History of religion Books

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Trade Review'...this book is a must for any scholar in the study of biblical traditions.' Daniel Patte, Religious Studies Review, 1977. '...un beau petit livre, exemplaire par se méthode, sa clarté et sa précision.' Michel Tardieu, Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, 1978.

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Trade Review'Rarement hommage aura été plus réussi...' Jean Ch. Balty, l'Antiquite Classique, 1983.

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Trade Review'Notre rapide analyse népuise pas, tant s'en faut, la richesse de ces études qui constituent désormais un corpus fondamental pour toute recherche de sciences religieuses touchant à l'ascension de l'âme.' Jacques Flamant, Revue des Études Latines, 1985.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1978, The Nag Hammadi Library was widely acclaimed by critics and scholars alike. Containing many of the writings of the Gnostics since the time of Christ, this was the work that launched modern Gnostic studies and exposed a movement whose teachings are in may ways as relevant today as they were sixteen centuries ago. Although some of the texts had appeared in other translations, the 1978 edition was the first and only translation of these ancient and fascinating manuscripts to appear in one volume. This new edition is the result of ten years of additional research, and editorial and critical work. Every translation has been changed or added to; many have been thoroughly revised. Unearthed in 1945 near the town of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt, the texts literally begin where the Dead Sea Scrolls end. Their discovery is seen as equally significant, bringing to light a long-hidden well of new information, sources, and insights into early Judaism and the roots of Christianity. Each text is accompanied by a new and expanded introduction. Also included are a revised general introduction and an afterword discussing the modern relevance of Gnosticism, from Voltaire and Blake through Melville and Yeats to Jack Kerouac and science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. The translations and introductions to the Nag Hammadi texts are by members of the Coptic Gnostic Library Project, which includes such scholars as Helmut Koester, George McRae, and Elaine Pagels.Trade Review'This definitive translation has become a standard since its first publication in 1977.' J.K. Elliott, Novum Testamentum, 1991. 'Dieses Buch ist ein Meilenstein.' Wolf-Peter Funk, Theologische Literaturzeitung, 1981.

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Book SynopsisA study tracing the relationships between missionaries and African Church workers in Kenya in the years 1850-1900, as missionaries increasingly adopted imperial assumptions of Western superiority. It tells the story of the first Anglican clergy in Kenya, their wives and colleagues; their rescue from slavery, their education in India and their subsequent work in East Africa. It demonstrates their contribution to the rapid growth of the Church and of indigenous Christian communities. Yet later missionaries were not willing to accord to the Africans the position they had a right to expect. The book recounts their protest and the development of a Church order. Similar events in West Africa have been documented, but this is the first time such a pattern in East Africa has been outlined.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most conspicuous innovations of early Christianity within Greco-Roman culture is its reliance upon a collection of authoritative texts. The ultimate author of Scripture was thought to be God Himself, whose will could and should be sought and found in these holy writings. For this reason it is not surprising that very soon these texts not only became the object of careful attention and scholarly study, but also put their stamp on the various forms and manifestations of early Christian life, such as martyrdom, asceticism, liturgy, art, and literature. This multifarious influence of Scripture is the subject of The Impact of Scripture in Early Christianity. It contains fourteen contributions, predominantly in English, by Belgian and Dutch scholars which have been gathered in a thematically ordered collection.Trade Review'Of considerable interest to specialists in the areas touched upon and ro research libraries.' Michael W. Holmes, Religious Studies Review, 2000.

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Book SynopsisIn this well-documented and clear study, the history of Christianity in Egypt is discussed, from its earliest recorded origins until 451 CE, when the Egyptian Coptic Church became the national religion. During this period, we observe the development of features unique to Egyptian Christianity, such as the imposition of Catholic ecclesiasticism in Alexandria and southward. This study will greatly contribute to an increased understanding of early Egyptian Christian history, as well as to the understanding of early Christianity in general.Trade ReviewFrom reviews of the hardcover edition: '...well told...' W.H.C. Frend, Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 1991 '...a well-documented and clear study...' Samir Khalil Samir, Theological Book Review, 1990

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Book SynopsisThis book investigates the problem of esoteric traditions in early Christianity, their origin and their transformation in Patristic hermeneutics, in the West as well as in the East. It argues that these traditions eventually formed the basis of nascent Christian mysticism in Late Antiquity. This publication is a revised edition of the original hardback publication, please click here for details.Trade Review'Hidden Wisdom is an important interpretation of the changing attitudes toward esotericism that were a significant aspect of the early development of Christianity...wealth of new insights.' Bernard McGinn, History of Religion, 1999. '…the book contains much valuable, intriguing material.' Jorunn J. Buckley, Journal of the American Academy of Religion. 'Stroumsa's book will prove important to anyone interested in esotericism, mysticism, and the Jewish origins of early Christianity. Recommended for all libraries.' Laurence H. Kant, Religious Studies Review, 2001. '…imposante et suggestive documentation…' Jérôme Rousse-Lacordaire, Compres Rendus.

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Book SynopsisThis volume deals with the transformation of unchurched religious creativity in the late modern West. It analyzes the ways in which the advance of science, globalization and individualism have fundamentally reshaped esoteric religious traditions, from theosophy to the New Age. This publication has also been published in hardback, please click here for details.Trade Review'Claiming Knowledge propose une analyse fort pertinente des modalités de la construction du savoir religieux dans la modernité. Ce livre est une contribution importante à l’histore de l’ésotérisme occidental en particulier et des productions religieuses de la modernité en général.' David A. Palmer, Justificatif, 2004. 'Hammer has done a great service with his careful analysis of an understudied phenomenon in contemporary religion: the New Age. This book is a treasure of research into the roots and development of modern esotericism…offers new insight…strong book, which certainly deserves a place in the stacks of academic libraries.' T.A. Forsthoefel, Choice, 2001.

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Book SynopsisFor the Greek, Dionysos was a very important god: for individuals as well as for the community as a whole. As there are only a few written sources dating from before the 5th Century BC the many images of Dionysos on Greek vases may well offer a genuine approach to the meaning given by the ancient viewer. This book explores the earliest images followed by those on small vases for private use, on mixing bowls of the symposion, on amphoras, on later drinking cups and on archaic sculptures. It gives an overview of Dionysian iconography of the 5th Century BC as well as an overall interpretation. The reader will learn why this god of vine and wine, of theatre and ecstasy, was so important for humans and why he played a key role in the life of the polis. Dionysos war für die Griechen ein Gott von zentraler Bedeutung, sowohl im Leben des Einzelnen wie der Gemeinschaft. Weil vor dem 5. Jahrhundert v.Chr. sehr wenige Schriftzeugnisse existieren, können uns die vielen Darstellungen des Dionysos auf griechischen Vasen am ehesten einen Zugang zu dem vermitteln, was der antike Mensch über ihn dachte. Analysiert werden zuerst die frühesten Bilder, dann jene auf kleinen individuell gebrauchten Vasen, auf grossen, beim Symposion verwendeten Mischgefässen, auf Amphoren, auf den späteren Trinkschalen und schliesslich in der archaischen Skulptur. Das Buch schliesst mit einem Ausblick auf die Bildgeschichte des Dionysos im 5. Jahrhundert v.Chr. und einer umfassenden Deutung. Diese Interpretation hilft zu verstehen, warum Dionysos, der Gott der Rebe und des Weins, des Theaters, der Ekstase, für den antiken Menschen so wichtig war und auch im öffentlichen Leben der klassischen Polis eine so grosse Rolle gespielt hat.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1. An iconography in process An image of Dionysos from the 7th century BCE Characters of the Dionysian circle before 600 BCE Dionysian characters in the animal frieze Conclusion 2. Turning into a satyr Small vases from the first half of the 6th century BCE Corinthian unguent vases A Corinthian mule-rider Middle Corinthian synposium vases Attic Komast cups Grotesque dancers from Boeotia Attic Siana cups The C Painter The Heidelberg Painter Other Siana cups and a contemporary skyphos Laconian cups with Dionysian images Dionysian subjects in Ionian pottery Conclusion 3. Dionysos and the gods Dinoi and kraters from the first half of the 6th century BCE Early dancers and satyrs Dionysos on the dinos of Sophilos Dionysos on the François krater The procession of the gods The return of Hephaistos The Pursuit of Troilos The frieze with the mule-rider Hephaistos Other Attic dinoi and kraters Corinthian kraters Laconian symposium vases Ionian dinoi Conclusion 4. The thiasos of Dionysos Amphorae and similar vases of the 6th century BCE The thiasos and the female companions of Dionysos Prototypical women The mother of twins Ariadne? Dionysian amphorae by Lydos Dionysian amphorae by the Amasis Painter Dionysian dances Dionysos among ephebes Contemporaries of the Amasis Painter The Swing Painter The Affecter Tyrrhenian amphorae Conclusion 5. Dionysian happiness Cups and other small vases from the second half of the 6th century BCE Little Master cups The cup by the Kallis Painter and its forerunners The eye cup by Exekias The eyes The battle The inside of Exekias’ cup Dolphins, ships and the sea The vine Dionysos Cups by the Amasis Painter Phallic kylikes Figured aryballoi Attic mastoi Head-kantharoi and Ionian Little Master cups Chalcidian eye cups Conclusions 6. Dionysos in archaic Greek art: a summary A note on methodology Dionysian iconography from the late 7th century to about 500 BCE Iconography and history Dionysian conography in the first half of the 5th century BCE Dionysian figurations in archaic Greek sculpture Conclusion: Dionysos reconsidered 7. Modern mythologies: “Dionysos” versus “Apollon” Friedrich Nietzsche Apollon and Dionysos in German Classical scholarship before Nietzsche Apollon and Dionysos in Classical scholarship after Nietzsche Apollon and Dionysos today Index Museums Vases following Beazley Vases and other works following LIMC Ancient names General Modern authors Abbreviations Works cited Figures

