Bücher veröffentlicht von William B Eerdmans Publishing Co

Penned by a Christian teacher who has led thousands of students through the unfamiliar terrain of systematic theology, "A Primer for Christian Doctrine" serves as a friendly guide to theology's topics, debates, and terminology. Telling you what you need to know as you begin your study of theology or doctrine, the book is an ideal companion to more comprehensive texts.After a brief introduction defending the continued need for doctrine, Jonathan Wilson clearly and concisely maps out each of the main topics of Christian belief in separate chapters. He also traces the differing emphases of theologians while suggesting reasons for their differences.Whether as a first taste of theology or as a readable summary of its present state, Wilson's "Primer for Christian Doctrine" will be an invaluable resource for students and small groups pursuing a deeper knowledge of what Christians believe.

While Paul's letter to the Romans is the most studied and commented-on document from the biblical period, the major exegetical books on Romans from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have been overwhelmingly shaped by the Reformed tradition. Through a careful survey of work on Romans by both ancient Church Fathers and modern exegetical scholars, Ben Witherington III here argues that the interpretation of Romans since the Reformation has been far too indebted to -- and at key points led astray by -- Augustinian readings of the text as filtered through Luther, Calvin, and others. In this first full-scale socio-rhetorical commentary on Romans, Witherington gleans fresh insights from reading the text of Paul's epistle in light of early Jewish theology, the historical situation of Rome in the middle of the first century A.D., and Paul's own rhetorical concerns. Giving serious consideration to the social and rhetorical background of Romans allows readers to hear Paul on his own terms, not just through the various voices of his later interpreters. Witherington's groundbreaking work also features a new, clear translation of the Greek text, and each section of the commentary ends with a brief discussion titled "Bridging the Horizons," which suggests how the ancient text of Romans may speak to us today.

Completely revised more than fifteen years after its first printing, To Walk and Not Faint is Marva J. Dawn's popular first book. Her devotional reflections examine the fortieth chapter of Isaiah as it deals with many of the critical issues of daily life. Dawn's meticulous study opens up each verse of Isaiah 40 to challenge us with significant insights for faith and profound motivation for growth in discipleship.The structure of the book bridges head and heart: it offers both exegetical depth and personal involvement for a month of devotional reflection. Each meditation observes the text carefully, considers some of the nuances and implications of the original Hebrew, and identifies how our lives fit into the bigger story of the biblical narrative. Thus, the book both supplies skills for biblical meditation and invites readers to contemplate God's relation to all the cries of human existence, to realize how a relationship with the Trinity gives us the unusual ability to handle all the dimensions of life.

"Her Heart Can See" offers an intimate, informed look at Fanny J. Crosby (1820 1915), the most prolific of all American hymn writers. Having lost her sight in infancy through a doctor's negligence, Fanny went on to compose more than 9,000 hymns, as well as various other songs, cantatas, and lyrical productions. Crosby's hymns, including such all-time favorites as "Blessed Assurance," "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior," "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross," "Rescue the Perishing," "Safe in the Arms of Jesus," and "I Am Thine, O Lord," continue to be sung around the world.Celebrated in her own day for her gospel hymns, Crosby was also very publicly involved with New York City's rescue missions and with other benevolent efforts. She rubbed shoulders with the likes of Henry Clay, Grover Cleveland, Winfield Scott, Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey, Jenny Lind, P. T. Barnum, and many other famous figures who people these pages. More than two dozen black-and-white photographs depict the people and settings among which Crosby moved.Drawing on primary sources -- including thousands of unpublished Crosby manuscripts -- Edith Blumhofer sorts fact from fiction in the life of this remarkable woman. Blumhofer responsibly limns Crosby's life as a gifted nineteenth-century northeastern Protestant woman, in the process showing why "this diminutive woman" was -- and is -- so beloved."

