This commentary, like each in the series, is designed to serve readers by demonstrating the continuing intellectual and practical viability of theological interpretation of the Bible. Figures of the classical church such as Augustine, Calvin, Luther, and Wesley interpreted the Bible theologically, believing Scripture as a whole witnessed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Modern interpreters of the Bible questioned this premise. But, in recent decades, a critical mass of theologians and biblical scholars has begun to reassert the priority of a theological reading of Scripture. The "SCM Theological Commentary" series enlists leading theologians to read and interpret Scripture for the twenty-first century, just as the church fathers, the Reformers, and other orthodox Christians did for their times and places.

Those who wish to interpret and understand the Bible face a fundamental question: How do I interpret Scripture faithfully? Theological interpretation is an approach that has received much attention in recent years, and R. R. Reno is a leading practitioner and proponent of this approach. In The End of Interpretation, Reno's first full statement on the topic, he argues that Scripture is interpreted correctly only when it is read through the lens of creedal orthodoxy--that is, through the apostolic faith. The principle of accordance between doctrine and Scripture is of first importance for solid Christian interpretation. Reno provides a simple explanation of this multifaceted approach. He wrestles with what makes interpretation "theological" and provides two historical case studies, discussing Origen and the Reformation debate over justification. He then demonstrates what theological interpretation looks like in practice, reflecting on Genesis 1, John 17, and 1 Corinthians. Reno's insights will benefit serious readers who seek to interpret Scripture faithfully.

The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible enlists leading theologians to read and interpret Scripture for the twenty-first century, just as the church fathers, the Reformers, and other orthodox Christians did for their times and places. In this addition to the well-received series, esteemed theologian R. R. Reno offers a theological exegesis of Genesis. This commentary, like each in the series, is designed to serve the church--providing a rich resource for preachers, teachers, students, and study groups--and demonstrate the continuing intellectual and practical viability of theological interpretation of the Bible.

In Sanctified Vision John J. O'Keefe and R. R. Reno explain the structure and logic of the early Church fathers' interpretations of the Bible. These interpretations are considered foundational to the development of Christianity as a religion and offer insight into how the early church fathers thought about Christian doctrine and practice. By analyzing selected portions of patristic exegesis, the authors illustrate specific reading techniques employed by the church fathers to expound the meaning they believed intrinsic to biblical texts.

This approach is organized around three basic analytic strategies: literal, typological, and allegorical. The literal strategy is an intensive and broad analysis that identifies particular word associations that intensify scriptural meaning. The typological strategy interprets distinct patterns of events within scripture and applies those patterns to other events in scripture and the history of the church. The allegorical approach to biblical reading, like the topological strategy, seeks patterns in the text, but these patterns are more diverse and represent larger themes or beliefs of the early church.

Within this analytic framework, the authors explain the larger structure of patristic exegesis and argue for the importance of this structure in the emergence of Christian orthodoxy.

The diverse contributors to this issue of Plough Quarterly focus on what it means to be a peacemaker. Peacemaking, they show, is a riskier and more ambitious undertaking than we may have imagined. Today we must wage peace where thousands of children are being murdered by militias or forced to fight as soldiers. We need peacemakers in divided cities from Paris to Baltimore, peacemakers in a culture with little tolerance for Christian witness, and peacemakers in churches riven by ideological fights and petty grudges, not to mention making peace with our spouses, and with ourselves. Hear from active peacemakers on the frontlines of these battles and explore insights on peacemaking from Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Badshah Khan, Jeannette Rankin, Charles Spurgeon, André Trocmé, Peace Pilgrim, Albert Schweitzer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Eberhard Arnold. And as always, Plough Quarterly includes world-class art by the likes of Marc Chagall, Egon Schiele, Lisa Toth, Carl Larsson, Ben Shahn, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Paul Klee, Antonello da Messina, and others. Plough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to put their faith into action. Each issue brings you in-depth articles, interviews, fiction, poetry, book reviews, and art to help you put Jesus’ message into practice and find common cause with others.

In this stirring volume R. R. Reno -- a thoughtful, literate writer with a zest for physical and theological adventure -- looks back on his time working in the oil fields of Wyoming, his quests to the heights of Yosemite and the ice cliffs of the French Alps, his daughter's bat mitzvah, and more, rendering seven diverse -fragments of life- in energetic prose. Fighting the Noonday Devil resounds with Reno's depth of feeling and regard for the tangible things of life. Through these narratives, vignettes, and reflections he shows that it is the real-life manifestations of love and loyalty -- far beyond intellectual abstractions or theories -- that train us for true piety.

This volume is a literary and cultural investigation of the discord and resonance between classical ideals of heroic action and the imperatives of the Christian life, from the Homeric epic to the present day. Its central theme is the difficulty of recognizing, imitating, and participating in heroic excellence--a difficulty that has been a concern for classical, Renaissance, and modern writers alike.

Gained Horizons takes up Pope Benedict XVI's invitation, issued in his lecture at the University of Regensburg, to enter into the dialogue of cultures by "broadening our concept of reason" to "once more disclose its vast horizons." Benedict placed in the foreground the notion of God as acting with reason, and said of "this great logos, this breadth of reason," that "to rediscover it constantly is the great task of the university." Contributors include Jean Bethke Elshtain, Peter Lawler, R. R. Reno, Glenn Arbery, and Nalin Ranasinghe.