Books published by William B Eerdmans Publishing Co

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Perhaps no other theologian of the second half of this century has shaped theology so profoundly as has Jürgen Moltmann. He appeared on the world theological scene with his Theology of Hope (1964) and took most of its capitals by storm. His subsequent works have kept him at the forefront of the modern theological enterprise, and the power of his vision and the originality of his method have inspired a host of new theologians. In terms of fecundity, Moltmann's opus remains unmatched among his generation of theologians. More than 130 dissertations written so far on his thought -- most of them in the past decade -- testify eloquently to its continued attractiveness. In honor of Moltmann's 70th birthday, twenty-six of the world's leading theologians -- his friends, colleagues, interlocutors, and former students -- have contributed to this volume on the future of theology. Moltmann himself has always sought to be both contemporary and future-oriented: his theology can be viewed as an exercise not only from the perspective of God's future but also toward a new human future. Thus, a book on the future of theology takes up an aspect of "his" theme and "his" concern. Yet this volume also makes a significant contribution to theology in its own right, seeking as it does to address the present crisis of theology. As Miroslav Volf writes in his introduction, "On the threshold of the third millennium, the presumed queen of sciences has grown old and feeble, unable to see that what she thinks is her throne is just an ordinary chair, uncertain about what her territories are, and confused about how to rule in the realms she thinks are hers, seeking advice from a quarrelsome chorus of counselors each of whom thinks himself the king, and ending up with a divided, even schizophrenic, mind." The essays in this volume attempt to revitalize theology as it confronts a difficult future. Despite the formidable obstacles that threaten the very survival of theology in the next century -- religious and cultural plurality; the marginalization of theology in public discourse; increasing abstraction in the practice of theology; pressing issues of gender, race, poverty, and ecology; the seemingly archaic voice of theology in post- Christian societies -- the contributors to this volume all believe in the future of theology as a vibrant discipline. The Future of Theology is organized in three parts. "Challenges" deals with the external or internal problems that theology is facing. "Perspectives" offers proposals on how to meet the challenges. "Themes" concentrates on various issues that need special attention today. Together, these essays succeed in setting the theological agenda for the future of theology, and thereby serve as a fitting tribute to this volume's esteemed honoree. Contributors: Stanley Hauerwas Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel John B. Cobb Jr. James H. Cone D. Lyle Dabney Ingolf U. Dalferth Gustavo Gutiérrez Douglas John Hall Ellen T. Charry M. Douglas Meeks Johann Baptist Metz Konrad Raiser Wolfhart Pannenberg Paul Ricoeur John Howard Yoder Dietrich Ritschl Dorothée Sölle Jon Sobrino Elsa Tamez Geoffrey Wainwright Rosemary Radford Ruether Miroslav Volf Michael Welker Nicholas Wolterstorff Catherine Keller Huns Küng

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. This book represents the only comprehensive attempt made thus far to survey all the efforts among Christians and Jews from New Testament times onward to translate the New Testament and the Christian liturgy into Hebrew. Whether the translators were intended to convert the Jews or to equip them with information necessary for the discussion of religion with Christians, they served to promote conversation and overcome divisions. The author's intimate knowledge of not only Biblical but also Michnaic and Modern Hebrew has enabled him to appreciate the various efforts at translation with acute sensitivity. Thus, the book is virtually a catalog of successes and failures in mutual understanding. More than the mere data of history, Hebrew in the Church is a penetrating contribution to the entire history of Jewish-Christian relations. It sheds fresh light on history itself, and it suggests important implications for anyone concerned with the exegesis of the New Testament. This unprecedented volume should receive the serious attention not only of specialists, but of all who work for a new understanding between Christians and Jews.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable.

