Environmental issues are an ever-increasing focus of public discourse and have proved concerning to religious groups as well as society more widely. Among biblical scholars, criticism of the Judeo-Christian tradition for its part in the worsening crisis has led to a small but growing field of study on ecology and the Bible. This volume in the Oxford Handbook series makes a significant contribution to this burgeoning interest in ecological hermeneutics, incorporating the best of international scholarship on ecology and the Bible. The Handbook comprises 30 individual essays on a wide range of relevant topics by established and emerging scholars. Arranged in four sections, the volume begins with a historical overview before tackling some key methodological issues. The second, substantial, section comprises thirteen essays offering detailed exegesis from an ecological perspective of selected biblical books. This is followed by a section exploring broader thematic topics such as the Imago Dei and stewardship. Finally, the volume concludes with a number of essays on contemporary perspectives and applications, including political and ethical considerations. The editors Hilary Marlow and Mark Harris have drawn on their experience in Hebrew Bible and New Testament respectively to bring together a diverse and engaging collection of essays on a subject of immense relevance. Its accessible style, comprehensive scope, and range of material means that the volume is a valuable resource, not only to students and scholars of the Bible but also to religious leaders and practitioners.

Middle school students are exposed to a lot of outside influences they don t necessarily understand. It s important to establish moral guidelines and role models early on, so they can grow with a strong understanding of Christian values. Where better to look for these role models than in the godly heroes of the Bible? The Talksheets series returns with another year of thought-provoking stories from the Old Testament to discuss with your youth group or bible studies. David Lynn shares discussion topics and questions written specifically with middle school students in mind, promoting meaningful and thought-provoking conversations. The stories in these pages highlight pure moral principles and practices for teenagers to learn about and emulate. Each of the 52 epic bible stories is easy to use and fit to your lesson plan, including hints and tips to facilitate conversation. These lessons also include optional activities, giving teenagers the opportunity to actively participate and have fun while they learn."

This book provides a new reading of the biblical book of Numbers in a commentary form. Mainstream readings have tended to see the book as a haphazard junkyard of material that connects Genesis-Leviticus with Deuteronomy (and Joshua), composed at a late stage in the history of ancient Israel. By contrast, this book reads Numbers as part of a wider work of Genesis-Joshua, a carefully crafted programmatic settler colonial document for a new society in Canaanite highlands in the late second millennium BCE that seeks to replace pre-existing indigenous societies. In the context of the tremendous influence that the biblical documents have had on the world in the last 2,000-3,000 years, the book also offers pointers towards reading these texts today. This volume is a fascinating study of this text, and will be of interest not only to biblical scholars, but to anyone with an interest in the history of the ancient Levant, and colonisation and colonialism in the ancient world more broadly.

This Companion offers a concise and engaging introduction to the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. Providing an up-to-date 'snapshot' of scholarship, it includes essays, specially commissioned for this volume, by twenty-three leading scholars. The volume examines a range of topics, including the historical and religious contexts for the contents of the biblical canon, and critical approaches and methods, as well as newer topics such as the Hebrew Bible in Islam, Western art and literature, and contemporary politics. This Companion is an excellent resource for students at university and graduate level, as well as for laypeople and scholars in other fields who would like to gain an understanding of the current state of the academic discussion. The book does not presume prior knowledge, nor does it engage in highly technical discussions, but it does go into greater detail than a typical introductory textbook.

The Bible tells us that David was a man after God's own heart, but what does that mean in practice? David, the Old Testament shepherd, king, and psalmist, offers an answer in the shape of his own incredible life. Poet, musician, courageous warrior, and national statesman, David distinguished himself as one of God's greatest men. He modeled invincible confidence in the face of impossible circumstances. He made decisions with wisdom and equity. And he wrote with transparent vulnerability and quiet trust. But how well do we really know David? In Great Lives: David, the first volume in Charles Swindoll's bestselling Great Lives series, Swindoll gives us a closer look at this incredible man who had his fair share of difficulties. Throughout his life, David was gripped by destructive passion, rocked by family chaos and personal tragedy, and motivated by political expediency. Like all of us, David was far from perfect, but Swindoll teaches us that David had the chance to become great when he placed himself at the Lord's disposal. As Swindoll guides us through David's remarkable life and legacy, he asks and answers key questions along the way, including: How did David become the national hero of God's chosen people? Why is he the one character in the Bible described as "a man after God's own heart?" How can modern believers become people after God's own heart? Join Swindoll as he teaches us that we can all endeavor to live a life marked by the humility, dependability, and integrity of David.

