The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ are central events in our salvation. Yet few Christians have a good grasp of the first-century historical and religious context in which the Crucifixion took place, nor of its true significance for the people of that time-and hence for our time as well.

Biblical scholar and attorney Dr. Constantinou puts modern readers in the center of the events of Christ's Passion, bringing the best of modern scholarship to bear while keeping her interpretation faithful in every particular to the Orthodox Tradition.

Too often the virgin birth of Christ serves merely as an evangelical shibboleth instead of a doctrine that affects our lives. The theological meaning of the virgin birth is rich in and of itself. The author argues that the doctrine has been too long ignored by the church. Collecting from disparate sources into one brief accessible volume, Richard Shenk encourages the church towards boldness, to understand the rich theological treasure that the virgin birth of Christ is for us, and to live out its significance in joy and practice.

Union with Christ is the first extensive work on the Christology of Swiss theologian Adolf Schlatter (1852-1938). It offers fresh insights not only to readers interested in Adolf Schlatter's theology in particular, but also to students and professionals from the historical and dogmatic disciplines in general. The first part of the book sets the scene by tracing the biographical context of Schlatter's Christological thinking. It explores Schlatter's evaluation of Kantianism, of the revival movement, of Ritschl and the Ritschl school, and of dialectical theologians, particularly Karl Barth. Based on this analysis, the second part of the work examines the dogmatic shape of Schlatter's relational Christology in more detail. From the perspective of Schlatter's theological triad of seeing-act, thinking-act, and life-act, it investigates his relational account of Jesus Christ against the backdrop of a distinct Trinitarian framework. According to Schlatter, Jesus reveals his divinity on the cross as he is able to maintain fellowship with God in spite of God-forsakenness - mediated by the Holy Spirit - and he reveals his humanity by remaining in close communion with sinners, transforming them and gathering them into the new community of faith.

An Unlikely Union tells the dramatic story of how two of America's largest ethnic groups learned to love and laugh with each other after decades of animosity. They came from the poorest parts of Ireland and Italy and met as rivals on the sidewalks of New York. Beginning in the nineteenth century, the Irish and Italians clashed in the Catholic Church, on the waterfront, at construction sites, and in the streets. Then they made peace through romance, marrying each other on a large scale in the years after World War II. The vibrant cast of characters features saints such as Mother Frances X. Cabrini, who stood up to the Irish American archbishop of New York when he tried to send her back to Italy, and sinners like Al Capone, who left his Irish wife home the night he shot it out with Brooklyn's Irish mob. The book also highlights the torrid love affair between radical labor organizers Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Carlo Tresca; the alliance between Italian American gangster Paul Kelly and Tammany's "Big Tim" Sullivan; heroic detective Joseph Petrosino's struggle to be accepted in the Irish-run NYPD; and the competition between Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby to become the country's top male vocalist. In this engaging history of the Irish and Italians, veteran New York City journalist and professor Paul Moses offers a classic American story of competition, cooperation, and resilience. At a time of renewed fear of immigrants, An Unlikely Union reminds us that Americans are able to absorb tremendous social change and conflict-and come out the better for it.

Next to the Bible itself, "The Imitation of Christ" is the most-published - and most deeply cherished - book in any language. For nearly 600 years, these thoughtful meditations on Jesus' life and teachings offer practical guidance on the central task of the Christian life: learning day by day to live like Jesus. This modern translation is direct and concise, yet retains a deep devotional flavor.

Drawing on examples from literature, art, and popular culture, as well as theology, this engaging book reveals the importance of the question, "whose was he?" in fully understanding the life and legacy of Jesus.A concise, accessible and engaging exploration of Jesus's life and enduring influenceCharts the changing global status and influence of Jesus, a Galilean Jew born when the ancient Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean world, and how he has come to be honored as the Christ and recognized by billions of people around the worldTraces the reception history of Jesus and his story over the past two millennia, through art, literature, and culture, as well as theologyDraws on a fascinating range of materials - from ancient texts, creeds, and theological treatises, to the visual and dramatic arts, including books like "The DaVinci Code" and films such as "The Passion of the Christ"

