Christianity Books
SPCK Publishing The Historical Character of Jesus
Book SynopsisThe first book to explore in detail what we can deduce about the historical Jesus from the later New Testament writings (i.e. everything after the Gospels).
£18.89
SPCK Publishing A Guide to Christianity
Book SynopsisA guide to the Christian faith, which takes a broad sweep from the big bang through the Old Testament to the New and beyond into the history of the faith and modern theological thinking. It explores contemporary strands of Christian thinking and relates them to world faith and non-faith viewpoints.
£8.99
SPCK Publishing Jesus and the Subversion of Violence
Book SynopsisAn honest and compelling presentation of the present-day tensions surrounding the interpretation of New Testament texts relating to violence. While violence may not be as central a concern to the writers of the New Testament as is peace, it opens up avenues of analysis and reflection that shed important light on the New Testament.
£15.19
SPCK Publishing Beauty and Brokenness
Book SynopsisExplores the way we think about the relationship between creation and humanity, their brokenness and beauty and, in this connection, compassion, faith and power. This work uses Mantegna's painting Presentation at the Temple, which is a traditional Madonna and Child composition except that the infant Jesus is depicted as a child with Downs.
£13.01
SPCK Publishing Celebrating Christs Appearing
Book SynopsisConsiders the practicalities of celebrating the liturgical year from the point of view of the liturgical president and other liturgical ministers (eg the deacon at the Easter Vigil), and with particular reference to "Common Worship Times and Seasons" material. This book also considers material from the wider Western tradition where appropriate.
£13.01
SPCK Publishing The Integrity of Pastoral Care
Book SynopsisThis work presents a study of pastoral care as the central pastoral ministry of the church, relating it to other functions of Christian ministry. The theological importance of pastoral care is explored, and other pastoral activities.
£15.19
SPCK Publishing Mission and Dialogue
Book SynopsisExplores fundamental questions about the nature and purpose of the gospel: how it speaks to people of widely differing cultures and world views, and focuses on the encounter with other faith communities, addressing such issues as multi-faith worship and how to understand the uniqueness of Christ.
£11.99
SPCK Publishing The Cross and the Colliery
Book SynopsisBased on sermons originally delivered by Bishop Tom Wright during Easter 2007, this book uses the story of a coal-mining town in northern England as a modern parable for loss and rebirth.
£8.99
SPCK Publishing Living Faith
Book Synopsis
£8.69
SPCK Publishing How to Read the Bible Without Switching Off Your
Book SynopsisTakes the fear out of Bible reading fear of the Bible itself, fear that reading the Bible needs severaluniversity degrees, fear that the Bible says things that no sensible person could accept.Trade ReviewWHEN the author of a book entitled How to Read the BIBLE (without switching off your BRAIN) (SPCK, £9.99) declares that his favourite biblical film blockbuster is "Life of Brian", it is likely that he may bring a fresh approach to a well-covered field of research. Simon Taylor, Canon Chancellor of Derby Cathedral and Continuing Ministerial Development officer for the Diocese of Derby, has certainly done that, as he gathers together talks delivered at St Mary Redcliffe Bristol, and Derby Cathedral into his 130-page manual. As well as recounting the history of the Bible’s compilation, he discusses the "difficult subjects" of money and sex (including the joy expressed in the Song of Songs and not shying away from the subordination of women as advocated in parts of the New Testament) and its use of marriage to mirror our relationship with God. Contemporary problems with the story of creation are tackled by means of "the value of ‘true’ " and Simon Taylor confesses that some examples of violence in the Bible present him with difficulty. He stresses the importance of honesty in "effective wrestling with the Bible" and this book contains all the tools for the job. -- Margaret Daniels * Methodist Recorder *Taylor gives the reader an excellent introduction to the Bible – what it is, how it came about and how to read it – all told in light and lucid prose ... A refreshing work, short and to the point. It is down to earth and practical, stripping away centuries of pious accretions. -- Timothy Kinahan * Church of Ireland Gazette *There are some real nuggets of wisdom in the book. This is a book for mature confirmands, for those who are discerning vocations, for befuddled students, or for anyone who wants to renew the adventure. -- The Revd Dr Matt Bullimore, Vicar of Royston, and Priest-in-Charge of Falkirk, in the diocese of Leeds * The Church Times *It ought to be in all church libraries and bookstalls. * Modern Believing, Vol. 58(1) *
£10.99
SPCK Publishing The God You Already Know
Book SynopsisTwo spiritual directors involved in counselling work explore matters such as stages of spiritual growth and finding a faith community. They then offer the stories of a number of people who have found helpful ways of praying in particular circumstances.