This directory is part of a six-volume set that provides data on over 36,000 European companies. Focusing on the United Kingdom, it provides information such as: address, phone and fax numbers, e-mail and Web addresses, listings of a company's activities, parents, subsidiaries and agents, brands and trademarks and financial information for 2001 and 2002.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Berkouwer is known for the tone of praise and worship that runs throughout his entire theology. As he states in this volume, "The purpose of a song of praise is obviously that we should sing along and not get bogged down in extraneous and speculative problems. For the man who is mired deeply in problems can only relativize and disharmonize his song of victory." That statement is a key for understanding this truly remarkable book on the utterly somber and serious business of man's sin. Joy, doxology, and biblical piety are the earmarks of Berkouwer's discussion from cover to cover. He argues, in the light of Scripture, that there can be no meaning in the meaningless or sense in the senseless, or rationality in that which is intrinsically irrational. To say that there can be can only detract from the awfulness of sin and the magnitude of God's forgiveness. Therefore it can only impinge upon our piety. The proper response to sin is a true confession of my guilt; for the man who truly confesses is truly forgiven. Joy and doxology find place when sin is taken with a real, very biblical seriousness. From this vantage point the author rejects the notions of monism, dualism, and a demonological explanation for man's sin. He wants nothing to do with a "phenomenology of evil" which sees sin as self-evident. In the light of the salvation that has come we can only speak of our sins that remain as a riddle. Berkouwer's view is a wholesome foil to contemporary concepts that refers to man's "estrangement," "alienation," and "incompacity," and have little or nothing to say about his guilt. He eschews the language of causality, since "self-exculpation dogs the heels of any explanation for our sin." His interests are biblical and doxological, and precisely therefore he denies the concepts of realism and federalism as developed in Reformed orthodox theology. "Original sin" is no datum that is "with us," and is certainly no "alien guilt"; much rather, it is known in our own involvement in sin. Nothing, not even faith, can shed a particle of light on the truly enigmatic character of evil. Thus piety and doxology unlock the door for understanding why Berkouwer rejects a number of false alternatives or problems in this book. Typical are the problems of monism and dualism, inactual and actual wills of God, the law and the gospel, cum verbo and per verbum, the wrath of God and his love, his justice and his mercy, Adam and Christ. God's wrath is seen in the service of his grace and not as the coordinate of his love: and precisely in his intolerance for sin the act of his mercy is revealed. In a similar way, we cannot discuss the law as the source of the knowledge of sin apart from the gospel, or the gospel apart from the law. We cannot see Adam apart from Jesus Christ. Insights abound in this volume, which is certainly one of the very best of Berkouwer's works.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable.In this volume Berkouwer treats a broad range of topics related to the doctrine of Scripture, including the testimony of the Spirit, Holy Scripture as canon, the doctrine of inspiration, and the authority and interpretation of Scripture.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Asserting that there is no more significant question in the whole of theology than that of the nature and reality of revelation, Berkouwer examines this question along with the claims of natural theology and the radical character of the history of religion since the nineteenth century.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Following the order of the Apostles' Creed, Berkouwer discusses at length Christ's incarnation, passion, resurrection, ascension, and rule, concluding with a thorough discussion of four aspects of Christ's work -- reconciliation, sacrifice, obedience, and victory.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. This study in theological anthropology considers man as the image of God, the meaning of the image, immortality, and human freedom, dealing always with living, actual man and his inescapable relation to God.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. In times when men's hearts are failing them for fear, in a period when many voices are clamoring for a hearing, the esteemed G. C. Berkouwer aptly commences his penetrating study by drawing attention to the timeliness and relevance of the doctrine of perseverance. He writes, "There is something very strange about this doctrine, something which confronts us with the problem of permanence in a unique way, because we are so conscious of our own changeableness. Our lives are subject to numberless variations and fluctuations. In the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints do we not have merely a projection of human desires, a hope which flies in the face of life's realities? Does it not grasp after something that is denied us as changeable men?" Facing this paradoxical nature of his subject, Berkouwer shows that the perseverance of the saints is unbreakably connected with the assurance of faith and warns us against speaking of constancy without standing in faith. To separate the doctrine of perseverance from its living and existential relationship to the gospel, to Word and sacrament, to promise and demand, petrifies it into a mere play of concepts drained of all life. The thoroughness with which Berkouwer treats the history of the discussions affecting this important subject (from the days of Tertullian and Augustine, through the Reformers, Ritschl, and Schleiermacher, down to Edmund Schlink and Karl Barth) gives this book a special value to all students of theology.