Without understanding God's attributes, we have a skewed perception of him--often one cast in our own image. We need more than just a theoretical knowledge of God in order to worship him as he desires. This classic work of Arthur W. Pink invites readers to discover the truth about seventeen attributes of God, including his sovereignty, immutability, patience, love, faithfulness, and much more. Pink shows readers a God who is alive, all-powerful, and active in his creation. The perfect introductory text, The Attributes of God also has enough depth and meat to satisfy the more experienced reader.

    MacArthur states clearly that there is no eternal life without surrender to the lordship of Christ.

    The concluding chapter is on heaven as a world of love.

    And as you come to know Him better, you'll find yourself trusting Him more completely.

    By a study of these models, and of the societies they represented, Jordan is able to set forth the Biblical view of the world and of historical change and progress, and make relevant and important applications to the present day.

    

    Ched Myers has produced a commentary that is potentially as revolutionary as the very gospel account it portrays." — Sojorners"Myers has produced a commanding and coherent political commentary on the Gospel of Mark, distinguished in its grasp of biblical and social scientific scholarship and amazing lucid in its style and argument... A cogent and venturesome biblical embodiment of liberation theology." — Norman K. Gottwald"Twenty years later Binding the Strong Man still has the ability to push its readers into a fresh new perspective on what it means to be in discipleship with the Human One who seeks to realize the Reign of God in our social, historical, spiritual, and political landscape." — Brian Blount, President, Union Theological Seminary"This book is a primary source used the Holy Spirit Among Us for the building of the Beloved Community of God on earth as it is heaven." — Ed Loring, The Open Door CommunitySince its publication in 1998, Binding the Strong Man has been widely recognized as a landmark in contemporary biblical criticism. Applying a multidisciplinary approach called "socio-literary method," Myers integrates literary criticism, socio-historical exegesis, and political hermeneutics in his investigation of Mark as a "manifesto of radical discipleship."

    Finally the author brings the fragments together in an expository treatment 'that is not ashamed to stoop to the level of application.'

    Seraphim Rose, an Orthodox Christian monk from the mountains of northern California, during a lecture he gave at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1981. The contents of this lecture comprise God's Revelation to the Human Heart. Drawing from a variety of sources -- the Holy Scriptures, patristic writings, the lives of both ancient and modern saints, and accounts of persecuted Christians behind the Iron Curtain -- Fr. Seraphim goes to the core of all Christian life: the conversion of the heart of man, which causes it to bum with love for Christ and transforms one into a new being.

    David Wilkerson (author of The Cross and the Switchblade) writes: 'No Christian leader, teacher, pastor, evangelist, or Christian worker should be without it.'

    After showing the origins of fundamentalism, he examines representative anti-Catholic groups and presents their arguments in their own words. His rebuttals are clear, detailed, and charitable. Special emphasis is given to the scriptural basis for Catholic doctrines and beliefs.

    In his modern classic work The Wellspring of Worship, Fr. Jean Corbon explores the meaning of the Liturgy as the "wellspring" or source of the Church's life and worship of God. The Liturgy itself is a sharing in the mystery of the Triune God and in the Incarnation, Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. Corbon writes that it is "the mystery of the river of life that streams from the Father and the Lamb", into which believers are to be drawn. In this way, the divine river waters their entire lives, renewing and transforming them.The Wellspring of Worship is a masterful reflection on the mystery of God's Trinitarian life and how the Church's members participate in that life through the Liturgy.

    In this book, Fr. Sophrony, reveals his own experience of union with God, and the path to that union.A spiritual autobiography of Elder Sophrony Sakharov of Saint John's the Baptist Monastery in Essex. Widely regarded as a classic of spiritual literature.

    His ability to bridge the gap between then and now makes clear both the original meaning and the modern-day relevance of these parables.

    "I think of faith as a kind of whistling in the dark, because in much the same way," writes Buechner, "it helps to give us courage and to hold the shadows at bay."

    'Theology Of The Reformers' will intrigue and inform all those who are concerned both with the church in the time of the Reformation and the church in the modern era.

