W. Bullinger's exhaustively researched study BibleA direct descendant of the great Swiss reformer, Johann H. Bullinger, E. W. Bullinger was a life-long scholar and writer. He studied at King's College, London, from 1860 through 1861 and was ordained in the Church of England in 1862. In 1867 he was appointed to the position of clerical secretary for the Trinitarian Bible Society, a post he would hold until his death.The Companion Bible by Bullinger was released in six parts, beginning in 1910, and Bullinger's identity as author of the notes and editor was purposely left off the title page. The introduction notes:To the same end this Bible is not associated with the name of any man; so that its usefulness may neither be influenced nor limited by any such consideration; but that it may commend itself, on its own merits, to the whole English-speaking race.The text of The Companion Bible is the Authorized Version (KJV). Bullinger's notes relied upon many sources from the biblical studies of that era, particularly the emerging archaeological and linguistic discoveries of the late 19th century.Notes within the text of this 2,176 page, one-volume study Bible give valuable insights into the original Greek and Hebrew languages. Alternate translations, explanations of figures of speech, cross-references and an introductory detailed outline of each book and chapter are among the many features which Bible students, pastors, and seminarians will find helpful.Study helps in The Companion Bible include:198 appendices, keyed to the study notes, which include explanations of Greek and Hebrew words and their use Charts, parallel passages, maps, proper names and their pronunciation Timelines plus other special information and topical studies Distinguishing type for divine names and titles. Archaeological findings and historical genealogies. Figures of speech which are noted and explained. Hebrew words supplied in their root form. Emphasized pronouns in the original text given in distinguishable type. Cross-references supplied to similar words in the original text. 10 point type size Burgundy hardcover

    The underlying theme of the book is that the belief in a divine power, the Creator, is not in contradiction with the acceptance of scientific rationale.

    The New RabbiThe center of this compelling chronicle is Har Zion Temple on Philadelphia’s Main Line, which for the last seventy-five years has been one of the largest and most influential congregations in America. For thirty years Rabbi Gerald Wolpe has been its spiritual leader, a brilliant sermonizer of wide renown--but now he has announced his retirement. It is the start of a remarkable nationwide search process largely unknown to the lay world--and of much more. For at this dramatic moment Wolpe agrees to give extraordinary access to Fried, inviting him--and the reader—into the intense personal and professional life of the clergy and the complex behind-the-scenes life of a major Conservative congregation. These riveting pages bring us a unique view of Judaism in practice: from Har Zion’s strong-willed leaders and influential families to the young bar and bat mitzvahs just beginning their Jewish lives; from the three-days-a-year synagogue goers to the hard core of devout attendees. We are touched by their times of joy and times of grief, intrigued by congregational politics, moved by the search for faith. We witness the conflicts between generations about issues of belief, observance, and the pressures of secular life. We meet Wolpe’s vigorous-minded ailing wife and his sons, one of whom has become a celebrity rabbi in Los Angeles. And we follow the author’s own moving search for meaning as he reconnects with the religion of his youth. We also have a front-row seat at the usually clandestine process of choosing a new rabbi, as what was expected to be a simple one-year search for Rabbi Wolpe’s successor extends to two years and then three. Dozens of résumés are rejected, a parade of prospects come to interview, the chosen successor changes his mind at the last minute, and a confrontation erupts between the synagogue and the New York–based Conservative rabbis’ “union” that governs the process. As the time comes for Wolpe to depart, a venerated house of worship is being torn apart. And thrust onto the pulpit is Wolpe’s young assistant, Rabbi Jacob Herber, in his first job out of rabbinical school, facing the nearly impossible situation of taking over despite being technically ineligible for the position--and finding himself on trial with the congregation and at odds with his mentor. Rich in anecdote and scenes of wonderful immediacy, this is a riveting book about the search for personal faith, about the tension between secular concerns and ancient tradition in affluent America, and about what Wolpe himself has called “the retail business of religion.” Stephen Fried brings all these elements to vivid life with the passion and energy of a superbly gifted storyteller.

    Behind the supernatural framework of the first century...I discover a life I wanted to know; a life that possessed a power I wanted to possess; a freedom, a wholeness for which I had yearned for years."Illuminating the "figure who stands at the center of all the Christian Church is," John Shelby Spong explores Jesus under the light of the Hebrew tradition into which he was born. Candid, personal, and soundly argued, this is Spong's spiritual and intellectual pilgrimaged to the Christ he discovered in Jesus of Nazareth.

