Cascade Companions
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Conflict, Community, and Honor
1 Peter in Social-Scientific Perspective
by John H. Elliott
Part 2 of the Cascade Companions series
Synopsis currently unavailable.
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Reading Paul
by Michael J. Gorman
Part 4 of the Cascade Companions series
In this new introduction to the Apostle Paul and his gospel, written especially for lay readers, for beginning students, and for those unsure about what to make of Paul, Michael J. Gorman takes the apostle seriously, as someone who speaks for God and to us. After an overview not only of Paul's radical transformation from persecutor to proclaimer but also of his letter-writing in the context of Paul's new mission, Reading Paul explores the central themes of the apostle's gospel: Gorman places special emphasis on the theopolitical character of Paul's gospel and on the themes of cross and resurrection, multiculturalism in the church, and peacemaking and nonviolence as the way of Christ according to Paul. Gorman also offers a distinctive interpretation of justification by faith as participation in Christ--an interpretation that challenges standard approaches to these Pauline themes. Reading Paul demonstrates that the apostle of faith, hope, and love speaks not only to our deepest spiritual needs but also to the challenging times in which we live.
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Feminism and Christianity
Questions and Answers in the Third Wave
by Caryn D. Riswold
Part 10 of the Cascade Companions series
Why should feminists care about Christianity? Why should Christians care about feminism? In Feminism and Christianity Riswold presents a collection of concise answers to basic questions like these in order to generate discussion about how the two can challenge each other and can even work together in the twenty-first century. Situated firmly in the third wave of feminist activism and scholarship as well as in contemporary Christian theology, Riswold addresses issues such as race, class, gender, and sexuality with an affirmation of tradition alongside a push for change. This book is an opportunity for Christians to gain a fuller understanding of feminism, moving beyond stereotypes and assumptions and into history and contemporary society. Simultaneously this book is an opportunity for feminists to understand the ongoing relevance of a religion whose social power and core commitments can contribute to a vision of a just human community.
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Christianity and Politics
A Brief Guide to the History
by C. C. Pecknold
Part 12 of the Cascade Companions series
It is not simply for rhetorical flourish that politicians so regularly invoke God's blessings on the country. It is because the relatively new form of power we call the nation-state arose out of a Western political imagination steeped in Christianity. In this brief guide to the history of Christianity and politics, Pecknold shows how early Christianity reshaped the Western political imagination with its new theological claims about eschatological time, participation, and communion with God and neighbor. The ancient view of the Church as the mystical body of Christ is singled out in particular as the author traces shifts in its use and meaning throughout the early, medieval, and modern periods-shifts in how we understand the nature of the person, community and the moral conscience that would give birth to a new relationship between Christianity and politics. While we have many accounts of this narrative from either political or ecclesiastical history, we have few that avoid the artificial separation of the two. This book fills that gap and presents a readable, concise, and thought-provoking introduction to what is at stake in the contentious relationship between Christianity and politics.
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Theological Theodicy
by Daniel Castelo
Part 14 of the Cascade Companions series
The question of God's relationship to evil is a long-running one in the history of Christianity, and the term often deployed for this task has been theodicy. The way theodicy has historically been pursued, however, has been problematic on a number of counts. Most significantly, these efforts have generally been insufficiently theological. This work hopes to subvert and reconfigure the theodical task in a way that can be accessible to non-specialists. Overall, the book hopes to cast the god of theodicy as the triune God of Christian confession, a move that shapes and alters distinctly all that follows in what has traditionally been considered a philosophical matter.
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Jacob Arminius
The Man from Oudewater
by Rustin E. Brian
Part 17 of the Cascade Companions series
Jacob Arminius was a Dutch theologian whose views have become the basis of Arminianism and the Dutch Remonstrant movement, and are quite influential on Wesleyan, and therefore Methodist, theology as well. Arminius attempted to reform Reformed theology and ended up lending his name to a movement that resisted some of the primary tenets of Calvinism. Rustin E. Brian outlines the life and theology of Arminius, shedding fresh light on his life, theology, and writings. In hopes of better understanding Arminian theology and Arminianism, Brian concludes with a constructive comparison and contrast of Arminius and several prominent theological figures: Pelagius, John Wesley, and Karl Barth.
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Reading John
by Christopher W. Skinner
Part 18 of the Cascade Companions series
The Gospel of John is often found at the center of discussions about the Bible and its relation to Christian theology. It is difficult to quantify the impact John's Gospel has had on both the historical development of Christian doctrine and the various expressions of Christian devotion. All too often, however, readers have failed to understand the Gospel as an autonomous text with its own unique story to tell. More often than not, the Gospel of John is swept into a reading approach that either conflates or attempts to harmonize with other accounts of Jesus' life. This book emphasizes the uniqueness of John's story of Jesus and attempts to provide readers with a road map for appreciating the historical context and literary features of the text. The aim of this book is to help others become better, more perceptive readers of the Gospel of John, with an ability to trace the rhetoric of the narrative from beginning to end.
