Books published by Westminster/John Knox Press,U.S.

In this engaging and important book, Old Testament scholar W. Eugene March develops a theology of land, contending that since the world belongs to God, we do not "own" land. Rather, land is a loan from God, and we must use it responsibly and justly. March goes on to examine in some detail the relationship between Israel and the Palestinian...

This volume in the popular For Today series deals with one of the most central and important aspects of Christian living--the practice of prayer. Martha Moore-Keish provides fresh help for understanding and revitalizing prayer life, challenges readers to engage all the senses while in prayer, and invites them to use prayer as the chief exercise...

This breezy and engaging book will delight the Dr. Seuss fan in all of us. Robert Short looks at spirituality in the stories of children's book author and illustrator Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, arguing that Geisel was "a first-class Christian thinker." The book explores Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hears a Who, How the Grinch Stole Christmas...

What led Dietrich Bonhoeffer to his momentous decision to be involved in the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944? What is the relation between his resistance activities and his theological and ethical reflections? Exploring these and other intriguing and complex relationships in Bonhoeffer's life and throughout the turbulent 1930s...

This reissue of a twentieth-century classic by H. Richard Niebuhr emphasizes an understanding of God's revelation that takes seriously both the Bible itself and modern ideas about the nature of history. The book argues that God's revelation is "confessional history." The source and setting of basic Christian convictions lie within a historical...

Judaism and Christianity both arose in times of empire, with roots in Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods. In order to understand these religious movements, we must first understand the history and society of these imperial cultures. In these formative years, wisdom and apocalyptic traditions flourished as two significant religious forms...

This latest volume in the Westminster History of Christian Thought series introduces readers to the events and ideas that propelled the various religious reformations of sixteenth-century Europe. A splendid introduction to this momentous period, Crisis and Renewal examines the historical and theological developments that dramatically changed...

In different ways, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all trace their beginnings to Abraham. His wives, Hagar and Sarah, though also pivotal in the story, have received far less attention. In this book, however, noted Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars focus on Hagar, Sarah, and their children, from Ishmael and Isaac to their many descendents...

Pastors are constantly in search of ways to connect to their parishioners through their sermons,and one of the most effective ways to do this is through the use of contemporary movies. InHearing a Film, Seeing a Sermon, New Testament scholar and pastor Timothy Cargal teaches pastors some of the basics of interpreting films so that they can...

In this volume, Ronald Byars provides an extensive historical and theological study of the development of eucharistic prayer in the Reformed tradition. He introduces early eucharistic prayer and its development in the Roman tradition, then traces the changes made during the Reformation and in modern times. Byars concludes with a recap of recent...

This readable, accessible narrative story of the Protestant Reformation is written for lay audiences. It is part of the popular Westminster John Knox Press Armchair series and is illustrated with memorable cartoons by Ron Hill. The chapters of the book are suitable for use in church adult education settings to provide a solid grounding in the...

This introductory textbook on the history of Judaism, written by one of the foremost scholars in the field, is ideal for college freshmen and high school seniors. The book includes chapters on the Pentateuch and the definition of Israel, the Torah and the Mishnah and Judaism's way of life, the Talmud and Judaism's worldview, and the definition...

First published in 1960, Paul Minear's classic work identifies and explicates ninety-six images for the church found in the New Testament. Comprehensive and accessibly written, it has been used in seminary classes for over thirty years. Its range of reach and incredibly rich discussions of the many images and metaphors make this book a splendid res

Giving astute attention to social worlds of women of both ancient and modern times, Katharine Sakenfeld explores the stories of eleven women in the Old Testament. In clear and engaging fashion, she reveals the complexity of these women's lives, drawing out the issues they faced and relating their struggles to those women around the world face...

A study of two of the most significant prophetic leaders in the twentieth century, J. Deotis Roberts's Bonhoeffer and King is an instructive work in theological ethics. This book considers and compares the theological reflections that guided Bonhoeffer's courageous stand against Nazism and King's quest for civil rights in...

This republication of a classic work contains a new introduction by Walter Brueggemann that places Gerhard von Rad's work within the context of German theology, Old Testament theology, and the history of interpretation of the Old Testament.

This volume does away with the traditional strategy of playing "Judaism" and "Hellenism" against each other as a context to understand Paul. This aim is reached in two ways: (1) in essays that display the ideological underpinnings of a "Jewish" and "Hellenistic" Paul in historical and modern scholarly interpretations of him, and (2) in essays...

Martin Luther started a reformation movement that revolutionized Europe in the sixteenth century. His far-reaching reforms of theological understanding and church practices radically modified both church and society in Europe and beyond. Steven Paulson's discussion of Luther's thought, coupled with Ron Hill's illustrations, provides an engaging...

Thomas Aquinas was one of the most influential thinkers in the history of Christianity and in western civilization. Yet his theological views are complex and presume acquaintance with technical philosophical language. Now Timothy Renick has produced an attractive and accessible account of Aquinas's life and thought that will make his views...

In this concise introduction to Calvin's life and thought, Christopher Elwood offers an insightful and accessible overview of Calvin's key teachings within his historical context. The trials and travails Calvin encountered as he ministered and taught in Geneva are discussed, with special attention given to theological controversies associated...

Now in reissue with a new foreword by Fred B. Craddock and afterword by the author, Eugene L. Lowry, The Homiletical Plot, Expanded Edition follows in the same solid tradition of its predecessor. Upon its release, The Homiletical Plot quickly became a pivotal work on the art of preaching. Instead of comments on a biblical passage, Lowry...

Twenty-seven authors from a variety of backgrounds contribute essays concerning the distance, historically and theologically, between the historical Jesus and the Gospel of John to this collection. Part One discusses issues related to the historical and ideological context in which the Fourth Gospel was produced. Part Two explores the...

This volume, a part of the Library of Christian Classics series, explores Augustine's classic work on the Trinity and his understanding of Paul, as well as his powers as a preacher.Long recognized for the quality of its translations, introductions, explanatory notes, and indexes, the Library of Christian Classics provides scholars and students...

Christian discourse on sexuality, spirituality, and ethics has continued to evolve since this book's first edition was published in 1994. This updated and expanded anthology featuring more than thirty contemporary essays includes more theologians and ethicists of color and addresses issues such as the intersection of race/racism and sexuality...

The Bible is the most important cultural and religious document in the Western world. Te three monotheistic faiths-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-have all grown out of the traditions that we find in the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible. The Bible therefore has a natural place in a liberal arts curriculum.-from the introductionSo begins Barstad...

For generations, most seminary teaching of the Bible has focused on the historical-critical method. While this method has been the standard in almost every seminary curriculum, the effects of this approach to Scripture have hardly been examined. From examining the biblical studies courses at ten different seminaries and divinity schools, Dale...

Joshua to Chronicles surveys the rich literature of the Old Testament books Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, and I and II Chronicles. Campbell argues that while these books may appear historical, they are more theological--better understood as Israel's efforts to interpret their people's experience. The book is helpfully...

Challenging all who are concerned about religion in today's world, J. Deotis Roberts outlines a new way of looking at the essential questions. Roberts proposes a theology concerned with concrete and specific situations that also retains a universal vision. In discussing the relationship of American black thought to African, liberation...

In this interesting and important introduction to the life and thought of Martin Luther King Jr., theologian Rufus Burrow explores King's life as well as his thinking and activism. Burrow addresses those who see King as only a social activist by showing how his studies, particularly his theological studies, influenced, shaped, and transformed...