Various solutions exist—some double down on certainty, while others deconstruct their faith until there is nothing left at all. But Brian Zahnd offers a third way: what is needed is not a demolition but instead a renovation of faith. Written with personal and pastoral experience, Zahnd extends an invitation to move beyond the crisis of faith toward the journey of reconstruction. As the world rapidly changes in ways that feel incompatible with Christianity, When Everything's on Fire provides much-needed hope. A stronger, more confident faith is possible when it is grounded in the beauty and truth of Christ. Zahnd permits us to risk the journey of deconstruction so that God can forge something more beautiful in its place.

The Unvarnished Jesus is a forty-six day Lenten journey taking the reader from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday on a quest to encounter Jesus in a new and startling way. These forty-six daily meditations on the life and ministry of Jesus drawn from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are a spiritual solvent to help remove the layers of lacquer comprised of political and cultural assumptions that prevent us from seeing just how challenging and compelling Jesus of Nazareth really is. The Unvarnished Jesus is a forty-six day project to restore the incomparable image of Christ.

The original gospel proclamation that the Lord of the nations was a crucified Galilean raised from the dead and that salvation was found in vowing allegiance to Jesus of Nazareth unleashed a shock wave that turned the Roman Empire upside down. Early Christianity was subversive and dangerous-dangerous for Christians and a threat to the keepers of the old order. Most of all Christianity was countercultural. But what about contemporary American Christianity? Is it the countercultural way of Jesus or merely a religious endorsement of Americanism? In his provocative book, Postcards From Babylon, Brian Zahnd challenges the reader to see and embrace a daring Jesus-centered Christianity that can again turn the world upside down." In a bold and daring articulation, Brian Zahnd has sketched a 'Theology of the Cross' for our time and place in the United States of the twenty-first century. He does so in a way that deeply resonates with the primal claims of evangelical theology. He sees that the Gospel is inherently and inescapably countercultural because the God of the Gospel is in particular and passionate solidarity with the 'left behind.'"--Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary"If I had miraculous powers, I would interrupt the programming of every religious broadcast in America, then, as Jesus replaced water with wine, I would substitute the message from Brian Zahnd that you'll read in this book. Read it and you'll see why. I recommend that you buy two copies of this book. Immediately read one-underline it and extract quotes from it to share on Facebook and Twitter, and refer to it in sermons and casual conversations. Send the other to that friend or relative who likes to talk about God and country. Include a note asking if they'd be willing to talk with you about it after they read it. Then see what happens as these Postcards from Babylon do their work in you and in others."--Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration"This love letter from a concerned pastor will enrage contemporary Pharaohs and their false prophets who blaspheme by blessing everything that Christ came to free us from. Postcards from Babylon diagnoses the diabolical and invites us to become pilgrims on Christ's narrow road that delivers us out into life."--Jarrod McKenna, pastor, founder of First Home Project for refugees in Australia

"People don't abandon faith because they have doubts. People abandon faith because they think they're not allowed to have doubts." Too often, our honest questions about faith are met with cold confidence and easy answers. But false certitude doesn't result in strong faith—it results in disillusionment, or worse, in a dogmatic, overweening faith unable to see itself or its object clearly. Even as a pastor, Austin Fischer has experienced the shadows of doubt and disillusionment. In Faith in the Shadows, he leans into perennial questions about Christianity with raw and fearless integrity. He addresses contemporary science, the problem of evil, hell, God's silence, and other issues, offering not only fresh treatments of these questions but also a fresh paradigm for thinking about doubt itself. Doubt, Fischer contends, is no reason to leave the faith. Instead, it's an invitation to a more honest faith—a faith that's not in control, but that trusts more fully in its Lord.

Does God's Wrath Define Christianity? Or Does God's Love? In his famous sermon -Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, - Puritan revivalist Jonathan Edwards shaped predominating American theology with a vision of God as angry, violent, and retributive. Three centuries later, Brian Zahnd was both mesmerized and terrified by Edwards's wrathful God. Haunted by fear that crippled his relationship with God, Zahnd spent years praying for a divine experience of hell. What Zahnd experienced instead was the Father's love--revealed perfectly through Jesus Christ--for all prodigal sons and daughters. In Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Zahnd asks important questions like Is seeing God primarily as wrathful towards sinners true or biblical? Is fearing God a normal, expected behavior? And where might the natural implications of this theological framework lead us? Thoughtfully wrestling with subjects like Old Testament genocide, the crucifixion of Jesus, eternal punishment in hell, and the final judgment in Revelation, Zanhd maintains that the summit of divine revelation for sinners is not God is wrath, but God is love.