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Forgiveness
A Theology
by Anthony Bash
Part 19 of the Cascade Companions series
Many endorse the idea of personal forgiveness without fully understanding its complexity and subtlety. This book is a careful and detailed theological exploration of personal forgiveness. It sets forgiveness in its ancient and biblical context, as well as drawing on contemporary debates among philosophers, psychological therapists, and international relations theorists. Forgiveness is written in a clear, accessible style for both the specialist and the non-specialist, and even the most difficult issues are clearly explained and their significance explored. Anthony Bash seeks to restore forgiveness to the center of Christian doctrine and practice, and to defend its place in personal and public life.
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The Rule of Faith
A Guide
by Everett Ferguson
Part 20 of the Cascade Companions series
The rule of faith was a summary of apostolic preaching and teaching made by writers of the early Christian centuries. As such it carries great importance for what the early church considered basic to its being and identity. It was not a fixed text, like a creed, but varied in wording and content according to circumstances. Yet, despite this flexibility and diversity, there is a clear Christ-centered, Trinitarian core at the heart of the rule shared by the early apostolic churches.
In this short guide, Everett Ferguson introduces readers to the primary sources of our knowledge of the rule, the variety of ways in which ancient Christian authors spoke of the rule, and different scholarly attempts to interpret this ancient evidence. Ferguson argues that statements of the rule of faith were used to instruct new or potential converts, to combat false teachings, and to provide a framework for interpreting the Scriptures. He maintains that the rule retains considerable importance for churches of the twenty-first century.
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Richard Hooker
A Companion to His Life and Work
by W. Bradford Littlejohn
Part 23 of the Cascade Companions series
Although by common consent the greatest theologian of the Anglican tradition, Richard Hooker is little known in Protestant circles more generally, and increasingly neglected within the Anglican Communion. Although scholarship on Hooker has witnessed a dramatic renaissance within the last generation, thus far this has tended to make Hooker less, not more accessible to general audiences, and interpreters have been sharply divided on the meaning of his theology. This book aims to draw upon recent research in order to offer a fresh portrait of Hooker in his original historical context, one in which it had not yet occurred to any Englishman to assume the label "Anglican," and to bring him to life for all branches of the contemporary church.
Part One examines his life, writings, and reputation, puncturing several old myths along the way. Part Two seeks to establish Hooker's theological and pastoral vision, exploring why he wrote, how he wrote, whom he was seeking to persuade, and whom he was seeking to refute. Part Three analyzes key themes of Hooker's theology--Scripture, Law, Church, and Sacraments--and how they related to his late Reformation context. Finally, the concluding chapter proposes Hooker's method as a model for our confused contemporary age, combining fidelity to Scripture, historical awareness, and a pastorally sensitive pragmatism.
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The U.S. Immigration Crisis
Toward an Ethics of Place
by Miguel A. De La Torre
Part 27 of the Cascade Companions series
The current immigration crisis on our southern borders is usually debated from a safe distance. Politicians create a fear of the migrant to garner votes, while academicians pontificate on the topic from the comfort of cushy armchairs. What would happen if instead the issue were explored with one's feet on the ground--what the author calls an "ethics of place"? As an organic intellectual, De La Torre writes while physically standing in solidarity with migrants who are crossing borders and the humanitarian organizations that accompany them in their journey. He painstakingly captures their stories, testimonies, and actions, which become the foundation for theological and ethical analysis. From this vantage point, the book constructs a liberative ethics based on what those disenfranchised by our current immigration policies are saying and doing in the hopes of not just raising consciousness, but also crafting possibilities for participatory praxis.
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Theologia Crucis
A Companion to the Theology of the Cross
by Robert Cady Saler
Part 28 of the Cascade Companions series
Recovery of Paul and Luther's theology of the cross has been an enduring legacy of twentieth-century theology, and in our own day the topic has continued to expand as more and more global voices join the conversation. The array of literature produced on the cross and its theological significance can be overwhelming. In this readable and concise introduction, Robert Saler provides an overview of the key motifs present in theologians seeking to understand how the cross of Jesus Christ informs the work of theology, ministry, and activism on behalf of victims of injustice today. He also demonstrates how theology of the cross can be a lens through which to understand crucial questions of our time related to the nature of beauty, God's redemption, and the forces which seek to overwhelm both. Ranging from Luther and Bonhoeffer to James Cone and feminist theologians, Saler makes this literature accessible to all who wish to understand how the cross shapes Christian claims about God and God's work on behalf of the world.
