The book of Joshua is often troubling -- what should we make of the fact that the violent occupation of land is not simply presented, but celebrated? How can we reconcile that with the key role the book plays in the biblical drama of salvation? What should we make of the God of Joshua? / In this volume Gordon McConville and Stephen Williams interpret Joshua in relation to Christian theology, addressing such questions and placing the book in its proper place in the canonical whole. McConville deals specifically with the commentary and exegesis of the text. Williams then moves in to focus on issues of interpretation. He addresses key theological themes, such as land, covenant, law, miracle, judgment (with the problem of genocide), and idolatry. / The authors posit that the theological topics engaged in Joshua are not limited to the horizons of the author and first readers of the book, but that Joshua is part of a much larger testimony which concerns readers yet today.

Does the world we inhabit offer us hospitality or indifference? This question is central to the spiritual literature of all cultures. In We Find Ourselves Put to the Test James Crooks returns to the Bible's book of Job to explore the enduring relevance of that question and its philosophical dimensions. Beginning with the puzzle of Job's famous stoicism and nihilism in the face of loss, Crooks explores the contradictions of suffering as dramatized in the dialogue between Job and his friends. How is it that the friends' attempt to comfort Job with a rational explanation of his misfortune devolves seamlessly into victim blaming? How is it that Job's own renunciation of life at the nadir of his pain converts into an intellectual patience that outlasts the advocates of rational explanation? We Find Ourselves Put to the Test gives a portrait of the suffering protagonist looking into the heart of a creation that is, by necessity, both indifferent and hospitable. A philosophical exploration of one of the most enigmatic books in the Bible, We Find Ourselves Put to the Test goes beyond critical interpretation and suggests a way of reading the book of Job that is animated by a consideration of the reader's narratives and communities, and the limits of his or her own understanding.

The Psalter as Witness considers the complexity of the Psalms as well as their role in bearing witness to the theological claims that comprise Israel's traditions. While no single volume can readily capture the full range of the Psalter's theology, these chapters provide rich reflection on significant themes in selected psalms, in collections of psalms, and even across the structure of the Psalter itself. The result of the Baylor-Bonn symposium, The Psalter as Witness employs the full array of methodological approaches to the Psalms practiced in both Germany and North America. The Psalter as Witness thus effectively mirrors the theological, thematic, and generic intricacies of the Psalms in the myriad ways interpreters read the Psalter. The Psalms here become a window into the central, life-giving commitments of Israel in its call to justice and mercy, its practice of ethics and politics, and its worship and life with God.

This book explores the story of the Israelites' worship of the Golden Calf in its Jewish, Christian, and Muslim contexts, from ancient Israel to the emergence of Islam. It focuses in particular on the Qur'an's presentation of the narrative and its background in Jewish and Christian retellings of the episode from Late Antiquity. Across the centuries, the interpretation of the Calf episode underwent major changes reflecting the varying cultural, religious, and ideological contexts in which various communities used the story to legitimate their own tradition, challenge the claims of others, and delineate the boundaries between self and other. The book contributes to the ongoing reevaluation of the relationship between Bible and Qur'an, arguing for the necessity of understanding the Qur'an and Islamic interpretations of the history and narratives of ancient Israel as part of the broader biblical tradition. The Calf narrative in the Qur'an, central to the qur'anic conception of the legacy of Israel and the status of the Jews of its own time, reflects a profound engagement with the biblical account in Exodus, as well as being informed by exegetical and parascriptural traditions in circulation in the Qur'an's milieu in Late Antiquity. The book also addresses the issue of Western approaches to the Qur'an, arguing that the historical reliance of scholars and translators on classical Muslim exegesis of scripture has led to misleading conclusions about the meaning of qur'anic episodes.

A groundbreaking account of how the Book of Exodus shaped fundamental aspects of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam The Book of Exodus may be the most consequential story ever told. But its spectacular moments of heaven-sent plagues and parting seas overshadow its true significance, says Jan Assmann, a leading historian of ancient religion. The story of Moses guiding the enslaved children of Israel out of captivity to become God's chosen people is the foundation of an entirely new idea of religion, one that lives on today in many of the world's faiths. First introduced in Exodus, new ideas of faith, revelation, and above all covenant transformed basic assumptions about humankind's relationship to the divine and became the bedrock of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Walter Brueggemann is one of the most highly regarded Old Testament scholars of our time; talk-show host Krista Tippett has even called him "a kind of theological rock star." In this new book Brueggemann probes the tasks performed by the ancient prophets of Israel and points out striking correlations between the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 b.c.e. and the catastrophic crisis of 9/11 in a.d. 2001. Brueggemann identifies a characteristic ideology of "exceptionalism" - chosenness, entitlement, privilege - which must be countered by prophetic realism and truth-telling. Denial must give way to honest grief. And, finally, widespread despair must be overcome by a buoyant hope. This sequence of ideology-realism, denial-grief, and despair-hope corresponds to Brueggemann's unpacking of the books of Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Isaiah. Thoughtful readers will find provocative fare aplenty in Brueggemann's Reality, Grief, Hope.

