Bøger udgivet af William B Eerdmans Publishing Co

Guidebook par excellence to a significant ancient Jewish scholar A contemporary of both Jesus and the apostle Paul, Philo was a prolific Jewish theologian, philosopher, and politician -- a fascinating, somewhat enigmatic figure -- who lived his entire life in Alexandria, Egypt. His many books are important sources for our understanding of ancient Judaism, early Christianity, and the philosophical currents of that time. Reading Philo is an excellent introductory guide to Philo''s work and significance. The contributors -- all well-known experts on Philo of Alexandria -- discuss Philo in context, offer methodological considerations (how best to study Philo), and explore Philo''s ongoing relevance and value (why reading him is important). This practical volume will be an indispensable resource for anyone delving into Philo and his world.

This book explores the ways that Christians, from the period of late antiquity through the Protestant Reformation, interpreted the Bible according to its several levels of meaning. Using the five bodily senses as an organizing principle, Karlfried Froehlich probes key theological developments, traditions, and approaches across this broad period, culminating in a consideration of the implications of this historical development for the contemporary church. Distinguishing between principles and rules of interpretation, Froehlich offers a clear and useful way of discerning the fundamental difference between interpretive methods (rules) and the overarching spiritual goals (principles) that must guide biblical interpretation. As a study of roots and reasons as well as the role of imagination in the development of biblical interpretation, Sensing the Scriptures reminds us how intellectually and spiritually relevant the pursuit of a historical perspective is for Christian faith and life today.

According to the pre-modern Christian tradition, knowledge of God is mainly testimonial: we know certain important truths about God and divine things because God himself has told them to us. In academic theology of late this view is often summarily dismissed. But to do so is a mistake, claims Mats Wahlberg, who argues that the testimonial understanding of revelation is indispensable to Christian theology.Criticizing the currently common idea that revelation should be construed exclusively in terms of God's self manifestation in history or through inner experience, Wahlberg discusses the concept of divine testimony in the context of the debate about how any knowledge of God is possible. He draws on resources from contemporary analytic philosophy -- especially John McDowell and Nicholas Wolterstorff -- to argue for the intellectual viability of revelation as divine testimony.

Expert guidance on how to grow up in Christ This book is a follow-up to Thomas Bergler''s acclaimed work The Juvenilization of American Christianity, which documents how church youth ministries over the past several decades have contributed to a process of adolescent spiritual traits becoming accepted and even celebrated by Christians of all ages. This "juvenilization" in the church is a real problem that must be addressed, says Bergler, and in his new book he addresses it head-on. Bergler''s From Here to Maturity is an accessible guide for helping both individuals and whole faith communities to grow spiritually. Bergler claims that spiritual maturity -- defined as "basic competence in the Christian life" -- is both desirable and attainable, and he effectively presents a biblical theology of spiritual maturity, identifying its traits from pertinent New Testament passages. Adapting Dallas Willard''s model of spiritual formation and applying it to congregational life, Bergler offers a wealth of practical, research-based guidance as to how Christian leaders can effectively foster spiritual maturity in their congregations. He also identifies six key faith-sustaining factors and provides a system for evaluating a church''s state of spiritual maturity and steps for improving it. Ecumenically friendly, From Here to Maturity will be useful to individuals and leaders from many different churches and theological traditions.

The best contemporary English-language resource on pursuing a universal ethicsIn this volume twenty-three major scholars comment on and critically evaluate In Search of a Universal Ethic, the 2009 document written by the International Theological Commission (ITC) of the Catholic Church. That historic document represents an official Church contribution both to a more adequate understanding of a universal ethic and to Catholicism's own tradition of reflection on natural law.The essays in this book reflect the ITC document's complementary emphases of dialogue across traditions (universal ethic) and reflection on broadly applicable ethical guidance within the Christian tradition (natural law). Among other things, the document situates the natural law ethical tradition within the larger search for a universal ethic. Along with its insightful essays, Searching for a Universal Ethic offers -- for the first time in published form -- the Vatican's official English translation of In Search of a Universal Ethic.Contributors: John Berkman Serge-Thomas Bonino, O.P. David Burrell, C.S.C. Lisa Sowle Cahill Joseph E. Capizzi David Cloutier Anver M. Emon Robert P. George Sherif Girgis Jennifer A. Herdt Russell Hittinger M. Cathleen Kaveny Anthony J. Kelly, C.Ss.R. Fergus Kerr, O.P. Steven A. Long William C. Mattison III Gilbert Meilaender Livio Melina Michael S. Northcott David Novak Jean Porter Martin Rhonheimer Tracey Rowland

In this book renowned philosopher Merold Westphal unpacks the writings of nineteenth-century thinker S├╕ren Kierkegaard on biblical, Christian faith and its relation to reason. Across five books -- Fear and Trembling, Philosophical Fragments, Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Sickness Unto Death, and Practice in Christianity -- and three pseudonyms, Kierkegaard sought to articulate a biblical concept of faith by approaching it from a variety of perspectives in relation to one another. Westphal offers a careful textual reading of these major discussions to present an overarching analysis of Kierkegaard''s conception of the true meaning of biblical faith. Though Kierkegaard presents a complex picture of faith through his pseudonyms, Westphal argues that his perspective is a faithful and illuminating one, making claims that are important for philosophy of religion, for theology, and most of all for Christian life as it might be lived by faithful people.

