"By them we have been carried away out of our own land, as into a Babylonian captivity, and despoiled of all our precious possessions." Martin Luther, 1520 "Their goal is our deracination, which is 'detachment from one's background (as from homeland, customs, traditions).' Thus women and other Elemental creatures on this planet are rendered homeless, cut off from knowledge of our Race's customs and tradition ...
"Most of the following essays reveal my interest in the significance of literary forms–both the short literary forms in the Gospels, such as pronouncement stories, and an entire Gospel as a formed narrative. I am interested in the significance of these forms, not just in literary classification systems . . . . I am interested in literary form as a clue to how the text may engage hearers and readers–impact their thought and life–if they are ...
Suicide, depression, eating disorders, and other mental health illnesses have dramatically increased among adolescents in recent decades. Our American culture demands high levels of success and propagates a «feel good» attitude that denies pain, loss, and failure. Churches contribute to these distressing realities among youth. Our theology associates «being happy» with «true faithfulness» to God, overemphasizing praise and thanksgiving while neg ...
It is easy to dismiss the Pharisees as Jesus' implacable adversaries, the hypocrites with whom he frequently debated and who even plotted his downfall. That picture, however, ignores other gospel passages that show Jesus on friendly terms with them. This study explores every New Testament reference to the Pharisees, paying special attention to Jesus' encounters with them, and offers a feasible resolution of the seeming discrepancies. U ...
Grace. Do we really comprehend the implications of that small, one-syllable word? Do we realize how much we have been graced? More importantly, do we understand how God intends us to use that grace throughout the world? Everyone, no matter their location, time of life, or economic circumstances, has been graced greatly by God, and that can be a difficult thing for us to grasp in our more-is-better American culture. We want to believe that we hav ...
In this fascinating spiritual-theological autobiography, Robert Rakestraw tells of his lifelong, unceasing search for God. After a troubled and unconventional childhood, he came to know the grace and freedom of God in a personal way during his college years. He then embarked on an unwavering intellectual and spiritual quest for truth and meaning in life. Without technical language, Rakestraw highlights significant developments and revisions in h ...
The prophet Jeremiah, mourning his people in the city of Zion, spoke of the balm that could heal them. He foresaw the physician and he asked, «Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?» The message of Jesus has been in North America for centuries, yet past history with the first nations of the land has left many native people thinking they have to choose either to be an Indian or to believe in Jesus. Jeremiah said, «The ...
This collection of essays is drawn from a series of previous collections to which the author has contributed that were designed to honor senior scholars in the discipline of Old Testament study. Each of these essays reflects a distinct intention depending on the nature of the original collection in which they appeared and the scholar who was being honored. Taken together, however, this collection amounts to an articulation of Brueggemann's ...
Most academic and therapeutic programs do not include spirituality and God as essential components of health and treatment. Dr. William Kraft gives God a principal place in the house of psychology. He shows how and why God experiences are paramount in helping us live a healthy and happy life. He describes and analyzes what are healthy and unhealthy experiences of God and how activities, including religion, can help and hinder our coming to God. ...
