Carmen Christi


Book Description

Verses from the Epistle to the Philippians are seen as a carmen Christi, the earliest statement of the basis of the Christology of later times.




Reconstructing Honor in Roman Philippi


Book Description

This book examines Paul's letter to the Philippians against the social background of the colony at Philippi. After an extensive survey of Roman social values, Professor Hellerman argues that the cursus honorum, the formalized sequence of public offices that marked out the prescribed social pilgrimage for aspiring senatorial aristocrats in Rome (and which was replicated in miniature in municipalities and in voluntary associations), forms the background against which Paul has framed his picture of Jesus in the great Christ hymn in Philippians 2. In marked contrast to the values of the dominant culture, Paul portrays Jesus descending what the author describes as a cursus pudorum ('course of ignominies'). The passage has thus been intentionally framed to subvert Roman cursus ideology and, by extension, to redefine the manner in which honour and power were to be utilized among the Christians at Philippi.




The Self-emptying God


Book Description

""Christ emptied himself,"" we read in Paul's letter to the Philippians - words that are probably part of an early Christian liturgy. In this book, Peter Colyer examines in detail the concept of the self-emptying (kenosis) of Christ and of the ways in which this understanding of the historic figure of Jesus Christ has been extended to the whole being of God. The sections of the book deal with: the need for compatibility between theological and scientific views of the natural world; the increas...




Christ and Culture


Book Description

Leading theologian Graham Ward presents a stimulating series of reflections on Christ and contemporary culture. Takes as its starting point Niebuhr’s famous volume on ‘Christ and Culture’ published in the 1970s Explores representations of Christ from sources as diverse as the New Testament and twentieth-century continental philosophy Considers Christ and culture in the light of contemporary categories such as the body, gender, desire, politics and the sublime Develops an original and imaginative Christology rooted in Scriptural exegesis and concerned with today’s cultural issues The author has been described as ‘the most visionary theologian of his generation’.




The Origin of Paul's Gospel


Book Description

In answer to Pauline scholarship that tends to explain the origin of Paul's gospel in Palestinian Judaism, Hellenistic Judaism, mystery cults, or Gnosticism, Seyoon Kim here argues that the origin lies in Paul's own testimony that he received the gospel from the revelation of Jesus Christ on the Damascus road. Only when this insistence of Paul is taken seriously, says Kim, can we really understand Paul and his theology. Kim begins his investigation of Paul's interpretation of the Damascus event by examining Paul's Rabbinic background. He then takes a more detailed look at just what occurred on the Damascus road, and follows this with a thorough discussion of Paul's gospel--the revelation, its Christology, and its soteriology--keeping in mind at all times how it relates to the Damascus event.




Preface to Theology


Book Description

Long familiar to theologians and theology students, John Howard Yoder (1927-1997) is increasingly recognized as one of the most significant theologians of the later twentieth century. Yoder, hailed as a gifted proponent of Anabaptist social ethics, was also an astute and ecumenically-minded constructive theologian. Preface to Theology, initially developed as seminary course material, is key to understanding Yoder's theology and his ever central commitment to Christology. It provides an introduction to the traditional categories of systematic theology, suggesting Yoder's concern with our posture toward theological study and the importance of viewing this study as a vital, ongoing process. Preface to Theology, introduced by Stanley Hauerwas and Alex Sider, includes updated documentation of Yoder's sources. The approachable, student-friendly format makes this volume, now offically in print for the first time, ideal for both the beginning theology student and the advanced scholar. Readers in all Christian traditions will find it a penetrating introduction to theology; students of Yoder's thought will find it indispensable.




All Roads Lead to the Text


Book Description

In All Roads Lead to the Text Dean Deppe offers a user-friendly guide to biblical exegesis and interpretation. Far from a dry, theoretical handbook, this book's example-based approach enlivens the exegetical task and offers immediate payoff by constantly applying concepts to specific texts. Deppe focuses on eight methods that biblical scholars use, from analyzing literary, grammatical, and structural elements to investigating historical and cultural backgrounds to exploring the history of interpretation. Deppe explains each approach using several concrete examples from both Old and New Testament texts, and every chapter concludes with practical, text-based questions for study and discussion.




Jesus and God in Paul's Eschatology


Book Description

This probe into Paul's theology argues that in his eschatological thinking there is a conceptual overlap between Jesus and God. As in several pseudepigraphical texts, there is in Paul a certain identification of the roles of God and the messianic figure. Especially in Paul's doctrines of the parousia and the final judgment this overlap features, the Old Testament idea of the Day of the Lord Yahweh becoming transposed into the Day of the Lord Christ. In examining Paul's teaching on the messiah and the Kingdom, Kreitzer offers a penetrating analysis of how Paul balanced theocentricity and christ.




A Case for the Divinity of Jesus


Book Description

Whether Jesus was really the Son of God or not is a central question for Christians—and one that has provoked heated debate since the time of Jesus' birth. Dean L. Overman examines the earliest Christian records to build a compelling case for the divinityof Jesus. Overman analyzes often-overlooked evidence from liturgies and letters written in the years immediately following Jesus' death—decades earlier than the Gnostic gospels or the New Testament gospels. Addressing questions raised by books such as Bart Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus and Elaine Pagels' The Gnostic Gospels, Overman presents powerful evidence from the earliest Christian communities that will be new for many modern Christians and builds a carefully reasoned case for Jesus truly being the Son of God.




Paul’s Covert Use of Scripture


Book Description

This book explores why and how Paul uses Scripture (Old Testament) in Phil 2:10-16. It tests the suggestion that a cluster of tacit references to specific books of Scripture is integral or foundational to Paul's epistolary argument. If the problem in Philippi is the disinclination to accept suffering and death as intrinsic to gospel citizenship, then the muted allusions lead to a single, central theme: "God's approval of suffering and death for the sake of Christ." McAuley argues this theme is the crucial intertext that unifies and gives significance to the whole letter. Previous scholarly efforts to discover congruence between the contexts of Philippians and the Old Testament have rested on a heuristic approach focused on surface-level themes and "facticities" recorded in Paul's text, leading to mixed results. In this investigation McAuley sets forth a new theoretical and exegetical framework that draws on insights from theories of intertextuality, allusion, and rhetorical situation to offer a fresh interpretation of Philippians.