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Book SynopsisThis book deals with the making and the reuses of the divine words which were ascribed to Apollo in the first centuries of our era. This comprehensive and historical approach analyses the oracles of Apollo according to the various contexts ancient authors used to resort to the sacred words. This study of the sacred texts reveals in an original manner the cultural, political, and religious life of pagans and Christians in the Roman Empire. *** Ce livre est une étude historique de l’ensemble des oracles attribués à Apollon aux premiers siècles de notre ère. Il envisage successivement les enjeux de la production de ces textes sacrés et ceux de leur réutilisation par les auteurs païens et chrétiens.Trade ReviewWinner of the Eugène Goblet d’Alviella Prize (Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres & des Beaux-Arts de Belgique) for best book in Belgium in the field of History of Religions 1999-2004.Table of ContentsIntroduction Première partie. Paroles d’un dieu citoyen Chapitre I. Cadre institutionnel I. Institutions productrices de textes révélés A. Authenticité et attributions des textes oraculaires B. Oracles de Delphes ? C. Oracles de Didymes D. Oracles de Claros Une source exceptionnelle : les listes de délégations II. Production du texte sacré A. Inspiration divine B. Personnel oraculaire C. Emission du texte et archivage III. Clientèle des sanctuaires oraculaires A. Provenance géographique B. Origine sociale et milieu professionnel Chapitre II. S’adresser à Apollon I. Motifs de la consultation A. Contextes civiques B. Contextes privés II. Choix du sanctuaire III. Enjeux de consultation A. A l’intérieur de la cité B. Au niveau de la région C. Au niveau de l’empire IV. Conclusion Chapitre III. Discours théologiques en contextes I. Expliquer II. Prescrire A. Des rites issus d’un passé idéalisé B. Des prescriptions adaptées au présent C. Asseoir son pouvoir III. Révéler le monde divin A. Répondre à la demande B. Expression d’une théologie païenne nouvelle IV. Conclusion Les paroles d’Apollon au service de l’idéologie Chapitre IV. Des oracles pour philosophie I. Les oracles d’Apollon dans la Philosophie tirée des oracles A. Nature et objet de la Philosophie tirée des oracles B. La collection d’oracles d’Apollon de Porphyre C. Exégèse des oracles apolliniens : des doctrines et de la pratique D. De l’ascèse philosophique à la polémique chrétienne II. L’oracle d’Apollon de la Vie de Plotin A. Présentation de l’oracle B. Place et fonction de l’oracle dans la Vie de Plotin C. Origine et authenticité de l’oracle D. Commentaire de Porphyre III. Conclusion : des livres sacrés du paganisme Chapitre V. Des oracles pour pamphlet I. Introduction : critiques païennes et chrétiennes des oracles II. La critique des oracles d’Apollon par Eusèbe de Césarée A. Une vaste entreprise apologétique B. Opinion d’Eusèbe sur la mantique oraculaire C. Utilisation des oracles d’Apollon III. Conclusion Chapitre VI. Des oracles pour prophéties chrétiennes I. Révélation païenne et tradition chrétienne A. Origines judéo-hellénistiques B. Le recours à la révélation païenne chez les auteurs chrétiens C. Apollon, prophète chrétien II. Oracles apolliniens et révélation chrétienne A. Apollon, admirateur des Hébreux B. Apollon, professeur de théologie chrétienne C. Apollon messager de la victoire du christianisme III. Conclusion Conclusion Bibliographie Indices

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Book SynopsisThis book gathers 37 letters of St Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-394), translated into English, some for the first time, and equipped with up-to-date scholarly notes. It begins with a biography focusing on Gregory’s family background and young adulthood. A study of Gregory the letter writer follows, with a dateline of the letters. Three sub-collections of letters follow: 1. ‘Prelude’ comprising testimonia from Basil and Gregory Nazianzen, 2. ‘The Pasquali Collection’, the 30 letters established by G. Pasquali, 3. ‘Supplementary’, one letter always known as Gregory’s, five letters reassigned to Gregory by scholars, and a new one proposed by the author for reassignment. A specially commissioned icon, an original map, and two architectural sketches are included. This book will both stimulate veteran scholars in the Cappadocian Fathers and early Christianity, and serve English speaking lovers of the Fathers who do not have ready access to the sources in other languages.Trade Review...eine willkommene Bereicherung der wissenschaftlichen Diskussion wie ihr ganzes hoch anzuerkennendes und aüßerst nützliches Werk. Hubertus R. Drobner, Paderborn, Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte, 2009

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Book SynopsisJudaism in the Roman World deals with the religious lives of Jews in the Roman world from late Second Temple times to the Later Roman Empire. *** The studies collected here analyse a series of issues important in the development of Judaism in this period: the role of the Temple and pilgrimage in the first century CE; the attitude of Jews to the physical texts of the Torah and to the scribes who produced them; the extent of variety and change within Judaism before and after 70 CE and the nature of the evidence for particular types of Judaism; the role of synagogues and images in Jewish worship; and relations between Jews and Christians in the early centuries. *** This book should be particularly useful to students of ancient Judaism and those interested in Christian origins.Trade Review"Let it be said right away: if you want to avoid changing your lecture notes, do not read this book! Martin Goodman, Professor of Jewish Studies at Oxford University, is an acclaimed scholar in both Roman and Jewish studies, and with good reason.... Though I, like probably many others, only reluctantly change my lecture notes, I find myself greatly enriched by having read this volume....for anyone occupied with the late Second Temple period, Goodman’s volume is a must read." – Morten Hørning Jensen, in: Bulletin for Biblical Research 19/4 (2010) "Judaism in the Roman World brings together a series of relatively short papers, all with important conclusions..." – René Bloch, University of Bern, in: The Studia Philonica Annual 22 (2010)

