Lamb

Lamb
Author: Christopher Moore
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 468
Release: 2009-10-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0061798231

Everyone knows about the immaculate conception and the crucifixion. But what happened to Jesus between the manger and the Sermon on the Mount? In this hilarious and bold novel, the acclaimed Christopher Moore shares the greatest story never told: the life of Christ as seen by his boyhood pal, Biff. Just what was Jesus doing during the many years that have gone unrecorded in the Bible? Biff was there at his side, and now after two thousand years, he shares those good, bad, ugly, and miraculous times. Screamingly funny, audaciously fresh, Lamb rivals the best of Tom Robbins and Carl Hiaasen, and is sure to please this gifted writer’s fans and win him legions more.

The Crucifixion of the Warrior God

The Crucifixion of the Warrior God
Author: Gregory A. Boyd
Publisher: Fortress Press
Total Pages: 1487
Release: 2017-04-17
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1506420761

A dramatic tension confronts every Christian believer and interpreter of Scripture: on the one hand, we encounter images of God commanding and engaging in horrendous violence: one the other hand, we encounter the non-violent teachings and example of Jesus, whose loving, self-sacrificial death and resurrection is held up as the supreme revelation of God’s character in the New Testament. How do we reconcile the tension between these seemingly disparate depictions? Are they even capable of reconciliation? Throughout Christian history, many different answers have been proposed, ranging from the long-rejected explanation that these contrasting depictions are of two entirely different ‘gods’ to recent social and cultural theories of metaphor and narrative representation. The Crucifixion of the Warrior God takes up this dramatic tension and the range of proposed answers in an epic constructive investigation. Over two volumes, renowned theologian and biblical scholar Gregory A. Boyd argues that we must take seriously the full range of Scripture as inspired, including its violent depictions of God. At the same time, we must take just as seriously the absolute centrality of the crucified and risen Christ as the supreme revelation of God. Developing a theological interpretation of Scripture that he labels a “cruciform hermeneutic,” Boyd demonstrates how Scripture’s violent images of God are completely reframed and their violence subverted when they are interpreted through the lens of the cross and resurrection. Indeed, when read through this lens, Boyd argues that these violent depictions can be shown to bear witness to the same self-sacrificial character of God that was supremely revealed on the cross.

Revelation

Revelation
Author: Craig R. Koester
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 924
Release: 2014-09-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0300144881

In this landmark commentary, Craig R. Koester offers a comprehensive look at a powerful and controversial early Christian text, the book of Revelation. The author provides richly textured descriptions of the book’s setting and language, making extensive use of Greek and Latin inscriptions, classical texts, and ancient Jewish writings, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. Rather than viewing Revelation as world-negating, Koester focuses on its deep engagement with social, religious, and economic issues while addressing the book’s volatile history of interpretation. The result is a groundbreaking study that provides bold new insights and sets new directions for the continued appreciation of this text.

Jesus and His Death

Jesus and His Death
Author: Scot McKnight
Publisher: Baylor University Press
Total Pages: 462
Release: 2005
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1932792295

Recent scholarship on the historical Jesus has rightly focused upon how Jesus understood his own mission. But no scholarly effort to understand the mission of Jesus can rest content without exploring the historical possibility that Jesus envisioned his own death. In this careful and far-reaching study, Scot McKnight contends that Jesus did in fact anticipate his own death, that Jesus understood his death as an atoning sacrifice, and that his death as an atoning sacrifice stood at the heart of Jesus' own mission to protect his own followers from the judgment of God.

Contextualization and Syncretism

Contextualization and Syncretism
Author: Gailyn Van Rheenen
Publisher: William Carey Library
Total Pages: 360
Release: 2006
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780878083879

"Culture's influence upon Christianity is easier to discern in retrospect than in prospect. If history is our guide, one thing is sure: This age will be as syncretistic as any other?How is the gospel being contextualized in the contemporary world? To what degree are these new contextualizations syncretistic? This book attempts to answer these questions by defining and analyzing contextualization and syncretism."-Gailyn Van Rheenen

The Violence of the Lamb

The Violence of the Lamb
Author: Paul Middleton
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2018-05-03
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567467228

The act of martyrdom in the worldview of the Apocalypse has been considered to be an exemplification of non-violent resistance. Paul Middleton argues here, however, that it is in fact a representation of direct participation by Christians, through their martyrdom, in divine violence against those the author of Revelation portrays as God's enemies. Middleton shows that acceptance of martyrdom is to grasp the invitation to participate in the Revelation's divine violence. Martyrs follow the model laid down by the Lamb, who was not only slain, but resurrected, glorified, and who executes judgement. The world created by the Apocalypse encourages readers to conquer the Beast through martyrdom, but also through the experience of resurrection and being appointed judges. In this role, martyrs participate in the judgement of the wicked by sharing the Lamb's power to judge. Different from eschewing violence, the conceptual world of the Apocalypse portrays God, the Lamb, and the martyrs as possessing more power, might, and violent potential than the Emperor and his armies. Middleton believes that martyrdom and violence are necessary components of the worldview of Revelation.

Holy People, Holy Land

Holy People, Holy Land
Author: Michael Dauphinais
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2005-10-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441231714

The Bible doesn't come with a secret decoder ring, which means that it is left to church theologians to make sense of the Bible's many intricate and overlapping themes. Over the centuries, the church has identified several themes--such as love and covenant--that have helped the faithful to better understand a sometimes bewildering book. In Holy People, Holy Land, authors Dauphinais and Levering make the case that holiness--which they define as communion with God through love of neighbor--is the central theme of Scripture. Holy People, Holy Land will give any reader the tools to better understand Scripture by showing how a holy God desires to recreate his children in his image so that they too can be holy.