Most Popular Books by MIROSLAV VOLF

Since the rise of modern industrial society, work has come to pervade and rule the lives of men and women. Although there have been many popular books and church documents on on the Christian understanding of work, this is the first scholarly effort to articulate a developed Protestant theology of work. In Work in the Spirit, Miroslav Volf interprets work from a new perspective - in terms of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. He exhaustively explores the nature of work in both capitalist and socialist societies and considers a variety of work, including industrial, agricultural, medical, political, and artistic work. Examining the importance of alienation in work in industrial and information societies (particularly in the relation of workers to management and technology), he analyzes various forms of such alienation, and elucidates the character of humane work. On the basis of the ÒpneumatologicalÓ theology of work that he develops, Volf rejects the traditional Protestant understanding of work as vocation, and takes the concept of charisma as the cornerstone for his theological reflection on work. He denies that one is ÒcalledÓ to do a particular work irrespective of one''s inclinations, and asserts, instead, that it is our privilege to do the kind of work for which God''s spirit has gifted us. All human work done in accordance with the will of God, Volf argues, is cooperation with God in the preservation and transformation of the world.

Winner of the Christianity Today Book Award in Christianity and Culture How should we remember atrocities? Should we ever forgive abusers? Can we not hope for final reconciliation, even if it means redeemed victims and perpetrators spending eternity together? We live in an age that insists that past wrongs—genocides, terrorist attacks, bald personal injustices—should never be forgotten. But Miroslav Volf here proposes the radical idea that letting go of such memories—after a certain point and under certain conditions—may be a gift of grace we should embrace. Volf’s personal stories of persecution and interrogation frame his search for theological resources to make memories a wellspring of healing rather than a source of deepening pain and animosity. Controversial, thoughtful, and incisively reasoned, The End of Memory begins a conversation that we avoid to our great detriment. This second edition includes an appendix on the memories of perpetrators as well as victims, a response to critics, and a James K. A. Smith interview with Volf about the nature and function of memory in the Christian life.

Life at the end of the twentieth century presents us with a disturbing reality. Otherness, the simple fact of being different in some way, has come to be defined as in and of itself evil. Miroslav Volf contends that if the healing word of the gospel is to be heard today, Christian theology must find ways of speaking that address the hatred of the other. Reaching back to the New Testament metaphor of salvation as reconciliation, Volf proposes the idea of embrace as a theological response to the problem of exclusion. Increasingly we see that exclusion has become the primary sin, skewing our perceptions of reality and causing us to react out of fear and anger to all those who are not within our (ever-narrowing) circle. In light of this, Christians must learn that salvation comes, not only as we are reconciled to God, and not only as we "learn to live with one another", but as we take the dangerous and costly step of opening ourselves to the other, of enfolding him or her in the same embrace with which we have been enfolded by God.

Christianity Today 2020 Book Award (Award of Merit, Theology/Ethics) Outreach 2020 Recommended Resource of the Year (Theology and Biblical Studies) The question of what makes life worth living is more vital now than ever. In today''s pluralistic, postsecular world, universal values are dismissed as mere matters of private opinion, and the question of what constitutes flourishing life--for ourselves, our neighbors, and the planet as a whole--is neglected in our universities, our churches, and our culture at large. Although we increasingly have technology to do almost anything, we have little sense of what is truly worth accomplishing. In this provocative new contribution to public theology, world-renowned theologian Miroslav Volf (named "America''s New Public Intellectual" by Scot McKnight on his Jesus Creed blog) and Matthew Croasmun explain that the intellectual tools needed to rescue us from our present malaise and meet our new cultural challenge are the tools of theology. A renewal of theology is crucial to help us articulate compelling visions of the good life, find our way through the maze of contested questions of value, and answer the fundamental question of what makes life worth living.

