In a new study Bible based on The New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha, 60 scholars provide background and insight on the biblical text, in a book that features extensive historical and theological annotations, brief introductions and outlines for each biblical book, 19 newly commissioned historical maps and more.

At the heart of Christianity and at the center of the New Testament lies the epistle to the Romans, the most groundbreaking letter ever written. The author is Paul, an early convert from Judaism and the greatest early figure in the development and spread of Christianity. Romans contains his most cogent and compelling presentation of Christian faith and practice. The author takes logic and argument, poetry and imagination, scripture and prayer, history and experience, and weaves them into a letter that has become the premier document of Christian theology. The importance of Romans for Christian tradition is incalculable. Each generation of believers has found inspiration, relevance, and transforming power in this letter. To read Romans is to confront one's faith at its source. In Romans, Paul deals with problems as contemporary as today's headlines: divisions and sectarianism in society; fixation with violence; discrimination, prejudice, and inequality; social injustice; the destiny of the Jewish people; the role of the individual in the total sweep of history; the responsibilities of citizens to their government; and the morality of actions in which adults engage, sexual and otherwise. Grace is pervasive in Romans, present in every theme. As expected, it is evident in Christ's life and death, in God's righteousness (God's faithfulness and righteous justice), in justification, predestination, election, and saving faith; but grace is also present in Mosaic law and perhaps most surprisingly, in God's judgment and wrath. If grace can be said to underlie the Christian gospel and to embody the biblical portrayal of God's identity and activity, what does the word "grace" mean, and what is its transformative power? The answers are explored in Grace Revealed.

We can easily be overwhelmed by the Bible. We may try to read it, only to find ourselves stuck in a confusing book or chapter. Included in this guide are brief explanations of how the Bible came to be written and how the books were collected together and later declared to be Holy Scripture by the church. You will discover several outlines of the story of the Bible to help orient you to the flow of the narrative. You will find four reading plans that will take you through the sweep of the biblical story at varying levels. The reading guide in chapter two acts as a running commentary through the reading plans. The last chapter succinctly discusses resources and methods for diving deeper into a book or passage of the Bible. This guide will help you begin a life-long habit of reading the Bible.

Provides the general public and undergraduates with an introductory level text in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament.

Compare differences between the King James Version (KJV), New International Version (NIV), and the Orthodox Study Bible (OSB)

There is no more important topic for inquiry today than the meaning and message of Jesus, for in this quest lies the solution to human discontent and despair. Examining an array of titles for Jesus found in the New Testament, expressions ranging from rabbi and messiah to Wisdom of God, Word of God, and Lord, this study explores why Christology is not simply the study of Jesus Christ but also of the highest and best in us all. Who is Jesus Christ, and what is his significance for today? Was he fully human, the perfect human, God in disguise, or somehow all of these simultaneously? The key is to begin where the first Christians began, with their experience of Jesus, and then to press forward with the development of that understanding in our experience of Christ. While The Scandal of Divine Love is designed for Christian believers (survivors), it embraces skeptics and seekers alike, mindful that within each of us are multiple voices, sometimes affirming, sometimes questioning, occasionally even denying. Whether you consider yourself primarily as skeptic, seeker, or believer, this study encourages you to listen, appreciate, and cultivate each voice. This volume, ideal for individual and group study, will help you discover anew the magnificence of the life and person known to us as Jesus of Nazareth, as guide, exemplar, and Lord.

Most Christians are unaware of the doctrinal debates taking place within the religious academic community. When they are aware of these discussions, they may consider them irrelevant or even harmful to Christian practice. Jaime Clark- Soles invites seminarians, seminary faculty, and church leaders to find common ground by considering the various debates, the reasons they persist, the implications of each, and how they pertain to Christian identity and faith within the larger contemporary culture. Includes study questions.

"Reading the Bible as Literature provides the ideal entry-point to the process of reading, understanding, and assessing what many recognize to be the important and powerful literature of the Bible. Such reading holds potential for helping students understand literature generally and the Bible in itself. The book introduces the tools of literary analysis, including: language and style, the formal structures of genre (narrative, drama, and poetry), character study, and thematic analysis. The book emphasizes the act of reading itself, focusing upon the whole text as it exists in its current form. It invites an experiential entering into and reliving of the Bible's stories, encourages analytical and holistic reading, explores multiple interpretations, and embraces a power of language originating in the mythological, metaphorical, and symbolic. Above all, the book seeks to return the Bible to the common reader and to build in that reader an appreciation for a collection of ancient, literary texts often trivialized by competing theologies or marginalized by a relentless insistence upon fact, science, and history." -- Back cover.

This familiar guide to information resources in the humanities and the arts, organized by subjects and emphasizing electronic resources, enables librarians, teachers, and students to quickly find the best resources for their diverse needs. Authoritative, trusted, and timely, Information Resources in the Humanities and the Arts: Sixth Edition introduces new librarians to the breadth of humanities collections, experienced librarians to the nature of humanities scholarship, and the scholars themselves to a wealth of information they might otherwise have missed. This new version of a classic resource—the first update in over a decade—has been refreshed to account for the myriad of digital resources that have rewritten the rules of the reference and research world, and been expanded to include significantly increased coverage of world literature and languages. This book is invaluable for a wide variety of users: librarians in academic, public, school, and special library settings; researchers in religion, philosophy, literature, and the performing and visual arts; graduate students in library and information science; and teachers and students in humanities, the arts, and interdisciplinary degree programs.