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Book SynopsisLay prophets in Lutheran Europe (c. 1550–1700) is the first transnational study of the phenomenon of angelic apparitions in all Lutheran cultures of early modern Europe. Jürgen Beyer provides evidence for more than 350 cases and analyses the material in various ways: tracing the medieval origins, studying the spread of news about prophets, looking at the performances legitimising their calling, noting their comments on local politics, following the theological debates about prophets, and interpreting the early modern notions of holiness within which prophets operated. A full chronology and bibliography of all cases concludes the volume. Beyer demonstrates that lay prophets were an accepted part of Lutheran culture and places them in their social, political and confessional contexts.Trade Review"The present study is groundbreaking (...) [It] forms a new synthesis of knowledge that is likely to affect the image of the Lutheran Church history during the era between the Reformation period and the breakthrough of pietism. (...) It therefore works well as a textbook, and warmly recommended to anyone with an interest in the era," [translated from Swedish] - Urban Claesson, in: Kyrkohistorisk årsskrift 119:1 (2019), pp. 210-211. "[F]or specialists the book is most welcome since, besides its thorough exploration of the themes that some early modern Lutheran prophets treated in their works, it also includes a complete catalogue and bibliography of these figures and the printed texts that the messages of each one generated. The book is obviously a treasure trove for those who want to explore further the long afterlife of medieval prophecy in early modern Europe." - Philip. M Soergel, University of Maryland, in: Journal of Ecclesiastical History 70:1 (2019), pp. 185-186. "In seiner Einleitung nennt B. als einse seiner Hauptziele, »to document the historical existence of Lutheran lay prophets« (27). Dieses Ziel hat er nicht nur erreicht, sondern wirklich den Blick geöffnet auf die überraschend großen Dimensionen eines wenig beachteten Phänomens." - Martin H. Jung, Universität Osnabrück, in Theologische Literaturzeitung 144:3 (2019), 215-217. "Beyer has already published widely on this subject, so his name is not new to scholarship on this area. (...) His work is extremely impressive." - Jon Balserak, University of Bristol, in: Sixteenth Century Journal 49:3 (2018), pp. 959-960. "Lay Prophets in Lutheran Europe (...) builds on a survey of printed works and archival records that is stunning in breadth and rigorously transnational, putting to full effect Beyer’s impressive linguistic competence across political borders and language families. (...) By moving prophecy out of the distant medieval past or Pietist margins into the center of Lutheran orthodoxy from the mid-sixteenth to the late seventeenth centuries, Beyer’s work has broad implications for European intellectual history." - Jonathan Green, University of North Dakota, in: Renaissance Quarterly 71.2 (2018), pp. 762-764. "Lay Prophets in Lutheran Europe is a most useful book. The bibliographical research is thorough—the footnotes tend to dwarf the text—and Beyer’s account is followed by a detailed list, attended by exhaustive bibliographies, of the various prophets. This is a valuable contribution to the subject." - Alastair Hamilton, The Warburg Institute, in: Church History, Volume 92, Issue 2 (2017).Table of ContentsContents Preface Abbreviations Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. The medieval origins of Lutheran prophecy Chapter 3. The dissemination of news about prophets Chapter 4. The performance of Lutheran prophets Chapter 5. Prophets commenting on local politics Chapter 6. Prolific prophets and theological debates about prophets during the Thirty Years' War Chapter 7. Conceptions of holiness in early modern Lutheranism List of prophets (1517-1800) Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOver the past fifteen years Francis of Marchia (fl. 1320) has finally begun to receive the kind of attention his contemporary Franciscan confreres John Duns Scotus, Peter Auriol, and William of Ockham have enjoyed for decades. Marchia, a master of theology at the University of Paris, has emerged as an exciting thinker who made original contributions in areas ranging from modal theory to trinitarian theology. This volume capitalizes on the studies on and critical editions of the works of Marchia published since 1991, treating some of his often distinct and influential doctrines in cosmology, physics, metaphysics, ethics, and politics, based on his three main works: his commentaries on the Sentences and Aristotle's Metaphysics and his Improbatio written against Pope John XXII. Contributors include: Fabrizio Amerini, Russell L. Friedman, Roberto Lambertini, Andrea Robiglio, Chris Schabel, Mark Thakkar, and Fabio Zanin.Trade Review"...Insgesamt wird man den Herausgebern für diesen gelungenen Sammelband dankbar sein, bringt er doch an der Forschungsfront Licht in undeutliche Verhältnisse der geistesgeschichtlichen Entwicklung in der ersten Hälfte des 14. Jhs..." Francia-Recensio (2008), 4 (http://hsozkult.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/zeitschriften/ausgabe=4577) Jürgen Miethke, Universität Heidelberg “...[O]n ne peut donc que saluer la publication de ce volume spécial de , qui fournit une contribution nouvelle et importante à une meilleure connaissance de François de la Marche, mais aussi, et plus généralement, à celle de la culture philosophique du début du XIVe siècle... [L]es contributions publiées ici élargissent sensiblement notre connaissance de la pensée de François de la Marche, dont elles montrent par ailleurs la valeur incontournable dans la reconstitution du panorama intellectuel de la première moitié du XIVe siècle...” Freiburger Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Theologie 54.3 (2007), pp. 657-660, T. Suarez-Nani "...This book is an exemplar of method and erudition in medieval studies and will be of great interest to both specialists and students of scholastic philosophy and theology..." Religious Studies Review 34.3 (2008), p. 213a-b, S. KitanovTable of ContentsRussell L. Friedman and Chris Schabel, Introduction Mark Thakkar, Francis of Marchia on the Heavens Chris Schabel, Francis of Marchia’s Virtus derelicta and the Context of Its Development Fabio Zanin, Francis of Marchia, Virtus derelicta, and Modifications of the Basic Principles of Aristotelian Physics Fabrizio Amerini, Utrum inhaerentia sit de essentia accidentis. Marchia and the Debate on the Nature of Accidents Andrea A. Robiglio, Francis of Marchia and the Act of the Will Roberto Lambertini, Francis of Marchia and William of Ockham: Fragments from a Dialogue

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Book SynopsisThis volume examines the history of the 18th-Century secret order of the Golden Rosicrucians (Gold- und Rosenkreuzer), one of the most mysterious, exclusive and successful Masonic societies in the German speaking countries of that time. The order and its esoteric roots have so far never been examined on the basis of original documents. The formation and development, the hierarchical structure, leading figures such as princes and ministers, and the system of degrees and secret teachings are explored in-depth and interpreted applying recent and innovative concepts of the Study of Western Esotericism.

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Book SynopsisMedieval Franciscans prayed in hermitages and churches, on the road and in the piazza, with song and silence. The unique stories of these men and women, as their engaging texts, stunning architecture and breath-taking artwork suggest, are narratives of souls, enfleshed in their respective worlds of the leprosarium, university, or itinerant preaching. The essays in this book foster a nuanced perspective on Franciscan beliefs and spiritual practices by resisting the temptation to reduce their myriad accounts of prayer to an exclusive, univocal spirituality. By displaying the breadth and depth of these medieval Franciscans at prayer, these essays challenge contemporary readers to look anew at this “cloud of witnesses” from the past, who, both lay and religious, promoted a diversity of spiritual expression that found a familial focus in their mutual passion for the divine and the world they shared.Trade Review"For those wanting a scholarly read taking them to the roots of the Franciscan spiritual tradition....takes the reader further at every stage and will be an invaluable reference work for years to come." Nicholas Alan OSF, Franciscan, 21/3 (2009), 15. “Franciscans at Prayer is a most welcome contribution to those interested in medieval spirituality in general. It is of special interest to scholars of things Franciscan, who will find a wealth of material illuminating the lesser-known inner world of the Franciscan pious” Neslihan Senocak, Columbia University in Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture 77/4, December 2009, pp 1041-1043Table of ContentsContributors include: Michael W.Blastic, Louisa A. Burnham, Ilia Delio, Edward Foley, Jean François Godet-Calogeras, Jay M. Hammond, J. A. Wayne Hellmann, Mary Beth Ingham, Timothy J. Johnson, Steven J. McMichael, Amy Neff, Amanda D. Quantz, Bert Roest, William J. Short, Diane V. Tomkinson, and Alessandro Vettori.

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Book SynopsisImagining Creation is a collection of views on creation by noted authors from different disciplines. Topics include creation accounts and iconography from Mesopotamia and Egypt, and cosmologies from India and Africa. Special attention is devoted to creation in the Scriptures (Bible and Koran) and related oral traditions on Genesis from Slavonic Europe, as well as Kabbalah. Some of the creations myths are earlier and some later than the Bible, while a number of the discussed texts offer alternative approaches to the beginnings of the universe. The contributions provide many new perspectives on the origins of man and his world from diverse cultures. The volume is the proceedings of a symposium on creation stories held at University College London.Table of ContentsCONTENTS Foreword Markham Geller and Mineke Schipper Chapter One Introduction Mary Douglas Chapter Two Mesopotamian Creation Stories W. G. Lambert Chapter Three Creation Stories in Ancient Egypt Stephen Quirke Chapter Four You Can’t Get Here from There: The Logical Paradox of Ancient Indian Creation Myths Wendy Doniger Chapter Five Stories of the Beginning: Origin Myths in Africa South of the Sahara Mineke Schipper Chapter Six Modern Jewish Attitudes to the Concept of Myth Wout Jac. van Bekkum Chapter Seven Extract from Genesis 1–2 Translation and Commentary, Norton, NY 1996 Robert Alter Chapter Eight The Bible in the Making: Slavonic Creation Stories Florentina Badalanova Chapter Nine Arab Creation Stories beyond the Pale Abdullah al-Udhari Chapter Ten Lurianic Creation Myths Daphne Freedman Index

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Book SynopsisTheology of ministry has always been a controversial issue in the relation between churches, especially with its juridical approach that concentrated on authority. In recent decades the secularization and individualization in the Western world have intensified the challenge to reformulate the mission of the church and its ministries. Building on the Reformed theology of the 16th century (Zwingli, Calvin and confessions) and on the results of the ecumenical convergence on ministry (BEM) in the 20th century, this study presents building blocks for a renewed theology of ministry in the 21st century.Table of ContentsForeword Introduction PART ONE Ministry in the Reformed Tradition of the 16th Century 1. Martin Luther and the Church's Ministry 2. Huldrych Zwingli and Ministry within the Church 3. John Calvin and Ministry within the Church 4. Calvin's Understanding of Ministry within the Church 5. Calvin's Assessment of Ministry: Its Historic Development and Its Sacramental Nature 6. The Church's Ministry in a Number of Reformed Confessions of Faith 7. Ministry in the Reformed Tradition of the 16th Century: Conclusions and Perspectives PART TWO Baptism, Eurcharist, and Ministry: An Ecumenical Challenge to the Reformed Tradition 8. The Ecumenical Convergence Text of BEM 9. The Calling of the Whole People of God (Art. 1-6) 10. The Church and the Ordained Ministry (Art. 7-18) 11. Forms of the Ordained Ministry (Art. 19-33) 12. Succession in the Apostolic Tradition (Art. 34-38) 13. Ordination (Art. 39-50) 14. Towards a Mutual Recognition of Ordained Ministries (Art. 51-55) 15. Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry: Questions by and for the Reformed Tradition PART THREE Building Blocks for a Reformed Theology of Ministry Selected Bibliography Index of Names Index of Subjects

