Language For God In Patristic Tradition

Criticism of myth in the Bible is not a modern problem. Its roots go back to the earliest Christian theologians, and before them, to ancient Greek and Jewish thinkers. The dilemma posed by texts that ascribe human characteristics and emotions to the divine is a perennial problem, and we have much to learn from the ancient attempts to address it. Mark Sheridan provides a theological and historical analysis of the patristic interpretation of Scripture?s anthropomorphic and anthropopathic language for God. Rather than reject the Bible as mere stories, ancient Jewish and Christian theologians read these texts allegorically or theologically in order to discover the truth contained within them. They recognized that an edifying and appropriate interpretation of these stories required that one start from the understanding that "God is not a human being" (Num 23:19). Sheridan brings the patristic tradition into conversation with modern interpreters to show the abiding significance of its theological interpretation for today. Language for God in Patristic Tradition is a landmark resource for students of ancient Christian theology. Wide-ranging in scope and accessible in its analysis, it demonstrates that those engaged in theological interpretation of Scripture have much to gain from studying their forebears in the faith.

"Contributors to this volume refute the widely held perception that the doctrine of deification primarily belonged in the Eastern Church, and that the Western Church reduced the rich biblical and Greek patristic understanding of salvation to a narrow view of redemption. To the contrary, these essays provide evidence of the wide-ranging use of deification themes in major Latin patristic sources, showing that deification was a native part of early Latin theology that was consitently and creatively employed"--

Deification in the Greek patristic tradition was the fulfilment of the destiny for which humanity was created - not merely salvation from sin but entry into the fullness of the divine life of the Trinity. This book, the first on the subject for over sixty years, traces the history of deification from its birth as a second-century metaphor with biblical roots to its maturity as a doctrine central to the spiritual life of the Byzantine Church. Drawing attention to the richness and diversity of the patristic approaches from Irenaeus to Maximus the Confessor, Norman Russell offers a full discussion of the background and context of the doctrine, at the same time highlighting its distinctively Christian character.

In six closely-reasoned chapters, Joseph Gordon presents a detailed account of a Christian doctrine of Scripture in the fullest context of systematic theology. Divine Scripture in Human Understanding addresses the confusing plurality of contemporary approaches to Christian Scripture—both within and outside the academy—by articulating a traditionally grounded, constructive systematic theology of Christian Scripture. Utilizing primarily the methodological resources of Bernard Lonergan and traditional Christian doctrines of Scripture recovered by Henri de Lubac, it draws upon achievements in historical-critical study of Scripture, studies of the material history of Christian Scripture, reflection on philosophical hermeneutics and philosophical and theological anthropology, and other resources to articulate a unified but open horizon for understanding Christian Scripture today. Following an overview of the contemporary situation of Christian Scripture, Joseph Gordon identifies intellectual precedents for the work in the writings of Irenaeus, Origen, and Augustine, who all locate Scripture in the economic work of the God to whom it bears witness by interpreting it through the Rule of Faith. Subsequent chapters draw on Scripture itself; classical sources such as Irenaeus, Origen, Augustine, and Aquinas; the fruit of recent studies on the history of Scripture; and the work of recent scholars and theologians to provide a contemporary Christian articulation of the divine and human locations of Christian Scripture and the material history and intelligibility and purpose of Scripture in those locations. The resulting constructive position can serve as a heuristic for affirming the achievements of traditional, historical-critical, and contextual readings of Scripture and provides a basis for addressing issues relatively underemphasized by those respective approaches.

A theologically grounded treatment of what it means to be close to God Numerous Christian books aim to provide guidance on relationships with God, but few base their conclusions on a biblical theology of intimacy. In this volume, Tim Anderson develops a biblical and holistic portrait of nearness to God, exploring key themes like God's Trinitarian union, the fall, God's fatherhood, marriage imagery, suffering, and our relationship with the Holy Spirit. A concluding chapter examines contemporary Christian songs that address oneness with God and evaluates their theological messages in light of the previous chapters. Into His Presence is a helpful guide for pursuing intimacy with God and distinguishing contemporary cultural understandings of close relationships from those communicated in Scripture.

