Biblical History
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Biblical History Of Israel (Revised)
$62.00Add to cartFor over a decade, A Biblical History of Israel has gathered praise and criticism for its unapologetic approach to reconstructing the historical landscape of ancient Israel through a biblical lens. In this much-anticipated second edition, the authors reassert that the Old Testament should be taken seriously as a historical document alongside other literary and archaeological sources.
Significantly revised and updated, A Biblical History of Israel, Second Edition includes the authors’ direct response to critics. In part 1, the authors review scholarly approaches to the historiography of ancient Israel and negate arguments against using the Bible as a primary source. In part 2, they outline a history of ancient Israel from 2000 to 400 BCE by integrating both biblical and extra-biblical sources. The second edition includes updated archaeological data and new references. The text also provides four maps and fourteen tables as useful references for students.
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Letters Of Paul
$45.00Add to cartThis is the sixth edition of the classic textbook that has been introducing Paul and his writing to seminary and undergraduate students for over forty years. Roetzel provides a comprehensive look at Paul in light of recent scholarship and theological understandings of Paul. This new edition includes four brand-new sections on the following: the chronology of Paul’s letters; Paul’s concept of “law” in the context of messianic expectation; the religious and political contexts in which Paul’s letters were written; and Jewish understandings of Gentiles and Paul’s mission to include them among the elect of God. This long-established textbook is the ideal choice for any student of Paul.
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Cross Before Constantine
$39.00Add to cartPreliminaries
1. The Cross In Its Place
2. The Cross And Society
3. The Cross In A Jewish Cradle
4. The Cross In Textual Images
5. The Cross In The Material Record
6. The Cross In A Pompeii Bakery
7. The Cross In The Literary Record
8. The Cross And Its Advocates
9. A Very Short Conclusion
BibliographyAdditional Info
This book brings together, for the first time, the relevant material evidence demonstrating Christian use of the cross prior to Constantine. Bruce W. Longenecker upends a longstanding consensus that the cross was not a Christian symbol until Constantine appropriated it to consolidate his power in the fourth century.Longenecker presents a wide variety of artifacts from across the Mediterranean basin that testify to the use of the cross as a visual symbol by some pre-Constantinian Christians. Those artifacts interlock with literary witnesses from the same period to provide a consistent and robust portrait of the cross as a pre-Constantinian symbol of Christian devotion.
The material record of the pre-Constantinian period illustrates that Constantine did not invent the cross as a symbol of Christian faith; for an impressive number of Christians before Constantine’s reign, the cross served as a visual symbol of commitment to a living deity in a dangerous world.
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Gospel On The Margins
$49.00Add to cartScholars of the Gospel of Mark usually discuss the merits of patristic references to the Gospel’s origin and Mark’s identity as the “interpreter” of Peter. But while the question of the Gospel’s historical origins draws attention, no one has asked why, despite virtually unanimous patristic association of the Gospel with Peter, one of the most prestigious apostolic founding figures in Christian memory, Mark’s Gospel was mostly neglected by those same writers. Not only is the text of Mark the least represented of the canonical Gospels in patristic citations, commentaries, and manuscripts, but the explicit comments about the Evangelist reveal ambivalence about Mark’s literary or theological value. Michael J. Kok surveys the second-century reception of Mark, from Papias of Hierapolis to Clement of Alexandria, and finds that the patristic writers were hesitant to embrace Mark because they perceived it to be too easily adapted to rival Christian factions. Kok describes the story of Mark’s Petrine origins as a second-century move to assert ownership of the Gospel on the part of the emerging Orthodox Church.
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From The Maccabees To The Mishnah (Revised)
$44.00Add to cartThis is the third edition of Shaye J. D. Cohen’s important and seminal work on the history and development of Judaism between 164 BCE to 300 CE. Cohen’s synthesis of religion, literature, and history offers deep insight into the nature of Judaism at this key period, including the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, the function of Jewish religion in the larger community, and the development of normative Judaism and other Jewish sects. Cohen offers students more than just history, but an understanding of the social and cultural context of Judaism as it developed into the formative period of rabbinic Judaism. This new edition includes a brand-new chapter on the parting of ways between Jews and Christians in the second century CE. From the Maccabees to the Mishnah remains the clearest introduction to the era that shaped Judaism and provided the context for early Christianity.
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Galilee In The Late Second Temple And Mishnaic Periods Volume 1
$75.00Add to cartContents:
Preface
1. Introduction-David A. Fiensy And James Riley Strange
2. Galilee And The Historical Jesus In Recent Research-Roland Deines
3. The Political History In Galilee From The 1st Century Bce To The End Of The 2nd Century Ce-Morten Hrning Jensen
4. Religious Practices And Religious Movements In Galilee: 100 Bce-200 Ce- Roland Deines
5. The Ethnicities Of Galilee-Mark Chancey
6. The Synagogues Of Galilee-Lee I. Levine
7. Notable Galilean Persons-Scott Caulley
8. Social Movements In Galilee-Richard Horsley
9. The Galilean Village In The Late Second Temple And Mishnaic Periods-David A. Fiensy
10. Household Judaism In Galilee-Andrea Berlin
11. The Galilean House In The Late Second Temple And Mishnaic Periods-David A. Fiensy
12. Mortality, Morbidity, And Economics In Jesus’ Galilee-Jonathan Reed
13. Education/Literacy In Jewish Galilee: Was There Any And At What Level?-John C. Poirier
14. The Galilean Road System-James F. Strange
15. Urbanization And Industry In Mishnaic Galilee-Ze’ev Safrai
16. Never The Two Shall Meet? Urban-Rural Interaction In Lower Galilee-Agnes Choi
17. Inner Village Life In Galilee: A Diverse And Complex Phenomenon-Sharon Lea Mattila
18. Debate: Was The Galilean Economy Oppressive Or Prosperous-Doug Oakman And Andrew Overman
19. Taxation And Other Sources Of Government Income In The Galilee Of Herod And Antipas-Fabian Udoh
Index Of Primary SourcesAdditional Info
Drawing on the expertise of archaeologists, historians, biblical scholars, and social-science interpreters who have devoted a significant amount of time and energy in the research of ancient Galilee, this accessible volume includes modern general studies of Galilee and of Galilean history, as well as specialized studies on taxation, ethnicity, religious practices, road systems, trade and markets, education, health, village life, houses, and the urban-rural divide.This resource includes a rich selection of images, figures, charts, and maps.
