The Prophet Isaiah brings messages of hope through the last of four biblical poems known as the 'Servant Songs'. Blocher explores the message delivered in these poems.

Morna D. Hooker is Professor Emerita of Divinity at Robinson College, University of Cambridge, England. She is coeditor of the Journal of Theological Studies and the author of nine books, including Pauline Pieces and From Adam to Christ.

Leadership is a subject that has gained impressive visibility in the past two decades. The number of books, monographs and articles, as well as seminars, devoted to the development of one's leadership skills has been almost exponential growth. This study is an attempt to forge a full-orbed theology of Christian leadership grounded in the teaching of Scripture. What emerges from tracing the theme of leadership through the biblical record is a servanthood pattern, one that is wholly distinct from prevailing secular models. Our exposition begins with the biblical language of the servant, the term of choice for those great leaders used of God to further his saving purposes in the world. Eleven Old Testament and five New Testament leaders are profiled. The portrait of Jesus Christ focuses on three motifs that governed his training of the twelve for kingdom ministry. The Pauline letters are mined for those convictions that governed Paul's practice of leadership, both of his mission team and of the faith communities that emerged from that mission. The treatment of each leader, from Joseph to Paul, begins with a series of preliminary questions and concludes with a mini-profile that correlates the biblical data with these questions. The final chapter offers a summary profile of the servant leader, one whose character, motives and agenda align with the divine purposes. Though designed as a textbook for upper level college and seminary courses on leadership, the book's readable format is ideal for churches and parachurch organizations in their leadership training programs. The author's prayer is that this work will serve as a catalyst to call God's people back to Scripture and thereby raise up a whole new generation of authentic servant-leaders.

A swirl of Jewish sectarian movements muddied the religious waters during the late Second Temple period. In recent decades, scholars of the Bible have struggled to understand the role these sects played in the rise and spread of the Jesus movement. Nazorean joins this wave of sectarian scholarship. In this book, Kem Luther sketches the history of a wisdom-oriented sect that gave birth to the Christian church. Weaving a series of what the philosopher and historian R. G. Collingwood called "webs of imaginative construction," he provides a provocative and plausible story about a wisdom sect--the Nazoreans--that shaped the career and teachings of John the Baptist and Jesus. To support his scenario, Luther offers sectarian readings of passages from the Gospels of Matthew and John, the Epistle of James, Acts, the Wisdom of Solomon, and the Psalms of Solomon. He links his developing awareness of the sectarian context of these documents to his own trek through a landscape of post-1960 American religion. The candid account of Luther's own journey through a naive modernism, his immersion in evangelical subculture at a Bible school, and his postgraduate studies in mysticism and philosophy makes a fascinating complement to his textual studies.

The Song of Songs is the only book of the Bible to privilege the voice of a woman, and its poetry of love and eroticism also bears witness to violence. How do the contemporary #MeToo movement and other movements of protest and accountability renew questions about women, gender, sex, and the problematic of the public at the heart of this ancient poetry? This edited volume seeks to reinvigorate feminist scholarship on the Song by exploring diverse contexts of reading, from Akkadian love lyrics, to Hildegard of Bingen, to Marc Chagall.

The Bible is full of amazing stories, and everyone knows the most famous ones. But for new believers and Bible students who want to put the stories into context, see how they fit together, and understand what they are really saying, it's difficult with a traditional Bible. The full color art in Idiot's Guide: The Bible brings the each book of the Bible to life. In it, readers get: - A consistent summary of the vital statistics for each book of the Bible, in order, including the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and New Testament. - A list of characters and their role in each story. - Engaging and easy-to-read summaries of the most enduring and important Bible stories. - The most important Bible quotes and passages, called out and explained in sidebars, serving as starting points for further exploration. - Full-color illustrations of Bible stories and characters, plus helpful maps and timelines to help put information into context.

In this study, Fredrik Hagglund presents an interpretation based on a hypothesis that conflicts emerged between the people in the land of Israel and those who returned from exile. He analyzes these conflicts with the help of contemporary refugee studies, other texts of the Old Testament, and also relevant passages in Isa 40-55. At the end of the exile, there was hope that the deported people would return to Israel, that it would be rebuilt, and that Jerusalem would again flourish. This hope is most clearly expressed in Isa 40:1-52:10. However, as time went by, there was a realization that the envisaged glorious return was in reality a rather limited return, and the joy of receiving those who returned had turned into conflicts, not least regarding the possession of land and the availability of places to live. In this situation, someone probably reflected on the message of Isa 40:1-52:10 and sought to understand what had gone wrong. Isa 53 was then inserted as an explanation of how the people in the land of Israel, i.e. the we, should have received those who returned, i.e. the servant. If this embrace had taken place, Mother Zion would have rejoiced, as described in Isa 54. Instead of these pictures painted for us in Isa 53 and 54, we encounter the reality of the conflicts described in Isa 56-66.

A compact, easy-to-use, and comprehensive resource for all ministries involved in Sunday planning. Contains information and tips for musicians, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, liturgical planning committees, homilists, and celebrants--all in one volume.

Finalist for the 2018 Christian Book Award for Bible of the Year. New to the Bible? Either because you have become a Christian recently, or because somehow the Bible seems to have passed you by? Then this edition is for you! Whether you are reading the Bible for the first time or not, its variety of material--not to mention its length--can seem overwhelming. It can be difficult for readers new to Scripture to explore its teachings and to see how Christian beliefs are established in its pages. But understanding both what we believe and why we believe it provides the foundation for a grounded Christian faith. The Christian Basics Bible is filled with features designed to help readers--especially those new to the Bible--connect biblical teachings to Christian beliefs and to see how those beliefs apply to their lives. By delivering the right amount of both information and application, The Christian Basics Bible can become the catalyst for living a vibrant Christian life.