£11.39
SPCK Publishing Youth Ministry
Book SynopsisThis book, written by experts in the field, explores the role of the youth minister by looking at a range of metaphors, such as 'flawed hero', 'visionary architect', 'party planner' and 'guardian of souls'.
£13.29
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Cry of the Deer
Book SynopsisTakes us deeper into the prayer experience through a series of meditations leading into practical exercises in affirming the Presence of God. This book features meditations that are based on the eternal certainties of the Christian faith.Trade ReviewFirst published in 1987, this re-issue will be warmly welcomed by lovers of David Adam’s writings. The Celtic style illustrations by Peter Dingle and Jenny Pearson help the mind to concentrate on the source of the Hymn of St Patrick, and David Adam’s meditations are not just for those used to meditating, they teach the art of meditating on a short phrase and bringing the most meaning out of it. The introduction telling the story of the early life of St Patrick sets the scene, and the two translations of the hymn are the starting point of the meditations. Of course you are intended to work through as the book is written, but I have found that dipping in over the years has revealed gems of wisdom that have stayed with me and helped my faith. If you have not met this book before I highly recommend that you spend time with it and pray that you will find it as rewarding as I have done. -- Mary Bartholomew * GoodBookStall *
£9.49
SPCK Publishing Facilitation Skills for Ministry
Book SynopsisMany ministry training courses do not teach facilitation skills per se and ministers are often left to learn on the job. This book is designed for those who wish to encourage and empower through their leadership skills.
£13.29
SPCK Publishing Finding Hope and Meaning in Suffering
Book SynopsisTrystan Owain Hughes suggests that learning how to suffer and how to wait patiently may be the secret of finding joy in our lives. Diagnosed with a degenerative spinal condition, he was surprised to discover that, instead of increasing his unhappiness, it spurred him on to seek out sources of hope and meaning.
£10.44
SPCK Publishing Supporting Dying Children and their Families
Book SynopsisThis practical guide offers sensitive advice for all who work alongside terminally ill children, their families and families who have been bereaved. A resource for all who minister to terminally ill children and their loved ones - whether in hospitals, hospices or in the community.
£15.19
SPCK Publishing Inside Grief
Book SynopsisThe book explores the reality of grief from different perspectives and provides some insightful help primarily to those trying to support a colleague, friend or family member who is being overwhelmed by their primal grief.
£13.29
SPCK Publishing Looking Towards a Church Fully Reconciled The
Book SynopsisThis volume brings together for the first time the five Agreed Statements of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).
£16.14
SPCK Publishing Gods Green Book Seven Bible Studies About the
Book SynopsisThe Bible is bursting with teaching about nature: how God created it, how humans fit into it, and how it is part of his big story of justice, love and redemption. But what does the Bible have to say about the environmental issues that face us?
£9.99
SPCK Publishing Creating the Future of the Church
Book SynopsisA priest who is also a management consultant considered the Church as an organisation like other organisations - but not quite. Speaking from an extensive experience of helping and advising both religious and secular organisations it shows how what we know about organisational development would have a transformational impact on the Church.
£11.39
SPCK Publishing The Advent of Peace A Gospel Journey To Christmas
Book SynopsisMary Grey looks at how the Advent story encourages forgiveness and reconciliation, both essential for peace, and how the Gospels can be key tools to help Christians work towards peace.
£10.44
SPCK Publishing Living Reconciliation
Book SynopsisThis book is intended as a platform to enable people to engage with and understand the Archbishop's thinking on and methodology for reconciliation. Emerging from the Anglican Communion in collaboration with the Lambeth staff, the book has a strong focus on the indaba process which marked the 2008 Lambeth conference.Trade ReviewA lively, engaging book that challenges the reader to think about how to actively live a life of reconciliation. Desmond Tutu says: 'This book draws on a wealth of stories from around the world and from Scripture, and reminds us that we are all called to be reconcilers through being who we are. We are all called to reconciliation. I commend this book to you, my fellow workers in the kingdom, as a tool and encouragement in living your life of reconciliation.' It is described by Archbishop Justin Welby as 'An excellent book' and Winnie Varghese in the Huffington Post says: 'Reading the powerful moments of revelation among groups that we have been told despise one another, feels like the deep breath of the Spirit finding an instrument within our Communion.' * http://living-reconciliation.org/endorsements/ *
£10.99
SPCK Publishing The Holy Spirit
Book SynopsisThe book is divided into three parts. Part One provides a thematic analysis of all the relevant biblical and cognate literature. Part Two investigates the thinking of key Christian theologians on the Holy Spirit. Part Three examines more recent writings on the Spirit.
