Symbol Service And Song

In the Old Testament, the Levites stand as key ministry leaders for the worship of the people of God, from their origins with Moses and the tabernacle, to their service at the Jerusalem temple, to their roles in the postexilic period. This study proposes a multidimensional reading of the texts centered on the Levites in the Davidic narratives of 1 Chronicles 10–29. From a literary point of view, the notion that the Levites are closely associated with the symbol of God’s presence is explored. From a historical perspective, the roles of the Levites in expanding the service to God and his people is examined. And from a theological perspective, the means by which the Levites facilitate the song of God’s people is studied. Overall, this work seeks to defend the idea that these texts contribute significantly to the rhetorical argumentation, the historiographic method, and the biblical-theological meaning of the canonical books of Chronicles generally, and of the Davidic narratives of 1 Chronicles 10–29 specifically, as they emphasize the central role played by proper Levitical worship leadership at the time of David and during the challenging situation of the Chronicler’s Yehudite postexilic audience.

The Psalms as Christian Scripture. Reading the Psalms Theologically presents rich biblical-theological studies on the Psalter. Reading the Psalter as a Unified Book: Recent Trends (David M. Howard and Michael K. Snearly) The Macrostructural Design and Logic of the Psalter: An Unfurling of the Davidic Covenant (Peter C. W. Ho) David's Biblical Theology and Typology in the Psalms: Authorial Intent and Patterns of the Seed of Promise (James M. Hamilton) A Story in the Psalms? Narrative Structure at the "Seams" of the Psalter's Five Books (David "Gunner" Gunderson) Does the Book of Psalms Present a Divine Messiah? (Seth D. Postell) The Suffering Servant in Book V of the Psalter (Jill Firth) Excavating the "Fossil Record" of a Metaphor: The Use of the Verb nasa' as "to forgive" in the Psalter (C. Hassell Bullock) The Art of Lament in Lamentations (May Young) The Psalms of Lament and the Theology of the Cross (Rolf A. Jacobson) "In Sheol, who can give you praise?" Death in the Psalms (Philip S. Johnston) Psalm 32: More Accurately a Declarative Praise than Penitential Psalm (Daniel J. Estes) Theology of the Nations in the Book of Psalms (Ryan J. Cook) Psalm 87 and the Promise of Inclusion (Jamie A. Grant) YHWH Among the Gods: The Trial for Justice in Psalm 82 (Andrew J. Schmutzer) Reclaiming Divine Sovereignty in the Anthropocene: Psalms 93–100 and the Convergence of Theology and Ecology (J. Clinton McCann) A Theology of Glory: Divine Sanctum and Service in the Psalter (Jerome Skinner) Perceptions of Divine Presence in the Levitical Psalms of Book 2: The Paradox of Distance and Proximity (J. Nathan Clayton) Psalm 110, Jesus, and Melchizedek (David C. Mitchell) The essays interpret the Psalms as a carefully-composed book. Each study focuses on a biblical or theological topic, drawing insights from past interpreters and current scholarship.

What is the post-exilic Israelites’ destiny? What should they have hoped for? How could they actualize their desired community? This book discusses the identity of the post-exilic Israelite community by focusing on the unique rhetorical impetus in the book of Chronicles. Chronicles suggests a picture of the desired future Israel. Yet, the Chronicler does not call for a new identity, creation ex nihilo, from the community but calls for the restoration of the Israelites’ past identity by reporting the history of Israel and Judah. The restoration of their past identity can be actualized when members of the community fulfill portrayed roles and characteristics in Chronicles: worshiping, monotheistic believing, and praying, and Davidic citizenship. Further, recorded prayer plays a crucial role as Chronicles persuades its readers to render or exhibit those roles and characteristics. Prayer invites the community members to participate so that they transform past prayers into their own prayers. By doing so, the prayer participants perceive portrayed roles and characteristics and change their attitude. By rendering and exhibiting desired roles and characteristics, they eventually hope for and actualize a better community, the liturgical community.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1871.

River of God is an introduction to world missions aimed at undergraduate students. However, the readers will soon discover that the book is rich in its content far beyond the editors' original plan. It serves as a reader for people with various levels of missiological interest and competence and deals with cutting-edge issues in missions. This book introduces a new paradigm, Kingdom Missiology, which builds on shalom in the Old Testament and as Jesus applied to the Kingdom of God in the New Testament. The first half of the book looks at Kingdom Missiology from the biblical, historical, and cultural dimensions. The second half of the book describes helpful strategies in the implementation of this paradigm. The importance of urban ministry is woven throughout the book. Contributors: Ashley Barker, Gina Bellofatto, Kendi Howells Douglas, Robert Douglas, Todd Johnson, Robert Kurka, Janice Lemke, Paul McAlister, Mark Moore, Doug Priest, Greg Pruett, Mike Sweeney, Bill Weber, Donovan Weber, Linda Whitmer, and Tetsunao Yamamori