This compelling collection gathers together articles previously published in "The Christian Century" from 1996 to 2008. The result is a cohesive book that unerringly points away from pettiness and selfishness and toward the love Christians are called to exemplify.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Financial Times'' "Best books of 2023 — Health & Wellness" "Life Worth Living is transcendent. A collection of wisdom punctuated by questions of great consequence, this is the only book you need to find your way from where you are to where you are called to be." --Kelly Corrigan, NYT bestselling author, host of Kelly Corrigan Wonders and PBS’s Tell Me More Based on the Yale class, a guide to defining and then creating a flourishing life, and answering one of life’s most pressing questions: how are we to live? AN OPEN FIELD PUBLICATION FROM MARIA SHRIVER What makes a good life? The question is inherent to the human condition, asked by people across generations, professions, and social classes, and addressed by all schools of philosophy and religions. This search for meaning, as Yale faculty Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz argue, is at the crux of a crisis that is facing Western culture, a crisis that, they propose, can be ameliorated by searching, in one’s own life, for the underlying truth. In Life Worth Living, named after its authors’ highly sought-after undergraduate course, Volf, Croasmun, and McAnnally-Linz chart out this question, providing readers with jumping-off points, road maps, and habits of reflection for figuring out where their lives hold meaning and where things need to change. Drawing from the major world religions and from impressively truthful and courageous secular figures, Life Worth Living is a guide to life’s most pressing question, the one asked of all of us: How are we to live?

An intellectual and applied Christian engagement with what it really means to flourish as human beings in relationship to God and one another.

From Miroslav Volf, one of the world''s foremost Christian theologians—and co-teacher, along with Tony Blair, of a groundbreaking Yale University course on faith and globalization—comes Allah, a timely and provocative argument for a new pluralism between Muslims and Christians. In a penetrating exploration of every side of the issue, from New York Times headlines on terrorism to passages in the Koran and excerpts from the Gospels, Volf makes an unprecedented argument for effecting a unified understanding between Islam and Christianity. In the tradition of Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s Islam in the Modern World, Volf’s Allah is essential reading for students of the evolving political science of the twenty-first century.

A celebrated theologian explores how the greatest dangers to humanity, as well as the greatest promises for human flourishing, are at the intersection of religion and globalization More than almost anything else, globalization and the great world religions are shaping our lives, affecting everything from the public policies of political leaders and the economic decisions of industry bosses and employees, to university curricula, all the way to the inner longings of our hearts. Integral to both globalization and religions are compelling, overlapping, and sometimes competing visions of what it means to live well. In this perceptive, deeply personal, and beautifully written book, a leading theologian sheds light on how religions and globalization have historically interacted and argues for what their relationship ought to be. Recounting how these twinned forces have intersected in his own life, he shows how world religions, despite their malfunctions, remain one of our most potent sources of moral motivation and contain within them profoundly evocative accounts of human flourishing. Globalization should be judged by how well it serves us for living out our authentic humanity as envisioned within these traditions. Through renewal and reform, religions might, in turn, shape globalization so that can be about more than bread alone.

In After Our Likeness, the inaugural volume in the Sacra Doctrina series, Miroslav Volf explores the relationship between persons and community in Christian theology. The focus is the community of grace, the Christian church. The point of departure is the thought of the first Baptist, John Smyth, and the notion of church as "gathered community" that he shared with Radical Reformers. Volf seeks to counter the tendencies toward individualism in Protestant ecclesiology and to suggest a viable understanding of the church in which both person and community are given their proper due. In the process he engages in a sustained and critical ecumenical dialogue with the Catholic and Orthodox ecclesiologies of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and the metropolitan John Zizioulas. The result is a brilliant ecumenical study that spells out a vision of the church as an image of the triune God.

This work looks at giving and forgiving in today''s society and has been chosen as the Archbishop of Canterbury''s official book for Lenten in 2006.

Celebrated Theologian Offers Wisdom for Civic Engagement Christian citizens have a responsibility to make political and ethical judgments in light of their faith and to participate in the public lives of their communities--from their local neighborhoods to the national scene. But it can be difficult to discern who to vote for, which policies to support, and how to respond to the social and cultural trends of our time. This nonpartisan handbook offers Christians practical guidance for thinking through complicated public issues and faithfully following Jesus as citizens of their countries. The book focuses on enduring Christian commitments that should guide readers in their judgments and encourages legitimate debate among Christians over how to live out core values. The book also includes lists of resources for further reflection in each chapter and "room for debate" questions to consider.

