Conflict In Christology

Intertwined with Mark's story of Jesus are two other story lines: those of the religious authorities (without real authority), and those of the disciples (loyal and uncomprehending.) In this signal effort, Kingsbury traces and interprets all three story lines as found in Mark, chapters 2-4.

Originally published in 1984, this extraordinary work has until now been available only in an expensive library edition. The present edition has been completely updated and redesigned, and includes an extended new introduction by Marcus Borg that relates the book's central arguments to subsequent Jesus scholarship. A foreword by N.T. Wright characterizes the book as one of the foundational works in the "third quest" for the historical Jesus. In the book, Marcus Borg argues that conflict between a politics of holiness and a politics of compassion, and their implications for Israel, resides at the center of Jesus' activity and teaching. He emphasizes several features that have since become central to Jesus scholarship: the importance of Jesus' inclusive meal practice, a non-apocalyptic paradigm for understanding Jesus, and Jesus as a social prophet and boundary-breaker. Marcus J. Borg is Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture in the Philosophy Department at Oregon State University. He is the author of nine books, including Jesus in Contemporary Scholarship, also published by Trinity Press.

We often imagine Jesus as the ultimate peacemaker, as one who saw all sides and kindly overlooked differences of belief or practice. The Gospels say this was not so. Jesus drew sharp lines. He disagreed with many. He rejected being broadminded on a variety of topics. He engaged in vigorous debate, especially with several different groups of religious leaders. What conflicts did he have? He argued that we would experience a supernatural afterlife, that our natural existence is not all God has planned. He disagreed that human tradition should not supersede Scripture, our foundational authority. He clashed on whether the Bible was not an end in itself, contending that its purpose pointed beyond itself. He sharply articulated that God accept us by virtue of what we receive from him, not by what we do for him. These and other controversies clarify the core distinctives of the Christian faith which, John Stott boldly asserts, are nothing less than the distinctives of the evangelical faith. This text of Stott's classic, Christ the Controversialist, now edited by David Stone for the twenty-first century, was controversial when it was first published. It is no less controversial today.

Robert R. McLaughlin is the pastor of Grace Bible Church in Somerset, Massachusetts and the President of Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries. Both ministries are non-denominational grace ministries dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world. For over 30 years Pastor McLaughlin has taught from the original languages of scripture, The Ministry is dedicated to equipping the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to live the life that the Lord has designed for them. This is a life of contentment and strength as we go through the inevitable problems and challenges that life brings. Like it or not, believe it or not, we are all a part of an Angelic Conflict. One can hardly live in today’s society and not come across the concept of good versus evil. Books, movies, video games, news, it is found everywhere. It is actually a measure of Satan’s genius that he uses all of these things to disguise, obscure, and pervert the truth. This book explains why most people, including many Christians, are unable to associate the events of their lives with the big picture, the Angelic Conflict itself. The Bible teaches that before the creation of man, a conflict arose between God and His angels, when Satan attempted to ascend to the Mount of Heaven and wrestle God’s ruler-ship away from Him. The resulting battle left the surface of the earth in ruins, at this point the earth was packed in ice. Presumably it was at this time that the trial occurred in which Satan and the angels that followed him were found guilty and sentenced to the Lake of Fire. Since Satan is obviously not yet in the Lake of Fire, the logical conclusion is that he appealed his sentence. We can speculate a number of grounds on which he is making this appeal. One is an accusation against God’s character that we hear often enough in life: How can a loving God cast His creatures into hell? To answer this appeal, God created man, a lower being, and set him in the great stadium of earth for all the angels to observe. God would take on the form of this lower being Himself. He would allow sinful man to abuse and mock Him, and finally to nail Him to a Roman Cross in an attempt to destroy Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ would then bear the penalty for the sins of all mankind. By doing so He neutralized the claims His justice had against us, so that we could live with Him and fellowship with Him forever. This book unlocks the secrets of the Angelic Conflict!

No period of history was more formative for the development of Christianity than the patristic age, when church leaders, monks, and laity established the standard features of Christianity as we know it today. Combining historical and theological analysis, Christopher Beeley presents a detailed and far-reaching account of how key theologians and church councils understood the most central element of their faith, the identity and significance of Jesus Christ. Focusing particularly on the question of how Christ can be both human and divine and reassessing both officially orthodox and heretical figures, Beeley traces how an authoritative theological tradition was constructed. His book holds major implications for contemporary theology, church history, and ecumenical discussions, and it is bound to revolutionize the way in which patristic tradition is understood.