Books published by Augsburg Fortress Publishers

Kathryn Tanner is undoubtedly one of the most important contemporary North American theologians, whose work is hallmarked by its depth, precision, provocativeness, and grace. This volume celebrates the vision and breadth of Tanners unique contribution. Essays by established scholars, colleagues, and former students trace out the key loci and themes, from theological method, the Trinity, Christology, creation, to economics, environmental and social ethics, and politics, to generate constructive and ecumenical conversation that presents Tanner as an important, contemporary public theologian.

Fundamental theology is the starting point for the various disciplines within Catholic theology and is where solid foundations are established for engagement with historical, systematic, philosophical, and sacramental/liturgical theology. In Foundational Theology, Neil Ormerod and Christiaan Jacobs-Vandegeer ground foundational theology in the normative drive towards meaning, truth, goodness, and beauty, appropriated through religious, moral, intellectual, and psychic conversions. The work maps out the implications of those fundamental orientations to the specific questions and topics of the Catholic theological tradition: God, Trinity, revelation, and an array of doctrinal points of investigation.

This volume explores the political character of premodern and modern readings of Scripture with attention to how these relate to or address political challenges in social and historical context. Essays here also offer constructive models of reading Scripture that can inform the contemporary task of political scriptural interpretation. From the earliest Christian centuries to the present day, this volume considers the close coordination between Scripture, theology, and social and political concerns, providing a robust survey of Christian theopolitical Scripture interpretation.

Ruben Zimmermann moves beyond the agenda of asking what Jesus himself said and meant in his parables to explore the dynamics of parabolic speech. Introductory chapters address the history of research and distinguish historical from literary and reader-oriented approaches, then sets out a postmodern hermeneutic that analyzes narrative elements and context, maps the sociohistorical background, explores stock metaphors and symbols, and opens up contemporary horizons of interpretation. Subsequent chapters then focus on one parable from early Christian sources, including the canonical Gospels, Q, and Thomas.

Every faith community knows the challenges of inviting new members and the next generation into its shared life, without falling into an arid traditionalism or a shallow relativism. Walter Brueggemann finds a framework for education in the structure of the Hebrew Bible canon, with its assertion of center and limit (in the Torah), of challenge (in the Prophets), and of inquiry (in the Writings). Incorporating best insights from canonical criticism, Old Testament theology, and pedagogical theory, this revised edition is introduced by Amy Erickson of Iliff School of Theology.

Over recent decades, Spirit Christology has utilized a pneumatological perspective to gain significant insight into the person and life of Christ. The Anointed Church extends this work, providing the first constructive and systematic ecclesiology developed through the approach of a Third Article Theology. Arguing that the Spirits immanent identity is reprised on a series of expanding stages (Christologically, soteriologically, and, most pertinently here, ecclesiologically), Liston concludes the Church can be characterized as existing in any and all relationships where, by the Spirit, the love of Christ, is offered and returned.

Long overshadowed by Luther and Calvin, Philipp Melanchthon (14971560) is nevertheless one of the most important figures in the Protestant Reformation. Reformer, humanist, theologian, philosopher, ecumenist, and teacher of pastorsMelanchthon had a profound effect on the sweep of Western church history. This book gives the most detailed English-language biographical treatment of Melanchthon to date, moving from his historical context and family of origin, through his childhood, education, and early career at Wittenberg during the dramatic events at the dawn of the Reformation (14971524).

This book introduces the Pseudo-Dionysian mystical theology, with glimpses at key stages in its interpretation and critical reception through the centuries. Part one reproduces and provides commentary on the elusive Areopagites own miniature essay, The Mystical Theology, impenetrable without judicious reference to the rest of the Dionysian corpus. Stages in the reception and critique of this Greek corpus and theme are sketched in part two, from the sixth-century through the twelfth and to the critical reaction and opposition by Martin Luther in the Reformation.

Applying criteria for the identification of biblical Hebrew poetry, Jason M. H. Gaines distinguishes a nearly complete poetic Priestly stratum in the Pentateuch (Poetic P), coherent in literary, narrative, and ideological terms, from a later prose redaction (Prosaic P), which is fragmentary, supplemental, and distinct in thematic and theological concern. Gaines describes the whole of the Poetic P source and offers a Hebrew reconstruction of the document. This dramatically innovative understanding of the history of the Priestly composition opens up new vistas in the study of the Pentateuch.

Scholars have long puzzled over the distinctive themes and sequence of Johns narrative in contrast to the Synoptic Gospels. Brian Neil Peterson now offers a remarkable explanation for some of the most unusual features of John, including the early placement of Jesus cleansing of the temple, the emphasis on signs confirming Jesus identity, the prominence of Jesus I Am sayings, and a number of others. The Fourth Evangelist relied on models, motifs, and even the macrostructure of the Book of Ezekiel.

Upending a longstanding consensus, Bruce W. Longenecker presents a wide variety of material artifacts to illustrate that Christians made use of the cross as a visual symbol of their faith long before Constantine appropriated it to consolidate his power in the fourth century. Constantine did not invent the cross as a symbol of Christian faith; for an impressive number of Christians before Constantines reign, the cross served as a visual symbol of commitment to a living deity in a dangerous world.

True Faith in the True God meets the deep need for a clear and concise introduction to the life and teachings of the great church reformer, Martin Luther. After a brief overview of his life, the book devotes chapters to Luthers thoughts on key topics, including the knowledge of God, church and sacraments, the Scriptures, marriage and parenthood, and vocation. The author incorporates extensive quotations from Luthers own writings to show how Luthers insights have relevance for all Christians today.