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. The general purpose of this book is to provide a broad understanding of the background and message of the New Testament. It opens with chapters on the time between the Old and New Testaments, giving information on history, institutions, and literature, and goes on to discuss the language of the New Testament, the text and its transmission, the canon, and the individual books of the New Testament. For each of the New Testament books Everett Harrison provides a helpful outline and introduces the reader to a greater understanding of the text by a discussion of such matters as purpose, background, date, authorship, characteristics or principal concepts, taking into full account the most significant findings and interpretations of recent scholars. He also provides general essays on the Gospels and on the Epistles and special bibliographies for each chapter. Fully revised and enlarged by the author, and including an updated bibliography and index, this basic and comprehensive introduction is a valuable aid to the study of the Scriptures, both in school and in church.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. A book whose time has come, Nature, God, and Pulpit draws together and interprets, for the church and especially for preachers, the biblical materials on the relationship between God and his creation. The book is particularly timely because, as Elizabeth Achtemeier points out, few subjects have been more neglected and less explicated by this country's pulpits than the relation between nature and God. Clearly articulating what the Bible says about the material world and God's relation to it, this book is all of the following: *A thoughtful biblical response to recent discussions of ecology *A discerning corrective to many current theologies and ideologies *An appreciative summary of the findings and notions of modern science *A mother lode of materials and sample sermons on the relation of God to his creation *A passionate call for preachers to more thoroughly examine and articulate scriptural content > While written primarily for preachers, Nature, God, and Pulpit will provide provocative reading for many others as well -- seminarians, homiletics students, teachers, and anybody who wishes to better understand the Christian view of the bond between Creator and creation.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. "God's dynamic initiative" is the main theme of biblical testimony, says Christoph Barth. Here he expounds the message of the Old Testament in a manner that is faithful to the Old Testament itself -- as an account of the mighty acts of God rather than a series of abstract doctrines. A theology of the Old Testament is not simply a study of God, however. Old Testament theology also encompasses teaching about the world and humanity, about life and death, about origin, nature, and destiny. And Old Testament theology must also take into account the New Testament, which confirms what is announced in Israel's Scripture and thus is part of it. Barth elucidates the importance of the Old Testament for the New Testament and hence for Christians, surveys God's redemptive acts as recorded in the confessional summaries of history in the Old and New Testaments, and offers contemporary applications of these biblical themes. Working his way through the Old Testament, Barth treats nine key topics, each of which deals with one of the divine acts that are the essential subject matter of Israel's Scripture: creation, election of the patriarchs, exodus, wilderness wandering, Sinai revelation, gift of Canaan, election of David (kingship), election of Jerusalem and sending of prophets. He has divided each of the nine chapters into sections on one main aspect of the topic, considering theological, anthropological, soteriological, and eschatological points as well. Throughout his examination of each theme Barth pays special attention to its scriptural context. God With Us is an excellent textbook for introductory or survey courses in the Old Testament: each section begins with a thesis statement, summarizing its contents, and details are treated in small-print sections. Barth originally wrote his Old Testament theology in Indonesian and later rewrote the entire book in English; Geoffrey Bromiley has condensed the original four volumes in this edition.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. "In Christ there is no East or West," claims a familiar hymn. But the truth is that American Christians know little about Russian Orthodox Christians and harbor many misconceptions about them. In this revealing book Anthony Ugolnik shows how the thousand-year-old Russian Orthodox tradition actively shapes the life of contemporary Russian Christians, and he points out how Russian Orthodoxy can inform and enrich American Christianity. Ugolnik speaks from a unique perspective: of Russian descent, he is an American Christian who has a strong and genuine personal bond with Russian Christians. Ugolnik begins his discussion by exploring the alienation between Russians and Americans - a cultural and religious alienation that is still very strong today, despite changing rhetoric and glasnost. Americans tend to picture Russian Christians as "cowed and ragged masses"; on the contrary, says Ugolnik, they are "a stalwart, strong community." American Christians also tend to be suspicious about the role of icons in Russian Orthodox worship. But Ugolnik points out that icons are not idols; rather, they are religious objects that "image forth" the majesty of God. This powerful sense of the holy that pervades Russian Orthodoxy could reinvigorate American Christianity. Indeed, the Russian Orthodox have much to offer American Christians, according to Ugolnik. They place a much greater emphasis on community in their life and worship -- an emphasis that could help transform the individualistic faith of many American Christians. Similarly, the Orthodox emphasis on historical and spiritual continuity -- in contrast to the imagery of restoration and revival in Reformation Christianity -- could strengthen the worship and witness of American Christians. And the Orthodox sense of the beautiful -- born of a complex aesthetics that undergirds Russian faith and culture -- could enrich the foundation as well as the expression of American Christianity. In the end, American and Russian Christians share the common dilemma of how to relate to the secular world around them, and the Russian Orthodox emphasis on dialogue and engagement could vitalize the way American Christians live out their faith. In this multifaceted book Ugolnik weaves personal experiences with richly developed explorations of Russian and American belief and incisive observations that draw on the literature, philosophy, theology, and history of both cultures. With both passion and compassion Ugolnik urges Russian and American Christians to look to "the illuminating icon of our incarnate God" for guidance: "Let that icon draw us deep into the mystery of a shared life in the Spirit."

