"This book takes a giant step both in theology and in social ethics. It forces theologians to examine the worship and spirituality of Hispanic Pentecostals as a source of theological construction and pushes the Pentecostalists themselves to see the broader social implications of their own faith expressions. With both Hispanic peoples and Pentecostalists forming a larger and larger portion of the American cultural and religious reality, this is a vital book, indeed an indispensable one, for any person knowledgeable about our society to read and ponder." ...

Hallowed is a fresh study of the Lord's Prayer against its Old Testament background. Rather than give an entirely new model for speaking with God, Jesus drew the message of his prayer from the Psalms, the ancient prayer book of God's people. In the Psalms, believers approach God in worship, seek him for life's necessities, confess their sins, and ask for his mercy. Echoing these prayerful voices, Jesus taught a profound lesson in what delights God when his people pray. From this we will learn how to hallow God's name in prayer and all of life, and we will ...

The Bible today is weaponized by both liberals and conservatives, each side cherry-picking their favorite verses. Have you ever wondered why the Bible lends itself to supporting contradictory positions in moral debates--why even the devil quotes Scripture? If so, you will enjoy this book. Haunted by Paradise reveals the unity and coherence of the Bible in the light of paradise. The Bible begins in Eden and ends in the new Jerusalem--in between, the Bible is haunted by the memory of paradise lost and the hope for paradise regained. With paradise as the interpretive ...

Superior studies on salient themes and texts of Proverbs now join similar anthologies on Job and Ecclesiastes that have been compiled by Roy B. Zuck. 'Learning from the Sages' assembles thirty-two essays by twenty-seven scholars, covering genre, themes, and expositions of selected passages. Some include technical details of Hebrew, but in-depth linguistic knowledge is not necessary. Part 1 looks at the structure, context, and message of Proverbs, and offers suggestions on understanding its content, terms used, and metaphors for wisdom, wealth, and poverty. ...

The landscape photographed and the reflections on the sites of the Sunday Gospels paint a geography little changed since the time of Jesus and his followers. To see the Judean Wilderness or the River Jordan or the hills of Jerusalem is to see the topography, the land features that existed two thousand years ago. And in seeing them we are reminded that this is what Jesus saw. The dust and heat are the reality of his day and time as much as they are ours. To encounter that land if only through word and image is to touch the world of Jesus.

What is real? What is the foundation of right and wrong? How can we know? There are many ways to answer these questions--Western religious views in which humanity is part of God's creation, Eastern religious views in which delusion traps humanity in a cycle of reincarnation, and secular views in which humanity evolved as part of the material universe driven by nothing other than the impersonal forces of evolution. Each of these views paints unique and comprehensive pictures of the world to convey their vision. These pictures are as different from each other ...

Steeped in the great tradition of Christian poetry, Bazyn offers a series of startling and highly personal interactions with the Four Gospels to break open Jesus' teachings and symbolic acts for our everyday lives. His vivid, allusive poems with references to literature, theology, spirituality, liturgy, ethics, history, saints' lives, and legend are loosely arranged around episodes in Christ's exceptional life as the Nativity, the coming of the Magi, the parables, the raising of Lazarus, the transfiguration, the crucifixion, the resurrection ...

The poetry and prose reflections in this book cover a wide range of themes, discovering the presence of God in deeply challenging as well as joyful experiences. This is a book for all who love and care about the natural world, and a resource for all interested in spirituality, pastoral counseling and teaching, creative communication, and cross-cultural mission. Or simply for those who love poetry.