Theology Books

Book SynopsisAn exploration of a troubling phenomenon: the fast-growing belief in Muslim countries that the end of the world is at hand - and with it the "Great Battle," prophesied by both Sunni and Shi'i tradition, which many believers expect will begin in the Afghan-Pakistani borderlands. It uncovers the role of apocalypse in Islam over the centuries.Trade Review"A timely and highly recommended work." Booklist "A fascinating book." -- Bruce Riedel Tablet Magazine "Apocalypse in Islam makes a crucially important contribution to our understanding of current events." -- Charles Cameron Jihadology "Carefully outlines what the apocalyptic literature is saying, and places it in a broad historical and theological context. It presents sober and balanced assessments, and is a truly useful resource." -- Peter Kirkwood The Australian "Fascinating ... a must read." Australian Financial Review Magazine "The University of California Press is to be praised for adding to the book color plates of 22 lurid covers of these recent novels. These alone are worth the price of admission." -- Shalom Goldman Haaretz "An important work for students not just of Islam but also of religion, politics, and popular culture in general." Choice "A fascinating and accessible text... You'll be much better informed after reading Apocalypse in Islam." -- Angela Mende Law Society JournalTable of ContentsPreface to the English-Language Edition Acknowledgments Prologue: The End of the World Draws Nigh Part One: True and False Messiahs of Islam 1. Archeology of the End of the World 2. Grand Masters of the Medieval Apocalypse 3. Avatars of the Mahdi Part Two: Apocalypse Now 4. Dawn of the Fifteenth Century of Islam 5. Pioneers of the Contemporary Apocalypse 6. The Horsemen of Apocalyptic Jihad 7. The Beginning of the End in Iraq 8. The Grand Return of the Shi?i Mahdi 9. Diasporas of the Apocalypse 10. The Armageddon of Jihad Epilogue: Through the Looking Glass--and Beyond Notes A Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisGod’s Word tells us we must “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). This updated classic from Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell will give you the tools you need to do just that.

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Book SynopsisSound theological method is a necessary prerequisite for good theological work. This accessible introduction surveys contemporary theological methodology by presenting leading thinkers of the 20th and 21st centuries as models. The book presents the strengths and weaknesses in each of the major options. Rather than favoring one specific position, it helps students of theology think critically so they can understand and develop their own theological method.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction: The Context of Modern Theology1. The Work of Theology2. Neo-orthodox and Ressourcement Theologies3. Theologies of Correlation4. Postliberal Theologies5. Evangelical Theologies6. Political Theologies7. Feminist Theologies8. Theologies of Religious Pluralism and Comparative TheologyConclusion: Where Do We Go from Here?Suggested Reading List for StudentsIndex

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Book SynopsisIn one convenient, parallel arrangement, Drs. Beek and Ferguson have harmonized seven important Reformed confessions that have never before been published together.

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Book SynopsisWhen confronted by horrendous evil, even the most pious believer may question not only life's worth but also God's power and goodness. A distinguished philosopher and a practicing minister, Marilyn McCord Adams has written a highly original work on a...Trade ReviewIt is her own dissatisfaction with the usual strategies that philosophy and theology have adopted in the face of evil—strategies that she feels underestimate either the horror of evil or the goodness of God—that led her to mount her own philosophical alternative.... She proposes an entirely different approach. Instead of seeking reasons why a good God might permit evil, philosophy should seek an explanation of how God might 'make good' on evil. * New York Times Book Review *Adams argument is an important contribution to recent philosophical and theological discussions on the problem of evil.... Whether one agrees with... Adams' answer to the problem of evil, it is hard not to think that we are better off for the ways that her attempts to think about evil encourage and challenge us to take evil seriously. * The Hedgehog Review *In this post-Holocaust world, much that passes for philosophical analysis of the problem of evil seems beside the point, if not culpably irrelevant. It is to Adams's great credit that in her often insightful discussion of the issue, she puts the emphasis where it belongs: on the victims' point of view.... A provocative book. * Theological Studies *It would be difficult to take offense at a book which is so manifestly honest in its search for the truth, and which so clearly expresses a deep awareness of, and compassion for, the suffering and moral frailty of human beings.... Whatever their own views on the problem of evil, most readers will find insights here that they will want to hold on to. * Religious Studies *Marilyn Adams... makes a compelling argument at several levels. * First Things *This book is based on work on God and evil that Adams did over a period of more than a decade.... But the book is by no means a mere collection of previously published essays.... The book integrates them into a unified whole that highlights their coherence and displays connections among them. So even those who are very familiar with her earlier work on God and evil will profit from reading the book carefully.... This is a brave book. It has something fresh to say on a difficult and important philosophical topic. It deserves readers who will debate its challenging claims. * The Philosophical Review *

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Book SynopsisThis book opens new perspectives on the Zohar, the greatest book of Jewish mysticism, by examining its unique approach to narrative.Trade Review"This thoughtful study adds another learned piece to readers' understanding of the Zohar, the most famous work in the history of Jewish mysticism . . . Recommended." -- S. T. Katz * CHOICE *"'Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Yose were walking on the road.' Traditional commentators ignore the Zohar's narrative framework; in this fascinating book, David Greenstein refocuses our attention on this vital element. He demonstrates how the 'walking motif' enables the Zohar to address the mundane, to explore not just the 'sacred center,' but also its everyday periphery." -- Daniel Matt * Editor and Translator of The Zohar, Pritzker Edition *

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Book SynopsisPersonal renewal or sanctification belongs to the heart of the Christian life and is becoming more important in our present-day culture. Listening to Scripture and in conversation with a variety of theologians from the protestant tradition, Willem van Vlastuin presents an up-to-date concept for a theology of personal renewal. In this concept the spiritual union with Christ considers the way in which renewal obtains form in relation to God, our neighbour, ourselves and the world. The author places this concept into a historical perspective. Furthermore an important issue concerns the measure of renewal, especially in relation to the sinful heart of the believer.

