Partakers of the Life Divine
Partakers of the Life Divine

Author: S T Kimbrough

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2016-06-24

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 149820189X

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This volume is the first attempt to explore Charles Wesley's understanding of "participation in the divine nature," often described by the church fathers as deification and/or theosis, within the full spectrum of his prose and poetical compositions and in relation to many of the church fathers. While the Eastern Church has been the primary harbinger of the doctrine of deification from the patristic era to the present, Charles Wesley's theology illustrates that this emphasis is by no means absent in the West. Though patristic influences on Charles Wesley's thought are primarily through secondary sources such as the writings of Lancelot Andrewes and Richard Hooker, as well as through the influence of his brother John, this volume underscores prominent resonances with the church fathers. The extent of these resonances in Charles's theology as regards "participation in the divine nature" is so widespread in his writings that they form the matrix of his ideas of salvation, perfection, and holiness, all of which are intimately bound with life lived in and through the Eucharist. If taken seriously, Charles Wesley's ideas on "participation in the divine nature" will require a rethinking of the role of Wesleyan theology in spiritual formation and in ecumenical conversation.

Mary of Nazareth
Mary of Nazareth

Author: Christopher Bryan

Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2024-11-05

Total Pages: 159

ISBN-13: 1640657479

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A theology of Mary’s role in the incarnation as it was understood by the earliest Christians. A central figure in Christian tradition, Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus, is both pivotal in theologies of the incarnation and a source of theological controversy. In this volume, bible scholar and priest Christopher Bryan examines the role of Mary in the theology of the first generations of Christians. Considering every reference to Mary in the New Testament in the order that the biblical texts were written, Mary of Nazareth situates biblical texts’ treatment of Mary within first-century culture and examines changing theologies of Mary and the incarnation among the earliest generations of Christians. The book concludes with Bryan’s reflections on Christian memories of Mary and their implications for some historical theological controversies. Ideal for Bible study or group discussion, Mary of Nazareth makes current biblical scholarship accessible and engaging. Study questions conclude each chapter, and further notes in the back of the book invite interested readers to dig deeper.

The Extent of the Atonement
The Extent of the Atonement

Author: David L. Allen

Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

Published: 2016-06-01

Total Pages: 921

ISBN-13: 1433643936

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The extent of Christ’s atoning work on the cross is one of the most divisive issues in evangelical Christianity. In The Extent of the Atonement: A Historical and Critical Review, David L. Allen makes a biblical, historical, theological, and practical case for a universal atonement. Through a comprehensive historical survey, Allen contends that universal atonement has always been the majority view of Christians, and that even among Calvinist theologians there is a considerable range of views. Marshalling evidence from Scripture and history, and critiquing arguments for a limited atonement, Allen affirms that an unlimited atonement is the best understanding of Christ’s saving work. He concludes by showing that an unlimited atonement provides the best foundation for evangelism, missions, and preaching.

God's only daughter
God's only daughter

Author: Kathryn Walls

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Published: 2016-05-16

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 1526111128

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In this study, Kathryn Walls challenges the standard identification of Una with the post-Reformation English Church, arguing that she is, rather, Augustine’s City of God – the invisible Church, whose membership is known only to God. Una’s story (its Tudor resonances notwithstanding) therefore embraces that of the Synagogue before the Incarnation as well as that of the Church in the time of Christ and thereafter. It also allegorises the redemptive process that sustains the true Church. Una is fallible in canto I. Subsequently, however, she comes to embody divine perfection. Her transformation depends upon the intervention of the lion as Christ. Convinced of the consistency and coherence of Spenser’s allegory, Walls offers fresh interpretations of Abessa (as Synagoga), of the fauns and satyrs (the Gentiles), and of Una’s dwarf (adiaphoric forms of worship). She also reinterprets Spenser’s marriage metaphor, clarifying the significance of Red Cross as Una’s spouse in the final canto.