    With clarity and insight, Sproul shows how essential it is for Christians to seek after righteousness and how God delights in those who do.

    Examines the importance of the Nicene Faith for Christian theology, cutting across the divide between East and West and between Catholic and Evangelical, illuminating our understanding of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

    It is a book that is unknown to many Catholics, and shocking to those who discover it for the first time because of its descriptions of a lover and his beloved--God is only mentioned once and that is at the very end. And yet the greatest of the Fathers have commented on it. Origen's is the classic and St. Jerome says of it: "Origen, having surpassed all of the interpreters of all the books of Scripture, surpassed himself in this interpretation of the Canticle." St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Francis de Sales, St. John of the Cross, all have added to the great tradition of interpreting this book for they see it as God's love for Israel and the Church, Christ's love for Mary, for the Church and for each of us. The author draws on all these classics of Catholic tradition to give us a verse by verse reading of the Song of Songs which will deepen the spiritual lives of all of us--a deepening rooted in God's word and the most profound Catholic tradition."A marvelous book of great inspiration. It will touch many a heart with the message of God's love that the Canticle brings. Reading it was a revelation to me. It will do an enormous amount of good." --Bishop Patrick V. Ahern, Vicar of Staten Island"This work offers us a whole treatise on the spiritual life. It was slowly brought to maturity, lovingly polished and solidly built. The dramatic realism will be a great help to all who might be tempted to give up somewhere along the way." --Henri Cardinal de LubacBlaise Arminjon, S.J. entered the Society of Jesus in France over 50 years ago. He has been in charge of the formation of younger Jesuits and is a renowned master of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, giving them to religious and laity alike throughout Europe.

    Ian Thomas combines in one volume The Saving Life of Christ, which examines the implications of Christ's life and death, and The Mystery of Godliness, an exploration of the fact that godliness is a mystery. "God did not die just to save us from the consequences of a bad past or past failure, but to 'clear the decks' for divine action in our lives." The Saving Life of Christ contains a warning that our response to Jesus Christ will determine our condition "in the sights of God . . . redeemed or condemned." The Mystery of Godliness offers old and new considerations about the nature of godliness in thought-provoking discussions such as How to Do the Impossible and How Much are You Worth?

    Pieper's attention is ever to the particular virtue, its precise meaning, and to its contribution to the wholeness that constituted an ordered, active, and truthful human life. No better brief account of the virtues can be found. Pieper has long instructed us in these realities that need to be made operative in each life as it touches all else `that is', as Pieper himself often puts it." - James V. Schall, S.J., Georgetown University "A fine and thought provoking examination of the relationship between the mind, heart, and moral life of the human person." - John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York "Pieper's sentences are admirably constructed and his ideas are expressed with maximum clarity. He restores to philosophy what common sense obstinately tells us ought to be found there: wisdom and insight." - T. S. Eliot

    In discussing the facets of the working out of salvation -- the role of the Spirit, union with Christ, the gospel call, regeneration, conversion, repentance, and so on -- Hoekema does away with the classical ordo salutis ("order of salvation") by viewing these facets largely as simultaneous aspects in the process of salvation rather than sequential steps on the way to salvation.

    Covers the origins of liberalism, the subversion of orthodoxy by Vatican II, the decline of the missionary spirit by dialogue, the bad fruits of post-Conciliar reforms, and his vision of restoration. Includes Cardinal Ottavianis "On the Relations Between Church and State" and "On Religious Tolerance", replaced at Vatican II by "Dignitatis Humanae".They Have Uncrowned Him, which is subtitled "From Liberalism to Apostasy: the Conciliar Tragedy", began as a series of conferences on liberalism prepared by Archbishop Lefebvre for the education of the seminarians at Ecône. The purpose of these conferences, the Archbishop tells us in his preface, was "to enlighten the understanding of these future priests about the most serious and most harmful error of modern times" and "to permit them to pass a judgement consistent with the truth and with the faith on all the consequences and manifestations of atheistic liberalism and of liberal Catholicism" (p. xiii). The Archbishop's thesis is straightforward: The dramatic decline in faith and morals which followed the Second Vatican Council, and the effects of which are today observable among Catholics in every place, is to be attributed to the adoption by the Church of these liberal principles as its own by means of the very Council itself.