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Book Synopsis?This book will prove to be a most effective weapon… against the debunking and skeptical attitudes toward the Gospels that are so prevalent, not only in academe, but also on the street, among young people who, sadly, are leaving the Churches in droves.? ? Robert Barron, author of Catholicism For well over a hundred years now, many scholars have questioned the historical truth of the Gospels, claiming that they were originally anonymous. Others have even argued that Jesus of Nazareth did not think he was God and never claimed to be divine.In The Case for Jesus, Dr. Brant Pitre, the bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, goes back to the sources?the biblical and historical evidence for Christ?in order to answer several key questions, including: ?Were the four Gospels really anonymous? ?Are the Gospels folklore? Or are they biographies? ?Were the four Gospels written too late to be reliable? ?What about the so-called ?Lost Gospels,? such as ?Q? and the Gospel of Thomas? ?Did Jesus claim to be God? ?Is Jesus divine in all four Gospels? Or only in John? ?Did Jesus fulfill the Jewish prophecies of the Messiah? ?Why was Jesus crucified? ?What is the evidence for the Resurrection? As The Case for Jesus will show, recent discoveries in New Testament scholarship, as well as neglected evidence from ancient manuscripts and the early church fathers, together have the potential to pull the rug out from under a century of skepticism toward the traditional Gospels. Above all, Pitre shows how the divine claims of Jesus of Nazareth can only be understood by putting them in their ancient Jewish context.

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Book SynopsisDallas Seminary Professors Make Basic Theology Accessible for AllTheology doesn''t have to be complicated. In this book, trusted Dallas Seminary professors present a concise systematic theology that distills the essential spiritual truths in a way that makes sense to readers--students, lay people, and pastors. Here are introductions, overviews, and reviews of key tenets of orthodox protestant evangelical doctrines. The book also includes an annotated list of key applicable Bible texts, a quick-paced story of doctrine throughout church history, heresies or distortions to be aware of, and more.Exploring Christian Theology is useful for discipleship, catechism, membership training, preview or review of doctrine, or quick personal reference. It can also be used by ministry training programs, Bible colleges, or seminaries as an introductory primer to orient students in preparation for a more in-depth study of theology.

