An Insider S View Of Jesus

Quote: 'Why would God reveal to Joseph Smith a faulty [mistranslated] KJV text?' Chap 4: (Evangelical Protestantism in the Book of Mormon) concludes that numerous theological issues addressed in the Book of Mormon probably derived from Smith's Upstate New York religious environment than from the claimed ancient gold plates. Chap 5: (Moroni and the Golden Pot) examines a long list of parallels between a published story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and Smith's account of the angel Moroni's visits. The chapter concludes, 'It would stretch credulity to believe that this [long list of parallels between Hoffmann's Golden Pot story and Smith's Moroni story] could be a coincidence, and I therefore think that a debt is owed to E.T.A. Hoffmann and the European traditions ... ' Chap.

For the first time in history, large numbers of people from the world’s major non-Christian religions are following Jesus as Lord. Surprisingly for many Western Christians, they are choosing to do so within the religious communities of their birth and outside of institutional Christianity. How does this work, and how should we respond to these movements? This long-awaited anthology brings together some of the best writings on the topic of insider movements. Diverse voices explore this phenomenon from the perspectives of Scripture, history, theology, missiology, and the experience and identity of insider believers. Those who are unfamiliar with the subject will find this book a crucial guide to a complex conversation. Students and instructors of mission will find it useful as a reader and reference volume. Field workers and agencies will discover in these chapters welcome starting points for dialogue and clearer communication. The first book to provide a comprehensive survey of the topic of insider movements, Understanding Insider Movements is an indispensable companion for those who want to glimpse the creative, unexpected, boundary-crossing ways God is at work among the peoples of the world in their diverse religious communities.

Buddhism is not a way of harmony and cosmic unity, as Westerners tend to think. Although Buddhism is a rapidly rising religion in the West, few Westerners know what Buddhism is like from the inside. Steve, who made the journey from Buddhism to Christ, explains the Buddhist mind-set and worldview, and makes useful points of comparison.

This collection of essays breaks new ground in its interdisciplinary study of the way Jews redefined their identity in the changing societies of modern eastern Europe. Sensitively treating the drama of east European Jewry from cultural and political vantage points, prominent scholars provide fresh insights into the complex issues facing the Jewish world. The multifaceted essays in this volume reflect the influence of the pioneering work of the historian Ezra Mendelsohn.

Are Muslim insider Christ followers real believers? Are they Muslims or Christians? Does that matter? The topic of insider movements is controversial within the church. The debate rages on, opinions differ widely, and convictions often are defended aggressively. The set of voices sorely missing from this hot debate has been that of the insiders themselves. This book finally breaks that silence. Henk Prenger researched the views of 26 Muslim insider Christ followers who are leaders in their movements. You will be surprised by their insights. Prenger presents their views on 21 theology-proper topics such as God, man, the gospel, sin, Satan, the cross, heaven and hell, the Bible, and our mandate. He plotted these views in a theological/missional framework with four paradigms: Fundamental, Ecumenical, Integral, and Global. This M-Framework is a powerful catalyst for honest conversations about theological paradigms that inform how we approach insider movements and the kingdom of God on earth.

Christianity Today's 2017 Book of the Year Award of Merit - Missions/Global Church Amidst the variegated spread of global Christianity, followers of Jesus are showing up in unexpected places. Today we hear of culturally embedded insider movements, Jesus followers in the folds and creases of Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, and other cultural fabrics. They elude our conventional theological categories and elicit wonder and debate. Are these authentic expressions of Christian faith? And if so, how should we understand them? William Dyrness brings a rare blend of cultural and theological engagement to his reflections on these insider movements. Could it be that our own understanding of what God is doing in the world is culturally shaped and needs recalibrating? How might the story of Israel and the early emergence of Jewish followers of Jesus provide helpful perspective on what we are seeing today? What is God already doing amidst a culture and people before the missionary arrives? And how might American Christians need to rethink the nature of religion? Within the present ferment and conversation, Dyrness's probings and reflections open up a theological space for exploring these questions anew.

The Gospel of Matthew contains many repeated phrases and double stories. Scholars have usually used this as evidence to support various source theories. Taking a different approach, this book uses narrative and reader-response criticisms to explore the role verbal repetition plays in the rhetoric, characterization, and plot of the Gospel. The importance of variation, context, and the temporal dimension of narrative is highlighted. A concluding chapter treats two literary studies of repetition in modern narrative and the relation of narrative and reader-response criticisms to aural reception of the Gospels in the first century.

Johns Gospel has been studied and evaluated and interpreted constantly by theologians throughout the ages. Can anything more possibly be said? Jerome Neyrey says it can, indeed, by interpreting it in two fresh ways by means of ancient rhetoric and by viewing it in its cultural context. / In order to find patterns and concepts that have a bearing on how to read John Neyrey examines the rhetoric of praise and blame described in the ancient encomium, the Greek commonplace on noble death, rules for rhetorical conclusions, and Jewish background materials. He then uses materials from cultural anthropology, such as the effects of limited good and envy, secrecy, and brokerage. Even innocent topics such as time and space have much to say about interpreting the figure of Jesus. / In viewing John through these two lenses, The Gospel of John in Cultural and Rhetorical Perspective brings the book into clear focus as a truly maverick gospel