The Historical Jesus: Five Views provides readers with an introductory survey to the key issues in the 'quest for the historical Jesus' After a scene-setting historical introduction, prominent figures in the Jesus quest set forth their views and respond to their fellow scholars. The issues are probed with formidable knowledge and honed insight. The contributors are: Professor Darrell L. Bock: Dallas Theological Seminary, Texas; Professor Emeritus John Dominic Crossan: DePaul University, Illinois; Professor Emeritus James D. G. Dunn: Durham University, England; Professor Luke Timothy Johnson: Emory University, Georgia; Professor Robert M. Price: Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, Florida.

Who is Jesus? What did he do? What did he say? -Are the traditional answer to these questions still to be trusted? - Did the early church and tradition "Christianize" Jesus? - Was Christianity built on clever conceptions of the church, or on the character and actions of an actual person? These and similar questions have come under scrutiny by a forum of biblical scholars called the Jesus Seminar. Their conclusions have been widely publicized in magazines such as Time and Newsweek. Jesus Under Fire challenges the methodology and findings of the Jesus Seminar, which generally clash with the biblical records. It examines the authenticity of the words, actions, miracles, and resurrection of Jesus, and presents compelling evidence for the traditional biblical teachings. Combining accessibility with scholarly depth, Jesus Under Fire helps readers judge for themselves whether the Jesus of the Bible is the Jesus of history, and whether the gospels' claim is valid that he is the only way to God.

The only historic figure outside the early Christian tradition to whom the Gospels ascribe a dialogue with Jesus is the first-century Roman prefect Pontius Pilate. Presiding over the trial and execution of Jesus, Pilate is a figure who has straddled history and legend for over two thousand years. Now, Aldo Schiavone presents a comprehensive, revisionist biography of Pilate that meticulously reconstructs the social, religious and political context in which his fateful encounter with Jesus took place. Drawing on a wealth of original research, Schiavone weaves together the sources, from epigraphs to the Gospels, from Josephus to Tacitus and Philon, to create a portrait that approaches its subject as if for the first time, without any other intent than to try to explain what happened.

This book takes a personal approach to spirituality by exploring Jesus through his personal life and relationships. Herron focuses on Jesus' travels on the road to Emmaus, where he met many disciples along the way. By paralleling Christ's journey with our daily trials, one can discover the many dimensions of love and the one sustaining Spirit even in the most minute detail of day-to-day life. Immortal Longings serves as a guide for those who are searching and grasping for understanding in their lives and journeys. The exploratory nature of this book makes it especially appealing to college students and older adolescents.

To understand the cult of the Virgin Mary is to understand the Christian religion. The Virgin Mary is a ubiquitous but enigmatic presence in Christian history and culture. The tradition about Mary forms a vast and multi-layered aspect of Western history, culture and spirituality. It is not just in the Catholic tradition that Mary has become a particular focus of study and interest. Mary has also become a crucial interest for Christians outside this tradition (Protestant, Anglican) as a path to ecumenical understanding. This book is intended as a reference book for the student or scholar seeking knowledge of the history and contemporary practice of the cult of the Virgin Mary. It provides new essays which give overviews of particular areas of study - both historical and thematic - together with texts from primary sources and important scholarly articles, some of which appear in English for the first time. The volume is designed to be suitable for use as a course book at undergraduate and Masters levels. The result is astonishing and will open up whole new avenues for theological and spiritual enquiry. "The Virgin Mary": A resource book for study will be essential for anyone who has a strong theological or devotional interest in Mary. But it will open the eyes of those who do not.

This book brings the events and themes of Easter into the rest of the year. In the Christian tradition, we make much of the Christ-child and Christ crucified but are much more reticent about Christ risen, in spite of the fact that it's the risen life we're supposed to be sharing most of the time. We go through Lent and Holy Week with great seriousness but Easter gets one great day and then we're not sure what to do with it. This book is full of ideas, reflections, and resources on how to extend the message of resurrection through the coming weeks and into the rest of our lives. It includes 'articles' of accessible reflection, ways to celebrate resurrection and to continue the 'risen life', worship ideas, stories and personal experience, poetry, music and art, a home group/cell group course, literature and film, cartoons and humour etc, all designed to give a variety of points of entry to the theme of resurrection.

