[Dummies 01] • Christianity For Dummies by Wagner, Richard -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Contents Introduction

About This Book Conventions Used in This Book What You’re Not to Read Foolish Assumptions How This Book Is Organized Icons Used in This Book Where to Go from Here

Part I : Uncovering What Christianity’s All About Chapter 1: Good News in a Bad News World

Packing Christianity into a Nutshell Making Sense of Christian Paradoxes Understanding How the Branches of the Church Came About Putting It into Perspective: Christianity in the World Today

Chapter 2: Christianity: But Is It True?

Defending the Faith Through Apologetics Exploring Whether God Exists Demonstrating Christianity as a Livable Faith Retracing Christianity as a Historical Faith

Chapter 3: That Amazing Stuff Called Grace

Defining Grace Receiving God’s Gift of Grace: Salvation Understanding Salvation by Faith Being “Born Again” Dealing with Hopeless Cases

Part II : Exploring the Basic Principles of the Christian Faith Chapter 4: Sin: Why “Do’s and Don’ts” Miss the Bigger Picture

Desiring to Be Different: The Original Ego Trip Grappling with the Definition of Sin Empathizing with God’s View of Sin Tying in Humans’ Relation to the Fall Warring with Satan (And Knowing Who You’re Fighting Against) Experiencing Temptation Sinning After You’re “Saved”

Chapter 5: Jesus Christ: His Life, Ministry, and Radical Claims

In Brief: Introducing Jesus Looking at How Jesus Lived Considering Who Jesus Claimed to Be Saving People: God’s Game Plan from the Get-Go Questioning Why Jesus Was Crucified Peering into an Empty Tomb: Revisiting the Resurrection Coming to a Conclusion: Was Jesus a Good Teacher or the Son of God?

Chapter 6: Peeking Inside God’s Diary: The Bible

Retracing the Bible’s Formation To Be or Not to Be: The Apocrypha Reading the Bible Appropriately Finding No Expiration Date for the Bible

Chapter 7: The Trinity: How 1+1+1 Equals 1

Introducing the Trinity Considering God as a Whole Examining the Three Parts of God Individually Understanding the Significance of the Trinity Digging Up the Biblical Foundation of the Trinity

Chapter 8: The Rite Stuff: Sacraments, Ordinances, and the Christian Faith

Understanding the Role of Sacraments and Ordinances Baptizing Christians into the Faith Exploring the Lord’s Supper Maintaining a Christlike Balance

Chapter 9: Heading for Home: The End Game

Enjoying Heaven for Eternity Being Purged of Sin in Purgatory Going to Hell: Considering the Underworld Awaiting the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

Part III : Here’s the Church, Here’s the Steeple: Peeking into the Christian Church Chapter 10: Tradition, Tradition: The Catholic and Orthodox Churches

Transferring from a Nation to a Church The Catholic Church: From Rome to a Parish Near You The Orthodox Church: Restoring the Image of God in People

Chapter 11: Back to the Basics: The Protestant Church

Exploring the Protestant Reformation Examining Core Protestant Beliefs Breaking It Down into Denominations Looking at More Protestant Labels Confronting the Challenge of Modernism Looking to the Future: Trends in Contemporary Protestantism

Chapter 12: Making Sense of Worship

I Worship, You Worship, We All Worship: Defining the Christian Tradition Examining the Worship Service as a Whole Exploring Ways to Worship: Liturgical Versus Free Worship Incorporating Music: A Call to Musical Arms Crossing Cultures with Worship

Part IV : Christian Living in a Postmodern World Chapter 13: I’m a Christian — Now What?

Experiencing Spiritual Transformation Fellowshipping with a Church Going One-on-One with the Lord Being a Disciple Living Out Your Faith Taking on a Christian Worldview

Chapter 14: Being in the World but Not of It

Being Salt and Light for the World Living Out Christ’s Calling in Different Ways Delving into the Messy World of Politics and Governing

Chapter 15: Tackling Thorny Issues in the Church

Observing Hypocrisy Dissing Nice-Guy Thinking Playing Salvation Monopoly

Chapter 16: Taking On Tough Issues Raised in the Real World

Wondering Why Bad Things Happen Debating Moral Relativism Considering Darwinism

Part V : The Part of Tens Chapter 17: Ten Christian Holy Days, Holidays, and Seasons

Lent Palm Sunday Maundy Thursday Good Friday Easter Pentecost National Day of Prayer All Saints’ Day Advent Christmas

Chapter 18: Ten Christian Leaders You Should Know About

St. Augustine of Hippo St. Francis of Assisi St. Thomas Aquinas Martin Luther William Tyndale John Calvin John Wesley William Wilberforce Dietrich Bonhoeffer Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Chapter 19: Ten New Testament Teachings You Should Know About

Walking Along the “Roman Road” to Salvation Listening to the Sermon on the Mount Praying the Lord’s Prayer Identifying with the Prodigal Son Detailing the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ Going Out with the Great Commission Appreciating Ancestors in the Hall of Faith Mixing Faith with Deeds Promising the Coming of the Holy Spirit Suiting Up with the Armor of God

: Appendix A

Glossary of Christian Lingo

: Appendix B

Timeline of Christian History

6–0 b.c. (approximate) a.d. 27 (approximate) 30 (approximate) 30–70 64–312 70–73 85–95 271–272 313 324 325 374–430 380 393–397 403–461 429 451 1054 1095–1270 1208 1382 1382–1415 1427 1457 1517 1525 1532–1534 1536 1530–1540s 1540 1609 1670 1703–1791 1734 1789 1793 1820–30s 1901 1962–1965 1978 1950–present

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