A comprehensive, two-volume reassessment of the quests for the historical Jesus that details their origins and underlying presuppositions as well as their ongoing influence on today's biblical and theological scholarship. Jesus' life and teaching is important to every question we ask about what we believe and why we believe it. And yet there has never been common agreement about his identity, intentions, or teachings-even among first-century historians and scholars. Throughout history, different religious and philosophical traditions have attempted to claim Jesus and paint him in the cultural narratives of their heritage, creating a labyrinth of conflicting ideas. From the evolution of orthodoxy and quests before Albert Schweitzer's famous "Old Quest," to today's ongoing questions about criteria, methods, and sources, A History of the Quests for the Historical Jesus not only chronicles the developments but lays the groundwork for the way forward. The late Colin Brown brings his scholarly prowess in both theology and biblical studies to bear on the subject, assessing not only the historical and exegetical nuts and bolts of the debate about Jesus of Nazareth but also its philosophical, sociological, and theological underpinnings. Instead of seeking a bedrock of "facts," Brown stresses the role of hermeneutics in formulating questions and seeking answers. Colin Brown was almost finished with the manuscript at the time of his passing in 2019. Brought to its final form by Craig A. Evans, this book promises to become the definitive history and assessment of the quests for the historical Jesus. Volume One covers the period from the beginnings of Christianity to the end of World War II. Volume Two covers the period from the post-War era through contemporary debates.

"What are Christians to make of their mission in an pluralistic world?" asks Paul F. Knitter, author of the landmark work in interfaith dialogue No Other Name? As a recognized scholar and participant in interfaith dialogue, Knitter is in a unique position to explore the key concept of what Christian mission must entail in a world that will remain a world of many religious faiths for the foreseeable future. From the first chapter of Jesus and the Other Names, which recounts his own theological and dialogical odyssey, Knitter constructs what he calls a "correlational, globally-responsible theology of religions" as a necessary correction to traditional pluralist and exclusivist approaches. By anticipating and addressing his critics - both conservative and liberal - Knitter makes a powerful argument for a reconstruction of mission faithful to the Christian imperative and dynamically attuned to the plurality of the world. Jesus and the Other Names will give pause to those who believe Christian mission can be carried on as it was in the modern era. Sure to inspire debate as well as dialogue it offers a more humble, but perhaps more "Christic", postmodern approach to mission in the new millennium that has little to do with earthly glory and nothing to do with the sense of cultural superiority that has so often - and often so tragicallyaccompanied modern missionary movements. Theologians, missiologists, Christian historians, can all benefit from its thoughtful and timely message.

Two thousand years ago the Lady Mary, the sacred 'Rose in the Heart', made pilgrimage to the mystical British Isles, with the boy Jesus, Naomi her daughter and Joseph of Arimathea. Her Holy Mission as designated by the Masters, was to reactivate the Cosmic Light at ancient Druidic sites, some which held an Atlantean Temple in the Etheric Realm. As 'instructed' by Mary and with Divine guidance, Caroline Harris has followed in her footsteps, travelling through ancient Dummonia - Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, performing sacred Ceremonies to revitalize that Light, and earth the ancient Temples. Intuitively received inspirational messages for the Aquarian Age, are offered from the Masters, Angelic Messengers and those from the Devic Kingdom. Among many subjects explored are: Britain - the New Jerusalem; Atlantis, Hyperborea and Lyonesse; the Ancient Wisdom; the Immaculate Conception; did Jesus die on the Cross?; the Lost Goddess; the Holy Grail; Celtic Christianity; Arthurian Tales; the Crystalline Grid; Ley Lines; Reincarnation; Unicorns; the Essenes; the Egyptian Mysteries; Aboriginal Wisdom, Thought Travel, plus Visions of Glastonbury. You will find this fascinating story, absorbing, enlightening and thought provoking, whatever your persuasion, and it will be of special interest to the dedicated Pilgrim and Light Worker.

