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In this collection of essays newly published in English, Volker Leppin restores a holistic understanding of Martin Luther's development amid a late-medieval context strongly influenced by mysticism. Far from marking a clean break from earlier ideas, Luther's emerging theology drew upon deep wells of both personal mystical experience and the guidance of earlier mystics. Meister Eckhart's student, the fourteenth-century priest and theologian John Tauler, was an especially important source of inspiration for the young Luther, though he was also an avid student of figures such as Bernard of Clairvaux.Leppin's careful research overturns conceptions of late-medieval mysticism as inherently works-oriented, illuminating instead how Tauler and others influenced Luther's emerging views on indulgences, the Passion, the Eucharist, and theological tenets including the concepts of law and gospel, justification, and the priesthood of all believers. United with Christ continues to expand upon threads drawn in Leppin's 2024 Sola: Christ, Grace, Faith, and Scripture Alone in Martin Luther's Theology, helping us understand the emergence of the Reformation as an innovative series of developments from, rather than an absolute rupture with, late-medieval Christianity.

Luteranismo caribeño cuenta la historia de la iglesia luterana en Puerto Rico desde una perspectiva caribeña. Rodríguez intercala la investigación de archivo con comentarios convincentes y relatos personales, destacando el poder y la agencia de los luteranos puertorriqueños y antillanos en medio del legado multifacético de los esfuerzos misioneros euroamericanos en la isla. Es posible que los lectores no se sorprendan al saber que el primer misionero luterano en Puerto Rico fue un luterano sueco-americano; sin embargo, es posible que no sepan que su acogida y éxito en la isla dependió de la hospitalidad de un sastre afrocaribeño de Jamaica. Un sinuoso viaje de interacciones entre los sínodos luteranos estadounidenses y una creciente iglesia puertorriqueña generó asociaciones, tensiones y posibilidades que continúan hasta el presente.Puerto Rico y las islas vecinas se unieron a la Iglesia Luterana Unida en América como Sínodo del Caribe en 1952. Hoy en día, siguen siendo parte de la actual Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Estados Unidos, mientras que muchas otras denominaciones protestantes en la isla han formado iglesias'nacionales'puertorriqueñas. Rodríguez explora las continuas tensiones inherentes a este legado, aportando tanto su experiencia académica como su experiencia personal a este primer relato exhaustivo de la iglesia luterana en Puerto Rico.

Europe has a tremendously important role in the history of Christianity and was the continent with the most Christians from roughly the year 900 to 1980. However, Europe is now home to only 22 percent of all Christians in the world, down from 68 percent in 1900. The major trend of European religion in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries has been secularization--disestablishment and decreased influence of state churches, lower importance of religion in the public sphere, the decline of religious beliefs and practices, and individual religious switching from Christianity to atheism and agnosticism. One hundred years ago, it was true that the typical Christian in the world was a white European. Given current trends, however, Europe is clearly no longer the geographic nor demographic center of world Christianity. Yet, that does not mean Europe has no role in the future. It is still the home of major Christian communions, such as Catholics (Rome), Anglicans (Canterbury), Russian Orthodox (Moscow), and Lutherans (Geneva). European mission agencies are active throughout the world providing theological education and social welfare programs, combatting climate change, and advocating for gender equality.

The Reformer at war In Zwingli the Pastor, Stephen Brett Eccher tells the story of Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531), embattled pastor and reformer. Zwingli's ministry in Zurich was characterized by conflict—conflict that fueled him. It influenced his theological development, inspired his commitment to bring reform, and compelled his devotion to the congregation he led through the tumult of the Reformation. Eccher reveals a complex Zwingli, whose life and legacy continue to influence Protestantism today.

The Gospel Coalition Book Awards Winner – Theological StudiesModern theology claimed that it ignited a renaissance in trinitarian theology. Really, it has been a renaissance in social trinitarianism. Classical commitments like divine simplicity have been jettisoned, the three persons have been redefined as three centers of consciousness and will, and modern agendas in politics, gender, and ecclesiology determine the terms of the discussion. Contemporary trinitarian theology has followed the spirit of this trajectory, rejecting doctrines like eternal generation which were once a hallmark of Nicene orthodoxy and reintroducing subordinationism into the Trinity.Motivated by the longstanding need to retrieve the classical doctrine of the Trinity, theologian Matthew Barrett brings together Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox scholars to intervene in the conversation. With over forty contributions, this ecumenical volume resurrects the enduring legacy of Nicene orthodoxy, providing a theological introduction that listens with humility to the Great Tradition.In On Classical Trinitarianism, you find contributions from a wide range of scholars, including:Katherin RogersAndrew LouthGilles EmerySteven DubyGavin OrtlundAdonis ViduCarl TruemanMatthew LeveringFred SandersScott SwainKaren KilbyAmy PeelerThomas Joseph Whiteand more!The distinct yet united voices of On Classical Trinitarianism summon the next generation to move past modern revisionism for the sake of renewing classical trinitarian theology today. Together, they demonstrate that Nicene orthodoxy can endure in the modern world and unite the church catholic.

How can Christians engage meaningfully with history?In an age underpinned by the idea that life is about self-invention and fulfilment, contemporary Western culture holds that the past has little to teach us. We live in what this book terms the'Ahistoric Age,'in which we are profoundly disconnected from history.In the attempt to appear relevant, the church often embraces this ahistoric worldview by jettisoning the historic ideas and practices of Christian formation. But this has unintended consequences, leaving Christians unmoored from history and losing the ability to grapple with its ethical complexities.In Priests of History, Sarah Irving-Stonebraker draws upon her expertise, and her experience as an atheist who has become a Christian, to examine what history is and why it matters. If Christians can learn how to be'priests of history,'tending and keeping our past, history can help us strengthen and revive our spiritual and intellectual formation and equip us to communicate the gospel in a confused and rootless world.