The disciplines of theology and biblical studies should serve each other, and they should serve both the church and the academy together. But the relationship between them is often marked by misunderstandings, methodological differences, and cross-discipline tension. Theologian Hans Boersma here highlights five things he wishes biblical scholars knew about theology. In a companion volume, biblical scholar Scot McKnight reflects on five things he wishes theologians knew about biblical studies. With an irenic spirit as well as honesty about differences that remain, Boersma and McKnight seek to foster understanding between their disciplines through these books so they might once again collaborate with one another.

The Christian claim that the triune God is the creator of the universe is both exegetically grounded and theologically rich. Yet discussions about God's work of creation are often overwhelmed by questions such as the age of the earth and the relationship between divine creation and evolution. Without completely ignoring such issues, Peter Leithart offers a decidedly theological interpretation of the creation account from Genesis 1. By engaging with classic discussions of creation, including those of Plato and Aristotle, as well as Christian articulations as varied as those of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Sergius Bulgakov, Karl Barth and Robert Jenson, Leithart embraces the challenge of talking about God and God's first work. Here, readers will discover what it means to articulate a theology that is rigorously grounded in the first chapter of the Bible and the creedal affirmation of God the Father almighty, who is the creator of the heavens and earth.

A Legacy of Preaching, Volume One--Apostles to the Revivalists explores the history and development of preaching through a biographical and theological examination of its most important preachers. Instead of teaching the history of preaching from the perspective of movements and eras, each contributor tells the story of a particular preacher in history, allowing the preachers from the past to come alive and instruct us through their lives, theologies, and methods of preaching. Each chapter introduces readers to a key figure in the history of preaching, followed by an analysis of the theological views that shaped their preaching, their methodology of sermon preparation and delivery, and an appraisal of the significant contributions they have made to the history of preaching. This diverse collection of familiar and lesser-known individuals provides a detailed and fascinating look at what it has meant to communicate the gospel over the past two thousand years. By looking at how the gospel has been communicated over time and across different cultures, pastors, scholars, and homiletics students can enrich their own understanding and practice of preaching for application today. Volume One covers the period from the apostles to the revivalists and profiles thirty preachers including: Paul by Eric Rowe Peter by David R. Beck Melito of Sardis by Paul A. Hartog Origen of Alexandria by Stephen O. Presley Ephrem the Syrian by Jonathan J. Armstrong Basil of Caesarea by Jonathan Morgan John Chrysostom by Paul A. Hartog Augustine of Hippo by Edward L. Smither Gregory the Great by W. Brian Shelton Bernard of Clairvaux by Elizabeth Hoare Francis of Assisi by Timothy D. Holder Saint Bonaventure by G. R. Evans Meister Eckhart by Daniel Farca? Johannes Tauler by Byard Bennett John Huss by Mark A. Howell Girolamo Savonarola by W. Brian Shelton Martin Luther by Robert Kolb Ulrich Zwingli by Kevin L. King Balthasar Hubmaier by Corneliu C. Simu? William Tyndale by Scott A. Wenig John Calvin by Anthony N. S. Lane William Perkins by Dwayne Milioni Richard Baxter by Simon Vibert John Owen by Henry M. Knapp John Bunyan by Larry Steven McDonald Matthew Henry by William C. Watson and W. Ross Hastings François Fénelon by Martin I. Klauber Jonathan Edwards by Gerald R. McDermott John Wesley by Michael Pasquarello III George Whitefield by Bill Curtis and Timothy McKnight Volume Two, available separately, covers the period from the Enlightenment to the present day and profiles thirty-one preachers including Charles Haddon Spurgeon, D. L. Moody, Billy Sunday, Karl Barth, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John Stott, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Martin Luther King Jr., Billy Graham, and more.