Robert P Vande Kappelle

Contrary to popular culture, the goal of life is not happiness, but meaning. Those who seek happiness by trying to avoid or finesse conflict, suffering, doubt, and change will find life increasingly superficial. Feeling good is a flawed measure of life, but living meaningfully is transformative, for then one is living a developmental rather than a regressive agenda. The ego does whatever it can to make itself comfortable, whereas spirituality is about wholeness. Adventures in Spirituality represents the culmination of Dr. Vande Kappelle's forty-year teaching career, incorporating in one volume his views on topics as varied as theology, Christology, biblical interpretation, spirituality, ethics, world religions, religion and science, faith and reason, and church history. Reared in Costa Rica, the son of missionary parents, Dr. Vande Kappelle describes his journey from belief to faith as a transition from precritical to postcritical understanding, from evangelical Christianity to what he calls ""alternative orthodoxy."" Narrating the shift from first- to second-half-of-life experience, he introduces readers to core principles that shaped his values, thinking, and way of life. Useful for individual or group study, Adventures in Spirituality encourages readers to take risks with their lives and faith, affirming that this is how one grows spiritually.

Contrary to popular culture, the goal of life is not happiness, but meaning. Those who seek happiness by trying to avoid or finesse conflict, suffering, doubt, and change will find life increasingly superficial. Feeling good is a flawed measure of life, but living meaningfully is transformative, for then one is living a developmental rather than a regressive agenda. The ego does whatever it can to make itself comfortable, whereas spirituality is about wholeness. Adventures in Spirituality represents the culmination of Dr. Vande Kappelle's forty-year teaching career, incorporating in one volume his views on topics as varied as theology, Christology, biblical interpretation, spirituality, ethics, world religions, religion and science, faith and reason, and church history. Reared in Costa Rica, the son of missionary parents, Dr. Vande Kappelle describes his journey from belief to faith as a transition from precritical to postcritical understanding, from evangelical Christianity to what he calls ""alternative orthodoxy."" Narrating the shift from first- to second-half-of-life experience, he introduces readers to core principles that shaped his values, thinking, and way of life. Useful for individual or group study, Adventures in Spirituality encourages readers to take risks with their lives and faith, affirming that this is how one grows spiritually.

How did Jesus do it? we wonder. How did he walk on water? To which we can imagine Jesus responding, ""O ye of literal faith. Walk with me on the waters of life; explore with me the depths of reality."" Walking on water is not, as one might think, about staying on the surface of things, but rather about going deep into the ordinary aspects of our lives and finding gold. It is not about exotic miracles or blind faith, but about ""living into a new way of thinking."" Most of us experience a continual flow of ideas, images, and feelings, clinging to these as if they were us. They are us, but not our True Self. They represent the atomized self, our small imperial ego. While this egocentric False Self is necessary, its role is temporary, a warm-up rather than the adventure itself. To ascertain our True Self, we must lose the false images that no longer serve us, images of God that are insufficient and images of ourselves that are similarly inadequate. Bringing to life tales about labyrinths and quests for the Grail, Walking on Water encourages us to go with Jesus into death and resurrection, encountering the universal Christ there, the True Self that gives all humans final meaning and definition. Such living ""saves"" us from our smaller and untrue selves, transforms our consciousness, and transports us from limited first-half-of-life living and thinking into second-half-of-life possibilities. The dynamic approach to spirituality described in this book--a transformational journey nourished by myth, metaphor, and mystery--will promote the wisdom, compassion, maturity, and connectedness we all need and desire.

