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This volume is about ecclesiology and ethnography and what really matters in such academic work. How does material from field studies matter in a theological conversation? How does theology, in various forms, matter in analysis and interpretation of field work material? How does method matter? The authors draw on their research experiences and engage in conversations concerning reflexivity, normativity, and representation in qualitative theological work. The role and responsibility of the researcher is addressed from various perspectives in the first part of the book. In the next section the authors discuss ways in which empirical studies are able to disrupt the implicit and explicit normativity of ecclesial traditions, and also how theological traditions and perspectives can inform the interpretation of empirical data. The final part of the book focuses on the process of creating ""the stuff"" that represents the ecclesial context under study.What Really Matters is written to serve students and researchers in the field of ecclesiology and ethnography, systematic and practical theology, and especially those who work empirically or ethnographically--broadly speaking. The book might be particularly helpful to those who deal with questions of methodology in these academic disciplines. This volume offers perspectives that grow out of the Scandinavian context, yet it seeks to participate in and contribute to a scholarly conversation that goes beyond this particular location.""What Really Matters displays the importance of ethnography for the theological world. Exploring methodological challenges in sociological and theological approaches, the essays provide compelling ways to take lived faith seriously. As the book shows, by combining 'normative' and empirical research, ethnographic theology moves beyond limiting Christian theology and faith to the creedal and cognitive, enabling attention to long-ignored stories of 'practical' ecclesial community such as the 'digitization of Christian life.'""--Mary McClintock Fulkerson, Professor of Theology, Duke Divinity School""This book represents the next step in the fascinating and relatively new field of ethnographic ecclesiology, which seeks to bring theological reflection on the church out of the library and integrate it with qualitative fieldwork. . . . The book is full of engrossing and theoretically sophisticated reflections on the excitement and messiness of engagement with real church communities. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in how theology is done.""--William T. Cavanaugh, DePaul UniversityJonas Idestrom is Associate Professor of Ecclesiology at Uppsala University and researcher at the Church of Sweden Research Department. He is the editor of For the Sake of the World (2009) and co-editor of Ecclesiology in the Trenches (2015).Tone Stangeland Kaufman is Associate Professor of Practical Theology at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Oslo. She is the author of A New Old Spirituality? (2017).

Perhaps more than any philosophy written in the past few centuries, the work of Friedrich Nietzsche has given rise to controversy, misunderstanding, and dissent. Today Nietzsche is remembered as the revolutionary author of such polemical ideas as the death of God, the revaluation of values, the will to untruth, and the Ubermensch. Yet is Nietzsche's philosophy as atheistic, relativistic, nihilistic, and immoral as some commentators have claimed? Or ought we perhaps to give more credence to Nietzsche's own assertion that one writes books ""precisely to conceal what one harbors"" (BGE, 9, 289)?If ""whatever is profound loves masks"" (BGE, 2, 40) then might Nietzsche's more daring claims be interpreted as clever masks behind which he conceals a deeper philosophy and on which he reveals a hidden truth? Is it not possible that the standard readings of Nietzsche are in fact misreadings--that his work invites misreading, that it is intentionally unclear, deceptive, disguised?The goal of this volume is to reread Nietzsche for all that he shows and all that he hides. It is to dig deeper into his work in order to challenge misreadings of old and invite misreadings anew--as, indeed, his work itself calls for and demands.""That the essays in this volume challenge us not only to reevaluate our understanding of Nietzsche but also to consider how we have misunderstood him and, more importantly, why we have misunderstood him, makes this collection both a compelling work of scholarship and an original work of philosophy.""--Richard Kearney, Boston CollegeM. Saverio Clemente is a husband and father of three. He lives in Massachusetts where he writes, studies, and teaches philosophy. He is the author of Out of the Storm: a Novella (Resource, 2016).Bryan J. Cocchiara is an adjunct professor of philosophy at Brookdale Community College. He received his MA from Boston College in 2014, where he was a research fellow at The Lonergan Institute.