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Reading 1 Corinthians
by J. Brian Tucker
Part 36 of the Cascade Companions series
First Corinthians offers readers a window into the social life and setting of an early Christ-movement congregation. The Apostle Paul's practical guidance to the Corinthians living in a Roman colony overlaps with many contemporary concerns: identity, leadership, sexuality, gender, diversity, worship, theology, and economics. All too often, however, the letter is read in an individualistic and supersessionistic way. Furthermore, parts of the letter are lifted out of their original context and applied in ways foreign to that setting.
This book reads the letter through the lens of social identity theory, a leading social scientific method for understanding the New Testament. This reading strategy is supported by a post-supersessionist perspective in which the church is not thought to replace Israel as God's people. The aim of this book is to introduce non-specialists to this fascinating letter in a way that highlights the current research into the social context of Corinth. It offers relevant discussion questions and an identity-critical reading of 1 Corinthians that shows Paul's interest in three key themes: identity, ethics, and ethos.
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Postmodern Theology
A Biopic
by Carl A. Raschke
Part 37 of the Cascade Companions series
Postmodern Theology consists in a sharp-edged retrospective and reflection on the forty-year history of the most important movement in contemporary religious thought that is only now passing from the scene. The author, Dr. Carl Raschke, is generally credited with having sparked the movement, even if he did not always happen to be its leading spokesperson. Not only has a comprehensive survey of postmodern theology in all its different phases and complexity not been published prior to the appearance of this book, but it is even more remarkable for someone who both "launched" it and had a central role in shepherding it along to offer what may be termed a "movement memoir."
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A Companion to Philemon
by Lewis Brogdon
Part 42 of the Cascade Companions series
When is the last time you heard a sermon, Bible study, or even read the Letter to Philemon? For some the answer is "recently" but for too many the answer is "it has been a long time" or worse yet "never." Why is it that Philemon, though included in the Christian canon, is not read and studied as a text with theological depth that is helpful for serious study and preaching? In A Companion to Philemon, Lewis Brogdon insists that a part of the reason is the interpretation that Paul is sending a thieving runaway slave back to his good master. This interpretation is not only problematic, it is also theologically limiting and offers the church very little to reflect on as we face mammoth issues of inclusion and fellowship such as racism, sexism, and classism. A Companion to Philemon challenges the church to reimagine the interpretation of Philemon by focusing on the role exclusion had in the events that led to his departure from Philemon. Using the issue of exclusion, Brogdon takes the interpretation of Philemon in new directions that not only invite the church to read Philemon but also challenge us to examine both our understanding and practice of Christian fellowship today.
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Reading Luke
by Frank Dicken
Part of the Cascade Companions series
The Gospel of Luke is a book about Jesus, claiming to provide assurance concerning what its reader has been taught about Jesus. But how does it do that? This book provides an answer to that question by helping readers understand Luke as a gospel story in its historical context and with appreciation for the author's literary artistry and theological perspectives.
Part one explores background information and literary features of Luke such as its author and first readers, genre, plot and character development, the role of programmatic passages, and interpreting the large number of parables included by Luke. Part two focuses on themes that run throughout the Gospel: Jesus's mission, salvation, discipleship, the kingdom of God, resurrection, and ascension. The discussion of these features and themes will provide readers of Luke's Gospel with a grasp of its overarching framework so that they are able to comprehend Luke's unique presentation of Jesus's life and read the Gospel with increased confidence for themselves.
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Reading Galatians
by John Anthony Dunne
Part of the Cascade Companions series
Galatians is simultaneously one of Paul's most well-known and least understood letters. At times Galatians is reduced down to a single concept, like freedom, or to a single passage about either justification by faith or the fruit of the Spirit, and yet the personal and scriptural argument that Paul was making to his original readers is usually ignored in the process. Instead of treating Galatians like a first draft of Romans, as is also typically done, Reading Galatians highlights the unique features of Galatians, which make it peculiar among the writings of Paul. It also overviews Paul's engagement with the Galatians from his initial ministry among them to what transpired after he left and all the way through to his multifaceted response, what we can glean about their reaction to it, and why it still matters to us today.
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Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk
Hebrew Prophets of the Seventh Century
by Jack R. Lundbom
Part of the Cascade Companions series
This book introduces readers to three Hebrew prophets of the seventh century BCE, Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. After a survey of the historical background of the period, and a brief introduction to each prophet, all prophecies are translated, their rhetorical and compositional nature noted, and each is then discussed in detail. At the conclusion of each passage questions are provided for reflection, making the book suitable for Bible study and small-group discussions.