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. The Reformers and Their Stepchildren is a brilliant and well-documented book that reveals the tension between the church and Christendom. According to Leonard Verduin, the American formula of a society in which no religion is designated as the right religion, is the result of pioneering done by the "stepchildren" of the Reformation. To them, rather than to the Reformers, do we owe the concept of separation of church and state. Taking the several terms of opprobrium that the Reformers hurled at these stepchildren, Verduin gives a penetrating historical analysis of each and shows how each term sets in focus an important phase of the master struggle, the struggle regarding the delineation of the church.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Three abortion doctors and eight aides are gunned down and six are killed. More than 150 abortion clinics are firebombed. A church is vandalized by gay prostitutes. A pro-choice activist calls for "massive militant action" against anti-abortionists. In Cease Fire Tom Sine takes up the concerns of millions of Christians -- evangelical and mainline Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox -- who feel uneasy with some of the excesses of the politically correct left but who recoil at the stance taken by Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Ralph Reed and the Christian Coalition that the extreme religious right, with its quest for political power, is the only place to turn. Sine looks at the tactics and agendas of extremists on both sides and asks what society would look like if their particular visions were to win out. He then argues that the positions of the religious right and of the left are not the only available choices. The Bible offers a third choice, God's "better way" -- a biblical center represented by neither right nor left in the current debate. Cease Fire is written to enable readers to understand why America's culture wars are so adversarial, polarizing, and increasingly violent; to anticipate which side is likely to gain the upper hand in these contentious conflicts and how it is likely to shape our common future; and to offer a third way -- a radical biblical alternative to the political ideologies of the religious right and the left -- for those searching for a new place to stand in a new millennium.

This volume contains twenty-four of James D. G. Dunn's best shorter essays--written over a span of nearly 28 years and grouped here according to theme--on different aspects of New Testament Christology.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Although many conservative scholars have had reservations about biblical criticism since its rise a century ago, Carl Armerding contends that critical rationalism need not be antithetical to belief in a divinely inspired Word of God. Indeed, says Armerding, the evangelical scholar -- mediating the traditional conservative view and the rational critical view of Scripture -- is able to use all the tools of historical, philological, and literary study, while still retaining biblical categories of revelation, inspiration, and history. Armerding applies this synthesis of approaches -- the traditional and the critical -- to four major branches of criticism: literary (or source) criticism, form criticism, structural analysis, and textual criticism. Cautioning against misuse of these critical methods, he demonstrates how each method can be conscientiously used by faithful scholars to enrich their understanding of the Old Testament text. Of great value to scholars, students, and pastors, Armerding's work promises to enrich study of the Old Testament much as George Eldon Ladd's book (The New Testament and Criticism) has enriched study of the New.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Paul Jewett, author of the creative and highly provocative book Man As Male and Female, here turns his critical attention to the practice of infant baptism. Jewett does not accept the traditional "covenant" argument for baptizing infants, and this book explains why he believes this argument fails. Infant baptism is not a subject which can be isolated. For, as Jewett would have his readers understand, one's view on this issue is integrally related to one's view of the sacraments in general and thereby to the whole doctrine of the church and salvation. Thus it is understandable that what appears to be a minor theological question has had such divisive effects on the church. A discussion of the historical source of infant baptism begins Jewett's critique and introduces such issues as the distinction between infants and children, the silence of certain early church fathers on the subject, infant communion, and catechetical instruction. The second and major portion of this book examines the theological issue, focusing specifically on the covenant argument, which suggests that baptism replaces circumcision as the sign of the covenant and thereby is given to infants. This argument, Jewett claims, fails to take into account the historical character of revelation, and contains certain contradictions. Jewett concludes with a creative defense of believer baptism, one which is theologically responsible and which recognizes the profound truths of covenant theology.