Know the Theologians is an introduction to the most important thinkers throughout church history and a demonstration of their ongoing relevance for believers today.The Bible describes the church as a kind of family. Those who believe in Christ are sisters and brothers in the faith, whether they live at the same time or are separated by centuries. For that reason, believers today need to know our family members who have come before and shaped our beliefs and practices now. In Know the Theologians, professors and authors Jennifer Powell McNutt and David W. McNutt introduce the most significant thinkers in the church's history.McNutt and McNutt survey over a dozen primary figures, including Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theologians, who represent the breadth and depth of the church's theology. The book explores how they fit into their own time period and also draws attention to the theological voices of women throughout the church's history. Every chapter includes short sidebars on figures contemporary to the main theologians, bringing in additional important voices.This book has everything you need for a full personal or group study experience.As part of the KNOW series, Know the Theologians is designed for either personal study or classroom use, and it will also be an accessible resource for small groups and adult education in churches. Chapters end with reflection questions and recommended reading for further study.An individual access code to stream all video sessions online. (You don't need to buy a DVD!)Sessions:PART 1: EARLY CHRISTIAN THEOLOGIANS1. Irenaeus of Lyons2. Athanasius of Alexandria3. The Cappadocian Four4. Augustine of HippoPART 2: MEDIEVAL THEOLOGIANS5. John of Damascus6. Anselm of Canterbury7. Julian of Norwich8. Thomas AquinasPART 3: REFORMATION THEOLOGIANS9. Martin Luther10. John Calvin11. Menno Simons12. Teresa of AvilaPART 4: MODERN THEOLOGIANS13. The Wesley Brothers14. Friedrich Schleiermacher15. Karl Barth16. Gustavo GutiérrezStreaming video access code included.?Access code subject to expiration after 4/2/2029. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.

Charging Interest explores current exploitative financial practices through the lens of Martin Luther's explosive treatise called'Exhortation to the Clergy to Preach Against Usury.'Written in 1540 and translated anew by Michael T. Grzonka, this treatise tackles the growing problem of usury (money lending) in Luther's time and context. Wittenberg authorities claimed powerlessness in the face of poverty, famine, egregious hoarding, and price-gouging. Luther urged pastors to confront lenders who were charging exploitive interest rates, dooming many to a life of continual poverty and starvation.Luther went so far as to ask exploitive lenders to repent of their practices, and if they refused to excommunicate them from worship, from participating in the sacraments, and refuse to provide burial services. Clergy who did not condemn these practices would risk facing God's judgment.Michael Grzonka provides a detailed introduction and new translation of Luther's treatise as well as reflections on faithful and ethical responses to unfair financial practices in our own day. A detailed study guide raises key questions for review and helps readers reflect on how Luther's text still may address issues in the contemporary world. Renowned historian and Reformation scholar Carter Lindberg provides a forward to this topic, which Martin Luther addressed on more than one occasion.

In This Follow-Up to Gospel People, Michael Reeves Calls Evangelicals Away from Pharisaism to True Reformation Scripture warns believers of hypocrisy—called the'leaven of the Pharisees'—and its potential to spread quickly in the church. Outwardly appearing as devout religion, this legalism hides destructive pride, idolatry, and even apostasy. Unfortunately, pharisaism is still a problem among evangelicals today. How does Jesus instruct the church to recognize and defeat one of its deepest theological issues? In this clear, compelling call to spiritual reformation, Michael Reeves helps believers reject pharisaism and embrace gospel integrity. Studying 3 essentials of Christian doctrine that the Pharisees misunderstood—their approach to Scripture, understanding of salvation, and disregard of regeneration—Reeves shows readers how to embrace a biblical, Trinitarian, and creedal understanding of the gospel necessary for true reformation. - Explains the 3 Essential R's of the Gospel: Teaches readers about revelation, redemption, and regeneration - A Great Resource for Pastors and Congregations: Addresses the threat of hypocrisy in the church, and tackles in-house issues from partisanship to pragmatism - A Follow-Up to Gospel People: Reeves continues his study of timely evangelical topics

This work is an academic study of marriage in the lives and theologies of eighteenth-century English Baptists. It explores the historical context of marriage laws and practices in eighteenth-century England and demonstrates the theological continuity that existed between the English Puritans and the Particular Baptists on the subject of marriage. The study concentrates on four specific Baptist leaders of this era: John Gill, Anne Dutton, Samuel Stennett, and Andrew Fuller. This work will benefit students of history and readers interested in the spirituality of marriage.

To understand the great theologians of the past, we must understand the circumstances that formed them. In the newest volume of the Reformed Historical Theological Studies series, Martin I. Klauber and his troupe of capable historians survey the history and doctrine of the French Reformation. This volume provides a quality introduction to French Reformed theology that will help readers grasp the political and ecclesiological climate in which Reformed like giants John Calvin and Theodore Beza wrote.

Church and Theology in the Modern Era covers the period from the Reformation to the end of the eighteenth century and is based on lectures delivered by Baur in the 1840s and 1850s. It was published after his death as the fourth volume of his church history. The first and last volumes (Christianity and the Christian Church of the First Three Centuries and Church and Theology in the Nineteenth Century) have appeared in English translation from Wipf and Stock. This book contains a wealth of information, not only about the well-known figures of the Reformation and its aftermath, but also about other important persons who are often overlooked. It attends to both Protestant and Catholic history and shows that this is the most turbulent period in church history since the early years of Christianity. Ecclesiastical and political controversies are often intertwined, and momentous decisions are made that affect the modern world.