    It has also become a much-debated topic in current theology. In Will Many Be Saved? Ralph Martin focuses primarily on the history of debate and the development of responses to this question within the Roman Catholic Church, but much of Martin's discussion is also relevant to the wider debate happening in many churches around the world. In particular, Martin analyzes the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, the document from the Second Vatican Council that directly relates to this question. Contrary to popular opinion, Martin argues that according to this text, the conditions under which people who have not heard the gospel can be saved are very often, in fact, not fulfilled, with strong implications for evangelization.

    "A Different Gospel" is a bold and revealing examination of the biblical and historical basis of this movement. This new and revised edition is complete with a foreword by Hank Hanegraaff, author of "Christianity in Crisis," and a new afterword by D. R. McConnell.The author knows the movement first hand and has a heart for those snared by it. He is also an academically trained observer who has based this work on careful historical and biblical analysis. McConnell warns of the movement's cultic nature in its doctrine of healing and its understanding of the atonement and demonstrates how far the movement's doctrine of prosperity is from Scripture's true teaching.

    It aims to present the depth of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. It is suitable for a wide range of readers, from serious Bible students to interested laypersons.

    These pages have been written in the conviction that every seeker should make the Sermon on the Mount the primary source of what will and will not make them happy.

    It presents a chronological account of the development of Ratzinger's writing that reflects a wide range of historical and theoretical interests. A comprehensive introduction to a figure who is in his own right, quite apart from his significance in the politics of the Church, a major German Catholic theologian of the twentieth century.This new edition amplifies existing chapters by reference to books by Ratzinger between 1986/1987 and his election as Pope in 2005, and includes two new chapters - Judaism, Islam and other religions, and the secularization and future of Europe.

    Father Brown reflects here not only on those annunciations of Jesus' forthcoming birth in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, but also on the beautiful canticles, the Magnificat and the Benedictus, and on the origins of Jesus as given in the first words of the New Testament.

    ""Touching, inspirational, thought-provoking.""--Senator Mark O. Hatfield

    It represents a major discovery of the twentieth century in the field of Malay letters. This oldest known Malay manuscript conveys an important aspect of the religious and intellectual tradition of Islam in the Malay world, and as such it is undoubtedly of great significance not only for the study of Malay language and literature, but also for the study of the religious and intellectual history of the Malays. By means of this text the author has also discovered details of significance to historical writing in the Malay world hitherto enveloped in obscurity. He has with succinct precision unraveled the enigma surrounding the use and significance of the octennial cycle in the dating of historic events and of Malay texts, explaining away previous errors and confusion on the subject. The work as a whole is detailed an comprehensive.

    Faced with hostility, the loss of jobs, and worse, many were tempted to hide their faith in Christ. Then a trusted mentor reminded them in a strong, clear letter that Christ is far superior to anything Judaism offers. This Bible study on the book of Hebrews explores all aspects of this fascinating letter. - Personal study between meetings- 19 sessions- Includes study aids and discussion questions

    Dr Noel Weeks deals with such diverse issues as revelation, translation, creation, prophecy, and the role of women in the church, and provides careful analysis of the biblical teaching in these areas.

    These messages explore the searing objections of Habakkuk and the psalmists as they confront God with the meaninglessness of global upheaval and personal existence.