Drawing on her own experience of befriending a person suffering from a long-term mental health challenge, Priscilla Oh reflects on the meaning of care and friendship theologically. Using autoethnography, she goes beyond the personal experience and examines various issues surrounding mental health. Hospitable Witnessing candidly takes readers into the everyday life of being with a mentally ill person. There are emotional challenges and contingencies in sustaining friendship and caring for a person with a long-term mental health problem. Oh points out that those who care for a loved one during a long-term illness inevitably experience ""burnout"" resulting from the constant care requirements. Under such an enormous disruption, we need to be compassionate toward another's suffering and be willing to be present and available for them. This book suggests our need of one another and identifies three important Christian practices: caring as we are being made in the image of God, compassion as being present with the sufferer, and lament as to revitalize our faith and hope.""Hospitable Witnessing is an unusual and necessary book which investigates the author's experience of caring for her mentally ill friend. Readers will find themselves deeply engaged in the psychological pain and confusion of both the author and her friend. This honest and compassionate book will be of great value to families, church members, and professionals engaged in the care and treatment of mentally ill people.""--Mary Fawcett, Former Lecturer, School of Policy Studies, University of Bristol, United Kingdom""This tender and compelling work offers a challenging theological reflection upon mental illness. It fully acknowledges the pain and ambiguity that accompanies mental anguish but through the use of deeply reflexive and profoundly spiritual tools it helps to bring this suffering within the reach of prayerful contemplation and ethical response.""--Heather Walton, Professor of Theology and Creative Practice, University of Glasgow""Hospitable Witnessing is a delicate filigree of longing and loss held together with twisted threads of lived experiences. As a reader and relational psychotherapist, I am impacted by the gentle invitation of entering the enchanted world of another's faith and the realm of possibilities which open up in the spaces between presence and absence of illness when exploring the nature of the divine.""--Salma Siddique, Director of Counselling, Psychotherapy and Experiential Therapies, School of Education, University of Aberdeen, Scotland""'Our real humanness, as God brings us into being, is not that of separateness and isolation, but that of belonging to God and being the partaker of God's unfailing love. . . For the Hebrew word, Shalom is the near term to health to express a person's well-being of life and fullness.' I see the work of Priscilla as one driven by and for shalom, especially in the story of her ministry with these two close friends. And I believe her work can direct others toward similar lives of service.""--Gary A. Parrett, Former Professor of Educational Ministry and Worship, Gordon Conwell Theological SeminaryPriscilla Sun Kyung Oh is a practical theologian and author. After her formulative studies in Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, Massachusetts, USA and her PhD at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, her research became focused on stories of people with mental health problems and how practical theology might help them. Recently, she began to explore the idea of identity formation practice for people with dementia and their families, and pose a meaningful question: What does dementia mean for the body of Christ as a whole?

Has God said? Has God actually spoken, declared himself and his purposes to us? Historically the Christian faith has affirmed God's redemptive, revelatory speaking as historical, contentful, redemptive, centrally in Jesus Christ and, under Christ and by the Spirit, in the text of Holy Scripture. But in the past three centuries developments in Western culture have created a crisis in relation to historical, divine authority. The modern reintroduction of destructive dualisms, cosmological and epistemological, via Descartes, Newton, Spinoza, and Kant have injured not only the physical sciences (e.g., positivism) but Christian theology as well. The resulting ""eclipse of God"" has permeated Western culture. In terms of the Christian understanding of revelation, it has meant the separation of God from historical action, the rejection of God's actual self-declaration, and especially in textual form, Holy Scripture. After critical analysis of these dualistic developments, this book presents the problematic effects in both Protestant (Schleiermacher, Bultmann, Tillich) and Roman Catholic (Rahner, Dulles) theology. The thought and influence of Karl Barth on the nature of Scripture is examined and distinguished from most ""Barthian approaches."" The effects of dualistic ""Barthian"" thought on contemporary evangelical views of Scripture (Pinnock, Fackre, Bloesch) are also critically analyzed and responses made (Helm, Wolterstorff, Packer). The final chapter is a christocentric, multileveled reformulation of the classical Scripture Principle, via Einstein, Torrance, and Calvin, that reaffirms the church's historical ""identity thesis,"" that Holy Scripture is the written Word of God, a crucial aspect of God's larger redemptive-revelatory purpose in Christ.""John Morrison's Has God Said? rightly identifies the central issue in an Evangelical doctrine of Scripture. It's all about the meaning of 'is,' as in 'the Bible is the Word of God.' Carefully distinguishing Barth's own position from 'Barthian' pretenders, Morrison analyzes various contemporary options, Evangelical and non-Evangelical, and then offers his own constructive proposal. Morrison's new position builds on Barth's (not Barthian!) Christocentric insights even as it reclaims the Scripture principle in a manner that even Calvin could applaud."" Kevin Vanhoozer Trinity Evangelical Divinity School""For those who want to think deeply about what it means to say that the Bible is the word of God, John Morrison brings wide-ranging resources and careful reflection. Reading this book is a challenging but rewarding task."" Millard Erickson Baylor University ""Bravo to John Morrison for addressing a weighty issue in philosophical theology that is seldom even proposed, let alone faced squarely in recent academic discussions. Far from avoiding the general trend in recent critical thought, Morrison is to be commended for his affirmation that Scripture is an intricate component of God's redemptive self-revelation to a needy world. This volume places front and center God's work through Jesus Christ and in the very text of Scripture. I highly recommend this rigorous intellectual investigation and subsequent call to reaffirm Scripture as a crucial element in the revelation of God's loving actions to a needy creation."" Gary R. Habermas, Liberty UniversityJohn Douglas Morrison is Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Liberty University and Liberty Theological Seminary. His first book, Knowledge of the Self-Revealing God in the Thought of Thomas Forsyth Torrance, has received much recognition both in Europe and North America. In addition, he has written numerous articles on the church fathers, Calvin, Kierkegaard, Barth, and various developments in Roman Catholic thought.