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Hidden Riches : A Sourcebook For The Comparative Study Of The Hebrew Bible
$55.00Add to cartThis study considers the historical, cultural, and literary significance of some of the most important Ancient Near East (ANE) texts that illuminate the Hebrew Bible. Christopher B. Hays provides primary texts from the Ancient Near East with a comparison to literature of the Hebrew Bible to demonstrate how Israel’s Scriptures not only draw from these ancient contexts but also reshape them in a unique way.
Hays offers a brief introduction to comparative studies, then lays out examples from various literary genres that shed light on particular biblical texts. Texts about ANE law collections, treaties, theological histories, prophecies, ritual texts, oracles, prayers, hymns, laments, edicts, and instructions are compared to corresponding literature in the Pentateuch, Prophets, and Writings of the Hebrew Bible. The book includes summaries to help instructors and students identify key points for comparison. By considering the literary and historical context of other literature, students will come away with a better understanding of the historical, literary, and theological depth of the Hebrew Bible.
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Authors Of The Deuteronomistic History
$34.00Add to cartContents:
Preface
Part 1: The Deuteronomistic History: An Introduction To Issues Of Authorship, Date, And Influences
1: The Deuteronomistic History Since Martin Noth
2: The Deuteronomist(s) According To Noth: An Assessment
3: Deuteronomy As The Linchpin To The Deuteronomistic History
4: Grammatical Constructions Showing Later Editing In The Deuteronomistic History
Part 2: An Analysis Of The Texts
5: The Editing Of The Book Of Deuteronomy
6: The Editing Of The Book Of Joshua
7: The Book Of Judges: An Apology For Kingship
8: 1 Samuel: History Vs. Polemic
9: 2 Samuel: The Apology Continues: David’s Fall From Grace
10: 1 And 2 Kings
11: Conclusions
Appendix: Character Parallels Between Saul, Ishbosheth, And The JudgesAdditional Info
Peterson engages one of the most enduring controversies in current critical scholarship on the Hebrew Bible, the identities and provenances of the authors of the various “editions” of the Deuteronomistic History. Critically reviewing the presuppositions of scholars reaching back to Martin Noth, and using careful analysis of motif and characterization at each redactional level in each book of the Deuteronomistic History, Peterson asks where we might locate a figure with both motive and opportunity to draw up a proto-narrative including elements of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and the first part of 1 Kings.Posing his questions in the form of a “Whodunit?” Peterson identifies a particular candidate in the time of David who had both knowledge and a theological and political agenda, qualified to write the first edition. He then extends the method to identify the particular circle who became the custodians of the Deuteronomistic narrative and supplies successive redactions, informed by the original formative vision, down to the time of Jeremiah. Careful argumentation yields surprising results at each stage.
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America Isaiah Is Warning
$16.99Add to cartNew revelation of astonishing magnitude that you need now! America’s destiny has passed the point of no return and is on a collision course with God’s judgment. God declared AMERICA’S judgment 2,500 years ago, long before nationhood. Isaiah’s prophecy remained hidden in misunderstanding, until now. In these pages, his message is clearly spoken for the people to whom it was originally addressed: the generation of AMERICANS alive today. A repeated, meddling national policy — NOT society’s debauchery, moral decay or abortion –brings upon the USA God’s solemn judgment. Consecutive, escalating warnings were ignored by leaders; Never connecting them to their cause. The sentence has been declared: Execution follows — a judgment of terror and death. Only a remnant survives — in the end, certain Christians are missing. Prepare yourself: God told Isaiah of the event and showed him a chilling vision of the rest. You will learn: * America’s egregious error. * The 21 years of warnings US leaders repeatedly ignored. * Specific details of the timing. * Graphic horror of the aftermath. * God’s secret escape plan. * Identity of those who go into the millennium. Jaw dropping revelations race through these pages like a raging wildfire. This astonishing account of America’s very near future is packed with crucial events that impact everyone alive. God has the world watching the event live!!! The EVENT is a sea change for the WORLD. A MUST READ for everyone!!! A message so impactful you will reread it. Time is of the essence!
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History Of Christian Thought In One Volume (Revised)
$67.99Add to cartIn this revised and updated version of his popular history, Justo Gonzalez retains the essential elements of his earlier three volumes as he describes the central figures and debates leading to the Councils of Nicea and Chalcedon. Then he moves to Augustine and shows how Christianity evolved and was understood in the Latin West and Byzantine East during the Middle Ages. Finally, he introduces the towering theological leaders of the Reformation and continues to trace the development of Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christianities through modernity in the twentieth century to postmodernity in the twenty-first.
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History Of Christian Thought (Revised)
$57.99Add to cartAn introduction to Christian thought from the birth of Christ, to the Apostles, to the early church, to the flowering of Christianity across the world.This volume, condensed from Dr. Justo Gonzalez’s popular three-volume history, is revised and updated.
While retaining the essential elements of the earlier three volumes, this book describes the central figures and debates leading to the Councils of Nicea and Chalcedon. Then it moves to Augustine and shows how Christianity evolved and was understood in the Latin West and Byzantine East during the Middle Ages.
Finally, the book introduces the towering theological leaders of the Reformation and continues to trance the development of Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christianities through modernity in the twentieth century to post-modernity in the twenty-first.
