Just as women in the Bible have been overlooked for much of interpretative history, children in the Bible have fascinating and compelling stories that scholars have largely ignored. This groundbreaking book focuses on children in the Hebrew Bible. The author argues that the biblical writers recognized children as different from adults and used these ideas to shape their stories. She provides conceptual and historical frameworks for understanding children and childhood, and examines Hebrew terms related to children and youth. The book introduces a new methodology of childist interpretation and applies it to the Elisha cycle (2 Kings 2-8), which contains forty-nine child characters. Combining literary insights with social-scientific evidence, the author demonstrates that children play critical roles in the world of the text as well as the culture that produced it.
"The Messianic Matrix" is a thrilling journey of theological concepts that define the Pentecostal experience. It is a groundbreaking and sweeping endeavor that utilizes the best of modern scholarship.
In Glory, Grace, and Truth, Alexander Tsutserov argues that three concepts of the revelation of God as Jesus are unfolded throughout the Gospel of John in terms of a ratification of the covenant of the presence of God. The covenantal aspects of "glory," confirming the presence of God, are evident in Jesus: the visible appearance of God; the intrinsic character of God; the miraculous splendor of God (in Jesus's incomparable signs, deeds, wonders, and marvelous acts); and the divine honor of God (in the Son glorified by the Father). "Grace upon grace" alludes to the requests to confirm the presence of God. All believers gained the grace of the presence of God in Jesus, rather than Moses alone encountering the grace of the presence at Sinai. The Gospel of John depicts ratification of the covenant of the presence of God in Jesus according with the covenantal articles. "Grace and truth" alludes to Exodus 34:6. Each allusion in John depicts the full graciousness and integrity of God's character. The Son possesses and bestows the Father's character onto believers by means of the Holy Spirit, who is full of "grace and truth." The divine character and the divine Law complement each other in believers, thus fulfilling the Scripture. In essence, the revelations of God at Sinai and in Jesus are the same. In quality, the latter surpasses the former in all three aspects: glory, grace, and truth.
From the time of human beginnings, holy words, chants, liturgy and narratives have enabled individuals to communicate the mysteries of the universe. Bodies of liturgical composition had to survive oral transmission for centuries until calligraphers could inscribe them in pictograph, symbol, or coded cipher or write them in words on stone, mural, scroll, parchment, or paper. Through repetitions of sacred speech and writing, couples enter holy wedlock, infants receive consecration and blessing, youths advance to adulthood, rulers dedicate temporal powers to God, cities pledge themselves to peace, and the dead pass from an earthly existence to the afterlife. The most sacred and influential writings the world has recorded are covered A-Z in this compendium. The entries convey works from the cities of Mecca, Jerusalem, Rome, Delphi, and Salt Lake City; from caves in Qumran and mountains in Japan; from the Indus Valley and the American West; from classical China, Egypt and Greece; and from the Hebrew communities of Iberia and of the German states. Although all of the scriptures speak to a human need, there are many differences in style, purpose, and tone. The entries include holy law (The White Roots of Peace), funeral prescriptions (the Tibetan Book of the Dead), ceremonies (the Lakota Black Elk Speaks), literature (Homeric hymns), hero stories (the Japanese Kojiki), word puzzles (the koans of Zen), Christ lore (the Apocrypha and the New Testament), matrices (I Ching and Tantra), and numerology (the Jewish Kabbala). Writing styles include both the rapture of Rumi's Mathnawi and the spare aphorism of Confucius's Analects. The information given in the texts range from Muhammad's revelations in the Koran, to the everyday advice of Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science writings. A map locates the germ of sacred revelation and writing in sites all over the globe. A timeline of dateable events from the history of world scripture names events in chronological order, from the beginnings of the I Ching in 2800 B.C.E. to the publication of a child's version of the Popul Vuh in 1999 C.E.. The encyclopedia is comprehensively indexed with ample cross-referencing to assist researchers toward further study of print and electronic sources.