We live in the midst of a crisis of home. It is evident in the massive uprooting and migration of millions across the globe, in the anxious nationalism awaiting immigrants in their destinations, in the unhoused populations in wealthy cities, in the fractured households of families, and in the worldwide destruction of habitats and international struggles for dominance. It is evident, perhaps more quietly but just as truly, in the aching sense that there is nowhere we truly belong. In this moment, the Christian faith has been disappointingly inept in its response. We need a better witness to the God who created, loves, and reconciles this world, who comes to dwell among us. This book tells the "story of everything" in which God creates the world as the home for humans and for God in communion with God''s creatures. The authors render the story of creation, redemption, and consummation through the lens of God''s homemaking work and show the theological fruit of telling the story this way. The result is a vision that can inspire creative Christian living in our various homes today in faithfulness to God''s ongoing work.

Life in the twenty-first century presents a disturbing reality. Otherness, the simple fact of being different in some way, has come to be defined as in and of itself evil. Miroslav Volf contends that if the healing word of the gospel is to be heard today, Christian theology must find ways of speaking that address the hatred of the other. Is there any hope of embracing our enemies? Of opening the door to reconciliation? Reaching back to the New Testament metaphor of salvation as reconciliation, Volf proposes the idea of embrace as a theological response to the problem of exclusion. Increasingly we see that exclusion has become the primary sin, skewing our perceptions of reality and causing us to react out of fear and anger to all those who are not within our (ever-narrowing) circle. In light of this, Christians must learn that salvation comes, not only as we are reconciled to God, and not only as we "learn to live with one another," but as we take the dangerous and costly step of opening ourselves to the other, of enfolding him or her in the same embrace with which we have been enfolded by God. Volf won the 2002 Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion for the first edition of his book, Exclusion & Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation (Abingdon, 1996). In that first edition, professor Volf, a Croatian by birth, analyzed the civil war and “ethnic cleansing” in the former Yugoslavia, and he readily found other examples of cultural, ethnic, and racial conflict to illustrate his points. Since September 11, 2001, and the subsequent epidemic of terror and massive refugee suffering throughout the world, Volf revised Exclusion and Embrace to account for the evolving dynamics of inter-ethnic and international strife.

"Full of insight and wisdom for those who wrestle with the challenges of living out Christian faith with the Bible in one hand and today''s newspaper in the other."--John R. Franke Biblical Seminary.

In late 2007 Muslim leaders from around the world together issued in the pages of The New York Times an open letter to Christian leaders inviting cooperation as a step toward peace. That letter, “A Common Word between Us and You,” acknowledged real differences between the two faiths but nonetheless contended that “righteousness and good works” should be the only areas in which they compete. The 138 signatories included over a dozen grand muftis, an ayatollah, and a Jordanian prince, and the document was widely considered a groundbreaking step toward reconciliation between Islam and Christianity — two major religions with a great deal in common. / That original letter and a collaborative Christian response — “Loving God and Neighbor Together” — both appear in this remarkable volume. Building on those original momentous documents, A Common Word further includes subsequent commentary and dialogue between Muslim and Christian scholars addressing critical and frequently asked questions. All in all, this eventful book encapsulates a brave and encouraging move toward harmony and accord between two world religions so often seen to be at odds.

