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The social context of Paul's mission and congregations has been the study of intense investigation for decades, but only in recent years have questions of economic realities and the relationship between rich and poor come to the forefront. In Paul and Economics, leading scholars address a variety of topics in contemporary discussion, including an overview of the Roman economy; the economic profile of Paul and of his communities, and stratification within them; architectural considerations regarding where they met; food and drink, idol meat, and the Lord's Supper; material conditions of urban poverty; patronage; slavery; travel; gender and status; the collection for Jerusalem; and the role of Marxist theory and the question of political economy in Paul scholarship--

In this volume in the series Reading the Bible in the Twemty-First Century: Insights, Mitzi J. Smith describes the distinctive African American experience of Scripture, from slavery to Black Liberation and beyond, and the unique angles of perception that an intentional African American interpretation brings to the text today. Smith shows how questions of race, ethnicity, and the dynamics of “othering” have resulted in new reading of particular texts, and describes challenges that scholarship raises for the future of biblical interpretation.

Wealth and Poverty in Early Christianity is part of Ad Fontes: Early Christian Sources, a series designed to present ancient Christian texts essential to an understanding of Christian theology, ecclesiology, and practice. The books in the series will make the wealth of early Christian thought available to new generations of students of theology and provide a valuable resource for the Church. Developed in light of recent Patristic scholarship, the volumes will provide a representative sampling of theological contributions from both East and West.

This volume focuses on how Scripture was interpreted and used for preaching, teaching, apologetics, and worship by early Christian scholars and church leaders. Developed in light of recent patristic scholarship, it provides a representative sampling of theological contributions from both East and West, making it relevant for students in a variety of courses.

Jerusalem, with its turbulent history, is without doubt one of the best-known cities of the world. A long line of foreign powers have ruled over it, from as far back as biblical times. But the city owes its importance not to them but to the fact that it is the birthplace of monotheism. Othmar Keel sketches in broad brush strokes the development of Israelite-Jewish monotheism and its integration of polytheistic symbols and perceptions. Abundant maps and illustrations enhance the volume.

Paul did not write his letter to the Romans primarily out of doctrinal concerns. Paul B. Fowler argues that rhetorical questions in Romans 3?11 structure the argument, not as responses to criticism, but as Pauls careful guiding of the reader, and that these chapters, like the paraenesis in Romans 12?15, address specific circumstances in Rome tensions between Jew and Gentile that aggravate the already precarious situation of the Roman congregation. The book includes an appendix on rhetorical devices and another on epistolary formulas in Pauls letters.

Gift and Promise shows that the theology of the Augsburg Confession is a gift for the world today. This volume establishes the hub of the Augsburg Confessionjustification by faith alonewhich is traced to its source in Luthers theology of the cross. The remainder demonstrates how that central hub is articulated in the various articles of faith that comprise the Ausgburg Confession. Written by expert theologians, historians, and scholars, this book aims to present the crucial and practical message of the Christian life in the Augsburg Confession for all.

The historical problem of Romans is its double character: concerned with issues of Torah and the destiny of Israel, the letter is explicitly addressed not to Jews but to Gentiles. In The So-Called Jew in Romans, nine Pauline scholars focus their attention on the rhetoric of diatribe and characterization in the opening chapters of the letter, asking what Paul means by the so-called Jew in Romans 2 and where else in the letters argumentation that figure appears or is implied. Each component of Pauls argument is closely examined.

The Holy One in Our Midst: An Essay on the Flesh of Christ aims to defend the doctrine of the extra Calvinisticumthe doctrine that maintains the Son of God was not restricted to the flesh of Christ during the incarnationby arguing that it is logically coherent, biblically warranted, catholically orthodox, and theologically useful. It shows that none of the standard objections are devastating to the extra, that the doctrine is rooted in the claims of Christian Scripture and not merely a remnant of perfect being philosophical theology, and that the doctrine plays an important role in contemporary theological discussion. In this way, James Gordon revives an important Catholic doctrine that has fallen out of favor in contemporary theology. Also, this project aims to integrate biblical, philosophical, and systematic theology by showing that the tools and methods of each distinct discipline can contribute to the goals and aims of the others.

Into the Far Country is an investigation of Karl Barth''s response to modernity as seen through the prism of the subject under judgment. By suggesting that Barth offers a form of theological resistance to the Enlightenment''s construal of human subjectivity as "absolute," this piece offers a way of talking about the formation of human persons as the process of being kenotically laid bare before the cross and resurrection of Christ. It does so by reevaluating the relationship between Barth and modernity, making the case that Barth understands Protestantism to have become the agent of its own demise by capitulating to modernitys insistence on the axiomatic priority of the isolated Cartesian ego.Conversations are hosted with figures including Fyodor Dostoevsky, Rowan Williams, Gillian Rose and Donald MacKinnon in the service of elucidating an account of the human person liberated from captivity to what Barth names "self-judgment," and freed for creative participation in the super-abundant source of life that is the prayerful movement from the Son to the Father in the Spirit. Therefore, an account of Barth''s theology is offered that is deeply concerned with the triune God''s revelatory presence as that which drives the community into the crucible of difficulty that is the life of kenotic dispossession.