In this Bible speaks Today volume, John Olley shows how the two books of Kings retell the past as preached history, addressing the exilic situation of the original readers. Within this account of short-term success but ultimate failure, there are pointers of hope, of God's continuing purposes and promises. In rich and often surprising ways, the narrative in Kings is part of the history that has shaped, and will continue to shape, the faith and life of Christian believers.
It is surprising that Islam is gaining momentum in the West amidst negative media coverage. The surge of new converts on hostile ground proves that Islam is a true religion that needs reckoning by the West. On 7th October 2002, it was reported in St. Petersburg Times that “Every year, about 20 000 people in the United States convert to Islam, according to a study conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.” On 22nd February 2004, Nicholas Hellen and Christopher Morgan reported in The Sunday Times that “More than 14 000 white Britons have converted to Islam after becoming disillusioned with western values, according to the first authoritative study of the phenomenon. Some of Britain’s top landowners, celebrities and the offspring of senior Establishment figures have embraced the strict tenets of the Muslim faith.” The intention of writing this book is not to create enmity or dissension, but to convey the truth about Islam. We pray to Allah that it will benefit everybody, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Dr. Danial bin Zainal Abidin graduated from Alexandria University, Egypt and is a licensed medical practitioner. He is also the managing director of Danial Zainal Consultancy in Malaysia, a panelist for several TV programs in Malaysia, a columnist and author of 12 books.
How have those engaged in the mission of God been challenged to reinterpret Scripture through their experience? In what ways were the missionaries in the Bible challenged to reevaluate Scripture in their own time? Redford attempts to give shape to the nature of missional hermeneutics by examining Scripture, present-day cultural values, historical struggles, and the experience of those who are engaged in the mission of God. In order for missionaries to overcome the scientific polarization in Western hermeneutics, they must be able to perceive and learn from the overarching missional and spiritual hermeneutics found throughout Scripture so that they can balance missional, spiritual, historical-critical, and even unforeseen hermeneutical paths, providing increased confidence in biblical interpretation.
What was the name of Noah's son who did not survive the Flood? Why do Pharaoh and Haman build the Tower of Babel? For what reasons does Moses travel to the ends of the Earth? Who is the 'Horned-One' who holds back Gog and Magog until the Day of Judgement? These are some of the questions answered in the oral sources and Quran commentaries on the stories of the prophets as they are understood by Muslims. Designed as an introduction to the Quran with particular emphasis on parallels with Biblical tradition, this book provides a concise but detailed overview of Muslim prophets from Adam to Muhammad. Each of the chapters is organized around a particular prophet, including an English translation of the relevant verses of the Quran and a wide selection of classical, medieval and modern Muslim commentaries on those verses. Quran commentaries include references to Sunni and Shi'i sources from Spain, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. An extensive glossary provides an annotated list of all scholarly transmitters and cited texts with suggestions for further reading.This is an excellent book for undergraduate courses, and students in divinity and seminary programmes. Comparisons between the Quran and Bible, and among Jewish, Christian and Islamic exegesis are highlighted. Oral sources, references adapted from apocryphal and pseudepigraphical works, and inter-religious dialogue are all evident throughout these stories of the prophets. This material shows how the Quran and its interpretation are integral to a fuller and more discerning understanding of the Bible and its place in the history of Western religion.
For years, Douglas Stuart's Old Testament Exegesis has been one of the most popular ways to learn how to perform exegesis--the science and art of interpreting biblical texts properly for understanding as well as proclamation. Completely updated and substantially expanded, this new edition includes scores of newer resources, a new configuration of the format for the exegesis process, and an entirely new section explaining where to find and how to use the latest electronic and online resources for doing biblical research. Stuart provides guidance for full exegesis as well as for a quicker approach to provide information specifically tailored to the task of preaching. A glossary of terms explains the sometimes bewildering language of biblical scholarship, and a list of frequent errors guides the student in avoiding common mistakes. No exegetical guide for the Old Testament has been more widely used in training ministers and students to be faithful, careful interpreters of Scripture.