Vita Daphna Arbel uses critical theories of gender to offer an alternative reading of the multilayered conceptualization of the Song of Song's feminine protagonist: "the most beautiful woman". Arbel treats "the most beautiful woman" as a culturally constructed and performed representation of "woman," and situates this representation within the cultural- discursive contexts in which the Song partly emerged. She examines the gender norms and cultural ideologies it both reflects and constructs, and considers the manner in which this complex representation disrupts rigid, ahistorical notions of femininity, and how it consequently indirectly characterizes "womanhood" as dynamic and diverse. Finally, Arbel examines the reception and impact of these ideas on later conceptualizations of the Song of Songs' female protagonist with a heuristic examination of Mark Chagall's Song of Songs painting cycle, Le Cantique des Cantiques. These compositions-selected for their diverse depictions of the Song's protagonist, their impact on European art, and their vast popularity and bearing in the broader cultural imagination-illustrate a fascinating dialogue between the present and the past about the "most beautiful woman" and about multiple femininities.

Michael R. Stead introduces the books of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi in light of the latest biblical scholarship. Over the past four decades, there has been an explosion of interest in the postexilic prophets and their role within the Book of the Twelve, which has coincided with paradigm shifts in biblical studies generally. This study guide integrates insights from both historio-critical and literary approaches to examine the authorship, form, structure, and composition of these texts. In particular, this guide explores how the intertextual connections with other scriptures help to shape their meaning. It includes a concise section-by-section overview that highlights key interpretive issues and guides readers in their approach to the text.

When Tony Campbell, aged 75, asked the Council of Jesuit Theological College for Emeritus status and retirement from JTC, both were granted most graciously, along with a testimonial document which said in part: 'His teaching has combined evocation and provocation in the best sense of those terms. He has mentored research students with scholarly exactitude and personal care. He has published books of the highest scholarly quality, of engaging readability, and of passionate conviction.' When we at ATF were considering asking him for a volume of Collected Works or Selected Writings, we were well aware that 'published books of the highest scholarly quality' were likely to be found on the shelves of libraries and of specialised academics, but not with students and others generally interested. There may be a dozen or more of Tony's books on the list from Amazon.com booksellers, along with another two or three that are not listed there. But most are heavy-duty specialist works, not easily accessible even to the educated public. We were equally well aware that there was a surprising number of essays and articles scattered in journals and proceedings of conferences that were, because of the scattering, often just as inaccessible. We thought that a collection of these in a single volume would be of great value to those interested. In the Introduction to this volume, Father Campbell has gone into some detail about the contents. Suffice for us to say that Job and the issues associated with suffering concern us all, that the interplay of history and narrative is a constant in the understanding of much biblical text, and that the nature of the Bible and its role in our lives is a major concern for most thinking Christians. While Father Campbell's focus is on the Older Testament, pondering what he looks at throws light on much of the Newer Testament as well. The writings Tony Campbell has pulled together in this single volume address significant issues within the readable length of an article or a talk. Addressed originally to thinking people, we at ATF believe they are likely to be of interest to a wide audience.

In the last two decades, research on the Book of the Twelve has shown that this corpus is not just a collection of twelve prophetic books. It is rather a coherent work with a common history of formation and, based upon this, with an overall message and intention. The individual books of the Book of the Twelve are thus part of a larger whole in which they can be interpreted in a fruitful manner. The volume The Book of the Twelve: Composition, Reception, and Interpretation features 30 articles, written by renowned scholars, that explore different aspects regarding the formation, interpretation, and reception of the Book of the Twelve as a literary unity.

The stories of Samuel, Saul, and David are among the most memorable in the Old Testament. Yet the lives of these individuals are bound up in the larger story of God's purpose for his people. In this Tyndale Old Testament Commentary, V. Philips Long explores the meaning of the biblical history of Israel's vital transition from a confederation of tribes to nationhood under a king. He shows how attending to the books of Samuel repays its readers richly in terms of literary appreciation, historical knowledge, and theological grounding. The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. Additional Notes provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties. In the new Old Testament volumes, the commentary on each section of the text is structured under three headings: Context, Comment, and Meaning. The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain.

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.