This ninth volume in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible offers a theological exegesis of Numbers. This commentary, like each in the series, is designed to serve the church--through aid in preaching, teaching, study groups, and so forth--and demonstrate the continuing intellectual and practical viability of theological interpretation of the Bible. "The Brazos Theological Commentary exists to provide an accessible authority so that the preacher's application will be a ready bandage for all the hurts of life. The Brazos Commentary offers just the right level of light to make illuminating the word the joy it was meant to be."--Calvin Miller, author of A Hunger for the Holy and Loving God Up Close

Meister Eckhart, the fourteenth-century German mystic and theologian, is one of the most enigmatic and controversial figures in the history of the Church, and few have played so diverse and fertile a role in the cultural imagination. He has been seen as both heretic and 'the man from whom God nothing hid'; Christian mystic and Buddhist sage; Catholic and Protestant; feminist and ecologist; he is both medieval schoolman and inspirer of contemporary philosophers such as Heidegger, Bloch and Derrida. Oliver Davies's masterly evaluation of Eckhart is based on an unrivalled knowledge of the original texts, their historical and theological context, and their place in the Christian mystical tradition. The portrait of St Dominic on the cover (of the book) illustrates one of Davies's main themes: Eckhart's position in the mainstream Dominican tradition of grounding theology in spiritual experience. Both a stimulating scholarly study and an ideal introduction for the non-specialist, Meister Eckhart: Mystical Theologian explores the enduring fascination of Meister Eckhart, 'a mystic for our age'.

Traditional views of the atonement tend to be reductive, focusing solely on Jesus's death on the cross. In his 2011 groundbreaking book Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews, David Moffitt challenged that paradigm, showing how the atonement is a fuller process. It involves not only Jesus's death but also his resurrection, ascension, offering, and exaltation. In the succeeding years, Moffitt has continued to expand and clarify his thinking on this issue. This book offers a more fulsome articulation of his work on the atonement that reflects his recent thinking on the topic. Moffitt continues to challenge reductive views of the atonement, primarily from the book of Hebrews, but he engages other New Testament passages as well. He offers fresh insights on sacrifice and atonement, the importance of resurrection and ascension, Jesus's role as priest, and a new perspective on Hebrews. This important book brings Moffitt's award-winning and influential scholarship to a broader audience. The book includes a foreword by N. T. Wright.

Arguably the most respected Catholic systematic theologian in the English-speaking world, David Tracy's growing influence internationally and on persons of other Christian traditions and his ability to communicate with representatives of the secular academy stem from the unique quality of his voice. Still, Tracy's views on Catholicism, the mission of the church, and how plurality of worldviews and hermeneutics affect the church mission are largely unknown. Containing both new material and articles written over the past decade for Concilium, the international journal of progressive Catholic theology, these essays reveal dimensions of Tracy's thought on these topics foreshadowed in his books and philosophical theological reflections. In addition, On Naming the Present shows the best of the spirit of Concilium and its project of fostering a critical and prophetic yet world-welcoming Christian future rooted in a troubled present.

Augustine knows by faith that God is a trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he is seeking as far as possible to understand what he believes. In the first seven books Augustine begins by searching the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments for clues to understanding, and then argues in the language of philosophy and logic to defend the orthodox statement of the doctrine against the Arians. In the last eight books Augustine seeks to understand the mystery of the divine Trinity by observing an analogous trinity in the image of God, which is the human mind; and in so doing he also suggests a programme for the serious Christian of spiritual self-discovery and renewal. The Second Edition now features convenient footnotes rather than the previously used endnotes.

Essential Expositions of the Psalms is a collection distilled from the 6-volume set in the Works of Saint Augustine. As the psalms are a microcosm of the Old Testament, so the Expositions of the Psalms can be seen as a microcosm of Augustinian thought. In the Book of Psalms are to be found the history of the people of Israel, the theology and spirituality of the Old Covenant, and a treasury of human experience expressed in prayer and poetry. So too does the work of expounding the psalms recapitulate and focus the experiences of Augustine's personal life, his theological reflections and his pastoral concerns as Bishop of Hippo.

In this volume, an attempt is undertaken to highlight the genesis, progress, and transformation of the Asian contextual theology of minjung, introducing its historical point of departure, its development, and its transformation in light of younger Korean and Korean American scholars' endeavors. In this regard, the new Asian contextual theology, which is emerging, strives to integrate both minjung and the wisdom of World Religions into its own framework and direction, assuming the character of a public theology and remaining humble and open before God's mystery, while featuring its association with minjung in a holistic way.

This book sets out to change the starting point for theological conversation about the work of the Holy Spirit. Protestant theologians have associated the Spirit's work almost entirely with believers and/or the church. The Spirit's role is to apply Christ's atoning work to God's people. In contrast, early Christian reflection saw the Spirit's main role as bringing about the eschatological rule of God, which reaches beyond individuals or even the church and extends to all creation. This volume explores the shape pneumatology takes when we develop the theology of the Holy Spirit within an eschatological framework that has a universal scope and an unlimited history. When we do so, we find that pneumatology deriving from questions about what the Spirit does for us needs to give way to pneumatology that derives from questions about how the Spirit can draw us into the saving history of the triune God.

