The gospel of John, titled simply "According to John" in ancient manuscripts contains some of the simplest language in the New Testament. The Greek of this book is so simple that it is often used in teaching beginning students to read New Testament Greek. Pastors and teachers often recommend the book as a good starting point for new Chrustians reading the Bible for the first time. But the simple vocabulary and structure belies an extraordinary spiritual depth. While there are lessons to be learned from an initial surface reading, diligent seekers will find incredible depths. Understanding these deeper lessons requires one to see the book as a whole and understand the intricate pattern of connections between the various parts. Verse by verse and even passage by passage study can be misleading. New Testament scholar Herold Weiss spent a considerable amount of time searching for the best way to open up the treasures of this gospel to non-scholars and settled on a series of meditations on various phrases or events related in the book. In each meditation he ties the specific theme to related passages and imagery throughout the gospel. His masterful presentation will open your eyes and mind to new insights into the fourth gospel, early Christianity, and its application to 21st century Christianity.

The creation-evolution controversy is one of the most contentious in Christianity. It may appear to many to be much less important than issues with more direct moral implications. Yet how we view the relationship between science and religion will have a significant impact on how we live and on how we understand our faith and our world. Herold Weiss comes to this issue not as a scientist, historian, or a philosopher, but rather as a student of Scripture. He believes that the various authors of Scripture view creation in varied and sometimes contrasting ways. Many discussions of creation focus on the first three chapters of Genesis, but Weiss takes in the entire scope of scripture, looking at creation in the prophets, the wisdom literature, Genesis 2, Genesis 1, Romans, the Corinthian letters, Colossians, Hebrews, and finally Revelation. In a book of this size it is impossible to study all of these areas in depth, but Weiss provides an excellent overview that will help any student of the Bible gain a better perspective on how creation impacts biblical teaching on a variety of issues. His presentation is representative, rather than exhaustive, but it provides a breadth that is much needed, and often lacking, in discussions of this issue. No matter in which way the biblical authors viewed creation, they were free to affirm their faith in the Creator. Weiss helps us understand that we, like them, can also affirm our faith in the Creator God no matter how we view the natural world and the universe in which we live. The Bible itself demonstrates the independence of faith from any and all cultural descriptions of the material reality of which we are a part.

Finding My Way in Christianity: Recollections of a Journey is a story of dealing with the differences within the Christian community that is both personal and theologically reflective. With a diverse cross-cultural background, exceptional theological education, and fascinating personal experience, author Herold Weiss is uniquely qualified to write about this topic. This notable book outlines the author's experiences starting in Montevideo, Uruguay and moving through various educational experiences and teaching positions. It is no accident that the chapter titles reflect geographical locations, as the journey through space provides an illuminating metaphor for the faith journey that accompanies it. Some of the people you meet in this book will make you angry. Others will make you thankful to be a Christian. Some will evoke your sympathy even as you seek to understand why they acted as they did. All of them will help give you some insight into what goes into a successful journey of faith. You can read Finding My Way in Christianity either as an interesting story or as theological reflection. The author s experiences will resonate with many of us who have experienced the divisions within the Christian community and dealt with those who would silence dissent. Dr. Weiss story comes primarily within one denomination, but it follows outlines that will be familiar to many.

The apostle Paul was a cross-cultural missionary, a Hellenistic Jew who sought to be "all things to all people" in order to win them to the gospel. In this provocative book Charles Cosgrove, Herold Weiss, and K. K. Yeo bring Paul into conversation with six diverse cultures of today: Argentine/Uruguayan, Anglo-American, Chinese, African American, Native American, and Russian. No other book on the apostle Paul looks at his thought from multiple cultural perspectives in the way that this one does. From the introduction outlining the authors' cultural backgrounds to the conclusion drawing together what they learn from each other, "Cross-Cultural Paul" orients readers to the hermeneutical struggles and rewards of approaching texts cross-culturally.