This book examines the contentious relationship between oath-taking, confessional subscription, and the binding of the conscience in reforms led by John Calvin. Calvin and his closest Reformed colleagues routinely distinguished what they believed were impious rules and constitutions in the Roman Church--human traditions claiming to bind the consciences of the faithful by putting them in fear of losing their salvation--and legitimate church observances, such as oaths and formal subscription to Reformed confessional standards. Doctrinal and moral reform in the cities became difficult, however, when friends and foes alike accused Calvin and his partners of burdening consciences with extra-Scriptural statements of faith composed by human authorities--a claim that, if true, would necessarily shape our assessment of the integrity of Calvin's Reformation. In light of these conflicts, author Timothy R. Scheuers offers a close reading of the texts and controversies surrounding Calvin's struggle for reform. In particular, he shows how they reveal the unique challenges Calvin and his colleagues encountered as they attempted to employ oath-swearing and formal confession of faith in order to consolidate the reformation of church and society. This book demonstrates how oaths and vows were used to shape confessional identity, secure social order, forge community, and promote faithfulness in public and private contracts. It also illustrates the complex and difficult task of protecting the individual conscience as Calvin sought to bring his new take on Christian freedom into Reformed communities.

A holistic, eye-opening history of one of the most significant turning points in Christianity, The Reformation as Renewal demonstrates that the Reformation was at its core a renewal of evangelical catholicity.In the sixteenth century Rome charged the Reformers with novelty, as if they were heretics departing from the catholic (universal) church. But the Reformers believed they were more catholic than Rome. Distinguishing themselves from Radicals, the Reformers were convinced they were retrieving the faith of the church fathers and the best of the medieval Scholastics. The Reformers saw themselves as faithful stewards of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church preserved across history, and they insisted on a restoration of true worship in their own day.By listening to the Reformers'own voices, The Reformation as Renewal helps readers explore:The Reformation's roots in patristic and medieval thought and its response to late medieval innovations.Key philosophical and theological differences between Scholasticism in the High Middle Ages and deviations in the Late Middle Ages.The many ways sixteenth and seventeenth century Protestant Scholastics critically appropriated Thomas Aquinas.The Reformation's response to the charge of novelty by an appeal to the Augustinian tradition.Common caricatures that charge the Reformation with schism or assume the Reformation was the gateway to secularism.The spread of Reformation catholicity across Europe, as seen in first and second-generation leaders from Luther and Melanchthon in Wittenberg to Zwingli and Bullinger in Zurich to Bucer and Calvin in Strasbourg and Geneva to Tyndale, Cranmer, and Jewel in England, and many others.The theology of the Reformers, with special attention on their writings defending the catholicity of the Reformation. This balanced, insightful, and accessible treatment of the Reformation will help readers see this watershed moment in the history of Christianity with fresh eyes and appreciate the unity they have with the church across time. Readers will discover that the Reformation was not a new invention, but the renewal of something very old.

A definitive history of Christian evangelism—including noteworthy persons, movements, and methods from the past Christians have been sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with nonbelievers for two thousand years. Within this deep history is wisdom for today—including numerous models for understanding what evangelism is and how it should be done. In Gospel Witness through the Ages, David Gustafson introduces readers to evangelism's noteworthy persons, movements, and methods from the entire scope of church history—including both examples to emulate and examples to avoid. With this thorough historical approach, Gustafson expands the reader's conception of the evangelistic task and suggests new ways to shape our identity as gospel witnesses today through the influence of these earlier generations of Christians. With discussion questions for further reflection and primary sources from major evangelistic figures of the past, Gospel Witness through the Ages is the most definitive history of evangelism available—essential for understanding how Christians today can continue proclaiming the gospel to the whole world, as Christians have in every century past.

Christianity is a way of life centered on the person, life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. As a religious way of life, Christianity is multifaceted, involving numerous beliefs and practices. This book explores many of the varied facets of the Christian faith, including its foundations in the story of Israel, the person of Jesus, the early Christian community, and the sacred text called the Bible. In turn, Robinson's book examines Christianity's core doctrines, ethical norms, and worship practices, rounding out the study by considering four key contemporary challenges faced by Christian believers--namely, the problem of evil, the relationship of Christianity to other religions and to science, and the role of women in church and society. Among the strengths of this book is that it addresses these multiple features of Christianity in a single volume: it is aptly titled Christianity: A Brief Survey.

Richard Gamble's three-volume Whole Counsel of God explores the relationships between exegesis and hermeneutics, and between biblical, systematic, and historical theology.'He bridges the gap so many have identified between traditional systematic theology and biblical theology,'Richard Pratt writes; not only that, he'penetrates beyond scholarly concerns to life issues that every believer faces.'Gamble engages the writings of theologians across disciplines and through church history to assist him in this task. --

Seeking to understand the doctrine of justification by way of biblical hermeneutics, this book uncovers the differences between Martin Luther and the Council of Trent that set them on a collision course for conflict, and the church toward what has arguably been its most significant division in the West.As Catholics and Lutherans continue to engage in dialogue about their shared faith and differing confessions, the need remains for a discerning study of the ways in which the Bible functioned in the Reformation's central theological clash: the understanding and import of the doctrine of justification. Peter Folan's incisive analysis in this volume fulfills that need. Through a careful reading of the debate's most significant texts, he shows both how Martin Luther and the Council of Trent relied upon scripture to arrive at their respective formulations of the doctrine and how such seemingly divergent conclusions about the human person's salvation in Christ could be grounded in the same sacred book.This study begins with an examination of the key texts that Luther and his allies produced on justification and then turns to their Catholic respondents, whose work would ultimately inform the Council of Trent's decree on the doctrine. By comparing precisely which texts both parties relied upon to articulate and defend their positions, Folan puts into sharp relief how infrequently both sides made use of the same biblical passages and, when they did avail themselves of the same passages, just how distinct their interpretive tendencies were. This book will be a critical addition to the libraries of scholars and students in Catholic and Lutheran biblical hermeneutics, Catholic-Lutheran dialogue, ecumenical studies, and church history.