How did Jesus do it? we wonder. How did he walk on water? To which we can imagine Jesus responding, ""O ye of literal faith. Walk with me on the waters of life; explore with me the depths of reality."" Walking on water is not, as one might think, about staying on the surface of things, but rather about going deep into the ordinary aspects of our lives and finding gold. It is not about exotic miracles or blind faith, but about ""living into a new way of thinking."" Most of us experience a continual flow of ideas, images, and feelings, clinging to these as if they were us. They are us, but not our True Self. They represent the atomized self, our small imperial ego. While this egocentric False Self is necessary, its role is temporary, a warm-up rather than the adventure itself. To ascertain our True Self, we must lose the false images that no longer serve us, images of God that are insufficient and images of ourselves that are similarly inadequate. Bringing to life tales about labyrinths and quests for the Grail, Walking on Water encourages us to go with Jesus into death and resurrection, encountering the universal Christ there, the True Self that gives all humans final meaning and definition. Such living ""saves"" us from our smaller and untrue selves, transforms our consciousness, and transports us from limited first-half-of-life living and thinking into second-half-of-life possibilities. The dynamic approach to spirituality described in this book--a transformational journey nourished by myth, metaphor, and mystery--will promote the wisdom, compassion, maturity, and connectedness we all need and desire.

Three conditions plague us individually and socially--the compulsion to be successful, to be powerful, and to be right. Jesus faced these demons in the wilderness, and they tempt us as well. When used selfishly or for personal gain, success, power, and ideology can weaken and corrupt. However, when applied humbly and compassionately, they can be useful, even transformative. Central to the Christian Scriptures are the stories of Jesus and his disciples, and no account is more inspiring than that told by an anonymous author we call Luke. His Gospel, aptly described as ""the most beautiful book in the world,"" and its sequel, the book of Acts, narrate the history of Jesus and early Christianity. These books, known by scholars as Luke-Acts, constitute over one quarter of the New Testament. Together they reveal what success, power, and truth look like spiritually, from God's perspective. Because Luke does not ""do theology"" in a vacuum, that is, for the sake of theology alone, questions of Luke's purpose in composing his two-volume work impact Christianity's relationship to the secular world, particularly issues of peace, equality, and social justice. In fact, social and political categories may be as important for understanding Luke as traditional theological ones. While exploring fascinating perspectives on Luke as historian, literary artist, and theologian, Power Revealed approaches Luke-Acts exegetically, expositing the biblical text for practical, pastoral, and spiritual needs. Useful for individual or group study, each chapter contains aids to learning, including (a) chapter summaries or outlines, (b) homework assignments, and (c) learning objectives.

Three conditions plague us individually and socially--the compulsion to be successful, to be powerful, and to be right. Jesus faced these demons in the wilderness, and they tempt us as well. When used selfishly or for personal gain, success, power, and ideology can weaken and corrupt. However, when applied humbly and compassionately, they can be useful, even transformative. Central to the Christian Scriptures are the stories of Jesus and his disciples, and no account is more inspiring than that told by an anonymous author we call Luke. His Gospel, aptly described as ""the most beautiful book in the world,"" and its sequel, the book of Acts, narrate the history of Jesus and early Christianity. These books, known by scholars as Luke-Acts, constitute over one quarter of the New Testament. Together they reveal what success, power, and truth look like spiritually, from God's perspective. Because Luke does not ""do theology"" in a vacuum, that is, for the sake of theology alone, questions of Luke's purpose in composing his two-volume work impact Christianity's relationship to the secular world, particularly issues of peace, equality, and social justice. In fact, social and political categories may be as important for understanding Luke as traditional theological ones. While exploring fascinating perspectives on Luke as historian, literary artist, and theologian, Power Revealed approaches Luke-Acts exegetically, expositing the biblical text for practical, pastoral, and spiritual needs. Useful for individual or group study, each chapter contains aids to learning, including (a) chapter summaries or outlines, (b) homework assignments, and (c) learning objectives.