£27.90
SPCK Publishing Brand New Church
Book SynopsisBrand New Church? aims to make sense of what 'post-modern' actually looks and feels like in real life, and to ask what this means for the church. The book attempts to discover what those involved in practising church within post-modern cultures really believe and hope for.
£13.29
SPCK Publishing The Underground Church Reclaiming the Subversive
Book SynopsisProminent progressive writer, speaker, and minister Robin Meyers proposes that the best way for the faithful to recapture the spirit of the early Christian church is to recognize that Jesus-following was - and must be again - subversive in the best sense of the word because the gospel taken seriously turns the world upside down.Trade ReviewRobin Meyers is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ in the USA, a columnist, media commentator and lecturer in the philosophy department of Oklahoma City University. His progressive critique of Christian faith and the institutional Church will surprise few people who are already acquainted with other American writers such as Brian McLaren, Diana Butler Bass, Marcus Borg and Bishop Jack Spong. Taken together, these writers and others represent a considerable influence on both sides of the Atlantic among liberal Christians and those seeking a faith and Church ‘fit’ for this third millennium. Meyers is an attractive wordsmith, whose 2010 book, Saving Jesus from the Church (HarperOne), immediately revealed its radical credentials through its chapter titles, such as ‘Faith as Being, Not Belief’, ‘Jesus the Teacher, Not the Savior’, ‘Original Blessing, Not Original Sin’, ‘Religion as Relationship, Not Righteousness’. You get the drift. The Underground Church covers the ground rather more comprehensively in rehearsing again the story of how the radically subversive way of Jesus, over the centuries, became lost in the enforcing Church of orthodox belief. Meyers writes: What began as communities of radical inclusiveness, voluntary redistribution of wealth, a rejection of violence as the tool of injustice, and a joyful egalitarianism that welcomed a ‘nobody’ to worship elbow-toelbow with a ‘somebody’ devolved into a top heavy edifice defined by obligatory beliefs enforced by a hierarchy. (p. 59) Meyers desires to see the followers of Jesus, untrammelled by the accretions of church tradition and institutional baggage, set free as an underground movement to be the kind of counter-cultural, anti-imperial, diverse and inclusive community which is Meyers’s idealisation of the early church. There seems to me to be little evidence of the early Christian communities coming anywhere near this ideal state of radical subversion and inclusivity, but it does provide a platform for Meyers, like many others, to inveigh against the Constantinian ‘takeover’ of the Jesus movement. Meyers describes Constantine’s fusing of church and state as ‘the moment when the drive to "standardize" the Christian product fundamentally transformed The Way into the Belief System – when orthopraxy was replaced with orthodoxy’ (p. 66). And so the author goes on to ‘reimagine’ the Church in the context of North America and this is where some caution is needed by UK readership. It seems to me that his harsh criticism of mainstream American religion cannot be so easily replicated in the UK, where despite the trappings of establishment, even the Church of England bishops have no hesitation in challenging many a government programme in the light of Christian teachings. Interestingly, Meyers quotes Chrysostom as defining perfect Christianity as ‘seeking the common good’ – parlance familiar to those in the UK. Common to progressive commentators on religion both in the UK and in the USA is of course the desire for an authentic and trustworthy re-presentation of Christian faith, which writers such as Marcus Borg were so skilled at achieving. Meyers’s book deserves to be read for this desire alone. In the epilogue, Meyers catalogues the characteristics of the ‘underground church’. Many of these ‘marks’ would earn a sincere ‘Amen’ from a broad spectrum of believers – a church where children are cherished, not just in theory; a church where the mission budget is as large as the operating budget; a church where learning is not subversive and science is not the enemy of faith; and much more. Does Meyers intend to create a new Church built around the changes which he pointedly advocates in the closing pages of the book? Or more hopefully and realistically can such changes occur within existing denominations and structures? Only time will tell. Here, then, is another contribution to a growing movement of those seeking to be true to the way of Jesus and wishful for a transformation of the Church. Put simply, Meyers imagines for us a Church whose members ‘share the conviction that it is more important to be loving than to be right’ (p. 254). Amen to that! -- Adrian Alker * Modern Believing *
£13.29
SPCK Publishing A Biblical Theology of the Holy Spirit
Book SynopsisA comprehensive account of the role and work of the Spirit, covering the entire Bible. Written by a team of leading evangelical scholars, including world authorities such as Craig Bartholomew, David deSilva, James D. G. Dunn, Walter Kaiser and Max Turner. Informed by the latest scholarship.Trade ReviewA well-conceived and stimulating collection of essays . . . that makes an important contribution [to the subject]. * Books at a Glance *
£24.29
SPCK Publishing To Tell Afresh
Book SynopsisMichael Perham, Bishop of Gloucester, explores key Christian beliefs. His approach is readable and accessible yet with the depth of his pastoral experience and theological insight.