The teaching of history has long been the subject of partisan warfare. Religion often plays a prominent role in these debates, as secular progressives and conservative Christians disagree over which historical figures are worthy of study, how (or whether) certain events should be portrayed, and ultimately how tax dollars should be spent. But what about students who are educated outside the public schools, either in religious schools or at home? How are they learning history, and what effect does that have on our democracy? Hijacking History analyzes the high school world history textbooks produced by the three most influential publishers of Christian educational materials. In these books, the historian, informed by his faith, tells the allegedly unbiased story of God's actions as interpreted through the Bible. History becomes a weapon to judge and condemn civilizations that do not accept the true God or adopt “biblical” positions. In their treatment of the modern world, these texts identify ungodly ideas to be vanquished-evolution, humanism, biblical modernism, socialism, and climate science among them. The judgments found in these textbooks, Kathleen Wellman shows, are rooted in the history of American evangelicals and fundamentalists and the battles they fought against the tide of secularism. In assuming that God sanctions fundamentalist positions on social, political, and economic issues, students are led to believe that that the ultimate mission of America is to succeed as a nation that advances evangelical Christianity and capitalism throughout the world. The Christianity presented in these textbooks is proselytizing, intolerant of other religions and non-evangelical Christians, and unquestionably anchored to the political right. As Hijacking History argues, the ideas these textbooks promote have significant implications for contemporary debates about religion, politics, and education, and pose a direct challenge to the values of a pluralistic democracy.

How the English Reformation was Named analyses the shifting semantics of'reformation'in England between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. Originally denoting the intended aim of church councils,'reformation'was subsequently redefined to denote violent revolt, and ultimately a series of past episodes in religious history. But despite referring to sixteenth-century religious change, the proper noun'English Reformation'entered the historical lexicon only during the British civil wars of the 1640s. Anglican apologists coined this term to defend the Church of England against proponents of the Scottish Reformation, an event that contemporaries singled out for its violence and illegality. Using their neologism to denote select events from the mid-Tudor era, Anglicans crafted a historical narrative that enabled them to present a pristine vision of the English past, one that endeavoured to preserve amidst civil war, regicide, and political oppression. With the restoration of the monarchy and the Church of England in 1660, apologetic narrative became historiographical habit and, eventually, historical certainty.

A major new biography of Huldrych Zwingli—the warrior preacher who shaped the early ReformationHuldrych Zwingli (1484–1531) was the most significant early reformer after Martin Luther. As the architect of the Reformation in Switzerland, he created the Reformed tradition later inherited by John Calvin. His movement ultimately became a global religion. A visionary of a new society, Zwingli was also a divisive and fiercely radical figure.Bruce Gordon presents a fresh interpretation of the early Reformation and the key role played by Zwingli. A charismatic preacher and politician, Zwingli transformed church and society in Zurich and inspired supporters throughout Europe. Yet, Gordon shows, he was seen as an agitator and heretic by many and his bellicose, unyielding efforts to realize his vision would prove his undoing. Unable to control the movement he had launched, Zwingli died on the battlefield fighting his Catholic opponents.

Martin Luther's nailing of the Ninety-Five Theses on the church door at Wittenberg was a pivotal moment in the birth of what would become known as the Reformation. More than five hundred years later, historians and theologians continue to discuss the impact of these events and their ongoing relevance for the church today. The collection of essays contained in this volume not only engages the history and theology of this sixteenth-century movement, but also focuses on how the message and praxis of the Protestant reformers can be translated into a post-Christendom West.

In an engaging and accessible style, Martin J. Lohrmann introduces readers to fascinating glimpses of faith, courage, and love in action within the global Lutheran community that now numbers over 70 million members in churches worldwide. He shows how Lutheranism is a much more diverse and global expression of the Christian tradition than most realize. This matches the expansive view of the church universal that the Reformers held when they presented the Augsburg Confession in 1530. As Philipp Melanchthon put it, the church'consists of people scattered throughout the entire world who agree on the gospel and have the same Christ, the same Holy Spirit, and the same sacraments, whether or not they have the same human traditions.'Although Lutheranism first grew and spread in central and northern Europe, some of the most vibrant Lutheran communities are now in Africa and Asia. There are more Lutherans in Tanzania than in Sweden, and more Lutherans in Indonesia than in Norway. The single largest Lutheran church body in the world is the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, with over 8 million members and a focus on caring for the whole person. Outside of Europe, Namibia is the only country with a majority Lutheran population. Lutheran members of the global body of Christ have much to learn from and share with one another.The book largely follows the subjects listed in the Timeline of Global Lutheranism that Lohrmann created for Lutheran Quarterly Journal to commemorate the 500-year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

In Historical Theology for the Church, editors Jason Duesing and Nathan Finn bring together top contributors to survey key doctrinal developments in every era of church history. They not only trace the development of various doctrines within historical congregations; they also provide a resource for contemporary congregations. Steered by the conviction that historical theology serves the church both local and global, each chapter concludes with an application section that clarifies the connection between the historical doctrine being covered and the Christian church today.