Christianity is essentially a historical religion. It cannot be understood merely through a set of dogmas, a moral code, or a view of the universe. Through the stories of Israel, Jesus, and the developing church, Christianity acknowledges the revelation of God in action. Augustine, the great medieval theologian, envisioned human society as composed of two ""cities,"" distinguished by two loves: the love of God and the love of Self. He viewed these cities as universal in scope and operative throughout human history. This perspective raises questions about the church's nature, its role in society, and whether the church has lived up to its nature and destiny as God's new creation. The New Creation defines the church as ""the people of God,"" related but not equivalent to Israel or the institutional church. This text provides a clear and concise survey of the church as God's instrument for the providential care of the earth and its human family. The story of the church begins with Abraham in the second millennium BCE, long before Jesus or the birth of Christianity, and it proceeds through three epochs: 1. Formation (c. 1850-4 BCE), 2. Transformation (4 BCE-1500 CE), and 3. Reformation (1500 CE-present). Ideal for individual or group study, The New Creation divides church history into nine units, each discussed as a phase in the church's organic growth and development. In addition to the narrative, each chapter includes three features for that epoch of church history: 1) a significant event, 2) a turning point or decisive moment, and 3) study questions. Robert P. Vande Kappelle is emeritus professor of Religious Studies at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. He is the author of seventeen books, including biblical commentaries, volumes on ethics and church history, and discussion guides on faith, theology, and spirituality. Vande Kappelle is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U. S. A).

Christianity is essentially a historical religion. It cannot be understood merely through a set of dogmas, a moral code, or a view of the universe. Through the stories of Israel, Jesus, and the developing church, Christianity acknowledges the revelation of God in action. Augustine, the great medieval theologian, envisioned human society as composed of two ""cities,"" distinguished by two loves: the love of God and the love of Self. He viewed these cities as universal in scope and operative throughout human history. This perspective raises questions about the church's nature, its role in society, and whether the church has lived up to its nature and destiny as God's new creation. The New Creation defines the church as ""the people of God,"" related but not equivalent to Israel or the institutional church. This text provides a clear and concise survey of the church as God's instrument for the providential care of the earth and its human family. The story of the church begins with Abraham in the second millennium BCE, long before Jesus or the birth of Christianity, and it proceeds through three epochs: 1. Formation (c. 1850-4 BCE), 2. Transformation (4 BCE-1500 CE), and 3. Reformation (1500 CE-present). Ideal for individual or group study, The New Creation divides church history into nine units, each discussed as a phase in the church's organic growth and development. In addition to the narrative, each chapter includes three features for that epoch of church history: 1) a significant event, 2) a turning point or decisive moment, and 3) study questions. Robert P. Vande Kappelle is emeritus professor of Religious Studies at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. He is the author of seventeen books, including biblical commentaries, volumes on ethics and church history, and discussion guides on faith, theology, and spirituality. Vande Kappelle is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U. S. A).

From time immemorial, in every age, a set of questions has persisted, perplexing human beings. Does God exist? Where did the universe come from? Is there any purpose to our lives? Why is there so much suffering? Do we live on after death? How can we find release from suffering and sadness? For what can we hope? These have been called life's ""big questions""; they are the ones that never go away. It is the main business of religion to answer ultimate questions. To accomplish this task, every generation of believers benefits by reexamining its theology, thereby providing society with vision. A stagnant theology reflects a religion that is limited in usefulness and effectiveness. Refined by Fire is written for those who affirm the value of lifelong spiritual growth, realize the limits of logic, and embrace the paradoxes in life. This guide provides a mechanism for individuals and small groups to interact with timely theological topics such as the nature of God, Christ, Scripture, truth, faith, evil, sin, salvation, heaven, hell, creation and evolution, the role of the church, and the future of the human race. Each session (chapter) follows a threefold pattern: (a) ""Getting Started"" provides an initial assignment; (b) ""Gaining Momentum,"" the central part of the text, provides perspective; and (c) ""Going Deeper"" provides questions for discussion or further reflection. Robert P. Vande Kappelle is Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. He is the author of seventeen books, including biblical commentaries, volumes on ethics and church history, and discussion guides on faith, theology, and spirituality. Dr. Vande Kappelle is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U. S. A).

