Anderson's study of the Book of Daniel is a contribution to the International Theological Commentary whose goal is to bring the Old Testament alive in the worldwide church. In moving beyond the usual critical-historical approach to th Bible, the ITC offers a distinctive theological interpretation of the Hebrew text.

The ordination of women has been one of the most pressingand passionately debated - issues facing the church in recent years. In this volume, based on the prestigious 1995 Didsbury Lectures, R. T. France explores several important questions of biblical interpretation raised by the serious disagreements among Christians over the nature of women's ministry. France primarily focuses on the issues as they are manifest in evangelical circles, where appeal is made instinctively to the authority of Scripture. He challenges readers to think out what it means to claim that our theology and practice are "biblical". His insightful arguments help point the way beyond the impasse over the role and place of women in church ministry.

It is widely believed that contemporary science has ruled out divine action in the world. Arguing that theology can and must respond to this challenge, Philip Clayton surveys the available biblical and philosophical resources. Recent work in cosmology, quantum physics, and the brain sciences offers exciting new openings for a theology of divine action. If Christian theism is to make use of these opportunities, says Clayton, it must place a greater stress on divine immanence. In response to this challenge, Clayton defends the doctrine of panentheism, the view that the world is in some sense "within" God although God also transcends the world. God and Contemporary Science offers the first book-length defense of panentheism as a viable option within traditional Christian theology. Clayton first defends a "postfoundationalist" model of theology that is concerned more with the coherence of Christian belief than with rational obligation or proof. He makes the case that the Old and New Testament theologies do not stand opposed to panentheism but actually support it at a number of points. He then outlines the philosophical strengths of a panentheistic view of God's relation to the world and God's activity in the world. The remainder of the book applies this theological position to recent scientific developments: theories of the origin of the universe; quantum mechanics, or the physics of the very small; the debate about miracles; and neuroscientific theories of human thought.

In this book, the author discusses the reception of Paul in the modern day church, and argues that Paul and his gospel are the least understood parts of the New Testament in the church today. Beker examines the deutero-Pauline literature to reveal how the earliest churches received Paul's message. Refreshingly, Beker doesn't assume that the deutero-Pauline letters are a corruption of Paul's message. Rather, Beker's reconstruction reveals the ways Paul's gospel was adapted to the particular situations of the deutero-Pauline texts, and this becomes a model for the church today in receiving Paul afresh.

The question of interpretation is as old as language itself. In today's postmodern context, however, the task of hermeneutics has become frustratingly complex. This timely collection of essays by ten leading scholars explores the diversity of contemporary Christian hermeneutical theory and practice. The format of the book consists of a major essay and a response in each of four disciplines - philosophy, English, sociology, and theology - leading to differences in definition and practice, but with the common framework of a Christian perspective. In their insightful handling of the most challenging contemporary issues and literature on interpretive theory, the authors seek to negotiate the narrow straits between absolute certainty and interpretive license. And as they chart the turbulent waters of the postmodern world, they serve as savvy guides to assist us in our difficult passage to the truth.

Kathleen Farmer's work on the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes constitute a single volume in the International Theological Commentary, a series whose goal is to bring the Old Testament alive in the worldwide church. In moving behyond the usual critical-historical approach to the bible, the ITC offers a distinctive theological interpretation of the Hebrew text.

As the most forceful biblical proponent of the ideals of justice, loyalty, and kindness, Micah holds special appeal for those who are concerned about the powerlessness of the poor and humble.

Revelation is the study of how, when, and where God reveals himself and of what is disclosed. This book is an excellent introduction to revelation that brings its subject into the theological inquiry of the next century. In discussing the major themes of the narrative of revelation, Gabriel Fackre provides an overview of the traditional models of revelation, introducing readers to the work of such twentieth-century giants as Barth, Tillich, Rahner, and Henry. He also provides dialogue with other formative figures, such as Pannenberg, Dulles, Berkouwer, Torrance, and Lindbeck. By focusing on Scripture, while also making reference to the core secondary literature, Fackre leads readers through the key concepts involved in the construction of a biblically centered doctrine of revelation.