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Jesus and the Empire of God
Reading the Gospels in the Roman Empire
by Warren Carter
Part of the Cascade Companions series
The New Testament Gospels came into existence in a world ruled by Roman imperial power. Their main character, Jesus, is crucified on a Roman cross by a Roman governor. How do the Gospels interact with the structures, practices, and personnel of the Roman world? What strategies and approaches do the Gospels attest? What role for accommodation, for imitation, for critique, for opposition, for decolonizing, for reinscribing, for getting along, for survival? This book engages these questions by discussing the Gospel accounts of Jesus' origins and birth, his teachings and miraculous actions, his entry to Jerusalem, his death, and his resurrection, ascension, and return. The book engages not only the first-century world but also raises questions about our own society's structures and practices concerning the use of power, equitable access to resources, the practice of justice, and merciful and respectful societal interactions.
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Athanasius of Alexandria
An Introduction to his Writings and Theology
by Lois Farag
Part of the Cascade Companions series
Athanasius of Alexandria, a famous theologian and historical figure, is quoted by many but known by few. His famous dictum, "For he became human that we might be made god (theopoiēthōmen)" is explained within the context of his theology and spirituality. The Introduction familiarizes the reader with Athanasius's writings and the historical context of his theology. The reader will engage with the Athanasian language and thought that shaped the Christian understanding of the Trinity. The reader also takes a journey through Athanasius's understanding of the human person, created in the image of God and living the life of renewal. The Introduction aims to guide the reader to a Christian theologian who had the courage to oppose emperors and bishops, and to endure exiles and other threats because of his unwavering theological convictions.
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The People and the Book
Negotiating Religious Change in Reformation England and Beyond
by Caroline Litzenberger
Part of the Cascade Companions series
This book tells the story of the people's experience in dealing with profound changes in religion during the English Reformation. Continental Protestantism influenced the changing nature of English religion, but Catholicism was still the familiar old religion. Official religious policy swung back and forth between different forms of Protestantism and Catholicism, probably causing some to experience some form of spiritual whiplash. But, most clung to their old, familiar faith. Official religious policies provide the backdrop for this story with the people taking the lead. Over time, especially during Elizabeth I's reign, Protestantism became more familiar, leading most people to accept some form of that new religion by the end of her reign. However, religion continued to change, or at least to shift in subtle ways. And so, the book's story doesn't end with Elizabeth's death. It continues through key religious developments in England and beyond, answering the question of how the church of Elizabeth's day became the global Anglican church of today.
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Thomas à Kempis
His Life and Spiritual Theology
by Greg Peters
Part of the Cascade Companions series
Given that Thomas a Kempis' Imitation of Christ is one of the most frequently translated and read late medieval books of devotion, it is surprising that there are few studies of the work in English. This book fills the void by offering an explication of Thomas' spiritual theology in the Imitation, while situating him in his late medieval monastic context and as someone familiar with and influenced by the Modern Devotion and the Sisters and Brothers of the Common Life. Thomas' emphasis on grace and his dependence on Augustine of Hippo show, to some extent, that he anticipated theological developments of the Protestant Reformation. At the same time, Thomas' Eucharistic spirituality, so central to his overall spiritual theology, is quintessentially medieval. Thomas' vision of the spiritual life was expansive and all-inclusive, rich and accessible for both the monk and the devout follower and imitator of Jesus Christ who lived in the world. Thomas' spirituality is for everyone, a synthesis of Christian thought that steers away from the late medieval Scholastic theologies of the university towards a monastic theology and spirituality for anyone who desires to follow Jesus Christ devoutly. His vision remains relevant for all twenty-first-century Christian believers.
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The Second-Century Apologists
by Alvyn Pettersen
Part of the Cascade Companions series
"They bring three charges against us: atheism, Thyestean banquets, and Oedipean unions." So a late second-century Christian Apologist wrote with reference to his critics. Against these and other charges the Apologists rallied. Not so, they maintained. It was not the Christians but their critics who were the atheists and the Christians were the true theists. They were atheists only insofar as they denied the fabricated gods of the cults and the immoral deities of theaters. That, they explained, was why Christians absented themselves, whatever the cost, from the imperial cult, theaters, and amphitheaters. They were not cannibals, as Thyestes was when he ate the flesh of his children. To suggest otherwise was to misunderstand Christians consuming Christ's flesh and blood at the Eucharist. Nor were they imitators of Oedipus, who entered into sexual relations with Jocasta, his Queen and, though he knew it not, also his mother. Christians did exchange the kiss of peace. They did love one another. They were not, however, incestuous. Any promiscuous love on their part extended only to a very practical love of every needy soul.