The Cross of Reality investigates Bonhoeffers interpretation and use of Luthers theology in shaping his Christology. In this essay, H. Gaylon Barker uses the theology of the cross as a key to understanding the characteristic elements that make up Bonhoeffers theology; he also shows how Bonhoeffers conversation with his teachers and contemporaries, Karl Holl and Karl Barth in particular, develops. Bonhoeffers thought was indeedradical and revolutionary, but it was so precisely because of its adherence to the classical traditions of the church, especially Luthers theologia crucis.

"Innovation within Tradition is an exploration of the meaning and implications of Joseph Ratzinger's biblical interpretation of the women of salvation history. Mary Frances McKenna argues that Ratzinger's work, through his development and refinement of the church's tradition, brings the important role and significance of the female characters of Scripture to the fore by placing them at the heart of Christian faith. Explicating the pope emeritus's concept of a 'female line in the Bible, ' which has a profound impact on the meaning and interpretation of the women of salvation history, the volume shows that this concept illustrates the practical value and creative nature of his approach to theology and biblical interpretation. Pivotal to the argument are questions around the findings on the notion of person, feminist theology, salvation history, and Mary, as well as the use of history in theology and biblical interpretation and the potential for the continuing development and deepening of the church's comprehension of the meaning of revelation. The book advances a constructive approach, in coordination with these questions, for a Trinitarian theology of society, addresses old theological issues anew, and provides a starting point for an interdenominational understanding of Mary"--Back cover.

Coming Full Circle provides a working constructive dogmatics in Native Christian theology. Drawing together leading scholars in the field, this volume seeks to encourage theologians to reconsider the rich possibilities present in the intersection between Native theory and practice and Christian theology and practice. This innovative work begins with a Native American theory for doing constructive Christian theology and illustrates the possibilities with chapters on specific Christian doctrines in a theology in outline. This volume will make an important contribution representing the Native American voice in Christian theology.

This book offers a short, accessible overview of the history of Christian thought in America, from the Puritans and other colonials to the beginning of the twenty-first century. Each chapter concludes with a short bibliography of recent scholarship for further reading.

Strangers in This World brings together a consortium of scholars to reflect on the religious, political, anthropological, and social realities of immigration through the prism of the historical and theological resources, insights, and practices across an array of religious traditions. The volume, reflecting the diversity of religious cultures, is nevertheless unified in arguing that immigration is an important aspect of the major religions at their core and connects to vital points of theological reflection and practice in Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Native American religious traditions.

Engaging the Passion gathers an impressive array of scholars to survey how the death of Jesus has been portrayed and represented in Scripture, liturgy and music, literature, art and film, and theology and ethicsfrom the first to the twenty-first centuries. The contributors approach the passion from a variety of perspectivesdiversely Christian, Jewi

Mark McEntire continues the story begun in Portraits of a Mature God, extending his narrative beyond the conclusion of the Hebrew Bible as Israel and Israels God moved into the Hellenistic world. The narrative McEntire perceives in the apocryphal literature describes a God protecting and guiding the scattered and persecuted, a God responding to suffering in revolt, and a God disclosing mysteries, yet also hidden in the symbolism of dreams and visions. McEntire here provides a coherent and compelling account of theological perspectives in the writings of Hellenistic Judaism.

Revision of the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Virginia, 2011 under title: Making all things new: thinking with and beyond the political theologies of Reinhold Niebuhr, Martin Luther King, Jr., and John Howard Yoder.

This volume contains a number of the writings categorized under the theme word and faith. Writings in the volume range from core documents Bondage of the Will, Against the Heavenly Prophets, The Smalcald Articles, and Large Catechism to Luthers own Confession of Faith and treatments of Moses, the Gospels, and Two Kinds of Righteousness. Each volume in The Annotated Luther series contains new introductions, annotations, illustrations, and notes to help shed light on Luthers context and interpret his writings for today.

How did the powers work in the Pauline community? Robert Ewusie Moses argues that Paul's conception of the powers is best understood through examining the practices he advocates for the early believers. In this detailed study, Moses shows that Paul believed certain practices guarded believers from the dominion of the powers while others exposed humans to the powers of darkness. Moses traces the distinct function of power-practices in each of Pauls letters and draws illuminating comparisons with traditional African religious practices.

Rupturing Eschatology is Eric Trozzos constructive retrieval of Luthers theology of the cross seeking to establish a contemporary Lutheran and emerging account of the cross, silence, and eschatology. The book explores Luthers early theology of the cross and divine hiddenness in concert with the work of the Lutheran mystical tradition and modern Lutheran theology. Trozzo argues for an account of divine possibility oriented around a contemporary theology of the cross marked by reclamation of the biblical and mystical practice of silence as the space that creates hope.

Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, scholars have traced out the rich and complex traditions of biblical interpretation in Second Temple Judaism. Little attention has been given to Psalm 80, however. Andrew Streett demonstrates that this psalm, which combines the story of Israel as a vine ravaged by others with hope for a son of God who will restore the peoples fortunes, became a rich trove for eschatological hope.This study traces interpretations of Psalm 80 through many texts and argues that the psalm was an important biblical text through which early Christians understood the Christ event.

Revision of author's thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oxford, 2012 under title The spirit of God and the Christian life: a constructive study of Karl Barth's pneumatology with special reference to his incomplete doctrine of redemption.