The book presents the Ascension as public truth, examining questions such as when did Jesus ascend - and how, where did he go, with what kind of body and into what kind of space? It discusses the nature of Jesus' victory, how it has been challenged, how it has been understood at different times in history, and how it relates to his second coming. The author examines the relevance of the doctrine for personal spiritual life: our union with Christ, Jesus praying for us, worship, and our own prayers. He goes on to consider living in God's kingdom, the tension between waiting for the kingdom and working for it now, suffering, humanisation, and the church and the world today. The book approaches the Ascension thematically, making it a useful teaching tool. Its themes arise from the categories in which the Church Fathers employed the doctrine. Gerrit Dawson shows the Ascension to be a vital key to understanding in a fresh way the person and work of Christ, union with Christ, the mission of the church in the world, Christian identity and spiritual theology. A unique feature of the book is the way Dawson combines a full presentation of Nicene trinitarian Christology with its application to the practicalities of Christian life today. Praise for Jesus Ascended: 'Gerrit Dawson harkens back to an older vision of ministry, that of the pastor-theologian. This vision is remarkably illustrated in this beautifully written book that can properly lay claim to being practical theology. Very highly recommended for both pastors and theologians who want to have a faith grounded in the continuing reality of the incarnation in the ascension of Jesus.' Andrew Purves, Princeton Theological Seminary 'This is a truly outstanding book for students, pastors and thinking Christians alike. I could not recommend it more enthusiastically!' Alan Torrance, St Andrew's University, UK 'A yawning gulf often appears between the interests of preacher and scholar, of pastor and theologian. Serious attempts to bridge that gulf are too few. This book is one of them. It brings to life the voice of the Fathers on the subject of the ascension of Jesus, and calls the church back to the roots of its faith.' Douglas Farrow, McGill University, Canada

This is a study of the historical Jesus that pays close attention to the role of space and place, from household to kingdom, for understanding Jesus' identity. Moxnes employs a sociological and anthropological approach that promises to give greater depth to our perceptions of Jesus. household. He explores the significance of Jesus leaving his own house and calling his disciples. He asks whether Jesus and the disciples' leaving their households have had an effect on their masculinity. Finally he discusses Jesus' creation of a new place, the kingdom of God, over against the established political powers in Galilee.

This book is a clear treatment, in nontechnical language, of the person and work of Jesus Christ, especially focusing on the nature of atonement. The chapters are arranged around several central questions: Who is Jesus? What do the Bible and the church tell us about him? Just what is in the nature of the salvation he offers, and how does it work? Most of all, what difference do the answers to these questions make for the church and for the world? The Foundations of Christian Faith series enables readers to learn about contemporary theology in ways that are clear, enjoyable, and meaningful. It examines the doctrines of the Christian faith and stimulates readers not only to think more deeply about their faith but also to understand their faith in relationship to contemporary challenges and questions. Individuals and study groups alike will find these guides invaluable in their search for depth and integrity in their Christian faith.

Should the dissimilarity between Jesus and early Christianity or between Jesus and Judaism be the central criteria for the historical Jesus? Gerd Theissen and Dagmar Winter argue that the criterion of dissimilarity does not do justice to the single most important result of more than two-hundred years of Jesus research: that the historical Jesus belongs to both Judaism and Christianity. The two authors propose a criterion of historical plausibility so that historical phenomenon under question can be considered authentic so long as it can be plausibly understood in its Jewish context and also facilitates a plausible explanation for its later effects in Christian history. This book is a cooperative project between Dagmar Winter and Gerd Theissen and represents the fruit of many years of their research on the historical Jesus.

From "The Greatest Story Ever Told" to "Jesus of Montreal" to "Shane", the figure of Jesus has made repeated - and varied - appearances in American cinema. In this book Richard Walsh brings "Jesus-films", the canonical gospels, and American culture into conversation. The discourse begins in the theatre with the lights down low and the Jesus-films on the big screen. Walsh's commentary starts with the films themselves and the American Jesus(es) portrayed therein. Ironically, while we do not expect Jesus-films to "get Jesus or the gospels right," they do cast light on interesting literary and mythical features of the gospels - and on American culture. For example, Arcand's "Jesus of Montreal" offers fresh understanding of the apocalyptic discourse in Mark 13, and "Shane" and "Pale Rider" demonstrate that Americans desperately want a conquering hero who is not a capitalist or an imperialist to deal with their frustrations.

The recent discovery and exhibition of an ancient Jewish ossuary (a burial box) that bears the inscription "James the son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" has stunned scholars and public alike. Could it really be that this small stone box actually contained the bones of James, the brother of Jesus Christ? While the preliminary scientific and paleographic study suggests that this ossuary may well be authentic (in other words, datable to the 1st century) and may well refer to James, the brother of Jesus, whose leadership to early Christianity in Jerusalem has become public, what is still shrouded in mystery is that this ossuary is only one of several that shed important archaeological light on the historical Jesus and the origins of Christianity.