The history of Britain and Ireland is incomprehensible without an understanding of the Christian faith that has shaped it. Introduced when the nations of these islands were still in their infancy, Christianity has provided the framework for their development from the beginning.Gerald Bray's comprehensive overview demonstrates the remarkable creativity and resilience of Christianity in Britain and Ireland. Through the ages, it has adapted to the challenges of presenting the gospel of Christ to different generations in a variety of circumstances. As a result, it is at once a recognizable offshoot of the universal church and a world of its own. It has also profoundly affected the notable spread of Christianity worldwide in recent times.Although historians have done much to explain the details of how the church has evolved separately in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, a synthesis of the whole has rarely been attempted. Yet the story of one nation cannot be understood properly without involving the others; so, Gerald Bray sets individual narratives in an overarching framework.Accessible to a general readership, The History of Christianity in Britain and Ireland draws on current scholarship to serve as a reference work for students of both history and theology.

In Tutti Fratelli, Pope Francis has called again for a “culture of encounter,” But how should his theology, pastoral practice, and social message be understood and applied in the Church of the Americas, a single but complex reality that extends from South to North? This volume offers analyses from experts looking back to the Argentine pontiff's first fateful encuentros in the Americas as a help for understanding the present reality of the Church in the Western Hemisphere. The group includes theologians, historians, and political scientists, and the unique contribution of the volume lies in the panoramic perspective offered by the book as a whole. The initial essays set the stage for the volume as a whole, offering rich insight into Argentine and Latin American history, the world from which the Pope came and to which he returned in 2015, as well as surveying the impact of the Latin American “theology of the people” on the Pope's visit to the U.S. Additional essays address theological, historical, and pastoral engagements that cut across several of the visits. The final group of essays is dedicated to the visits themselves and is arranged in the order that they occurred. Pope Francis and the Search for God in América is offered to all the members of the Church in América, South and North, old and young, with the hope that it will spur even more thought, reflection, prayer, and service.

This volume examines the relationship between Christian legal theory and the fields of private law.Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in private law theory, and this book contributes to that discussion by drawing on the historical, theological, and philosophical resources of the Christian tradition. The book begins with an introduction from the editors that lays out the understanding of'private law'and what distinguishes private law topics from other fields of law. This section includes two survey chapters on natural law and biblical sources. The remaining sections of the book move sequentially through the fields of property, contracts, and torts. Several chapters focus on historical sources and show the ways in which the evolution of legal doctrine in areas of private law has been heavily influenced by Christian thinkers. Other chapters draw out more contemporary and public policy-related implications for private law.While this book is focused on the relationship of Christianity to private law, it will be of broad interest to those who might not share that faith perspective. In particular, legal historians and philosophers of law will find much of interest in the original scholarship in this volume. The book will be attractive to teachers of law, political science, and theology. It will be of special interest to the many law faculty in property, contracts, and torts, as it provides a set of often overlooked historical and theoretical perspectives on these fields.

Jerome of Stridon argued that'the most distinguished privilege loses its prestige when lavished on a crowd'( Ep. 66.7). Recent imperial changes left the senatorial aristocracy with a devaluation of their order. When a number of its illustres showed an appetite for asceticism, Jerome took up his quill to offer them a nobilitas- model that preserved their exclusivity through appropriation of Christian asceticism. Jessica van't Westeinde shows how Jerome's design restored the Roman exclusivist notion of nobilitas as an antidote to the opening up of senatorial rank to'country boors'by creating a status group of Christian elites. The nouveau riche may have attempted to enter this social circle, but they could never attain the same level of perfection as the illustres. As such, Jerome offered a'Christian ascetic'nobilitas- model that embodies continuation which breathes Roman aristocratic status culture of the illustres.

Reformation historian Scott Hendrix has argued that, despite the divisions that occurred in Western Christianity in the sixteenth century, the various movements of the Reformation shared a vital commonality: They were all attempts to make sixteenth-century Europe more authentically Christian. While research on the Reformation has tended to emphasize the theological differences and disputes among the reformers, Hendrix sees a fundamental coherence in this common goal of Christianization. In this volume, nineteen Reformation historians respond by treating diverse aspects of Reformation scholarship and employing their own research to test the usefulness of the Christianization thesis. In their analyses of late medieval reform movements, Luther's attempts at reform, changes in this epoch for women and the family, significant efforts to reform piety, and the theological controversies of the late Middle Ages and the Reformation, an interpretive debate develops about the viability of macrohistory and the significance of the Reformation as an epoch in European history and the history of Christianity. Contributors: Robert Bireley, S.J., Amy Nelson Burnett, Gerald Christianson, Irene Dingel, James M. Estes, Berndt Hamm, Susan C. Karant-Nunn, Russell Kleckley, Robert Kolb, Volker Leppin, Carter Lindberg, John A. Maxfield, Elsie Anne McKee, Austra Reinis, Ronald K. Rittgers, Risto Saarinen, James M. Stayer, Timothy J. Wengert, Merry Wiesner-Hanks

What really happens to the soul when people die? This groundbreaking book may appeal both to Luther experts and to those who know little about the Reformer. It demonstrates that Luther constantly taught over the last twenty-four years of his life that death is like an unconscious sleep. It also shows why this matters today for Christians. Death until Resurrection is a great first step in understanding God's plan for renewal of the creation that can alleviate our common fears about death. Seeing what exactly the scriptural writers meant regarding death--as interpreted by one of the most prominent church leaders ever--also provides the benefit of helping us better understand core doctrines such as our resurrection, the nature of hell, and eternal life through salvation. This book offers that which very few writers on Luther have done: an explanation that can unravel his apparent contradictions and the Luther paradox on the nature of death and the soul using Luther's own words scattered throughout his voluminous writings. Learn which group of widely acclaimed authors (or experts) on Luther was correct about what Luther believed about death: Lohse and George, or Althaus and Thiselton.

