Author: Peter J. Tomson
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004278478
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 562
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Book Description
The papers in this volume are organized around the ambition to reboot the writing of history about Jews and Christians in the first two centuries CE. Many are convinced of the need for a new perspective on this crucial period that saw both the birth of rabbinic Judaism and apostolic Christianity and their parting of ways. Yet the traditional paradigm of Judaism and Christianity as being two totally different systems of life and thought still predominates in thought, handbooks, and programs of research and teaching. As a result, the sources are still being read as reflecting two separate histories, one Jewish and the other Christian. The contributors to the present work were invited to attempt to approach the ancient Jewish and Christian sources as belonging to one single history, precisely in order to get a better view of the process that separated both communities. In doing so, it is necessary to pay constant attention to the common factor affecting both communities: the Roman Empire. Roman history and Roman archaeology should provide the basis on which to study and write the shared history of Jews and Christians and the process of their separation. A basic intuition is that the series of wars between Jews and Romans between 66 and 135 CE – a phenomenon unrivalled in antiquity – must have played a major role in this process. Thus the papers are arranged around three focal points: (1) the varieties of Jewish and Christian expression in late Second Temple times, (2) the socio-economic, military, and ideological processes during the period of the revolts, and (3) the post-revolt Jewish and Christian identities that emerged. As such, the volume is part of a larger project that is to result in a source book and a history of Jews and Christians in the first and second centuries.
Author: Joshua J. Schwartz
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 900435297X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 560
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Book Description
This volume discusses crucial aspects of the period between the two revolts against Rome in Judaea that saw the rise of rabbinic Judaism and of the separation between Judaism and Christianity. Most contributors no longer support the ‘maximalist’ claim that around 100 CE, a powerful rabbinic regime was already in place. Rather, the evidence points to the appearance of the rabbinic movement as a group with a regional power base and with limited influence. The period is best seen as one of transition from the multiform Judaism revolving around the Second Temple in Jerusalem to a Judaism that was organized around synagogue, Tora, and sages and that parted ways with Christianity.
Author: Gerald L. Stevens
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498273203
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 242
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Book Description
The book of Revelation perennially provokes outlandish futurist predictions proven patently false over time. Such prophecy failures leave the inquiring mind with a strong sense that the book of Revelation is nothing but a hoax, safely ignored and without contemporary relevance. The inevitable practical result, not only for church members, but for their ministers as well, is a canonical book stripped bare of canonical authority. In this volume, six contributors collectively attempt to provide a path toward recanonizing Revelation, reclaiming its authority and relevance through christological foundations. The result is a book not only useful in the collegiate and seminary classroom, but also for serious small-group Bible studies wanting to glean from Revelation something deeper than a fear of being "left behind."
Author: Robyn J. Whitaker
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
ISBN: 9783161539787
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 308
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Book Description
Robyn. J. Whitaker interprets the Book of Revelation within the context of ancient rhetoric and religion. She argues that the author of Revelation uses a popular rhetorical tool, ekphrasis, to paint word-pictures of God that compete with material images to both critique image-making and simultaneously make an absent God present.
Author: R. Alan Culpepper
Publisher: SBL Press
ISBN: 0884142418
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 464
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Book Description
A window into early Judaism and Christianity The Gospel of John was written during the period of the emergence of Christianity and its separation from Judaism and bears witness to their contested relationship. This volume contains eighteen cutting-edge essays written by an international group of scholars who interpret for students and general readers what the book tells us about first-century Judaism, the separation of the church from Judaism, and how John's anti-Jewish references are being interpreted today. Features: A debate over the process that led to the separation of the church from Judaism, and John's place in that process A review of recent interpretations of John's anti-Jewish references An assessment of the current status of Jewish Christian relations
Author: Gerald L. Stevens
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532693567
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 696
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Book Description
This second edition of Stevens's presentation of Acts adds an extensive study of church traditions on Paul's death and burial. Uncovering of the sarcophagus in the Church of Saint Paul Outside the Walls yielded carbon 14 dated first- or second-century bones. In his characteristically creative way, Stevens offers an insightful proposal on why church traditions on Paul post Acts are so ambiguous and probably always will be, even with this new find. Stevens's close study of the Acts narrative analyzes Luke's post-ascension story of Jesus and challenges orthodoxies in the interpretation of Acts and Paul. Luke was the first to envision the future of the Jesus story in the Hellenist movement as this movement realizes the promise of Pentecost in Israel, preeminently epitomized in the mission of Paul, who is Luke's premier example of the God active, God resisted theme of the speech of Stephen that drives the plot of Acts and illuminates exegesis of Paul's insistence on going to Jerusalem with its dramatic conclusion in the shipwreck of Paul. Luke ends Acts in Rome as intended--an impressive, compelling, and thoroughly fresh reading of Acts.