Utilizando la metáfora neotestamentaria de la salvación como reconciliación, Miroslav Volf propone la idea de abrirse a los diferentes y envolverlos en el amor costoso e inclusivo de Dios y alejarnos de una vez y para siempre de la otredad. Descubre cómo el plan de reconciliación mediante Cristo Jesús brinda la respuesta a la erradicación del repudio social en una obra galardonada con el Premio Grawemeyer de Religión de 2002 y mencionado como uno de los mejores libros del siglo XX por la revista Christianity Today Exclusión y acogida es más que una obra literaria, es una exposición sobre la plaga social de la exclusión, un acto que ha llevado al ser humano a rechazar de manera política y académica a aquellos que son considerados diferentes, olvidando la bondad de Dios sobre nosotros. En esta edición, Volf demuestra por qué y cómo el libro es más relevante en el mundo actual de identidades resurgentes y enfrentadas que cuando lo escribió originalmente. La verdad importa, la justicia importa, la paz importa, y no necesitamos sacrificarlas en el altar de nuestras identidades individuales y colectivas. En este libro el autor desarrolla diversos temas alrededor del título: La sombra social producto de la apatía Consecuencias del ciclo desesperado de la violencia por la indiferencia El mensaje de la salvación como fuente de reconciliación y el perdón Enfoque político-teológico sobre la justicia absoluta de Dios y su amor sobre todas las cosas, para remediar las faltas de insultos y humillación contra los hermanos

Os dias atuais apresentam uma realidade perturbadora. A alteridade, o simples fato de ser diferente de alguma forma, passou a ser definido como algo indesejado. Miroslav Volf afirma que a palavra curadora do evangelho precisa ser anunciada, e a teologia cristã não pode furtar-se a ignorar o quadro latente de ódio entre os diversos grupos de uma sociedade. A mensagem de Cristo é essencialmente reconciliatória, e nada melhor que a metáfora do abraço para anunciar a resposta cristã à exclusão. Exclusão e abraço é considerada a obra-prima de Miroslav Volf, um dos teólogos mais brilhantes de sua geração. Editada há 25 anos, esta edição comemorativa, atualizada e ampliada, chega agora ao público de língua portuguesa. Este livro é uma importante contribuição para a teologia política. Um grande testemunho prestado ao Deus que perdoa e não lembra para sempre, transformando inimigos numa nova comunidade. Jürgen Moltmann, professor emérito de teologia sistemática na Universidade de Tubinga, em Hamburgo, Alemanha Enormes problemas acontecem, diz Volf, quando excluímos o nosso inimigo da comunidade dos seres humanos e quando excluímos a nós mesmos da comunidade dos pecadores — quando esquecemos que não somos as pessoas perfeitas e boas, somos também as imperfeitas. Quando nos lembramos disso, nosso ódio não nos mata nem nos absorve, e de fato podemos sair por aí e trabalhar em busca de justiça. Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, de seu sermão no domingo posterior ao 11 de setembro de 2001 Uma das melhores obras teológicas da teologia cristã [...]. Quer estejamos tratando de relações internacionais quer de relações interpessoais, o mal precisa ser nomeado e confrontado [...]. Só quando o mal e o malfeitor são identificados como o que e quem são — e é isso que Volf quer dizer com o termo "exclusão" — pode ocorrer o segundo movimento para o "abraço", o abraço daquele que feriu a nós ou a mim profundamente. N. T. Wright, autor de O mal e a justiça de Deus

Qual o papel da religião no cenário atual? Como os seguidores de Jesus podem manifestar sua fé num contexto de múltiplas religiões e de antipatia à fé cristã? De que maneira os cristãos podem exercer influência positiva sobre a sociedade contemporânea? O renomado teólogo croata Miroslav Volf sistematiza as questões que afetam a presença cristã num mundo cada vez mais secularizado. Tendo como alvo a participação dos cristãos para o bem comum, Volf contribui decisivamente para o debate sobre as implicações da tolerância e da liberdade religiosa no ambiente polarizado de nossos dias.

