Böcker utgivna av William B Eerdmans Publishing Co

Describes and defends a long-standing tradition that maintains a proper balance between religious faith and human rationality Many of the early apologists, including Justin Martyr and Origen, presented a defense of the Christian faith that sought to combine the message of the Gospels with respect for the kind of rationality associated with Socrates and his followers. Michael Langford argues that, despite many misunderstandings, the term liberal theology can properly be used to describe this tradition. Langford''s Tradition of Liberal Theology begins with a historical and contemporary definition of liberal theology and identifies eleven typical characteristics, such as a nonliteralist approach to interpreting Scripture, a rejection of original guilt, and the joint need for faith and works. Langford then gives vignettes of thirteen historical Christian figures who personify the liberal tradition. Finally, he explores some contemporary alternatives to liberal theology -- fundamentalism, the Catholic magisterium, Karl Barth''s theology -- and presents a rational defense of the tradition of liberal theology.

Based on several years of teaching and careful observation in preaching classes, this book by Michael Brothers explores the benefits of distance in preaching -- and listening to -- sermons. Having noticed that sermon listeners generally want to be given room for their own interpretations and experiences, Brothers argues that critical and aesthetic distance as a hermeneutical tool is vital to hearing the gospel today and should be intentionally employed in sermon construction and delivery. He explains this distance in the field of homiletics, equips teachers and students of preaching to evaluate the function of distance in sermons, and encourages preachers to practice the use of distance in their preaching.

This volume presents an integrated collection of constructive essays by eminent Catholic scholars addressing the new challenges and opportunities facing religious believers under shifting conditions of secularity and post-secularity. Using an innovative keywords approach, At the Limits of the Secular is an interdisciplinary effort to think through the implications of secular consciousness for the role of religion in public affairs. The book responds in some ways to Charles Taylor''s magnum opus, A Secular Age, although it also stands on its own. It features an original essay by David Tracy -- the most prominent American Catholic theologian writing today -- and groundbreaking contributions by influential younger theologians such as Peter Casarella, William Cavanaugh, and Vincent Miller. CONTRIBUTORSWilliam A. Barbieri Jr.Peter CasarellaWilliam T. CavanaughMichele DillonMary DoakAnthony J. GodziebaSlavica JakelicJ. Paul MartinVincent J. MillerPhilip J. RossiRobert J. SchreiterDavid Tracy

All over the world Christian communities meet on Sunday morning for worship. But what really happens during a worship service? How do worshipers participate in the service? What does it mean to sing, pray, and celebrate the Lord''s Supper together? What do worshipers do when they listen to a sermon? In The Touch of the Sacred Gerrit Immink offers thoughtful theological reflection on the religious practice of worship services in the Protestant tradition. He develops a theology of worship with a clear focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as he explores the meaning of worship, the mystery of Christ, the sacraments, prayer, and preaching. Ultimately, he says, something dynamic happens when a church congregation speaks and acts: it is touched by the sacred, by a very encounter with the living God.

Through a detailed examination of the historical shaping and final canonical shape of seven oft-neglected New Testament letters, Reading the Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude as Scripture introduces readers to the historical, literary, and theological integrity of this indispensable apostolic witness. While most scholars today interpret biblical texts in terms of their individual historical points of composition, David Nienhuis and Robert Wall argue that a theological approach to this part of Scripture is better served by attending to these texts' historical point of canonization -- those key moments in the ancient church's life when apostolic writings were grouped together to maximize the Spirit's communication of the apostolic rule of faith to believers everywhere. Reading the Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude as Scripture is the only treatment of the Catholic Epistles that approaches these seven letters as an intentionally designed and theologically coherent canonical collection.

Russian political history and Russian church history are tied together very tightly. One cannot properly understand the overall history of Russia without considering the role of the Orthodox Church in Russia. Cross and Kremlin uniquely surveys both the history and the contemporary situation of the Russian Orthodox Church. The first chapter gives a concise chronology from the tenth century through the present day. The following chapters highlight several important issues and aspects of Russian Orthodoxy -- church-state relations, theology, ecclesiastical structure, monasticism, spirituality, the relation of Russian Orthodoxy to the West, dissidence as a frequent phenomenon in Russian church history, and more.

Originally published: Soldaat wojtek. Amsterdam: Querido, c2008.

The purpose of this book is to introduce the New Testament to those who have never read it. Ronald Allen offers a truly elementary guide to the New Testament''s world, its story, and its message. Reading the New Testament for the First Time walks readers through the New Testament, covering key topics like these: how to find one''s way around the New Testamenthow and when the New Testament was writtenimportant characters like Jesus, Paul, and the twelve disciplesbig ideas found in the New Testament such as love, righteousness, and the realm of Godhow to apply the New Testament to our lives todayand much more!

When was the last time you heard a sermon on the theological importance of play? What do rest, eating, studying -- and sex -- have to do with the Kingdom of God? Strangely, although these activities together take up much of our time, they seldom receive much discussion from a biblical point of view. In The Rest of Life Ben Witherington explores these subjects in the light of biblical teaching about the Kingdom of God and the Christian hope for the future. He shows why and how all the normal activities of life should be done to the glory of God and for the edification of others. Focusing as it does on practical, everyday matters in an accessible style, this topical study is ideal for both individual reading and small-group discussion.

An Eerdmans Reader in Contemporary Political Theology gathers some of the most significant and influential writings in political theology from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Given that the locus of Christianity is undeniably shifting to the global South, this volume uniquely integrates key voices from Africa, Asia, and Latin America with central texts from Europe and North America on such major subjects as church and state, gender and race, and Christendom and postcolonialism. Carefully selected, thematically arranged, and expertly introduced, these forty-nine essential readings constitute an ideal primary-source introduction to contemporary political theology -- a profoundly relevant resource for globally engaged citizens, students, and scholars. CONTRIBUTORS: Nicholas AdamsRafael AvilaKarl BarthRichard BauckhamDietrich BonhoefferWalter BrueggemannErnesto CardenalJ. Kameron CarterJames H. ConeDorothy DayMusa W. Dube Jean Bethke ElshtainEric GregoryGustavo GutiérrezStanley HauerwasGeorge HunsingerAda María Isasi-DiazEmmanuel M. KatongoleRafiq KhouryKosuke KoyamaBrian McDonaldJohann Baptist Metzv Virgil MichelNéstor O. MiguezJohn MilbankJohn Courtney MurrayChed MyersH. Richard NiebuhrReinhold NiebuhrArvind P. NirmalOliver O''DonovanCatherine PickstockKwok Pui-lanA. Maria Arul RajaWalter RauschenbuschJoerg RiegerChristopher RowlandRosemary Radford RuetherAlexander SchmemannCarl SchmittPeter Manley ScottJon SobrinoDorothee SolleR. S. SugirtharajahElsa TamezMark Lewis TaylorEmilie M. TownesDesmond TutuBernd WannenwetschGraham WardGeorge WeigelDelores S. WilliamsRowan WilliamsWalter WinkJohn Howard YoderKim Yong-Bock

This innovative collection seeks to build bridges between the theology of Karl Barth and contemporary American evangelicalism and provide the impetus for moving evangelical engagement with Barth to a new level. The scholarly insights offered here shed much light on current trends in Protestant theology and show how Barth's thought can enrich evangelical interaction with current theological movements.