Jonah, Jesus, and Other Good Coyotes

Jonah, Jesus, and Other Good Coyotes PDF Author: Daniel L. Smith-Christopher
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 220

Get Book Here

Book Description
An original, powerful, and programmatic reading of the Bible that emphasizes the biblical call to peacemaking Smith-Christopher shows us that biblical peacemaking recognizes and then crosses--or "runs"--borders. All too often, borders and other imaginary lines drawn between groups of people have a way of becoming the basis for conflict, bigotry, and ultimately, war. Danger signs are evident when people use "borders" to talk about the goodness of everyone within "our" border, and the evil of everyone "over there." Modern social commentators use the phrase "the other" to refer to the tendency of human groups to develop a positive image of themselves by contrasting it with negative images of others. Smith-Christopher states that when this happens, it is important for us to remind ourselves that it is a profoundly biblical lesson that making peace between groups of people often requires that somebody must be willing to intentionally cross the "borders" that separate groups. In this book, he argues that the Bible teaches Christians that they are this somebody. Crossing boundaries is a biblical mandate, and the foundation of peacemaking. About the title: "Coyote" in modern parlance refers to human traffickers of illegal aliens and immigrants. Coyote crossings commonly elicit the image of professional mercenary smugglers who prey upon the hopes and dreams of illegal aliens. However, among immigrants themselves, the overwhelming view of Coyotes is positive. Daniel Smith-Christopher uses this paradox, this provocative image, a very biblical paradox, he adds, as the central and effective metaphor in the book. Jonah and Jesus are reviled for the same reason, he says: they crossed boundaries, they met the "other," and they brought them over. They thumbed their noses at man-made and fear-based boundaries that exclude rather than embrace.

Jonah, Jesus, and Other Good Coyotes

Jonah, Jesus, and Other Good Coyotes PDF Author: Daniel L. Smith-Christopher
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 220

Get Book Here

Book Description
An original, powerful, and programmatic reading of the Bible that emphasizes the biblical call to peacemaking Smith-Christopher shows us that biblical peacemaking recognizes and then crosses--or "runs"--borders. All too often, borders and other imaginary lines drawn between groups of people have a way of becoming the basis for conflict, bigotry, and ultimately, war. Danger signs are evident when people use "borders" to talk about the goodness of everyone within "our" border, and the evil of everyone "over there." Modern social commentators use the phrase "the other" to refer to the tendency of human groups to develop a positive image of themselves by contrasting it with negative images of others. Smith-Christopher states that when this happens, it is important for us to remind ourselves that it is a profoundly biblical lesson that making peace between groups of people often requires that somebody must be willing to intentionally cross the "borders" that separate groups. In this book, he argues that the Bible teaches Christians that they are this somebody. Crossing boundaries is a biblical mandate, and the foundation of peacemaking. About the title: "Coyote" in modern parlance refers to human traffickers of illegal aliens and immigrants. Coyote crossings commonly elicit the image of professional mercenary smugglers who prey upon the hopes and dreams of illegal aliens. However, among immigrants themselves, the overwhelming view of Coyotes is positive. Daniel Smith-Christopher uses this paradox, this provocative image, a very biblical paradox, he adds, as the central and effective metaphor in the book. Jonah and Jesus are reviled for the same reason, he says: they crossed boundaries, they met the "other," and they brought them over. They thumbed their noses at man-made and fear-based boundaries that exclude rather than embrace.

This Strange and Sacred Scripture

This Strange and Sacred Scripture PDF Author: Matthew Richard Schlimm
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1441222871
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 286

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Old Testament can seem strange and disturbing to contemporary readers. What should Christians make of Genesis 1-3, seemingly at odds with modern scientific accounts? Why does the Old Testament contain so much violence? How should Christians handle texts that give women a second-class status? Does the Old Testament contradict itself? Why are so many Psalms filled with anger and sorrow? What should we make of texts that portray God as filled with wrath? Combining pastoral insight, biblical scholarship, and a healthy dose of humility, gifted teacher and communicator Matthew Schlimm explores perennial theological questions raised by the Old Testament. He provides strategies for reading and appropriating these sacred texts, showing how the Old Testament can shape the lives of Christians today and helping them appreciate the Old Testament as a friend in faith.

Lost Books of the Bible For Dummies

Lost Books of the Bible For Dummies PDF Author: Daniel L. Smith-Christopher
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 111805234X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 341

Get Book Here

Book Description
Lost Books of the Bible For Dummies is your one-stop guide to once-hidden works that add a new dimension to Biblical teachings. Most people have heard about the discovery of strange ancient religious writings that are not part the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament, such as the Gnostic Gospels. Now, you will find new insights and a fresh perspective on long-lost works that may have once been in the running for Biblical inclusion, but didn't make the final cut. This easy-to-understand guide examines the sometimes weird, provocative, and profoundly moving texts that have been "lost" as well as those hotly debated works that are in some Bibles and not others. You will come away with a clearer understanding of the Judeo-Christian religion and the development of the Biblical canon. You’ll learn about the origins of the Bible, explore early scriptures, and understand why translations affect the meanings of texts. You’ll even learn how the Greek influenced early Biblical writing. Find out how to: Explain what the term “lost books” means Understand the definition of “canon” Take translation differences into consideration Divide early writings into style categories Take another look at scripture with the Dead Sea Scrolls See how the Greeks influenced early scripture Decode apocalyptic visions Complete with a list of ten of the weirdest Jewish lost books, ten of the weirdest Christian lost books, ten sayings of Jesus NOT in the Bible, and ten “lost books that every student of the Bible should read, Lost Books of the Bible For Dummies is your one-stop guide to understanding and reading the Biblical lost books.