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Book SynopsisDrawing upon the author s three decades of work incomparative theology, this is a pertinent and comprehensiveintroduction to the field, which offers a clear guide to thereader, enabling them to engage in comparative study.Trade Review“This marvelous book should stand as an invitation to many. I very much hope that it is taken up.” (Harvard Theological Review, 1 April 2012) “In this context, Comparative Theology is a timely publication.” (Teaching Theology, 2012) "There is much to admire in this short but insightful book - not least the background that Clooney sketches: the genealogy of the term ‘comparative theology' and the summary of various contemporary comparativists, from Raimon Pannikkar, Robert Neville and Keith Ward to a whole school of younger scholars which is beginning to emerge, especially in the United States." (The Way,1 April 2011) "It's a fascinating book, all the same. I warmly recommend it ." (Theology, 1 March 2011) "Comparative Theology will be of interest to people looking for a method for interfaith dialogue that affirms the value of one's theological commitments and could serve well as a textbook for courses exploring interfaith theological discourse." (Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 1 January 2011) "But as this volume suggests, our interreligious milieu provides a new impetus not just for learning about our neighbors' faiths but learning from them. Francis X. Clooney, S.J., is a most trustworthy guide." (The National Catholic Weekly, September 2010) "Clooney's book thus provides an extremely needful, as well as accessible, contribution to the furthering of this developing discipline, and as such it is a very valuable piece of scholarship." (American Theological Inquiry, July 2010)Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments xi Part I Starting Points 1 1 Religious Diversity and Comparative Theology 3 Diversity around Us 4 Diversity within Us 6 Comparative Theology as a Response to Twenty-first-Century Religious Diversity 8 Distinguishing Comparative Theology from Related Disciplines 9 Comparative Theology and the Academic Study of Religions 12 Comparative Theology and Interreligious Dialogue 13 Comparative Theology and the Theology of Religions 14 Comparative Theology Autobiographically Grounded 16 On the Limits of This Book 19 Looking Ahead 22 2 In Generations Past: Some Ancestors to Today’s Comparative Theology 24 Comparative Theology and the Long History of Christian Interreligious Reflection 24 Western Jesuit Scholars in India 27 Comparative Theology as a Discipline (1699–) 30 A Moderate Criticism of Missionary Scholarship and the Older Comparative Theology 35 At the End of the Era 37 3 Comparative Theology Today 41 David Tracy 42 Keith Ward 43 Robert C. Neville 45 A Note on Raimon Panikkar 47 James Fredericks 49 New Directions 50 From Theory (Back) to Practice 52 Part II Doing Theology Comparatively 55 4 From Theory to Practice 57 The Practice of (Comparative) Religious Reading 57 Intelligent Reading 59 Commentary as a Religious Practice 60 Interreligious Commentary 63 Leaving Room for Other Readers and Their Readings 66 Necessarily Elite Choices 67 5 Getting Particular: A Christian Studies Hinduism 69 The Importance of Focus 69 (Self)Identifying This Particular Comparative Theologian 70 Making a Map, Marking the Field: Hinduism in Brief 70 Getting Particular: Mimamsa, Vedanta, and Srivaisnavism 74 Appreciating Similarities 75 Theistic Hinduism as a Useful and Comfortable Focus 77 Theology as a Hindu Discipline 78 Comparative Theology in Hinduism and Other Traditions 80 My Comparative Theology, Indebted to Hindu Theologies 83 6 “Learning to See”: Comparative Practice and the Widening of Theological Vision 87 Plenary Address at the Catholic Theology Society of America, 2003 88 Near a Goddess 88 Devi’s Beauty, Devi’s Pleasure 90 Rediscovering Mary 93 Mary and Her Son Jesus, through Muslim Eyes 96 Sojourner Truth’s Liberating God 99 All in Christ, but Still All 103 Vocation 105 After “Learning to See” 106 Part III The Fruits of Comparison 109 7 Theology After Comparison 111 Comparative Theology and the Larger Work of Theology 111 The Multiple Responsibilities of the Comparative Theologian 113 Some Theological Presuppositions Implicit in Comparative Theology 114 Comparative Theological Learning, in Particular 117 The Imago Dei and Our Destiny in Bliss 118 What “Narayana” Might Mean for the Christian 121 Encountering Goddesses 123 Comparative Theology and the Intensification of Devotion 125 Theology on a Smaller Scale 127 8 “God for Us” 128 “God for Us”: An Essay 128 A Verse, a Clue 129 What Hindus Thought about the Verse 130 Living the Verse 132 The Verse and Its Wider Context 133 An Aside on How to See God and on How God Wills to Be Seen 135 Noticing One’s First Citizenship: Reflection on Ignatian Insight and My Home Citizenship 139 What Ignatius Had to Say 140 Some Contemporary Views of the Intensification and Emptying of the Imagination in the Spiritual Exercises 143 Multiple Religious Belonging, Human but Also Divine 146 “God for Us” as Comparative Theology 151 9 Comparative Writer, Comparative Reader 154 The Comparative Theologian Transformed 155 The Comparative Theologian as Marginal Person 157 The Comparative Theologian’s New Community 160 Tasks and Opportunities for the Reader 162 Beyond This Book 164 Notes 166 Select Bibliography 172 Index 177

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Book SynopsisWritten by a team of international experts, drawn from various traditions of political theology, this outstanding resource brings together 35 newly-commissioned essays in the field. Demonstrates that Christian theology is inherently political and shows how theology impacts on present-day political issues.Trade Review"Just when I was beginning to think that there are too many companion volumes in the world, I have read one that is pure delight. Political theology is a hot topic, and this book is required reading for it ... It is a book of books." Stephen H. Webb, Wabash College, Indiana "An excellent resource for both teaching and research, this anthology is recommended for every theology library." Daniel J. Kuntz, Brescia University, Owensboro “This is a very important, pioneering book, full of scintillating arguments and fresh insights. It is likely to redefine political theology for a new generation, and arouse a great deal of useful and vigorous debate. It will be an indispensible stimulus and resource for students and scholars concerned with the bearing of Christian theology on the political and public sphere.” Duncan Forrester, University of Edinburgh “The strength of the collection lies in part two, a state-of-the-art summary of political theologies. The usefulness of companion, suitable for seminary libraries, is enhanced by an index of names and subjects and an index of biblical references.” Timothy D. Lincoln Austin Presbyterian Theological SeminaryTable of ContentsContributors viii Introduction 1 William T. Cavanaugh and Peter Scott Part I Traditioned Resources: Scripture, Traditions, Liturgy 5 1 Scripture: Old Testament 7 Walter Brueggemann 2 Scripture: New Testament 21 Christopher Rowland 3 Augustine 35 Jean Bethke Elshtain 4 Aquinas 48 Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt 5 The Reformation 62 Andrew Bradstock 6 Liturgy 76 Bernd Wannenwetsch Part II Political Theologies: Survey 91 7 Eastern Orthodox Thought 93 Michael Plekon 8 Carl Schmitt 107 Michael Hollerich 9 Karl Barth 123 Haddon Willmer 10 Dietrich Bonhoeffer 136 Stanley Hauerwas 11 John Courtney Murray 150 Michael J. Baxter 12 William Temple 165 Alan M. Suggate 13 Reinhold Niebuhr180 William Werpehowski 14 Feminist Theology, Southern 194 Kwok Pui-lan 15 Feminist Theology, Northern 210 Elaine Graham 16 Jürgen Moltmann 227 Nicholas Adams 17 Johann Baptist Metz 241 J. Matthew Ashley 18 Political Theologies in Asia 256 Aloysius Pieris 19 Black Political Theologies 271 M. Shawn Copeland 20 Gustavo Gutiérrez 288 Roberto S. Goizueta 21 Stanley Hauerwas 302 R. R. Reno Part III Constructive Political Theology 317 22 Trinity 319 Kathryn Tanner 23 Creation 333 Peter Scott 24 Christology 348 Raymund Schwager 25 Atonement 363 Timothy J. Gorringe 26 Spirit 377 Mark Lewis Taylor 27 Church 393 William T. Cavanaugh 28 Eschatology 407 Robert W. Jenson Part IV Structures and Movements 421 29 State and Civil Society 423 Daniel M. Bell, Jr. 30 Democracy 439 John W. de Gruchy 31 Critical Theory 455 Marsha Aileen Hewitt 32 Postmodernism 471 Catherine Pickstock 33 Globalization 486 Peter Sedgwick Part V Perspectives 501 34 The Islamic Quest for Sociopolitical Justice 503 Bustami Mohamed Khir 35 Abrahamic Theo-politics: A Jewish View 519 Peter Ochs Index of Names and Subjects 535 Index of Biblical References 563