£11.78
SPCK Publishing Saints Signs and Symbols
Book SynopsisA comprehensive guide to symbols used in Christian liturgical art, architecture, manuscripts, stained glass, etc. The book includes over 500 new illustrations. First published in 1964, now completely updated.
£9.92
SPCK Publishing Dying and Grieving
Book SynopsisMost funerals in Britain continue to be conducted according to the rites of one or other of the Christian churches. This work seeks to give those engaged in the pastoral ministry two things: a sense of how the nature of the funeral service has changed and some pointers to good practice today.
£13.29
SPCK Publishing Jesus and Peter Growing in Friendship with God
Book SynopsisThis book considers what the New Testament has to say about Simon Peter, in particular how his relationship with Jesus develops. Peter has often been considered a model of discipleship, but Jesus and Peter looks at his friendship with Jesus and considers how it can help anyone to understand and develop their own friendship with God.
£10.44
SPCK Publishing Intercessions for the Calendar of Saints and Holy
Book SynopsisA collection of prayers for the principal feasts and festivals. There are prayers for each principal feast and festival, with sets to cover each of the 'headings' for the lesser festivals and commemorations. This collection is a natural companion to Exciting Holiness, the compendium of readings to accompany the calendar.
£13.01
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge The Minister as Entrepreneur
Book SynopsisA compelling case for an entrepreneurial approach to ministry and mission, exploring its biblical basis and potential benefits.Trade ReviewEntrepreneur is a word which people often find difficult when applied to religious organisations and this is something Michael Volland is well aware of. This ministerial trainer on mission and diocese missioner's latest book The Minister As Entrepreneur: Leading and Growing the Church in an Age of Rapid Change published by SPCK devotes some time and space dealing with this apparent problem. One of the problems which is identified in this text, which is based largely around a piece of fairly small scale qualitative research he did amongst Anglican Clergy within the Diocese of Durham, is the association with the language of business and the market. He gives a quote from CMS head and Fresh Expressions expert Jonny Baker indicating why many within the church feel there are problems with this language; they link it with negative aspects of capitalism. Whilst Volland clearly seeks to go beyond this business approach in his examination of the subject and use of the term it has to be recognised that this book feeds into wider debates within the CofE on theological education and training. The language and ethos of the business environment has been central to the GreenReport (Talent Management for Future Leaders and Leadership Development for Bishops and Deans: A New Approach). This small book I think would best be seen as part of this wider discussion around how we identify gifts and vocation and how we encourage those who might have specific gifts of leadership or callings into specific types of ministry, both lay and ordained. Language and it’s use is the focus of the first part of the book which takes the familiar form of operationalising the terms being used and going through the literature review. Within the first few chapters Volland also engages in some interesting theology particularly in chapter three which is titled "An entrepreneurial God? In this first part of the book Volland is clear to lay out the limitations of this text and the research sample it is based upon. The discussion questions around each chapter at the end of the book together with his initial comments show that this book is intended as a discussion starter. This is indeed how it should be viewed, being somewhat brief in nature. Having read previous work by Volland, such as Through the Pilgrim Door, it is clear that writing in a less academic form is his preferred medium and this is why some parts of the book read better than others. In the preface he appears to be using his natural voice whilst later it reads slightly more awkwardly as he moves away from using the voice of the storyteller wrestling with complex academic questions and more into the more usual formal academic style. I much prefer the former style which has emerged from Volland, Baker and their pioneer contemporaries. The natural style they have developed is one which is clearly rooted in their experiences as practitioners who engage with academia and I think it is very readable. The sub-headings are a useful feature which are well used in this book, guiding the reader well and it is notable that these disappear during the second half of the book. The first 65 pages are distinctly different in tone to the second where he presents his research findings and conclusions as I have indicated. This is perhaps because he identifies the two halves of the book being written for different audiences. The first half is focused on and addresses a broader audience than the latter which not only focuses on his ordained Anglican sample but seems to be addressed those living within a similar occupational bubble. It is clear from his comments that time has led to this restriction but it is a shame as because it means one feels as if they have walked into local debate around resources and recognition. Of course there is wider application or this book would have not been published and that needs to be taken into account. Pages 101 – 103 in chapter 8 are perhaps the most central within this second half of the book because within them Volland outlines what his respondents felt aided the exercise of entrepreneurship