ECPA Top Shelf Book Cover Award Biblical Foundations Book Award Winner Sandra L. Richter cares about the Bible. She also cares about creation. An expert in ancient Israelite society and economy as well as biblical theology, she walks readers through passages familiar and not-so-familiar, showing how significant environmental theology is to the Bible's witness. She then calls Christians to apply that message to today's environmental concerns. Richter is a master Bible scholar. Each chapter draws out a biblical mandate about humanity's responsibility to care for the land, domestic and wild creatures, and people on the margins. She is also a master storyteller. Well informed on present-day environmental challenges, Richter includes case studies that connect the biblical mandates to current issues. Though modern political alliances may tempt readers to sever Christian faith from environmental stewardship, in this concise and accessible book, Richter urges us to be driven by God's values instead.

John Day investigates disputed points of interpretation within Genesis 1-11, expanding on his earlier book From Creation to Babel with 11 stimulating essays. Day considers the texts within their Near Eastern contexts, and pays particular attention to the later history of interpretation and reception history. Topics covered include the meaning of the Bible's first verse and what immediately follows, as well as what it means that humanity is made in the image of God. Further chapters examine the Garden of Eden, the background and role of the serpent and the ambiguous role of Wisdom; the many problems of interpretation in the Cain and Abel story, as well as what gave rise to this story; how the Covenant with Noah and the Noachic commandments, though originally separate, became conflated in some later Jewish thought; and the location of 'Ur of the Chaldaeans', Abraham's alleged place of origin, and how this was later misinterpreted by Jewish, Christian and Islamic sources as referring to a 'fiery furnace of the Chaldaeans'. These chapters, which illuminate the meaning, background and subsequent interpretation of the Book of Genesis, pave the way for Day's forthcoming ICC commentary on Genesis 1-11.

With his latest book, The Holy Spirit before Christianity, John R. Levison again changes the face and foundation of Christian belief in the Holy Spirit. The categories Christians have used, the boundaries they have created, the proprietary claims they have made - all of these evaporate, now that Levison has looked afresh at Scripture. In a study that is both poignant and provocative, Levison takes readers back five hundred years before Jesus, where he discovers history's first grasp of the Holy Spirit as a personal agent. The prophet Haggai and the author of Isaiah 56-66, in their search for ways to grapple with the tragic events of exile and to articulate hope for the future, took up old exodus traditions of divine agents - pillars of fire, an angel, God's own presence - and fused them with belief in God's Spirit. Since it was the Spirit of God who led Israel up from Egypt and formed them into a holy nation, now, the prophets assured their hearers, the Spirit of God would lead and renew those returning from exile. Taking this point of origin as our guide, Christian pneumatology - belief in the Holy Spirit - is less about an exclusively Christian experience or doctrine and more about the presence of God in the grand scheme of Israel's history, in which Christianity is ancient Israel's heir. This explosive observation traces the essence of Christian pneumatology deep into the heart of the Hebrew Scriptures. The implications are fierce: the priority of Israelite tradition at the headwaters of pneumatology means that Christians can no longer hold stubbornly to the Holy Spirit as an exclusively Christian belief. But the implications are hopeful as well, offering Christians a richer history, a renewed vocabulary, a shared path with Judaism, and the promise of a more expansive and authentic experience of the Holy Spirit.

