Two renowned theologians open up the reality of God's glory in this book, offering readers a dynamic foundation for glorifying God in the twenty-first century. Drawing from Christian spirituality, liturgy, poetry, hymns, iconography, seminal "glory" texts in the Bible, the Nicene Creed, and theologians throughout the ages who caught sight of the glory of God in diverse ways, this book explores the immensely rich and generative soteriological theme of glorification. It shows students how to integrate theology into the life of faith and demonstrates how the practices of Christian worship influence theological thinking. Metaphors, descriptions, evocations, concepts, narratives, and more highlight the amazing, abundant reality of glorification. This is the first book in the Soteriology and Doxology series. These introductory textbooks cover key topics in soteriology, providing substantive treatments of doctrine while pointing to the setting of theology in doxology. Series editors are Kent Eilers and Kyle C. Strobel.

John is a Gospel of abundant truth, life, and love. David Ford, one of the world's leading Christian theologians, invites readers into a fresh, profound encounter with Jesus through the Gospel of John in this comprehensive theological commentary. This commentary will appeal to a wide audience, including pastors, church leaders, and other readers interested in the intersection of theology and spirituality. It will also be of interest to professors and students doing research on John and the reception of the Gospel in Christian theology.

In our culture of distraction it can be hard to focus on spiritual matters. Work, finances, and uncertain futures are just a few things that overwhelm us daily. Discover how to overcome and develop an everyday spirituality that will guide your actions and bring meaning to your hectic life.
"Ford provides a way beyond distraction to joy and buoyancy."--Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary
"Amidst the glut of books on the devotional life that seek to be relevant and are only contemporary, this book is already a classic on the 'spirituality of everyday life.' I could hardly put it down."--Ray Anderson, Fuller Theological Seminary
"A wise book that concentrates on the principle aspects of our lives that we so often get wrong because we lack wisdom."--Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School
"Offers far greater wealth than even several readings can probe."--Books & Culture
"Profound and reflective . . . yet always concrete, and never dishonest or evasive. A jewel of the spiritual life in its everyday manifestations."--Nicholas Wolterstorff, Yale Divinity School
"These reflections ought to be read by laity and clergy alike, for they offer the spiritual renewal we desperately need."--L. Gregory Jones, Duke University Divinity School
"The Shape of Living is like a friend's invitation to a dinner at which you encounter some unexpected guests and hope for some life-shaping consequence. By all means, accept."--The Christian Century
David F. Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University, is the author and editor of many books, including Reading Texts, Seeking Wisdom

With the aim of envisioning new horizons for a theology of glory, this book offers fresh biblical, theological, and scientific perspectives on the subject of divine self-revelation and human response to the manifestations of divine presence. The first four chapters explore the biblical origins of divine glory within the nation of Israel, the glorious encounter between Moses and God, and the Christological dimensions of glory in Johannine and Pauline writings. These chapters demonstrate how the biblical text inherently weaves aspects of creation, calling, covenant relationship, revelation, Christology, ecclesiology, and eschatology into a remarkable tapestry of divine glory. Five theological essays cover the role of the Holy Spirit and the worshipful response of believers to the glory of God, as well as expositions on the glory-themed writings of Jonathan Edwards, Karl Barth, Oscar Romero, and Etty Hillesum. These theological writers provoke challenging questions by emphasizing how the theme of glory paradoxically encompasses both otherworldly perfection and worldly sinfulness. This book concludes with two chapters that focus on the natural and physical sciences, revealing how God's glory is displayed in the heavens and on earth. The chapters in this book demonstrate the importance of the subject of divine glory in the study of the nature of the triune God.

What is Christian wisdom for living in the twenty-first century? Where is it to be found? How can it be learnt? In the midst of diverse religions and worldviews and the demands and complexities of our world, David Ford explores a Christian way of uniting love of wisdom with wisdom in love. Core elements are the 'discernment of cries', the love of God for God's sake, interpretation of scripture, and the shaping of desire in faith. Case studies deal with inter-faith wisdom among Jews, Christians and Muslims, universities as centres of wisdom as well as knowledge and know-how and the challenge of learning disabilities. Throughout, there is an attempt to do justice to the premodern, modern and postmodern while grappling with scripture, tradition and the cries of the world today. Ford opens up the rich resources of Christianity in engaging with the issues and urgencies of contemporary life.

This eagerly awaited book by David F. Ford makes a unique and important contribution to the debate about the Christian doctrine of salvation. Using the pivotal image of the face, Professor Ford offers a constructive and contemporary account of the self being transformed. He engages with three modern thinkers (Levinas, Jungel and Ricoeur) in order to rethink and reimagine the meaning of self. Developing the concept of a worshipping self, he explores the dimensions of salvation through the lenses of scripture, worship practices, the life, death and resurrection of Christ, and the lives of contemporary saints. He uses different genres and traditions to show how the self flourishes through engagement with God, other people, and the responsibilities and joys of ordinary living. The result is a habitable theology of salvation immersed in Christian faith, thought and practice while also being deeply involved with modern life in a pluralist world.

This is an important and original study of the ideas of self and Christian salvation. Using the pivotal image of the face, David F. Ford engages with three modern thinkers in order to rethink and reimagine the self. He goes on to examine the dimensions of salvation through the lenses of scripture, worship practices, Christ and the lives of contemporary saints. The result is a theology of self and salvation immersed in Christian faith, thought and practice, while also being deeply involved with modern life in a pluralist world.

This book was first published in 2005. How will the study of theology and the religions in higher education be shaped in the coming century? This book offers several different perspectives on this field of study with suggestions for a future in which theology and religious studies are pursued together. There are examples of the interplay of theology and religious studies with reference to a range of topics: God, love, scripture, worship, argument, reconciliation, friendship and justice. The contributors practise different disciplines within the field, often in combination, covering theology, philosophy, history, phenomenology, literary studies, hermeneutics, politics, ethics and law. Their specialisms embrace Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Indian religions, with particular focus on the field in Europe, the US and South Africa. Recognizing the significance of the religions and of higher education, the book explores what best practice can be adopted to fulfil responsibilities towards academic disciplines, the religions and the societies of which they are part.

What is Christian wisdom for living in the twenty-first century? Where is it to be found? How can it be learnt? In the midst of diverse religions and worldviews and the demands and complexities of our world, David Ford explores a Christian way of uniting love of wisdom with wisdom in love. Core elements are the 'discernment of cries', the love of God for God's sake, interpretation of scripture, and the shaping of desire in faith. Case studies deal with inter-faith wisdom among Jews, Christians and Muslims, universities as centres of wisdom as well as knowledge and know-how and the challenge of learning disabilities. Throughout, there is an attempt to do justice to the premodern, modern and postmodern while grappling with scripture, tradition and the cries of the world today. Ford opens up the rich resources of Christianity in engaging with the issues and urgencies of contemporary life.

This Oxford Reader encompasses the two-thousand year history of responses to Jesus of Nazareth, bringing together over 340 extracts from a wide range of sources from ancient through to modern times.