Bøger af John M. Court

A resource book on the interpretation of biblical texts, settling detailed examples within the diverse history of reading the Bible from the New Testament, via the Church Fathers, mediaeval theologians, Reformers and modern interpreters, to postmodernist strategies.

The first question is: Should Revelation be studied at all? Is it monopolised by fundamentalists, or of such a minority interest that it doesn''t belong in the New Testament? This study guide introduces the text anew by a series of thematic readings. The text is seen to deal with essential themes-God and Christ, the Church in the World, Creation and the end of the Universe, Politics and Rival Powers, and the Future Hope. Special attention is paid to the living traditions within which Revelation is interpreted, including art, literature and music. Not only does this guide seek to orientate the reader within the whole range of the text and its traditions; it also focusses discussion in three substantial chapters dealing in turn with the key literary, historical, and theological issues raised. How can one describe Revelation''s literary character? From what historical and social context did it come? What are its abiding theological values and doctrines? This study is set in the context of modern approaches to the biblical text and is supported by selected bibliographies and recommendations for further reading.

Charting a steady course between the feverish predictions of early Christian heretics like the Montanists, and the febrile outpourings of modern-day millennialists, such as the Branch Davidians and Christian Zionists in America, this book explores the continuities and differences between their violent visions of cataclysm.