About the Contributor(s): Deborah Sokolove is Director of the Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion and Associate Professor of Art and Worship at Wesley Theological Seminary. She is a regular contributor to ARTS, Lectionary Homiletics, and other journals. In addition to her writing and teaching, she is an artist with an active exhibition schedule.

Leadership among God's people is not a matter of easy answers or simple solutions. There is no foolproof list of character traits that one can acquire and develop in order to be a successful leader. Authentic leadership is a complex interaction of the leader's gifts and calling, the people's needs and response, the particular situation of the moment, and, above all, the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Birch and Parks believe if we wish to understand the intricate and messy character of leadership in the church, the obvious place to start is Scripture. The Bible portrays leaders not as heroes placed on a pedestal, but rather as flawed and fallen human beings who nonetheless work with the people around them and with the situation at hand to move toward accomplishing the will of God.

Ducking Spears, Dancing Madly is a penetrating look at church leadership through the stories of Saul, David, and other central Old Testament figures. The authors demonstrate that those who have a clear and honest understanding of the triumphs and flaws of the individuals who lead God's people in Scripture will be better prepared to lead God's people today. In order to provide that understanding, they engage in a dialogue with the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, texts that portray the people of Israel in frequent social and political transition, and hence in need of effective leadership.

Often called the "minor prophets", Hosea, Joel, and Amos are anything but that. Theirs are important voices from the biblical tradition of the prophets, and the issues they discuss became characteristic of Hebrew prophecy. Hosea and Amos are the first of the great classical prophets. And knowing their preaching, as well as Joel's, provides a foundation for understanding all the prophets of Israel. In this volume, Bruce Birch shows how these three prophets spoke to issues that dominated their times - love, redemption, fidelity, renewal, authority, justice, righteousness, and inclusivity - and that continue to have great relevance today.

Connecting the Old Testament with the modern church, this book relates the testimonies and stories of Israel's faith in the Hebrew canon to the character and conduct of Christians and the Christian community today. By opening up the moral resources available in the Old Testament, this book will spur discussion of both the character of those moral resources and their pertinence to ethical issues in a complex and challenging time.

"Christian social concern requires not only that we ask what we should "do" in a broken world but also that we ask who we are to "be."" Bruce C. Birch pursues this idea to its roots in the Old Testament, challenging today's Christians to strengthen their faith by a deeper understanding of their biblical inheritance. He looks at the Old Testament, often neglected or misunderstood, as a basis for social witness, essential to both individuals and the community.

How can a church in the richest and most powerful nation on earth respond to the needs of the poor, the hungry, and the oppressed? The authors of this book describe this issue with clarity and power, and explore the biblical perspectives that offer guidance toward a viable and more equitable future for both church and society.The authors call for a radical change in life-style based on a revolution in perspective and basic values.

This book has become a standard text inseminary and university classrooms. The purpose of this second editionisto help readers come to a critically informed understanding of the Old Testament as the church's scripture. This book introduces the Old Testament both as a witness of ancient Israel and as a witness to the church and synagogue through the generations of those who have passed these texts on as scripture. The authors of this volume share a commitment to the interpretation of the Old Testament as a central resource for the life of the church today. At the same time, theyintroduce the Old Testament witness in a manner that honors the importance of biblical scholarship in helping students engage the variety of theological voices within the Old Testament. This second edition gives special attention to deepening and broadeningtheological interpretations by including, for example, issues related to gender, race, and class. Italso includesmore detailed maps and charts for student use."

Among the topics treated are: Christian ethics as community ethics Charting the moral life Elements of character formation Character and social structure Decision making The nature and role of biblical authority Uses of Scripture in Christian ethics