If You Call Yourself a Jew reads Romans as a dialogue between Paul and a Gentile proselyte to Judaism. This fresh reading brings Romans into focus as Paul's exposition of the revelation of God's righteousness–his faithfulness to his covenant promises to Abraham, which climaxed in the announcement that «in you all the tribes of the earth will be blessed» (Gen 12:3). Paul insists that the righteousness of God is revealed, «for the Jew fi ...
These reflections, based on the seven last words of Jesus from the cross (including an Easter message) invite readers to contemplate the spiritual, theological, and biblical significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus. These meditations, which combine theological reflection, biblical interpretation, and spiritual application, provide Christians with a good resource for group study and personal growth in Christian discipleship during Lent ...
This diary is a fine-grained, often daily, theological reflection on the author's final ponderings on his ordeal with a serious illness, a concluding sabbatical, a last year of teaching, a culminating lecture, presiding at Eucharist, and summarial notes about «what God is doing in the world.» Amid all these meanderings it holds the lectionary of the biblical and liturgical calendar in one hand and the newspaper in the other (K. Barth). Even ...
The biblical book of Esther is the dark, yet marvelous, story of a Jewish girl deported with her uncle to the Persian Empire. They are in exile from Israel and from humanity, condemned to wander as nomads and strangers in a foreign land. Yet, almost in spite of herself, Esther becomes a queen, succeeding in saving her people from extermination. How hard it is when everything seems to be falling apart to stay true to one's identity! It migh ...
The centralization of the cult mandate in Deuteronomy has captivated scholars for over two centuries. Related to this mandate are five legislative themes–abrogation of idolatry, tithing, the Israelite festival calendar, judiciary officials, and the priesthood. Collectively, these themes are interwoven into the Deuteronomic social, political, and religious infrastructure. Interpreted through an exilic lens, this study examines the themes through ...
According to the Nicene Creed, Christ died for us and for our salvation. But while all Christians agree that Christ's death and resurrection has saving significance, there is little unanimity in how and why that is the case. In fact, Christian history is littered with various accounts of the redemptive value of Christ's death, and new models and motifs are constantly being proposed, many of which now stand in stark contrast to earlier ...
What is the meaning and significance of foreknowledge in the book of 1 Peter, and how does the concept relate to the circumstances of its first recipients? Himes attempts to answer these questions by examining the concepts of both foreknowledge and social identity within the first century and how they fit into the theology of 1 Peter. In the process of elaborating the concepts of foreknowledge and social identity, this study provides one ...
Do you desire to go deeper still in your understanding of the New Testament Scriptures? In Mirrors in Mark you will find a fresh and arresting approach to most of the New Testament, drawing on the mnemonic methods that were common to the ancient world and employed by writers of the Scriptures. Much of the fascination of Mark's Gospel–Mark receives particular attention in this book–lies in the use of catchwords and catch-phrases to stamp on ...
Based on linguistic and thematic links in the narrative, The Turning Point in the Gospel of Mark argues that the twin pericopae of Peter's confession (8:27-38) and the Transfiguration (9:2-13) together function as the turning point of the Gospel and serve in a Janus-like manner enabling the reader to see the author's main focus: the identity of Jesus and the significance of that reality for his disciples. Peter's confession of Jes ...
