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What was it like to be a woman in the biblical period? It depended, in part, on who you were: a queen, a judge, a primary wife, a secondary wife, a widow, a slave, or some other kind of "ordinary woman." In Women in the Bible, Jaime Clark-Soles investigates how women are presented in Scripture, taking into account cultural views of both ancient societies as well as our own. While women today are exercising leadership in churches across a number of denominations and our scholarly knowledge related to women in the Bible has grown immensely, challenges remain. Most of Christendom still excludes women from religious leadership, and many Christians invoke the Bible to circumscribe women's leaders...
Scripture is powerful for all who lend it authority. Clark-Soles explores the ways in which the author of the Fourth Gospel deploys scripture to form his sectarian community. The first part of the book provides the sociological framework for addressing the role of scripture within sectarian communities. By definition, sects are in conflict with a parent tradition. How, if at all, does a sect appropriate those texts that not only “belong” to the parent tradition but also are used by that parent tradition to deride the sectarians? By investigating the dynamics of scripture in the ancient Qumran community and in the modern Branch Davidian community, Clark-Soles sheds light on the community of the Fourth Gospel.
There is no systematic theology in the New Testament regarding death and aftelife. Therefore, the appropriate question, as it turns out, is not: What does the New Testament say about death and afterlife, but what do various New Testament texts say about it? She explores anthropology, cosmology, eschatology, and, where relevant, theology and Christology.
"This book is a welcome accompaniment to college and seminary courses but equally helpful to any who want to read the Christian Scriptures (or the latest bestseller on them) with a sharp yet appreciative eye."---Susan R. Garrett, Professor of New Testament, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary "Academic study of the New Testament and its origins often prompts Christians to rethink their assumptions about the Bible and how it matters for their lives. But out of these experiences can emerge a more robust and responsible understanding of Scripture. Jaime Clark-Soles knows all this very well; she is a hospitable and lively guide into the most crucial `big issues' that students must consi...
Jaime Clark-Soles takes readers on a dynamic journey deep into the heart of John in this lively reading of the Fourth Gospel. This book is not simply a commentary but a spiritual companion to be read alongside the Bible. Clark-Soles provides important historical and literary insights while illuminating the dramatic characters in John and emphasizing the Gospel's unique themes and symbols. Her engaging writing style will generate enthusiasm and investment in John's message. Readers will also appreciate the addition of prayers as well as questions for individual study and/or group discussion. This excellent guide will enrich our spiritual journeys while opening ourselves up to Jesus through the words, stories, questions, symbols, and characters we encounter in John's Gospel.
What could we accomplish if only we acted more wisely? Could we mitigate the effects of diseases; help the vulnerable feel safer; make progress on justice; cooperate on common problems? We don’t see enough wisdom, but neither did Woman Wisdom herself, who cried out in the streets wanting to gain attention. For every preacher who feels the urgency for more wisdom, this book has heard you. We know the urgency and we want to help. With contributions from: O. Wesley Allen Karoline M. Lewis John C. Holbert Ruthanna Hooke David Schnasa Jacobsen J. Dwayne Howell Margaret Wenig Luke Powery Eunjoo Kim
This engaging book guides readers through one of the most colorful books of the Bible, illuminating passages from Acts that show the Christian gospel expressing itself through the lives, speech, struggles, and adventures of Jesus's followers. The book emphasizes the disruptive character of the Christian gospel and shows how Acts repeatedly describes God as upsetting the status quo by changing people's lives, society's conventions, and our basic expectations of what's possible. Suited for individual and group study, this book by a New Testament scholar with a gift for popular communication asks serious questions and eschews pat answers, bringing Acts alive for contemporary reflection on the character of God, the challenges of faith, and the church.
Women in the Bible investigates how women are presented in Scripture, taking into account cultural views of both ancient societies as well as our own. Jaime Clark-Soles treats well-known biblical women from fresh perspectives, highlights women who have been ignored, and recovers those who have been erased from historical memory.
Using various narrative approaches and methodologies, an international team of forty-four Johannine scholars here offers probing essays related to individual characters and group characters in the Gospel of John. These essays present fresh perspectives on characters who play a major role in the Gospel (Peter, Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, Thomas, and many others), but they also examine characters who have never before been the focus of narrative analysis (the men of the Samaritan woman, the boy with the loaves and fishes, Barabbas, and more). Taken together, the essays shed new light on how complex and nuanced many of these characters are, even as they stand in the shadow of Jesus. Readers of this volume will be challenged to consider the Gospel of John anew.