Why People Matter

Why People Matter PDF Author: John F. Kilner
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493406620
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 339

Get Book Here

Book Description
Amid current arguments related to human life and dignity, Christians must be clear about how their faith speaks to such concerns and what other outlooks have to say. This book brings together noted ethicists--Russell DiSilvestro, David P. Gushee, Amy Laura Hall, John F. Kilner, Gilbert C. Meilaender, Scott B. Rae, and Patrick T. Smith--to make a Christian case for human dignity. It offers a robust critique of five influential alternative positions, including the emerging outlook of transhumanism, showing how a Christian view supports the crucial idea that people matter in a way other views cannot.

Latinxs, the Bible, and Migration

Latinxs, the Bible, and Migration PDF Author: Efraín Agosto
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319966952
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 215

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book examines the conjunction between migration and biblical texts with a focus on Latinx histories and experiences. Essays reflect upon Latinxs, the Bible, and migration in different ways: some consider how the Bible is used in the midst of, or in response to, Latinx experiences and histories of migration; some use Latinx histories and experiences of migration to examine Biblical texts in both First and Second Testaments; some consider the “Bible” as a phenomenological set of texts that respond to and/or compel migration. Cultural, literary, and postcolonial theories inform the analysis, as does the exploration of how migrant groups themselves scripturalize their biblical and cultural texts.

Prophetic Evangelicals

Prophetic Evangelicals PDF Author: Bruce Ellis Benson
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 0802866395
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Get Book Here

Book Description
In this inaugural Prophetic Christianity volume, fifteen contributors share their visions for a biblically centered, culturally engaged, and historically infused evangelicalism. Interacting with a wide variety of influential thinkers, they articulate several approaches to creating a socially responsible, gospel-centric, and ecumenical evangelical identity. Contributors: Raymond C. Aldred Vincent Bacote Bruce Ellis Benson Malinda Elizabeth Berry Chris Boesel John R. Franke David Gushee Peter Goodwin Heltzel Pamela Lightsey Cherith Fee Nordling Ruth Padilla-DeBorst Gabriel Salguero Helene Slessarev-Jamir Christian T. Collins Winn Telford Work

Conversations with the Old Testament

Conversations with the Old Testament PDF Author: John Holdsworth
Publisher: SCM Press
ISBN: 0334054036
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 144

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book discusses major themes and critical issues of the Old Testament in a way that relates to current experience, context and culture.

The Discursive Fight over Religious Texts in Antiquity

The Discursive Fight over Religious Texts in Antiquity PDF Author: Anders-Christian Jacobsen
Publisher: Aarhus Universitetsforlag
ISBN: 8779346588
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 207

Get Book Here

Book Description
The volumes of Religion and Normativity presents the latest research in three central fields. Volume I discusses the construction of normative texts in early Christianity and Judaism, including canon formation, the question of authoritative interpretation of canon, and the re-writing of normative texts in new situations. Among other things, the authors employ literary theories and memory construction.

Psalms

Psalms PDF Author: Denise Dombkowski Hopkins
Publisher: Liturgical Press
ISBN: 0814681204
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 464

Get Book Here

Book Description
Feminist biblical interpretation has reached a level of maturity that now makes possible a commentary series on every book of the Bible. It is our hope that Wisdom Commentary, by making the best of current feminist biblical scholarship available in an accessible format ... will aid readers in their advancement toward God's vision of dignity, equality, and justice for all. - Book jacket.

Fortress Commentary on the Bible

Fortress Commentary on the Bible PDF Author: Matthew J. M. Coomber
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 1451489668
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 2761

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Fortress Commentary on the Bible: Old Testament and Apocrypha presents a balanced synthesis of current scholarship, enabling readers to interpret Scripture for a complex and pluralistic world. The contributors bring a rich diversity of perspectives to the task of connecting solid historical critical analysis of the Scripture with sensitivity to theological, cultural, and interpretive issues arising in our encounter with the text. The contributors represent a broad array of theological commitmentProtestants, Catholics, Jews, and others. The introductory articles and section introductions in the volume discuss the dramatic challenges that have shaped contemporary interpretation of the Old Testament and Apocrypha. Individual book articles provide an introduction and commentary on key sense units that are explored through the lenses of three critical questions: The text in its ancient context. What did the text probably mean in its original historical and cultural context? The text in the interpretive tradition. How have centuries of reading and interpreting shaped our understanding of the text? The text in contemporary discussion. What are the unique challenges and interpretive questions that arise for readers and hearers of the text today? The result is a commentary that is comprehensive and useful for preaching, teaching, and research.