    New Catholic World Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain: A Handbook of Spiritual Counsel translation and foreword by Peter A. Chamberas introduction by George S. Bebis preface by Stanley S. Harakas Such philosophers considered man to be only a microcosmos, minimizing and restricting his value and perfection within this visible world. God, on the contrary, has place man to be a sort of macrocosmos--a greater world within the smaller one. Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain St. Nicodemos was born on the island of Naxos in 1749, when the Ottoman Empire still cast its shadow over the once powerful lands of Byzantium. Studying under the monk Ierotheos Voulismas at the Evangelical school in Smyrna, he was introduced to the Kollyvades monks of Mount Athos whose strict life and zeal for holiness, combined with a love of learning, made them the leading biblical and patristic scholars in the Byzantine world of the late eighteenth century. Nicodemos entered the monastery on Mount Athos at twenty-six, and devoted himself to a life of asceticism and learning. It is no exaggeration to say that he was among the most influential Orthodox writers of the last two centuries. His writings on apologetics, hagiography, ascetical and pastoral theology, ethics, patristics and liturgies comprise over two hundred works. His most famous work is the Philokalia, which is a compilation of patristic writings on the spiritual life. Included in this volume, in a new translation, is A Handbook of Spiritual Counsel, which was composed during a self-imposed exile on the island of Skyropoula. That work, written during the time of the Age of Enlightenment in western Europe, shares an exalted vision of human nature, but a vision that proceeds from the truths of revelation as interpreted by the Greek Fathers, and not from Descartes. This exceeds in optimism any enlightened vision of man who, by the powers of reason, perceives the principles by which the universe is ordered. +

    This procedure is to assemble the New Testament texts on the topic and interpret them, then check this interpretation against usage in early Christian literature outside the New Testament, and finally to examine the doctrinal considerations to determine if the interpretation rests on solid biblical theology.Rather than gathering quotations from secondary literature, my approach is to read the source documents in the original and present the texts in their context. At the time of first edition of the book, mine was the fullest collection of historical statements on early church music readily available. Other studies since that time are largely supportive of the historical facts presented in my work, even if the authors do not consider the evidence normative for today.My conclusion is that the practice of unaccompanied congregational singing rests on good biblical, historical and doctrinal grounds.

    This book seeks to present the common theses that connect all three of the readings for Sundays and feasts of the Lord in the three year cycle of readings. The reflections here are meant to be theological and spiritual suggestions that the one who is preaching can develop further and from which he can select individual perspectives. Rather than seeking immediately concrete applications, Fr. von Balthasar attempts to elucidate the content which is immediately present in the passages. Organized by each Sunday and feast day of the liturgical year for years A, B, & C, these reflections are meant to be theological and spiritual suggestions that the one who is preaching can develop further and from which he can select individual perspectives.

    Above all else, the cross of Christ is a vindication of the character of God.

    Designed to help readers think through and apply to their lives what they believe concerning the person of God.

    As he meditates on Christmas, the reader will understand anew how light shines in the darkness of this world. Dr Thielicke preaches on Christ's suffering on the cross, and man's suffering is given meaning. In talking of death he gives encouragement to live with hope. In this collection of sermons and meditations, Dr Thielicke faces the fearsome questions that plague people today and clearly and persuasively brings the Christian Gospel to bear on each one.

    Dr Thielicke likens the Lord's Prayer to the rainbow colours of the spectrum. The whole light of life is captured in this rainbow of seven petitions. "The Lord's Prayers can be spoken at the cradle or the grave," he says, "It can rise from the altars of great cathedrals and from the dark hovels of those who 'eat their bread with tears'. It can be prayed at weddings and on the gallows. All seven colours of our life are contained in it, and so never is there a time when we are left alone." As he expounded the inner meaning of the familiar phrases, he enabled his despairing congregation to share in this promise of hope - to see the world in a new way, though prayer. His words still have the same power today for those who are prepared to listen.

    

    Their approach, which integrates religious education and worship, has been presented at numerous workshops and training sessions. Based on the authors' experiences, the methods described here will be invaluable to teachers helping children understand and appreciate worship.

    These truths will come alive in your studies and excite you with fundamental principles of holiness as taught in the Scriptures.