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Book SynopsisA study of religious thought and practice across a broad social spectrum, but within a well-defined historical context, this book is an interdisciplinary endeavor that incorporates the tools of philology, social-history and historical-anthropology. Focusing on the mosques, public assemblies, cemeteries and shrines of Syrian Muslims in the period of the crusades and the anti-Frankish jihad, the book describes and deciphers religious rites and experiences, liturgical calendars, spiritual leadership, and perceptions of impiety and dissent. Working from a perspective that breaks down the dichotomization of religion into 'official' and 'popular,' it exposes the negotiation, construction and dissemination of hybrid forms of religious life. The result is an intimate and complex presentation of the texture of medieval Islamic piety.Trade ReviewWinner of the Tel Aviv Book Award for Middle Eastern Studies 2008 "Talmon-Heller is able to portray aspects of Islamic piety along with multifold interpretations and debates. Beyond this superb scholarship, it is the ability to keep her readers immersed in the world of medieval Syria, and to touch the humanity therein, that makes her book refreshing." Adam R. Gaiser, International Journal of Middle East Studies 42.1 "Daniella Talmon-Heller has given scholars of many fields, including cultural history, anthropology, and religion, a gift of meticulous research and lively prose. Reading the book is a delightful experience for the specialist, as the copious anecdotes Talmon-Heller relates from her sources (often with a full Arabic transliteration) capture the sensibilities and senses of humor that pervade literary production from this period." Zayde Antrim, Trinity College, Mamluk Studies Review, Vol. 13, No. 2 "Talmon-Heller’s work is necessarily specialized and will therefore be most helpful to scholars of the medieval period. The book would fit well into a graduate course on the Crusades or in a course that includes a section on “popular” religious practices in the medieval Islamic period (or indeed a course that challenges a popular/elite dichotomy)." Adam R. Gaiser, Florida State University, International Journal of Middle East Studies 42:1 "A most welcome contribution to the fields of history and historiography of Syria and Egypt in the twelfth to fifteenth centuries." Yehoshua Frenkel, Bulletin of the School of Oriental & African Studies 72

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Book SynopsisResearch in the Social Scientific Study of Religion (RSSSR) publishes reports of innovative studies that pertain empirically or theoretically to the scientific study of religion, including spirituality, regardless of their academic discipline or professional orientation. RSSSR is published annually with the kind support of Loyola College, Maryland, USA. This volume of RSSSR contains several articles on spiritual development among adolescents, spiritual transcendence, Jung and pastoral counseling and spirituality and religiosity. In addition to this, a special section of nine articles is devoted to several aspects of positive psychology and its usage in practice.Trade ReviewResearchers, scholars, teachers, religious leaders, and graduate and professional students in the social and behavioral sciences, religion, and theology who include attention to the scientific investigation of religion and spirituality.Table of ContentsREGULAR ARTICLES Openness and Spiritual Development in Adolescents. Brien S. Kelley, Aurelie M. Athan, and Lisa F. Miller Jung: Mentor for Pastoral Counselors. William J. Sneck The Relations Among Spirituality and Religiosity and Axis II Functioning in Two College Samples. Ralph L. Piedmont, Catherine J. Hassinger, Janelle Rhorer, Martin F. Sherman, Nancy C. Sherman, and Joseph E. G. Williams Associations between Humility, Spiritual Transcendence, and Forgiveness. Christie Powers, Ruth K. Nam, Wade C. Rowatt, and Peter C. Hill SPECIAL SECTION ON POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY Introduction to Special Section on Positive Psychology. Joseph W. Ciarrocchi and Gina Yanni-Brelsford The Vocation Identity Questionnaire: Measuring the Sense of Calling. Diane E. Dreher, Katherine A. Holloway, and Erin Schoenfelder Spirituality and God-Attachment as Predictors of Subjective Well-Being for Seminarians and Nuns in India. Dudley Mendonca, K. Elizabeth Oakes, Joseph W. Ciarrocchi, William J. Sneck, and Kevin Gillespie Child Abuse, Personality, and Spirituality as Predictors of Happiness in Maltese College Students. Michael Galea, Joseph W. Ciarrocchi, Ralph L. Piedmont, and Robert J. Wicks Spiritual Transcendence and Religious Practices in Recovery from Pathological Gambling: Reducing Pain or Enhancing Quality of Life? James M. Walsh, Joseph W. Ciarrocchi, Ralph Piedmont, and Deborah Haskins Patience as a Virtue: Religious and Psychological Perspectives. Sarah A. Schnitker and Robert A. Emmons Inward, Outward, Upward Prayers and Personal Character. Kevin L. Ladd, Meleah L. Ladd, Peter Ashbaugh, Danielle Trnka, Julie Harner, Kate St. Pierre, and Ted Swanson Life Satisfaction and Spirituality in Adolescents. Brien S. Kelley and Lisa Miller The Relationship Between Spirituality Assessed Through Self-transcendent Goal Strivings and Positive Psychological Attributes. Gary K. Leak, Kristina DeNeve, and Adam Gretemen

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Book SynopsisThis volume discusses links between the exegetical trends current in various Second Temple Jewish circles and patterns of New Testament conversation with Jewish Scripture. The standard focus on Jewish background of Christianity is complemented here by an alternative direction: the “mapping” of New Testament evidence as the early witness to more general trends attested in their fully developed form only later, in rabbinic literature. The question that dominates much of the discussion is: How can the New Testament be used for creating a fuller picture of Second Temple Jewish exegesis? The book deals with a representative variety of samples from different layers of the New Testament tradition: Synoptic Gospels, Pauline Epistles and Acts.Trade Review"(The) collection (of articles) here confirms Ruzer's reputation as a perceptive and subtle reader of the New Testament. This book deserves a wide readership: many who are interested in the New Testament's use of the Old will swiftly discover how to broaden their outlook." – George J. Brooke, University of Manchester, in: Journal of Jewish Studies, 2009 "Ruzer’s quest and the examples he provides are persuasive and point New Testament and Early Jewish Studies in a fresh direction." – Christoph Stenschke, in: Religion and Theology 16 (2009) "Many illuminating insights are stored in this book..[...]. The English is fluent and creative..." – Peter J. Tomson, in: Journal for the Study of Judaism, 2010 "...his analyses contribute important insights to the study of identity formation among both Christ-believers and other Jews in the first century... Mapping the New Testament deserves careful study by students of Early Judaism and the New Testament alike." – Anders Runesson, in: Biblical Theology Bulletin, 2009

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Book SynopsisThis volume concerns a music manuscript written at the end of the fifteenth century and associated with the Brethren of the Common Life at Zwolle. The manuscript is bound together with an incunable containing one of the most influential theological treatises of the Devotio moderna: the De spiritualibus ascensionibus of Gerard Zerbolt of Zutphen. The music manuscript contains 25 one-part hymns and two text excerpts on the Four Last Things (death, judgement, heaven, and hell), the core theme of the Brethren’s penitential meditation. The book deals with the codicological construction of the book, the transmission, and the function of the songs in their context of the practice of pentitential meditation. The multidisciplinary study makes an important contribution to research on hymns in the late Middle Ages as well as on the music and spirituality of the Devotio moderna.Trade Review"... meticulous and careful scholarship ... This edition ... not only illuminates the role of music within the Devotio Moderna, but also makes an important contribution to the understanding of late medieval hymnody, and at the same time illuminates facets of the sixteenth-century movements of renaissance and reform. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this edition and study". Robin A. Leaver, Yale University and Queen's University, Belfast. In: Church History and Religious Culture, Vol. 89, No. 4 (2009), pp. 572-574.Table of ContentsVorwort I. Einleitung I.1. Zur Forschungsgeschichte I.2. Zur Geschichte des Bandes Emmanuelshuizen VI I.3. Zum Fraterhaus St. Gregorius in Zwolle II. Kodikologische Aspekte II.1. Aufbau II.2. Einband II.3. Lagenaufbau II.4. Papier II.5. Schrift II.6. Notation II.7. Dekoration II.8. Verbindungen zur Inkunabel II.9. Überlegungen zu Datierung und Lokalisierung II.10. Evaluation Beilage 1: Verteilung der Initialen zu Beginn der Lieder und Textauszüge III. Zur Überlieferung der Gesänge III.1. Forschungsansätze III.2. Parallele Überlieferung III.3. Singuläre Überlieferung III.4. Kontrafakturen III.5. Zur Überlieferung der Musik IV. Zum Inhalt der Liederhandschrift IV.1. Die Liturgie als Basis für die Melodieauswahl IV.2. Der Themenkreis der Liedersammlung: die quattuor novissima IV.3. Die unnotierten Textauszüge Beilage 2: Rubriken und Gattungen V. Zur Funktion des Liedteils V.1. Zwolle Emm VI als Rapiarium mit Musik V.2. Der Traktat De spiritualibus ascensionibus V.3. Die Randnotizen der Inkunabel V.4. Anleitungen zur Bußmeditation in Kreisen der Devotio moderna V.5. Die Verbindung von Liederhandschrift und Bußmeditation Beilage 3: Die Randnotizen der Inkunabel VI. Meditationsübungen und geistliche Lieder VI.1. Die Meditation in den consuetudines des Zwoller Fraterhauses VI.2. Der liturgische Hintergrund VI.3. Meditation und Handarbeit VI.4. Bußmeditation und geistliches Lied VI.5. Überlegungen zum Benutzerkreis der Liedersammlung VII. Editionsprinzipien VII.1. Text VII.2. Notation VII.3. Kritische Apparate VII.4. Layout VII.5. Faksimile Edition Faksimile Anhang - Alphabetisches Initienverzeichnis - Initienverzeichnis in der Reihenfolge der Handschrift - Kommentar zu den einzelnen Liedern und Texten - Handschriften und frühe Drucke - Literaturverzeichnis - Abkürzungsverzeichnis - Elektronische Publikationen - Namensregister - Ortsregister - Sachregister Zusammenfassung Summary

