The Semantics of Biblical Language

The Semantics of Biblical Language
Author: James Barr
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2004-05-17
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1592446922

Behind the academic and innocently descriptive title of this book is to be found one of the most explosive works of biblical scholarship to be published in the 20th century. Certainly many of those who read it when it first appeared were never the same again, and it signalled the end of what had hitherto been a flourishing literature on biblical theology. In recent years, Barr writes in the Preface, I have come to believe that one of the greatest dangers to sound and adequate interpretation of the Bible comes from the prevailing use of procedure which, while claiming to rest upon a knowledge of the Israelite and Greek ways of thinking, constantly mishandles and distorts the linguistic evidence of the Hebrew and Greek languages as they are used in the Bible. The increasing sense of dependence upon the Bible in the modern church only makes this danger more serious. The fact that these procedures have never to my knowledge been collected, analysed, and criticized in detail was the chief stimulus to my undertaking of this task myself. His conclusions brought much criticism initially, but forty years later they still stand. This book is essential reading for any student of the Bible.

Mercer Dictionary of the Bible

Mercer Dictionary of the Bible
Author: Watson E. Mills
Publisher: Mercer University Press
Total Pages: 1108
Release: 1990
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 9780865543737

An encyclopedic guide to the interpretation and understanding of biblical literature. Though written by members of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion, the 1,450 original entries by some 225 contributors are diverse in viewpoint and devoid of theological prescription. They're

God's Babies

God's Babies
Author: John McKeown
Publisher: Open Book Publishers
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2014-12-17
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1783740523

The human population's annual total consumption is not sustainable by one planet. This unprecedented situation calls for a reform of religious cultures that promote a large ideal family size. Many observers assume that Christianity is inevitably part of this problem because it promotes "family values" and statistically, in America and elsewhere, has a higher birthrate than nonreligious people. This book explores diverse ideas about human reproduction in the church past and present. It investigates an extreme fringe of U.S. Protestantism, including the Quiverfull movement, that use Old Testament "fruitful" verses to support natalist ideas explicitly promoting higher fecundity. It also challenges the claim by some natalists that Martin Luther in the 16th century advocated similar ideas. This book argues that natalism is inappropriate as a Christian application of Scripture, especially since rich populations’ total footprints are detrimental to biodiversity and to human welfare. It explores the ancient cultural context of the Bible verses quoted by natalists. Challenging the assumption that religion normally promotes fecundity, the book finds surprising exceptions among early Christians (with a special focus on Saint Augustine) since they advocated spiritual fecundity in preference to biological fecundity. Finally the book uses a hermeneutic lens derived from Genesis 1, and prioritising the modern problem of biodiversity, to provide ecological interpretations of the Bible's "fruitful" verses.

Portraits of God

Portraits of God
Author: Allan Coppedge
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages:
Release: 2009-09-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830876553

What is God like? Answering this is the great quest of human existence. Because God is so different from us, we struggle to describe him. While doctrinal statements about God certainly have their place in Christian understanding, the Bible more often uses God's actions and roles to help us know him better. Indeed, some of the most helpful insights in Scripture arise when God is compared to something else: a rock, an eagle or a tower. And many "human" metaphors--metaphors taken from the world of actions and relationships--bring us even closer to understanding of God. In Portraits of God, Allan Coppedge suggests we look carefully at God as our Father, Redeemer, King, Judge, Priest and Creator. These portraits taken together give us an understaning of the Holy One for which no single category is adequate. These images work their way through the whole of Scripture. They are the doorway allowing us into the mysteries of God's very being. In Portraits of God, Coppedge offers a comprehensive survey, picturing a God who wants to be known personally and who has profoundly communicated himself. Coppedge finds the inexhaustible nature of God to be one of holiness reflected in and best described by the language of diverse roles. Approaching God in this way transforms us, as churches and individuals, to reflect God's own holy character. This is a book for students, pastors and churchgoers alike. Anyone desiring to know more deeply and wholly the Christian God revealed in the Bible will find in Portraits of God a treasure of scholarship and truth.

Old Testament Theology

Old Testament Theology
Author: Paul R. House
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 658
Release: 2012-11-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830866183

Paul R. House provides a comprehensive theology of the Old Testament, carefully exploring each Old Testament book, thematically summarizing its content, and showing its theological significance within the whole of the Old Testament canon. Student friendly and useful to a wide audience, this impressive work has proved a profitable read for many.

Old Testament Theology

Old Testament Theology
Author: Robin Routledge
Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2020-05-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1789740096

Numerous useful books on Old Testament theology are now available. However, they often give too much information - or too little. Some can seem large, and daunting to the ordinary student or pastor, and because of their layout, information may be hard to access. Others take a more introductory approach and do not deal with many of the theological issues and questions that the Old Testament raises. Robin Routledge's aim is to bridge this gap. He provides a substantial overview of the central issues and themes in Old Testament theology in the main body of the text, with more detailed discussion and references for further reading in the footnotes. His purpose is to examine the theological significance of the various texts in their wider canonical context, noting unity and coherence within the Old Testament (and to some extent between the Old and New Testaments), whilst also being aware of diversity. A brief outline of the relationship between exegesis and biblical theology within the overall task of interpreting and applying biblical material is given in the first chapter. His hope as a Christian minister is that, while this volume has grown out of a teaching context, and is intended for students, it will also be of benefit to others who want to take the theological content of the Old Testament seriously, and to apply its message to the life and ministry of the church today.