in their ministry. These 19 points not only relate to entrepreneurship, I would argue, but what is central to healthy churches, mission and ministry more broadly. I believe they form the basis of what our discussions on the future should be. As I say this is a useful, easy to read, short text which should be taken as a discussion opener or way into engaging with a number of difficult questions which need to be grappled with more widely than just within the CofE. -- Sally Rush, College Lecturer * IMHO Blog *Michael Volland’s book has an admirable aim: to contribute to the emergence of a culture in which entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship are properly understood and recognized as gifts of God to his Church – especially in a time of rapid and discontinuous cultural change. He begins with the bold statement: ‘I am a Christian minister. I am also an entrepreneur’ (p. 1). By this he means not an ability to make money but an attitude of relentlessly and energetically wanting to improve things. This is characteristic of many, like Volland, who are advocates of pioneer or fresh expressions ministry. Volland has written up a research project based on Bill Bolton and John Thompson’s influential book Entrepreneurs: Talent, Temperament, Technique (Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2000; 2004), whose online tool for assessing entrepreneurial potential is used by the Church of England for selecting OPMs (ordained pioneer ministers). He adapts their definition of an entrepreneur to produce a more ‘Christian’ version: ‘a visionary who, in partnership with God and others, challenges the status quo by energetically creating and innovating in order to shape something of kingdom value’. It is notable that this is a rather different definition than that which appears in the subtitle (‘leading and growing the church’). Kingdom value might sound a bit vague, but Volland uses it to mean the furtherance of God’s coming kingdom of justice, provision, wholeness, peace and reconciliation. Armed with this definition, his local bishop helped him to find eighteen parish priests in Durham diocese who display entrepreneurial traits. He then focused on interviewing seven who achieved outstanding results in the online test. The summary of his resulting research is interesting without being riveting. These priests were not necessarily doing things that were strikingly new, but they had a positive ‘glass-half-full’ attitude. One said that ‘the sheer weight of bread and butter stuff can be a hindrance. And yet, we need to find the perceived opportunities in the bread and butter stuff’ (p. 104). None complained of church buildings as a problem, even when they caused difficulties or proved very expensive. I expected therefore that Volland would identify resilience as a key entrepreneurial trait alongside the familiar ones of vision, creativity and innovation. And while I don’t have problems with his use of the image of an entrepreneur in an analogical sense about God, I’m surprised he didn’t support this by reference to the biblical wealth of occupational metaphors that are used about God: potter, gardener etc. Volland notes that entrepreneur is a contested term in the Church, citing one prominent church leader who ‘loathes it’, and arguing that we need to reverse a negative image of entrepreneurs that emerged in public consciousness in the 1980s, based on associations with greed. In fact, as Bolton and Thompson show, for many entrepreneurs generation of wealth is a by-product of their activity rather than the primary motivating factor. I wish Volland had taken this further to recognize the huge contribution that many contemporary UK Christian entrepreneurs make to furthering the kingdom in the course of their commercial activities, through the provision of innovative goods and services, providing employment, and generally making the world a better place. It’s disappointing that when he comes to list notable Christian entrepreneurs in Christian history, they are all saints, church leaders or social reformers who displayed entrepreneurial traits. The great nineteenth-century Nonconformist entrepreneurs like Titus Salt, George Cadbury and Joseph Rowntree don’t get a mention. Entrepreneurs need to be welcomed for the essential work they do in business, not simply because they’re a source of useful funds or even a useful metaphor for church pioneers: many even have useful suggestions to make for innovative approaches to church life and growth. That reservation apart, this is a valuable book which deserves to be widely read. -- Richard Higginson * Theology journal *One of the tensions of modern day ministry is that between the desire of the pastor to be ‘soul friend’ to the congregation and a seemingly irresistible push towards being seen as the managing trustee. The chief executive of the local church, in other words. This is particularly the case among current approaches to mission which adopt a social enterprise model: a holistic approach in which churches are integrating mission with the delivery of goods and services. The rationale underpinning this approach is that fewer and fewer people are likely to drop-in to an Old Time Gospel Service, no matter how faithful the preacher or fervent those praying. Much more likely – and appropriate to this society, at this time – is that people whose immediate needs are addressed in a focused way by Christians reflecting the love of God will be drawn towards the motivation of those who have helped them. If undertaken with respect and not solely as a pretext for proselytising, then this is a wholesome and godly model. In The Minister as Entrepreneur Michael Volland offers the concept of entrepreneur as both a gift of God to the church and a