Author: Gerald L. Stevens
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1725278995
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 684
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Book Description
Stevens invokes a powerful synthesis of recent Pauline studies by insisting the category of Israel is the hermeneutical key to all of Romans. Through Jesus the Messiah and the power of the Spirit, Paul saw fulfilled Isaiah’s vision of Israel’s destiny to the nations to bring the good news of salvation. Recapturing Isaiah’s vision broke the spell for Paul of the Great Assembly’s postexilic take on Israel. Paul’s apostleship first and foremost was to Israel, not gentiles exclusively. Paul used his exposé of the gospel of God in Romans to challenge believers in Rome to embrace their place in the messianic Israel of God.
Author: Gerald L. Stevens
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1725249235
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 667
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Book Description
This three-part study covers the history of interpretation, theological foundations, and exegesis. Copious illustrations from the author's worldwide travels enhance discussion of Rome's emperors, empire, and ideology as the premier horizon for understanding John's immediate context and meaning. Distinctive contributions include Stevens's effort to re-canonize Revelation by insisting on gospel concord, methodically interpreting all of Revelation through the lens of the seven churches and showing how Revelation's imagery consistently relates more to the incarnation than the Parousia. Stevens bypasses traditional millennial options to argue that Revelation is "passion-millennial"--the passion of Jesus predicates the passion of the church. Under Stevens's hands, Revelation becomes eminently sensible to the original audience and powerfully pertinent for today's church.
Author: Deborah L. Roeger
Publisher: Energion Publications
ISBN: 1631998218
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 91
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Book Description
When you speak of hope, do you use the world's definition or the biblical meaning? Did you know God designed hope to empower our lives? On what do you base your hope as a Christian? In this second book under the Lost in Translation imprint, Deborah Roeger examines scripture in the light of hope. In doing so, she takes the reader through a meaningful study of all aspects of a Christian's hope. Yet this study is much more than that. As you learn about the truth of biblical hope, you will discover how understanding hope helps you appreciate and apply the teachings of scripture more effectively, both in your life and in the life of your church. There are 21 individual word studies, looking at key words in scripture that relate to hope and its application, along with an appendix explaining how to do word studies. Easy to understand guidance is provided to help avoid common pitfalls and make word studies more effective in your study. This book uses an extensive bibliography and is comprehensively referenced with hundreds of detailed footnotes. The footnotes provide the reader with the opportunity to walk through the steps the author has taken in studying this subject. It's a treasure-trove for modern Bereans who want to "search the scriptures every day to see whether these things were true" (Acts 17:11). This book is well suited for group study, but can also be read and studied individually. It is a valuable resource for Christian education classes wanting to dig deeper into the subject of biblical hope as it is presented in God's Word.
Author: Gerald L. Stevens
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498231713
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 691
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Book Description
This analysis of Luke's post-ascension story of Jesus challenges orthodoxies in the interpretation of Acts and Paul. Carefully constructed narrative arguments from within the story in Acts use the themes of Pentecost, the Hellenists, and the character development of Saul-Paul to reveal Luke's insight that the future of the Jesus story is in the Hellenist movement realizing the promise of Pentecost in Israel. These Hellenists are at odds with the Jerusalem church on the implications of the outpoured Spirit of Pentecost. Further, the Saul-Paul of Acts is not what most readers presume from Paul's letters. For Luke, Paul finds his narrative significance in Acts only within the Hellenist movement and Pentecost fulfillment. Paul himself becomes Luke's premier example of the God active, God resisted theme of the speech of Stephen that drives the plot of Acts. This plot mechanism provides illuminating exegesis of Paul's insistence on going to Jerusalem from Ephesus with its dramatic conclusion in the shipwreck of Paul. Stevens concludes by integrating the ending of Acts into Luke's three major themes and overall narrative strategy--an impressive, compelling, and thoroughly fresh reading of Acts.