This book explores these arguments, especially noting the Apologists' commitment to God's oneness, to Christians not worshipping anything made, and to humans properly caring for fellow creatures.
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Cascade Companion to Evil
by Charles Taliaferro
Part of the Cascade Companions series
A guide to evil from a Christian point of view. In this wide-ranging and concise study, philosopher Charles Taliaferro explores:
-the idea that evil is the destruction or privation of what is good
-sin
-divine commands
-redemption from evil
-hell and heaven
-the problem of evil
-and the multiple ways Christians seek to overcome evil with good.
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Lutheran Theology
A Critical Introduction
by Paul R. Hinlicky
Part of the Cascade Companions series
In this book Lutheran theologian Paul Hinlicky makes the deeply conflicted origins of Lutheran theology fruitful for the future. Exploring this intellectual and spiritual tradition of thought through its major historical chapters, Hinlicky rejects essentialist projects, exposing the debilitating binaries such programs engender and perpetuate, to establish an authentic Luther-theology or Lutheran theology. Hinlicky excavates the ways that throughout a five-hundred-year tradition the legacy of Luther texts has been appropriated, retooled, subverted, or developed. Readers of this introduction will thus be critically equipped to make intellectually honest appropriations of the Luther legacy in the plurality of contemporary contexts in which this iteration of Christian theology will continue.
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Martin Bucer
An Introduction to His Life and Theology
by Donald K. McKim
Part of the Cascade Companions series
This accessible book introduces the life and work of Martin Bucer (1491-1551), the significant sixteenth-century Protestant Reformer. Bucer shared theological insights with other Protestant Reformers but also provided his own unique contributions. Donald McKim and Jim West help us to understand Bucer's thought in the historical, political, and ecclesial context of his times. They also explore its ongoing importance for the contemporary church.
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Jeremiah
Prophet Like Moses
by Jack R. Lundbom
Part of the Cascade Companions series
This book on Jeremiah seeks to place before a broad audience of students and lay readers one of the truly great Hebrew prophets and extraordinary individuals of the ancient world. It lifts up major themes preserved in the book bearing Jeremiah's name, one of the most prominent being Jeremiah's understanding of himself as "the prophet like Moses." Jeremiah remained faithful to his calling during the final days of Israelite nationhood, when the remnant of a once great nation fell to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 586 BC. He suffered along with everyone else, but was nevertheless numbered among the survivors. From his confinement in the court of the guard he gave a dispirited remnant, many of whom would subsequently make the long journey into faraway exile, unambiguous hope for the future, announcing just before the nation's fall a new covenant that God would make with his people in future days.
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Reading Philippians
A Theological Introduction
by Nijay K. Gupta
Part of the Cascade Companions series
In this new introduction and guide to Paul's Letter to the Philippians, Nijay K. Gupta makes the background, messages, and theological importance of this text understandable and interesting to lay readers and students. Reading Philippians includes Gupta's own English translation of Philippians. In his discussion of the value and significance of this text for Christian’s todat, he incorporates fascinating historical case studies, modern analogies from pop culture, and practical advice and exercises for Christian formation for today.
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Phenomenology
A Basic Introduction in the Light of Jesus Christ
by Donald Wallenfang
Part of the Cascade Companions series
What is phenomenology? That is precisely the question this book seeks to answer. In an age of information overload, complex topics must be simplified to make them accessible to a wider audience. Phenomenology: A Basic Introduction in the Light of Jesus Christ not only presents the basic building blocks of phenomenology, it also gives body to voice by putting abstract ideas in contact with the Word made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth. In five manageable chapters, Donald Wallenfang introduces major themes such as the natural attitude, givenness, interpretation, paradox, and ethics. Each subject is considered in how it applies to daily life and relates to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Several biblical scenes are tapped to harvest their sweet nectars of meaning through phenomenology. At its limit, philosophy gives way to the revelatory rationality of theology as expressed by Jesus the phenomenologist.
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Origen
An Introduction to His Life and Thought
by Ronald E. Heine
Part of the Cascade Companions series
The late second and early third century was a turbulent time in the Roman Empire and in the relationship between the empire and the church. Origen was the son of a Christian martyr and was himself imprisoned and tortured in his late life in a persecution that targeted leaders of the church. Deeply pious and a gifted scholar, Origen stands as one of the most influential Christian teachers in church history, and also one of the most controversial.