    The status of Hebrew as the natural, intellectual, and primordial language is discussed against the background of the medieval speculations regarding this topic.Abulafia proposed an elaborate hermeneutical system, unique in the whole Kabbalistic literature, for both its systematic exposition and the eccentric exegetical devices it describes. Various versions of this sevenfold system occur in several manuscripts that are collected and analyzed here in detail for the first time.Torah was regarded by Abulafia as the most important text, reflecting the constitution of the intellectual world and being identical with the Active intellect and even to God Himself. On the other hand, Torah was interpreted in Abulafia's Kabbalah as an allegory to the psychological processes of the mystic, an approach different from the regular Kabbalistic interpretation of this text as a symbolic corpus reflecting the divine intrasefirotic life.

    With unusual clarity, Kreeft points out that the man or woman who begins to glimpse the God who is Creator, Redeemer, and Lover of our souls, will never be the same. He describes Scripture as God's love story and then tells why divine love is the answer to our deepest problems and the fulfillment of our deepest desires.Posing the hard questions about love that rankle the heart, Peter Kreeft never settles for easy answers. He exposes today's superficial attitudes about love to lead people to a deeper understanding of what it means to be loved by God, addressing these issues and many more:• How can I really know God's love for me? • If God is love, why do bad things happen to good people?

    These pages reveal his reflections as a hermit on the joys and dangers of a life of solitude in the woods.

    Not Wrath...but Rapture is a brief study of the various doctrines relating to the rapture of the church, including a forthright presentation of the pre-tribulation view.

    Book Specs Paper BackPublisher: PPPAPrinted: 1987Pages: 93 Table of Contents

    

    Insightful, verse-by-verse commentary reveals to readers the love and mercy of God's redemptive plan, which began with his relationship with the patriarchs.

    This book is an indispensable resource for those who prepare worship for formal and informal settings, as well as for private meditation.

    Each collection offers a treasury of wisdom for use in homilies, prayer services and personal meditation.

    The 21 essays in this volume provide a glorious kaleidoscope of Warfield's written ministry.

    In The End of Evil, Suchocki explores the source and end of evil in the thought of Augustine, Leibniz, Kant, Schleiermacher, Hegel, and Nietzsche. Whitehead's philosophy is used as a creative response to the problems and possibilites raised in these earlier developments.

    Book annotation not available for this title.Title: Creative SufferingAuthor: De Beausobre, IuliaPublisher: Liturgical PrPublication Date: 1988/11/01Number of Pages: Binding Type: PAPERBACKLibrary of Congress:

    This path-breaking edition provides as close to a literal translation as possible, following the syntax of Mishnaic Hebrew in its highly formalized and syntactically patterned language. Demonstrating that the Mishnah is a work of careful and formal poetry and prose, Neusner not only analyzes the repeated construction but also divides the thoughts on the printed page so that the patterned language and the poetry comprised in those patterns emerge visually.“With meticulous methodology and with rare stylistic beauty of expression, Neusner. . . has produced an incomparable translation of the Mishnah, both new and innovative, which reflects the genius of the original Hebrew idiom. Neusner penetrates the Tannaitic mind, capturing its spirit, its subtle nuances, and its poetic cadences. . . A most impressive volume which transcends all previous versions of the Mishnah.”—Choice“The overall effect is a linguistic purity and simplicity which strives to capture not only the substance, but the spirit and style of the Mishnah’s universe. . . . An artful and impressive addition. . . . It deserves not only admiration but serious attention as well.”—Charles Raffel, Judaica Book News“The work is significant because for the first time it makes available to student and scholar alike a rendition of the Mishnah which attempts to convey not only the substance of that document, but the highly patterned and formalized language which Neusner believes is the key to comprehending its contents.”—Daniel H. Gordis, Hebrew Studies

    

    Fourteen messages of Wesley on the essentials of the Christian faith, particularly scriptural holiness.

    Holiness, he points out, is nothing extraordinary. It is the spiritual birthright of every Christian. But the foundation for our personal holiness must be a vibrant, life changing relationship with God Himself. Called to Holiness offers inspiration and practical help for Christians who desire to grow in holiness. Drawing upon Scripture, Ralph Martin describes the consuming fire of God's holiness and explains how human beings are designed to be holy. He shows us how we can become holy by surrendering our lives to God, even in the midst of suffering.

