This book offers a fresh outline of the Christian story shaped by the idea of God's love as it is described in the New Testament. Love Hurts is a fresh and compact summary of the central themes of the Christian message. Journeying through the Bible's rich and diverse world of ideas and stories, it leads the reader on a route mapped out by one particular motif - the love of God. The meaning of this idea as it is explained in three key verses in the New Testament determines the path taken. The reader is invited to consider the costliness of that love, the judgement from which it saves men and women, the sort of life it promises and the role that faith plays in responding to it. The saving ministry of Jesus is considered afresh in the light of it. There is also a reflection on why these short lives of ours have ultimate significance and the distinguishing mark of those who are blessed by God. Finally, consideration is given to the pre-emptive nature of God's saving love and how that love is presented to us in the gospel as promise. 'In Love Hurts Alan Spence demonstrates that it is possible to be both simple and profound. Spence starts with the conviction that the love of God lies at the heart of the Christian story, and proceeds to unpack this belief with nuance and insight, producing a compelling and convincing argument primarily by allowing the Bible to speak for itself. This is a book well worth reading.' Brian Harris, Principal of Vose Seminary and Senior Pastor of Carey Baptist Church, Perth, Western Australia

This title provides an upper-level introduction to the doctrine of justification which triggered the Reformation and is still high up on the agenda in Ecumenical dialogue. The core of the book is an historical survey of the doctrine of justification as it has developed within the Western church - a somewhat simplified version of McGrath's Justitia Dei, but with a more outspoken assessment of the various moves that are taken at various stages in the discussion. Attention will is paid to the context or prevailing world view in which such a doctrine is deemed significant. Although the focus is on a number of principal theologians there are some reference to their peers or followers. Only at the end the Pauline texts are examined. The conclusion considers what part a doctrine of justification can have within a modern worldview in which the concept of divine judgement has generally been marginalised. Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

Through engagement with the historical debate Incarnation and Inspiration offers a systematic exposition of the person of Jesus that brings together dissonant aspects of the tradition. It serves as an introduction to the theology to John Owen, the most able of the Puritan theologians and provides a way of understanding the theological dynamic underlying the Christology of the Fathers and the Definition of Chalcedon. Through its emphasis on coherence it seeks to illuminate the inner rationality of God's triune being and his mission among us through the Son and Spirit.Incarnation and inspiration are concepts which can be used to characterize two quite different ways of thinking about Christ. Although the history of doctrine suggests they are mutually exclusive, John Owen's theology effectively integrates them in one coherent Christology. The underlying structure of his exposition is that of incarnation, whereby the Son willingly assumed human nature into personal subsistence with himself. But his distinctive idea was that the divine Son acted on his own human nature indirectly and by means of the Holy Spirit.

The book offers a defence of a mediatorial interpretation of the atonement, that is one in which Christ is held to have become as we are, so that he might on our behalf make peace with God. It is argued that such an interpretation is not one of a number of valid descriptions of Christ's saving work, but the normative redemptive account. The erosion of this classic view of the atonement can be explained partly by a number of developments that have taken place in theological thought during the past two hundred years. These include the emergence of a Christology in which Christ's divinity is linked to his saving ministry; a new interpretation of Pauline theology in which issues of justification are held to be secondary to those of participation; a return to the more dualistic world-view of the Church Fathers; difficulties with the concept of divine judgement; and a culture of relativism in which a unified or coherent account of the atonement not only no longer seems possible, but is generally not even considered desirable. The book achieves its purpose by engaging critically with these various theological ideas. It is as much a clearing of the undergrowth from the foundations of soteriology as it is the construction of a coherent account of Christ Jesus as the one mediator between God and us. It goes on to consider the relation of such an account to the proclamation of the gospel and the response required of its hearers.

Christology is an area hotly debated among New Testament scholars and Theologians. This new "Guide for the Perplexed" leads the reader through the arguments, debates and definitions to produce a fascinating guide to the subject.Christology, the study of the nature and person of Christ, is a confusing and complex subject for even the most advanced student. Hotly debated from the origins of the early church, the subject caused the first major schism with the Christian church.Today, Christology is of concern to both New Testament scholars and Theologians alike and continues to provoke debate within the Church. In this "Guide for the Perplexed", Alan Spence guides the reader through the maze of arguments to give a clear understanding of this subject. After an introduction providing a basic definition of Christology, Spence examines the key debates and defining moments in the early Church and the Reformation. This historical background provides an essential foundation on which to outline later developments in Christology. Later chapters consider the Quest for the Historical Jesus, and the work of the major theologians in this area including Barth and Schleiermacher and from the present day, NT Wright and Pannenberg. Spence concludes by looking at contemporary arguments within the field of Christology.Continuum's "Guides for the Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

This title provides an upper-level introduction to the doctrine of justification which triggered the Reformation and is still high up on the agenda in Ecumenical dialogue. The core of the book is an historical survey of the doctrine of justification as it has developed within the Western church - a somewhat simplified version of McGrath's Justitia Dei, but with a more outspoken assessment of the various moves that are taken at various stages in the discussion. Attention will is paid to the context or prevailing world view in which such a doctrine is deemed significant. Although the focus is on a number of principal theologians there are some reference to their peers or followers. Only at the end the Pauline texts are examined. The conclusion considers what part a doctrine of justification can have within a modern worldview in which the concept of divine judgement has generally been marginalised. Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

Christology is an area hotly debated among New Testament scholars and Theologians. This new "Guide for the Perplexed" leads the reader through the arguments, debates and definitions to produce a fascinating guide to the subject.Christology, the study of the nature and person of Christ, is a confusing and complex subject for even the most advanced student. Hotly debated from the origins of the early church, the subject caused the first major schism with the Christian church.Today, Christology is of concern to both New Testament scholars and Theologians alike and continues to provoke debate within the Church. In this "Guide for the Perplexed", Alan Spence guides the reader through the maze of arguments to give a clear understanding of this subject. After an introduction providing a basic definition of Christology, Spence examines the key debates and defining moments in the early Church and the Reformation. This historical background provides an essential foundation on which to outline later developments in Christology. Later chapters consider the Quest for the Historical Jesus, and the work of the major theologians in this area including Barth and Schleiermacher and from the present day, NT Wright and Pannenberg. Spence concludes by looking at contemporary arguments within the field of Christology.Continuum's "Guides for the Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

The book offers a defence of a mediatorial interpretation of the atonement, that is one in which Christ is held to have become as we are, so that he might on our behalf make peace with God. It is argued that such an interpretation is not one of a number of valid descriptions of Christ's saving work, but the normative redemptive account. The erosion of this classic view of the atonement can be explained partly by a number of developments that have taken place in theological thought during the past two hundred years. These include the emergence of a Christology in which Christ's divinity is linked to his saving ministry; a new interpretation of Pauline theology in which issues of justification are held to be secondary to those of participation; a return to the more dualistic world-view of the Church Fathers; difficulties with the concept of divine judgement; and a culture of relativism in which a unified or coherent account of the atonement not only no longer seems possible, but is generally not even considered desirable. The book achieves its purpose by engaging critically with these various theological ideas. It is as much a clearing of the undergrowth from the foundations of soteriology as it is the construction of a coherent account of Christ Jesus as the one mediator between God and us. It goes on to consider the relation of such an account to the proclamation of the gospel and the response required of its hearers.