Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a member of the group that witnessed Jesus' suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension? What would have been your response as you stood in the Garden of Gethsemane when the soldiers arrived; as you observed the trials that condemned your Master; listened to the echo of nails piercing his body; watched him hang from that cross and die? Then walk with Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John to witness the empty tomb. Experience the feelings of unbelief, hope, assurance, and finally the ecstasy, the joy beyond description, as you talk with, touch, and worship your risen Lord. Finally, accept with joyful anticipation your Savior ascending into the heavens with the promise of a glorious return. Del Mueller takes readers into the thoughts and hearts of the key witnesses to Christ's last days on earth. He writes a first person account that provides readers with a unique historical perspective on the stories as they really could have happened. Narratives of the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus of Nazareth will personalize the events that transformed the world and show readers the humanness of those who were changed because of Jesus.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have been with Jesus as he traveled about the Holy Land; to have observed the people he helped; the miracles he performed; the teachings he proclaimed; the problems he faced? Then, imagine how you would have reacted when a storm suddenly and without warning began to lash against your boat while Jesus slept; or when you were miraculously cured of leprously; could see again, could hear again, could talk again, could walk again. Del Mueller takes readers into the thoughts and hearts of the key witnesses to Christs three year earthly ministry. He writes first-person accounts that provide readers with a unique historical perspective of the stories as they really could have happened. Narratives of the Earthly Ministry of Jesus of Nazareth will personalize the events that transformed the world and show readers the humanness of those who were changed because of Jesus.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have been present during the period following Pentecost? Imagine being one of those who believed and was baptized on that Festive Day. Then join Peter and John as they face the wrath of the Sanhedrin. Be part of the first communion service. Witness the selection of the seven deacons. Describe the terror the hypocrites in the congregation felt after observing a pronouncement of death to Ananias and Sapphira. Ride with Philip as he interprets Isaiah for an Ethiopian official. Become, with Paul, awestruck when Jesus appears as a blinding light and challenges: "Paul! Paul! Why are you persecuting me?" Follow Peter's instructive ministry to Cornelius and his Gentile friends. Witness Peter's imprisonment and miraculous escape. Observe the events that led to the spread of the Christian Church, reaching to and beyond Antioch in Syria. Del Mueller takes readers into the thoughts and hearts of the key witnesses to the beginning of the Christian Church. He writes a first-person account that provides readers with a unique historical perspective of the stories as they really could have happened. Narratives of the Beginning of the Christian Church will personalize the events that altered the world and show readers the humanness of those who were changed because of Jesus.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to accompany St. Paul as he declared the Good News of salvation to thousands who lived in the Mediterranean region? Imagine your satisfaction when the council in Jerusalem mandates limited obligation to the Mosaic Law; and your frustration when the message of this freedom results in defamation and threats of death. Rejoice with Paul as the Roman Consul Gallio declares he is free to teach Jesus as Messiah. Follow Paul into the Antonia Fortress when assaulted by enraged Jews. Listen to his defense before Felix and Festus. Endure a life threatening shipwreck and imprisonment in Rome. Finally, stand by him as he approaches his last days as prisoner under Nero and his death; a victorious transition from a sainted physical life to a blessed and eternal spiritual life. Del Mueller takes readers into the thoughts and hearts of the key witnesses to Paul's missionary journeys. He writes a first person account that provides readers with a unique historical perspective on the stories as they really could have happened. Narratives of St. Paul's Missionary Journeys and Rome will personalize the post-resurrection events that altered the world and show readers the humanness of those who were changed because of Paul's message.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be part of the Nativity experience: to have observed the events as they happened? Imagine witnessing Mary's visit by Gabriel, being part of the group that traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem; kneeling with the shepherds as they worshipped the Christ child; joining Simeon as he rejoiced to see his Messiah; escaping to Egypt and returning to Nazareth . . . and, finally, to be someone who watched Jesus grow up and begin to show himself as Messiah . . . the God/man chosen before time to be the salvation of all human kind. Dr. Mueller takes readers into the thoughts and hearts of the key witnesses to Christ's Nativity. He writes a first-person account that provides readers with a unique historical perspective on the story as it really could have happended. Narratives of the Nativity of Jesus of Nazaeth will personalize the events that transformed the world and show readers the humaness of those who were changed because of Jesus.