This introduction to Origen begins by looking at some of the circumstances that were formative influences on his life. It then turns to some key elements in his thought. The approach here differs from that taken by most earlier studies by working from the central position that Scripture had for Origen. Heine argues that Origen's thought, in his later life especially, reflects his continual interaction with the Bible.
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Queer Theology
Beyond Apologetics
by Linn Marie Tonstad
Part of the Cascade Companions series
What do Christianity and queerness have to do with each other? Can Christianity be queered? Queer Theology offers a readable introduction to a difficult debate. Summarizing the various apologetic arguments for the inclusion of queer people in Christianity, Tonstad moves beyond inclusion to argue for a queer theology that builds on the interconnection of theology with sex and money. Thoroughly grounded in queer theory as well as in Christian theology, Queer Theology grapples with the fundamental challenges of the body, sex, and death, as these are where queerness and Christianity find (and, maybe, lose) each other.
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Charles Wesley, a Prisoner of Hope
by S. T. Kimbrough
Part of the Cascade Companions series
Although Charles Wesley is known primarily as a distinguished English-language hymn writer and joint leader with his brother John of the Methodist reform movement within the Church of England, this book examines how the struggles and difficulties he faced as a child and as an adult shaped the person he was ever becoming. It explores how he was shaped by the love and conflicts of his family, conversion, the struggles of the Wesleyan movement within itself and within the Church of England, of marriage, parenthood, outreach to the poor, Scripture, the Book of Common Prayer, and the vows taken at his ordination. How did these struggles and the gospel itself mold the language of his hymns, theology, preaching, and daily life? How he dealt with them as a brother, pastor, husband, father, and friend is vitally important for pastors today and very valuable for an understanding of his hymns and poems. Charles called himself a prisoner of hope whom "God is able to save to the uttermost, to break my bonds in sunder and bring deliverance to the captive." A study of his struggles and how he dealt with them no longer lets us refer to him merely as "the hymn writer."
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Reading Mark
by Kelly R. Iverson
Part of the Cascade Companions series
The Gospel of Mark is a relatively short book whose brevity and style create an engaging narrative experience. But Mark's Gospel is by no means a simple text, and scholars have long puzzled over various features of the narrative. Reading Mark offers an accessible introduction to Mark's story of Jesus, as well as to important scholarly discussions. Equipping students to become better interpreters of Mark, the discussion focuses on key elements of the narrative, including the presentation of Jesus and the disciples, the so-called messianic secret, and the enigma of Mark's ending. Designed for beginning students, Reading Mark offers a broad and inclusive orientation to the fascinating world of Mark's Gospel.
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The Simplicity of God
A Theological Invitation
by Jonathan M. Platter
Part of the Cascade Companions series
For most of Christian history, God was understood to be "simple." It was a staple of articles of faith to confess a God "without parts or passions." But today, divine simplicity is seen as either irrelevant or a vestige of "classical theism." Neither is quite right. The Simplicity of God argues that the doctrine is often misunderstood, but in the right light it can play a vitalizing role in Christian thought and spiritual practice. In this companion, Jonathan Platter presents an integrated account of divine simplicity, and he goes further to explore the difference it makes for the doctrines of Trinity, creation, incarnation, and eschatology. Grounded in Scripture, the history of doctrine, and contemporary systematic theology, The Simplicity of God offers a thorough introduction to the doctrine in an accessible format.
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Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi
Hebrew Prophets Of The Sixth And Fifth Centuries
by Jack R. Lundbom
Part of the Cascade Companions series
This book introduces readers to Hebrew prophets of the sixth and fifth centuries BC, providing detailed discussion of Haggai's prophecy, of selected prophecies from I and II Zechariah, and of Malachi's prophecy. After a survey of the historical background of the period and brief introductions to each prophet, prophecies are translated; their rhetorical and compositional nature is noted, then discussed in detail. Questions for reflection are provided, making the book suitable for Bible study and small group discussions.
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A Guide to St. Symeon the New Theologian
by Hannah Hunt
Part of the Cascade Companions series
A Companion to St. Symeon the New Theologian is an accessible guide to one of the great mystical writers of the Eastern Christian tradition. His impassioned writings bring to life the monasticism of the Byzantine Empire at the end of the tenth century. Dr. Hunt's succinct analysis of his life, times, and work draws from his homilies, hymns, and other writings to show his unique contribution to the spiritual life. The book details his development as a monk (shaped by the guidance and example of the Studite monk Symeon Eulables), his conflicts with the church authorities, and his inspiration of pupils such as Nicetas Stethatos, who later wrote a biography of his master. Hunt places St. Symeon's conviction that only direct experience of God's divine light confers authority in the context of his work as an abbot and spiritual father. Other aspects of his theology--such as the importance of tears, visions of light, and obedience to one's spiritual father--are also assessed. An indication of further reading, indices, and a comprehensive glossary of unfamiliar terms make this an invaluable addition to the field, both for those studying church history or religious studies and for general Christian readers.
