IS SCRIPTURE CLEAR? IF IT IS, WHY DO PORTIONS OF IT SEEM SO OBSCURE? IF IT ISN’T, WHY HAVE THEOLOGIANS SPENT SO MUCH TIME DEFENDING THE NOTION OF ITS CLARITY? AND MORE IMPORTANT, ARE CHRISTIANS ENGAGED IN A FUTILE EFFORT IN TRYING TO READ AND UNDERSTAND IT? JAMES CALLAHAN OFFERS VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE COMPLEX NOTION of biblical perspicuity. He sets the issues within the history of the church and traces how the Bible's clarity has been understood practically and theologically over time. With precision and care he clarifies the role of historical context, authorial intent and reader response in a constructive articulation of how we come to understand Scripture's meaning. Contemporary literary studies inform his discussion and suggest the importance of intertextuality and intratextuality in the reading of Scripture. Ultimately, Callahan argues, Scripture must be viewed as a privileged text within a privileged community. Nevertheless, it must be read, not arrogantly, but with humility under the searching glance of the God who caused it to be written.
For nearly 600 years, from battles of the early 14th century to the dropping of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, firearms derived from gunpowder and other chemicals defined the frightful extent of war. In this classic work, first published in 1960, distinguished historian James Riddick Partington provides a worldwide survey of the evolution of incendiary devices, Greek fire, and gunpowder. 21 illustrations.
Did Luther get Christian freedom right? The answer to this question contains two elements: - What is Luther's understanding of Christian freedom? - How did his understanding stand up under the pressure of reformation? Muhlhan examines both of these elements and contends that the sublime beauty of Luther's early understanding of Christian freedom--an understanding that empowered the German reformation--is consistently the same understanding he used to undermine papal heteronomy and refute radical legalism. The relational character, cruciform substance, and complex structure of Luther's concept of freedom enabled him to speak both polemically and catechetically with a clear and authoritative communicative clarity that reinvoked the magnificence of Christ and him crucified for sinners. The impact, both positive and negative, of Luther's appraisal of Christian freedom finds its focus of impact in the small world of Wittenberg in the sixteenth century yet resonated throughout the church of his day as a powerful, theologically laden response to legalism and antinomianism. Therefore, in light of this impact and its correlation to biblical freedom, Muhlhan contents that we can confidently affirm that Luther did indeed get Christian freedom right and that he did not fail to live by the implications of this radical theology.
From the earliest records of human civilization until the dawn of the twentieth century, and in widely separated cultures throughout the world, the story of honor was inseparable from the story of mankind. Today, an acquaintance with the concept of honor is indispensable to understanding the culture of the Islamic world and its sense of grievance against the West, where honor has been disregarded or actively despised for three-quarters of a century." "James Bowman draws from an wealth of sources across many centuries to illuminate honor's curious history in our own culture, and he discovers that Western honor was always different from that found elsewhere. Its idiosyncratic qualities derived partly from the classical tradition but mainly from the Judeo-Christian heritage, whose emphases on individual morality and, more recently, on sincerity and authenticity in private and personal life have acted as continual challenges to the traditional notion of honor as it is still maintained in other parts of the world. These challenges to honor and the accommodations with it that they ultimately produced are a fundamental theme in our own culture's distinctive history; and the eventual collapse of the honor culture in the West is the background against which the War on Terror and the Clash of Civilizations ought to be seen."--Jacket.
Delve into your German heritage! This carefully curated collection of beautiful historical maps of Germany will help you sort out the mess that is German history. With these 100-plus full-color maps, you can view German border changes throughout the centuries, allowing you to find your German hometown and records of your ancestors. Inside, you'll find: · Beautiful maps of German states from medieval times to present, each selected specifically for the genealogist · Extensive histories of Germanic regions that will walk you through the country’s long and complex past, from the Holy Roman Empire to the Berlin Wall · Beautiful, full-color maps bound in a hardcover format that makes a great gift for historians and genealogists · Detailed captions that put each map in context · Timelines of the events in each era of German history that affected boundary changes · A special village index that will help you pinpoint your ancestor’s hometown
By 1940, Minnesota was known as one the most cooperative-minded states in the Union. More than 600 cooperative creameries, 150 township mutual fire insurance companies, hundreds of rural telephone associations, and 270 farmers' elevators were proof of the power of economic cooperation, and they made Minnesota into a "cooperative commonwealth.