Lawrence Boadt's Reading the Old Testament was recognized as a classic almost from its date of publication in 1984. Without in any way diminishing its famed clarity, judiciousness, and theological depth, two prominent scholars, Richard Clifford and Daniel Harrington, have brought the book into the twenty-first century. In this new revised and updated edition, they have: * Updated the archaeological reports * Incorporated the research of the last three decades of biblical scholarship * Supplied new or redrawn illustrations and maps * Increased attention to Jewish-Christian biblical interpretations * Continued the Christian-Jewish dialogue that was a feature of the original "Larry Boadt was a long-time generative force in Old Testament study. This book, as a part of his legacy, assures that his influence will continue to be generative and rewarding for those who seriously engage his work....This is, in sum, a major offer for serious, faithful reading, and we may be grateful that it is now issued in a new, welcome edition." -Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia "We owe a great debt of gratitude to Richard Clifford and Daniel Harrington for bringing this classic introduction to new life. It still speaks with the clarity of Larry Boadt, but with new energy." -Irene Nowell, St. John's University "Richard Clifford and Daniel Harrington were the right persons to revise this book. Like Larry Boadt, they are most accomplished scholars and teachers with a keen pastoral sense. Leading people to appreciate the Bible was Larry Boadt's mission in life. This book is a fitting tribute to his fidelity to this mission." -Leslie J. Hoppe, OFM Catholic Theological Union "When Larry Boadt was asked why his book was so popular, he replied simply: 'I knew what students needed; I provided it.' The needs are still there and the book still provides for them. Since the book was written, much has changed in some areas of Old Testament study. Dick Clifford and Dan Harrington are well qualified to bring it up-to-date-and they have done a measured job." -Antony F. Campbell, SJ Jesuit Theological College, Parkville, Australia

Leslie C. Allen introduces students to the 1 & 2 Chronicles in the Old Testament, incorporating insights from over two decades of previous scholarship while grounding his analysis in earlier key works. "A Message for Yehud" sums up what has been judged to be a fundamental motivation underlying the whole book, a conviction that the obligation to "seek the Lord" in the light of the Torah and prophetic texts must be laid on the hearts of the community of Yehud in the fourth century BCE. To this end, using Samuel-Kings as a basis, Chronicles reviewed pre-exilic royal history for positive and negative clues as to how the generation for which it was written might achieve this spiritual ideal. In the book, Allen shows how this program was communicated all through the book by literary and rhetorical means.

Introducing students to the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament, Ernest Lucas examines the book's structure and characteristics. He covers the latest in biblical scholarship, including historical and interpretive issues, and considers a range of scholarly approaches. Lucas shows how understanding of the book is enhanced by considering it in the context of Mesopotamian culture, literature, and religion. He also evaluates different arguments concerning the authorship, date, and provenance of the book. In particular, the guide focuses on illuminating the book's relationship to both the tradition of Hebrew prophecy and the later development of Jewish apocalyptic literature. It also highlights the importance of understanding the Book of Daniel as "resistance literature", which intended to encourage faithful Jews to resist the pressures of conformity to the pagan culture in which they lived, and to endure through persecution if necessary. With suggestions of further reading at the end of each chapter, this guide will be an essential accompaniment to study of the Book of Daniel.

Thomas Merton presented numerous sets of conferences during his decade (1955-1965) as novice master at the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani. The two courses included in this volume - a thorough examination of the book of Genesis that began in mid-1956 and concluded on the Feast of Pentecost in 1957, and a series of classes on the book of Exodus from 1957 and 1958 - are here presented for the first time in a critical edition accompanied by extensive annotation and a comprehensive introduction. These courses comprise the only major surviving teaching notes on particular books of Scripture dating from the years when Merton was in charge of the novitiate. They provide direct access to his views on the intellectual and spiritual contexts in which they should be understood. As biblical scholar Pauline Viviano writes in her preface, 'this edition of Thomas Merton's class notes brings us into the workings of a great spiritual leader's mind as he reflects upon Scripture. . . . all who are on a spiritual journey can gain from his insights and the lessons he draws.'

Fourth Maccabees is a superbly craft ed oration that presents a case for the Jewish way of life couched almost entirely in terms of Greek ethical ideals. Using an expansion upon previous scriptural narratives as an opportunity for philosophical exposition, its author delights in the Torah, the Law of Moses, as the divinely given path to becoming our best selves now. Moreover, drawing upon Greek logic tradition, he develops an elaborate rationalisation of that law based upon the promise of eternal life with God. In this collection of essays spanning two decades of study, David deSilva examines the formative training that produced such an author, the rhetorical craft present in his work, and the author's creative use of both Jewish and Greek literary resources. Finally, he demonstrates the book's enduring message and legacy in the Christian church, from theological influence on Origen to textual relations within Codex Sinaiticus.