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Book SynopsisThe growth of Christianity in Africa during the twentieth century is one of the most fascinating shifts in the history of religions. This book presents a history of the Tanzanian Seventh-day Adventist Church, which is representative of this shift in many respects: slow beginnings, struggles over cultural issues, the emergence of a unique church life combining denominational heritage and African elements, frictions with governments, and the development of popular theology. Yet Tanzanian Adventism also exemplifies an important phenomenon which has been given little attention so far - the transformation of minority denominations to dominant religions. This study breaks new ground in analyzing how the Adventist “remnant” developed into an African “folk church” while attempting to remain true to its original ethos.

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Book SynopsisThe keywords migration, elite, and confession that form the leitmotiv of this book allow a focus on major subjects of research in early modern history. Concentrating on subjects relevant to the history of education, the essays collected here offer manifold insights into new source material and the evaluation of methods. The fifteen papers cover a wide range of topics related to the education of academic theologians and clergy in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. As training programmes differed from university to university, this gave rise to migration and an extensive communicative network. Although a final conclusion of methodological questions requires more research, the volume provides an important contribution to the interdisciplinary discussion between representatives of the many historical disciplines. The fifteen contributors: Luca Baschera, Amy Nelson Burnett, Otfried Czaika, Simone Giese, Anja-Silvia Göing, Leonhard Hell, Wim Janse, Julian Kümmerle, Andreas Mühling, Hans Peterse, Frank van der Pol, Sünje Prühlen, Alexander Schunka, Sven Tode, and Jason Zuidema.Table of ContentsVorwort 1. Migrationen evangelischer Geistlicher als Motor frühneuzeitlicher Wanderungsbewegungen, Alexander Schunka 2. Versuche einer religiösen Kontrolle der Studenten durch geistliche und politische Eliten im Königreich Schweden, Simone Giese 3. Luther, Melanchthon und Chytræus und ihre Bedeutung für die Theologenausbildung im schwedischen Reich, Otfried Czaika 4. Zwischen Philosophie und Theologie: Aspekte der Aristoteles-Auslegung Peter Martyr Vermiglis, Luca Baschera 5. The Primacy of Scripture in Peter Martyr Vermigli’s Understanding of Theological Education, Jason Zuidema 6. Local Boys and Peripatetic Scholars: Theology Students in Basel, 1542-1642, Amy Nelson Burnett 7. Die Zürcher Schulprotokolle 1563: Spezifika einer Gattung, Anja-Silvia Göing 8. Voraussetzungen konfessioneller Theologenausbildung in den Niederlanden: Auswirkungen der Reformation auf Schule und Bildung in Kampen, Frank van der Pol 9. Verkannte Quellen: Leichenpredigten als Analysegrundlage der Bildungs- und Sozialgeschichte, Sven Tode 10. Das Plagiat als Form interkonfessioneller Begegnung: Die Einführungen in das Theologiestudium von Andreas Hyperius und Lorenzo de Villavicencio, Leonhard Hell 11. Bildungsreform und Glaubenserneuerung: Johann Valentin Andreaes (1586-1654) christozentrische Didaktik und Pädagogik, Julian Kümmerle 12. Heinrich Moller: Ein unbescholtener Hamburger Bürger oder ein verdächtiger Theologieprofessor?, Sünje Prühlen 13. Leonardus Marius (1588-1652) und die katholische Mission in den Niederlanden, Hans Peterse 14. „Ein Garten junger Pflänzlein“: Ein Herborner Konzept zur Elitenbildung in europäischer Perspektive, Andreas Mühling 15. Elitenbildung und Migration: Theologieprofessoren in Bremen (1584-1812). Ein komparativ-prosopographischer Versuch, Wim Janse Autorinnen, Autoren und Herausgeber Namenregister

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the manuscripts and text of Lanfranc's commentary on St. Paul to reconsider Lanfranc's influence upon educated culture of the eleventh century. Lanfranc's assimilation of patristic sources and his adaptation of rhetorical methods to biblical exegesis demonstrate his personal theological development as well as expectations he established for his students. Specifically, the commentary indicates a monastic curriculum that was both creative, by combining classical methods and theological inquiry, and conservative, by restricting these methods to the precepts of Ciceronian rhetoric and condemning other masters' methods. Lanfranc's commentary contributes to a broader discussion of the methods under consideration in the schools of northern France in the eleventh century and the possible competition among masters and their conflicting curricula.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements .. ix Introduction .. 1 1.. The Monastery of Bec and the Beginning of a Career .. 3 2. Text and Format: The Manuscripts of the Commentary .. 35 3. Bene vivere et bene docere: The Role of the Liberal Arts in Biblical Exegesis .. 75 4. The Commentary to Romans: An Introduction to Theology .. 117 5. Evaluating Augustine’s Authority: Reappraisals and Reevaluations .. 157 6. Conclusion .. 195 Bibliography .. 207 Index

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Book SynopsisWinner of The 2018 Saidi-Sirjani Book Award The Western Christian Presence in the Russias and Qājār Persia, c.1760–c.1870 recalls two long neglected European and North American missionary ventures in the Caucasus and Imperial Persia. It investigates the activities of Protestant and Catholic missionaries and provides valuable insights on the social and political backdrop of their experiences.Trade Review"O’Flynn has boldly ventured into little-known and relatively inaccessible regions that remain insufficiently explored by historians and missiologists. In his painstaking and at times over-detailed and long-winded narrative, he opens up vistas on missionary lives, travels and motives as broad and breathtaking as the Caucasus mountains around which the story revolves. He also leaves many helpful markers on the trail, challenging scholars to engage in greater depth with this neglected region. The book will be a fascinating resource for historians of the Persian and Russian empires, church historians and missiologists, as well as scholars engaged with Muslim/Jewish/Christian and inter-Church ecumenical relations." Alison Ruth Kolosova, in: Journal of Ecclesiastical History Volume 70 (2019). "[This] is a useful book for understanding these missions that took place during the rise of Western hegemony over the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It possesses a flowing narrative and is festooned with fascinating characters whose personalities and foibles are as central to understanding the missions as they were to their missionary efforts. It also integrates substantial previous research via its rich footnotes and extensive bibliography. This will enable future scholars to dig deeper into these missions, which certainly deserve monographs of their own. Therefore, O Flynn’s book provides fodder for future research that will further nuance our understanding of these missions on their own terms, in relation to one another, and where they fit into the larger imperialist trajectory of the West and its relationship with Russia and Persia in the long nineteenth century." – Robert John Clines, In: Journal of Jesuit Studies Volume 5.4 (2018). "Over more than a thousand pages, the author orders and paraphrases missionary correspondences, reports, travel accounts, memoirs and other sources that reflect the inner life of European mission projects in Iran and in Russia." – Michael Kemper, In: Die Welt des Islams Volume 58.1 (2018). "What makes the reading interesting and adventurous, is that he [the author] also tells anecdotes, such as when a missionary lost and found his horse in the Caucasus, or walked on foot to Tblisi for 10 hours. He also completes his account with prosopographical as well as other necessary and detailed information. (...) An appendix consists of sources and literature, among them the manuscript sources from the various archives and Arabic and Persian Sources. (...) For me this scholarly apparatus might be the most valuable part of the book, as it gives insight into archival resources for further research." – Cornelia Soldat, In: Exchange Volume 47.4 (2018). "Dr. Flynn’s work, the product of a lifetime of totally dedicated scholarship, is by all accounts a monumental enterprise: not only in its sheer volume with over 1,000 pages of text, exploring around 25 different archives, and providing some 2500 printed sources listed in the bibliography; but also in its scope, aspiration, and achievement: it covers the entirety of the Western missionary enterprise in Iran and the Caucasus between the mid-18th and the mid-19th centuries, connecting the Safavid period to the Qajar era thorough the lesser known post-Safavid 18th century." – Association for Iranian Studies, Award News, In: AIS Newsletter Volume 39.2 (2018) "[...] for the period prior to 1870, Thomas O'Flynn has written the definitive history of western missionaries in Iran and the Caucasus and for many years to come it will remain the authoritative text on the subject." – Willem Floor, MD, Bethesda