Rivals the major systematic theologies of this century."--Baptist History and Heritage Journal, July 1996"One of the characteristics of Garrett's system that needs especially to be noted is its balanced, judicious, and nearly invariably objective presentation of materials. While holding true to the teachings of his own Baptist faith, Garrett so carefully and judiciously presents alternatives . . . that teachers and students from other confessional and denominational positions will find his work instructive."--Consensus, 1997"If one is searching for an extensive exposition of the biblical foundations and historical developments of the various loci of systematic theology, there is no more complete presentation in a relatively short work than this . . . Pastors will especially find this feature to be a real help in teaching theology . . . [It is] an indispensable contribution to the task of systematic theology."--Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, September 1999"Many students and pastors will find all they need here, and will in addition be helped to relate their knowledge to recent developments in the theological world."--The Churchman: A Journal of Anglican Theology, 1991"A gold mine of helpful material."--The Christian Century, May 29-June 5, 1991"No book that I know is more loaded with biblical and theological facts than this one. The prodigious research that must have gone into the preparation of this volume is truly mind-boggling."--Faith and Mission, Fall 1991"Garrett has provided a massive and scholarly systematic theology from a thoroughly conservative and comprehensive viewpoint. The work is well documented in both biblical and historical scholarship and will prove to be a classic."--William Hendrickson, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary"One of the most comprehensive, concise books of its type available; it should receive wide use in the classroom and in the study."--Robert H. Culpepper, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Rivals the major systematic theologies of this century." --Baptist History and Heritage Journal, July 1996 "One of the characteristics of Garrett's system that needs especially to be noted is its balanced, judicious, and nearly invariably objective presentation of materials. While holding true to the teachings of his own Baptist faith, Garrett so carefully and judiciously presents alternatives . . . that teachers and students from other confessional and denominational positions will find his work instructive." --Consensus, 1997 "If one is searching for an extensive exposition of the biblical foundations and historical developments of the various loci of systematic theology, there is no more complete presentation in a relatively short work than this . . . Pastors will especially find this feature to be a real help in teaching theology . . . [It is] an indispensable contribution to the task of systematic theology." --Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, September 1999 "Many students and pastors will find all they need here, and will in addition be helped to relate their knowledge to recent developments in the theological world." --The Churchman: A Journal of Anglican Theology, 1991 "A gold mine of helpful material." --The Christian Century, May 29-June 5, 1991 "No book that I know is more loaded with biblical and theological facts than this one. The prodigious research that must have gone into the preparation of this volume is truly mind-boggling." --Faith and Mission, Fall 1991 "Garrett has provided a massive and scholarly systematic theology from a thoroughly conservative and comprehensive viewpoint. The work is well documented in both biblical and historical scholarship and will prove to be a classic." --William Hendrickson, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary "One of the most comprehensive, concise books of its type available; it should receive wide use in the classroom and in the study." --Robert H. Culpepper, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
A comprehensive history of the death penalty in the West that provides more material on capital punishment in Western Christian history than is available in any other work in English.