This book offers a systematic, chronological analysis of the role played by the human senses in experiencing pilgrimage and sacred places, past and present. It thus addresses two major gaps in the existing literature, by providing a broad historical narrative against which patterns of continuity and change can be more meaningfully discussed, and focusing on the central, but curiously neglected, area of the core dynamics of pilgrim experience. Bringing together the still-developing fields of Pilgrimage Studies and Sensory Studies in a historically framed conversation, this interdisciplinary study traces the dynamics of pilgrimage and engagement with holy places from the beginnings of the Judaeo-Christian tradition to the resurgence of interest evident in twenty-first century England. Perspectives from a wide range of disciplines, from history to neuroscience, are used to examine themes including sacred sites in the Bible and Early Church; pilgrimage and holy places in early and later medieval England; the impact of the English Reformation; revival of pilgrimage and sacred places during the nineteenth and twentieth Centuries; and the emergence of modern place-centred, popular'spirituality'. Addressing the resurgence of pilgrimage and its persistent link to the attachment of meaning to place, this book will be a key reference for scholars of Pilgrimage Studies, History of Religion, Religious Studies, Sensory Studies, Medieval Studies, and Early Modern Studies.

The editors of The Jewish Annotated New Testament show how and why Jews and Christians read many of the same Biblical texts – including passages from the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Psalms – differently. Exploring and explaining these diverse perspectives, they reveal more clearly Scripture's beauty and power. Esteemed Bible scholars and teachers Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler take readers on a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. Passages include the creation of the world, the role of Adam and Eve, the Suffering Servant of Isiah, the book of Jonah, and Psalm 22, whose words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” Jesus quotes as he dies on the cross. Comparing various interpretations – historical, literary, and theological - of each ancient text, Levine and Brettler offer deeper understandings of the original narratives and their many afterlives. They show how the text speaks to different generations under changed circumstances, and so illuminate the Bible's ongoing significance. By understanding the depth and variety by which these passages have been, and can be, understood, The Bible With and Without Jesus does more than enhance our religious understandings, it helps us to see the Bible as a source of inspiration for any and all readers.

Staging a conversation among distinguished Luther scholars, historians of Christianity, and philosophers, The Medieval Luther makes the case that it is impossible to understand Luther's most important doctrines without exploring his philosophical inheritance. After all, Luther was an ardent participant in and contributor to the philosophical disputes of the late Middle Ages. By situating Luther's theology in relation to medieval healing practices, mysticism, biblical interpretation, and politics, this volume blurs the historiographical line between the medieval and early modern periods. Offering an expansive appreciation of the Middle Ages for his thought, The Medieval Luther is indispensable for any future study of the Reformation's leading figure.

In The Legend of Veronica in Early Modern Art, Katherine T. Brown explores the lore of the apocryphal character of Veronica and the history of the “true image” relic as factors in the Franciscans'placement of her character into the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) as the Sixth Station, in both Jerusalem and Western Europe, around the turn of the fifteenth century.Katherine T. Brown examines how the Franciscans adopted and adapted the legend of Veronica to meet their own evangelical goals by intervening in the fabric of Jerusalem to incorporate her narrative − which is not found in the Gospels − into an urban path constructed for pilgrims, as well as in similar participatory installations in churchyards and naves across Western Europe. This book proposes plausible reasons for the subsequent proliferation of works of art depicting Veronica, both within and independent of the Stations of the Cross, from the early fifteenth through the mid-seventeenth centuries. This book will be of interest to scholars in art history, theology, and medieval and Renaissance studies.

How might our worship recapture and reflect the enchanted world of God's nearness in Jesus Christ?In this first volume in IVP Academic's Dynamics of Christian Worship series, John D. Rempel offers a vision for this kind of transformative worship. A theologian and minister in the Mennonite Church, Rempel considers the role of the sacraments and ritual within the Free Church tradition. While the Free Churches rightly sought to cleanse the church of the abuses of sacramentalism, in that process they also set aside some of the church's historic practices and the theology behind them, which ultimately impoverished their worship.In response to this liturgically thin space, Rempel appeals to the incarnation of Christ, whose taking on of flesh can help us perceive the sacramental nature of our faith and worship. By embracing life-giving and peacemaking practices, the worship of not only the Free Church tradition but of the whole body of Christ might be transformed and become enchanted once again.The Dynamics of Christian Worship series draws from a wide range of worshiping contexts and denominational backgrounds to unpack the many dynamics of Christian worship—including prayer, reading the Bible, preaching, baptism, the Lord's Supper, music, visual art, architecture, and more—to deepen both the theology and practice of Christian worship for the life of the church.

Gospel-Centered Theology for TodayEvangelical Theology, Second Edition helps today's readers understand and practice the doctrines of the Christian faith by presenting a gospel-centered theology that is accessible, rigorous, and balanced. According author Michael Bird the gospel is the fulcrum of Christian doctrine; the gospel is where God meets us and where we introduce the world to God. And as such, an authentically evangelical theology is the working out of the gospel in the various doctrines of Christian theology.The text helps readers learn the essentials of Christian theology through several key features, including:A'What to Take Home'section at end of every part that gives readers a run-down on all the important things they need to know.Tables, sidebars, and questions for discussion to help reinforce key ideas and conceptsA'Comic Belief'section, since reading theology can often be dry and cerebral, so that readers enjoy their learning experience through some theological humor added for good measure.Now in its second edition, Evangelical Theology has proven itself in classrooms around the world as a resource that helps readers not only understand the vital doctrines of Christian theology but one that shows them how the gospel should shape how they think, pray, preach, teach, and minister in the world.