Bangert shows how the work of three major contemporary Protestant thinkers, James M. Gustafson, Sallie McFague, and David Ray Griffin, may be fruitfully appropriated for the articulation of an ethics that is responsive to the Christian tradition while sharing the modern commitment's appeal to human experience and reason. Each of these three thinkers eschews a priori appeal to the authority of religious tradition, as each takes seriously scientific knowledge of our world. Each accents ways in which current scientific understandings inform, and in some cases are informed by, contemporary appropriations of the language and thought of Christian tradition. Each is also concerned to relate his or her approach to human valuing, life, and action. A critical appraisal of their work shows that none provides a sufficient basis for an intellectually and religiously adequate theological ethics, but that each contributes elements necessary to the articulation of such an ethics within the Protestant Christian tradition as it confronts the religious and intellectual challenges of today's world.Bangert has done a remarkable job in bringing three important constructive proposals for contemporary theology into respectful dialogue with one another. In addition to presenting the positions of Gustafson, Griffin, and McFague fairly and sympathetically, he makes a convincing case that their respective contributions can only be strengthened and enriched through critical engagement with one another. This book has many virtues to commend it, not least of which are the clarity of analysis and the simple elegance of its prose style. It is a model of rigorous, yet irenic, theological argumentation.Paul E. Capetzauthor of God: A Brief HistoryByron C. Bangert is Research Associate at the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), with over 25 years' experience as a parish minister. His Ph.D. in religious studies is from Indiana University.

A biographical study on the Theology of W. W. Bryden.""Walter Bryden, whose students remember him as an inspiring teacher and provocative exponent of Christian faith at a critical time in Canadian church history, has suffered the fate of many Canadians: neglect by his own countrymen. Vissers' lucid and well-documented study of this important Protestant scholar will help greatly to re-establish Bryden's place in the evolution of Christian theology in the Canadian context.""--Douglas John Hall, C.M.Professor of Christian Theology EmeritusMcGill University""Vissers' splendid study of Walter Bryden introduces a new generation to the importance of a leading scholar who in the 1930s introduced the emerging 'neo-orthodoxy' of Karl Barth to the Canadian church and to key students who themselves became significant theologians. Reacting to the idealism and rationalism of his times, in sharp contrast to the prevailing Liberal Theology, Bryden--like Barth--emphasized God's definitive revelation in Jesus Christ who pronounces a Judging-Saving Word to the world. A theology of God's Word and Spirit is the true source for the church's renewal. Bryden's influence in the Canadian Presbyterian Church was monumental as he worked out the implications of Barth's theological approach for his Canadian context. Vissers' study engagingly conveys the thought and influence of Bryden who called the church to theological engagement with issues that are still of vital importance today.""--Donald K. McKimEditor of the Encyclopedia of the Reformed Faith and How Karl Barth Changed My Mind""Walter Bryden of Knox College articulated a consistent evangelical theology during an embattled lifetime. This fine work is a fitting tribute to one who anticipated rather than echoed Neo-orthodoxy for the North American scene. His prophetic teaching rejected both the fashionable liberalism of the age as well as what he termed 'Rational Orthodoxy,' those whose motto could well be 'Always Having Been Reformed.' Almost single-handedly he saved the 'continuing' Presbyterian Church in Canada from obscurantism. Vissers' book is a sympathetic yet critical account of a neglected voice that deserves to be heard today.""--Joseph C. McLellandProfessor of Philosophy of Religion Emeritus McGill UniversityJohn A. Vissers is Principal at The Presbyterian College in Montreal. He is also Director of the Montreal School of Theology and Faculty Lecturer in Christian Theology at McGill University.

This collection of essays is a Festschrift for Naymond Keathley, honoring his many contributions to Baylor as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, as Senior Vice-Provost, as Interim Director of the Center for International Education, as Interim Chair of the Religion Department, as Professor, and as Director of Undergraduate Studies. He also served as president of the Southwest Region of the NABPR and was a long-time member of the Society of Biblical Literature. The authors of the essays include Naymond's friends, colleagues, and students. All of the essays are (broadly) in biblical studies and biblical reception, including essays exploring the intersection between biblical studies and popular culture. Most of the essays take up various New Testament texts.