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Abingdon Introduction To The Bible
$45.99Add to cartThis comprehensive introduction launches beginners into the world of biblical studies.The Bible has profoundly influenced the western world. Many of its characters and stories are well known and yet, oddly enough, wide swaths of the Bible are unknown and misunderstood. The laws and teaching contained within it have shaped contemporary thinking in ways many do not realize. Equally important, two of the world’s largest religions-Judaism and Christianity-consider the Hebrew Bible to be sacred and to contain enduring truths about beginnings and creation, life and death, the world, and what it means to be human.
This comprehensive introduction launches beginners into the world of biblical studies with clarity and precision. The authors give an overview of each book of the Bible with a brief discussion of relevant controversies and debates. Jewish and Christian (Protestant and Roman Catholic) views are compared and contrasted, while simultaneously illustrating the importance of the Bible for religion, western jurisprudence, ethics, and contemporary conceptions of the family, morality, and even politics. With illustrations and charts, this a text that is both student and teacher friendly.
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Encyclopedia Of Ancient Christianity 1-3
$600.99Add to cartPreface To The Second English Edition
Preface To The Second Italian Edition (2006)
Preface To The First Italian Edition (1983)
A Note On Using The Encyclopedia
List Of Contributors
Biblical Abbreviations
Bibliographical Abbreviations
Volume 1 Entries A-E
Volume 2 Entries F-O
Volume 3 Entries P-ZAdditional Info
This 3-volume encyclopedia, produced by the Institutum Patristicum Augustinianum, comprises 3,220 entries by a team of 266 scholars from 26 countries, covering 8 centuries of the Christian church and addressing such topics as archaeology, art and architecture, biography, culture, doctrine, ecclesiology, geography, history, philosophy, and theology. The Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity includes: Unparalleled, comprehensive coverage of persons, places and ideas from ancient Christianity, including:cultural currentsevents and movementsphilosophyiconography and architecturearchaeologytexts and translations theological terms doctrines liturgy spirituality monasticism Christian sects heresies controversies councils A-Z coverage from “Aaron (iconography)” to “Zosimus, pope”3,220 articles by 266 contributors from 26 countries (and representing a variety of Christian traditionsChronological coverage extending from Christian origins to Bede (d. 735) in the West and John of Damascus (d. ca. 749) in the Greek EastDetailed emphasis on the first 4 centuries of Christian historyGeographical coverage includingNorth AfricaMauretaniaNumidiaAfrica Proconsularis ByzacenaLibyaEgyptNubiaEthiopiaAsiaAdiabeneArmeniaBithynia & PontusGeorgiaCappadociaLycia and PamphyliaPhrygiaSyriaMesopotamiaArabiaPalestinePersiaChinaEuropeGaulSpain & PortugalItalyGermanyBritain and IrelandScotlandPannoniaDalmatiaMacedoniaMoesiaThraceCyprusCreteUpdates and expands on previous Italian and English-language editions with the addition of more than 500 articles, including the following 30 articles exclusive to this new English-language edition:apostolic seeCapuaCarmen de synodo TicinensiChinacosmopolitanismdeathdiakonia/diaconateDialogi de sancta Trinitate IV-Vdoorkeeper (porter)dynamis/energeiaeternityforgivenessfreedom/free willgoodHierotheusincubatioinfinity/infinitudelibelli miraculorumloveMara bar Serapion (letter of)oikeiosisold agepresanctifiedSerapeion (Serapeum)subdeaconTheosebiaTriumphus Christi heroicusTychonunityVirgo ParensExtensive cross-referencing for ease in exploring related articlesHelpful bibliographies, including primary sources (texts, critical editions, translations) and key secondary sources (books and journal articles)Translated from Nuovo dizionario patristico e di antichita cristiane (2006-2008), produced by the Institutum Patristicum Augustinianum, the world’s foremost center for partristic studies, under the direction of Professor Angelo Di BerardinoUpdates and expand -
Watchers In Jewish And Christian Traditions
$34.00Add to cartPart 1. Origins And Biblical Discussions Of The Fallen Angels
Part 2. Second Temple Developments
Part 3. Reception In Early Christianity And Early JudaismAdditional Info
At the origin of the Watchers tradition is the single enigmatic reference in Genesis 6 to the “sons of God” who had intercourse with human women, producing a race of giants upon the earth. That verse sparked a wealth of cosmological and theological speculation in early Judaism. Here leading scholars explore the contours of the Watchers traditions through history, tracing their development through the Enoch literature, Jubilees, and other early Jewish and Christian writings. This volume provides a lucid survey of current knowledge and interpretation of one of the most intriguing theological motifs of the Second Temple period. -
Witnessing In The 21st Century
$12.49Add to cartIn this extremely relevant work, Dr. Perez relates the state of evangelism in today’s Church to that of the first century Christians. He includes a concise yet thorough history of Christianity’s first 400 years or so as an example of the changes and challenges facing present-day believers. He goes on to describe the beginnings of secular humanism and its far-ranging, increasing, and heartbreaking influence around the world today. The most significant element of this manuscript is that it is not another preach-the-gospel-into-the-world exhortation; it is instead a call to something much more challenging: the (often, and apparently inaccurately, attributed to St. Francis) advice to “Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words.” This is not to say Dr. Perez is in any way minimizing the necessity to proclaim the name of Jesus. Rather, he rightly asserts that “Evangelism, or the spreading of the ‘good news,’ begins with you, the individual.” Even more critical is the declaration that salvation is not a doctrine but a Person.