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Book SynopsisA wide range of research and review articles are presented. Topic areas include mental and physical health, personality correlates of spirituality, validity evidence for the ASPIRES, and the role of religious values on socio-political attitudes. Also included in this volume are studies examining women's issues surrounding body image and disordered eating. Another paper addresses Christian Serpent handlers, a very understudied group, and the legal, religious, and moral issues surrounding this practice. There is also a special section, edited by Dr. Christopher Boyatzis, that addresses specific issues around adolescant spirituality. This volume provides a diverse snapshot of cutting edge research in the field across multiple disciplines. Readers will come away with an appreciation for the broad interests that characterize this field and the fascinating empirical findings that continue to draw professional interest in numinous constructs.

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Book SynopsisFrom their humble beginnings in Jerusalem as a late eleventh-century hospital and an early twelfth-century pilgrim escort, Hospitallers and Templars evolved into international military religious orders, engaged in numerous charitable, economic, and military pursuits. At the heart of each of these communities, and in many ways a mirror of their growth and adaptability, was a central convent led by several high officials and headquartered first in Jerusalem (to 1187), then in Acre (1191-1291), and then on Cyprus (since 1291), from where the Hospitallers conquered Rhodes (1306-1310), and where fate in the form of a heresy trial caught up with the Templars. The history, organization, and personnel of these two central convents to 1310 are the subject of this comparative study.Table of ContentsMaps Preface Abbreviations List of Tables Introduction Part One History 1. Jerusalem 2. Acre 3. Cypres Part Two Organizations 4. Hierachies 5. Functions 6. Collectives Part Three Personnel 7. Careers 8. Personalities 9. Prosopography Conclusion Bibliography Index of Persons Index of Places Index of Subjects

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Book SynopsisFrom rumours about gnostic orgies in antiquity to the explicit erotic symbolism of alchemical texts, from the subtly coded eroticism of medieval kabbalah to the sexual magic practiced by contemporary occultists and countercultural translations of Asian Tantra, the history of Western esotericism is rich in references to the domains of eros and sexuality. This volume, which brings together an impressive array of top-level specialists, is the first to analyze the eroticism of the esoteric without sensationalism or cheap generalizations, but on the basis of expert scholarship and attention to textual and historical detail. While there are few other domains where the imagination may so easily run wild, the various contributions seek to distinguish fact from fiction--only to find that historical realities are sometimes even stranger than the fantasies. In doing so, they reveal the outlines of a largely unknown history spanning more than twenty centuries.Trade Review"With its rich and interesting selection of case studies, the variety of theoretical approaches to sexuality and gender, and the illuminating introductory essay by the editors, Hidden Intercourse has brought the subject of erotic esotericism out into the open." Henrik Bogdan, University of Gothenburg, Nova Religion Vol.16, No.4 "Its ambitious chronological and international scope provides a provocative historical survey of the linked topics of eroticism and esotericism... (it) provides a stimulating, enlightening, and often entertaining discussion of "things we do not talk about." Marsha Keith Schuchard, Atlanta, Georgia, Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft Vol.6Table of ContentsContributors include: Roelof van den Broek, April D. DeConick, Pierre Lory, Elliot R. Wolfson, Moshe Idel, Claire Fanger, Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Lawrence M. Principe, Allison P. Coudert, Antoine Faivre, Cathy Gutierrez, Arthur Versluis, John Patrick Deveney, Marco Pasi, Hugh B. Urban, Hans Thomas Hakl, and Jeffrey J. Kripal.

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Book SynopsisWithin the field of Dutch literature the Limburg Sermons constitute a unique collection of sermons from the thirteenth century. In addition to material translated from German it contains a unique series of vernacular sermons on the ‘Song of Songs’, which reveal unsuspected connections with the mystic authors Beatrijs van Nazareth and Hadewijch.Trade Review"This excellent, thorough monograph provides the Anglophone world with a richly-detailed account of one of the earliest collections of Middle Dutch prose, The Limburg Sermons...To say the least, this is an exhaustive treatment of this corpus, and the translator is to be commended for making it available in English." – Steven Rozenski, Jr., Harvard University, in: Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2010, pp 307-9 "Scheepsma's study is a major contribution to sermon research. It can be viewed not only as an exceptionally diligent and learned book on one Middle Dutch sermon collection, but also as a history of religious literature in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries in the interfaces between the Dutch-, French-, and German-speaking areas." – Regina D. Schiewer, Universität Augsburg, in: Medium Ævum 77/2 (2008), pp. 358-60 "This meticulous, encyclopedic and minutely observed study elicits well-earned respect, and gratitude from English-speaking scholars for making this area of literary study accessible. [...] The insights Scheepsma's analysis of these sermons provides [...] will be of interest not only to literary historians but also to church historians, and art historians as well." – Judith Oliver, Colgate University, in: The Medieval Review, 16 July 2009Table of ContentsPreface List of Illustrations I. Introduction 1. The Hague Manuscript 2. The Medieval Sermon 3. The St. Georgen Sermons and the Limburg Sermons 4. A Cistercian Literature in the Vernacular? 5. The Historical Context II. The Textual Corpus 1. The Table of Contents in MS H 2. The Translated St. Georgen Sermons 3. Dets dbuec van den palmboeme (Ls. 31) 4. Seven Passion Sermons (Ls. 32-38) 5. Dbuec van den boegaerde (Ls. 39) 6. Dbuec van den twelf frogten (Ls. 40) 7. Dit leert ons negenrehande minne (Ls. 41) 8. Det sin seven maniren van minnen (Ls. 42) 9. Dbuec van den gesteleken winkelre (Ls. 43) 10. Dets dbuec van heren Selfarts regelen (Ls. 44) 11. Dets van der heilger selen (Ls. 45) 12. Dets wie onse vrouwe een besloten boegaert es (Ls. 45) 13. Laudate dominum in sanctus eius (Ls. 48) 14. The Maastrichtse Passiespel 15. Preliminary Review III. Form and Function 1. An Example: The Spiritual Wine Cellar 2. The Fiction of the Sermon 3. Bible and Allegory 4. Damsels of Jerusalem 5. Memoria and Meditation 6. Rhyme, Prose and Rhyming Prose IV. Backgrounds 1. The Later Transmission 2. The Letters of Hadewijch 3. Minne and Mysticism 4. Old French Religious Literature 5. Connections in the Old French Transmission 6. Mystical Networks Appendices I. Codicological Description of Manuscript H II. The Limburg Sermons According to Manuscript H III. Concordance IV. ‘Brothers’ in Manuscript H V. Two Limburg Sermons in Translation Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis collection of essays by leading experts in New Testament scholarship addresses core themes in the study of early Christianity. The topics addressed include text-critical issues relating to the New Testament, the historical situation in which the earliest Christian documents were composed, early Christian rituals, historical questions concerning Jesus and Paul, and the origin and development of important theological ideas in the early Church. This volume is dedicated to Henk Jan de Jonge (Emeritus Professor in the New Testament, Leiden University) in honour of his important contributions to the field of New Testament Studies.Trade ReviewMany of the contributions are relevant, topical, and deserve to play an active role in current scholarship. Dirk Jongkind, Journal for the Study of the New Testament 32.5 (2010)Table of ContentsContributors include: K. Berger, R. Bieringer, M.C. de Boer, R. Buitenwerf, B. Dehandschutter, J.W. van Henten, M.J. de Jong, M. de Jonge, J.S. Kloppenborg, D.-A. Koch, G.H. van Kooten, P. Lanfranchi, L.J. Lietaert Peerbolte, A. Lindemann, D. Lührmann, M.J.J. Menken, D.C. Parker, J. Tromp, C. Tuckett, J. Verheyden, M. Wolter, J.K. Zangenberg.

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Book SynopsisHow is the Christian supposed to act when his or her government misbehaves? Should one suffer and obey the authority, or should one render resistance; and if so, should it be passive or active; and if active, should it be violent or not? This book will not provide the answer to this question, but it will describe and analyse important persons of the 20th century who were placed in a situation where they did not merely 'turn the other cheek', but felt that they had to resist a regime; a decision which had consequences for them all. Thus the book provides insight to a central and current question of Christian and indeed religious thinking.Trade Review"The essays are well researched. [...] [T]he book is a fascinating and profoundly moving resource that certainly deserves wide use." Douglas S Bax, Cape Town, South Africa, retired Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa. International Journal for Religious Freedom, 4:1 (2011).