Post-Christendom Studies publishes research on the nature of Christian identity and mission in the contexts of post-Christendom. Post-Christendom refers to places, both now and in the past, where Christianity was once a significant cultural presence, though not necessarily the dominant religion. Sometimes ""Christendom"" refers to the official link between church and state. The term ""post-Christendom"" is often associated with the rise of secularization, religious pluralism, and multiculturalism in western countries over the past sixty years. Our use of the term is broader than that however. Egypt for example can be considered a post-Christendom context. It was once a leading center of Christianity. ""Christendom"" moreover does not necessarily mean official public and dominant religion. For example, under Saddam Hussein, Christianity was probably a minority religion, but, for the most part, Christians were left alone. After America deposed Saddam, Christians began to flee because they became a persecuted minority. In that sense, post-Saddam Iraq is an experience of post-Christendom--it is a shift from a cultural context in which Christians have more or less freedom to exercise their faith to one where they are persecuted and/or marginalized for doing so.

The Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies (JBTS) is an academic journal focused on the fields of Bible and Theology from an inter-denominational point of view. The journal is comprised of an editorial board of scholars that represent several academic institutions throughout the world. JBTS is concerned with presenting high-level original scholarship in an approachable way.Academic journals are often written by scholars for other scholars. They are technical in nature, assuming a robust knowledge of the field. There are fewer journals that seek to introduce biblical and theological scholarship that is also accessible to students. JBTS seeks to provide high-level scholarship and research to both scholars and students, which results in original scholarship that is readable and accessible.As an inter-denominational journal JBTS is broadly evangelical. We accept contributions in all theological disciplines from any evangelical perspective. In particular, we encourage articles and book reviews within the fields of Old Testament, New Testament, Biblical Theology, Church History, Systematic Theology, Practical Theology, Philosophical Theology, Philosophy, and Ethics.

This work is dedicated to David Alan Black, a New Testament scholar who has contributed to the love of the Koine Greek language as it pertains to New Testament studies in numerous ways--as a professor, author, missionary, and editor. The goal of this book is to demonstrate for students the value of continued research in the Greek New Testament. The essays demonstrate how research is currently being done, utilizing such tools as grammatical studies, discourse analysis, textual criticism, verbal aspect, and other linguistic analyses. The chapters include studies on exegesis, verbal aspect, prepositional compounds, relevance theory, and scripture memorization. This book demonstrates the explanatory power of an in-depth usage of New Testament Greek. It is recommended for those who have had at least one year of Greek.Melton Bennett Winstead is Assistant Professor of New Testament and Greek, and Dean of students at Southern Evangelical Seminary. He has published articles in the Christian Apologetics Journal and Criswell Theological Review, and essays in the Lexham Bible Dictionary. Dr. Winstead has also pastored a small Baptist church in North Carolina for the past ten years.

Worship, Tradition, and Engagement is designed to honor the life, scholarship, and influence of Timothy George, the founding dean of Beeson Divinity School. Timothy George is one of the premier evangelical scholars and leading statesmen of this generation. This volume reflects on the many themes of Dean George''s life and ministry, including theology, church history, gospel, church, worship, tradition, and engagement. The book, edited by David S. Dockery, James Earl Massey, and Robert Smith, Jr., includes essays by some of the most notable scholars and leaders of our day, including Kevin Vanhoozer, Robert P. George, Albert Mohler, Graham Cole, Gerald Bray, Elizabeth Newman, Richard Mouw, Thomas Guarino, Will Willimon, and several others. Each author makes a distinctive and significant contribution to this important project, bringing depth and breadth to this thematic volume designed to honor scholar and Christian leader, Timothy George.""This wide-ranging constellation of fascinating essays is a most fitting tribute to one of our most capacious minds, prolific writers, and Christian statesmen. I learned a lot from this book, which increased my esteem for its Baptist honoree and the ecumenical network of Christians he inspires.""--Douglas A. Sweeney, Trinity Evangelical Divinity SchoolDavid S. Dockery is president of Trinity International University/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.James Earl Massey is Dean Emeritus of Anderson School of Theology.Robert Smith is Charles T. Carter Baptist Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School.

