David Zahl

At the heart of our current moment lies a universal yearning, writes David Zahl, not to be happy or respected so much as enough--what religions call "righteous." To fill the void left by religion, we look to all sorts of everyday activities--from eating and parenting to dating and voting--for the identity, purpose, and meaning once provided on Sunday morning.In our striving, we are chasing a sense of enoughness. But it remains ever out of reach, and the effort and anxiety are burning us out. Seculosity takes a thoughtful yet entertaining tour of American "performancism" and its cousins, highlighting both their ingenuity and mercilessness, all while challenging the conventional narrative of religious decline. Zahl unmasks the competing pieties around which so much of our lives revolve, and he does so in a way that's at points playful, personal, and incisive. Ultimately he brings us to a fresh appreciation for the grace of God in all its countercultural wonder.

Seculosity

The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others

Low Anthropology

Ethan Richardson

William McDavid

There's a big difference between judgment and love, obligation and freedom, a wage and a gift. The difference characterizes an extraordinary amount of our day-to-day experience, often dividing fear from hope, and death from life. At the heart of Christianity lies a similar and related dynamic: between the Law and the Gospel. Far from being a reductive or antiquated distinction, understanding where one ends and the other begins allows a person to see both the Bible and themselves-indeed, the whole world!-in a fresh and enlivening way. Written with the non-theologian in mind, this short volume unpacks the good news of God's grace with practicality, humor, and a whole lot of heart.

A Theology for Sinners (and Saints)

Law and Gospel

"A lighthearted yet high-minded exploration of failure's ability to serve as a gateway to grace. Readers will find this a balm."--Publishers Weekly Many of us spend our days feeling like we're the only one with problems, while everyone else has their act together. But the sooner we realize that everyone struggles like we do, the sooner we can show grace to ourselves and others. In Low Anthropology, popular author and theologian David Zahl explores how our ideas about human nature influence our expectations in friendship, work, marriage, and politics. We all go through life with an "anthropology"--an idea about what humans are like, our potentials and our limitations. A high anthropology--thinking optimistically about human nature--can breed perfectionism, anxiety, burnout, loneliness, and resentment. Meanwhile, Zahl invites readers into a biblically rooted and surprisingly life-giving low anthropology, which fosters hope, deep connection with others, lasting love, vulnerability, compassion, and happiness. Zahl offers a liberating view of human nature, sin, and grace, showing why the good news of Christianity is both urgent and appealing. By embracing a more accurate view of human beings, readers will discover a true and lasting hope.

The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself)

Todd Brewer

Beginning with Toy Story in 1995, Pixar Animation Studios has taken American cinema by storm, setting a new standard of excellence in animated filmmaking and earning a fortune in the process. Their movies are both highly entertaining and surprisingly wise, displaying an all-too-rare gift for telling stories which speak about the reality of life and the complexities of the human heart - and making us laugh while doing so. The Gospel According to Pixar looks at how each Pixar film portrays the basic concerns of everyday life and seeks to connect them with a Christian understanding of the world. It touches on themes such as love, identity, fear, freedom, guilt, purpose, and belonging - to name just a few. The Gospel According to Pixar explores these common concerns in hopes of communicating the Gospel in a fresh, persuasive and, above all, fun way. For use with families, churches, and individuals as a teaching series, study guide, or simply as a commentary on these remarkable movies.

David Zahl

Books

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