In Exploring the Bible, preseminarians and other students about to begin training in ministry join scholars Eric D. Barreto and Michael J. Chan on a journey through Scripture. More than simply a practical guide to reading the Bible, this book will help readers claim their unique interpretive perspective. Barreto and Chan invite us to bring our full, authentic selves to a text that will affirm and challenge us, confirm and transform us, delight and concern us. There, God speaks, and we can hear Gods word in a new way.

The Reformation-era writings that make up the Lutheran Confessions remain lively resources for Christian ministry and mission today. Because each of the documents within the Book of Concord was written with a specific context and rhetorical purpose in mind, each has its own compelling story and objectives. Luther''s catechisms present the faith for daily life at the grass-roots level, with teaching elements that we might now view as typical of social media and multimedia. The Augsburg Confession and its Apology provide an adaptable foundation for preaching, teaching, church organization, and dialogue that is rooted in the promise of Christ, received through faith. Fifteen years after the Diet of Worms, the Smalcald Articles reveal yet another "Here I stand" moment for Luther. Finally, the Formula of Concord shows how the next generations of Lutherans used collaboration and consensus as they wrestled with important themes of faith and life. In summary, as these texts engage us with their stories, they invite us to consider what is most important about our journeys of faith and Christian witness in today''s twenty-first-century contexts.

People still believe that Jesus is returning to earth . . . and soon! Just like the first followers of Jesus, millions of Christians hold fast to the idea that they are living in the last days, yet here we are, two thousand years later, still waiting. In The Homebrewed Christianity Guide to the End Times Jeffrey C. Pugh recounts his own brief sojourn in an apocalyptic cult. He goes on to show where the current church has gone wrong, and he explains how to fix it.

Each volume of the Understanding World Christianity series analyzes the state of Christianity from six different angles. The focus is always Christianity, but it is approached in an interdisciplinary mannerchronological, denominational, sociopolitical, geographical, biographical, and theological.Short, engaging chapters help readers understand the complexity of Christianity in the region and broaden their understanding of the region itself. Readers will understand the interplay of Christianity and culture, and will see how geography, borders, economics, and other factors influence Christian faith.In this exciting volume, Dyron B. Daughrity and Jesudas M. Athyal offer an introduction to Indian Christianity that has been desperately needed by scholars, students, and interested readers alike. Rich in experience and knowledge, Daughrity and Athyal introduce readers to the vibrancy of Indian Christianity like no other authors have done before.

Reading the Proverbs as timeless observations and recommendations regarding human nature, valid for all cultures and places, blunts their cultural relevance, argues John J. Pilch. Similar in approach and format to the Social-Science Commentary on the New Testament volumes that he authored with Richard L. Rohrbaugh and Bruce J. Malina, this volume explores and describes the cultural matrix of the Mediterranean world from which the Proverbs come and of which they are descriptive. A list of social-science scenarios provides ready reference to particular aspects of the larger Mediterranean culture.

In this volume, E. P. Sanders presents five studies that re-examine the nature of Jewish law in the second Temple period. He considers how serious the legal issues discussed between Jesus and his opponents would have been, had they been authentic; explores whether the Pharisees had oral law, and whether they ate ordinary food in purity; examines ho

Stars Beneath Us brilliantly shows Gods presence in the ever-evolving cosmos. Relying on his upbringing as a Baptist, his doctoral work in experimental nuclear physics and gamma-ray astronomy, and his ordination to the gospel ministry, Paul Wallace weaves a book unlike any other in faith-and-science literature. This is a call to courage for those who fear a true encounter with the cosmos will distance them from God. Stars Beneath Us will inspire readers to engage with the natural world in new ways and find God, as it turns out, everywhere.

In this novel of Martin Luther's life, teen readers (and more than a few adults!) will be introduced to the life and adventures of Martin Luther.

In this latest installment of the Homebrewed Christianity series, Eric E. Hall approaches the question of God from various perspectives. The classical conception of God is like the famously stoic-yet-lethal Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid. Competing versions of God include Your Hippie Aunt, St. Joan of Arc, and even the muscle-headed goons from Jersey Shore. At the end of this romp through history and pop culture, Hall argues that the God you need may be the very God you rejected years ago.

With great detail, Kirsi I. Stjerna introduces and annotates Luthers Large Catechism, in which the reformer set out to offer a new compass for religious life. He believed all Christian peoplelaity and clergyneeded a guide to comprehend the basic biblical, creedal, and sacramental teachings. This volume is excerpted from The Annotated Luther series, Volume 2. Each volume in the series contains extensive annotations, illustrations, and notes to help shed light on Luthers context and to interpret his writings for today.