James Leo Garrett Jr. has been called'the last of the gentlemen theologians'and'the dean of Southern Baptist theologians.'In The Collected Writings of James Leo Garrett Jr., 1950-2015, the reader will find a truly dazzling collection of works that clearly evince the meticulous scholarship, the even-handed treatment, the biblical fidelity, the wide historical breadth, and the honest sincerity that have made the work and person of James Leo Garrett Jr. so esteemed and revered among so many for so long. Volume 4 is the first of two volumes that will contain his theological essays. Spanning sixty-five years and touching on topics from Baptist history, theology, ecclesiology, church history and biography, religious liberty, Roman Catholicism, and the Christian life, The Collected Writings of James Leo Garrett, Jr., 1950-2015 will inform and inspire readers regardless of their religious or denominational affiliations.

Three hundred years after his death, Matthew Henry (1662–1714) remains arguably the best known expositor of the Bible in English, due largely to his massive six-volume Exposition of the Old and New Testaments. However, Henry's famous commentary is by no means the only expression of his engagement with the Scriptures. His many sermons and works on Christian piety - including the still popular Method for Prayer - are saturated with his peculiarly practical approach to the Bible.To mark the tercentenary of Henry's death, Matthew A. Collins and Paul Middleton have brought together notable historians, theologians, and biblical scholars to celebrate his life and legacy. Representing the first serious examination of Henry's body of work and approach to the Bible, Matthew Henry: The Bible, Prayer, and Piety opens a scholarly conversation about the place of Matthew Henry in the eighteenth-century nonconformist movement, his contribution to the interpretation of the Bible, and his continued legacy in evangelical piety.

According to Scripture, the Word of God is'living and active'(Heb 4:12).That affirmation was embraced by the Protestant Reformers, whose understanding of the Christian faith and the church was transformed by their encounter with Scripture.It is also true of the essays found in this volume, which brings together the reflections of church historians and theologians originally delivered at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. As they consider historical, hermeneutical, theological, and practical issues regarding the Bible, these essays reveal that the irrepressible Word of God continues to transform hearts and minds.

In this study, Andrew J. Niggemann provides a comprehensive account of Martin Luther's Hebrew translation in his academic mid-career. Apart from the Psalms, no book of the Hebrew Bible has yet been examined in any comprehensive manner in terms of Luther's Hebrew translation. Andrew J. Niggemann furthers the scholarly understanding of Luther's Hebrew by examining his Minor Prophets translation, one of the final pieces of his first complete translation of the Hebrew Bible. As part of the analysis, he investigates the relationship between philology and theology in his Hebrew translation, focusing specifically on one of the themes that dominated his interpretation of the Prophets: his concept of Anfechtung. He thus shows that by mid-career, the impact of Hebrew on Luther's Bible translation was immense and very diverse, more so than has been appreciated. He expands the frame of reference with which scholars can understand Luther's Hebrew. He provides detailed analyses of many examples of his Hebrew translation which have never before been discussed or examined in any depth, and hundreds of examples of his methodological handling of Hebrew translation issues. He also includes one of the most exhaustive analyses to date of three key philological challenges that confronted Luther in translating the Bible: Hebrew figures of speech, the Hebrew trope of repetition, and Hebrew transliteration. Likewise included as an appendix is a substantial body of refined data from Luther's Hebrew translation, which further illuminates the examples in this study, and facilitates additional analysis for future research. The PhD dissertation this book is based on was awarded the Coventry Prize for the PhD dissertation in Theology with the highest mark and recommendation, University of Cambridge, St. Edmund's College in 2018.

Primary sources reveal that despite severe persecution and expulsion, an underground Anabaptist movement continued to flourish in its birthplace, Switzerland.The story of Anabaptist origins in Switzerland is well known. By contrast, the life and thought of the Anabaptists who continued to live in Switzerland over the last two-thirds of the sixteenth century has remained in relative obscurity. One reason for this is that Swiss Anabaptists after 1530 communicated their ideas by circulating handwritten writings rather than by printing books.This present volume contains a selection of those writings that were being copied and circulated among the later Anabaptists in Switzerland. The text that dominates the present collection, both in terms of length and complexity, is the massive 466-page Codex 628, copied in 1590 and containing a wide sampling of material considered significant by the Swiss Anabaptists at the end of the century. Readers of this volume thus have the opportunity to peruse, in translation, significant archival holdings that document the development of Swiss Anabaptist thought over the course of the sixteenth century.These writings reveal a maturing religious and social movement whose members continued to reflect biblically on their call to discipleship while living in a world that designated all adult baptizers heretics and disobedient, dangerous citizens.This is the thirteenth volume in the Classics of the Radical Reformation, a series of Anabaptist and Free Church documents translated and annotated under the direction of the Institute of Mennonite Studies.

Discover why the fundamentals of the Reformation still matter todayWhy do people get so excited about a bunch of Latin phrases, that some guys in Europe came up with 500 years ago? Sure, those five Latin phrases have defined Protestantism for those 500 years, but why do they matter today? To my church? For my life? What's the big deal about all these solas anyway? These ones: Sola scriptura-Scripture aloneSola fide-Faith aloneSola gratia-grace aloneSolus Christus-Christ aloneSoli Dei Gloria-To the glory of God alone?Sola is a winsome, inspiring introduction to these five pillars of the Reformation, showing not just what they are but why they're important for the Christian life today. Edited and compiled by Jason Allen, Sola will illuminate these core truths that have been reforming the church all along. And it may just get you excited about nerdy Latin phrases too.

Early-sixteenth-century radical Anabaptism emanated in Swiss protest during Huldrych Zwingli's protest against the Roman Catholic Church. Much like Luther, Zwingli founded his reform effort on the premise that the Bible was the sole arbiter of the Christian faith, sola scriptura, and the sufficiency of the shed blood of Christ for eternal salvation, sola fide. Based on these two principles, both Zwingli and Luther adopted the doctrine of the priesthood of the believer, which recognized every believer's Spirit-empowered ability to read and interpret the Bible. Radical adherents to Zwingli first rejected the idea of infant baptism, which Zwingli continued to practice. This led to the radical practice of the rebaptism of adults, which was subsequently labeled as Anabaptism. These Anabaptists also interpreted 1 Corinthians 12-14, Paul's description of the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as the biblical format for conducting proper church. This direction led Zwingli and the city of Zurich to outlaw the Anabaptists and their practices, which brought severe persecution and martyrdom.