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John Calvin
A Companion to His Life and Theology
by Donald K. McKim
Part of the Cascade Companions series
This unique book is an introductory guide to the life and theology of John Calvin (1509-64). Calvin's theology has been highly significant as a major expression of Protestant theology. Reformed churches throughout the world appropriate Calvin's theological understandings and find his work provides important insights into Scripture and communicates a vibrant Christian faith. The first part of this book describes events in Calvin's life that helped shape his major work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. The second part follows the flow of the Institutes and provides a narrative exposition of this major work, with numerous quotations of Calvin's own words. This enables readers to hear Calvin's voice as his views are explained. This close reading of Calvin opens the door to further, more thorough Calvin studies.
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Church
by Ephraim Radner
Part of the Cascade Companions series
This is an introduction to thinking theologically about the Christian church--what is known as ecclesiology. The book covers background questions of conception, history, differences among separated Christian churches, and several modern approaches to the study of the church. It also introduces readers to a specific scriptural way of thinking about the church centered on mission that takes into account problems associated with past approaches, and sensitive to contemporary concerns with the reality of Judaism and other national identities in a global context.
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A Primer in Ecotheology
Theology for a Fragile Earth
by Celia Deane-Drummond
Part of the Cascade Companions series
This book serves as an introduction to the burgeoning field of ecothology, illustrating both its variety and its commonality across different Christian theological divides. Some of the questions addressed in this short book include the following: How can the Bible still make sense in the context of climate change and biodiversity loss? Who on earth is Jesus Christ, and what does he mean for us in today's world? How can Christians be faithful to their traditions while responding to pressing calls to be engaged in environmental activism? What is the relationship between theory and practice, and local as well as global demands, and how is this relationship expressed in different ecclesial settings? How can we encourage each other to develop a sense of the earth as divine gift? Written in clear, accessible style, this book walks readers through difficult concepts and shows the way different sources in Christian theology have responded to one of the most significant cultural issues of our time.
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The First Christian Letters
Reading 1 and 2 Thessalonians
by Rafael Rodríguez
Part of the Cascade Companions series
Paul's letters to the Thessalonians are the earliest surviving Christian documents. They are also among the most easily overlooked parts of the New Testament. What could these short, simple letters possibly have to say to a world caught in the throes of racial discord, political polarization, fears of an uncertain future, and fights over truth and false news? While Paul and his companions could not have imagined anything like the twenty-first century, their letters in the mid-first century to non-Jewish followers of Jesus in northern Greece address problems we still wrestle with today: race and ethnicity, family, ethics, an unknown future, how to respond to strangers, and more. These letters, rather than being an outdated part of Paul's collected letters, provoke us to throw ourselves into the great challenges of the modern world, to resist the temptation to repay "another person evil for evil," and to "pursue the good, both for one another and for everyone" (1 Thess 5:15). Will we read these ancient letters anew?
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The End Is Music
A Companion to Robert W. Jenson's Theology
by Chris E. W. Green
Part of the Cascade Companions series
Robert Jenson has been praised by Stanley Hauerwas, David Bentley Hart, Wolfhart Pannenberg, and others as one of the most creative and important contemporary theologians. But his work is daunting for many, both because of its conceptual demands and because of Jenson's unusual prose style. This book is an attempt to give Jenson the kind of hearing that puts his creativity and significance on display, and allows newcomers to and old friends of his theology the opportunity to hear it afresh.
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Metaphysics
A Basic Introduction in a Christian Key
by Donald Wallenfang
Part of the Cascade Companions series
What is metaphysics? Metaphysics: A Basic Introduction in a Christian Key gives a simplified answer to this daunting question. Born under the shadow of the Parthenon by Aristotle and his contemporaries, metaphysics eventually enjoyed its heyday in the medieval era and is finding a resurgence today in modernity. This book explores the perennial question of being and its uptake in the world of Christian theology. Donald Wallenfang leads the reader through five navigable chapters that feature the most basic themes of metaphysics: the question of being, first principles, causality, cosmology, and morality. The abstract tendencies of metaphysics are brought down to earth with reference to the gospel of Jesus and the relevance of metaphysics for daily living. Altogether, the reader will be inspired to think toward the whole by asking questions that penetrate beneath the surface of things. Beauty, truth, and goodness will be unveiled to the degree that we accompany Jesus the metaphysician along his itinerary of being given.
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A Companion to the Mercersburg Theology
Evangelical Catholicism in the Mid-Nineteenth Century
by William B. Evans
Part of the Cascade Companions series
This volume tells the story of a mid-nineteenth-century theological movement emanating from the small German Reformed Seminary in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where John Williamson Nevin and Philip Schaff taught. There they explored themes-such as the centrality of the incarnation for theology, the importance of the church as the body of Christ and the sphere of salvation, liturgical and sacramental worship, and the organic historical development of the church and its doctrines-that continue to resonate today with many who seek a deeper and more historically informed expression of the Christian faith that is both evangelical and catholic.
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Reading Acts
by Joshua W. Jipp
Part of the Cascade Companions series
The book of Acts tells the story of what happened after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The book is filled with adventure and entertainment as Acts narrates God's activity among his people and the world. In this book, I explore one way of reading Acts that attends closely to the plotline of the book and seek to invite readers into the story that Acts tells. Along the way, I examine some of the most important themes of Acts, including divine activity, the extension of the gospel to surprising people in surprising ways, conflict and congruence between the gospel and the broader world, and the ongoing importance of Israel as God's people. While there are many excellent reasons to read Acts, I reflect too upon the theological and ethical vision of Acts for those who read this book as Christian Scripture.
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Rudolf Bultmann
A Companion to His Theology
by David W. Congdon
Part of the Cascade Companions series
Rudolf Bultmann is one of the most widely known but least read theologians of the twentieth century. He is famous as the one who "demythologized" the New Testament, but very few understand what he meant by this or how his hermeneutical program connects to the other areas of his theological project. Bultmann presents a unique challenge to readers, not only because of his radical theological inquiry but also because of the way his ideas are worked out over time, primarily through short, occasional writings that present complex issues in a disarmingly straightforward manner. In this introduction to his theology--the first of its kind in more than twenty years--David W. Congdon guides readers through ten central themes in Bultmann's theology, ranging from eschatology and dialectic to freedom and advent. By gaining an understanding of these themes, students of Bultmann will have the necessary tools to understand and profit from his writings. The result is not only an accessible guide for those encountering Bultmann for the first time but also a cohesive, systematic presentation of his thought for those wondering how his work might speak to our current context.
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Handel's Messiah
A New View of Its Musical and Spiritual Architecture-Study Guide for Listeners and Performers
by Gregory S. Athnos
Part of the Cascade Companions series
We think we know Handel's “Messiah”, having heard it or performed it so many times. But is there another way to look at this masterpiece? Who assembled the texts? Why? How did Handel incorporate his own spiritual understanding of the texts? In this treatise, we view the composition from the same Baroque aesthetic perspective the composer used: the Doctrine of Affections-an approach heretofore unexplored in relationship to Handel's Messiah-which held that every major and minor key prompted a particular, very specific, and involuntary emotional and spiritual response in the listener. When facing a choice between following the accepted rules of musical composition or using the Affect best suited to the scriptural text, Handel almost exclusively chose the Affect; in other words, he chose spiritual insight over compositional tradition. Overlaying the various Effects on each movement of Handel's composition, we discover the true heart and spiritual depth of the composer's magnum opus.
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Heinrich Bullinger
An Introduction to His Life and Theology
by Donald K. McKim
Part of the Cascade Companions series
Heinrich Bullinger (1504-75) was an important and influential sixteenth-century Protestant Reformer. Sadly, today, many are unaware of his significance. This book serves as a gateway into understanding Bullinger's life and theology, introducing them in a fresh and accessible way for non-specialists. After outlining Bullinger's life-story, the main theological themes in Bullinger's thought are explored through chapters on Holy Scripture, God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, predestination and covenant, sin and salvation, church and ministry, Word and Sacraments, the state, and last things. A concluding chapter considers the abiding significance of Bullinger's theology and what his views can mean for faithful Christian living today.
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David
A Man after God's Own Heart
by Benjamin J. M. Johnson
Part of the Cascade Companions series
David is one of the most complex and fascinating characters in all of literature. His story exists at a crucial point in the biblical narrative where God turns toward committing to monarchy in Israel. He is the slayer of Goliath, the hero of Israel, and God's chosen king. Yet, he is also a manipulator, adulterer, and murderer. This book provides a broad audience of students, lay readers, and scholars with a close reading of David's story, presenting scholarly study of this fascinating and crucial character in an accessible and engaging manner. By carefully presenting David's story, this book addresses how it is possible to consider a flawed and imperfect character like David as a man after God's own heart.