In Jesus and the Ossuaries, Craig A. Evans helps all readers, expert and layperson alike, understand the importance of this recent find for the quest for the historical Jesus and any historical reconstruction of early Christianity. Evans provides an overview of the most important archaeological discoveries, including those near the Dead Sea, before summarizing archaeological findings relevant to 1st-century Galilee and Judea.

Against this backdrop, Evans then provides a detailed study of nine other inscriptions (six on ossuaries, three on stone slabs) that pertain in one way or another to the historical Jesus and the arguments for and against the authenticity and identification of the recently discovered James Ossuary (the tenth major inscription). Evans concludes his volume with a measured consideration of the historical, exegetical, and apologetic value of the archaeological data afforded by the several inscriptions.

Twenty-seven authors from a variety of backgrounds contribute essays concerning the distance, historically and theologically, between the historical Jesus and the Gospel of John to this collection. Part One discusses issues related to the historical and ideological context in which the Fourth Gospel was produced. Part Two explores the possibility of oral and written sources that John may have utilized. Part Three compares the Fourth Gospel with early noncanonical literature to identify various ways in which Jesus' traditions were appropriated by early Christians.

A natural sequel to The Historical Jesus Quest, The Historical Jesus Question offers commentary on the work and significance of the classic writers presented in the earlier volume--Spinoza, Strauss, Schweitzer, Troeltsch, Bultmann, Kasemann--and some additional comment on the work of Pannenberg. Not merely a summary discussion of these important writers, this book goes beyond to follow the implications for theology of the ongoing challenge history presents to biblical authority.

In this text, Hyam Maccoby controversially suggests that Jesus was not only friendly to the Pharisees, but was actually a member of their group. He aims to throw new light on the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist, exploring the political aspect of their movements and their adherence to the Torah. He looks at evidence from the rabbinic sources to show a strong affinity between Jesus and the Pharisees and discusses previously misunderstood or ignored stories about Jesus found in the Talmud. The book rehabilitates the Pharisees and uses the New Testament to show that there is continuity between Pharisaism and rabbinism. It should prove influential in the strategy to combat anti-Semitism.

C. David McKirachan offers eighteen first-person narratives told in the voices of characters from the life of Jesus, ranging from the Christmas story through the crucifixion and resurrection. In each story we are invited into the Gospel text. We inhabit the stories, and through the voice of each teller, we are drawn closer to the wonder experienced by the first witnesses of Jesus.

This volume presents 12 interactive Bible stories exploring the wealth of meaning in the terms "healing" and "salation" used by Jesus. Are they the same thing? What happened to the individuals concerned? What is the bigger message the Gospel writers are trying to get across? Focusing on key episodes in Jesus' ministry, this book aims to transform our understanding of these two great Christian concepts and offer fresh insights into the meaning of Scripture for today. John Davies is the former Bishop of Shrewsbury and was previously Principal of the College of Ascension in Birmingham. He spent many years as a priest in South Africa townships where his theology was shaped.

Who Was Jesus? is a collection of articles revolving around the dialogue between Jewish New Testament scholar Peter Zaas and Christian apologist William Craig, with a focus on the differing Jewish and Christian assessments of Jesus of Nazareth, and the question of Jewish-Christian relations. Their points of agreement and disagreement, as well as how interest in the historical Jesus continues to promote dialogue and controversy, are fascinating and informative.

In this introduction to the heart of the gospel, readers are invited to discover for themselves what Jesus has done for the world and continues to do in the world today. The invitation is offered in the form of daily readings from the four gospel accounts of Jesus' story. The story itself is preceded by suggestions for reading and background aids for understanding the world in which Jesus carried out his earthly ministry. This is followed by brief accounts of how others responded to Jesus, along with the authors' answers to commonly-asked questions about the Christian faith.

Not long after Jesus' death, some of his followers began to report that they had seen Jesus, that he had been raised from the dead. Are these stories pious hoaxes? Do they represent living reality? Are they theological fantasies, concocted by the early Christian church as a means to distinguish itself from its religious and political context? With all the books that have been written about this subject, it seems that some kind of consensus might have arisen. Yet, in the late twentieth century previously unknown Gospels and other scriptures were discovered that expand and clarify the New Testament records. In Telling the Untold Stories, John Beverly Butcher explores the canonical and non-canonical Resurrection stories helping readers discover the enormous variety of experiences Jesus friends, family, and followers had of the Risen Christ. At the same time, Butcher's book invites readers to reflect on these first-century stories to discover what the Resurrection means in their own lives. John Beverley Butcher is a priest of the Episcopal Diocese of California and is the author of The Tao of Jesus. For: General audiences; pastors; seminarians; undergraduates>

In this book some of the sharpest and most discerning New Testament scholars offer their frank assessment of the contemporary significance of the birth of Jesus. Philip Alexander; Gerald Dawning, Elaine Graham, Grace Jantzen, Todd Klutz, Barry Matlock, Arthur Peacocke, and Graham Ward consider issues ranging from Jesus' circumcision and his DNA, to the power of the nativity stories and their symbolic efficacy.

