Search results for ""Author James Robson""

James Robson's accessible study focuses on Deuteronomy's storyline, explores its role within a biblical theology of the Old and New Testaments, and sets out its enduring function as an authoritative word for the Christian and the church today. In the Old Testament, milk and honey are the enticing fare of the Promised Land; but honey as sweet nourishment extends to Yahweh's words, and Deuteronomy is a book filled with them. A rock is hardly the most promising place to find nourishment, and perhaps for many readers Deuteronomy may seem equally unpromising. However, in the song of Moses Yahweh is pictured as the Rock (Deuteronomy 32:4). Our nourishment comes not just from Deuteronomy, but from God himself. James Robson's aim is to orient readers to Deuteronomy: to guide them in what to expect, to help them interpret what they find, and to help them think through the wider significance of what they have read. His study is for those interested in understanding Deuteronomy's role within a biblical theology of the Old and New Testaments, and for those convinced that when Deuteronomy is read, God's voice is heard. All with a concern for Christian interpretation and appropriation of the book of Deuteronomy will appreciate Robson's accessible exploration of a word with a story, to shape the life of God's people.

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Lysistrata is the most notorious of Aristophanes’ comedies. First staged in 411 BCE, its action famously revolves around a sex strike launched by the women of Greece in an attempt to force their husbands to end the war. With its risqué humour, vibrant battle of the sexes, and themes of war and peace, Lysistrata remains as daring and thought-provoking today as it would have been for its original audience in Classical Athens. Aristophanes: Lysistrata is a lively and engaging introduction to this play aimed at students and scholars of classical drama alike. It sets Lysistrata in its social and historical context, looking at key themes such as politics, religion and its provocative portrayal of women, as well as the play’s language, humour and personalities, including the formidable and trailblazing Lysistrata herself. Lysistrata has often been translated, adapted and performed in the modern era and this book also traces the ways in which it has been re-imagined and re-presented to new audiences. As this reception history reveals, Lysistrata’s appeal in the modern world lies not only in its racy subject matter, but also in its potential to be recast as a feminist, pacifist or otherwise subversive play that openly challenges the political and social status quo.

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This book offers a broad look at the sex lives and sexual beliefs of ancient Athenians 479-323 BCE. Within each of the five chapters James Robson focuses on a key area of the sexual life of the Athenians - Marriage, Same-Sex Relationships, Prostitution, Rape and Adultery, and Sex Appeal, Fantasy and Taboo - providing an overview of each topic and an introduction to the scholarly debates that still rage about how the ancient evidence should be interpreted. Access to sources provided in the form of translated extracts from literary works and images from vase painting allows the student to directly engage in these debates. Sex and Sexuality in Classical Athens also addresses a whole range of issues key to our broader understanding of classical Greek culture, such as the power dynamics of sexual desire and sexual acts and the position of women in society. Students will be encouraged to scrutinize the debates and documents and form opinions concerning the ways in which ancient Athenians perceived and experienced their sexual world. It provides a concise and lively introduction to this field of study. It explores major areas of debate. It reflects trends in scholarship. It encourages students to be active cultural historians through the interrogation of primary sources. It includes suggestions for further reading, essay questions, a glossary of technical terms and useful website resources.

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Throughout Chinese history mountains have been integral components of the religious landscape. They have been considered divine or numinous sites, the abodes of deities, the preferred locations for temples and monasteries, and destinations for pilgrims. Early in Chinese history a set of five mountains were co-opted into the imperial cult and declared sacred peaks, yue, demarcating and protecting the boundaries of the Chinese imperium.The Southern Sacred Peak, or Nanyue, is of interest to scholars not the least because the title has been awarded to several different mountains over the years. The dynamic nature of Nanyue raises a significant theoretical issue of the mobility of sacred space and the nature of the struggles involved in such moves. Another facet of Nanyue is the multiple meanings assigned to this place: political, religious, and cultural. Of particular interest is the negotiation of this space by Daoists and Buddhists. The history of their interaction leads to questions about the nature of the divisions between these two religious traditions. James Robson’s analysis of these topics demonstrates the value of local studies and the emerging field of Buddho–Daoist studies in research on Chinese religion.

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Huineng (638–713), author and hero of the Platform Sutra, is often credited with founding the Southern school of Chan Buddhism and its radical doctrine of "sudden enlightenment." However, manuscripts discovered at Dunhuang at the beginning of the twentieth century reveal that the real architect of the Southern school was Huineng’s student Shenhui (684–758). An ardent evangelist for his master’s teaching and a sharp critic of rival meditation teachers of his day, Shenhui was responsible for Huineng’s recognition as the "sixth patriarch," for the promotion and eventual triumph of the sudden teaching, and for a somewhat combative style of Chan discourse that came to be known as "encounter dialogue." Shenhui’s historical importance in the rise and success of Chan is beyond dispute, yet until now there has been no complete translation of his corpus into English.This volume brings together John McRae’s lifetime of work on the Shenhui corpus, including extensively annotated translations of all five of Shenhui’s texts discovered at Dunhuang as well as McRae’s seminal studies of Shenhui’s life, teachings, and legacy. McRae’s research explores the degree to which the received view of the Northern school teachings is a fiction created by Shenhui to score rhetorical points and that Northern and Southern teachings may have been closer to one another than the canonical narrative depicts. McRae explains Shenhui’s critical role in shaping what would later emerge as "classical Chan," while remaining skeptical about the glowing image of Shenhui as an effective mentor and inspired revolutionary. This posthumously published book is the fulfillment of McRae’s wish to make Shenhui’s surviving writings accessible through carefully annotated English translations, allowing readers to form their own opinions.

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The Bible Readings Hope in Jesus: Psalms - Christopher Ash Hope because Jesus rules (Psalm 2) Hope because Jesus was saved (Psalm 3) Hope because Jesus wept (Psalm 6) The Seminars Our Future Hope - Michael Reeves Hope and Grief - Joanna Jackson Hope and Lament - Rico Villanueva Evening Celebrations Why Hope? Grace! (2 Thessalonians 2:13–17) Mike Cain How Can I Hope? New Birth! (1 Peter 1:3–5, 22–25) Andy Prime How Can I Hope? The Scriptures! (Romans 15:1–13) Amy Orr-Ewing Our Hope: The Appearing of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11–14) Graham Daniels Our Hope: The Glory of God! (Romans 5:1–5) Jeremy McQuoid

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