From time immemorial, in every age, a set of questions has persisted, perplexing human beings. Does God exist? Where did the universe come from? Is there any purpose to our lives? Why is there so much suffering? Do we live on after death? How can we find release from suffering and sadness? For what can we hope? These have been called life's ""big questions""; they are the ones that never go away. It is the main business of religion to answer ultimate questions. To accomplish this task, every generation of believers benefits by reexamining its theology, thereby providing society with vision. A stagnant theology reflects a religion that is limited in usefulness and effectiveness. Refined by Fire is written for those who affirm the value of lifelong spiritual growth, realize the limits of logic, and embrace the paradoxes in life. This guide provides a mechanism for individuals and small groups to interact with timely theological topics such as the nature of God, Christ, Scripture, truth, faith, evil, sin, salvation, heaven, hell, creation and evolution, the role of the church, and the future of the human race. Each session (chapter) follows a threefold pattern: (a) ""Getting Started"" provides an initial assignment; (b) ""Gaining Momentum,"" the central part of the text, provides perspective; and (c) ""Going Deeper"" provides questions for discussion or further reflection. Robert P. Vande Kappelle is Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. He is the author of seventeen books, including biblical commentaries, volumes on ethics and church history, and discussion guides on faith, theology, and spirituality. Dr. Vande Kappelle is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U. S. A).

There is no more important topic for inquiry today than the meaning and message of Jesus, for in this quest lies the solution to human discontent and despair. Examining an array of titles for Jesus found in the New Testament, expressions ranging from rabbi and messiah to Wisdom of God, Word of God, and Lord, this study explores why Christology is not simply the study of Jesus Christ but also of the highest and best in us all. Who is Jesus Christ, and what is his significance for today? Was he fully human, the perfect human, God in disguise, or somehow all of these simultaneously? The key is to begin where the first Christians began, with their experience of Jesus, and then to press forward with the development of that understanding in our experience of Christ. While The Scandal of Divine Love is designed for Christian believers (survivors), it embraces skeptics and seekers alike, mindful that within each of us are multiple voices, sometimes affirming, sometimes questioning, occasionally even denying. Whether you consider yourself primarily as skeptic, seeker, or believer, this study encourages you to listen, appreciate, and cultivate each voice. This volume, ideal for individual and group study, will help you discover anew the magnificence of the life and person known to us as Jesus of Nazareth, as guide, exemplar, and Lord. Robert P. Vande Kappelle, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania, and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), is the author of fourteen books, including books on spirituality, ethics, science, and religion, and his ""Then and Now"" series of biblical studies on the books of Romans, Revelation, the Gospel of John, and the Wisdom Literature.

There is no more important topic for inquiry today than the meaning and message of Jesus, for in this quest lies the solution to human discontent and despair. Examining an array of titles for Jesus found in the New Testament, expressions ranging from rabbi and messiah to Wisdom of God, Word of God, and Lord, this study explores why Christology is not simply the study of Jesus Christ but also of the highest and best in us all. Who is Jesus Christ, and what is his significance for today? Was he fully human, the perfect human, God in disguise, or somehow all of these simultaneously? The key is to begin where the first Christians began, with their experience of Jesus, and then to press forward with the development of that understanding in our experience of Christ. While The Scandal of Divine Love is designed for Christian believers (survivors), it embraces skeptics and seekers alike, mindful that within each of us are multiple voices, sometimes affirming, sometimes questioning, occasionally even denying. Whether you consider yourself primarily as skeptic, seeker, or believer, this study encourages you to listen, appreciate, and cultivate each voice. This volume, ideal for individual and group study, will help you discover anew the magnificence of the life and person known to us as Jesus of Nazareth, as guide, exemplar, and Lord. Robert P. Vande Kappelle, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania, and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), is the author of fourteen books, including books on spirituality, ethics, science, and religion, and his ""Then and Now"" series of biblical studies on the books of Romans, Revelation, the Gospel of John, and the Wisdom Literature.