"Hierapolis in the Heavens" is a project which brings together several articles and essays that Kreitzer has written on the letter to the Ephesians and follows up a new suggestion which he first put forward in 1997 as to the setting and provenance of the epistle. Nothing quite like this has yet been published on Ephesians, particularly as it does offer some important new archaeological, textual and numismatic evidence for scholarly consideration. The book should also be of interest to social-historians of the first-century world as it argues that the letter we know as "Ephesians" was written to what was, in effect, a daughter-church of the church in Colossae; some intriguing questions about power-relations between churches such as this are opened up as a result.It was formerly known as "The Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement", a book series that explores the many aspects of New Testament study including historical perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and theological, cultural and contextual approaches. "The Early Christianity in Context" series, a part of JSNTS, examines the birth and development of early Christianity up to the end of the third century CE. The series places Christianity in its social, cultural, political and economic context. European Seminar on Christian Origins is also part of JSNTS. "Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus Supplement" is also part of JSNTS.

This latest volume in the Readings series offers a helpful guide to the shortest, and arguably the most personal, as well as enigmatic, of Paul's letters. It surveys the range of interpretations put forward over the years, and identifies the strengths and weaknesses in the traditional reading of Philemon as addressing the estrangement that has arisen between Paul's friend Philemon and his runaway slave Onesimus. Recent alternatives to this reading are assessed, with particular attention to the light they shed on Paul's own attitude to slavery and his understanding of reconciliation. Historically, the Letter to Philemon has been the focus of much debate between abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates, and the use made of the Letter in the 18th and 19th centuries is here uniquely chronicled. In addition, the story of Onesimus and Philemon, as traditionally conceived, had a great appeal to writers of historical fiction, and a number of examples of that genre are summarized. The book also highlights the way in which Philemon has featured in filmic treatments of Paul's life, including a new and fascinating film in Arabic entitled The Runaway (2006). The volume offers an excellent introduction, not only to the main historical and critical issues raised by Philemon, but also to the rich legacy that the Letter has created for subsequent generations of readers who remain fascinated by the subtlety of its depiction of human relationships.

This probe into Paul's theology argues that in his eschatological thinking there is a conceptual overlap between Jesus and God. As in several pseudepigraphical texts, there is in Paul a certain identification of the roles of God and the messianic figure. Especially in Paul's doctrines of the parousia and the final judgment this overlap features the Old Testament idea of the Day of the Lord Yahweh becoming transposed into the Day of the Lord Christ. In examining Paul's teaching on the messiah and the Kingdom, Kreitzer offers a penetrating analysis of how Paul balanced theocentricity and christocentricity within his eschatology, and how the theme of Christ's subordination to God is interjected into his doctrine.

This latest volume in the Readings series offers a helpful guide to the shortest, and arguably the most personal, as well as enigmatic, of Paul's letters. It surveys the range of interpretations put forward over the years, and identifies the strengths and weaknesses in the traditional reading of Philemon as addressing the estrangement that has arisen between Paul's friend Philemon and his runaway slave Onesimus. Recent alternatives to this reading are assessed, with particular attention to the light they shed on Paul's own attitude to slavery and his understanding of reconciliation. Historically, the Letter to Philemon has been the focus of much debate between abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates, and the use made of the Letter in the 18th and 19th centuries is here uniquely chronicled. In addition, the story of Onesimus and Philemon, as traditionally conceived, had a great appeal to writers of historical fiction, and a number of examples of that genre are summarized. The book also highlights the way in which Philemon has featured in filmic treatments of Paul's life, including a new and fascinating film in Arabic entitled The Runaway (2006). The volume offers an excellent introduction, not only to the main historical and critical issues raised by Philemon, but also to the rich legacy that the Letter has created for subsequent generations of readers who remain fascinated by the subtlety of its depiction of human relationships.

This is Dr Kreitzer's fourth study in the "Biblical Seminar" series in which the connections between Biblical texts, classic works of literature and cinematic interpretations of those works of literature are explored. The aim is to illuminate both the New Testament texts and facets of contemporary culture through a cross-disciplinary approach. This volume contains studies of T.S. Eliot's Christmas poem "The Journey of the Magi", Joseph Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness", and Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale", in addition to discussion of several influential works from the world of cinema, including such diverse contributions as Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek", Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now", and Fred Zinnemann's western parable "High Noon". In each instance the discussion is set against the backdrop of words and images drawn from the sayings of Jesus.

This is a volume of cross-disciplinary essays focused on the enigmatic story of the woman taken in adultery (John 7.53--8.11). Explorations of the background, history and interpretation of the passage are offered, including investigations of the adulterous woman motif in Old Testament, New Testament, rabbinic, patristic and mediaeval writings. There are also treatments of the motif as it appears in other cultural expressions, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter, and assessments of the theme's significance for contemporary theologies, in particular for feminist and pastoral approaches. The contributors represent a wide range of professional and ecclesiological backgrounds.

Here Dr Kreitzer explores the connections between biblical texts, classic works of literature, and cinematic interpretations of those works. The aim is to illuminate both the New Testament texts and facets of contemporary culture through a cross-disciplinary approach. This volume contains studies of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, all of which are set against the backdrop of images drawn from the Pauline epistles. The studies discuss a wide variety of theological themes, including shipwreck and salvation, eschatology, eucharistic imagery, and liberation and slavery.

Books and Commentaries on the writings of the New Testament abound. But where can a student find a short up-to-date volume, concise yet compehensive, on the New Testament text he or she is studying? More important, where can a student find such a volume at an affordable price? NEW TESTAMENT GUIDES have been designed to meet these and other student needs: -introduction to the contents of the particular biblical book -balanced survey of the important critical issues -attention to the literary, historical, sociological and theological perspectives -suggestions about critical appropriation of the text by the contemporary reader -reference to other standard works through annotated bibliographies For this series the authors have drawn not only upon their scholarly expertise but also upon their experience as teachers of university and college students. The series editor, A.T. Lincoln, whose writings include Paradise Now and Not Yet and the Word ommentary on Ephesians, is Professor of New Testament at the School of Theology and Religious Studies at Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education. Larry Kreitzer is a Fellow and Tutor for Graduates at Regent's Park College, Oxford.He is also Lecturer in New Testament at Oriel College, Oxford and holds a University Research Lectureship within the Faculty of Theology at Oxford.