Following the life of Jesus from the crib to the cross, to the resurrection and the promise that he will come again, Simon Ponsonby explores what this person and this life means for us today. Emphasising both the humanity and divinity of Jesus, Ponsonby showcases what is so amazing about Jesus, helping readers to rediscover their awe and wonder again. Marshalling the multi-faceted names and descriptions of Jesus in Scripture - the King of the Jews, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, the Living Water, the Bridegroom, High King of Heaven, Lord and Saviour, the Way, the Truth and the Life and many more - this book reveals the one who is God come to us, to be God with us, to show God for us. Amazed by Jesus helps to restore our vision of Jesus and expand it, so we can know him better and see him as he is. Jesus changed and is changing everything - he is amazing. This is a clarion call from Ponsonby to the Church to go back to our first love, to go deeper and truly experience the living water - a discovery that will impact on the whole world.

How can a scientifically-minded person approach the healings and miracles of the Gospels, including such events as the raising of Lazarus and the Resurrection itself? Emil Bock rediscovers the works of Christ without minimizing the difficulties. He brings together historical records and the geographical background of the Gospels, all the while keeping sight of their spiritual wisdom. Bock considers the Gospel of John to give the most precise record of the events of Christ's three year ministry, as well as being the Gospel with the deepest esoteric significance. This profound study reveals a new understanding of Jesus' incarnation on earth.

Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history's most influential and enigmatic figures by examining Jesus within the context of the times in which he lived: the age of zealotry, an era awash in apocalyptic fervour. Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against historical sources, Aslan describes a complex figure: a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity secret; and the seditious 'King of the Jews', whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his lifetime. Aslan explores why the early Church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary, and grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself. Zealot provides a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told. The result is a thought-provoking, elegantly written biography with the pulse of a fast-paced novel, and a singularly brilliant portrait of a man, a time and the birth of a religion.

Mater Misericordiae-Mother of Mercy-emerged as one of the most prolific subjects in central Italian art from the late thirteenth through the sixteenth centuries. With iconographic origins in Marian cult relics brought from Palestine to Constantinople in the fifth century, the amalgam of attributes coalesced in Armenian Cilicia then morphed as it spread to Cyprus. An early concept of Mary of Mercy-the Virgin standing with outstretched arms and a wide mantle under which kneel or stand devotees-entered the Italian peninsula at the ports of Bari and Venice during the Crusades, eventually converging in central Italy. The mendicant orders adopted the image as an easily recognizable symbol for mercy and aided in its diffusion. In this study, the author's primary goals are to explore the iconographic origins of the Madonna della Misericordia as a devotional image by identifying and analyzing key attributes; to consider circumstances for its eventual overlapping function as a secular symbol used by lay confraternities; and to discuss its diaspora throughout the Italian peninsula, Western Europe, and eastward into Russia and Ukraine. With over 100 illustrations, the book presents an array of works of art as examples, including altarpieces, frescoes, oil paintings, manuscript illuminations, metallurgy, glazed terracotta, stained glass, architectural relief sculpture, and processional banners.

In this classic theological treatise, the acclaimed theologian and religious leader Howard Thurman (1900-1981) demonstrates how the gospel may be read as a manual of resistance for the poor and disenfranchised. Jesus is a partner in the pain of the oppressed and the example of His life offers a solution to ending the descent into moral nihilism. Hatred does not empower--it decays. Only through self-love and love of one another can God's justice prevail.

A meditation on the sufferings of Jesus. Never has there been spiritual reading as powerful as What Jesus Saw from the Cross, the book that will intensify your love of Jesus by burning the events of His Passion into your memory and imagination. Written by Rev. A. G. Sertillanges, this acclaimed devotional classic gives you vivid and dramatic details not included in the Gospel.