For nearly thirty years, James M. KittelsonÕs Luther the Reformer has been the standard biography of Martin Luther. Like Roland BaintonÕs biography of the generation before, KittelsonÕs volume is the one known by thousands of students, pastors, and interested readers as the biography that gave them the details of this dramatic man and his history. Ê The accolades were well deserved. Fair, insightful, and detailed without being overwhelming, Kittelson was able to negotiate a Òmiddle wayÓ between the many directions of historical research and present a more complete chronological picture of Luther than many had yet portrayed. Ê For this revised edition, Hans H. Wiersma has made an outstanding text even better. The research is updated, and the text is revised throughout, with an emphasis on retaining the tone and pace of the original. Additionally, the volume has an entirely new map and image program, updated bibliographies, improved timelines, and other features to enhance the reading experience. Ê ItÕs a great volume, greatly improved.Ê
In addition to being one of the world's most influential philosophers, Aristotle can also be credited with the creation of both the science of biology and the philosophy of biology. He was the first thinker to treat the investigations of the living world as a distinct inquiry with its own special concepts and principles. This book focuses on a seminal event in the history of biology - Aristotle's delineation of a special branch of theoretical knowledge devoted to the systematic investigation of animals. Aristotle approached the creation of zoology with the tools of subtle and systematic philosophies of nature and of science that were then carefully tailored to the investigation of animals. The papers collected in this 2001 volume, written by a pre-eminent figure in the field of Aristotle's philosophy and biology, examine Aristotle's approach to biological inquiry and explanation, his concepts of matter, form and kind, and his teleology.
The Eucharist has become the central act of Christian life and worship. Unresolved disagreements about it, however, remain as obstacles to religious unity, and to developing a eucharistic spirituality adapted to the unpredictable standards of a deconstructed, critically driven, postmodern age. Beginning with a reassessment of medieval "realist" doctrines of the Eucharist, Beyond the Body argues that the real meaning of the Words of Institution is their use in fulfilling the Last Supper command of Jesus to be remembered. Where traditional doctrines of the Eucharist and their corresponding forms of piety dead-end in intellectual conundrum or disembodied symbolism, that command evokes a world of transformative events with the historical Jesus of the Last Supper as real and constant partner. As an "antitheology" the task of this book is to sketch the intellectual footprint of a nonmetaphysical eucharistic faith. Setting aside traditional approaches, however, will have been worth it only if this enables a eucharistic belief that meets the needs of and is fruitful for religious life in general. Its ultimate goal is to refocus eucharistic piety on the liturgical act itself as a transformative event united in time with the person of Jesus in both remembrance and thanksgiving.
SEARCHING FOR ABSOLUTES IN A POSTMODERN WORLD. In this postmodern age, truth--especially religious or moral truth--is widely criticized and constantly challenged, yet perhaps more important than ever. It was this realization that led James Emery White to examine the concepts of truth as held by five twentieth -century theologians: ¥ Cornelius Van Til ¥ Millard J. Erickson ¥ Francis A. Schaeffer ¥ Donald G. Bloesch ¥ Carl F. H. Henry
The earliest phase of philosophy in Europe saw the beginnings of cosmology and rational theology, metaphysics, epistemology, and ethical and political theory. It saw the development of a wide range of radical and challenging ideas: from Thales' claim that magnets have souls and Parmenides' account that there is only one unchanging existent to the development of an atomist theory of the physical world. This general account of the Presocratics introduces the major Greek philosophical thinkers from the sixth to the middle of the fifth century BC. It explores how we might go about reconstructing their views and understanding the motivation and context for their work as well as highlighting the ongoing philosophical interest of their often surprising claims. Separate chapters are devoted to each of the major Presocratic thinkers, including Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Anaxagoras, Empedocles, Leucippus and Democritus, and an introductory chapter sets the scene by describing their intellectual world and the tradition through which their philosophy has been transmitted and interpreted. With a useful chronology and guide to further reading, the book is an ideal introduction for the student and general reader.
The logic of correction developed here directly opposes the claim made by evolutionary epistemologists such as Popper and Campbell that there is no such thing as a "logical method for having new ideas." The author argues that beyond scientific discovery, the same logic can be found in the more intimate form of inquiry we conduct as we attempt to articulate meanings for ourselves.
Provides an introduction and overview to the Phenomenology of Religion through describing, analysing and evaluating the ideas of key thinkers in the phenomenology of religion. This book also examines the thinking of scholars within the Dutch, British and North American 'schools' of religious phenomenology.