★ 上市日空降Amazon、Barnes & Noble暢銷榜No. 1，緊急再版，印量翻倍 ★ 《讀者文摘》列入「絕對會改變你一生的26本啟發之書」 ★ 管理思想家賽門．西奈克、金球獎影后克萊兒．丹妮斯、公視主持人凱莉．柯利根導讀推薦、收視最高節目之一Today Show採訪報導 ◎這些大哉問攸關我們的成敗，更可能改變人生的樣貌： ◆其他人可以定義我的人生嗎？如果多數人認同的答案，不見得是我想要的…… ◆「什麼是我想追求的」vs.「什麼是值得追求的」？萬一夢想是建立在錯誤之上？ ◆一再努力不管用，可以承認失敗嗎？失敗之時，如何修復支離破碎的自己？ ◆建立豐沛人脈，操縱、討人情、施加壓力、貼標籤…人際關係真的無所不能嗎？ ◆快被社交媒體上荒謬言論淹沒，如何避開將我們拉向淺薄的力量？ 2014年開始，本書三位作者在耶魯大學開設最受學生歡迎的人文課「值得活的人生」，以師生高度互動討論的小班制方式，引導不同科系、族群、宗教的學生，探討生命中最重要的問題。 本課程創辦人沃弗教授曾任白宮宗教顧問，為美國當代公共領域中最受推崇的學者之一，致力於在衝突對立的社會中，為各群體宗教搭橋，跨越彼此藩籬，並曾受邀至聯合國早餐祈禱會發表演說。他和另外兩位作者打破時空限制，從世界上最主要的宗教思想、勇於追求真理的人物，以及現代生活實例擷取智慧，引領讀者參與充滿活力的對話，培養實用的思考工具，找到專屬自己的答案，以及哪些地方需要改變。 ◎透過不斷思辨，找到自己的特殊性，通往繁盛人生 耶魯學生形容，這堂課改變了自己的生活。校方調查指出，課程對於學生的人生意義感產生顯著的影響。此外，課程也跨出校園，作者帶領在職人士、軍方、耶魯校友共讀，並與高中和杜克大學等名校合作授課。本課程出版成書後已翻譯成8種語言，迴響跨越年齡、職業、宗教，從大眾、各領域名人，到75歲的讀者，都希望透由向內檢視，擁有應對重大難題的能力，有效回應與改變： 1.盤點人生：評估此刻的現況和立足點，藉此了解你回應大哉問的方式。 2.規畫路線：從自我超越開始，透過自我覺察與練習，探索最值得活的人生。 3.實踐技巧：改變所面臨的挑戰，以及維持動能且不偏離正軌的方法。 好評推薦 李清志｜實踐大學建築系副教授 林妍希｜現任「為台灣而教」董事 易 昀｜北一女學生 洪仲清｜臨床心理師 孫效智｜臺大哲學系教授暨生命教育研發育成中心主任 張瀞仁｜國際非營利組織Give2Asia慈善顧問 黃瑞仁｜輔大附設醫院院長 葉素玲｜臺大心理學系特聘教授 詹佳鑫｜新竹高中國文科教師 劉仲彬｜臨床心理師 （以上依姓氏首字排序） 好希望我們的大學也能有「值得活的人生」這樣的課程，因此特別推薦大學生來閱讀這本書，在人生準備起跑時，可以擁有正確的人生目標；同時也鼓勵不同世代的人都來閱讀這本書，不管是在什麼年齡，什麼地位處境，都要持續地追問自己：「要為那最重要的事而活。」——李清志，實踐大學建築系副教授 「我想追求什麼樣的人生」、「什麼是值得追求的美好人生」，這兩個問題有何不同，是我在閱讀這本書時最感到震撼的豁然開朗。這是一本適合每一個人閱讀的書，不論你身處人生哪一個階段，求學、工作或者認為自己已經功成名就，或者讓人不知所措的任何階段，它絕對是值得你放在心上的一本書。尤其適合一群人共同閱讀、分享與討論。——林妍希，曾任美商DDI台灣總經理暨全球董事顧問、現任「為台灣而教」董事 你會不會腦袋裡突如其來迸出一個大哉問？就像電影《芭比》（Barbie）中，派對中正在熱舞的她突然開始思考死亡這個議題。對一個沒有經過「思考」訓練的人來說，面對生活中瞬間冒出的大哉問常會有招架不住的錯愕感，甚至嫌棄、覺得思考很麻煩，錯過與自己對話的機會。