This new, authoritative commentary on the Gospel of Luke by John T. Carroll epitomizes the New Testament Library series. Combining scholarly rigor and theological insight, Carroll not only focuses on the Gospel text but also makes frequent reference to Luke's second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, to show how the two writings work together to present a full picture of the life of Christ and the work of the apostles. In addition, Carroll includes several illuminating notions about special topics in Luke's Gospel: a comparison of the birth announcements to Mary and Zechariah, an examination of the role of women, a discussion of wealth and poverty, and insights on the reign of God and the Roman Empire.

Los Salmos es tal vez la seccion mas utilizada de toda la Biblia. Buscan toda el rango de la experiencia humana en un metodo personal y practico. El estudio de los Salmos fortalecera un espiritu cristiano tremendamente y bendra a ser una bendicion para otros.

Lo sobrenatural se encuentra fuera de los limites del universo fisico o del sistema natural de la causalidad. Esta compilacion es un constructor de la fe y nos recuerda los acontecimientos sobrenaturales, realizados por Dios Todopoderoso.

Con????zca su Biblia, developed in partnership with the Asociaci????n para la Educaci????n Teol????gica Hispana and the Division for Congregational Ministries of the ELCA, is a unique new Bible series written in Spanish by leading Hispanic theologians and Bible educators. The series includes general volumes about the Bible, as well as volumes about specific books or groups of related books. Written by knowledgeable scholars who avoid using unnecessary technical terms or an abundance of footnotes, the books are written at a high school reading level and address lay adults and beginning students. Scripture texts are from the two most commonly used Bibles in the Spanish-speaking world: the Reina-Valera Revisada and the Version Popular (Good News).

Con????zca su Biblia, developed in partnership with the Asociaci????n para la Educaci????n Teol????gica Hispana and the Division for Congregational Ministries of the ELCA, is a unique new Bible series written in Spanish by leading Hispanic theologians and Bible educators. The series includes general volumes about the Bible, as well as volumes about specific books or groups of related books. Written by knowledgeable scholars who avoid using unnecessary technical terms or an abundance of footnotes, the books are written at a high school reading level and address lay adults and beginning students. Scripture texts are from the two most commonly used Bibles in the Spanish-speaking world: the Reina-Valera Revisada and the Version Popular (Good News).

Ruth (Volume 7 in the Anchor Bible Commentary series), a tale of human kindness and just dealing far beyond the norm, contains elements that for centuries have been the subject of debate. With a sprightly translation and a commentary rich in informed speculation, Professor Campbell considers the questions of layman and scholar alike. Finding no overt mighty acts, the layman asks, "Why was Ruth included in the Bible at all? Where is God?" Professor Campbell shows that God is not only present throughout but is indeed the moving force behind all the developments of the story. Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz each act as God to each other, by taking extraordinary responsibility and performing extraordinary acts of kindness. And it is God who is responsible for the series of coincidences on which the plot hinges. The scholar's questions deal with such matters as purpose, date, and genre. Professor Campbell's research into ancient customs and linguistics suggests to him that Ruth is a historical novelette, entertaining and instructive, composed not long after the reign of King David, during the time of Solomon or within the subsequent century. Professor Campbell demonstrates the storyteller's skill with sensitive analysis of form, pacing, and wordplay. By delving into word origins and nuances he shows how convincingly the characters are developed. One instance: Naomi and Boaz use obsolescent language, emphasizing the generation gap between them and Ruth. In addition, the illustrations help the reader understand unfamiliar elements of the story-the setting, the agricultural seasons and harvesting, the clothing of the times, the city gate where elders and interested villagers gather to make sure that all is done in a just and godly way.

Lawgiver and liberator. Seer and prophet. The only human permitted to converse with God "face-to-face." Moses is the most commanding presence in the Old Testament. Yet as Jonathan Kirsch shows in this brilliant, stunningly original volume, Moses was also an enigmatic and mysterious figure--at once a good shepherd and a ruthless warrior, a spiritual leader and a magician, a lawgiver who broke his own laws, God's chosen friend and hounded victim. Now, in Moses: A Life, Kirsch accomplishes the wondrous feat of revealing the real Moses, a strikingly modern figure who steps out from behind the facade of Sunday school lessons and movie matinees.

Drawing on the biblical text and a treasury of both scholarship and storytelling, Kirsch examines all that is known and all that has been imagined of Moses. In these vivid pages, we see the marvels and mysteries of Moses's life in a new light--his rescue in infancy and adoption by an Egyptian princess; his reluctant assumption of the role of liberator; his struggles to wrest his people from the pharaoh's dominion; his desperate vigil on Mount Sinai. Here too is the darker, more ominous Moses--the sorcerer, the husband of a pagan woman, the military commander who cold-bloodedly ordered the slaying of innocent people; the beloved of God whom God sought twice to murder.