Spinoza's Theologico-Political Treatise is simultaneously a work of philosophy and a piece of practical politics. It defends religious pluralism, a republican form of political organisation, and the freedom to philosophise, with a determination that is extremely rare in seventeenth-century thought. But it is also a fierce and polemical intervention in a series of Dutch disputes over issues about which Spinoza and his opponents cared very deeply. Susan James makes the arguments of the Treatise accessible, and their motivations plain, by setting them in their historical and philosophical context. She identifies the interlocking theological, hermeneutic, historical, philosophical, and political positions to which Spinoza was responding, shows who he aimed to discredit, and reveals what he intended to achieve. The immediate goal of the Treatise is, she establishes, a local one. Spinoza is trying to persuade his fellow citizens that it is vital to uphold and foster conditions in which they can cultivate their capacity to live rationally, free from the political manifestations and corrosive psychological effects of superstitious fear. At the same time, however, his radical argument is designed for a broader audience. Appealing to the universal philosophical principles that he develops in greater detail in his Ethics, and drawing on the resources of imagination to make them forceful and compelling, Spinoza speaks to the inhabitants of all societies, including our own. Only in certain political circumstances is it possible to philosophise, and learn to live wisely and well.
An earnest young boy who loves nature grows up the son of a fundamentalist pastor. He goes to college, trains as a biologist, and becomes a successful university professor. In the process he finds some of the religious beliefs that carried him through childhood and adolescence indefensible in the face of evidence from biology and geology—and even from Scripture itself. What’s he to do? This is the journey of a boy-turned-scientist who finds a path away from “the idols of fundamentalism” and toward a universe rich with process, intrigue, and mystery. Along the way, he discovers a faith consistent with physical reality, one open to beauty, kindness, and hope.
Paul’s teaching about justification is always important for understanding the apostle and for Christian theology. And, for that same reason, it is always debated. James B. Prothro’s book looks at the apostle’s words about righteousness, faith, the Mosaic law, and life in Christ to connect the dots of Paul’s thought and to bring Paul into dialogue with major theological traditions. He offers an account of justification that is both forensic and thoroughly participatory, God’s gift of forgiveness, friendship, and new life in Christ through the Spirit.
Much attention has been devoted in recent years to Christian asceticism in Late Antiquity. But Christianity did not introduce asceticism to the ancient world. An underlying theme of this fascinating study of pagan asceticism is that much of the work on Christian "holy men" has ignored earlier manifestations of asceticism in Antiquity and the way Roman society confronted it. Accordingly, James Francis turns to the second century, the "balmy late afternoon of Rome's classical empire," when the conflict between asceticism and authority reached a turning point. Francis begins with the emperor Marcus Aurelius (121–180), who warned in his Meditations against "display[ing] oneself as a man keen to impress others with a reputation for asceticism or beneficence." The Stoic Aurelius saw ascetic self-discipline as a virtue, but one to be exercised in moderation. Like other Roman aristocrats of his day, he perceived practitioners of ostentatious physical asceticism as a threat to prevailing norms and the established order. Prophecy, sorcery, miracle working, charismatic leadership, expressions of social discontent, and advocacy of alternative values regarding wealth, property, marriage, and sexuality were the issues provoking the controversy. If Aurelius defined the acceptable limits of ascetical practice, then the poet Lucian depicted the threat ascetics were perceived to pose to the social status quo through his biting satire. In an eye-opening analysis of Philostratus's Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Francis shows how Roman society reined in its deviant ascetics by "rehabilitating" them into pillars of traditional values. Celsus's True Doctrine shows how the views pagans held of their own ascetics influenced their negative view of Christianity. Finally, Francis points out striking parallels between the conflict over pagan asceticism and its Christian counterpart. By treating pagan asceticism seriously in its own right, Francis establishes the context necessary for understanding the great flowering of asceticism in Late Antiquity
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1957.
This will help us customize your experience to showcase the most relevant content to your age group
Please select from below
Login
Not registered?
Sign up
Already registered?
Success – Your message will goes here
We'd love to hear from you!
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.