Bøger af Ben Campbell Johnson

About This Book This book is an invitation to Christians and Muslims to engage in dialogue in order to build relationships of understanding and trust. In a trusting environment all issues can be constructively discussed and resolved. The author first appeals to Christians, who constitute the dominant religion in American culture, to learn about Islam. In order to appreciate Muslims and engage in productive projects with them, Christians must take the initiative in creating trusting relationships. The dominant faith because it comes from a position of strength must make the first move to get the conversation started. The inspiration for this book came from several sources. First, many Christians know nothing about Islam and most Muslims have not seriously studied Christianity except what is said in the Holy Koran. Second, globalization has forced all of us to deal with people from different cultures and religious traditions. Third, the shock of 9/11 caused both Muslims and Christians to realize the importance of understanding each other. If we are to live together in this world, we must learn to relate to the other. Fourth, the radical social and economic changes in our world could be interpreted as a signal that God is bringing the peoples of earth together. The possibility of God's moving the faiths closer together provides enormous motivation for people to participate in this Divine Initiative This book is divided into five sections: a personal story, a brief sketch of Islam, a brief sketch of Christianity, four interviews, and a guide for healthy dialogue between different faiths. Chapter One relates the author's own awakening. Chapter Two sets forth the essential aspects of Islam with which Christians should become acquainted. Chapter Three presents the essentials of Christianity that Muslims need to understand. Chapter Four reports four interviews - two men and two women, two Muslims and two Christians, two lifelong believers and two persons converted to the other faith. Chapter Five offers guidelines for productive conversations between Muslims and Christians. This book may be used in a variety of ways to enlarge the interfaith dialogue. At the most basic level it can inform the reader about the basics of Islam and Christianity and the importance of dialogue between the two religions in the 21st Century. Just one person understanding the other's faith can drive away the fear and suspicion that possesses so many Americans. Individuals can use this text to initiate informed conversations with Muslims or Christians. Further, the text may be used successfully by a group of Muslims or a group of Christians for an informed discussion among themselves. A single faith conversation can prepare a group of believers for an interfaith dialogue. The material in this text provides appropriate content for conducting a seminar on Understanding Islam or Understanding Christianity. The book describes the success that these seminars have had in creating understanding between persons of the two faiths. Acting on the information in this book will enable us to have a better world in which to live and rear our children. Many persons contributed to the subject matter and the spirit of this book. The writings of Karen Armstrong, John Esposito, and Ezra Reza offer rich insights concerning Islam. The author credits a number of Muslim and Christian friends for the tone given to the book. Among these are women and men who showed him the spirit of Islam through their conversations and support. Other leaders in the interfaith movement offered suggestions which have made this a better book. No book is timelier on Christian/Muslim relations than this one. It is written in simple, easy to understand language and it suggests practical ways that persons committed to the two faiths can encounter each other. This information comes at a time when the world is rapidly changing and needs help in making the neces

Dr. Gerald Durley's life inspires and enlightens men and women across religious, ethnic, racial and generational differences. This well-written memoir offers insights into the making and shaping of his gregarious, engaging and caring personality, which was forged in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement and upon the pulpit of social justice. --Imam Plemon T. El-Amin, Retired Imam, Atlanta Masjid Al-Islam There are few people who have influenced my life more than Gerald Durley. In his presence, you are overcome by his charisma and force of personality. He has been my counselor, comforter and faith leader. The story of his life shows how difficulty and discrimination can be overcome with love and compassion. My family loves and treasures Gerald Durley, and so do I. --Roy E. Barnes, Governor, State of Georgia, 1999-2003 Dr. Durley's journey reveals the fact that those who dedicate their lives for the rights of others are not born... but called and they choose to make a difference. This book will encourage you to believe that you, too, can make a difference. Your life can be amazing when you give back. --Congressman John Lewis Dr. Durley's life demonstrates the fact that all of our lives can be amazing when we are willing to lift others up. He has dedicated his life to enriching the lives of others and his journey is truly Amazing! Read, Find and Follow your own Amazing Journey. --Ambassador Andrew Young

The author tells his story in the form of a confession. He confesses to God the emptiness of being without faith, the joy of finding light in darkness, the pain of a marriage breaking apart, the manifold ways that God has spoken to him and guided his life. His story offers a patter for anyone who wishes to write a spiritual autobiography. Commended by clergy and laity alike.

This is a story of a man who sought the meaning of his life in the culture in which he was reared, a variety of vocations, alcoholism and eventually a faith in God. His encounter with God liberated him from alcoholism, made him open to God's call and to preparation for his life's work. He attended a theological school and discovered that he did not wish to be a preaching minister but a pastoral counselor. This decision led him into hospital chaplaincy, psychoanalyst, Erickson Ian Hypnosis, Nero Linguistic Programming plus a dozen other streams of influence that liberated his own life and provided a foundation for his life long work as a pastoral counselor. His family has been one of his major teachers. His wife stood with him through his days of alcoholism and has been for him a constant source of inspiration and hope. This book sets forth the numerous influences, which have flowed into this man's life and have given birth to a kind of therapy that is effective down to earth and healing. His work is characterized by an emphasis on inner personal communication, attentive listening, speaking the truth in love. More than any other comment, people say this man models what he teaches.

Companions in Contemplation invites you to join the author on the pathway into a deeper union with God. This book offers the spiritual seeker four things: what is meant by contemplation, what we experience in contemplation, biblical texts that describe images of contemplation and reflections on ideas that push the boundaries of our relationship with God. If you are seeking a deeper relationship with God, the guidance in this book will not give you the path but it will point the way for you to find it. Once you have begun to follow your own path, you will find that the meditations and reflections contained in the various sections will inform and challenge you. This is not a book to read like an academic treatise; it is a book to be practiced, to test its suggestions in your own experience. As you make your way through the pages you will find that you share many of the author's experiences, but you will find the courage to persevere on your own path that you are discovering day by day.

Avoiding theological jargon and using language more accessible to the lay person than that in the Bible, this book invites readers to discover for themselves what Jesus has done for the world and continues to do in the world. The invitation is offered in the form of daily readings from the four Gospel accounts of Jesus' life and...

Popular author Ben Campbell Johnson views Christian life as a journey toward God and himself as one of the travelers. He describes how the spiritual life develops in relation to the events, perceptions, and interpretations of every day. Enriched by stories as well as biblical and personal examples, this clearly written book can guide Christians...

Many mainline churches today have members (both laity and clergy) who find it a problem to speak face-to-face about God. This creative book offers a theological foundation, practical suggestions, and a positive model for sharing faith. Ben Campbell Johnson combines evangelism and spiritual guidance in order to provide a fresh image and a new...