Jonathan Kirsch brings both prodigious knowledge and a keen imagination to one of the most compelling stories of the Bible, and the results are fascinating. A figure of mystery, passion, and contradiction, Moses emerges from this book very much a hero for our time.


From the Hardcover edition.

The Bible, undoubtedly the most widely read book of the Western world, has outsold every other book in the history of publishing. Despite its popularity and cultural importance as the foundation of Christianity and Judaism, few people have more than superficial knowledge of the actual contents of the Scriptures. In What is the Bible? Carl Lofmark clearly and succinctly synopsizes the basics of biblical scholarship and criticism. Designed for the reader with little or no prior knowledge of the subject, Lofmark's approachable, well-organized presentation cuts through the complexities of biblical exegesis and rationalist critiques, and outlines the basic structure, history, and inherent theological controversies of the Bible. The first half of Lofmark's discussion summarizes the essential facts of biblical scholarship: how and when the various books of the Bible were compiled, a brief history of scriptural translations, the evolving understanding of the Bible's original languages, and how the various editions we know today were developed and codified across two millennia. The second half delves into major critiques of the Bible as an authoritative guide for living: its self-contradictions, its mixture of fact and fiction, the questionable and even deplorable morality of many biblical passages, the intellectual difficulties of literal or symbolic interpretation, and its inadequacy as a foundation for modern ethics. As an introduction to an important and often controversial subject, What is the Bible? will be useful to believers and skeptics alike.

Gerald Larue, an eminent biblical scholar, examines the many dimensions of marriage and sexual activity recorded in the Bible and other ancient religious texts and the effect of these documents on our present culture. Professor Larue brilliantly analyses Bible passages, utilising the methods and insights from literary, historical, and cultural studies. At times, these biblical passages are set in the larger framework of the ancient Near East and references are made to the belief systems of surrounding nations. At other times, the focus is on Hebrew, Jewish and Christian communities only. The primary emphasis is on the time period extending from about 1100 Before the Common Era (B.C.E.) to about 150 of the Common Era (C.E.), the years in which the biblical materials were recorded. There is also a lengthy discussion of the connection between biblical writings and our present understanding of human sexuality.

This inspiring and practical book has three parts. Part 1 explores how Jesus came to grips with the shame and humiliation he faced in his own life and how we can imitate his manner of handling shame. Part 2 focuses on how Jesus dealt with the shame that others brought to him and the implications this has for how we can overcome shame by internalizing and reenacting Jesus' stories in our lives. Part 3 explores the parables of Jesus and their implications for helping us live lives grounded in nonshame-based values.

Conrad Hyers offers a welcome respite from the counter-productive effects of extremism that surround the creation issue. Focusing on the creation texts from the book of Genesis, Hyers interprets the biblical account in light of its relationship to its culture, context, and purpose.

Wrestling with Angels

For over twenty years, psychotherapist, lecturer, and Bible teacher Naomi H. Rosenblatt has been leading some of the nation's best and brightest minds through the Bible, from Wall Street boardrooms to weekly sessions in the U.S. Congress, in what William Safire has called "the best Bible class for the layman." Drawing upon insights into human nature gleaned from decades of private practice and a lifelong study of the Bible, she sifts through the Bible's epic stories, filled with vivid characters in dramatic circumstances, to show how the lessons of their lives empower us today as parents, spouses, businesspeople, citizens, and lovers.

In Wrestling with Angels, she and her co-author Joshua Horwitz retell and interpret the multigenerational saga of the first family of the Bible, showing how their all-too-human struggles are decidedly relevant to the issues confronting us today.

The Bible? Relevant today? Many readers will be surprised by how truly relevant the Book of Genesis is. It discusses, among other things, the first recorded case of sexual harassment; surrogate parenting and the problems it raises; siblings battling over the love of a parent; rape and its consequences; and vigilante justice. The issues faced by Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, and their descendants are remarkably similar to those that arise in all of our lives, including:
The  strenuous demands of adulthood
The challenges of faith
The joys of sexuality
The nature of leadership and heroism
The responsibilities of parenting
The role of values in building character
The empowerment of a spiritual identity

In this extraordinary book of timeless and profound wisdom, Naomi Rosenblatt invites both Christians and Jews to revisit our common spiritual heritage: "For the humanist, the religious, the agnostic, or the merely inquisitive, Wrestling with Angels is an open invitation to probe the mystery, the miracle, and the drama of adult life in an imperfect world."

A book to be read again and again, Wrestling with Angels is a poignant and pragmatic guide to the bestselling self-help book of all time.

Professor Gerard Moore's monograph is the first sustained research on the renewal of liturgical books and, in particular, the Roman Missal. These prayers and the debates over the revision and translation merit scholarly attention of students of the Ecclesia and its workings.