"I wasn''t supposed to spend my life in the world of scholarship," Richard Mouw acknowledges at the beginning of Called to the Life of the Mind. Yet he has indeed spent his career in the academy -- and has become one of the most widely respected evangelical Christian scholars of our time. In this wise little book Mouw defends Christian scholarship as an important and legitimate endeavor, responding in particular to those traditions that continue to be suspicious of intellectual pursuits. Writing in an inviting, conversational style, Mouw reflects candidly on the faithful Christian cultivation of the life of the mind and offers gentle advice on how Christians, especially evangelicals, might fruitfully navigate the world of the academy as followers of Jesus.

G. K. Beale's monumental New International Greek Testament Commentary volume on Revelation has been highly praised since its publication in 1999. This shorter commentary distills the superb grammatical analysis and exegesis from that tome (over 1,300 pages) into a book more accessible and pertinent to preachers, students, and general Christian readers. As in the original commentary, Beale views Revelation as an integrated whole, as a conscious continuation of the Old Testament prophetic books, and shows that recognizing Revelation's nearly constant use of Old Testament allusions is key to unlocking its meaning. Interspersed throughout the volume are more than sixty sets of "Suggestions for Reflection" to help readers better grasp the relevance of Revelation to their lives and our world today.

An old, bloodthirsty tyrant hears from a group of Magi about the birth of the Messiah, king of the Jews. He vengefully sends his soldiers to Bethlehem with orders to kill all of the baby boys in the town in order to preserve his own throne. For most of the Western world, this is Herod the Great -- an icon of cruelty and evil, the epitome of a tyrant.Adam Kolman Marshak portrays Herod the Great quite differently, however, carefully drawing on historical, archaeological, and literary sources. Marshak shows how Herod successfully ruled over his turbulent kingdom by skillfully interacting with his various audiences -- Roman, Hellenistic, and Judaean -- in myriad ways. Herod was indeed a master in political self-presentation.Marshak's fascinating account chronicles how Herod moved from the bankrupt usurper he was at the beginning of his reign to a wealthy and powerful king who founded a dynasty and brought ancient Judaea to its greatest prominence and prosperity.Watch a 2015 interview with the author of this book here:

After his grandfather presents him with a donkey, Mikis falls in love with the creature, but his grandparents tell him that the donkey is a working animal, not a pet. However, they let Mikis choose her nameNTsakiNand allow them to spend Sundays together. Eventually, both Mikis and his grandfather learn what it means to care for another creature. Illustrations.

This bright, lyrical book offers readers a chance to reflect on all the things that they have to be grateful for. It's a celebration of family and friends, of homes and food to share, and of the wonder of creation from the first light of day to the calm, peaceful night. Full color.

For shy young Peter Mark Roget, books were the best companionsNand it wasn't long before Roget began writing his own book. But he didn't write stories; he wrote lists. Roget took his love for words and turned it to organizing ideas and finding exactly the right word to express what he thought. This elegant book celebrates the joy of learning and the power of words. Full color.

In this book -- the most widely used introduction to Christian doctrine in Germany -- Wilfried Harle so distills Protestant Christian teaching as to bring fresh insight both to new students and to experienced readers of systematic theology. Outline of Christian Doctrine, however, is not merely a translation of Harle's classic German text: Nicholas Sagovsky has entirely adapted the original work to the needs and resources of English-speaking readers.Biblically rooted, contextually sensitive, alert to philosophical issues, and relevant with respect to debates about the world as we know it today, Harle's Outline of Christian Doctrine: An Evangelical Dogmatics is an ideal contemporary theology book for both class use and individual study.

Impressive archaeological research characterizes this important new study of the relation of Jews to the societies in which they lived during the period of dispersion. Levinskaya surveys commonly held views about this difficult aspect of Jewish history and challenges current views regarding the true nature of Jewish missionary activity.

Foreword by H. Martin RumscheidtThis brief yet brilliant book shows that the prison reflections of Dietrich Bonhoeffer contain profound inspiration for all who desire to walk more closely with Jesus in today's troubled and often troubling world.Illuminating the context and content of Bonhoeffer's life and thought, Anxious Souls Will Ask... uses writings of the famous Christian martyr to critique the spirit of the age and to encourage in contemporary Christians the depth of commitment required to stand firm against the contemptuous winds of postmodern culture.

The idea of covenant was at the heart of early New England society. In this singular book David Weir explores the origins and development of covenant thought in America by analyzing the town and church documents written and signed by seventeenth-century New Englanders.Unmatched in the breadth of its scope, this study takes into account all of the surviving covenants in all of the New England colonies. Weir's comprehensive survey of seventeenth-century covenants leads to a more complex picture of early New England than what emerges from looking at only a few famous civil covenants like the Mayflower Compact. His work shows covenant theology being transformed into a covenantal vision for society but also reveals the stress and strains on church-state relationships that eventually led to more secularized colonial governments in eighteenth-century New England. He concludes that New England colonial society was much more "English" and much less "American" than has often been thought, and that the New England colonies substantially mirrored religious and social change in Old England.