作者運用親民的引導、縝密且清晰的溝通，帶著正在閱讀的我邊看、邊寫、邊和自己討論，不用顧慮答案是什麼，藉由本書走進課堂深刻感受。每一章最後的「輪到你想一想」會有題目引導，有機會回顧、探索先前的答案，並和自己對話，最後再產生發自內心、屬於自己的想法。——易昀，北一女學生 本書要回答的就是這個看起來很大、卻非常實際的問題：這趟已經開始，而且不會隨便結束的旅程中，你要的是什麼？將美好感覺最大化？成為社會頂層的人上人？盡情體驗人生的酸甜苦辣嗎，或平穩結束？但你真的活出值得活的人生了嗎？——張瀞仁，國際非營利組織Give2Asia慈善顧問、《安靜是種超能力》作者 作者提供了處理這些大哉問的工具和指引，但並未給出具體答案。讀者需正視這些問題，深入思考自己所追求的生活價值和意義，因而每個人的答案也可能大為不同。透過各種親切的歷史故事，讀者可以更容易攫取這些觀點的精髓，進而思索屬於自己的人生藍圖。每章末的「輪到你想一想」單元提出問題，促使讀者進行自我反省（建議讀者按部就班地做答，將更有裨益），也提供契機來思考現在過得如何，而怎樣又是值得活的人生。閱讀這本書，像是一場大哉問探索的心靈之旅。藉由此書，我們可以、或許也需要經常叩問，什麼是值得活的人生，並朝目標前進。——葉素玲，臺大心理學系特聘教授 讀畢《耶魯大學的人生思辨課》，彷彿穿越時空，與耶魯的同學們一起，遨遊了一趟豐美的心靈旅行。在跨領域視野、經典故事與師生珍貴的互動討論中，讀者能藉此書，感受到中西哲學的奧妙與相通──撥雲開霧，拂塵去汙，發現心中那最簡單而純淨的，真正的「我」。——詹佳鑫，《請問少年》作者、新竹高中國文科教師 這本集結諸多智慧的傑作，探討許多對人生有重大影響的議題。如果你想找到人生的召喚，有這本書就夠了！——凱莉．柯利根（Kelly Corrigan），美國公共電視台節目主持人 這本《紐約時報》暢銷書來自於耶魯大學受歡迎的課程，探討了生命意義這個古老的問題……學生們稱這門課程改變了生活，體驗過本書的智慧和新觀點的讀者應有同感。——《紐約郵報》 若有人想知道如何活出美好的人生，本書提供了重要的途徑。它提供我們一條捷徑，來探討人生的大哉問，引導我們得到更快樂、更合乎道德的人生。——蘿莉．桑托斯（Laurie Santos），耶魯大學心理學教授，The Happiness Lab播客主持人 這本書非常寶貴，裡面充滿了許多人與不同文化對於自我產生的重要問題，經過思考所得到的智慧結晶，尤其是我們怎麼如何理解、訓練與享受自我，以及自我如何在美好人生中得到統整。這些問題雖然古老，但本書絕對是及時的。——瑪莉蓮．羅賓遜（Marilynne Robinson），普利茲獎得主 三位傑出學者挑戰最重要的問題！本書值得你捲起袖子、向神禱告，然後投入（非常可能是）你這一生最重要的工作。不論是自己一個人或是和小組一起，務必把本書列為優先讀物。——孔茂功（Michael B. Curry），聖公會主席主教 三位作者在書中引用大量歷史和宗教素材，並以謙遜和務實的態度應對讀者，在不疏遠大眾的情況下完成這個宏大的任務。——《哈佛學生報》 本書作者提供有意義的反思與出發點，幫助你更進一步發現使你的人生成為美好的面向。——《讀者文摘》（Reader''s Digest） 所有年齡層的人必讀的一本書。——Booklist 本書對精神生活的描述清晰且有吸引力，讓我想了解更多。我鼓勵大家思考各章結尾的問題，結語也很精彩。我今年 75 歲了，願意向各年齡層的所有人推薦這本書。—— 亞馬遜讀者 布庭

