John S. Kloppenborg gives a detailed analysis of one of the most difficult of Jesus' parables, the parable of the Tenants (Mark 12:1-12; Gospel of Thomas 65). He examines the ways in which Christians have typically read and mis-read the parable, and places the parable firmly in the context of the practices of ancient viticulture. The author models a new approach to the interpretation of the parables of Jesus. First, he critically engages the history of interpretation of the text, inquiring into the ideological interests that the parable has engaged during the history of its use in Christian churches and in political discourse. Second, he reconstructs the social world in which the parable was first told, in particular the economic, social, and legal aspects of ancient viticulture. He demonstrates that the parable of the Tenants has mostly been interpreted from the standpoint of those who wield social and political power, a strange irony considering the social status of the Jesus of history and the literary uses of the parable. All of the features common to the parable as it is told by Mark and the Gospel of Thomas make it a perfectly realistic story. It is only Mark's editing of the story that takes it beyond the realistic idiom characteristic of Jesus' other parables. The book concludes with a dossier of 58 papyrus documents relating to various aspects of viticulture and agrarian conflict. It was awarded the 2007 Francis W. Beare Book Award by the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.

Celebrating the Lectionary is the catechist's go-to resource for faith formation on the Lectionary and the liturgical year. This supplementary resource helps you to bring the richness of the Lectionary and the liturgical year into your traditional faith formation or Catholic school program with easy-to-lead, 20-minute, no-prep sessions that can be adapted on the spot to meet the unique needs of your group. This resource includes materials for every Sunday and holy day of obligation from August 7, 2011, through June 24, 2012.

Covenant and the People of God gathers twenty-four essays from friends and colleagues of Messianic Jewish theologian and New Testament scholar Mark S. Kinzer, in honor of his seventieth birthday. The essays are organized around two central themes that have animated Kinzer’s work: the nature of the covenant and what it means to be the people of God. The volume includes fascinating discussions of some of the most sensitive areas related to Jewish-Christian dialogue, post-supersessionist interpretation of Scripture, and the theological shape of Messianic Judaism. Among the contributors are scholars working in North America, Europe, and Israel. They include: Gabriele Boccaccini, Douglas A. Campbell, Holly Taylor Coolman, Gavin D’Costa, Jean-Miguel Garrigues, Douglas Harink, Richard Harvey, Vered Hillel, Jonathan Kaplan, Daniel Keating, Amy-Jill Levine, Antoine Lévy, Gerald McDermott, Michael C. Mulder, David M. Neuhaus, Isaac W. Oliver, Ephraim Radner, Jennifer M. Rosner, David J. Rudolph, Thomas Schumacher, Faydra L. Shapiro, R. Kendall Soulen, Lee B. Spitzer, and Etienne Vetö.

Readers of the New Testament often encounter quotes or allusions to Old Testament stories and prophecies that are unfamiliar or obscure. In order to fully understand the teachings of Jesus and his followers, it is important to understand the large body of Scripture that preceded and informed their thinking. Leading evangelical scholars G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson have brought together a distinguished team to provide readers with a comprehensive commentary on Old Testament quotations, allusions, and echoes that appear from Matthew through Revelation. College and seminary students, pastors, scholars, and interested lay readers will want to add this unique commentary to their reference libraries. Contributors Craig L. Blomberg (Denver Seminary) on Matthew Rikk E. Watts (Regent College) on Mark David W. Pao (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) and Eckhard J. Schnabel (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on Luke Andreas J. Köstenberger (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) on John I. Howard Marshall (University of Aberdeen) on Acts Mark A. Seifrid (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) on Romans Roy E. Ciampa (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) and Brian S. Rosner (Moore Theological College) on 1 Corinthians Peter Balla (Károli Gáspár Reformed University, Budapest) on 2 Corinthians Moisés Silva (author of Philippians in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) on Galatians and Philippians Frank S. Thielman (Beeson Divinity School) on Ephesians G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) on Colossians Jeffrey A. D. Weima (Calvin Theological Seminary) on 1 and 2 Thessalonians Philip H. Towner (United Bible Societies) on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus George H. Guthrie (Union University) on Hebrews D. A. Carson (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on the General Epistles G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) and Sean M. McDonough (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) on Revelation

Hear Then the Parable is an innovative literary-social reading of all the parables of Jesus.

This book is concerned with the words rather than the deeds of Jesus. But even the words are limited to sayings, that is, units which could or did exist in the tradition as isolated segments passed on in different contexts. This leaves out, for example, those short, terse commands or comments of Jesus uttered during cures or exorcisms and inextricably linked to some such situation. . . . Sayings Parallels is a workbook for the study of the Jesus tradition. Its existence and structure derives from one basic postulate: the exact same unit often appears in different sources, genres, and versions within the Jesus tradition. This is what is meant by parallel sayings. And this phenomenon and its explanation will have implications even for those cases where there are no parallels and the unit appears in only one instance. That basic postulate is taken as a factual statement although, of course, its implication and interpretation, its importance and significance are open to very different visions. But, granted that preliminary postulate, an attempt was made in this book to present the data as neutrally as possible. The work is to facilitate descussion of that factual diversity rather than to promote a set understanding of its presence. --from the Introduction

The One Year Chronological Bible provides an intriguing way to easily read through the Bible in one year . . . in only fifteen minutes per day! This large-print Bible is ideal for anyone who wants to experience the Bible in a fresh way by reading it in the order the events actually happened. You don’t have to be a Bible historian to appreciate the fascinating new perspective waiting for you. It’s like reading some of your favorite passages for the very first time! Features of The One Year Chronological Bible include: 365 daily readings to help you read the entire Bible chronologically in one year Historical dates for when events occurred A general timeline of major events to give you a clear overview of Israel’s history A Scripture index in canonical order to help you find your favorite passages quickly and easily The popular New International Version translation (NIV) Enjoy this easy-to-read Bible from the best-selling One Year daily reading–Bible brand and get to know your Bible in a whole new way!

Every person has seen a tree and maybe planted or climbed one! In all world religions, various trees are considered sacred. Trees have the ability to help us reach wholeness if we learn their wisdom and integrate it into our lives. This abecedarian--a book whose contents are in alphabetical order--explores the spiritual growth that is possible by reflecting on the wisdom of woody plants, which help humans experience the divine. In these pages you can explore trees from Acacia to Zaqqum. For each of the forty entries, the author presents a text identifying the tree, a reflective study, a question for journaling or personal meditation, and a concluding prayer. Some trees you may have heard about, and some may be new to you. The spiritual life is enhanced by the trees that surround and share the earth with us while also disclosing the divine to us.

This book in the popular For Today series introduces the reader to the main parables of Jesus in an engaging and accessible way. Professor, author, and preacher Alyce McKenzie makes the familiar parables come alive with new meaning, using the best of biblical scholarship to provide an easy entrance to this major form of Jesus' teachings. With questions for discussion at the end of each chapter, this book is ideal for personal and group study. The For Today series was designed to provide reliable and accessible resources for the study and real life application of important biblical texts, theological documents, and Christian practices. The emphasis of the series is not only on the realization and appreciation of what these subjects have meant in the past, but also on their value in the present--"for today." Thought-provoking questions are included at the end of each chapter, making the books ideal for personal study and group use.

Israel's story is the church's story. In this integrative introduction to the New Testament, G. K. Beale and Benjamin L. Gladd explore each New Testament book in light of the broad history of redemption, emphasizing the biblical-theological themes of each New Testament book. Their distinctive approach encourages readers to read the New Testament in light of the Old, not as a new story but as a story retold.