Carl F. H. Henry has been called ""the Dean of evangelical theologians,"" and ""the premier theological representative of the evangelical movement in the last half of the twentieth century."" When his magnum opus, God, Revelation, and Authority, first appeared, it was hailed as ""the most important work of evangelical theology in modern times.""Carl Henry: Theologian for All Seasons not only introduces contemporary readers to Carl Henry the man, but also demonstrates that his theology possesses striking relevance for our own situation. We are introduced to his place in the complex mosaic of twentieth century theology, his simple but sophisticated doctrine of revelation, and his value for current discussions of a wide variety of issues.Henry''s reflections on hermeneutics, philosophy, and faith; the nature of revelation and of God; the social implications of Christianity; and many other vital topics, turn out to be as pertinent now as when they were written.Not everyone agrees with Carl Henry''s approach, of course, so this book features an extensive dialogue between Henry and his critics, making the case that his thought has been incorrectly described as outmoded and that he offers clear guidance for twenty-first century thinkers.To make the wealth of material on the many topics in God, Revelation, and Authority more accessible, the book includes a theological index, a macro index, and detailed outline of the entire six volumes.""During the formative years of my theological upbringing, Carl Henry was a mentor, but more than a mentor, a friend, both to me and to Prison Fellowship . . . G. Wright Doyle offers an unfathomable gift to the evangelical world--a summary and appreciation of Carl Henry''s life and work, focused on an overview of his magnum opus, God, Revelation, and Authority. Doyle''s work is admiring but careful and fair, as the section dealing with Dr. Henry''s critics illustrates. My prayer is that this book will bring the work of Carl Henry to the minds especially of young evangelicals, whose doctrinal moorings are being battered and stretched by leaders too agreeable, in my estimation, with the spirit of the age. Read Doyle, but don''t stop there; let this clear and useful guide take you at once to the works of Carl Henry, especially God, Revelation, and Authority where readers will find their way back to the law and testimonies in cogent, relevant, concise, and always winsome terms.""--Chuck Colson, FounderPrison Fellowship and Colson Center for Christian Worldview""Carl F. H. Henry was a big man who wrote large books about the greatest subject of all, the incomparable God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--whose revelation of himself in Holy Scripture is the authoritative norm for all our thoughts and beliefs about him. Henry''s stature as an evangelical theologian grows larger every year amid the small ideas and minor absolutes of our time. This book honors Carl Henry by helping us to heed what he said--and still says--to the church today.""--Timothy GeorgeFounding Dean, Beeson Divinity School Senior Editor, Christianity TodayG. Wright Doyle is Director of Global China Center and English editor of the Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity (www.bdcconline.net). He is author of Christianity in America: Triumph and Tragedy (2013); Reaching Chinese Worldwide (2013); Christ the King: Meditations on Matthew (2011); Carl Henry: Theologian for All Seasons (2010); and co-author of China: Ancient Culture, Modern Society (2009).

In many oral cultures local proverbs are highly regarded for their wisdom and prized for their aesthetic expression. In this study Jay Moon provides an in-depth look at the use of local proverbs among the Builsa culture of Ghana, West Africa. In particular, the author''s research shows how local proverbs can facilitate contextualized expressions of Christianity that are both biblically authentic and culturally relevant. The process of initiating and sustaining this form of expression is explicated with the help of an engaging narrative, providing valuable insights for those striving for genuine and meaningful expression of Christ in culture.This study will be especially beneficial to the missionary community, particularly for the purposes of appreciating oral literature in primary oral cultures, finding proper roles in the contextualization process, identifying cultural values via the window of local proverbs, training missionaries in cultural understanding, and tailoring discipleship training to incorporate significant aspects of orality""Drawing on solid theoretical foundations in anthropology, epistemology, and communications, Jay Moon takes us on an exciting journey into the world of African proverbs to demonstrate how to engage Scripture with culture. Written as a riveting story with missiological reflection, this is the practical guide to doing contextualization we''ve been waiting for. The implications of his application of contextualization go well beyond Africa and so this book is a ''must read'' for any serious student of contextualization and missiology.""--Darrell WhitemanResident Missiologist and Vice President for Mission Personnel and PreparationThe Mission Society""Jay''s work with Ghanaian proverbs is one of the deepest, most practical examples of missionary teaching/learning I have ever seen. Getting down to the proverbial level of local language and culture has paid off handsomely in his situation. Now he has done missionaries and local leaders young and old a great favor by sketching why it worked, how it worked, and how it can work for them. What could be more useful for mission today? Read and do!""--Stan NussbaumStaff MissiologistGMI Research ServicesW. Jay Moon is Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies and the director of the Wesley House of Studies at Sioux Falls Seminary. He was formerly a missionary with SIM in Ghana from 1992 to 2005.

This book brings together the papers presented at the McMaster Divinity College 2007 Pentecostal Forum: ""Defining Issues in Pentecostalism: Classical and Emergent."" It highlights the defining topics, past and present, of Pentecostal theology. The chapters are grouped under Pentecostal theology and biblical studies, with selections on classical and contemporary issues in each category. This book provides an introduction to the classical doctrines of Pentecostalism and key contemporary developments in Pentecostal theology in one volume. Professors desiring to introduce students to Pentecostalism will find here a concise and accessible introduction to the defining historical and contemporary issues.""This volume brings together some of the most important theological and biblical scholars of Pentecostalism. Each chapter examines significant questions in relation to current contextual challenges facing the movement as they reflect upon its past and its future. No doubt, this collection represents a crucial voice among Pentecostal scholars wrestling with a variety of critical issues.""--Michael Wilkinson,Trinity Western University""Defining Issues in Pentecostalism, the inaugural issue of the McMaster Theological Studies Series, is a glimpse into the current strength of Pentecostal scholarship, offering creative and constructive proposals in Pentecostal theology and biblical studies. The authors argue for holistic and ecumenical approaches to a theology of the Spirit that has significant implications for the broader, theological world. A work of this caliber is long overdue.""--Peter Althouse, Assistant Professor of TheologyCollege of Christian Ministries and Religion Southeastern UniversitySteven M. Studebaker (PhD, Marquette University) is Assistant Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario. He is an active member in the Society for Pentecostal Studies, and is the author of several articles on Pentecostal theology and of the forthcoming book, Jonathan Edwards'' Social Augustinian Trinitarianism in Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (2008). He is ordained with the Assemblies of God.