Calea către cele mai importante lucruri „O lectură necesară pentru orice vârstă." – Booklist Ce face ca o viață să fie bună? – o întrebare inerentă condiției umane, adresată de oameni din generații, profesii și clase sociale diverse și de către toate școlile de filosofie și teologie. Aceasta este întrebarea cu care ne confruntăm toți, în timp ce încercăm să ne dăm seama cum trebuie să trăim ca să înțelegem sensul și scopul adevărat al vieții. Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun și Ryan McAnnally-Linz predau cel mai apreciat curs din programul de științe umaniste al Universității Yale: Life Worth Living. Pornind de la acest curs, cartea de față ne îndeamnă, însoțindu-ne pas cu pas cu sfaturi practice, să explorăm ce înseamnă să trăiești o viață plină. Bazându-se pe o selecție bogată de texte religioase, filosofice și seculare, O viață ce merită trăită oferă cititorilor puncte de plecare, hărți rutiere și reflecții, pentru ca fiecare să conștientizeze care sunt aspectele în care viața proprie are sens și unde este necesar ca lucrurile să se schimbe. Reflecția asupra vieții, așa cum susțin profesorii de la Yale Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun și Ryan McAnnally-Linz, se află în centrul unei crize cu care se confruntă cultura occidentală, o criză care, arată ei, poate fi ameliorată dacă fiecare întreprinde propria căutare a sensului. Inspirat din marile religii ale lumii și din figuri seculare impresionant de veridice și curajoase, O viață ce merită trăită este un ghid pentru cea mai presantă întrebare a vieții, cea care ne preocupă pe toți: Cum să trăim? „O viață ce merită trăită este (...) un compendiu de înțelepciune, punctat de întrebări de mare anvergură, singura carte de care ai nevoie pentru a-ți găsi drumul de la locul în care te fli până acolo unde ești chemat să fii." – Kelly Corrigan, autoare de bestsellere NYT, gazda emisiunilor Kelly Corrigan Wonders și Tell Me More de la PBS „Această carte, care a devenit instant bestseller New York Times, se bazează pe un curs extrem de popular de la Yale, care încearcă să răspundă la vechea întrebare despre sensul vieții... Studenții l-au mai numit cursul despre schimbarea vieții, iar cititorii care aprofundează înțelepciunea acestei cărți și noua perspectivă pe care ea o oferă ar trebui să simtă în același fel." – New York Post „Valoarea acestei cărți rezidă în felul în care comprimă înțelepciunea multor minți și culturi cu privire la întrebările esențiale despre sine, în special despre modul în care eul trebuie înțeles, disciplinat, despre cum poate găsi bucuria, descoperind acea integritate care să fie expresia unei vieți bune. Întrebările sunt vechi de când lumea, dar cartea este eminamente actuală." – Marilynne Robinson, câștigătoare a premiului Pulitzer