The keystone of Christianity is Jesus's physical, bodily resurrection. Present-day scholars can be significantly challenged as they forage through voluminous documents on the resurrection of Jesus. The literature measures well over seven thousand sources in English-language books alone. This makes finding specific sources that are most relevant for specific scholarly purposes an arduous task. Even when a specific book is relevant, finding the parts of the book that are most relevant to the resurrection rather than other topics often requires additional effort. A Thematic Access-Oriented Bibliography of Jesus's Resurrection addresses these challenges in several ways. First, the bibliography organizes more than seven thousand English sources into twelve main categories and then thirty-four subcategories, which are designed to help you find the most relevant literature quickly and efficiently. Embedded are pro and con arguments which support efficient access through brief annotations and then annotate the diversity and complexity of the field of religion by including sources that represent a diverse range of views: theistic (e.g., Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc.), agnostic, and nontheistic. The objective of this bibliography is to provide convenient access to relevant sources from a variety of perspectives, allowing you to browse or find the one source accurately and with ease.
In this systematic, book-by-book exploration of the theology of each New Testament writing, Frank J. Matera explores theological diversity and unity in the writings of the New Testament. After an introduction to the history and method of New Testament theology, he explains and describes the theologies of the Synoptic, Pauline, and Johannine traditions, as well as the rich theology of other New Testament voices: Hebrews, the Catholic Epistles, and the book of Revelation. Integrating both Protestant and Catholic approaches, this work provides students, pastors, and scholars a comprehensive view of the New Testament that is rich in exegetical and theological insight.
This book argues that an account of the life and character of Jesus formed an integral part of the early church's preaching. Against many modern scholars, Dr Stanton seeks to show that interest in the life of Jesus was not a late development within primitive Christianity. A study of Luke's Gospel indicates that in his own day reference to the life and character of Jesus was an important part of missionary preaching. In this respect at least, Luke was no innovator. The references in the speeches in Acts to the life of Jesus can be traced to Luke's use of earlier traditions. Dr Stanton then takes up the much-debated question of Paul's interest in Jesus of Nazareth. The author challenges several widely-accepted views from critical conclusions about the nature and purpose of the traditions on which the evangelists drew.
'An important contribution to feminist christological conversation."- Toronto Journal of Theology "Essential for anyone grappling in depth with issues of biblical christology." -Anglican Theological Review
Although the resurrection is the keystone dogma of Christian belief, and Sunday churchgoers rarely if ever think to question it, scholarly research shows with the utmost clarity that from a historical standpoint Jesus was not raised from the dead. In fact, it is almost universally recognized among scholars of New Testament textual criticism that the gospel narratives describing the resurrection appearances are not reliable eyewitness accounts, but expressions of faith written by the first Christian believers long after the death of Jesus.In this thorough exegesis of the primary texts dealing with the resurrection of Jesus, New Testament expert Gerd Lüdemann (University of Göttingen) presents compelling evidence that shows the resurrection was not a historical event and further argues that this development leaves little, if any, basis for Christian faith as presently defined.Beginning with Paul's testimony in 1 Cor. 15: 3-8, in which the apostle declares that Jesus has been raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, Lüdemann systematically evaluates every reference to Jesus' resurrection in the New Testament, as well as apocryphal literature. He examines the purpose of the text writers, the ways in which they reworked tradition, and the historical value of each account. Through this approach, he offers a reconstruction of the probable course of events as well as the circumstances surrounding Jesus' death on the cross, the burial of his body, his reported resurrection on the third day, and subsequent appearances to various disciples.Since the historical evidence leads to the firm conclusion that Jesus' body was not raised from the dead, Lüdemann argues that the origin of the Easter faith must be sought in the visionary experiences of Christianity's two leading apostles. From a modern perspective this leads to the inescapable conclusion that both primary witnesses to Jesus' resurrection, Peter and Paul, were victims of self-deception.In conclusion, he asks whether in light of the nonhistoricity of Jesus' resurrection, thinking people today can legitimately and in good conscience still call themselves Christians.Gerd Lüdemann is a professor of the history and literature of early Christianity at the University of Göttingen, Germany. Professor Lüdemann's published conclusions about Christianity aroused great controversy in his native Germany, where the Confederation of Protestant Churches in Lower Saxony demanded his immediate dismissal from the theological faculty of his university. Despite this threat to his academic freedom, he has retained his post at the university, although the chair he holds was renamed to disassociate him from the training program of German pastors. Lüdemann is also the author of Jesus After 2000 Years, Paul: The Founder of Christianity, and The Resurrection of Christ: A Historical Inquiry.