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Book SynopsisThis concise and highly readable book orients readers to the unified story of Scripture, helping Christians grasp the perspective of the biblical writers and follow their lead in reading and interpreting God's Word.

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Book SynopsisDrawing heavily on Calvin's letters, commentaries, the Institutes, and other lesser-known writings, Horton explores the riches of Calvin's piety and its significance for contemporary Christian living. Part of the Theologians on the Christian Life series.

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Book SynopsisJudaism makes the bold argument that the very concept of a religion of ‘Judaism’ is an invention of the Christian church. The intellectual odyssey of world-renowned Talmud scholar Daniel Boyarin, this book will change the study of Judaism—an essential key word in Jewish Studies—as we understand it today.Trade Review"A brilliant book that marks a fresh beginning for scholarly conversations about Judaism, religion, and even the historical utility of categories." -- Annette Yoshiko Reed * author of Jews, Christians, and the Roman Empire *"A significant and radical contribution." -- Michael Satlow * author of How the Bible Became Holy *"This book offers a reflective, and even-meta reflective discussion of the term 'Judaism.' Boyarin, as always, offers provocative, trail blazing insights to reckon with." -- Dina Stein * author of Textual Mirrors: Reflexivity, Midrash, and the Rabbinic Self *"What Boyarin does in Judaism is offer us a complex map, a detailed topography, of how the term Judaism came to be used to define Jewish 'doings,' and for some, to define Jews....One of the greatest things a scholar of Boyarin’s stature can do is make arguments that create the requisite space for future scholars to do their work. A book of this scope can never, and should never, close a conversation, but rather open one. Judaism is a term we all use reflexively but do not quite know what it actually means. Boyarin’s contribution to that reflexivity is a major contribution to scholarship." * H-Judaic *"Boyarin’s book provide[s] [the reader] to think through some of these theoretical questions, and to continue our ongoing conversation about the ancient individuals, groups, and ideas that continue to resonate down to the present." * Marginalia *" Boyarin’s provocative new book... succeeds at its primary goal: to destabilize the automatic use of 'Judaism' by scholars." * Marginalia *"A wonderfully clever argument that demands we reconsider much of what we write and teach about Judaism." * Marginalia *"Provocative and challenging." * Marginalia *"What we thus have from Boyarin’s philological genealogy is one reading of 'Judaism' that begins as a negative, is turned into a positive, and then becomes irrelevant, except for those who share it with something else....Boyarin’s genealogy teaches us that Judaism can never stand alone or be alone. If Judaism is all there is, then the term 'Judaism' ceases to exist, mostly because it is no longer necessary." * Marginalia *"Brief and powerful." * Marginalia *"Judaism: The Genealogy of a Modern Notion attests once again to Daniel Boyarin’s restlessly inquisitive mind and to his persistent need to challenge commonly held assumptions in a manner meant to be provocative and contrarian." * Marginalia *"How Christians Invented 'Judaism,' According to a Top Talmud Scholar," by Tomer Persico https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-how-christians-invented-judaism-according-to-a-top-talmud-scholar-1.7417536 * Haaretz *"Boyarin has created a very interesting argument." * Histoire sociale/Social History *Table of ContentsContentsPreface What Are We Talking About When We Talk About “Judaism”?Part 1 The Terms of the DebateChapter 1 Debate of the TermsPart 2 The State of the Lexicon: Questioning the ArchiveChapter 2 Jewry without Judaism: The Stakes of the QuestionChapter 3 Getting Medieval YahadutPart 3: A New Dispensation: The Christian Invention of “Judaism”Chapter 4 “Judaism” out of the Entrails of ChristianityChapter 5 From Yiddishkayt to Judentum; From Judentum to Yahadut;, or Philology and the Transformation of a FolkEpilogueBibliography