    Claimed as a hostage, she's forced from the verdant slopes of her beloved vineyard to serve Herod Antipas' neglected wife. In an opulent palace where Roman culture supersedes the commands of God, Joanna struggles to express her Jewish faith. Despite her misgivings, she is swept into the adventure of traveling with the court, and conflicted by her feelings towards the enigmatic man who took her captive. As the royal marriage fractures, she is caught in the crossfire, and her choice will alter the fates of those she loves.When rumors whisper that a man from Nazareth travels the roads of Galilee, healing and proclaiming the kingdom of God, Joanna yearns to follow. When it becomes impossible to leave the palace, she begins to fear her role in an earthly court will cost her place in the heavenly one.The first novel in the Court of the Tetrarch series imagines the origins of the biblical woman who beholds the empty tomb.

    Originally written in Alexandrian Greek, and brought from Egypt to the Languedoc during the early to middle part of the first century, this exceptional manuscript has been preserved within the author's spiritual community since that period. In this extraordinary book, the Gospel of the Beloved Companion comes alive to bring us a luminously poetic yet starkly objective insight into, and perhaps a new perspective on, the teachings and philosophy of one of the greatest spiritual teachers the world has ever known. Author Jehanne de Quillan presents this translation along with a detailed comparative study between the Gospel of the Beloved Companion and the canonical and gnostic Gospels in a clear and easy-to-read format, leading the reader step-by-step to a deep understanding of this remarkable text and, perhaps for the first time, a clear and unsullied view of the woman known to most as Mary Magdalene.

    Considers the life and writings of St. John. +

    Each chapter introduces a particular approach to New Testament interpretation and demonstrates how that approach can be used by students and pastors in fruitful work with the New Testament. Five texts from different parts of the New Testament are used as sample texts throughout the book in order to facilitate understanding of the differences among the interpretive strategies.

    Parker's novels from Spenser to Jesse Stone to Sunny Randall, plot summaries, cast of characters, Boston locations and maps, and more. Even before he was named Grand Master for Lifetime Achievement by the Mystery Writers of America, Edgar® Award-winning Robert B. Parker had assumed the mantle of dean of American crime fiction. "Taking his place beside Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Ross MacDonald" (Boston Globe), he transcended the crime genre. As one of the most prolific writers in the world, he reinvented crime writing. Now his millions of fans can discover everything about Robert B. Parker and his books: - Comprehensive biography of Robert B. Parker - Inside the Spenser novels - All about the Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall novels - Parker's stand-alone fiction - Complete cast of characters - Spenser on film - Robert B. Parker's Boston: locales, crime scenes, and maps - Memorable quotes - Inclusive bibliography - Plus, an exclusive and insightful new interview with Robert B. Parker

    Four Approaches to God's Existence

    Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus’ stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives.In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Amy-Jill Levine offers a fresh, timely reinterpretation of Jesus’ narratives. In Short Stories by Jesus, she analyzes these “problems with parables,” taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. Levine reveals the parables’ connections to first-century economic and agricultural life, social customs and morality, Jewish scriptures and Roman culture. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.

    Here is the Creator who nearly destroys his chief creation; the bloodthirsty warrior and the protector of the downtrodden; the lawless law-giver; the scourge and the penitent. Profoundly learned, stylishly written, the resulting work illuminates God and man alike and returns us to the Bible with a sense of discovery and wonder.

    Part of a five-volume project on the theological questions surrounding the origins of Christianity, this book offers a reappraisal of literary, historical and theological readings of the New Testament, arguing for a form of "critical realism" that facilitates different readings of the text.Provides a historical, theological and literary study of first-century Judaism and Christianity, offering a preliminary discussion of the meaning of the word ‘god’ within those cultures.

    While some see Acts as the story of the founding of the Christian church, Jennings argues that it is so much more, depicting revolutionlife in the disrupting presence of the Spirit of God. According to Jennings, Acts is like Genesis, revealing a God who is moving over the land, putting into place a holy repetition that speaks of the willingness of God to invade our every day and our every moment. He reminds us that Acts took place in a time of Empire, when the people were caught between diaspora Israel and the Empire of Rome. The spirit of God intervened, offering new life to both. Jennings shows that Acts teaches how people of faith can yield to the Spirit to overcome the divisions of our present world.

    She explores the idea of Paul not as the founder of a new Christian religion, but as a devout Jew who believed Jesus was the Christ who would unite Jews and Gentiles and fulfill God’s universal plan for humanity. Eisenbaum’s work in Paul Was Not a Christian  will have a profound impact on the way many Christians approach evangelism and how to better follow Jesus’s—and Paul’s—teachings on how to live faithfully today.