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Christ : The Miracle Worker In Early Christian Art
$39.00Add to cartAcknowledgements
Abbreviations
1. Introduction
2. Healing, Miracle, And Magic In Non-Christian Sources
3. Healing And Miracles In Early Christian Writings
4. Images Of Christ Healing
5. Images Of Christ Rasing The Dead
6. The Nature Miracles Of Christ
7. The Staff Of Jesus
8. Conclusion
Appendix Of Images
Bibliography
IndexAdditional Info
Artistic representations were of significant value to early Christian communities. In Christ the Miracle Worker in Early Christian Art, Lee Jefferson argues that images provided visual representations of vital religious and theological truths crucial to the faithful and projected concepts beyond the limitations of the written and spoken word. Images of Christ performing miracles or healings functioned as advertisements for Christianity and illustrated the nature of Christ. Using these images of Christ, Jefferson examines the power of art, its role in fostering devotion, and the deep connection between art and its elucidation of pivotal theological claims. -
Our First 10 Days
$14.95Add to cartFirst: Time with Jesus — Then: He was gone — Now: “Tarry, wait!”
“Why are we here?” asked my mother’s brother, moving from the philosophical to the practical.
“We are here,” replied one of the followers, “because he said that we should wait.”
There was then an outbreak of questions…
For 40 days, the risen Christ had remained among his disciples, and then, leaving them, he gave instruction that they wait together in Jerusalem. “Wait,” he said, but why? The word was an enigma; what had Jesus intended? Whatever the meaning, the disciples would obey; they would wait.
Choosing, we believe, to gather at the Upper Room, for ten days and nights, they waited but surely not in idleness. Together, they would wrestle with momentous questions.
For 75 years, Leonard Mann has contemplated those people in that situation, their struggle to understand Jesus and his meaning in the world.
A plausible journey in doubting and believing, Our First Ten Days is a marvelously crafted story that invites the reader to visualize events and conversations at the Upper Room during that time. It was here that the church was born, that the foundations of Christian Faith were chiseled and laid.
If we allow ourselves to imagine the thoughts and words of those long uncertain hours, we will find ourselves submerged in a powerful narrative that boldly and creatively walks us through the opening chapter of this Faith.
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Secret Scriptures Revealed
$21.99Add to cartClear, evenhanded overview of a group of significant, imaginative ancient writings
The Christian Apocrypha burst into the public consciousness in 2003, following the publication of The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Interest in the wide assortment of texts not included in the Bible has remained strong ever since. Although much has been written and said on the subject, misunderstandings still abound.
Tony Burke’s Secret Scriptures Revealed dismantles the many myths and misconceptions about the Christian Apocrypha and straightforwardly answers common questions like these:
*Where did the apocryphal texts come from and who wrote them?
*Why were they not included in the Bible?
*Is reading these texts harmful to personal faith?The book describes and explains numerous fascinating apocryphal stories, including many that are not well known. Instead of dismissing or smearing the Christian Apocrypha, Burke shows how these texts can help us better understand early Christian communities and the canonical Bible.
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Whose Land Whose Promise (Revised)
$25.95Add to cartPreface To The Second Edition
Preface To The First Edition
Part 1: The Background To The Problem
Part 2: The Old Testament And The Land
Part 3: The New Testament And The Land
Index Of Subjects And NamesAdditional Info
Because events in the Middle East continue to escalate in tragic complexity, Christians still struggle with making sense of it all. In this updated version of Whose Land? Whose Promise?, Burge further explores the personal emotions and opinions; and sharpens his theological argument in the context of the new developments surrounding the crisis in the Middle East. Whose Land? Whose Promise? offers insight for the thoughtful reader on an explosive topic and challenges personal truths on peace. -
Jesus As A Figure In History (Revised)
$50.00Add to cartThis thoroughly revised edition of the best-selling textbook provides an in-depth survey of current historical Jesus studies. Beginning with a brief discussion of early Jesus-quest research and methodologies, Mark Allan Powell develops insightful overviews of some of the most influential participants in the field today, including Marcus Borg, Jon Dominic Crossan, John Meier, E. P. Sanders, and N. T. Wright. Powell has expanded his original work with completely new material to reflect the latest scholarship.
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World Of Jesus (Reprinted)
$13.00Add to cartPopular Author Provides the Market’s Most Accessible Introduction to the World of Jesus’ Time
To understand Jesus’ life and ministry, we need to understand the history and culture of his world. Marty, author of the popular The Whole Bible Story, provides readers with a thoroughly readable, easy-to-understand history of Israel leading up to the time of Christ. Each chapter ties closely to the events of the New Testament as Marty carefully answers such questions as
*Who were the Pharisees and why was Jesus upset with them?
*Why didn’t anyone like the Samaritans?
*When and why did the Jews start worshiping in “synagogues” rather than the Temple?The book will include call-out boxes, summaries, and other tools to make this the most accessible book available on the topic.