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsTranslator’s Note xiii Preface to the English-Language Edition xv Opening: The Isenheim Altarpiece or “The Taking on Board of Suffering” xvii Introduction: Shifting Understandings of Anxiety 1 PART I: THE FACE-TO-FACE OF FINITUDE 1 From the Burden of Death to Flight before Death 7 §1 The Burden of Death, 7 ■ §2 Fleeing from Death, 8 2 The Face of Death or Anxiety over Finitude 10 §3 Death “for Us” Humans, 10 ■ §4 Genesis and Its Symbolism, 11 ■ §5 The Mask of Perfection, 12 ■ §6 The Image of Finitude in Man, 13 ■ §7 Finitude: Finite and Infinite, 16 ■ §8 Finitude and Anxiety, 16 ■ §9 The Eclipse of Finitude, 17 ■ §10 The Face of Death, 18 ■ §11 To Die “with,” 19 3 The Temptation of Despair or Anxiety over Sin 22 §13 Inevitable Death, 22 ■ §14 The Conquest of Sin, 22 ■ §15 Sin and Anxiety, 23 ■ §16 The Temptation of Despair, 24 4 From the Affirmation of Meaninglessness to the Suspension of Meaning 26 §17 The Life Sentence, 26 ■ §18 The Christian Witness, 27 ■ §19 Meaninglessness and the Suspension of Meaning, 27 PART II: CHRIST FACED WITH ANXIETY OVER DEATH §20 Two Meditations on Death, 29 ■ §21 Alarm and Anxiety, 31 5 The Fear of Dying and Christ’s “Alarm” 33 §22 Taking on Fear and Abandonment, 33 ■ §23 The Cup, Sadness, and Sleep, 34 ■ §24 Resignation, Waiting, and Heroism, 35 ■ §25 The Silence at the End, 36 ■ §26 The Scenarios of Death, 37 ■ §27 The Triple Failure of the Staging, 38 ■ §28 From Alarm to Anxiety, 39 6 God’s Vigil 41 §29 Remaining Always Awake, 41 ■ §30 The Passage of Death, the Present of the Passion, the Future of the Resurrection, 42 ■ §31 Theological Actuality and Phenomenological Possibility, 43 7 The Narrow Road of Anxiety 45 §32 Indefiniteness, Reduction to Nothing, and Isolation, 45 ■ §33 The Strait Gate, 46 ■ §34 Anxiety over “Simply Death,” 47 ■ §35 Indefiniteness (Putting off the Cup) and the Powerless Power of God, 47 ■ §36 Reduction to Nothing and Kenosis, 52 ■ §37 The Isolation of Humankind and Communion with the Father, 54 ■ §38 Of Anxiety Endured on the Horizon of Death, 55 8 Death and Its Possibilities 57 §39 Manner of Living, Possibility of the Impossibility, and Death as “Mineness,” 57 ■ §40 Being Vigilant at Gethsemane, 59 ■ §41 From the Actuality of the Corpse to Possibilities for the Living, 60 ■ §42 The Death That Is Always His: Suffering in God; The Gift of His Life and Refusal of Mastery, 63 ■ §43 The Flesh Forgotten, 66 PART III: THE BODY-TO-BODY OF SUFFERING AND DEATH §44 Disappropriation and Incarnation, 69 ■ §45 Embedding in the Flesh and Burial in the Earth, 70 9 From Self-Relinquishment to the Entry into the Flesh 73 §46 Suffering the World, 73 ■ §47 Living in the World, 74 ■ §48 Otherness and Corruptibility, 74 ■ §49 Self-Relinquishment, 75 ■ §50 Passing to the Father, 76 ■ §51 Oneself as an Other, 77 ■ §52 Destitution and Auto-Affection, 78 ■ §53 Alterity and Fraternity, 79 ■ §54 Entry into the Flesh, 80 ■ §55 The Anxiety “in” the Flesh, 81 ■ §56 Toward Dumb Experience, 82 10 Suffering Occluded 84 §57 An Opportunity Thwarted, 84 ■ §58 Called into Question, 86 ■ §59 Toward a Phenomenology of Suffering, 86 11 Suffering Incarnate 88 §60 Perceiving, or the Challenge of the Toucher-Touching, 88 ■ §61 The Modes of the Incarnate Being, 91 ■ §62 The Excess of the Suffering Body, 94 12 The Revealing Sword 97 §63 Sobbing and Tears, 97 ■ §64 Fleshly Exodus, 99 ■ §65 The Vulnerable Flesh, 100 ■ §66 The Non-Substitutable Substitution, 101 ■ §67 The Act of Surrendering Oneself, 103 ■ §68 Toward a Revelation, 104 ■ §69 Useless Suffering, 104 Conclusion: The In-Fans [without-Speech] or the Silent Flesh 107 Epilogue: From One Triptych to Another 111 Notes 115 Index 157

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Stephen J. Shoemaker cogently argues that late antique Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, as well as early Islam, are all deeply imprinted by a kind of apocalypticism that ascribes a crucial role to imperial conquest and triumph." * Nicolai Sinai, University of Oxford *