This amazing, bestselling guide presents hundreds of facts about the Temple. The full-color, glossy 12-panel pamphlet covers the Tabernacle in the wilderness to the Temple built by King Solomon, Zerubbabel, and Herod's Temple, the one Jesus knew so well. The Temple pamphlet has colorful illustrations of the Temple drawn to scale based on Bible measurements. Each of the Temple furnishings are explained in detail, as well as their functions, purposes, and the meanings they have for believers today. Size: 8.5x 5.5 unfolds to 33 long. Fits inside most Bible covers. A beautiful cutaway illustration of the first temple, Solomon's Temple, shows what the Temple may have looked like inside and out. Teachers can show students the outer courtyards of the Temple and the area where Jesus praised the widow who gave sacrificially to the Lord, giving the widow's mite. The Temple pamphlet explains each of the Temple's key features: the Ark of the Covenant, the Veil, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place (the Holy of Holies), to name a few. The Temple pamphlet includes: A tour of the temple and its features An historical time line and fascinating facts A Q & A about the Temple A beautiful illustration of Herod's Temple (sometimes called the third temple) References to Jesus in the Temple Biblical encounters that happened in God's Temple The Temple pamphlet provides a numbered list indicating each of the key features of the temple and explains their original purposes and what their uses mean to us today. For example: The Brazen Altar (Bronze Altar). Back THEN it was the place where the perfect animal was sacrificed for the sins of the people. NOW Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. Old andNew Testament Scripture references are provided for each Temple feature: Sacrifice / the Brazen Altar (Bronze Altar) The Sea (Bronze Basin) Brass Pillars (Bronze Pillars) Holy Place Golden Lampstand and Tables of Showbread Golden Incense Altar The Veil Most Holy Place Cherubim Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat Storerooms An historical timeline shows the years the Temples were built, destroyed, and rebuilt. The timeline covers: The Tabernacle Solomon's Temple Zerubbabel's Temple Herod's Temple The Temple pamphlet provides fascinating details: Learn who made the plans for the Temple Who raided and destroyed the Temples Whether the Temple will be restored

The books of Ezekiel and Daniel are rich in imagery that is taken up afresh in the New Testament. Echoes of Ezekiel-with its words of doom and hope, vision of a new temple, and scroll-eating prophet-are especially apparent in the book of Revelation. Daniel is most notable in supplying terminology and imagery for Jesus of Nazareth's favored self-description as "Son of man," a phrase also found in Ezekiel. The four beasts of Daniel find their counterparts in the lion, ox, man, and eagle of Ezekiel and Revelation. It is no wonder these books, despite the difficulties in interpreting them, took hold on the imagination of the early church. In this Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture volume, over forty church fathers are cited in the commentary on Ezekiel, some of whom are here translated into English for the first time, but pride of place goes to four significant extant works: the homilies of Origen and Gregory the Great, and the commentaries of Jerome and Theodoret of Cyr, thus bridging East and West, North and South. A similar array of fathers are found within the commentary on Daniel. Extensive comments derive from the works of Theodoret of Cyr, Hippolytus, Jerome, and Isho'dad of Merv, providing a wealth of insight.

Somewhere out there is the "good life," and we're all scrambling to get it. Glenn Pemberton maintains in this book that we find the so-called good life not in good things but in living well-and the biblical book of Proverbs teaches us how to live that life. Though based on solid biblical scholarship, A Life That Is Good is not a textbook, commentary, or comprehensive study. It is instead a readable, practical guide to the wisdom found in the ancient book of Proverbs-wisdom on everyday living, speech, relationships, justice, money, and much more. Pastors and church groups in particular will love and benefit from this relevant guide regarding the message of Proverbs for today's world.

Thomas Merton led numerous conferences during his decade (1955-1965) as novice master at the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani. In A Monastic Introduction to Sacred Scripture, Patrick F. O'Connell presents one of these, a wide-ranging introduction to biblical studies. Drawing on church tradition, teaching of recent papal documents, and scholarly resources of the time, Merton reveals the central importance of the Scriptures for the spiritual growth of his listeners. For Merton, at the heart of any meaningful reading of the Scriptures, not only for monks but for all Christians, is the invitation to respond not just intellectually but with the whole self, to recognize the gospel as 'good news', as a saving, liberating, consoling, challenging word, reflecting his fundamental belief that 'the Holy Spirit enlightens us, in our reading, to see how our own lives are part of these great mysteries - how we are one with Jesus in them'. O'Connell's extensive introduction situates this reflection in the context of Merton's evolving engagement with the Bible from his own days as a student monk through the mature reflections from his final years on the biblical renewal in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.