This reader guides students through this difficult topic, with seven chapters representing an in-depth treatment of a sub-topic within theological anthropology. Starting with an overview and specific methods for this subject, the overall discussion focuses on the exegetical-theological problem of the imago dei. The following chapters offer examination of topics such as: human ontology, freedom and limit, gender and sexuality, personhood and identity and worship and desire. Throughout this reader, the editors include texts from the patristic, medieval, Reformation and modern eras, while also providing a blend of bible commentary, theological discourse and philosophy. The texts used for this study include thinkers such as Gregory of Nyssa, Kathryn Tanner, Karl Barth, Augustine, Martin Luther, John Paul II, Sarah Coakley and David Kelsey. Each chapter contains an introduction, research/discussion questions and suggestions for further reading.

This title presents an exploration of the Christian concept of martyrdom and its relation to the understanding of the 'self'. What does Christian martyrdom tell us about being a self? I argue that Christian martyrdom provides a coherent and compelling narration of the self in terms of the narrative of the life and death of Jesus Christ: a narrative that orients the self in hope towards the good and turns the self towards recognition of and sacrificial service of other selves. In conversation with writers such as Salman Rushdie and Charles Taylor and prompted by T.S. Eliot's "Murder in the Cathedral", I show that Christian discipleship is not the path of establishing oneself securely, or pursuing the good made possible through collaboration with earthly power, or making oneself an identity through action according to some ideal, or seeking earthly or heavenly renown, but is rather narrated in the light of the experience of pierasmos (temptation/testing) and with reference to God's providence.

There is no place, it seems, that feelings do not run high about feelings. Western civilization is still caught between adoration of the emotions as sublime and denigration of them as merely animal. Can we trust our feelings? Should we suppress them or should we indulge them? In what part of our persons do feelings occur? Contemporary Christianity is no less vexed about emotions. The rise of the charismatic movement in the late twentieth century, with its emphasis on experiential Christianity, has led to an equally strong reaction of suspicion against talk of the emotions as significant for the Christian life. Though these questions have an everyday, practical importance, they also point to profound theological questions about the nature of the triune God and the ascription of emotions to him in the Bible. Does God himself have feelings? This stimulating volume, based on the 2011 Moore College School of Theology, offers perspectives on emotions. Topics include a cultural overview, theological anthropology, the question of divine passions, the emotional life of Jesus, the SpiritaEURO (TM)s work in perfecting emotions, preaching the Gospels for divine effects, and the place of the emotions in corporate worship including connections with singing and music. The contributors are Rhys Bezzant, Peter Bolt, Gerald Bray, Andrew Cameron, Keith Condie, Richard Gibson, David HAhne, Michael Jensen, David Peterson and Robert Smith.

Shakespeare Scholars Speak interviews twenty-four of today's most prominent Shakespeare scholars about the books that have influenced their ideas, been the most useful in their work, and are just plain fun. Among those interviewed are Sir Stanley Wells, Sir Jonathan Bate, Sir Brian Vickers, Ann Thompson, Virginia Mason Vaughan, George T. Wright, Lukas Erne, MacDonald P. Jackson, Peter Holland, James Shapiro, Katherine Duncan-Jones, and Barbara Hodgdon. Interview guests discuss their reasons for recommending the best known books in Shakespeare studies and also unearth nearly forgotten treasures that deserve a wide readership. The extensive bibliography doubles as a reading list of the most important works in Shakespeare studies past and present, and because some of those interviewed are also Shakespeare film scholars, a filmography lists the most important and interesting Shakespeare films along with other films that influenced Shakespeare filmmakers. The interviews are reprinted from Michael P. Jensen's Talking Books column in the Shakespeare Newsletter.

The storytelling impulse lies very deep within human cultures; indeed, it is fundamental to the very concept of human culture itself. What, then, is humankind, according to the great story types of tragedy, epic, and comedy? What do each of these genres say about us, and about what transcends us? Building on a critical discussion of the great genres of the Western literary tradition, Michael P. Jensen argues that each of these contains a “theo-anthropology”—a theological understanding of the human creature. He then shows how questions of identity, purpose, and destiny are addressed within each genre, concluding that human existence is a “storied nature” shaped by the various literary forms that have fostered human cultural imagination. These genres provide crucial keys to vital anthropological and theological questions when put in conversation with Christian theology; as Jensen shows, the Christian story, “the gospel,” shares many observations about the human condition with the great genres, but offers a different “sense of ending.”

Synopsis: Sydney's evangelical Anglicans have been the focus of a great deal of controversy and criticism in the Anglican world. Their blend of conservatism towards doctrine and radicalism towards the institutional church has made them something of an enigma to other Anglicans. But what makes them really tick? Michael Jensen provides a unique insider's view into the convictional world of Sydney Anglicanism. He responds to a number of the common misunderstandings about Sydney Anglicanism and challenges Sydney Anglicans to see themselves as making a positive contribution to the wider church and to the city they inhabit. Endorsements: "For many observers, Sydney Anglicanism is an incomprehensible oxymoron--a diocese decidedly committed to the authority of Scripture and the primacy of its proclamation, yet institutionally yoked to the far more doctrinally progressive and liturgically centered Anglican Church of Australia, not to mention the wider Anglican Communion. What makes such an anomaly tick? Equally important, where should its undisputed vigor and clout head? A re ective son of the diocese, Michael P. Jensen is to be commended for providing a concise, articulate, and thoughtful book that seeks to answer both of these important questions. Henceforth, neither friend nor foe of Sydney Anglicanism will be taken seriously without rst engaging Michael Jensen's timely apology and critique." --Ashley Null, German Research Foundation's Thomas Cranmer Project, Humboldt University of Berlin Author Biography: Michael P. Jensen is Lecturer in Doctrine and Church History at Sydney's Moore College. He is the author of Martyrdom and Identity: The Self on Trial (2010) and (with Tom Frame) Defining Convictions and Decisive Commitments: The Thirty-Nine Articles in Contemporary Anglicanism (2010).

This reader guides students through this difficult topic, with seven chapters representing an in-depth treatment of a sub-topic within theological anthropology. Starting with an overview and specific methods for this subject, the overall discussion focuses on the exegetical-theological problem of the imago dei. The following chapters offer examination of topics such as: human ontology, freedom and limit, gender and sexuality, personhood and identity and worship and desire. Throughout this reader, the editors include texts from the patristic, medieval, Reformation and modern eras, while also providing a blend of bible commentary, theological discourse and philosophy. The texts used for this study include thinkers such as Gregory of Nyssa, Kathryn Tanner, Karl Barth, Augustine, Martin Luther, John Paul II, Sarah Coakley and David Kelsey. Each chapter contains an introduction, research/discussion questions and suggestions for further reading.

About the Contributor(s): Michael P. Jensen is Lecturer in Theology and Church History at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. He is the author of Martyrdom and Identity: The Self on Trial (2010), How to Write a Theology Essay (2012), and Sydney Anglicanism: An Apology (2012). He writes a monthly column for Eternity magazine.

What does Christian martyrdom tell us about being a self? I argue that Christian martyrdom provides a coherent and compelling narration of the self in terms of the narrative of the life and death of Jesus Christ: a narrative that orients the self in hope towards the good and turns the self towards recognition of and sacrificial service of other selves. In conversation with writers such as Salman Rushdie and Charles Taylor and prompted by T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral, I show that Christian discipleship is not the path of establishing oneself securely, or pursuing the good made possible through collaboration with earthly power, or making oneself an identity through action according to some ideal, or seeking earthly or heavenly renown, but is rather narrated in the light of the experience of pierasmos (temptation/testing) and with reference to God's providence.