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Story Shaped Worship
$32.99Add to cartAcknowledgements
Introduction
Part I: Biblical Patterns: Story-Shaped Liturgy
1. Genesis And The Gospel: Worship In The Beginnings
Workshop
2. Worship And Identity: Yahweh And Shbath In The Torah, Prophets And Gospels
Workshop
3. Abad: Worship As Holy Service
Workshop
4. The Shape Of Biblical Worship
Workshop
5. Worship By The Book
Workshop
6. Worship And Holiness
Workshop
7. Worship In Exile, Synagogues And The Early Church
WorkshopPart II: Historical Patterns: The Interpretations Of Worship
8. Patristic Patterns For Christian Worship: Clarifying The Faith
Workshop
9. Reformation Patterns For Christian Worship: Recovering The Faith
Workshop
10. Contemporary Patterns For Christian Worship: Keeping The Faith
Workshop
Glossary
Topic Index
Scripture Index For Further ReadingAdditional Info
What is the right way to worship? Right worship does not require a return to the identical forms found in the early church or later in Rome or after that in Westminster. What it calls for is a faithful response today to the God of our salvation in light of those biblically ordered and historically informed patterns. In this study Robbie Castleman uncovers the fundamental shape of worship. What she unearths is a shape that is outlined in Scripture, enacted in Israel, refocused in the New Testament community, regulated and guarded by the Apostolic fathers, and recovered in the Reformation. It is a worship that can and does still shape the liturgy of many congregations today. -
Dead Sea Scrolls
$46.99Add to cartContains new information about unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls with translations of key passages and recent discovery of the movement behind the Scrolls in their own words. See http://deadseascrolls.org/www/Site/thedss.php In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd stumbled upon a cave near the Dead Sea, a settlement now called Qumran, to the east of Jerusalem. This cave, along with the others located nearby, contained jars holding hundreds of scrolls and fragments of scrolls of texts both biblical and nonbiblical-in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The biblical scrolls would be the earliest evidence of the Hebrew Scriptures by hundreds of years; and the nonbiblical texts would shed dramatic light on one of the least-known periods of Jewish history. This find is the most important archaeological event in two thousand years of biblical studies. Online supplement, with indexes, discussion questions, Dead Sea Scrolls websites, and links to study tools, electronic resources, and photographs: http://www.abingdonacademic.com/dsscrolls
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How Israel Became A People
$40.99Add to cartHow did Israel become a people? Is the biblical story accurate? In what sense, if any, is the biblical story true? Are the origins of these ancient people lost in myth or is there hope to discovering who they were and how they lived? These questions divide students and scholars alike. While many believe the “Conquest” is only a fable, this book will present a different view. Using biblical materials and the new archaeological data, this title tells how the ancient Israelites settled in Canaan and became the people of Israel. The stakes for understanding the history of ancient Israel are high. The Old Testament tells us that Yahweh led the Hebrews into the land of Canaan and commanded them to drive its indigenous inhabitants out and settle in their place. This account has often served as justification for the possession of the land by the modern state of Israel. Archaeology is a “weapon” in the debate, used by both Israelis and Palestinians trying to write each other out of the historical narrative. This book provides needed background for the issues and will be of interest to those concerned with the complexity of Arab-Israeli relations.
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Early Church And Today 2
$25.99Add to cartThe Early Church and Today is a collection of scholarly articles by an acclaimed specialist in early Christianity written for a broad audience. The topics taken from the New Testament and other early Christian literature are relevant for the church today. The articles are grouped in the following categories: Volume 1, church and ministry; Volume 2, Christian living, biblical interpretation, the restoration motif, religious liberty, and the book of Acts of the Apostles.
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New Testament : Its Background Growth And Content
$34.99Add to cartThis text is a classic by one of America’s most widely respected New Testament scholars. It provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to the New Testament. In a straightforward and understandable style–without distortion or oversimplification–Prof. Metzger closely examines the historical background and content of the New Testament and details the role of scribes and translators in handing the Scriptures down through the centuries. Utilizing the finest modern scholarship, Dr. Metzger looks at the people, societies, and events that produced the New Testament. Palestinian Judaism, Greco-Roman paganism, sources of our knowledge of Jesus Christ, essential aspects of Christ’s teaching, sources and chronology of the apostolic age, the work of Paul, the general letters, and the Book of Revelation are all clearly illuminated. The Second edition of this book added an appendix on the formation of the canon of the New Testament and the work of scribes. The third edition will represent a substantial update of the 1965 text based on the New Revised Standard Version. In addition to stylistic changes, the author updates the text regarding research on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi tractates. This edition adds a glossary, 30 graphics and photos, and is resized to a larger 6×9 page.
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Reading The Apostolic Fathers
$38.00Add to cartThe Apostolic Fathers are critically important texts for studying the first century of Christian history. Here a leading expert on the Apostolic Fathers offers an accessible, up-to-date introduction and companion to these diverse and fascinating materials. This work is easy to use and affordable yet offers a thorough overview for students and others approaching these writings for the first time. It explains the context and significance of each document and points to further reading. This new edition of a well-received text has been updated throughout and includes a new chapter on the fragments of Papias.
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Apocrypha
$18.99Add to cartFor many across the world, the books of the Apocrypha are Christian Scripture. This volume helps university and seminary students learn not only more about the Apocrypha, but also more about how Jesus thought and lived.
Using a thematic approach, Dr. David deSilva gives a brief introduction and summary of these largely unknown and unappreciated books. In addition, the book provides an overview of the social and cultural context of the world of the Apocrypha and early Christianity. After surveying the Apocrypha’s relevance and impact on Christian practices and spiritual formation, deSilva highlights the Apocrypha’s imact on Jesus’ world, the New Testament, and the formation of the early church’s doctrines and theology.
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Early Church And Today 1
$25.99Add to cartThe Early Church and Today is a collection of scholarly articles by an acclaimed specialist in early Christianity written for a broad audience. The topics taken from the New Testament and other early Christian literature are relevant for the church today. The articles are grouped in the following categories: Volume 1, church and ministry; Volume 2, Christian living, biblical interpretation, the restoration motif, religious liberty, and the book of Acts of the Apostles.
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13 Apostles : The Men Who Journeyed With Jesus
$16.99Add to cartIn this engaging book, Kalas reveals a portrait of each apostle as a servant in ministry, a human being, and a unique individual. He draws from Scripture as well as historical writings and traditions. A chapter is also devoted to Mathias, the successor to Judas Iscariot.
Each chapter features a key passage of Scripture. At the end of the book is a 16-page discussion guide.
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Violence Of Scripture
$29.00Add to cartNo one can read far in the Old Testament without encountering numerous acts of violence that are sanctioned in the text and attributed to both God and humans. Over the years, these texts have been used to justify all sorts of violence: from colonizing people and justifying warfare, to sanctioning violence against women and children. For those who read the Bible as Scripture, these depictions of “virtuous” violence pose tremendous moral and theological challenges. What can be done to stop people from using the Old Testament in such destructive ways, and how might these violent texts be read more faithfully?