New York Times bestselling author Miroslav Volf on why striving for superiority is at odds with the Christian faith "[A] smart take on a world obsessed with forward motion."--Publishers Weekly Many people believe that ambition--striving to be better than others--improves us and advances society. But what if it actually makes us worse? In The Cost of Ambition, world-renowned theologian and award-winning author Miroslav Volf argues that striving for superiority has negative consequences in all domains of life. Instead, we should strive for excellence. Volf explores: ● what Søren Kierkegaard, John Milton, and the apostle Paul say about the cost of ambition ● how we can achieve excellence rather than strive for superiority ● how to stop being plagued by our own sense of inferiority to others ● why Christians must retrieve a humbler way of life Volf also examines what the teachings of Jesus and the stories in Genesis say on the matter. Volf explains how striving to be better than others devalues our achievements, surroundings, and relationships by turning them into mere means to an empty goal. This pursuit, though widely accepted in modern life, is at odds with key Christian convictions. After exposing the toxicity of ambition, Volf uses contemporary examples to guide us toward striving for excellence.

A través del concepto La Pregunta —la cual engloba las ideas de mérito, bondad, valor, sentido, propósito, entre muchas más—, los autores y catedráticos del Programa de Humanidades de Yale invitarán al lector a reflexionar y a encontrar el verdadero sentido de su vida, basándose en importantes figuras de tradiciones religiosas y filosóficas, que lo impulsarán a ser más responsable de su vida, enfrentar sus miedos y a volver reales sus más impulsos más profundos.

Dieses Buch könnte dein Leben verändern »Ein überaus lesenswertes Buch und eine unverzichtbare Lektüre für alle, die sich für die Themen der Glücksforschung und der Lebensqualität interessieren.« Hartmut Rosa »Dieses Buch ist etwas Besonderes. Eine Einladung zum guten Leben, die hohe Theologie und Philosophie einfach und mit vielen Beispielen lebensnah erklärt.« Landesbischof Heinrich Bedford-Strohm Immer mehr Menschen empfinden einen tiefgreifenden Sinnverlust. Dagegen sollen Yoga- und Achtsamkeitskurse helfen, Coaching und Kurse zur Persönlichkeitsentwicklung. All das mag zwar zum kurzzeitigen Wohlbefinden beitragen – die großen Fragen des Lebens jedoch bleiben oft unbeantwortet und beschäftigen uns weiter. Was macht ein gutes Leben aus? Ist das immer automatisch ein langes, glückliches, gesundes Leben? Was gibt unserem Leben wirklich Sinn? Die Yale-Professoren Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun und Ryan McAnnaly-Linz unterrichten einen der beliebtesten Kurse der Universität: Life Worth Living. Teilnehmende beschrieben ihn als »lebensverändernd«, ihre Zufriedenheit stieg dadurch nachweislich an und sie empfanden ein größeres Gefühl von Sinnhaftigkeit im Leben. Nun erscheint das Buch zum Kurs und macht sein Wissen auch für die breite Allgemeinheit zugänglich. Klug und zugänglich leitet dieses Buch an, sich neu mit den wesentlichen Fragen des Lebens auseinanderzusetzen, vor denen wir letztlich alle irgendwann stehen. Anhand der großen religiösen und philosophischen Traditionen und mit vielen Beispielen hilft es, zu erkennen, was das sein kann: ein erfülltes Leben. Und warum es mehr als wünschenswert wäre, wenn wir neu diskutieren, was wirklich erstrebenswert ist. »Life Worth Living ist ein unverzichtbarer Wegweiser für jeden Menschen, der sich fragt, wie sich ein gutes Leben gestalten lässt.« Laurie Santos (The Happiness Lab) »Dieses nützliche Buch ist voll der Weisheit. [...] Die Fragen sind uralt, das Buch aber ist so aktuell wie nie zuvor.« Marilynne Robinson (Pulitzerpreisträgerin)

This book explores key aspects of the problem of diverse group identities, offering preliminary exegetical and theological perspectives on the encounter with "others." The "politics of difference," the resurgence of ethnic and cultural conflicts in the non-Western world, and the clash between modern technological and traditional cultures place new challenges before Christian theology. "Our book," the authors explain, "is a call to open ourselves to the Spirit of God, the Spirit of mercy, justice, and truth, and help heal our world by embracing others as we remain true to ourselves."

Baseado no famoso curso da Universidade Yale. Como um mapa em que qualquer caminho leva ao tesouro, este livro é um guia para quem busca uma existência alinhada com aquilo que verdadeiramente importa. O que é mais importante na vida? Como criar uma vida que vale a pena ser vivida? Com base em questionamentos como esses, os autores criaram um dos mais populares cursos da Universidade Yale, em que discutem o sentido da existência humana e como podemos alinhar nossa vida prática com nossos princípios essenciais. O objetivo deste livro é expandir essa discussão, apresentando argumentos e pontos de vista distintos – às vezes até opostos – para refletirmos sobre assuntos como vida e morte, bem e mal, sucesso e fracasso, ética e virtude, justiça e propósito. Fundamentado na sabedoria das maiores tradições religiosas e filosóficas do mundo, Sobre a vida e o viver inspira os leitores a estabelecerem um diálogo interno e descobrirem as próprias respostas a esses questionamentos.