A fresh way of exploring the Christian faith, taking the familiar words we repeat in services week by week to explore core Christian belief. Ideal for confirmation courses, study groups and individual reading.

Paul Ferguson

Cover

Title page

Copyright page

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part 1 Relationship with God

1 Worship and praise

2 Meeting God in Scripture

3 God knows me inside out

4 Being sorry and being forgiven

Part 2 Believing

5 Why we have creeds and say them

6 Belief about Jesus Christ

7 Believing in the Holy Spirit and the Trinity

Part 3 Telling God’s story

8 Celebrating God’s plan (i)

9 Celebrating God’s plan (ii)

10 Celebrating God’s plan (iii)

Part 4 Signs of power

11 With Christ in baptism

12 Sign of reconciliation

13 Praying the Eucharist

14 Taking sin away

15 Remembering Jesus

16 Unworthy but accepted

Part 5 Faith and life

17 The Lord’s Prayer (i)

18 The Lord’s Prayer (ii)

19 Being members of Christ’s body

20 Thanks, praise and discipleship

21 A conclusion

For further reading

Liturgical texts, repeated week after week by hundreds of thousands of people, are an ideal starting-point for exploring deep matters of faith. Their rich theological content, their themes and their familiarity, can help us develop a more mature, informed faith and spirituality. Assuming no specialist knowledge but convinced that a good theological understanding is within everyone''s grasp, Paul Ferguson takes often repeated words from the Eucharist, morning and evening prayer, and the baptism, marriage and funeral rites to explore core Christian belief. Ideal for confirmation courses, study groups and individual reading, this will take readers to new places of understanding via familiar, loved texts.

Liturgical texts, repeated week after week by hundreds of thousands of people, are an ideal starting-point for exploring deep matters of faith. Their rich theological content, their themes and their familiarity, can help us develop a more mature, informed faith and spirituality. Assuming no specialist knowledge but convinced that a good theological understanding is within everyone's grasp, Paul Ferguson takes often repeated words from the Eucharist, morning and evening prayer, and the baptism, marriage and funeral rites to explore core Christian belief. Ideal for confirmation courses, study groups and individual reading, this will take readers to new places of understanding via familiar, loved texts.

PAUL FERGUSON is the Archdeacon of Cleveland and Warden of Readers in the Diocese of York. He was a contributor to Sing God's Glory.

Do you know much about theology? You may know more than you think! Paul Ferguson takes the familiar words we hear and say time and time again during communion, baptisms, weddings and funerals, showing us the deep things of God that we are talking about almost without realising.

"Great is the Mystery of Faith" by Paul Ferguson delves into liturgical texts, exploring core Christian beliefs. Ideal for study groups, confirmation courses, and personal reflection.

\["For individuals seeking to deepen their understanding of faith", "Unpacks complex theological ideas in simple language", "You will gain a richer, more mature understanding of faith"\]

Discover the depths of your faith through familiar liturgical texts.

The Good Book Stall

Great is the Mystery of Faith is an excellent introduction to Christian doctrine and theology. In fact it is a great introduction to the Christian faith!  
Taking a traditional, if somewhat Anglican, format, Paul Ferguson leads the reader through a worship service pausing at each section to consider what lies behind the words and actions. This holistic approach enables the novice church attendee, or recent convert to the Christian faith, to not only grasp a basic understanding of how a worship service flows but also to understand the theology behind the process. Furthermore, Ferguson’s detailed explanation of each section of a worship service provides an excellent introduction to the basics of Christian doctrine.  
As he leads the reader though the flow of the worship service Ferguson offers comment on everything from the act of confession to the nature of scripture, from the history behind the doctrine of the Trinity to the symbolism of baptism. Finally each section concludes with a question inviting the reader to think further about issues that have been discussed. This makes Great is the Mystery of Faith an excellent teaching tool for a post conformation/baptism course.  
I enjoyed this title not only for the way worship is used as a context for discussing doctrine and theology but also for the way that many of the complex issues lying at the heart of Christian faith are clearly explained. For this reason Great is the Mystery of Faith has become a welcome addition to my library.

Great is the Mystery of Faith

Navigation Bar

Header Default

Download the Christian360 App to read eBooks and listen to Audiobooks bought at Christian360

Great is the Mystery of Faith

Description

Need support?

Customer reviews

Download the App

Download the App