Over the past two hundred years, several scholars have concluded that Jesus was a Cynic, a magician, a witch, a wise teacher, and a Jewish apocalyptic prophet. These papers, collected from two conferences at Creighton University, draw on some of the best contemporary scholarship in historical Jesus studies. Catholic scholars Luke Timothy Johnson, Daniel Harrington, and Monika Hellwig provide overviews of the history of the search for the historical Jesus. Jewish scholars Alan Segal, Amy-Jill Levine, and Adele Reinhartz explore the significance of Jesus for Judaism and for contemporary culture. With clear insight, the essays point out the ways that historical Jesus scholarship can be applied to everyday issues. The essays offer a unique perspective on the historical Jesus that provides a view contrary to many other contemporary books on Jesus. Contributors include: Bernard Brandon Scott (University of Tulsa); Luke Timothy Johnson (Emory University); Daniel Harrington (Weston School of Theology); Monika Hellwig (Georgetown University); Michael Cook (Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion); Amy-Jill Levine (Vanderbilt University Divinity School); Adele Reinhartz (McMaster University); Alan Segal (Barnard College); and Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus (Wheaton College). Bryan F. Le Beau is the John C. Kenefick Faculty Chair in the Humanities at Creighton University. Leonard Greenspoon holds the Philip and Ethel Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization and is Chair of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Studies at Creighton University. Dennis Hamm, S.J., is Professor of Theology at Creighton University.

In this authoritative and thought-provoking work, Geza Vermes transforms our understanding of Jesus. Taking a fresh approach which gives an equal voice to both New Testament and non-biblical Jewish writings, he explores the differing portrayals of Jesus that have defined two millennia of Christian belief and speculation. Beginning with the most recent gospel, the Gospel of John, Vermes takes us back in time to reveal the historical figure of Jesus hidden beneath the oldest gospels, revealing how and why a charismatic Palestinian holy man was elevated into the divine figure of Christ.

A meditation on the seven words of Mary's life as recorded in the Scriptures and Our Lord's seven words on the cross. It is interesting and instructive that Our Lord spoke only seven times on Calvary and that his mother is recorded as speaking only seven times, the last of which is at the Marriage Feast of Cana, the beginning of Christ's ministry.

"I left Jesus to search for the Tao when I was sixteen," writes Kenneth Leong. "Now I am forty and realize that I could have found the Tao in Jesus." This is an intriguing book that reveals how Zen philosophy parallels the core message of the gospel. It is the spiritual side of Zen, the art to trust and accept life that coincides with the core of the Gospel message. For power, dogma and doctrine were not Jesus' passion, but the mystery of life and the possibility of love. Sometimes people have overlooked the joy, the humor and the depth of Jesus' teachings--often because they could not surmount the narrow confines of openness to the scripture's power to transform our lives.

Who was Jesus? What did he do during his lifetime? What do people say about him today? The answers to these questions and many others are provided in this collection of facts, articles, stories, and more. Each entry is arranged alphabetically by topic and draws from sources such as the Bible, literature, and popular culture. Jesus: Everything You Need to Know to Figure Him Out is a delightful and engaging book that reveals fascinating information about Jesus Christ and his enduring influence today.

Two thousand years on, Jesus of Nazareth still attracts hundreds of millions of followers world wide. A genius for leadership is self-evident and yet John Adair, the internationally renowned author and consultant on leadership, finds that little has been said or written about this aspect of Jesus, despite the world's hunger for visionary, inspirational leaders. Using the body of knowledge about leadership that we have today, he offers a captivating analysis of Jesus as a leader - then and now. 'Jesus is one of the few individuals who seem somehow to rise above history, nationality, race, gender and creed - he belongs to us all. What is his contribution to that timeless yet timely leadership that the world needs today.' John Adair in his introduction

A new edition of this classic devotional and doctrinal work. It is about the relation between Jesus and God: the Father personally in the Son, and the Son personally in the Father. Central to this relation is the atoning sacrifice of Jesus upon the Cross. Throughout, without resorting to technical theological terms, and using arguments of persuasive beauty closely related to Christian experience, the author presents the evangelical heart of the historical creeds. Here is a simple yet profound little book, where people can find great nourishment for Christian belief and experience in the world today.>

In the early 1990s, the church in Malawi mounted concerted and public opposition to the regime of Hastings Banda. The Catholic bishops issued a Lenten pastoral letter, which ignited the processs that led to a democratic election. This record of the story through the 1960s onwards is about a church discovering its mandate, and struggling to live with it. The record is a chronicle of events and developments before and after the publication of the bishops' Lenten letter, It also contains the literal text, in part or in full, of important statements and docucments issued by the parties concerned.

Virtually all the current debates about the historical Jesus have their roots in questions that have been pursued by biblical historians over the past two centuries. This anthology brings together seminal essays by those scholars who have been most influential in the rise and development of Jesus studies, enabling the reader to compare their differing points of view.