The Emerging Church Movement, an eclectic conversation about how Christianity needs to evolve for our postmodern world, has been breaking traditional bounds and stirring up controversy for more than two decades. This volume is the first academic work to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to understanding this complex and boundary-crossing phenomenon. Containing contributions by researchers from a diverse set of disciplines, this book brings together historical, sociological, ethnographic, anthropological, and theological approaches to offer the most thorough and multifaceted description of the Emerging Church Movement to date.Contributors:Juan Jose Barreda ToscanoDee YaccinoGerardo MartiLloyd ChiaJason WollschlegerJames S. BieloJon BialeckiHeather Josselyn-CransonXochitl AlvisoChris JamesTim Snyder""If you want to understand the phenomenon called ''Emerging Church'' in North America, I can''t recommend a better place to start than Crossing Boundaries, Redefining Faith. It offers a variety of perspectives from a variety of disciplines, and it draws from a solid bank of observation and interaction with a wide variety of sample congregations. As an added bonus, Crossing Boundaries, Redefining Faith will introduce you to some gifted younger scholars and writers whose work you will want to follow in the future."" --Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual MigrationMichael Clawson is a religious historian and Adjunct Instructor at the Seminary of the Southwest, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and Baylor University.April Stace is a liturgist and Adjunct Instructor at Hartford Seminary and The John Leland Center for Theological Studies.

Preachers often think of prophetic preaching in the caricature of the prophet as the lonely outsider confronting the congregation, often angrily, with the congregation's complicity in social injustice and with a bracing call for repentance. The twenty-seven essays and sermons in this book offer a different perspective by viewing prophetic preaching specifically--and ministry, practical theology, and theological education more broadly--as pastoral care for the community in prophetic perspective. Such preaching does indeed bring a critical theological analysis of justice concerns to the center of the sermon, but in such a way as to invite the congregation to consider how the move toward justice is a pastoral move-- that is, a move that seeks to build up community. Rather than contributing to the polarization so rampant in today's social world, the preacher seeks to help the congregation build bridges along which concern for justice can travel. The contributions honor the work of the late Dale Andrews, a scholar of preaching and practical theology at the Divinity School, Vanderbilt University, whose seminal work inspires the notions of prophetic care and building bridges to justice.""This collection of essays is a deep and richly nuanced testimony to homiletician Dale Andrews, his scholarly work and personal witness. I especially appreciate the conversations regarding the bridges between the pastoral and the prophetic in preaching, between personal piety and social justice in the life of congregations, and the ways in which these bridges can be manifest both in the practice of preaching as well as its pedagogy. Undergirding the entire volume is Andrews's own deep commitment to racial and social justice in all its forms. This is a great resource for thoughtful pastors, scholars, and teachers of preaching.""--Leonora Tubbs Tisdale, Clement-Muehl Professor of Homiletics, Yale Divinity SchoolPhillis-Isabella Sheppard is Associate Professor of Religion, Psychology and Culture at the Divinity School, and Graduate Department of Religion, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm is Brightbill Professor of Preaching and Worship at Bethany Theological Seminary, Richmond, Indiana.Ronald J. Allen is Professor of Preaching and Gospel and Letters at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana.