What happens when authority is abused?Imagine our nation without police officersImagine our lives without the protection of the badge.Imagine traveling without stop signs, traffic signals, and roadside warnings.Imagine no violations, no punishments--a grade school playground without rules, a government without leaders...You might as well imagine the earth without gravity, because without authority, there would be chaos.But what happens when authority is misused? Or worse, what happens when spiritual abuse is written off as "authority"?As surely as the absence of authority produces chaos, the abuse of authority produces destruction. Countless people have fallen victim to the manipulation of power and authority. Lives have been warped forever, marriages have been destroyed, women and children have been abused, and husbands and fathers undermined within the boundaries of their home. Also, tragically, it's inside the church--where salvation, healing, freedom, and love should abound--that some of the worst authority abuse takes place. God's design for authority has been misunderstood, twisted, and manipulated, leaving innocent people as victims and prisoners of controlling, abusive situations. The wounded and weak have been preyed upon, and the guilty have been frightened into submission by leaders who use people to improve their own self-esteem or advance their careers.Wake up!!! This is not God's design for the church--or authority.In this book, Bishop George Bloomer discusses: Gods true design for authorityWhy people abuse authorityThe effects of authority abuse in the homeHow to recognize an authority abuserGod's restoration plan for the abused and the abuserAndThe key to breaking freefrom the bondage of spiritual abuse.

Packed with striking theological insight and spiritual encouragement

Southwestern Journal of Theology 2022 Book of the Year Award (Honorable Mention, Theological Studies) This introduction traces the origins, development, and divergent streams of atonement theology throughout the Christian tradition and proposes key criteria by which we can assess their value. The authors introduce essential biblical terms, texts, and concepts of atonement; identify significant historical figures, texts, and topics; and show how various atonement paradigms are expressed in their respective church traditions. The book also surveys current "hot topics" in evangelical atonement theology and evaluates strengths and weaknesses of competing understandings of atonement.

Raise Them to Value God's Design Starting at a young age, kids are being fed damaging misinformation about sexuality, gender identity, and human biology. As a parent, it's up to you to help your children understand God's truth about these integral concepts in the face of the candy-coated lies that saturate today's world. In the footsteps of the bestselling Mama Bear Apologetics comes this invaluable guide to training your kids to know and respect God's design in a world that has rejected it. This book will equip you to... understand God's design for gender, sex, marriage, and family as a beautiful portrait that reveals the nature of God Himself identify the tactics being used to trick children into adopting an unbiblical view of sexuality under the guise of Christian-sounding words like love, identity, tolerance, and justice teach your kids to treat those who hold different beliefs with gentle, Christlike compassion without compromising biblical values As society continues to blur the lines of what is good, true, and acceptable, God's standards remain clear and unchanging. This book will give you the wisdom to confidently raise your children to understand sex and gender through a biblical lens.

"God Crucified" and Other Essays on the New Testament's Christology of Divine Identity The basic thesis of this important book on New Testament Christology, sketched in the first essay 'God Crucified, is that the worship of Jesus as God was seen by the early Christians as compatible with their Jewish monotheism. Jesus was thought to participate in the divine identity of the one God of Israel. The other chapters provide more detailed support for, and an expansion of, this basic thesis. Readers will find not only the full text of Bauckham's classic book God Crucified, but also groundbreaking essays, some of which have never been published previously

A Concise, One-Volume Guide to Spirit-Empowered Theology Many Spirit-filled believers, even those intimately familiar with Scripture, sometimes struggle to express theology in clear terms. Charles Carrin, esteemed Spirit-empowered evangelist and scholar, can help. In this one-volume reference, he explores the core areas of theology--including the Bible, God, creation, sin, salvation, church, last things--from a Spirit-empowered viewpoint. He also specifically addresses key topics for charismatic and Pentecostal believers, including * baptism of the Holy Spirit * functions of the spiritual gifts, including the controversial gift of tongues * healing and deliverance ministry * angels, demons, and the supernatural miracles of God * God's plan for Israel This comprehensive work by a respected Spirit-filled pastor will help you grow in understanding about what you believe--and confidence about why.

Jesus' impact on our world is highly unlikely, widely inescapable, largely unknown, and decidedly double-edged.