Der deuteronomische Bruderbegriff hat innerhalb des Volkes Israel seinen Platz und gilt fur dieses. Diese Studie befasst sich mit den 'wirtschaftlichen' und 'politischen' Hintergrunden der Bruderthematik, wie sie sich in den sozialrechtlichen Teilen des deuteronomischen Gesetzes sowie des Heiligkeitsgesetzes einerseits und im deuteronomischen AEmterrecht andererseits zeigen. Leitfragen sind: Besteht eine theologische Verbindung zwischen dem sozialrechtlichen und amterrechtlichen Gedankengut der untersuchten Brudertexte? Warum wird in ihnen das Wort 'Bruder' und nicht ein Synonym wie 'Nachbar' oder 'Volksgenosse' verwendet? Wo hat die Bezeichnung 'Bruder' in diesen Rechtskorpora historisch gesehen ihren Ursprung? Diesen Fragen wird mithilfe von altorientalischem Vergleichsmaterial sowie von synchronen und diachronen exegetischen Methoden nachgegangen.

Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication

Was he the sleek-and-trim, funloving animated man in "The Prince of Egypt" or the handsome, strong-hearted, superstar played by Charlton Heston in "The Ten Commandments"?

The most likely answer is "neither." The Bible gives a much more accurate picture of the Moses God used in such remarkable ways, Charles Swindoll paints a portrait of the biblical Moses in this fascinating look into the heart and mind of "Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication."

Swindoll gives us straight facts based squarely on the truth revealed in God's Word. He also fills in the fine-line details of Moses' life with emotion and feeling, because Moses, like all of us, was a human being with faults and frailties. And finally, Swindoll helps us apply the lessons of Moses' life to our own daily dilemmas.

When you face your personal Red Sea test, will you be prepared? Your decision to go forward in life instead of retreating will be bolstered by your having studied the real Moses of the Bible―the Moses who tried to decline his assignment from God; the Moses who dazzled Pharaoh; the Moses who received the Ten Commandments; the Moses who was sometimes disobedient and weak; the Moses who was the greatest leader of God's people in all of history; the Moses of faith and selfless dedication to his God.

Die Weihnachtsvorlesung gehoert zu den fest etablierten Veranstaltungen der Padagogischen Hochschule Freiburg. Jedes Jahr referieren Wissenschaftler*innen aus der Perspektive ihrer jeweiligen Disziplin zum Thema "Weihnachten". Der vorliegende Band dokumentiert eine Reihe dieser interdisziplinaren Weihnachtsvorlesungen, prasentiert neue Beitrage und bildet so die gesellschaftlich-kulturelle Prasenz und Popularitat des Weihnachtsfestes ab. Das Spektrum der Aufsatze reicht von theologischen Artikeln wie "Weihnachten im Alten Testament?" und "Weihnachten bei Martin Luther" bis zu kulturwissenschaftlichen Beitragen wie "Weihnachtsszenen im Theater" und religionspadagogischen Aufsatzen wie "Der grosse Gott wird ein kleines Kind".

Spurgeon & the Psalms will guide you into reading and meditating on God's Word alongside profound excerpts from "the prince of preachers. Spurgeon & the Psalms will guide you into reading and meditating on God's Word with the insight of "the prince of preachers." This devotional psalter features a brief extract from Charles Spurgeon's beloved The Treasury of David leading into each of the 150 chapters of Psalms. In this edition, Spurgeon's insights are paired with the trusted New King James Version. The NKJV balances the literary beauty and familiarity of the King James tradition with an extraordinary commitment to preserving the grammar and structure of the underlying biblical languages. The result is a Bible translation that is both beautiful and uncompromising-perfect for serious study, devotional use, and reading aloud. Features include: Devotional thoughts from renowned preacher Charles Spurgeon drawn from The Treasury of David provide new insights from the Psalms Presentation page allows you to personalize this special gift by recording a memory or note An exquisite edition of Psalms in the trusted NKJV translation Each psalm is set in a poetic-style single column on a right-hand page with room to journal your own meditations 1 satin ribbon makes it easy navigate and keep track of where you were reading Gilded page edges add a beautiful shine around the border of the paper Clear and readable 9.5 Point NKJV Comfort Print About the Maclaren Series: Named for noted Victorian-era preacher Alexander Maclaren, this series of elegant Bibles features regal blue highlights and verse numbers, and clear, line-matched text.