The hidden seeds of the Christian renewal in China today include the outstanding Chinese Christians in Salt and Light 2, a dozen new life stories with lively anecdotes and photographs. These reformersmade lasting contributions that shaped modern China. Working out of the limelight in their professions, they had quiet but powerful influenceonearly twentieth-century civil society. Motivated by their faith, they modeled essential virtues.This series helps recover a lost Christian heritage linked closely to a legacy of East-West cooperation in an earlier global era.""The second volume of Salt and Light is a wonderful accomplishment. It takes as its scene the world''s largest country during a century of turmoil and agony, and shows how a few heroic Chinese Christians tried to rescue and redeem their great country. The stories are without exception inspiring. At the same time, they shed much unsuspected light on the history both of China and of Christianity.""--Philip Jenkins,author of The Lost History of Christianity""The editors have assembled a strong team of authors, both Chinese and American, to write these compelling portraits. The subjects are lay Chinese Christians who were active between 1850 and 1950, all of whom had some contact with the United States and all of whom were leaders in building up Chinese society. For our day, which marvels at the rapid spread of Christianity in contemporary China, this book is especially important for showing how long-standing and how effective--but also how Chinese--have been the serious Christian contributions to Chinese society. This is a very important book.""--Mark Nollauthor of The New Shape of World Christianity""Living up to the high standards of Volume 1, this book offers new, finely written portraits of Chinese Christian patriots of the twentieth century. Their stories are both fascinating and inspiring, and they open new windows for viewing the history of modern China. They help us see the moral challenges and cultural transformations that underlay the political and economic struggles of the Chinese revolution.--Richard Madsenauthor of Democracy''s Dharma and China''s Catholics""Carol Hamrin and Stacey Bieler have brought together another set of illuminating portraits of historical Chinese Christian leaders. We see here the men and women who sowed the seeds of spiritual, psychological, and physical transformation that helped make the Chinese church--and indeed China itself--what it is today. A truly fascinating book.""--Rob Giffordauthor of China RoadCarol Lee Hamrin is research professor at George Mason University and a senior associate with Global China Center and author of God and Caesar in China and Decision Making in Deng''s China.Stacey Bieler is author of ""Patriots"" or ""Traitors""? A History of American-Educated Chinese Students.

Salt and Light presents the life stories of outstanding Chinese Christians who, as early modernizers, promoted China''s nation building and moral progress in the early twentieth century. Lively anecdotes and photographs highlight the strong character of ten pioneers in the modern professions of education, medicine, journalism, and diplomacy. These professionals were motivated by faith to introduce practical social reforms and build up China''s civil society. They modeled and promoted virtues essential to social progress during the ""golden age"" of Chinese Protestantism. Their stories touch on themes important in today''s global era: patterns of cooperation between foreign and Chinese partners, the contributions to China of Western-educated professionals, Christianity''s role in furthering East-West understanding and exchanges, and the transnational nature of modern Chinese Christianity. The editors and authors articulate the importance of recovering China''s Christian heritage as part of world Christianity.""I highly recommend this collection of succinct, deftly drawn portraits of Chinese Christians, whose lives made a difference. The editors and authors are sympathetic to their subjects but also realistic in their evaluation. Historians of modern China, and many in Chinese Christian communities worldwide, will enjoy and profit from learning about these ten laypersons who contributed much to the Kingdom of God and to the society in which they lived.""--Daniel H. Bays, Professor of History and head of the Asian Studies Program, Calvin College""Recovering the lost narratives of ten remarkable Chinese Christians tells us that Christianity in China is profoundly and thoroughly Chinese. These impressive stories so aptly show that the modern-era migration of Christian faith, in contrast to earlier Chinese appropriations since the seventh century, sank roots deep into the cultural soil of China. How this occurred, in each case, is an achievement to be celebrated. This is a wonderful project.""--Robert Eric Frykenberg, Professor Emeritus of History and South Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison""Salt and Light is a scrupulous and moving work that presents the human face of China''s emergence in the world, showing how China''s great human assets bear the imprint of deep encounter with the West. It is impossible to overestimate the long-term value of that encounter, and there is no question that such encounter will impact China''s international outlook. This book shows why China will take its bearings from the historical memories of complex relations with the West as it emerges as a major world power in the near future."" --Lamin O. Sanneh, D. Willis James Professor of Missions and World Christianity and Professor of History at Yale Divinity SchoolCarol Lee Hamrin is research professor at George Mason University and a senior associate with Global China Center and author of God and Caesar in China and Decision Making in Deng''s China.Stacey Bieler is author of ""Patriots"" or ""Traitors""? A History of American-Educated Chinese Students.

The book of Proverbs is a large collection made up of diverse wisdom sayings emanating from different wisdom circles in different times. The author investigates the vocabulary of the book in order to interpret the distinctive wisdom characteristics of the seven collections of Proverbs. He argues that exclusive words of a collection will best reveal the peculiar nature of the collection, and that the collections which exclusively share common wisdom words are inevitably coherent in terms of wisdom traditions.This book provides a new understanding of Proverbs, especially with regard to the relationship between collections I (chs. 1-9) and VII (ch. 31), collections II (10:1-22:16) and V (chs. 25-29), and collections VI (ch. 30) and VII (ch. 31).In addition to the investigation of more than three hundred words, this volume contains the lists of exclusive words of the seven collections and thirty-four tables of words related to wisdom. Kim''s work will prove a useful resource to those who want to study Proverbs.Seenam Kim is Professor of Old Testament and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the International Theological Seminary in El Monte, California.