Jesus the Rebel explores the radical life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth and shows how his witness speaks directly to our contemporary world of violence, war, poverty, and nuclear weaponry. As John Dear ponders Jesus call to discipleship, he shares his own journey of Gospel peacemaking. In jails, soup kitchens, shelters, and war zones, Jesus the bearer of God 's Peace and Justice is reborn and invites us to be transformed in our homes, workplaces, churches, communities, and hearts.

This volume presents a collection of papers by scholars from Europe and the USA on a question which is currently again the subject of intensive discussion - the figure of the historical Jesus. One main problem is that of methodology - how in general can history be constructed from texts, how is it possible in this particular case to draw a picture of Jesus the person from the texts about him? This question is placed within the wider context of epistemological and historiographical enquiry. A further major question is that of the relationship between Jesus' work and the development of the Christian faith. Whereas earlier scholars often saw a gap between the two, many of the present contributors put forward a different point of view. In addition, a number of questions of detail are treated which are important for research into the historical Jesus (the law, Jesus' concept of death, judgement and salvation).

By the signs, wonders and miracles He performed, Jesus manifested His compassion for His creatures and the ultimate reason for his coming into the world - His healing and restoration of mankind. The miracles are presented in three parts. The first deals with the miracles recorded in St Matthew's and St Luke's Gospels, as they are read on the Sundays after Pentecost. The second section treats the signs of the Gospel of St John, and the third part surveys the miracles in St Mark's Gospel.

In a book that took eight years to research and write, leading Bible scholar Bart D. Ehrman explores how an apocalyptic prophet from the backwaters of rural Galilee crucified for crimes against the state came to be thought of as equal with the one God Almighty Creator of all things.

Ehrman sketches Jesus's transformation from a human prophet to the Son of God exalted to divine status at his resurrection. Only when some of Jesus's followers had visions of him after his death--alive again--did anyone come to think that he, the prophet from Galilee, had become God. And what they meant by that was not at all what people mean today.

As a historian--not a believer--Ehrman answers the questions: How did this transformation of Jesus occur? How did he move from being a Jewish prophet to being God? The dramatic shifts throughout history reveal not only why Jesus's followers began to claim he was God, but also how they came to understand this claim in so many different ways.

Written for secular historians of religion and believers alike, How Jesus Became God will engage anyone interested in the historical developments that led to the affirmation at the heart of Christianity: Jesus was, and is, God.

New York Times bestselling author Kathie Lee Gifford reveals heartwarming, entertaining conversations between people and personalities who both agree and disagree about who Jesus is, his role throughout history, and his presence in our lives today. For decades Kathie Lee has had deep conversations about her faith with anyone who is interested in talking about it. What she discovered early on is most people are very willing to talk about Jesus: atheists, agnostics, Scientologists, Jews, broken-hearted Catholics, confused Baptists, Pentecostals, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Hindus alike. While some of the people Kathie Lee has spoken with do not share her belief that Jesus is the Messiah-as prophesied for centuries by prophets in the Hebrew scriptures-they nonetheless have a universal fascination with Him. This singular man who lived more than two thousand years ago, and never traveled more than one hundred miles from where He was born, managed to change the entire world. Even the way we delineate history (BC/AD) comes from His short thirty-three years of life. In The Jesus I Know, Kathie Lee shares cherished conversations that she's had with others who find Jesus to be an ancient historical figure who somehow continues to be an undeniably magnetic, relevant presence in the modern world. Those conversations include actors like Kristin Chenoweth and Cynthia Garrett, with stories of Craig Ferguson and Kevin Costner, newsmakers and news personalities like Kris Jenner, Megyn Kelly, Jason Kennedy, and Janice Dean, performers like Chynna Phillips Baldwin, Brian Welch, Jimmie Allen, and Jimmy Wayne, hitmakers like Louis York and David Pomeranz, as well as those coming from other faith traditions. Using Kathie Lee's favorite Scripture passages as scaffolding, these thought-provoking exchanges will bring His teachings to life before your very eyes.