    Some of us will die peacefully in our sleep, some will die in accidents, and some as the result of diseases, cancer or AIDS. Because we do not usually know when we are going to die, most of us are frightened of death. We do not want to talk about it, do not want to face it, and we run from it as long as we can. And some of us die a lonely death--in a hospital, surrounded by strangers and white sheets, while family and loved ones are kept out of the room at the final moment. Anya Foos-Graber believes that death, like birth, should be a shining, light filled, conscious moment. Death is not a disease. It is the most natural passage we will make since birth. Looking at death before the time comes is like learning about natural childbirth before having a baby. Just as women are choosing to be conscious participants in the birth process, Foos-Graber feels that all of us should be conscious as well of our eventual death--that we should prepare for it the way the Tibetan Buddhists and American Indians used to do. The author calls this process of conscious preparation and practice deathing. The book presents two teaching stories, illustrating both a conscious death and an unconscious one. The second half of the book is a step-by-step manual, containing complete instruction and simple exercises--such as breathing, visualization, and the all important, "6th technique," or your chosen "Name and form of God" to which you direct your attention in life and the death transition. You can use the formless LIGHT itself as referent, an absence of any belief structure. A support person rather like the father's presence in natural childbirth can assist in the event of coma, or accident death. Other books have been written about grief, about wills, about taking care of your affairs. This is a book about taking care of yourself, and how to be helpful to someone you care for. Deathing has two aims: to make sure that the dying are comfortable and comforted as they die, and to help all of us prepare for the greatest adventure we will face since birth.

    "A great work. . . . As a resource book, this study of Arianism could not be bettered. It is thorough and comprehensive, a lasting work of scholarship and as such a fitting memorial to its author."--Expository Times

    IN THE TAVERN OF RUIN is a thorough introduction to the basic doctrines and disciplines practiced by the Sufis.

    He believes that the approaches of the Christian Churches to these questions will determine whether Christianity will continue to have any relevance for Asia or not.

    As an exposition of encouragement and exhortation, Hebrews addresses the central concerns of our contemporary church as well: the felt absence of God, a climate of uncertainty and insecurity, the tension between secular conformity and spiritual maturity and the treat of societal perversion and materialism to a Christian commitment. Christians are called upon to express a faith that is rooted in the future and to continue this life of pilgrimage with a radical new view of reality, which is based on sure confidence in the intervention of God in daily life. Tracing the writer's development thought by thought, rather than verse by verse, careful attention is paid to the cultural and historical background. This work is useful as a study guide for groups and individuals, or for any reader who wishes a mature understanding of the book of Hebrews.

    

    Here unfold the majestic themes of our assurance of salvation, our union with God and His loving care for the believer.

    

    Princeton's paperback edition of this award-winning book includes a new postscript by the author that responds to the book's noted critics, Stanley Hauerwas and the late Alan Donagan. In answering his critics, Jeffrey Stout clarifies the book's arguments and offers fresh reasons for resisting despair over the prospects of democratic discourse.

    

    Molina is best known for his innovative theory of middle knowledge. Alfred J. Freddoso's extensive introductory essay clears up common misconceptions about Molina's theory, defends it against both philosophical and theological objections, and makes it accessible to contemporary readers.

    Many of the quotations come from previously unpublished material. Features a biographical sketch and a complete bibliography.

    Originally given to the Israelites, the feasts detail God's plan for the present church age and His purpose for a future dispensation.This single chapter in the Old Testament contains a complete chronological foreshadowing of God's design for mankind commencing with Christ's redemptive work at the cross and concluding with the establishment of the millennial kingdom.

    

    Were they intended to be ongoing in the life of the Church? Numerous questions are here answered, such as, What exactly are the greater works of John 14.12? and Are the signs following, referred to in Mark 16, for today? This work has been helpful to many thousands, having passed through numerous printings in English, and having been translated into many other languages.