Rewired begins with the claim that contemporary views of Christian spirituality, particularly in the American evangelical tradition, concentrate too exclusively on the interior and individual nature of spiritual experience. Paul Markham argues that a reexamination of the doctrine of religious conversion is needed within American evangelicalism and finds resources for such a model in the Wesleyan theological tradition and from philosophical and scientific insights into a ""nonreductive physicalist"" view of human nature. In considering ""data"" from theology and science, this book represents an integrated work in science and religion.""The amazing thing about the human nervous system is its plasticity--it is readily ''rewired'' by experience. Paul Markham offers a view of Christian conversion as an embodied process by which we are constantly and significantly rewired by our participation in a converting community--we are progressively becoming new creatures. In Rewired, Markham helps us hear the resonance between modern scientific views of human nature, biblical Christianity, and Wesleyan practical theology.""--Warren S. BrownProfessor of PsychologyGraduate School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary""The importance of this new book by Paul Markham lies both in his constructive proposal concerning the nature of Christian conversion and in the process by which he achieves his proposal. Working at the interface of neurophilosophy and Wesleyan theology, he presses for a more fully integrated theological method at the same time that he demonstrates its fruitfulness. The resulting portrait of a fully embodied and ecclesially centered Christian conversion is a welcome contribution to our understanding of spiritual life.""--Joel B. Green, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Fuller Theological Seminary""This is a timely book--where the question of what it means to be human stands alongside questions of conversion and Christian mission in contemporary culture.Paul Markham brings these questions together with a depth that takes seriously both modern neuroscience and pastoral sensitivity.A book for theologians in the field of science and religion, as well as a book for preachers, evangelists, and pastors.""--David Wilkinson, Principal of St. John''s College, University of Durham""It is frequently assumed by both Christian and non-Christian alike that science must be in conflict with religion and that religious conversion must be a matter of salvation of the ''soul.'' Paul Markham''s impressive work of interdisciplinary scholarship demonstrates the flaws in both these assumptions, showing how recent writing in cognitive science can be seen to point towards a more biblical picture of human beings and a more holistic understanding of Christian discipleship.""--Robert Song, University of DurhamPaul N. Markham is Assistant Professor at Western Kentucky University''s Center for Community Partnerships. He also holds adjunct faculty positions in WKU''s Department of Philosophy and Religion and at Asbury Theological Seminary.

This volume celebrates the unique contributions of Helmut Koester, who has been a leader for fifty years as scholar, professor, editor, and mentor. Having studied at the universities of Heidelberg and Marburg, Koester was a student of both Gunther Bornkamm and Rudolf Bultmann. He began teaching at Harvard Divinity School in 1958, where he is currently John H. Morison Research Professor of Divinity and Winn Research Professor of Ecclesiastical History. He is the chair of the New Testament Editorial Board of Hermeneia: A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible and long-time editor of Harvard Theological Review (1975-1999). Among his numerous publications are Trajectories through Early Christianity (with James M. Robinson); Ancient Christian Gospels; History, Culture, and Religion of the Hellenistic Age; History and Literature of Early Christianity; and The Cities of Paul: Images and Interpretations from the Harvard Archaeology Project (CD-ROM). He was President of the Society of Biblical Literature in 1991 and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Humboldt University (Berlin) in 2006.Contributors:Ellen Bradshaw Aitken, Harold W. Attridge, Klaus Baltzer, Arthur Bellinzoni, Gary A. Bisbee, Ann Graham Brock, John Clabeaux, Eldon Jay Epp, Everett Ferguson, Steven J. Friesen, Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre, Robert A. Kraft, AnneMarie Luijendijk, Dennis MacDonald, Jennifer K. Berenson Maclean, Christopher R. Matthews, Shelly Matthews, Lee Martin McDonald, Laura Nasrallah, George W. E. Nickelsburg, Michael O''Laughlin, Carolyn Osiek, Elaine Pagels, Stephen J. Patterson, Birger A. Pearson, Richard I. Pervo, Norman R. Petersen, David M. Scholer, Daniel Schowalter, Philip Sellew, Dennis E. Smith, James D. Smith III, Krister Stendahl, Robert F. Stoops, Jr., Christine M. Thomas, David L. Tiede, Demetrios (Trakatellis), James C. Walters, Demetrius K. WilliamsJames D. Smith III is Associate Professor of Church History at Bethel Seminary San Diego, Lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego, and on the pastoral staff of College Avenue Baptist Church in San Diego. He is on the editorial board of Christian History & Biography magazine. He is also coeditor of The Subjective Eye: Essays in Culture, Religion, and Gender in Honor of Margaret R. Miles and of the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Christian Literature.Philip Sellew is Associate Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Studies and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Minnesota. He is the author of the forthcoming volume The Hundredfold Reward: Martyrdom and Sexual Renunciation in Christian North Africa and is coeditor of Pauline Conversations in Context: Essays in Honor of Calvin J. Roetzel. He has been the editor of Currents in Research: Biblical Studies and Forum.