Called to Be Human: Letters to My Children on Living a Christian Life
Stock No: WW863007
Called to Be Human: Letters to My Children on Living a Christian Life  -     By: Michael Jinkins

Called to Be Human: Letters to My Children on Living a Christian Life

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. / 2009 / Paperback

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Stock No: WW863007

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Product Description

A father's labor of love challenges his children---and us---to live an authentic Christian life! In eloquent, honest letters written to his son and daughter, Jinkins weaves his insights with those of C.S. Lewis, John Calvin, Frederick Buechner, and other writers to strengthen his kids as they move forward in their spiritual journey. 128 pages, softcover from Eerdmans.

Product Information

Title: Called to Be Human: Letters to My Children on Living a Christian Life
By: Michael Jinkins
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 128
Vendor: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Publication Date: 2009
Dimensions: 9.00 X 6.00 (inches)
Weight: 7 ounces
ISBN: 0802863000
ISBN-13: 9780802863003
Stock No: WW863007

Publisher's Description

In this manual for living the Christian — and therefore a truly human — life, Michael Jinkins explores so-called Big Questions that challenge people of all ages: What is it to be human? Why am I here? What can I believe in? How should I invest my life? / Readers will find here arresting insights illuminating our contemporary human experience. Through these letters written to his own adult children, Jinkins converses with a startling range of thinkers and writers — from Calvin to Rumi — and offers searching, loving testimony to his own faith. In doing so, he is critical not only of “religion” and the church but also of mere vapid “spirituality.” Frank, pungent, and at times humorous, Called to Be Human offers vital food for thought — and for authentic Christian living. / “Have you ever seen faith get passed from one generation to the next? I have. Here. In this book — this edgy, honest, makes-you-cry-because-it’s-so-true book — Michael Jinkins passes his Christian faith along to his children, Jeremy and Jessica. Thank God, he’s allowed us to look over their shoulders and read along. Called to Be Human confirms the stature of Michael Jinkins as the C. S. Lewis of our time.”— Scott Black Johnston / Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York / “In Called to Be Human Michael Jinkins wrangles with profound questions that so many young adults face — the terrifying beauty of death, the staggering complexities of evil, and the bewildering pursuit of vocation. Yet what makes this book so wise and powerful is not just its subject matter but, even more, that these words are wrapped in the unmistakable affection of a father who loves deeply.”— Carol Howard Merritt / Western Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C.

Author Bio

Michael Jinkins is President of Louisville Seminary,Louisville, Kentucky. An ordained minister in thePresbyterian Church (USA), he is also the author ofChristianity, Tolerance and Pluralism andTransformational Ministry. Visit his blog, Thinking OutLoud.

Author Bio

Michael Jinkins is dean and professor of pastoral theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. His many previous books include Letters to New Pastors and The Church Faces Death.

Publisher Description

Letters have been the source of some of the deepest insights and best writing in the Christian canon. Called to Be Human continues this tradition as Michael Jinkins explores the core issues of life and faith that challenge people of all ages, especially young adults. Written as a series of letters to the author’s own adult children, the book passes along great tenets of the faith in a relevant and accessible fashion.

The letters that comprise the book follow two conversations —one to Jinkins’s son Jeremy and one to his daughter Jessica — which sometimes overlap and sometimes diverge. They discuss vocation, philosophy, doubt, and other big questions of faith. Along the way, Jinkins shares illuminating passages from some of his favorite writers and thinkers from C. S. Lewis and John Calvin, to Frederick Buechner and Rumi. He also doesn’t hesitate to share his own frustrations with some aspects of the church, including the failure of many Christian to examine their faith.

Eloquent, edgy, and honest, Called to Be Human will resonate with readers who are serious about living their faith authentically. This book is ideal for young adults and their ministers, teachers, youth leaders, and parents.

Library Journal

Jinkins (Letters to New Pastors), dean of pastoral theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, uses the familiar letter (in the literal sense, i.e., letters to his family) to help young people, and Christians in general, tackle hard questions such as death, divine justice, doubt, and difficult relationships. It's not possible to know whether these letters were derived from real ones, but the form gives Jinkins the space and freedom for accessible engagement with important issues in contemporary life. VERDICT The innovative format of this work will appeal to Christians, scholarly and otherwise. Highly recommended. Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

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