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Book SynopsisWhat is the significance of monotheism in modern western culture, taking into account both its problematic and promising aspects? Biblical texts and the biblical faith traditions bear a continuous, polemical tension between exclusive and inclusive perceptions and interpretations of monotheism. Western monotheism proves itself to be multi-significant and heterogeneous, producing boundary-setting as well as boundary-crossing tendencies, is the common thesis of the authors of this book, who have been collectively debating this theme for two years in an interdisciplinary scholarly setting. Their contributions range from the fields of biblical and religious studies, history and philosophy of religion, systematic theology, to gender studies in theology and religion.The authors also explain the particular contribution of their own theological discipline to these debates.Trade Review"Through their varied concerns and resources, the theoretical essays provide readers with excellent starting points for discussion on how Christian monotheism should and must respond to questions of exclusivity, power relations, and violence. [...] Overall, The Boundaries of Monotheism is a valuable resource for theological reflection on the limits of Christian monotheism in the face of various scriptural, historical, and cultural challenges." Bradley B. Onishi, University of California Santa Barbara,Reviews in Religion and Theology, 18:4 (2011).Table of ContentsContributors include: Bob Becking, Kune Biezeveld, Bert Blans, Erik Borgman, Jacqueline Borsje, Maaike de Haardt, Akke van der Kooi, Anne-Marie Korte, René Munnik, and Marcel Poorthuis.

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Book SynopsisThough nations are nowadays seen as the product of modernity, comparable processes of community building were taking place even earlier. Thus the history of the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, and Syrian Christians shows that close-knit ethnic groups already existed in Late Antiquity and early medieval times. These communities have endured to the present day. However, there is much debate as to how they came into existence and defined themselves. The role of religion is central to this debate. A major interdisciplinary research project conducted at Leiden University investigated the identity formation of the Syriac Orthodox. It is argued that they started as a religious association. This volume presents the results of the Leiden team together with reactions from a number of other specialists. The cases of the East Syrians, Armenians, Copts, Ethiopians, and Byzantine Orthodox are discussed in five additional contributions. Contributors include: Naures Atto, Annemarie Weyl Carr, Muriel Debié, Jan van Ginkel, Wim Hofstee, Mat Immerzeel, Steven Kaplan, Theo van Lint, Glenn Peers, Richard Price, Gerrit Reinink, Bas ter Haar Romeny, Uriel Simonsohn, Bas Snelders, David Taylor, Herman Teule, Jacques van der Vliet, and Dorothea Weltecke.Trade Review"The editor and contributors are to be congratulated, for they have produced a volume which is sure to be foundational to future study." – Bradley Marsh, University of Oxford, The Journal of Theological Studies (2012) "...an eye-opener for the complexity of today's nationalism." – Chris Vonck, European Observatory of Religions and Secularism, in: Acta Comparanda XXI "I am genuinely impressed by this volume; the individual authors have engaged well with the subject. This book will be a very rich contribution to the field." – Robert Hoyland, University of Oxford "[This] volume is both stimulating and worthwhile; the contributions, all by leading scholars in their respective fields, are consistently of a high quality." – Sebastian P. Brock, Oxford University Oriental Institute, in: Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies 52/1-2, pp. 125-128Table of ContentsPreface Presentation of the results of the Leiden project The Formation of a Communal Identity among West Syrian Christians: Concluding Essay of the Leiden Project, Bas ter Haar Romeny, et al. Reaction from a social scientist Ethnicity and Ethnogenesis: Anthropological Perspectives, Wim Hofstee Reaction from a specialist in Syriac exegesis Daniel of Salah and Identity Formation in the Earliest West Syrian Exegesis, David Taylor Reactions from specialists in Syriac historiography Syriac Historiography and Identity Formation, Muriel Debié Michael the Syrian and Syrian Orthodox Identity, Dorothea Weltecke Reactions from art historians Iconography and Identity: Syrian Elements in the Art of Crusader Cyprus, Annemarie Weyl Carr Art and Identity in an Amulet Roll from Fourteenth-Century Trebizond, Glenn Peers Other sources for our knowledge of the identity formation of the Syrian Orthodox Syriac, Arabic, Muslim – Bar Salibi, Bar Shakko, and Bar Hebraeus, Herman Teule Seeking Justice among the ‘Outsiders’: Christian Recourse to Non-Ecclesiastical Judicial Systems under Early Islam, Uriel Simonsohn Cases that may be comparable Tradition and the Formation of the ‘Nestorian’ Identity in Sixth- to Seventh-Century Iraq, Gerrit Reinink The Formation of an Armenian Identity in the First Millennium, Theo van Lint The Copts: Modern Sons of the Pharaohs?, Jacques van der Vliet Dominance and Diversity: Kingship, Ethnicity, and Christianity in Orthodox Ethiopia, Steven Kaplan The Development of a Chalcedonian Identity (451-553), Richard Price Conclusions Indexes

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Book SynopsisScholars of religion have always worked closely with media of one kind or another, from sacred books and archaic languages to cassette-sermons and the Internet. Yet comparatively little attention has been paid to the ways we actually use these and other media in the pursuit of historical inquiry. Drawing on ethnographic and archival research conducted on the Indonesian island of Bali, this book offers a critique of the media-related assumptions underpinning fields as diverse in their subject matter and approach as the history of religions, British cultural studies and Old Javanese philology. Its central contention is that more nuanced attention to problems of media will have serious implications for how we think about the study of religions, past and present.

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Book SynopsisClare of Assisi: Life, Writings and Spirituality examines Clare not merely as an obedient footnote to the friars, but as a Franciscan founder in her own right who kept primitive Franciscan ideals alive into the middle of the thirteenth century and transposed them into a woman’s key. Bringing together the best of international research, the text examines Clare’s importance within the early Franciscan milieu and her contribution to the thirteenth-century women's movement. It studies the radicalism of Clare's Franciscan choice, her life within the Monastery of San Damiano, her politicking with Agnes of Prague for the "privilege of poverty," and her uniqueness among other women in Gregory IX's Damianite ordo. Following this historical study are critical translations and literary analyses of Clare's four letters to Agnes of Prague as well as a new translation and commentary on Clare’s Forma Vitae.Trade Review"A Companion to Clare of Assisi is thus recommended to university and seminary libraries as an irnportant reference book, as well as for inclusion in courses which study the lives of medieval religious women." Bruce Paolozzi, Claremont Graduate University. In: Anglican and Episcopal History (2012), pp. 462-463. "This book is well produced and edited, containing eight beautiful and useful illustrations at the back. [...] Overall this is an engaging and serendipitous book. Collecting the results of the industry of Franciscan research, especially as it relates to Clare, is a monumental task and Mueller has pulled it off well. The wealth of contemporary studies incorporated in this book make it extremely useful to scholars and students alike." Donald S. Prudlo, Francia-Recensio 2012. "Bringing together the best of international research, the text examines Clare's importance within the early Franciscan milieu and her contribution to the thirteenth-century women's movement." Studies in Spirituality Vol. 21 (2011), pp. 374-375. ‘’Questo di J.M. e’uno dei migliori lavori realizzati in lingua inglese su Chiara di Assisi negli ultimi anni. L’A. si inserisce definitivamente nel gruppo degli specialisti di Santa Chiara, con un lavoro che ha il pregio non soltanto di tenere conto di tutta la migliore bibliografia in tante lingue diverse […] ma anche di fornire nuove piste di riflessione e approfondimento.’’ Marco Bartoli, Universita’ di Roma LUMSA. In: Revue D’Histoire Ecclésiastique.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Abbreviations Introduction PART I CLARE: FRANCISCAN WOMEN Chapter One The Franciscan Choice Chapter Two The Monastery of S Damiano Chapter Three The Politics of “Infant’s Milk”: Clare of Assisi and the Privilege of Poverty Chapter Four The Ordo that Gregory IX Founded: Clare among other Ugolinian Sisters PART II CLARE: HER WRITINGS Chapter Five Reading Clare’s Letters in Context Chapter Six The Agnes Legend in Clare’s Letters Appendix: The Legend of S Agnes of Rome Chapter Seven Clare’s Forma Vitae: Unique Contributions PART III CLARE: HER WRITINGS IN TRANSLATION Clare’s First Letter to Agnes Clare’s Second Letter to Agnes Clare’s Third Letter to Agnes Clare’s Fourth Letter to Agnes Clare’s Forma Vitae 275Bibliography Index Illustrations