model for others to emulate. Resisting the idea that the only value of enterprise in a church setting is to seek funding to repair the roof or to make up a shortfall in the funds to continue to employ the youth worker, the author proposes that many kinds of ministry and mission would benefit from a more entrepreneurial outlook. Most of us will be able to identify key players in our churches or denominational structures who we might properly describe as entrepreneurs. These are the people with seemingly boundless energy, superb networking skills and the capacity to envisage (and realise) what few others might dare to dream. Such folk are quite rare – perhaps helpfully, since they can be quite hard work! Volland brings together biblical and theological analysis and offers us some worked examples to demonstrate that the concept has a good grounding in Christian understanding. He also offers a range of potential applications. He argues that in times like ours – of discontinuous change – an entrepreneurial approach is not merely warranted but essential. Volland is Director of Mission at Cranmer Hall, Durham. He is also a practitioner in the field, working as missioner to a number of local parishes. This helpfully links scholarship with practical experience. He hopes to persuade ministers and others engaged in provoking and nurturing missional activity to function more as entrepreneurs. It seems to me that this book will further convince those who already tend towards his understanding but that it will make much less impact among those who are more introverted or traditional in their outlook. By including small group discussion questions, here is a chance to open up the theme for wider discussion among PCCs, diaconates and circuit meetings. -- Ivan King * Regent's Reviews *Volland is strong and clear in trying to dissociate the profit motive linked to an entrepreneur style from the creative and innovating energy to grasp opportunities which he wants to be central to the life of the Church. -- Ven Dr Lyle Dennen * Church Times *
£13.29
SPCK Publishing God Where Are You
Book SynopsisIn this volume, Enzo Bianchi reasons that, above all, the story of God is the story of his relationship with his people. In order to help us get to know this God of our fathers, he analyses a number of encounters between the Lord and significant figures in the Old Testament. The author suggests we can be challenged to question our own certainties.Trade ReviewOn Enzo Bianchi’s previous title, Words of Spirituality (2012): Fresh and original . . . Bianchi’s insight and gentle, intelligent approach remained with me long after reading. * Christianity *Enzo Bianchi is one of the most significant Christian voices in Europe . . . His is a perspective that the English-speaking Christian world should welcome enthusiastically. * Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, from the series Foreword *
£10.44
SPCK Publishing Bible to Go Reading The Bible In Everyday Places
Book SynopsisGod is everywhere, and that means he can speak to us in all sorts of interesting places! It doesn't take more than a page or two to get absorbed by this hugely enjoyable and original book, in which Sister Elizabeth invites us to read the Bible (in traditional or less obvious electronic form).
£9.49
SPCK Publishing Jesus the Priest
Book SynopsisA contribution to historical Jesus studies, presenting the case that Jesus saw himself as the priestly messiah who sought to prepare a people to share in his priesthood.Trade Review'A significant contribution to historical Jesus studies. . . Delightful reading and worthy of careful appraisal.' Jeannine K. Brown, Professor of New Testament, Bethel Seminary;'Stimulating stuff, well-argued and accessibly written, with an eye on its relevance for us today.', Methodist RecorderTable of ContentsContents: Introduction 1. The Prayer of Jesus 2. The Baptism of Jesus 3. The Kingdom of Jesus 4. Jesus Son of David 5. The Identity of the Son of Man 6. A Re-envisioned Priesthood 7. Final Confrontations Conclusion
£32.40
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Skills for Collaborative Ministry
Book SynopsisIntended to help you to work more effectively with other people, both inside and outside of the Church. Each chapter focuses on a particular skill - such as team building, facilitation, diversity skills, conflict resolution and evaluation techniques - outlines the theory and the theology behind it, and gives practical guidance and advice.
£13.29
SPCK Publishing Moving Towards Emmaus
Book SynopsisFor Christians, the retreat from Jerusalem after the crucifixion and the loss of hope of the two walkers to Emmaus seems to parallel so many aspects of the post-Christendom context, and helps to make sense of what is otherwise baffling for many. Each chapter of this book reflects on an aspect of the biblical narrative.Trade Review"'... a book full of rich insights, ruthlessly honest, compassionate and wise. I commend it warmly.' Vinoth Ramachandra, IFES (Asia)"
£10.44
SPCK Publishing Was the Birth of Jesus According to Scripture
Book SynopsisThis book focuses on the question that will be of most interest to readers: Was the Birth of Jesus according to Scripture? It outlines the debate between those who think that Matthew and Luke devised their narratives on the basis of specific Old Testament texts and those who think the Gospel narratives have determined the choice of those texts.
£13.29
SPCK Publishing Developing in Ministry
Book SynopsisA new title in the SPCK Library of Ministry, this book describes how, in adopting an organic approach to ministry development, it is possible to make a real impact on people's lives and ministries; this approach is based on the organics model proposed by James Hopewell.
