All Roads Lead To Jerusalem

Do All Roads Lead to Jerusalem? traces the history of western encounters with other cultures on two occasions: the 'pagans' of Greece and Rome and the 'heathens' in India. The West has produced many descriptions of other cultures. A close examination of these descriptions reveals that these descriptions tell us more about western culture than about the cultures the West has attempted to describe. This over-arching theme is developed by examining one element in western culture, viz., religion. This book argues that religion is not a cultural universal and the belief that all cultures have religion is an assumption on the part of all scholars of religion. The reason for this is that western culture has been shaped by religion so that members of this culture are conceptually compelled to describe other cultures from within the framework of religion. From Biblical scholarship to the Enlightenment, from the Reformation to the Romantics, from believers to atheists, the cognitive scheme is the same - one that has been set in place by the experiential framework of Christianity. It is through this framework that all other cultures have been studied so far. Is it any wonder that members of such a culture saw religion wherever they went? By means of methodical arguments and lucid explanations this book demonstrates that religion is not a cultural universal and explains why it is believed to be so. Scholars in the field of religious and cultural studies will find this work illuminating, original, and deeply compelling.

When Jenny Jones and her three children move from their Washington home to that of Jenny's in-laws in the West Bank, the village of Safa seems like a haven. Sheltered from much of the area's troubles, Jenny considers the village to be the ideal place for her children to explore a part of their identity they deserved to know more about. In spite of its pastoral charm, Safa is far more complex than Jenny had imagined. On top of dealing with inter-tribal battles, military round-ups, and nighttime raids, Jenny has to deal with her in-laws and day-to-day difficulties caused by her less than eloquent Arabic and frequent cultural misunderstandings. But the Holy Land is famous for its miracles after all-and after coming across a National Geographic article one day bemoaning the jealously guarded off-limits archaeological chambers on Jerusalem's famous Temple Mount, Jenny decides to make a sudden, life changing decision to find a way in herself--despite virtually impossible odds--along the way discovering a kind of self-acceptance and belonging that she never imagined possible. All Roads Lead to Jerusalem depicts a woman's struggle to find a sense of inner peace after realizing that neither the restrictive Islamic culture she has chosen, nor the increasingly hostile North American society she was born into, seem to offer the acceptance she yearns for.

Roman Centurion Gaius Julius Comminus struggles to fulfill his duty against a madman who haunts the roads of Zion, bent on the murder and plunder of Roman citizens. Complicating the investigation is the political intrigue of the times spawned by the ministry of a young rabbi from Nazareth.

In All Roads Lead to the Text Dean Deppe offers a user-friendly guide to biblical exegesis and interpretation. Far from a dry, theoretical handbook, this book's example-based approach enlivens the exegetical task and offers immediate payoff by constantly applying concepts to specific texts. Deppe focuses on eight methods that biblical scholars use, from analyzing literary, grammatical, and structural elements to investigating historical and cultural backgrounds to exploring the history of interpretation. Deppe explains each approach using several concrete examples from both Old and New Testament texts, and every chapter concludes with practical, text-based questions for study and discussion.

Resurrection -- Jesus Christ -- Richard Carrier -- Evidence -- Analysis -- Contradiction -- Comparison -- Dying and rising gods -- Hallucination.

Biblical scholar Kermit Zarley unravels and joins together thousands of end-time prophecies in a reader-friendly, chronological framework that will help readers understand the messages the prophets left to us within the Bible. This book presents a new view of Jesus: that of Warrior-King who will return to Earth to wage battle against the Antichrist and deliver Israel from persecution.Also available: The Third Day Bible Code9781933538433

The strong relationship between the Bible and the sacraments of the Catholic Church is generally accepted in theology. This monograph approaches this relationship from a synchronic perspective. This fresh perspective opens up new windows providing insight into similarities found in the various rites, in and outside the Catholic Church. For example, the basic biblical pattern of the celebration of the Eucharist / Last Supper appears to be standard. It also poses critical questions regarding sacramental theology in general, especially to the problematic equation of the proper name Jesus and the title Christ. Archibald L. H. M. van Wieringen, professor of Old Testament at the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology, has published on Isaiah, Amos, communication-oriented analysis and biblical theology. He is a priest of the diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam.