The result of over thirty years of research and lecturing, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes is a ground-breaking study of Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians. Bailey examines this canonical letter through the lenses of Paul's Jewish socio-cultural and rhetorical background and the Mediterranean context of the Corinthian recipients. In a set of connected essays, he draws the reader's attention to the letter's rootedness in the Hebrew prophetic tradition, the intentional theological structure of Paul's epistolary organization and the Near Eastern cultural practices that inflect Paul's rhetorical performance. All of this is brought to bear in teasing out the nature of Paul's response to the critical situations facing the Corinthian community: racial, ethnic and theological divisions, sexual misconduct, intimate interaction with pagan practices and disputes about church practices.

This NIV Journalling Bible, with a cover inspired by the Japanese ceramic art form, kintsugi, is a beautifully presented Bible for you to treasure. The New International Version of the Scriptures is printed in clear, easy-to-read 9PT British Text on thicker than usual Bible paper, with a five centimetre blank margin on every page, giving you lots of extra room for notes, reflections, illustrations or Bible studies. A 32-page concordance can be found at the back. The Bible text is interspersed with 32 pages introducing the art of verse-mapping. This Bible study method encourages you to prayerfully choose a verse, compare it with other translations, study the context, including the history and characters mentioned, and then reflect and allow the Spirit to guide you in application. There are also verses to colour in, with lots of space around them for you to add your own illustrations, and many other pages with creative prompts for Bible journalling.

Worldview Religious Studies brings the study of religion, spirituality, secularism, and other mixed attitudes of life under the overarching scheme of worldview studies. This book introduces and defines worldviews more generally before establishing a framework specific to religious studies. The drive for meaning-making is explored through ritual-symbolic activities, ideas of ‘play’, and the power of emotions to transform simple ideas into values and beliefs that frame identity and signpost destiny. Identity and its sacralisation are discussed alongside gift/reciprocity theory in their relation to ideas of merit, karma, and salvation in Eastern and Western traditions. This theoretical background is used to introduce a new classification of worldviews - natural, scientific, ancestral, karmic, prophetic-sectarian, mystical, and ideological. Organised thematically by chapter, this book brings together familiar and unfamiliar authors, theories, and sources to challenge students and teachers of Religious Studies, Theology, and Ethics. It introduces worldview religious studies as a framework through which to re-think human endeavours to identify, cope and even transcend life’s flaws and perils.

'I'd always known that I was Brown. Black was different though; it came announced. Black came with expectations, of rhythm and other things that might trip me up.' Imani is a foundling. Rescued as a baby and raised by nuns on a remote Northumbrian island, she grows up with an ever-increasing feeling of displacement. Full of questions, Imani turns to her shadow, Amarie, and her friend, Harold. When Harold can't find the answers, she puts it down to what the nuns call her "greater purpose". At nineteen, Imani answers a phone call that will change her life: she is being called to Accra after the sudden death of her biological mother. Past, present, faith and reality are spun together in this enthralling debut. Following her transition from innocence to understanding, Imani's experience illuminates the stories we all tell to make ourselves whole.

A WORKBOOK to Help You Learn the Essentials of Biblical Hebrew So You Can Study the Old Testament More Deeply Hebrew for the Rest of Us Workbook by Lee M Fields is a companion workbook to Hebrew for the Rest of Us, Second Edition that includes essential exercises for improving facility with understanding the Hebrew text for deeper Bible study. Strategic questions and exercises are provided for each of the twenty-one chapters in the accompanying textbook. The exercises are designed for self-learners as well as teacher-led classes (both in-person and online) with easily gradable formats. Examples for each exercise are given to guide students in how to complete the exercises. Examples are drawn from both narrative and poetic passages. Numerous review exercises are provided. Hebrew for the Rest of Us, Second Edition by Lee M. Fields is a guide for English-only readers to understand the language of the Old Testament in order to deepen their approach and understanding of Scripture. Fields highlights essential Hebrew grammar by drawing on parallels to English grammar and then moves the reader toward developing necessary skills and knowledge of the language so as to utilize the great number of Bible study materials available. Readers using the Hebrew for the Rest of Us Workbook in conjunction with Hebrew for the Rest of Us, Second Edition will learn: Why translations differ How to do careful Hebrew word studies How to engage in the basics of Hebrew exegesis How to read more advanced Old Testament commentaries with greater understanding The Hebrew for the Rest Us Workbook will enhance your learning experience with exercises to help you practice and reinforce the concepts you are learning in Hebrew for the Rest of Us, Second Edition.

The very first full-text Readers editions of the Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB) – a Bible for study and proclamation. The text of the Revised New Jerusalem Bible and the accompanying footnotes have been granted the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, declaring that they are considered to be free from doctrinal or moral error. This exciting new text presents anew the scholarship, character and clarity of the 1966 Jerusalem Bible (the first modern English version) and the 1985 New Jerusalem Bible. The RNJB prioritises accuracy of translation and richness of tone, capturing the rigour and poetry of the original JB for new generations. This volume contains the entire biblical text with introductions by Revd Henry Wansbrough OSB to every book. Other features include - • A clear, easy-to-read typeface and original setting. • Prose-dominant books are set in two-column format; poetry dominant books are set in single format. • Formal equivalence. Accurate translation of the language, concepts and imagery of the original scriptures. • ‘Clear read’ style. Uses linguistic style and speech patterns best suited for being read out loud. • Gender inclusion. Remains faithful to the meaning of the original scriptures while avoiding traditional male bias of the English language.

The first textbook to focus on the history of lived Shi'ism in South Asia Everyday Shi'ism in South Asia is an introduction to the everyday life and cultural memory of Shi'i women and men, focusing on the religious worlds of both individuals and communities at particular historical moments and places in the Indian subcontinent. Author Karen Ruffle draws upon an array primary sources, images, and ethnographic data to present topical case studies offering broad snapshots Shi'i life as well as microscopic analyses of ritual practices, material objects, architectural and artistic forms, and more. Focusing exclusively on South Asian Shi'ism, an area mostly ignored by contemporary scholars who focus on the Arab lands of Iran and Iraq, the author shifts readers' analytical focus from the center of Islam to its periphery. Ruffle provides new perspectives on the diverse ways that the Shi'a intersect with not only South Asian religious culture and history, but also the wider Islamic humanistic tradition. Written for an academic audience, yet accessible to general readers, this unique resource: Explores Shi'i religious practice and the relationship between religious normativity and everyday religious life and material culture Contextualizes Muharram rituals, public performances, festivals, vow-making, and material objects and practices of South Asian Shi'a Draws from author's studies and fieldwork throughout India and Pakistan, featuring numerous color photographs Places Shi'i religious symbols, cultural values, and social systems in historical context Includes an extended survey of scholarship on South Asian Shi'ism from the seventeenth century to the present Everyday Shi'ism in South Asia is an important resource for scholars and students in disciplines including Islamic studies, South Asian studies, religious studies, anthropology, art history, material culture studies, history, and gender studies, and for English-speaking members of South Asian Shi'i communities.

Raider. Conqueror. King. Saint. This is the story of Olav Haraldsson, the greatest Viking who ever lived. A ruthless Viking warrior who named his most prized battle weapon after the Norse goddess of death, Olav Haraldsson and his mercenaries wrought terror and destruction from the Baltic to Galicia in the early eleventh century. Thousands were put to the sword, enslaved or ransomed. In England, Canterbury was sacked, its archbishop murdered and London Bridge pulled down. The loot amassed from years of plunder helped Olav win the throne of Norway, and a century after his death he was proclaimed 'Eternal King' and has been a national hero there ever since. Despite his bloodthirsty beginnings, Olav converted to Christianity and, in a personal vendetta against the old Norse gods, made Norway Christian too, thereby changing irrevocably the Viking world he was born into. Told with reference to Norse sagas, early chronicles and the work of modern scholars, Desmond Seward paints an intensely vivid and colourful portrait of the life and times of arguably the greatest Viking of them all.

“In this bold, analytical, and readable book, Miles names names and dismantles the fallacy of progressive Christianity.� —ERIC METAXAS, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Host of the Nationally Syndicated Eric Metaxas Radio Show Today’s social justice movements call for equality, civil rights, love . . . solid Christian values, right? What if there is more to social justice than Christians understand? Even worse: What if we have been duped into preaching ideas that actually oppose the Kingdom of God? Woke Jesus uncovers the real dangers to Christianity and America from the Christian Left, Progressive or Woke Christianity. These radical alternatives abandon traditional biblical interpretations regarding marriage, gender, racial equality, justice, original sin, heaven and hell, and salvation, replacing them within a new fabricated morality. This fabrication is built around political correctness, cancel culture, hedonistic values, obsession with public health, allegiance to the leftist state, universalism, and virtue signaling. Author Lucas Miles— a pastor and trusted voice in the American church who has consistently addressed some of the most challenging topics in religion—not only outlines how the radical left wing is co-opting Jesus for their own anti-religious views, but also provides a call to action for Christians to resist the siren song of social justice and Wokeism. Rather than ignoring the problems within the church, Miles shows Christians how to grow in the truth of God’s word by expanding their understanding of solid orthodox theology.  The church’s best days are still ahead!

How should we look after the world we inhabit? Martin and Margot Hodson bring together scientific and theological wisdom to offer 62 reflections inspired by passages from the Bible in a thoughtful exploration that encourages both reflection and response. Themes include The Wisdom of Trees, Landscapes of Promise and Sharing Resources.

This book is designed to introduce readers to the world of Christian scholarship by way of primary literary sources. It contains the most notable and instructive primary sources from the entire sweep of Christian history, along with accessible introductions, line-by-line annotations, study questions, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading.

A fascinating analysis of the evolution of religion from the internationally renowned evolutionary psychologist When did humans develop spiritual thought? What is religion's evolutionary purpose? And in our increasingly secular world, why has it endured? Every society in the history of humanity has lived with religion. In How Religion Evolved, evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar tracks its origins back to what he terms the 'mystical stance' - the aspect of human psychology that predisposes us to believe in a transcendent world, and which makes an encounter with the spiritual possible. As he explores world religions and their many derivatives, as well as religions of experience practised by hunter-gatherer societies since time immemorial, Dunbar argues that this instinct is not a peculiar human quirk, an aberration on our otherwise efficient evolutionary journey. Rather, religion confers an advantage: it can benefit our individual health and wellbeing, but, more importantly, it fosters social bonding at large scale, helping hold fractious societies together. Dunbar suggests these dimensions might provide the basis for an overarching theory for why and how humans are religious, and so help unify the myriad strands that currently populate this field. Drawing on path-breaking research, clinical case studies and fieldwork from around the globe, as well as stories of charismatic cult leaders, mysterious sects and lost faiths, How Religion Evolved offers a fascinating and far-reaching analysis of this quintessentially human impulse - to believe.

Six Minor Prophets Through the Centuries is the work of highly respected biblical scholars, Richard Coggins and Jin H. Han. The volume explores the rich and complex reception history of the last six Minor Prophets in Jewish and Christian exegesis, theology, worship, and arts. This text is the work of two highly respected biblical scholars It explores the rich and complex reception history of the last six Minor Prophets in Jewish and Christian theology and exegesis

The second edition of David Bentley Hart’s critically acclaimed New Testament translation   David Bentley Hart’s translation of the New Testament, first published in 2017, was hailed as a “remarkable feat� and as a “strange, disconcerting, radical version of a strange, disconcerting manifesto of profoundly radical values.� In this second edition, which includes a powerful new preface and more than a thousand changes to the text, Hart’s purpose remains the same: to render the original Greek texts faithfully, free of doctrine and theology, awakening readers to the uncanniness that often lies hidden beneath doctrinal layers.   Through his startling translation, with its raw, unfinished quality, Hart reveals a world conceptually quite unlike our own. “It was a world,� he writes, “in which the heavens above were occupied by celestial spiritual potentates of questionable character, in which angels ruled the nations of the earth as local gods, in which demons prowled the empty places, . . . and in which the entire cosmos was for many an eternal divine order and for many others a darkened prison house.� He challenges readers to imagine it anew: a God who reigned on high, appearing in the form of a slave and dying as a criminal, only then to be raised up and revealed as the Lord of all things.

How and why did the early church grow in the first four hundred years despite disincentives, harassment, and occasional persecution? In this unique historical study, veteran scholar Alan Kreider delivers the fruit of a lifetime of study as he tells the amazing story of the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Challenging traditional understandings, Kreider contends the church grew because the virtue of patience was of central importance in the life and witness of the early Christians. They wrote about patience, not evangelism, and reflected on prayer, catechesis, and worship, yet the church grew--not by specific strategies but by patient ferment.