In keeping with the international character of the series, Hamlin's commentary on Joshua pays more than usual attention to the fulfillment of the third part of God's promise to Abraham.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.""--2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV) Everyone who studies and teaches the Bible has a responsibility to accurately interpret and communicate God's message. Understanding the principles of sound interpretation, therefore, is of vital importance. Pastors, Bible teachers, and anyone who studies the Scriptures will appreciate the helpful guidance of this collection of scholarship. Rightly Divided" brings together the insights of twenty-one experienced Bible scholars in the field of hermeneutics, providing a basic overview of hermeneutics and also addressing specific issues of interpretation. Included are chapters by: Darrell L. Bock--"Evangelicals and the Use of the Old Testament in the New" G. B. Caird--"Ambiguity in the Bible" Norman Geisler--"The Relation of Purpose and Meaning in Interpreting Scripture" Walter C. Kaiser Jr.--"Issues in Contemporary Hermeneutics" I. Howard Marshall--"The Holy Spirit and the Interpretation of Scripture" J. Robertson McQuilken--"Identifying the Audience God Intended" Bernard Ramm--"The Devotional and Practical Use of the Bible" Roy B. Zuck--"The What and Why of Bible Interpretation"

It is a common belief that Paul's letters are not stories but rather theological ideas and practical advice. Ben Witherington III thinks otherwise. He is convinced that all of Paul's ideas, arguments, practical advice, and social arrangements are ultimately grounded in stories, some found in the Hebrew Scriptures and some found in the oral tradition.

Did a volcano part the Red Sea? Have scientists found Eve? Was the pharaoh of the Oppression a woman? Did the Jordan River really cease flowing the day Jericho fell?

A brilliant author, scientist, and adventurer who has been called "the real Indiana Jones," Dr. Charles Pellegrino takes us on a remarkable journey from the Nile to the Tigris-Euphrates rivers -- crossing time, legend, and ancient lands to explore the unsolved mysteries of the Old Testament. Return to Sodom and Gomorrah is an epic saga of discovery that interweaves science, history, and suspense --the first book ever to bring archaeologists, scientists and theologians together to examine the same evidence. In this enthralling revelatory adventure, Pellegrino introduces us to dedicated pioneers like Benjamin Mazar, Leonard Woolley, and T. E. Lawrence, who retraced the steps of Moses to demystify the Exodus and the Flood. In the process, he enables us to view ancient relics in an extraordinary new light -- as both fascinating windows on the past and vivid signposts to the future.

In this first volume of a trilogy, Daniel J. Elazar addresses political uses of the idea of covenant, the tradition that has adhered to that idea, and the political arrangements that flow from it,

Among the topics covered are covenant as a political concept, the Bible as a political commentary, the post-biblical tradition, medieval covenant theory, and Jewish political culture.

"We would be naive to think that we can hear these narratives with the same clarity that the first hearers did. An equal naivete, however, would be to suggest that we have no access to their situation, or that it is irrelevant to know how the texts originally functioned. One way to proceed is to juxtapose narratives with issues faced by the people of God in the context to which the narratives were addressed. To lay contextual issues alongside narrative should enable illumination of the text, and give breadth and depth to the results of one's interpretation. This approach has the advantage of avoiding an abstract concern about what the author might have 'intended.' Rather, in the juxtaposition of context and text, we are concerned about what issues faced by the audience might have been addressed."

"Although the Word of God is always addressed to a particular situation, the insights gained through hearing it will assist in the hearing of a Word in the contemporary situation." (excerpts from the Introduction, by Terence E. Fretheim)

"Disinheriting the Jews" is a scholarly work of great interest and significance for both Christians and Jews. Jeffery Siker shows how strongly the figure of Abraham has shaped our religious identities. He also uses the portrayals of Abraham by early Christians as a new means of understanding the dynamics involved in the church's separation and estrangement from Judaism. Siker argues that the separation was precipitated by historical contingencies more so than by Christian identity, and in so doing suggests self-corrections that could mend the rift between Christianity and Judaism.

From the earliest days of Israel's existence as a people, holy war was a sacred institution, undertaken as a cultic act of a religious community. The concept of holy war, an intriguing and sometimes disturbing theme in the Old Testament, is given its most articulate expression in this classic study by the distinguished German scholar Gerhard von Rad. For Israel, the most important feature of holy war was the demand for faith in Yahweh's saving acts. However, von Rad argues, it was not Yahweh alone who acted; rather, because they envisioned Yahweh fighting on their behalf the Israelites themselves were inspired - and obliged - to fight even harder. In this regard, the actual events differed vastly from the picture given by the biblical narratives, which downplay and often exclude the human factor and stress the exclusive warlike action of Yahweh, thus equating holy war with absolute miracle.

This is part of a series of modern commentaries based on new English translations made by their respective editors.
While adhering strictly to sound scholarship and doctrine, they intend, above all, to bring out the theological and religious message of the New Testament to the contemporary Church.