To have known Adrian van Kaam in person is to have loved him for reasons human and spiritual. His kindness to everyone is as legendary as his fidelity to the mystery in all the peaks and valleys of daily life. His humility is the fire that enkindles his original vision of formative spirituality. His gentle, joyful spirit radiates on every page of this retelling of his life story. In it he takes us to the heart of his thinking in the fields of ps ...
Since the time of Jerome, scholars have tried to explain why John the Baptist asks Jesus if he is «the one who is to come» (Matt 11:2-6; Luke 7:18-23) after he had apparently identified him as «the lamb of God» (John 1:29-34). The puzzling question is part of one of the longest fragments of traditional material in the New Testament dealing with the Baptist and Jesus. The present study critically examines the Lukan version of this double traditio ...
Solomon's idolatry, his murder of his political enemies, and his role in the breakup of the kingdom, which are bluntly presented in Kings, are omitted in Chronicles. Is King Solomon presented as impeccable in Chronicles, in stark contrast to his portrayal in Kings? Is Solomon idealized in Chronicles at the cost of honest writing of history? To this question, the consensus view says, «Yes.» However, Yong Ho Jeon takes a different route and m ...
There is a longstanding tradition that God whispers in our ears. He does not shout. It is in «the holy whisper,» writes the Quaker mystic, that we hear Abba's voice, not in the noise of clamoring crowds or the incessant barrage of social media. To hear the voice of God is an awesome thing–to know his thoughts, to intuit his love, to participate in his good pleasure. It is both a gift to be received and art to be cultivated. It can call to u ...
Dementia presents a significant social issue in a hyper-cognitive culture where stigma, relational neglect, and isolation still accompany forgetfulness. This raises serious theological, ecclesiological, and pastoral questions calling for a Christian response. To fight against a malignant social positioning of anyone as an «an empty shell» is crucial; nonetheless, there is another pressing reality, the reality of ongoing loss. Often the focus is ...
Confucius, the Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad are among the most thoughtful and influential people in history. By their words and examples, they have inspired countless individuals to live better and more meaningful lives and have shaped the institutions and worldviews we live in today. Four Wise Men is an accessible introduction to each of these sages in his historical context and a provocative comparison of their lives and teachings. Through care ...
In this succinct, inviting volume, four Balkan theologians probe their contextual ways with the theology of Jurgen Moltmann, whose classic The Crucified God influenced novel theological approaches around the globe, most recently the emerging postwar Christian theology in the Balkans. The authors engage with the prevailing culture of ethnic and religious exclusivism within their context and present us with a range of theologically pertinent issue ...
John 21 portrays seven disciples fishing all night yet catching nothing. In the morning, a shoreline stranger instructs them to recast their net. Surprisingly, the disciples fail to recognize him. After a miraculous catch and subsequent breakfast, however, there is no doubt as to who this stranger is. Jesus then questions Peter about his love and commissions him to feed Jesus' sheep. Using narrative criticism, Lowdermilk examines this reco ...
Consider intense moments when you have been seized by joy or, in different contexts, by anguish for another person, or a cat or dog, or perhaps even for a squirrel or possum struck as it dashed across the road: whether glorious or haunting, these are among the most profound and meaningful moments in our lives. Agape Ethics focuses our attention on such moments with utter seriousness and argues they reveal a spiritual reality, the reality of agap ...