Investigating Vatican II is a collection of Fr. Jared Wicks'recent articles on Vatican II, and presents the Second Vatican Council as an event to which theologians contributed in major ways and from which Catholic theology can gain enormous insights. Taken as a whole, the articles take the reader into the theological dynamics of Vatican II at key moments in the Council's historical unfolding. Wicks promotes a contemporary re-reception of Vatican II's theologically profound documents, especially as they featured God's incarnate and saving Word, laid down principles of Catholic ecumenical engagement, and articulated the church's turn to the modern world with a new “face” of respect and dedication to service. From the original motivations of Pope John XXIII in convoking the Council, Investigating Vatican II goes on to highlight the profound insights offered by theologians who served behind the scenes as Council experts. In its chapters, the book moves through the Council's working periods, drawing on the published and non-published records, with attention to the Council's dramas, crises, and breakthroughs. It brings to light the bases of Pope Francis's call for synodality in a listening church, while highlighting Vatican II's mandate to all of prayerful biblical reading, for fostering a vibrant “joy in the Gospel.”

No story has been more foundational to triumphalist accounts of Western modernity than that of Martin Luther, the heroic individual, standing before the tribunes of medieval authoritarianism to proclaim his religious and intellectual freedom, Here I stand! How Luther Became the Reformer returns to the birthplace of this origin myth, Germany in the late nineteenth century, and traces its development from the end of World War I through the rise of National Socialism. Why were German intellectualsespecially Protestant scholars of religion, culture, and theologyin this turbulent period so committed to this version of Luthers story? Luther was touted as the mythological figure to promote the cultural unity of Germany as a modern nation; in the myths many retellings, from the time of the Weimar Republic forward, Luther attained world-historical status. Helmer finds in this construction of Luther the Reformer a lens through which to examine modernitys deformations, among them anti-Judaism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Catholicism. Offering a new interpretation of Luther, and by extension of modernity itself, from an ecumenical perspective, How Luther Became the Reformer provides resources for understanding and contesting contemporary assaults on democracy. In this way, the book holds the promise for resistance and hope in dark times.

This book aims to uncover and explore the ideas of notable people in the story of Christian universalism from the time of the Reformation until the end of the nineteenth century. It is a story that is largely unknown in both the church and the academy, and the characters that populate it have for the most part passed into obscurity. With carefully located bore holes drilled to release the long-hidden theologies of key people and texts, the volume seeks to display and historically situate the roots, shapes, and diversity of Christian universalism. Here we discover a diverse and motley crew of mystics and scholars, social prophets and end-time sectarians, evangelicals and liberals, orthodox and heretics, Calvinists and Arminians, Puritans, Pietists, and a host of others. The story crisscrosses Continental Europe, Britain, and America, and its reverberations remain with us to this day.

Luther's oft-recounted life made a profound impact on his contemporaries. Some revered him; some hated him. This volume provides a brief narrative of the unfolding events that took place from his birth to a young entrepreneurial family through his turbulent career as university professor and public figure to his death while on a mission to reconcile a feuding princely family. Following parts of this narrative come'interviews'with friends and foes of his time, taken from a variety of sixteenth-century sources that present this dominating reformer and the passions that possessed both those who found him to be God's end-time prophet and those who hated all that he stood for because they believed it was destroying their world.

When, in October 1517, Martin Luther pinned his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of All Saints'Church in Wittenberg he shattered the foundations of western Christendom. The Reformation of doctrine and practice that followed Luther's seismic action, and protest against the sale of indulgences, fragmented the Church and overturned previously accepted certainties and priorities. But it did more, challenging the relationship between spiritual and secular authority, perceptions of the supernatural, the interpretation of the past, the role of women in society and church, and clerical attitudes towards marriage and sex. Drawing on the most recent historiography, Helen L Parish locates the Protestant Reformation in its many cultural, social and political contexts. She assesses the Reformers'impact on art and architecture; on notions of authority, scripture and tradition; and - reflecting on the extent to which the printing press helped spread Reformation ideas - on oral, print and written culture.

The second of a two-volume project delving into the doctrine of justification. Michael Horton seeks not simply to recover a clear message of its role in modern Reformed theology, but also to bring a fresh discovery of the gospel in a time when contemporary debates around justification have reignited.The doctrine of justification stands at the center of our systematic reflection on the meaning of salvation and grace as well as our piety, mission, and life together. And yet, within mainline Protestant and evangelical theology, it's often taken for granted or left to gather dust in favor of modern concerns and self-renewal.Volume 2 embarks on the theologically constructive task of investigating the biblical doctrine of justification in light of contemporary exegesis. Taking up the topic from a variety of theological vantage points, Horton engages with contemporary debates in biblical, especially Pauline, scholarship.Part 1 draws out The Horizon of Justification from the Old Testament narratives of Adam and Israel.Part 2 defines The Achievement of Justification in the blood of Christ and seeks to lay the groundwork for understanding its extent.Part 3 focuses on The Gift of Righteousness, delving into a clear articulation of what justification means, its mechanism, and the role of works on the day of judgement.Part 4 proposes a way forward for Receiving Justification and understanding faith and justification within the broader framework of union with Christ.Engaging and thorough, Justification shows that the doctrine of justification finds its most ecumenically significant starting point and proper habitat in unity with Christ, where the greatest consensus, past and present, is to be found among Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theologies.