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Book SynopsisThis work - the first full-length account of its theme in English - identifies Kant’s doctrine of inner sense as a central, and problematic, element within the ‘architectonic of pure reason’ of the first Critique. Its exegesis exposes two, variant construals of the character and capacities of inner sense: the first, ‘positive’ construal functions in Kant’s account of the nature of knowledge in the Transcendental Analytic, while the second, ‘negative’ construal functions in Kant’s account of the limits of knowledge in the Transcendental Dialectic. Green shows how this variance underlies, and destabilizes, the basic intention of Kant’s theoretical philosophy, to give an account of both the nature, and the limits, of cognition. The work complements detailed analysis with an exhaustive review of English, French, and German scholarship on the doctrine. An Appendix on Kant’s recently discovered ‘Vom inneren Sinne’ fragment evinces Kant’s continued concern with this doctrine, and a Conclusion intimates the importance of Fichte’s and Schelling’s identification of the ‘aporia of inner sense’ to the subsequent development of transcendental idealism.Trade Review"The thesis – very profound, very learned, and detailed -- of Professor Green recommends itself. It is obvious that we are introduced to an authentically speculative temperament, and to an extremely well-trained philosopher and scholar, who manifests exceptional gifts of both reflection and analysis. His work attests to an exhaustive knowledge of Kant (and, elsewhere, of Fichte, and therefore of German idealism). The author does not spare his reader; he is analytical, elaborate, and remains constantly in close proximity to the text, indeed with a remarkable mastery. The analytical attitude chosen by Professor Green ensures the solidity of his exposition." Xavier Tilliette (review of Garth Green's thesis as member examining committee, 2002)Table of ContentsVolume Foreword 1. Introduction; An Aporia of Inner Sense? 2. The Self-Knowledge of Reason; The Transcendental Topic and The Atopicality of Time I. Critique of Pure Reason; A General Introduction II. Materialiter sic Dicta i. Per Modum Recipientis ii. Situs corporis iii. Situs temporis III. Idealiter sic Dicta i. Form and Function ii. Self-consciousness and Self-cognition a. A First Attempt at Deduction b. A Second Attempt at Deduction iii. An Analytic of (Synthetic) Principles iv. A Problematic Idealism v. Seelenlehre, Weltwissenschaft, Gotteserkenntnis 3. Conclusion; The Antinomy Between Theory of Knowledge and Critique of Metaphysics in Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason 4. Appendix; The Aporia of Inner Sense and The Vom Inneren Sinne Fragment: A Principle for the Development of Transcendental Philosophy? Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFor centuries, the relation between lay piety and academic theology has determined the faith of lay people as well as developments in theology, and influenced daily life as well as scholarly discussions. In this book an international and multidisciplinary panel of specialists, covering the fields of church history, history of literature, music history, book history, and art history reflects on a broad range of research topics, providing a fascinating and refreshing view on what this relation has been throughout the centuries. Christoph Burger has given a major impulse to the research into the history of theology, notably the issue of adapting academic theology for lay people. The contributions to this Festschrift reflect this broad spectrum of correlations between learned theology and lay piety from the Early Church period until modern times. The book contains contributions to the research on lay piety as well as academic theology in the Middle Ages, Reformation, and the modern period, as well as their representations in such media as printed books and woodcuts. The result is a truly epoch-transcending and interdisciplinary volume.Trade Review"L'ensemble des articles réunis en hommage à Christoph Burger impressionne par son ampleur et son haut niveau d'analyse. Il faut saluer la cohérence des cas d'études exposés et leur mise en perspective historique et théologique. Témoignant de la diversité des sources et des documents textuels et iconographiques, ce livre est un bel encouragement à la recherche sur la piété des laïcs et la théologie protestante en Europe occidentale." Martine Clouzot, Sehepunkte Ausgabe 14 (2014), Nr. 1.Table of ContentsContributors Preface Ulrike Hascher-Burger, August A. den Hollander, Wim Janse Introduction Ulrike Hascher-Burger Middle Ages Der erste Jubilaumsablass-eine kirchengeschichtliche Erinnerung Martin Ohst "Memorare novissima tua". Ein Blick in die Vorgeschichte des Eschatologiebegriffs Sigurd Hjelde The Commemoration of the Translation of the Relics of Saint Augustine Martijn Schrama The Middle Dutch Mystical Whitsun Sermons from 1492 mediating Johannes Gerson Thom Mertens "O qualis quantaque leticia": Das Bild des Himmels in einem Liederbuch der Bruder vom Gemeinsamen Leben Ulrike Hascher-Burger "Myne lieben doechtern". Auf der Suche nach der idealen Madchenlekture im Mittelalter Barbara Fleith Reformation Luthers Vaterunserauslegung von 1519. Die Transformation spatmittelalterlicher Frommigkeit zu reformatorischer Volker Leppin Marie dans les Tischreden de Martin Luther Matthieu Arnold "Ein Laie der Rede". Die Frage nach der rhetorischen Kompetenz in der Debatte zwischen Luther und Erasmus uber den freien Willen. Johan S. Vos "A l'instar des prophetes ...". La rhetorique au service de la prophetie dans le Tzephaniah epitomographus de Martin Bucer (1528) Annie Noblesse-Rocher "Quomodo legere oporteat sacras scripturas ...". Anmerkungen zur Bibelhermeneutik des Zurcher Reformators Theodor Bibliander (1505-1564) Hans-Martin Kirn Piety in tumultuous times. Farel the flamboyant herald of reformed belief Frans P. van Stam Post-Reformation and Modern Times Georg Mayer of Leeder: "So geysted der H. Geist wo er will" Peter G. Bietenholz United by the Augustana? Acceptance of the Augsburg Confession in the Netherlands around 1566 Klaas Zwanepol Lay and Theological Reception of Clement of Alexandria in the Reformation. From Gentien Hervet to Fenelon Irena Backus Groninger Pfarrer an der Schwelle zur liberalen Zeit. Ein Bericht uber den religios-kirchlichen Zustand der Groninger protestantischen Gemeinden (1851); seine Hintergrunde und Wirkungen. Jasper Vree Piety and Media Beyond the printed book. The media in Reformation historiography Willem Heijting Apostolate and Printing. The Collatiebroeders of Gouda and their Press Koen Goudriaan Der Weg zum Himmel und die nahe Gnade. Neue Formen der spatmittelalterlichen Frommigkeit am Beispiel Ulms und des Mediums Einblattdruck Berndt Hamm "Magnificat anima mea Dominum ..." in figuris. Representation de la fin de la Visitation (Luc 1, 46-55) dans les Figures de la Bible au seizieme siecle Max Engammare Christian Hebraism and early printed Dutch Bibles August A. den Hollander Publications Christoph Burger Index of names Index of places

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Book SynopsisThis book is not designed to define the sacred. It is, rather, a bringing together of case histories (a rich, varied collection from medieval, early modern and nineteenth-century contexts in England and Wales) that goes beyond familiar paradigms to explore the dynamic, protean interaction, in different times and places, between sacred space and text. Essentially an interdisciplinary enterprise, it focuses a range of historical and critical methodologies on that complex process of transformation and transmission whereby spiritual intuitions, experiences and teachings are made palpable ‘in art and architecture, poetry and prayer, in histories, scriptures and liturgies, even landscapes. So the sacred, variously constructed and inscribed, makes itself felt ‘on the pulse’; is a presence, a voice even now not stilled.Trade Review'Sacred text – Sacred space' is a fascinating collection, in which a series of absorbing insights into specific moments when space and text jointly established a sense of the sacred are woven subtly into a compelling narrative about how concepts of the sacred have altered between the early medieval period and the twentieth century. - Chloe Kathleen Preedy - University of Cambridge in: Culture and Religion 2012Table of ContentsContributors Include: Richard Chartres, Joseph Sterrett, Madeleine Gray, Thomas Pickles, Laura Varnam, Roy Eriksen, Richard Wilson, Graham Parry, Helen Wilcox, Peter Thomas, Dennis Taylor, Allan Doig, William Whyte, Susanna Avery-Quash, Patrick Sherry.

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Book Synopsis"The Crescent on the Temple" by Pamela Berger elucidates an obscured tradition—how the Dome of the Rock came to stand for the Temple of Solomon in Christian, Muslim, and Jewish art. The crusaders called the Dome of the Rock the “Temple of the Lord,” while Muslim imagery depicted Solomon enthroned within the domed structure. Jews knew that the ancient Temple had been destroyed. Nevertheless, in their imagery, they commonly labeled the Muslim shrine “The Temple.” That domed “Temple” was often represented with a crescent on top. This iconography, long hidden in plain sight, reflects one aspect of an historical affinity between Jews and Muslims.Trade ReviewBerger makes both a monumental historical contribution convincingly revealing a past that has been obscured as well as making us think about the times we live in. Hopefully, the “shock,” to quote Nohad Ali, produced by this book will have an influence on political and religious leaders alike—for the benefit of peace and returned inter-religiosity in Jerusalem. - Curtis Hutt, University of Nebraska at Omaha, in: International Dialogue, A Multidisciplinary Journal of World Affairs 3, 2013.

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