The Little Book of Providence by Richard L. Barker - HTML preview

PLEASE NOTE: This is an HTML preview only and some elements such as links or page numbers may be incorrect.
Download the book in PDF, ePub, Kindle for a complete version.

INTRODUCTION

 

This little book anticipates what I am convinced would be the subject of “The Little Book” depicted in the tenth chapter of Revelation. That subject matter is divine providence and how since a Bible-based theology was first systematized in the Late Antiquity period its magnanimity has been diminished through some erroneous doctrines that were incorporated. This document is a condensed, depersonalized reworking of my previous book “Fellowship of the Secret” (2015), focussing on the essential doctrine and insights. In view of my spiritual experience during the writing and the fact that some of the more radical concepts were simply not in my head at its outset lead me to believe the work is prophetic. That will be for the reader to determine; what the book does provide is a coherent synopsis  utilizing the testimony and biblical interpretations of pre-Augustinian Christian writers to demonstrate that the fruits of Christ’s Passion extend beyond Israel and the Church, resulting in a providence worthy of the Creator defined in Scripture as Love personified.

This first edition will predominantly be of interest to Bible believing Christians (including Catholic and Orthodox), being replete with scriptural citations. For reasons that will become evident I am not entirely happy with any particular version of the Bible, so unless otherwise stated the translations from the Greek New Testament together with any highlighting are my own. For serious study or critiquing some knowledge of biblical Greek would be helpful, but my translations should be capable of verification by most people with a basic grasp of English grammar utilizing a Greek interlinear translation such as that provided by Scripture4all HERE. As for quotations from the “Early Fathers” and Church Catechisms, in nearly all cases these are directly linked to their source in the e-book version.

 

Richard L. Barker

January 2020