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Book SynopsisA sustained and systematic theological reflection on the idea that being a Christian is, first and last, a matter of the flesh, Christian Flesh shows us what being a Christian means for fleshly existence. Depicting and analyzing what the Christian tradition has to say about the flesh of Christians in relation to that of Christ, the book shows that some kinds of fleshly activity conform well to being a Christian, while others are in tension with it. But to lead a Christian life is to be unconstrained by ordinary ethical norms. Arguing that no particular case of fleshly activity is forbidden, Paul J. Griffiths illustrates his message through extended case studies of what it is for Christians to eat, to clothe themselves, and to engage in physical intimacy. Trade Review"Paul Griffiths, one of the few truly creative theologians of our time, has produced another brilliant and provocative work of speculative theology, demonstrating the centrality of the flesh to the mysteries and doctrines of the Christian faith and examining questions of the greatest significance today and always." -- Carol Zaleski * Smith College *"In this trenchant and careful theological treatment of our embodiment, Paul Griffiths puts the stress exactly where it should be put––on the possibility of transfigured touch. In doing so he does not shy away from the violence involved in all fallen caresses, nor the degree of caress that survives even in our violent touches. By focusing on the varieties of touch, he is able to untangle several unfortunate arguments between liberals and conservatives in a most refreshing way. One does not have to agree with all his conclusions to be immensely assisted by this book and grateful to him for writing it." -- John Milbank * University of Nottingham *"As ever, Paul Griffiths is almost alarming in his lucidity and intelligence. Very few theologians can boast a comparable combination of profound questioning and precise reasoning. This is a book worthy of the most serious reflection, debate, and admiration." -- David Bentley Hart * Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study *"Readers familiar with Paul J. Griffiths's work know they must be prepared to encounter provocation in his new book, Christian Flesh, for Griffiths is a provocateur in the best sense, someone who intends to leave the reader uncomfortable and thereby provoke conversation. Griffiths enjoys a good scrap of the clarifying kind, and in this book I think he has invited readers of various stripes to a variety of good scraps....This book has prompted me to ponder the issues it raises more deeply, for which I have its provocative author to thank." -- John Cavadini * Commonweal Magazine *"Christian Flesh can help Christians of all persuasions to think deeply and theologically about the body, and what it means to live as a faithful body cleaved to Jesus in the sacraments. Griffiths is driven by theology, not by the latest arguments from the political, legal, and scientific sphere, and in that, his work is both enriching and refreshing." -- Aaron Klink * Anglican Theological Review *"Christian Flesh possesses an integrity and exhaustiveness that evades condensed representation. There is much to recommend its reading, and I would struggle to find any reservations for recommending it. The writing is approachable, even when dense, and its honesty and transparency are commendable." -- Jonathan M. Platter * Reading Religion *"Christian Flesh is supremely lucid and beautifully austere....[In this review,] I have covered only a sample of the provocative, inventive, and profound speculations that make up Christian Flesh. I suspect its influence will be felt for many years as scholars work through its implications and pursue its many fascinating leads." -- Evan Sandsmark * Modern Theology *"[T]hose provocative proposals which linger with and even agitate the reader long after the turn of the last page – are among the cardinal reasons why [Griffiths's] books deserve close, careful attention. He has given us much to ponder in Christian Flesh, and in doing so has provided a model of well-reasoned, stimulating and enduring theology." -- R. David Nelson * International Journal of Systematic Theology *Table of ContentsContents and Abstracts1Flesh Devastated chapter abstractThis chapter distinguishes body from flesh and shows the latter to be, first, haptic, which is to say constituted and maintained as flesh by touch in its many varieties; second, self-contiguous and bounded, separated in fact and experience from other bodies of flesh, while also located in time and space; third, a gift received from the caresses of others, without which flesh can neither come to be as such, nor continue in being; and fourth, fragile and mortal, located in a world in which fleshly pain is a constant threat and a frequent companion, and in which death, the end of flesh, is always close at hand. 2Flesh Transfigured chapter abstractThis chapter shows what human flesh would be like were it not damaged, and does so from a Christian point of view, by describing the flesh of Jesus Christ during the period from his conception to his death on the cross (natal flesh), from his resurrection to his ascension (resurrected flesh), and from his ascension onwards (ascended flesh). As natal flesh, the book argues, his flesh was exempt from the ordinary damage of pain and mortality except as these served particular purposes. The chapter shows, in its analysis of this and its engagement with counterviews, that human flesh's ordinary subjection to these things isn't essential to it, and begins to sketch what flesh would be like were it not so subject. 3Flesh Cleaved chapter abstractThis chapter shows what it means for human flesh to cleave to—to be made intimate with, incorporated into—the flesh of Christ through baptism. Baptism is depicted as a matter of the flesh and as an act that newly relates the flesh of the baptized to Christ's flesh. Paul's discussion of these matters in the Corinthian correspondence is interpreted, with special attention to what it means to say that the Christian's bodily members are, analogically and participatorily, Christ's. Being intimate with one kind of flesh—namely Christ's—means that some other kinds of fleshly intimacy are ruled inappropriate; the scriptural language of fornication and idolatry is presented and discussed as a way of clarifying this, and the chapter argues that appropriate Christian fleshly conduct is better presented by way of hagiography—writing the lives of those who exhibit it—than by way of argument or codification. 4Clothes chapter abstractThis chapter shows what it is to be clothed, and what functions the wearing of clothes serve in human life. It shows the importance of nakedness in baptism and argues that there is no distinctively or properly Christian clothing: no clothes intrinsically proper to, or improper for, Christian flesh. Local sartorial conventions, however, may be observed by Christians, and should be unless they carry with them a signal that they are more than conventional by being rooted in the order of being. If they carry that signal—as locally gender-specific modes of dress, for example, often do—then they can become both fornicatory and idolatrous. The chapter argues that Christians have a radical freedom with respect to dress because of their cleaving to the flesh of Christ. 5Food chapter abstractThis chapter shows what it is to eat and drink and asks what is appropriate in that sphere for Christian flesh. There are, for Christians, no forbidden foods, and none required. All are on a par at least in that all eating is intimate with slaughter (whether of plants or animals). The sole exception is eucharistic eating, and this shows that all non-eucharistic eating ought to be accompanied by lament as well as by delight. Fasting is analyzed, depicted as a proper Christian response to this situation, and articulated with both eschatology and eucharistic theology. Gluttony and other forms of scandalous eating are treated, and the mistakes evident in them shown. 6Caresses chapter abstractThis chapter analyzes the varieties of human fleshly exchange as these appear to Christians. Fleshly contacts fall on a spectrum from the life-giving caress to the life-taking wound. Fleshly wounding is concupiscent: it seeks domination and control, and caresses of this kind are inappropriate, it is argued, for Christian flesh, while celibacy and virginity are depicted as characteristically Christian modes of responding to the connection between copulation and death. But there are no caresses whose form specifically forbids them to Christians, and this is argued with respect to three examples: masturbation, cunnilingus, and sodomy. The topics treated in this chapter are framed by and aimed at a depiction of caressing the flesh of Jesus, with which the chapter concludes.