Tyron Inbody has taught the basics of Christian theology for more than twenty-five years. Having seen over the years what issues and questions his students bring to class, he now offers this engaging, accessible introduction to all the major beliefs of the Christian faith. Meant especially but not exclusively for readers new to theology, Inbody's Faith of the Christian Church covers twelve traditional areas of Christian teaching: theology, revelation, faith, God, creation, suffering and evil, humankind, Jesus Christ, salvation, church, sacraments, and the end times. Inbody also dives into provocative topics not usually treated in introductory texts -- creationism, the devil, miracles, the virgin birth, and more. The book's broad-ranging perspective, which intentionally defies labels, commends it to individuals and small groups from many church traditions. Quote boxes and illustrations drawn from popular culture make the text visually interesting and enjoyable to read. Inbody does not hide his own stance on issues but presents a full range of interpretations and openly points readers to other possibilities they can pursue. The Faith of the Christian Church offers just enough questions to provoke reflection and just enough answers to encourage readers to form their own grasp on the Christian faith.

Called "a pioneer contribution" by Church History when it was first published in 1971 as The Holiness-Pentecostal Movement in the United States, this volume has now been revised and enlarged by Vinson Synan to account for the incredible changes that have occurred in the church world during the last quarter of the twentieth century. Synan brings together the stories of the many movements usually listed as "holiness," "pentecostal," or "charismatic," and shows that there is an identifiable "second blessing" tradition in Christianity that began with the Catholic and Anglican mystics, that was crystallized in the teaching of John Wesley, and that was further perpetuated through the holiness and Keswick movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to the appearance of modern Pentecostalism. Synan then chronicles the story of the spread of Pentecostalism around the world after the heady days of the Azusa Street awakening, with special attention given to the beginnings of the movement in those nations where Pentecostalism has become a major religious force. He also examines the rise of various mainline-church charismatic movements that have their roots in Pentecostalism. Because of the explosive growth of the Pentecostal movement in the last half of the century, Pentecostals and Charismatics now constitute the second largest family of Christians in the world after the Roman Catholic Church. "This could well be the major story of Christianity in the twentieth century," writes Synan. "Pentecostalism has grown beyond a mere passing 'movement' . . . and can now be seen as a major Christian 'tradition' alongside the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Reformation Protestant traditions." The Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition will continue to be an important handbook for shaping our understanding of this phenomenon.

A definitive introduction to New Testament textual criticism, this book includes a comparison of the major editions of the New Testament, detailed description and analysis of the manuscripts of the Greek New Testament, and discussion on the value of the early versions. This second edition contains two new supplementary essays as well as revised plates, tables, and charts.

Since 1990 Roland Murphy's Tree of Life has been a standard introduction to the wisdom literature of the Bible. Now The Tree of Life is available in a third edition, complete with a new preface by the author and a special supplement that surveys the latest developments in wisdom research. This superb study thoroughly explores the wisdom writings of the Bible, interpreting this literature in a way that illumines the development of Israel's search for wisdom throughout its tumultuous history. Murphy looks at each wisdom book individually -- Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus, and Wisdom of Solomon -- and adds to them a discussion of wisdom from other parts of the Old Testament. His careful investigations expose the various guises that wisdom adopts -- the "fear of the Lord," moral formation, the universality of human experience, the mysteries of creation, and others.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are an invaluable source of information about Jewish biblical interpretation in antiquity. This volume by preeminent scholars in the field examines central aspects of scriptural interpretation as it was practiced at Qumran and discusses their implications for understanding the biblical tradition. While many of the forms of biblical interpretation found in the Scrolls have parallels elsewhere in Jewish literature, other kinds are original to the Scrolls and were unknown prior to the discovery of the caves. These chapters explore examples of biblical interpretation unique to Qumran, including legal exegesis and the Pesher. Readers will also find discussion of such fascinating subjects as the "rewritten Bible," views on the creation of humanity, the "Pseudo-Ezekiel" texts, the pesharim, and the prophet David. Contributors: Moshe J. Bernstein Shani Berrin Monica Brady George J. Brooke John J. Collins Peter W. Flint Matthias Henze Shlomo A. Koyfman Michael Segal James C. VanderKam