By means of a threefold approach-typological analysis of literary forms, investigation of religious ideology, and study of didactic aims and methods-Weinfeld shows that the deuteronomic composition was the creation of scribal circles who began their work some time prior to the reign of Josiah and were still at work after the fall of Judah. Includes a 46-page detailed appendix on deuteronomic phraseology. This volume is a reprint of the 1972 Oxford edition.

In this book, Katherine E. Southwood offers a new approach to interpreting Judges 21. Breaking away from traditional interpretations of kingship, feminism, or comparisons with Greek or Roman mythology, she explores the concepts of marriage, ethnicity, rape, and power as means of ethnic preservation and exclusion. She also exposes the many reasons why marriage by capture occurred during the post-exilic period. Judges 21 served as a warning against compromise - submission to superficial unity between the Israelites and the Benjaminites. Any such unity would result in drastic changes in the character, culture, and values of the ethnic group 'Israel'. The chapter encouraged post-exilic audiences to socially construct those categorised as 'Benjaminites' as foreigners who do not belong within the group, thereby silencing doubts about the merits of unity.

For some time scholars have debated whether the Song of Songs has connections to the wisdom genre and how this changes our understanding of it. In Wise and Foolish Love in the Song of Songs, Jennifer Andruska shows that the influence of the wisdom genre on the Song is pervasive, running throughout the book, and offers an entirely new understanding of the book's wisdom message. She demonstrates that the Song has combined elements of the ancient Near Eastern love song and wisdom genres to produce a wisdom literature about romantic love, inspiring readers to pursue a particular type of love relationship, modelled by the lovers throughout the poem, and aiming to transform them, through character formation, into wise lovers themselves.

'Incest' refers to illegal sexual relations between family members. Its precise contours, however, are culturally specific. Hence, an illegal incestuous union in one social context may be a legal close-kin union in another. First-degree sexual unions, between a parent and child, or between siblings, are most widely prohibited and abhorred. This book discusses all overt and covert first-degree incest relations in the Hebrew Bible and also probes the significance of gaps and what these imply about projected sexual and social values. As the dominant opinion on the origin of first-degree incest continues to be shaped, new voices such as those of queer and post-feminist criticism have joined the conversation. It navigates not only the incest laws of Leviticus and the narratives of Lot and his daughters and of Amnon and Tamar but pursues subtler intimations of first-degree sexual unions, such as between Adam and his (absent but arguably implied) mother, Haran and Terah's wife, Ham and Noah. In pursuing the psycho-social values that may be drawn from the Hebrew Bible regarding first-degree incest, this book will provide a thorough review of incest studies from the early 20th century onward and explain and assess the contribution of very recent critical approaches from queer and post-feminist perspectives.

This volume examines Jewish literature produced from c. 700 B.C.E. to c. 200 C.E. from a socio-theological perspective. In this context, it offers a scholarly attempt to understand how the ancient Jewish psyche dealt with times of extreme turmoil and how Jewish theology altered to meet the challenges experienced. The volume explores various early Jewish literature, including both the canonical and apocryphal scripture. Here, reference is often made to a divine epiphany (a moment of unexpected and prodigious revelation or insight) as a response to abuse, suffering and passion. Many of the chapters deal with these issues in relation to the Antiochan crisis of 169 to 164 B.C.E. in Judea, one of the more notable periods of oppression. This watershed event appears to have served as a catalyst for the new apocalyptic texts which were produced up until c. 200 C.E, and which reflect a new theological dynamic in Judaism - one that informed subsequent Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. Passion, Persecution and Epiphany in Early Jewish Literature will be of interest to anyone working on the Bible (both Masoretic and LXX) and early Jewish literature, as well as students of Jewish history and the Levant in the classical period.

The first in a major new series of guides to the books of the Old Testament written in an accessible and anecdotal style. The series is suitable for personal or group use and the format is also appropriate for daily study. 'In the beginning God created . . .' This gripping opening line draws attention to the irresistible creative nature of God - the One who is able to bring something out of nothing. There is no more fitting way to introduce us to the first and most obvious indication of God s goodness and greatness. The book of Genesis goes on to tell stories (both exciting and commonplace), offer profound mysteries, and engage us in the biggest issues of all: who we are, where we come from, and where we're going. Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story. He explores the character and nature of the God we meet so powerfully in that opening line, the God we can encounter daily on the journey through this revelatory book. And, as Professor Goldingay guides us in our understanding of these time-honoured words and the ancient world they describe, he helps us to apply what we read to our lives. This series offers a natural progression from the successful 'For Everyone' series of New Testament translations and commentaries.

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.