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Book SynopsisThe first biography of an influential writer, thinker and theologian, a priest of The Christian Community, alongside a selection of his writings.Trade Review'Kenneth Gibson provides a vivid biographical introduction putting him in the context of his times, including the strong religious traditions in his family and his lifelong friendship with Sir William Golding... Bittleston comes across as a man whom I would very much like to have met, erudite, humane and wide ranging in his concerns.'-- David Lorimer, Scientific and Medical Network Review, Winter 2010

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Book SynopsisThematically focused on the theology of redemption or what is called in theology soteriology, each of the two sections of The Redemption addresses biblical literature and significant moments in the history of Christian theology, and especially the work of Anselm of Canterbury. The second part of the book presents a significant treatment of the problem of good and evil, and introduces the important category of cultural evil. Most significant from the standpoint of Lonergan''s original contribution is the treatment accorded in both Part 1 and Part 2 to what he calls the just and mysterious law of the cross. The treatment of biblical literature contains a valuable distinction between redemption as end and redemption as medium. Beginning with theses 15-17 from Lonergan''s Collected Works, The Incarnate Word, this volume also includes rare and never-before-published texts originally written in the late 1950s. Table of ContentsPart One: Theses 15-17 of De Verbo Incarnato Thesis 15 Thesis 16 Thesis 17 Part Two: The Redemption: A Supplement 1 Good and Evil 2 The Justice of God 3 The Death and Resurrection of Christ 4 The Cross of Christ 5 The Satisfaction Made by Christ 6 [The Effects of the Redemption] Appendix Abbreviations Bibliography Scriptural Passages Index

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a comprehensive theological framework for assessing the significance of eating. Drawing on diverse theological, philosophical, and anthropological insights, it offers fresh ways to evaluate food production and consumption practices as they are being worked out in today''s industrial food economy. Unlike books that focus primarily on vegetarianism and hunger-related concerns, this book broadens the scope of consideration to include the sacramental character of eating, the deep significance of hospitality, the meaning of death and sacrifice, the Eucharist as the place of inspiration and orientation, the importance of saying grace, and the possibility of eating in heaven. Throughout, eating is presented as a way of enacting fidelity between persons, between people and fellow creatures, and between people and Earth. Food and Faith demonstrates that eating is of profound economic, moral, and spiritual significance. Revised throughout, this edition includes a new introductTrade Review'Many people who 'do theology' for a living resign themselves to dusty classrooms where they fiddle with doctrines that most us can't even pronounce. But not Norman Wirzba. He is a first-rate thinker by any reckoning, but he has devoted his life to the holiness of the ordinary. It's no surprise then that he would pen a groundbreaking theology of eating. Food and Faith is an invitation to taste and see God's goodness with the power to transform your mealtimes into worship services. Savor this book slowly, and thank me when you're finished.' Jonathan Merritt, author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch and contributing writer for The Atlantic'I strongly recommended the first edition of Food and Faith. I recommend the second edition with even more enthusiasm. Not only are there careful revisions throughout, there are critical new chapters. Science is rapidly changing our understanding of ourselves as complex creatures, and the advent of the Anthropocene promises to alter everything - the planet's dynamics itself, and certainly culture and agriculture. Wirzba's cutting edge attention to these gives this new edition even more significance and more traction.' Larry Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary, New York City'Food and Faith is undoubtedly the quintessential theological work on eating, but Norman Wirzba's vision extends far beyond the food we put in our mouths. His careful thinking orients us toward living healthfully and well within the interconnected life of God's creation.' C. Christopher Smith, founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books, and co-author of Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus'Human eating practices have never been more disordered than they are today. Systems of modern industrial food production sustain billions of lives on this planet, but many still go to bed hungry, while others suffer from a surfeit of cheap, highly processed foods. Wirzba wisely reminds us that more technology cannot finally save us here. Instead, he invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good. Food, he tells us, is God's love made edible. Sharing meals together, we glimpse a foretaste of heaven. Our very bodies are sites of nurture for myriad organisms, and we are privileged to be capable of glimpsing our own lives and deaths as participating in nature's unfolding round of relationality. Will we respond to the call to participate in God's own Trinitarian life of hospitality, communion, and care? Will we make eating a spiritual practice? A beautiful and transformative book.' Jennifer A. Herdt, Gilbert L. Stark Professor of Christian Ethics, Yale Divinity School'Norman Wirzba is a gift and this book is one of the best you'll read this year. The thoughtfulness, the insight, the depth in these pages will revolutionize the way you think about every meal, every person you break bread with, every morsel that sustains you. Highly recommended!' Margaret Feinberg, author of Taste and See: Discovering God among Butchers, Bakers, and Fresh Food Makers'Food and Faith is a modern classic in serious Christian theological ethics, and even better in its new second edition. Wirzba offers here a magisterial, comprehensive work that can transform not only how Christians think about food but how we think about agriculture, community, death, covenant, Eucharist, heaven, scripture, and Jesus himself. A fine example of what can happen when a trained theologian committed to practicing the way of Jesus determines to address a significant but neglected issue in human life. I highly recommend this book.' David P. Gushee, Director of the Center for Theology and Public Life, Mercer University and President of the American Academy of ReligionTable of ContentsIntroduction: who is the you that eats?; 1. It's about fidelity; 2. Thinking theologically about food; 3. The 'roots' of eating: our life together in gardens; 4. Eating in exile: dysfunction in the world of food; 5. Life through death: sacrificial eating; 6. Eucharistic table manners: eating toward communion; 7. Saying Grace; 8. Eating in heaven? Consummating communion; Epilogue. Faithful eating in an anthropocene world.