It is unlikely in light of the severe limitations of his earthly life; it is inescapable because of the range of impact; it is unknown because history doesn't connect dots; and it is doubled-edged because his followers have wreaked so much havoc, often in his name. He is history's most familiar figure, yet he is the man no one knows. His impact on the world is immense and non-accidental.

From the Dark Ages to Post-Modernity he is the Man who won't go away. And yet . . .you can miss him in historical lists for many reasons, maybe the most obvious being the way he lived his life. He did not loudly and demonstrably defend his movement in the spirit of a rising political or military leader. He did not lay out a case that history would judge his brand of belief superior in all future books.

His life and teaching simply drew people to follow him. He made history by starting in a humble place, in a spirit of love and acceptance, and allowing each person space to respond. His vision of life continues to haunt and challenge humanity. His influence has swept over history bringing inspiration to what has happened in art, science, government, medicine, and education; he has taught humans about dignity, compassion, forgiveness, and hope.

Up until the second half of the 20th century, the American Presbyterian creed has been the confessional tradition of the Westminster Assembly (1643-48). Presbyterians in America adopted the Westminster Confession nd Catechisms in 1729 through a compromise measure that produced ongoing debate for the next hundred years. Differences over the meaning of confessional subscription were a continuing cause of the Presbyterian schisms of 1741 and 1837. The Presbyterian Creed is a study of the factors that led to the 19th-century Old School/New School schism and the Presbyterian reunions of 1864 and 1870. In these American Presbyterian reunions, American Presbyterians finally reached consensus on the meaning of confessional subscription which had previously been so elusive.

Most Christians already know that they should be telling their friends about Jesus. But they have been poorly equipped with methods that are no longer effective in today's post-Christian world. As a result, many people become frustrated, blame themselves, and simply give up. Evangelism in a Skeptical World is a textbook on evangelism that is ideal for the church or the classroom to equip Christians with the principles and skills they need to tell the unbelievable news about Jesus to friends in a skeptical world. Many of the older principles and methods of evangelism in the twentieth century no longer work effectively today. In a post-Christian, post-churched, post-reached world we need new methods to communicate the timeless message of the gospel in culturally relevant ways. Dr. Chan combines the theological and biblical insights of classic evangelistic training with the latest insights from missiology on contextualization, cultural hermeneutics, and storytelling. Every chapter is illustrated with real-world examples drawn from over fifteen years of evangelistic ministry. These are methods that really work - with university students, urban workers, and high school students - getting past the defensive posture that people have toward Christianity so they can seriously consider the claims of Jesus Christ. Field-tested and filled with unique, fresh, and creative insights, this book will equip you to share the gospel in today's world and help as many people as possible hear the good news about Jesus.

Representing over 20 countries and numerous Wesleyan denominations, the Global Wesleyan Dictionary of Theology is a collaborative achievement of more than 100 Wesleyan scholars. Its global and denominational diversity is reflected in more than 360 articles encompassing a broad range of topics. Designed for clergy, laypersons, university students, and church teachers, this work is arranged for ease in cross-referencing and to assist in further study.From aesthetics to Zionism this dictionary provides definitions of major theological themes and, as appropriate, a Wesleyan assessment of each. It contains a comprehensive statement of Wesleyan theology and tradition, as set within the broader framework of classical Christian faith and practice. An outstanding resource, this book mirrors the global character of the church, highlighting throughout its wide-ranging coverage the theme of the church in mission.ReviewsI recommend this book for teachers and learners alike, whether one is a follower of the Methodist way or a curious interlocutor.-Amy Laura Hall, Associate Professor, Duke UniversityThis remarkable book will compel many thoughtful readers throughout the world to look afresh at their own understanding of ministry and spirituality. The book has both insight and foresight.-Beauty R. Maenzanise, Dean, Faculty of Theology, Africa University

Today, hell is a front-burner topic, thanks to media attention stirred by megapastors Rob Bell, Francis Chan, and others. But, between the extremes of universal salvation and everlasting torment, there shines a third view, known as annihilationism or conditional immortality, claiming the most biblical support of all.

Now the man whose 500-page book, The Fire That Consumes, helped ignite the scholarly debate thirty years ago brings this exciting alternative viewpoint to the everyday reader in simple form. And the story behind the book is now the subject of a feature film, "Hell and Mr. Fudge," due to release

in theaters in 2012 (and starring Mackenzie Astin and Keri Lynn Pratt; see www.hellandmrfudge.com).