Eric Seibert faces these challenges head-on by confronting the problem of “virtuous” violence and urging people to engage in an ethically responsible reading of these troublesome texts. He offers a variety of reading strategies designed to critique textually sanctioned violence, while still finding ways to use even the most difficult texts constructively, thus providing a desperately needed approach to the violence of Scripture that can help us live more peaceably in a world plagued by religious violence.
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Early Christian Worship
$25.00Add to cartOscar Cullmann was born in Strasbourg and studied theology and classical philology there and in Paris. Since 1938 he has been Professor of New Testament and Early Church History in the Theological Faculty of the University of Basel and also, since 1949, Professor of Early Christianity at the Sorbonne, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes, and the Faculte de Theologie Protestante in Paris. He has received honorary degrees from Lausanne, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Lund.
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Rose Guide To The Temple
$34.99Add to cartIn the late afternoon sunlight, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is one of the most breathtaking places in the world. This was the site of Solomon’s great Temple, a “house of prayer for all people” – the center of worship and celebration.
For centuries it stood, until the Babylonians captured Jerusalem and destroyed the Jewish temple. The devastation was both physical and spiritual: the Temple was an awesome structure, but it was also the place of the Lord’s presence with his people, the place of worship.About seventy years later, the people returned to Jerusalem and built a second temple. It wasn’t as spectacular as the original, and those who remembered Solomon’s golden pillars, wept over the difference. Yet it was the house of God to the exiles who came home.
Some 300 years later, Herod the Great, one of the greatest builders in the ancient world, renovated and expanded the second Temple and made it famous, rivaling the finest monuments of that time. This is the temple where Jesus was dedicated as a baby, where he honored the widow for giving all she had, and where he threw out the money changers.
The Temple is important, both as a historical and architectural masterpiece, and as a spiritual symbol of God’s desire to dwell with his people.
This full-color book gives a complete easy-to-understand overview of the history of the Temple in Jerusalem. People who enjoy Bible study will love the fact that it answers many questions about how the Temple looked during biblical times. Bible scholars and professors will enjoy the well-annotated text. The author is archaeologist and professor Dr. Randall Price. He has spent more than 30 years exploring the Holy Land studying the Temple.
This book has more than 100 images, charts, diagrams, photos, and illustrations, many of which have never published before. It covers the span of time from Abraham to modern day.
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Mission In The Old Testament (Expanded)
$22.00Add to cartWalter Kaiser questions the notion that the New Testament represents a deviation from God’s supposed intention to save only the Israelites. He argues that–contrary to popular opinion–the older Testament does not reinforce an exclusive redemptive plan. Instead, it emphasizes a common human condition and God’s original and continuing concern for all humanity. Kaiser shows that the Israelites’ mission was always to actively spread to gentiles the Good News of the promised Messiah. This new edition adds two new chapters, freshens material throughout, expands the bibliography, and adds study questions to the text.
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Mark As Story (Revised)
$29.00Add to cartFor thirty years, Mark as Story has introduced readers to the rhetorical and narrative skill that makes Mark so arresting and compelling a story. Rhoads, Dewey, and Michie have helped to pioneer our appreciation of the Gospels, and Mark in particular, as narratives originally created in an oral culture for oral performance. New in this edition are a revised preface and an afterword describing the significant role Mark as Story has played in the development of narrative criticism.
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Lives Of Ordinary People In Ancient Israel
$39.50Add to cartIn this book Wiliam Dever addresses the question that must guide every good historian of ancient Israel: What was life really like in those days? He presents his answers in a book that is far from a run-of-the-mill “history of Israel.” Writing as an expert archaeologist who is also a secular humanist, Dever relies on archaeological data, over and above the Hebrew Bible, for primary source material. He focuses on the lives of ordinary people in the eighth century B.C.E. – not kings, priests, or prophets – people who left behind rich troves of archaeological information but who are practically invisible in “typical” histories of ancient Israel. Illustrated by photos, maps, charts, site plans, and specially commissioned drawings, Dever’s work brings vividly to life a world too long buried beneath dusty texts and stony landscapes.
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Stories From Ancient Canaan (Expanded)
$35.00Add to cartThe texts from ancient Ugarit are among the most important modern discoveries for understanding the Bible. For more than thirty years, Stories from Ancient Canaan has been recognized as a highly authoritative and readable presentation of the principal Canaanite myths and epics discovered at Ugarit. This fully revised edition takes into account advances in the reading, understanding, and interpretation of these stories since 1978. It also includes two additional texts, expanded introductions, and illustrations. Coogan and Smith have collaborated to bring this classic up to date in order to provide accessible and accurate translations of these texts for a new generation of students.
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Introducing Early Christianity
$35.99Add to cartLaurie Guy provides an illuminating, broad-brush survey of the early church in its first four centuries. Readers get to witness the emergence of Great Tradition Christianity as themes unfold over time regarding women, persecution and martyrdom, asceticism and monasticism, eucharist and baptism, doctrine and the ecumenical councils.
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Law Power And Justice In Ancient Israel
$60.00Add to cartFrom leading Old Testament scholar Douglas A. Knight comes the latest volume in WJK’s Library of Ancient Israel series. Using socio-anthropological theory and archaeological evidence, Knight argues that while the laws in the Hebrew Bible tend to reflect the interests of those in power, the majority of ancient Israelites-located in villages-developed their own unwritten customary laws to regulate behavior and resolve legal conflicts in their own communities. This book includes numerous examples from village, city, and cult.
Volumes in the Library of Ancient Israel draw on multiple disciplines-such as archaeology, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, and literary criticism-to illuminate the everyday realities and social subtleties these ancient cultures experienced. This series employs sophisticated methods that depict the reality of the people behind the Hebrew Bible and interprets these insights for a wide variety of readers.