£13.29
HarperChristian Resources The Promise and Power of Easter Bible Study Guide
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£13.49
HarperChristian Resources The Coming Golden Age Bible Study Guide
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£11.69
Zondervan Proverbs
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£41.25
Zondervan Ruth Esther
Book SynopsisA new commentary for today’s world, The Story of God Bible Commentary explains and illuminates each passage of Scripture in light of the Bible’s grand story. SGBC offers a clear and compelling exposition of biblical texts, guiding everyday readers in how to creatively and faithfully live out the Bible in their own contexts.Trade Review'An extremely valuable and long overdue series that includes comment on the cultural context of the text, careful exegesis, and guidance on reading the whole Bible as a unity that testifies to Christ as our Savior and Lord.' * Graeme Goldsworthy author of According to Plan *'Getting a story is about more than merely enjoying it. It means hearing it, understanding it, and above all, being impacted by it. This commentary series hopes that its readers not only hear and understand the story but are impacted by it to live in as Christian a way as possible. The editors and contributors set that table very well and open up the biblical story in ways that move us to act with sensitivity and understanding. That makes hearing the story as these authors tell it well worth the time. Well done.' * Darrell L. Bock Dallas Theological Seminary *'I love The Story of God Bible Commentary series. It makes the text sing and helps us hear the story afresh.' * John Ortberg Senior Pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church *'I'm a storyteller. Through writing and speaking I talk and teach about understanding the Story of God throughout Scripture and about letting God reveal more of his story as I live it out. Thus I am thrilled to have a commentary series based on the story of God--a commentary that helps me to Listen to the Story, that Explains the Story, and then encourages me to probe how to Live the Story. A perfect tool for helping every follower of Jesus to walk in the story that God is writing for them.' * Judy Douglass Director of Women’s Resources, Cru *'In this promising new series of commentaries, believing biblical scholars bring not only their expertise but their own commitment to Jesus and insights into today's culture to the Scriptures. The result is a commentary series that is anchored in the text but lives and breathes in the world of today's church with its variegated pattern of socioeconomic, ethnic, and national diversity. Pastors, Bible study leaders, and Christians of all types who are looking for a substantive and practical guide through the Scriptures will find these volumes helpful.' * Frank Thielman Beeson Divinity School *'Pastors and lay people will welcome this new series, which seeks to make the message of the Scriptures clear and to guide readers in appropriating biblical texts for life today.' * Daniel I. Block Wheaton College and Graduate School *'The Bible is the story of God and his dealings with humanity from creation to new creation. The Bible is made up more of stories than of any other literary genre. Even the psalms, proverbs, prophecies, letters, and the Apocalypse make complete sense only when set in the context of the grand narrative of the entire Bible. This commentary series breaks new ground by taking all these observations seriously. It asks commentators to listen to the text, to explain the text, and to live the text. Some of the material in these sections overlaps with introduction, detailed textual analysis and application, respectively, but only some. The most riveting and valuable part of the commentaries are the stories that can appear in any of these sections, from any part of the globe and any part of church history, illustrating the text in any of these areas. Ideal for preaching and teaching.' * Craig L. Blomberg Denver Seminary *'The Story of God Bible Commentary series invites readers to probe how the message of the text relates to our situations today. Engagingly readable, it not only explores the biblical text but offers a range of applications and interesting illustrations.' * Craig S. Keener Asbury Theological Seminary *
£24.00
SCM Press Deliver us from Evil
Book SynopsisOf all the array of different ministries within the church, it is perhaps deliverance ministry which causes the most concern and confusion, and yet it is also the one most critical to understand in order to practice well. Drawing on an array of disciplines, including practical theology, biblical theology and systematics, this book brings together leading thinkers in their fields to consider the role of deliverance ministry in the life of the church today.
