This book does what no other introductory work does; it displays clearly and simply the interplay of forces, people, and events that were key to the birth and gradual expansion of early Christianity.

In this book, Calvin Roetzel explores the social, political, religious, and intellectual environment of the New Testament writers. Roetzel maps the major features of the first-century landscape so that the student may be able to view the whole, and through the whole gain new perspective on and insight into each part. Now updated with the most current scholarship and with revisions taking into account archeological findings, this is the best available introduction to the subject. Expanded materials include discussion of the social structure of Roman society, political dimensions of Pharisaism, Hellenistic religious expression, the Jewish Diaspora, the influence of the Septuagint on the Gospel writers and Paul, and women in antiquity. Pictures are integrated into the text at relevant points, the end of each chapter contains suggestions for further reading, and there is also a current and comprehensive bibliography of topics and authors.

This volume consists of eight chapters dealing with a selected topic in New Testament biblical interpretation, its inherited elements and its relevance for better understanding of wider Jewish exegetical trends.

In The Language of the New Testament, Stanley E. Porter and Andrew W. Pitts assemble an international team of scholars whose work has focused on the Greek language of the earliest Christians in terms of its context, history and development.

This volume pulls together thirteen essays written by the author since the late 1970's which give a distinctive, coherent reading of Luke-Acts. Twelve of the essays focus on the theological perspectives of Luke and Acts as they can be discerned from the angle of vision of the "authorial audience" as delineated by the non-biblical literary critic, Peter J. Rabinowitz. The final essay focuses on the possible historical value of Acts and the methodology involved in judging that possibility.

Salvation in the New Testament offers an analysis of the soteriological perspectives and language of the different books of the New Testament. Special attention is given to the imagery used in expressing soteriological ideas. Salvation deals with becoming part of the people of God. In Salvation in the New Testament special attention is given to the nature and power of the salvific language used in the New Testament to express the dynamics of salvation. Individual articles on the different books of the New Testament highlight the diverse perspectives offered in these documents. The emphasis especially falls on the different images and metaphors which were used to express the event and moment of salvation, rather than on the results (ethics or behaviour) of salvation. An overview of the different perspectives on soteriology in the New Testament offers the opportunity to compare similarities and differences in concepts and expressions. It also illustrates the dynamic interaction between historical situations and salvific language and expression.

Many of us live life in bondage - to food, family or fear, to our past, present or future —almost anything that keeps us from being who God intended us to be. But Jesus has come to give us abundant life and set us free. In A Life-Changing Journey through the Gospel of Luke, we learn that nothing is impossible with God. Dare to learn His Word through this inductive study and begin to live a life of liberty in Christ. “In this wonderful Bible study on Luke, Leesa Donner does a masterful job of challenging and encouraging the reader…to enter the world of the gospel and come away not only with a better knowledge of the text but a transformed heart.” —Dr. Tremper Longman III Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies Westmont College “This helpful, scholarly and yet accessible workbook is a unique aid in understanding the gospel of Luke. It…has already produced spiritual fruit in the lives of many who have used it.”—Dr. Robert Norris, Senior Pastor Fourth Presbyterian Church, Bethesda, MD “Leesa and her husband Tim are two great blessings in the lives of my wife and me. I am pleased to recommend Leesa’s excellent Bible study.”—Cal Thomas Syndicated Columnist/Fox News Contributor “Free at Last is the most thought-provoking of the many Ladies Bible studies I’ve done over the years.” —Cheryl (student) “Wonderful material…works well within the scope of a small group.” —Linda (student) “The scholarship and the practicality of this study was a good balance. Not overly academic but rich in history…”—Bonnie (student)

In 385 AH/AD 995 the Qāḍī ‘Abd al-Jabbār, well known for his Mu‘tazilī theological writings, wrote the Confirmation of the Proofs of Prophecy, a work that includes a creative polemic against Christianity. ‘Abd al-Jabbār reinterprets the Bible, Church history (especially the lives of Paul and Constantine) and Christian practice to argue that Christians changed the Islamic religion of Jesus. The present work begins with an examination of the controversial theory that this polemic was borrowed from an unkown Judaeo-Christian group. The author argues that ‘Abd al-Jabbār's polemic is better understood as a response to his particular milieu and the on-going inter-religious debates of the medieval Islamic world. By examining the life and thought of ‘Abd al-Jabbār, along with the Islamic, Christian and Jewish antecedants to his polemic, the author uncovers the intimate relationship between sectarian controversy and the development of an Islamic doctrine on Christianity.

Fr. Maldari offers a vision of Christian ministry as a community in which each member actively participates in fostering creation's evolution toward fulfillment. While ministry is ultimately cooperating with God in furthering the process of creation to its fulfillment in salvation, it also humbly recognizes human limitation and dependence upon the Holy Spirit.