What was the original purpose of the Gospel of Matthew? For whom was it written? In this magisterial two-volume commentary, Walter Wilson interprets Matthew as a catechetical work that expresses the ideological and institutional concerns of a faction of disaffected Jewish followers of Jesus in the late first century CE. Wilson's compelling thesis ......
A robust scholarly defence of the distinctiveness of the canonical Gospels. Do the four New Testament gospels share some essence that distinguishes them from noncanonical early Gospels? The tendency among biblical scholars of late has been to declare the answer to this question no-that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were grouped together by ......
An approachable overview of the nature, purpose, and functional roles of chaplaincy Chaplaincy is unlike any other kind of ministry. It involves working outside a church, without a congregation, usually in a secular organization. It requires ministering to those with starkly different religious convictions, many of whom may never enter a house ......
Margarita Woloschin’s narrative of the life of Seraphim of Sarov, translated into English here for the first time, was published in Moscow in 1913, just ten years after Sarov’s canonization by the Russian Orthodox Church in July of 1903.
Presenting the most remarkable facts and key stages of Saint Seraphim’s life, Woloschin’s ......
Breaking a 200-year impasse on the origins of the gospels? ? Biblical scholars want to get to the roots of the gospels--the very earliest memories of Jesus and his world. Though scholars know about all the major concepts at work--Q, the Urgospel, priority--it seems like a definitive solution to the Synoptic problem is hopelessly unattainable. ......
"All these essays illustrate, in one way or another, how I have sought to carry out scholarly work as an aspect of discipleship-as a process of faith seeking exegetical clarity." - from the introduction Richard Hays has been a giant in the field of New Testament studies since the 1989 publication of his Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul. ......
How can churches do the work of becoming allies for the leaders they call? In belonging to a predominantly white denomination, ELCA members are called to listen and learn from its leaders of color to recognize the assumptions, biases, and harmful actions that result when congregations dont commit to become allies. Authors offer wisdom, ......
How to cultivate a thriving Christian community in a disconnected culture What does it mean to be a Christian community? And what does it mean to lead one? How does a pastor address today's challenges, from lack of faith in institutions, to conflict in the church, to the tension between tradition and innovation? C. Kavin Rowe addresses these ......
In The Holy and the Hybrid: Navigating the Church's Digital Reformation, Ryan M. Panzer helps church leaders develop hybrid ministries through aligning the shared mission of the church with the shared values of our tech-shaped culture. The goal is to build communities that serve as the hands and feet of Christ simultaneously online and offline.