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Book SynopsisThis volume gathers scholars in philosophy, psychology, religion, and sociology variety of disciplines to meet the challenge of how to think trauma and transcendence inlight of the interdisciplinary character of the field of Trauma Studies and its splintering across the multiple theoretical approaches.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Contributors Introduction: Limits of Theory in Trauma and Transcendence Eric Boynton and Peter Capretto Constructive Phenomenologies of Trauma 1. Two Trauma Communities: A Philosophical Archaeology of Cultural and Clinical Trauma Theories Vincenzo Di Nicola 2. Phenomenological-Contextualism All the Way Down: An Existential and Ethical Perspective on Emotional Trauma Robert D. Stolorow 3. Traumatized by Transcendence: My Other’s Keeper Donna Orange 4. Evil, Trauma, and the Building of Absences Eric Boynton 5. The Unsettling of Perception: Levinas and the Anarchic Trauma Eric Severson Social and Political Analyses of Traumatic Experience 6. The Artful Politics of Trauma: Rancière’s Critique of Lyotard Tina Chanter 7. Black Embodied Wounds and the Traumatic Impact of the White Imaginary George Yancy 8. Perpetrator Trauma and Collective Guilt: My Lai Ronald Eyerman 9. The Psychic Economy and Fetishization of Traumatic Lived Experience Peter Capretto Theological Aporia in the Aftermath of Trauma 10. Theopoetics of Trauma Shelly Rambo 11. Body-Wise: Re-Fleshing Christian Spiritual Practice in Trauma’s Wake Marcia Mount Shoop 12. Trauma and Theology: Prospects and Limits in Light of the Cross Hilary Jerome Scarsella Prospects 13. Prospects of Trauma for the Philosophy of Religion Mary-Jane Rubenstein Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis WORKBOOK accompanies Wayne Grudem's bestselling Bible Doctrine and features student-friendly review material and exercises.

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Book SynopsisIn The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures thirty-seven first-rate evangelical scholars present a thorough study of biblical authority and a full range of issues connected to it. Recognizing that Scripture and its authority are now being both challenged and defended with renewed vigor, editor D. A. Carson assigned the topics that these select scholars address in the book. After an introduction by Carson to the many facets of the current discussion, the contributors present robust essays on relevant historical, biblical, theological, philosophical, epistemological, and comparative-religions topics. To conclude, Carson answers a number of frequently asked questions about the nature of Scripture, providing cross-references to the preceding chapters.This comprehensive volume by a team of recognized experts will be the go-to reference on the nature and authority of the Bible for years to come.Trade ReviewThe truth is clear that D. A. Carson has edited an important text … every university and seminary library should have a copy of this book. In fact, every serious student of the Bible stands to benefit from the chapters of this book. Therefore, I commend this book to you. Read it and wrestle through the arguments, but do so with your Bible close at hand. -- Stephen Campbell * Shepherd's Theological Seminary *What Carson and his team have achieved here is quite remarkable, and to my knowledge, unprecedented. The first strength I’ve noted is how widely the book ranges. The quality of the contributors is remarkable, and time and again Carson has produced the best evangelical expert, writing at the top of their game. Dozens of questions that I began to realise had niggled at me, unaddressed, from the corner of my mind, are brought out and dealt with. If you do take the trouble, a little at a time, to read through, you will have your head cleared in a most remarkable way. -- Chris Green * Ministrynutsandbolts.com blog *

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