This conference volume features cutting edge research from an international cohort of scholars on the still-controversial debates regarding Paul's relationship with Judaism. Taken together, the contributions represent a sympathetic but critical assessment of the Paul within Judaism approach to Pauline interpretation. They take up many of the key questions germane to the debate, including different perspectives on Jewish identity, ethnicity, Torah-observance, halakha, the relationship between Jewish and non-Jewish followers of Christ, and the contested character of Jewish identity in antiquity. By combining a broad swath of both German- and English-language scholarship, the volume attempts to bring different perspectives into conversation with each other.

What does it really mean for the church to have unity? When Jesus prayed for his followers to be one, he prayed that this unity would demonstrate the truth of his claims to an unbelieving world. Sadly, the world often sees a church that is divided. Some of our divisions are based on legitimate theological concerns, yet many others are simply matters of opinion. To the world, it's all another reason to doubt God. What are the differences worth dividing over? How should we handle diversity? Mending a Fractured Church, edited by Michael Bird and Brian Rosner, seeks to answer such questions, looking to the Bible for examples of how to behave when Christians differ. Speaking to pastors, churches, and seminary students, the contributors provide a guide to maintaining unity without compromise.

This volume is a primer on the ways theology can be of practical value both to fledgling Christians and to those who've been in the faith for so long that they've lost sight of the basics. According to Brian Rosner, the great theologians in the history of the church have always found that theology affords genuine comfort in the face of life's difficulties. In The Consolations of Theology Rosner and other practical theologians present a compelling blend of biography and theology that profoundly addresses the range of human suffering.

Contents and contributors:

Introduction: On Consolation
Gwenfair Adams
Lactantius on Anger
Richard Gibson Augustine on Obsession
Andrew Cameron Luther on Despair
Mark Thompson Kierkegaard on Anxiety
Peter Bolt Bonhoeffer on Disappointment
Brian Rosner C. S. Lewis on Pain
Robert Banks