£23.75
W. W. Norton & Company The Hebrew Bible
Book SynopsisA landmark event: the complete Hebrew Bible in the award-winning translation that delivers the stunning literary power of the original.Trade Review"Alter’s translation can be fairly described as a godsend. The foundational texts are here given their due in prose at once modern and magnificently cadenced. Immediately readable, immensely learned, an education and a restitution…" -- Seamus Heaney - Times Literary Supplement"Encountering these books in this form—as ancient literature, laid out as poetry, with copious footnotes—allows you to be dazzled by their range, from the frank eroticism of the Song of Songs to the bucolic idyll of Esther and the downright weirdness of Daniel." -- New Statesman"You think you know these texts, or you do until you read Alter, who reignites their beauty in bracing and unexpected ways." -- Malcolm Jones - Newsweek"Sober, clear, and fluid… Masterful commentary." -- Edward Rothstein - The New York Times"Thrilling and constantly illuminating." -- Michael Dirda - The Washington Post"Musically and poetically sensitive... [Alter] takes us back to the essence of the meaning..." -- James Wood - The New Yorker"A master translator of Hebrew poetry." -- Jon Meachan - The New York Times Book Review"Alter has achieved the significant feat of refreshing English by taking it back to one of its sources of strength." -- Peter Ackroyd - The Times"Alter is amazingly successful... [His] translations of many famous passages are primordially spare and dignified, the work of a scholar with an unusually sure ear for verse." -- Christopher Tayler - The Guardian"In each of the Biblical books in this volume a balance of explanation, translation and commentary is offered. In each of them the reader is made a partner in an adventure of scholarship and clarification which is both rare and exemplary." -- Eavan Boland - The Irish Times"Robert Alter's new translation of the Hebrew Bible draws out the literariness of the text." -- Prospect"Most Biblical translations are teamwork; the so-called King James Version of the Bible was produced by forty-seven English churchmen. But Alter has, like Dr. Johnson with his dictionary, tackled the job on his own. The accomplishment, two decades in the making, is almost absurdly impressive. One wants to call it titanic or Olympian or even heroic, but those are the wrong words—pagan words. Alter will have to settle for one of the God-fearing Hebraic terms of praise that stipple his text: “righteous” or “strong” or, simply, “wise." -- Adam Gopnik - The New Yorker"... truly magnificent translation... Mr. Alter’s sense of the original’s beauty and his representation of it may be different—rougher, blunter, more jagged, not so stately—but his translation is all the more compelling for that." -- The Wall Street Journal"A monumental new translation of the Hebrew Bible." -- The Economist"To translate the Bible into English in the early 17th century, King James approved a team of more than 50... When you think of these translating battalions, it puts into perspective the achievement of Robert Alter... Stretching to more than 3,000 pages including a commentary to enhance readers’ appreciation of the text, it appears in three splendid volumes matching the traditional division of the Tanach— into Torah, Nevi’im, Prophets, and Ketuvim, the Writings (which include Proverbs, Psalms and the Megillot)." -- The Jewish Chronicle"... both the translation and the commentary show that it is possible for one person to master the whole Hebrew Bible in a coherent and consistent way, and to shed light on both its style and its contents. Unusually for a consciously “literary” translation, Alter’s work would also be usable as a study Bible, because it adheres so closely to the Hebrew, and even for liturgical reading since (unlike so many modern versions) it attends to the rhythms and cadences of the original. No one, whatever their religious tradition, can afford to ignore what will surely become a classic version." -- Jewish Quarterly"Speaking of foundational works! The top spot this year, the best work in translation of 2018, is this magnificent culmination of twenty years' work: Robert Alter's complete translation of the Hebrew Bible, with lively and learned commentary throughout. All the joy and exploration of Alter's previously-published sections of this epic undertaking glow even brighter now that the work is complete." -- The Best Books of 2018: Works in Translation! - Open Letters Review"The completion of Robert Alter's decades-long exercise in translating the entire Hebrew Bible is both a monumental event and achievement. Arguably, this is the most significant Hebrew and Jewish Studies publication of the 20th century, and certainly the 21st." -- Church Times
£108.00
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) Searching for the Future in the Past
Book SynopsisKeun-joo Christine Pae is Associate Professor of Religion/Ethics and Women's and Gender Studies at Denison University, USA.Kathleen T. Talvacchia is an Independent Scholar based in New York, USA. She was previously Associate Professor of Ministry and Theology at Union Theological Seminary, USA, and Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs at New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science, USA
£20.89
Transworld Publishers Ltd Genesis Of The Grail Kings
Book SynopsisAdam and Eve were not the first man and woman on Earth, but they were certainly the first of a kind. When the Israelites made their exodus from Egypt, their spiritual leader was not Moses, but Miriam - a queen and high priestess of the pharaonic succession. Joseph, the father of Jesus, was not a humble carpenter, but a trained alchemical metallurgist of the highest order. These and other contentious facts are disclosed for the first time in this remarkable study of the original kings - the early Pendragons, the unique royal ancestors of King David and Jesus.Drawing on files and hitherto secret archives of the ancient Dragon Sovereignity, Genesis of the Grail Kings tells the ultimate story of earthly kingship from its early Mesopotamian foundation. It reveals why the Messianic bloodline was so important, and explains in detail the true heritage of the Holy Grail. The author draws comparisons throughout between the biblical scripture and the historical documents from whichTrade Review'A truly groundbreaking piece of work. The complicated and vast material is handled superbly...absolutely mindblowing!' * Science of Thought *'Epic in its scope and implications. A controversial work, but one whose time has surely come' * Nexus *
£15.29
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) TT Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism
Book SynopsisDaniel M. Gurtner is Professor of New Testament at Gateway Seminary in Ontario, California, USA.Loren T. Stuckenbruck is Professor of New Testament (with a specialization in Second Temple Judaism) at Ludwig Maximilian-University of Munich, Germany.
£42.74
