Books published by Clements Publishing

The book is an introductory textbook for seminary students who take church history courses. Most seminary students do not have a history background (and many do not look forward to taking history courses at seminary), and so there is a need to provide a brief, basic, non-technical introduction to the discipline. There are other texts written for those seeking to do more rigorous research in church history (e.g., theses and dissertations), but those works are quite technical, long and dense. This book is for those in seminary who are training for ministry, need help in their church history courses, and who have no time or interest in wading through a 200+ page text. The text is intended to be short, helpful, and intelligible to a student with no history background.The book is divided into two parts. The first deals with theoretical issues such as the need for church history, how you write about God as a cause of events, and objectivity in historical research. The second is more practical in nature, and deals with the types and use of sources, documentation, and types of historical research. The Appendices provide helpful information on terms, how to use church history in a local church, and how to write a local church history. Dr. Gordon L. Heath is assistant professor of Christian history at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of two other books and numerous articles. He lives in Ancaster with his wife Virginia, two children Joshua and Natasha, and one rabbit ("Bunny").

This definitive study looks at the task of interpreting Scripture by exploring four broad models for understanding Scripture, namely, "witnessing tradition," "authoritative canon," "inspired word," and "experienced revelation." The diversity of interpretive approaches implied by the use of these four models is carried further by a methodological catholicity and openness within each of the four major divisions of the book. For instance, in dealing with the interpretation of scriptural narrative, Goldingay carefully explains how literary approaches to Scripture and a concern for the history narrated in the Bible's stories can be held together with other interpretive focuses. In his discussions of differing approaches and focuses in interpretation, Goldingay is impressively clear and informative and demonstrates a sophisticated ability to respond to and challenge what other scholars have written. Throughout this volume, Goldingay continually moves toward the interpreter's final task-communication to others of what has been gained in interpretation. He asks, for example, what are the implications of the different interpretive strategies for Christian life, human liberation, preaching and Christian community life. He demonstrates his conclusions with numerous examples of interpretation-his own and those of others-of specific Bible passages. JOHN GOLDINGAY is David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is the author of numerous scholarly books and commentaries on Daniel (Word Biblical Commentary) and Isaiah (New International Biblical Commentary). He has also written several more popular expositions such as After Eating the Apricot and Men Behaving Badly.

This work looks at the task of interpreting Scripture as "witnessing tradition," "authoritative canon," "inspired word," and "experienced revelation." The diversity of interpretive approaches implied by the use of these four models of Scripture is carried further by a methodological catholicity and openness within each of the four major divisions of the book. Throughout, Goldingay also continually moves toward the interpreter's final task- communication to others of what has been gained in interpretation.