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Slavery As Moral Problem
$14.00Add to cartIntroduction
1. Jesus And Slavery
2. The First Christian Slaveholders
3. Slaves In The Household Of God
4. Slavery In A Christian EmpireEpilogue
Further Reading
NotesAdditional Info
Recent US and UN reports document the startling incidence of human trafficking in the world today. Yet the situation is hardly new.The fact that some early Christians were slaves does not present a moral problem for Christians today. The fact that some early Christians were slaveholders does. Jennifer Glancy tackles questions that continue to haunt contemporary men and women, inside and outside of the churches: Why didn’t Jesus speak out forcefully against slavery? Why didn’t the early church see slavery as fundamentally incompatible with the gospel? Were there any bright moments when some Christians in fact drew that conclusion, and why don’t we know more about them? Why didn’t Christianity have more of an impact on slaveholding in the Roman Empire? And what lessons can we learn as we face moral catastrophes in our own day?
Though chapters discuss slavery in the first centuries of the church, Glancy’s focus is on the question of moral imagination: What does it take for people to take a clear stand against entrenched and accepted wrong? In an age when debt bondage, child labor, sex slavery, and human trafficking are increasing and increasingly integrated into economic globalization, what should our response be? And do early Christian writings provide any help at all?
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Religion And Resistance In Early Judaism
$38.99Add to cartForeword
Preface
Bibliography
Introduction
Greek Text: 1 Maccabees 1:1-4:61
Text Notes: 1 Maccabees
Greek Text: Josephus Selections
Text Notes: Josephus
Vocabulary
Credits And AcknowledgmentsAdditional Info
Religion and Resistance in Early Judaism prepares intermediate and advanced students of Greek to read and translate selections from 1 Maccabees and Josephus, with an emphasis on building knowledge of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. The book also describes the religious and cultural clash between the classical world and early Judaism. It includes:
*Historical context from Alexander the Great to Josephus
*Greek text of 1 Maccabees 1:1-4:61
*Selections of Greek from Josephus’s life, Jewish War, and Antiquities of the Jews
*Notes on the grammar and syntax of each selection of Greek text, including numerous cross references to Greek and biblical literature
*A comprehensive glossary of Greek terms and a select bibliography
*Foreword written by Dr. Paul Maier -
Scepter And The Star
$41.99Add to cartJohn J. Collins here offers an up-to-date review of Jewish messianic expectations around the time of Jesus, in light of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
He breaks these expectations down into categories: Davidic, priestly, and prophetic. Based on a small number of prophetic oracles and reflected in the various titles and names assigned to the messiah, the Davidic model holds a clear expectation that the messiah figure would play a militant role. In sectarian circles, the priestly model was far more prominent. Jesus of Nazareth, however, showed more resemblance to the prophetic messiah during his historical career, identified as the Davidic “Son of Man” primarily after his death.
In this second edition of The Scepter and the Star Collins has revised the discussion of Jesus and early Christianity, completely rewritten a chapter on a figure who claims to have a throne in heaven, and has added a brief discussion of the recently published and controversial Vision of Gabriel.
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Rethinking The Origins Of The Eucharist
$68.99Add to cartThe Eucharist is the central act of Christian worship. In this book Martin Stringer brings together some of the scholarship associated with the sociological analysis of biblical texts into conversation with liturgists and historians of the first century. He begins his analysis of the Eucharist and other early Christian meals from a detailed discussion of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, the most studied text in the sociological tradition of biblical scholarship. He proposes that the meal portrayed in chapter 11 of that letter is more likely to have been an annual event rather than a weekly one. He considers other texts, both biblical and those from the first hundred and fifty years or so of Christian history and shows that the Eucharist, that is a ritual event consisting of the sharing of bread and wine, which are associated by the community with the body and blood of Jesus, is most likely to have been an invention of the Asian or Roman church in around 100-110 CE. Martin D. Stringer is Professor of Liturgical an
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Divine Complexity : The Rise Of Creedal Christianity
$32.00Add to cartIntroduction
1. The Primacy Of The Gospel
Augustinian Critique Of Epistemology
The Primacy Of The Gospel
Natural Theology? Divine Simplicity?
Kataphatic Theology2. From Resurrection Kerygma To Gospel Narrative
The Resurrection Of The Crucified As Hermeneutic
The Chief Question: Resurrection As The Spirit’s Narration
Resurrection As Event In The Life Of God
Resurrection As Possibility In The Life Of The World
Resurrection As Reality In The Life Of The World
Resurrection’s Retroactive Causality
Bultmann’s Objection
The Gospel As Promissory Narrative3. The Scriptures’ Emergence As The Church’s Canon
Jesus-New And Living Temple
The Johannine Bridge
Critique Of Modern Johannine Criticism
Kasemann’s Dissent
Hoskyns’s Theological Interpretation Of John
The Johannine Theology Of The Martyr
Ignatius, Polycarp, And The Martyrs’ Canon
The Knowledge Of God In The New Testament4. The Trinitarian Rule Of Faith
Paul As Theologian
Paul’s “Canon” Of Faith (Galatians 6:16)
Early Christian Dogma In The Pastoral Epistles
Martyrological Ethos In The Pastoral Epistles
Christian “Atheism” In Justin Martyr
Justin Against Gnosticism
Irenaeus And The Theology Of The Martyrs
The First Dogmatics
The Economy Of God
The Rule Of Faith And The Trinity5. The Confrontation Of Biblical And Philosophical Monotheism
The Problem Of Christianity And Platonism
Overview Of Trinitarian Doctrine And Trinitarian Errors
Two Kinds Of Monotheism: The Living God Of Radical, Or Exclusive,
Monotheism
Two Kinds Of Monotheism: Divine Simplicity
Eternal Generation
Systematic Theology As Systematic Apologetics
Arius As Consistent Platonist6. The Holy Trinity As The Eternal Life
The Martyriological Background
The Creed At Nicea 325
Theology Of Redemption
Lord And Giver Of Life
The Homoiousions And The Homoousions
The Failure Of Biblicism
The Trinitarian Theology Of The Cappadocians
Worshipped And Glorified, Together With The Father And The SonPostscript: The “Impassible Passibility” Of The Trinity
Notes
IndexAdditional Info
Paul Hinlicky reads the history of the early church as a genuine, centuries-long theological struggle to make sense of the confession of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Protesting a recent parting of the ways between systematic theology and the history of early Christianity, Hinlicky relies on the insights of historical criticism to argue in this historical survey for the coherence of doctrinal development in the early church. Hinlicky contends that the Christian tradition shows evidence of being governed by a hermeneutic of “cross and resurrection.” In successive chapters he finds in the New Testament writings a collective Christological decision against docetism; in the union of Old and New Testaments, a monotheistic decision against Gnostic dualism; in the resulting sweep of the canon a narrative of the divine economy of salvation that posed a trinitarian alternative to Arian Unitarianism; and in the insistence upon the cross of the incarnate Son, a rebuke of Nestorianism.This book is written with the student of early Christianity and the development of doctrine in mind.