    In the popular mind, the phrase "It has been scientifically proved" has replaced "Thus says the Lord" as the final authority. Dr. Clark demonstrates, to the consternation of churchgoers who have accepted the authority of science, that science can offer no objection to the Bible and God, for science never discovers truth. The scientific method is a tissue of logical fallacies.

    One of the major functions of this scholarly edition is to reveal John Wesley in the light of his involvement in the crowded forum of eighteenth century theological debate. Wesley's writings are saturated with references to Scripture, the Latin and Greek classics, the early Church Fathers, his theological predecessors, English poets and playwrights, and those natural philosophers exploring the wonder of God in creation.

    Provides information on the history, doctrines, and practices of Pentacostalism and related movements.

    In this temple that stood until its destruction in Jeremiah's day, all Israel could come and offer sacrifices to Him. Study the order of worship as found in the Temple of Solomon and examine the many distinctions that separate it from the Tabernacles of Moses and David. This study includes: Chronological look at the temple from its initial design to completion. Historical background and significance on the dedication of the Temple. A brief view of the life of Solomon. Insightful study on the sacrifices performed in the Temple. Thorough discussion on the use and symbolism of Temple furniture. A picture of Redemption's plan seen through the Temple Charts and pictures of priestly garments and Temple objects Supplemental material on other temples found in Scripture

    There is a more excellent way at the threshold of the Most Holy Place where His fullness flows unhindered. This place is reserved for people who want Him, no matter the price.

    She uses literary theory to explain how the Bible actually functions in sermons and other discourse. Emphasizing the critical problem of any appeal to the "text itself," the book demonstrates that the authority of fundamentalism is ultimately an authority of the text and of the interpreter, equally. Without the Bible, the preacher is powerless, but without the preacher's interpretations, the text loses its binding authority.The book examines principles of interpretation with extensive reference to such literary theorists as E. D. Hirsch, Stanley Fish, and Edward Said. The sensitive juxtaposition of fundamentalism and literary criticism not only opens a new window on fundamentalists, but also provides insights that will unsettle partisans of other persuasions.

    Without principles of ethics and the moral rules that affect individual behavior, humankind would plunge into a state of chaotic indifference, insecurity, and unending fear. But while few question the need for moral guidance, a growing number of people believe that the only ethic worth considering must rest on a biblical foundation. Is morality dependent upon God and "revealed truths" found in scripture? Must this claim be accepted without question lest we risk the torment of eternal damnation for questioning it? Without critical evaluation and careful scrutiny, there is little hope of distinguishing truth from unfounded belief.How valuable is the Bible as a source for ethical truth? Do the scriptures truly have the insight needed to guide humankind safely through the moral dilemmas of modern society? What constitutes a biblical ethic? Should the Bible be construed as the only basis for moral teaching? Is it really the final authority on moral issues, or are there secular alternatives that can serve as guides to acceptable conduct within the human community?A distinguished group of social philosophers, biblical scholars, and ethicists met at the University of Richmond, Virginia, under the aegis of the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion (CSER) and its Biblical Criticism Research Project, to address these and related questions. The essays in this provocative work demonstrate a diversity of perspective and breadth of insight that will shed much needed light on the nature of ethics.The contributors to this volume include: Robert S. Alley, Joe Edward Barnhart, Joseph L. Blau, Frank E. Eakin, Jr., Lewis S. Feuer, Joseph Fletcher, Theodor H. Gaster, James H. Hall, R. Joseph Hoffmann, Paul Kurtz, Gerald A. Larue, John Priest, Ellis Rivkin, Richard L. Rubenstein, and Richard Taylor.

    Also included is an essay by Marianne Richert Pfau which delineates the connection between music and text in the Symphonia.Famous throughout Europe during her lifetime, Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was a composer and a poet, a writer on theological, scientific, and medical subjects, an abbess, and a visionary prophet. One of the very few female composers of the Middle Ages whose work has survived, Hildegard was neglected for centuries until her liturgical song cycle was rediscovered. Songs from it are now being performed regularly by early music groups, and more than twenty compact discs have been recorded.