An Emptyful Chair (Paperback)

Andrew Harnack

ISBN 10: 150022099X / ISBN 13: 9781500220990

Published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018

About this Item

Paperback. Andrew Harnack, a Lutheran pastor, having grown up in a conservative family and church, felt the call of God to the ministry. Eventually many of his fellow ministers became uneasy with Andy's evolving approach to scripture. Instead of believing the Bible to be always literally true, Andy saw scripture as testimony to Christ and a guide to spiritual development. He became wary making the Bible an idol, especially an idol designed to compete with scientific knowledge. When Andy refused to teach the inerrancy of scripture, the national church forced him out. Andy eventually left the church and began to explore the Buddhist tradition, especially its meditative practices. But he found that the silence of his fellow Buddhists at the monastery left him without a way to share his burdens, including the unexpected death of his son. Yet Andy did not have to bear his grief alone. Jon, a friend from seminary, reached out to him. Jon's influences included several prominent contemplative Christians, and he passed his love of mysticism to Andy, who discovered his Buddhist values deeply nestled within a robust but long-suppressed tradition of historic Christianity. Unlike the conservative church of Andy's upbringing, the contemplative Christian tradition offered freedom, joy, and radical renewal-and Andy found himself living in the Divine Presence and committing himself to Christ in a whole new way. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781500220990

Bibliographic Details

• Title: An Emptyful Chair (Paperback)
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 150022099X
• ISBN 13: 9781500220990
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Andrew Harnack, a Lutheran pastor, having grown up in a conservative family and church, felt the call of God to the ministry. Eventually many of his fellow ministers became uneasy with Andy’s evolving approach to scripture. Instead of believing the Bible to be always literally true, Andy saw scripture as testimony to Christ and a guide to spiritual development. He became wary making the Bible an idol, especially an idol designed to compete with scientific knowledge. When Andy refused to teach the inerrancy of scripture, the national church forced him out.

Andy eventually left the church and began to explore the Buddhist tradition, especially its meditative practices. But he found that the silence of his fellow Buddhists at the monastery left him without a way to share his burdens, including the unexpected death of his son. Yet Andy did not have to bear his grief alone. Jon, a friend from seminary, reached out to him. Jon’s influences included several prominent contemplative Christians, and he passed his love of mysticism to Andy, who discovered his Buddhist values deeply nestled within a robust but long-suppressed tradition of historic Christianity.

Unlike the conservative church of Andy’s upbringing, the contemplative Christian tradition offered freedom, joy, and radical renewal—and Andy found himself living in the Divine Presence and committing himself to Christ in a whole new way.

About the Author

Andrew Harnack was a professor at Eastern Kentucky University and an ordained pastor in a conservative denomination in the Lutheran tradition of his upbringing. He left the ministry over the requirement to teach the inerrancy of scripture, and he became a Buddhist. Then he was introduced to the mystical tradition of Christianity

Now Andy, as he is known to all who meet him, is active in his parish in Georgia. He teaches centering prayer, serves as a missionary in Haiti, and conducts meetings of Theology on Tap, through which he shares the joys of Christian mysticism in local bars.