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Jesus In The Jewish World
$35.99Add to cartGeza Vermes is the greatest living Jesus scholar. In this collection of occasional pieces, he explores the world and the context in which Jesus of Nazareth lived and tells the story of the exploration of first-century Palestine by twentieth-century scholars.Informed by the work of a world-class scholar, the articles in this book open to the general reader the findings of some of the major discoveries of the twentieth century such as the Dead Sea Scrolls.This collection of shorter popular pieces, many of which appeared in The Times and other newspapers, makes Vermes’ research on Christian origins, the Dead Sea Scrolls and most importantly Jesus the Jew accessible to a wider readership.
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Foxes Book Of Martyrs
$14.95Add to cartPublisher Marketing: Foxe’s Book of Martyrs has been an invaluable addition to the libraries of faithful Christians for almost five centuries. Chronicling the suffering and brutal deaths of those who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, John Foxe captured the God-given, Spirit-inspired courage of these noble souls. Though sometimes difficult to read because of the inhumane cruelty depicted in its pages, the images which truly endure are the ones which portray the victorious faith, through the grace of God, of these Christian martyrs.
Why should you read this book? The stories within these pages are supremely inspiring accounts of those who gave their lives defending the truth of the Gospel. Much can be learned not only of their fortitude but also of an apostate false church that persecuted them. The powerful witness of these martyred saints will stir your hearts, as it has the true church through the centuries, to be that loyal bride of Christ, strong and pure.
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Historical Jesus : What We Can Know And How We Can Know It
$20.99Add to cartThis provocative little book addresses two primary questions: What does “historical” mean? and How should we apply this to Jesus?
Anthony Le Donne begins with the unusual step of considering human perception – how sensory data from sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell are interpreted from the outset by what we expect, what we’ve learned, and how we categorize the world. In this way Le Donne shows how historical memories are initially formed. He unpacks the nature of human memory and how it interacts with group memories. Finally he demonstrates how his definition and philosophy of history can be used to illuminate three dimensions of Jesus’ life: his dysfunctional family, his politics, and his final confrontation in Jerusalem.
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Did The First Christians Worship Jesus
$32.00Add to cartTo answer the title question effectively requires more than the citing of a few texts; we must first acknowledge that the way to the answer is more difficult than it first appears, bravely facing the possibility that the answer may be less straightforward than many would like.
The author raises some fascinating yet vexing questions: What is worship? Is the fact that worship is offered to God (or a god) what defines him (or her) as “G/god?” What does the act of worship actually involve? The conviction that God had exalted Jesus to his right hand obviously is central to Christian recognition of the divine status of Jesus. But what did that mean for the first Christians as they sought to reconcile God’s status and that of the human Jesus? Perhaps the worship of Jesus was not an alternative to worship of God but another way of worshipping God.Yes, the questions are challenging but readers are ably guided in their quest for answers by James Dunn, one of the world’s top New Testament scholars.
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Hammer Of God
$24.99Add to cartAccording to the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ celebrated the Festival of Hanukkah (John 10:22). Hanukkah celebrates the heroic exploits of Judas Maccabeus and his battle for religious freedom. These events occurred during the four-hundred silent years between the Old and New Testaments. The Seleucid Greeks that ruled over the Jewish people made observing Judaism a capital offense and ordered all copies of the Bible to be collected and burned. In the year 167 Before Christ, Judas Maccabaeus led the Jewish people into battle to preserve the Holy Bible and to establish religious liberty. Judas was called Maccabeus which means “the Hammer” in Aramaic. Centuries later, in the year 732 A.D, Charles Martel, known as “Charles the Hammer,” fought to defend the religious liberties of the Christians and Jews in Europe when an army of Islamic terrorists threatened to eradicate Christianity in France. In The Hammer of God learn about the history of the battle for religious freedom, a battle that continues today.
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Rediscovering The Dead Sea Scrolls
$31.99Add to cartBoth within and outside the field of Qumran scholarship, the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls is sometimes treated as a rather specialized closed shop. By encouraging interdisciplinary and self-consciously methodological discussions, this volume intends to open that shop and invite new conversations across lines of interest, discipline, and scholarly subfield.
Fifteen respected DSS scholars representing diverse perspectives offer here a window into the scholarly study of these ancient texts. Rediscovering the Dead Sea Scrolls introduces readers to a wide range of established and experimental treatments of the Scrolls, including paleography, archaeology, manuscript analysis, and a variety of literary, historical, and social scientific approaches. The authors provide not only an introduction to a given approach but also a more self-reflective assessment of the limits of their approaches and the potential pitfalls associated with them.
In place of a single authoritative strategy, here are a variety of strategies – some overlapping and others standing alone – all the products of a process that is unusually collaborative. Taken as a whole, they provide a vibrant intersectional picture of DSS studies on the cusp of its seventh decade.