Religion

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer — Volume Eight presents the crowning study: an introduction and explanation of the new prayer book as a whole. 

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformation in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy. 

Volume 8 completes the contents of the proposed prayer book and contains the crowning study--an introduction and explanation of the new prayer book as a whole. The Daily Offices materials are more of a completion than a revision and introduces a new Daily Office Lectionary; the other study completes the rites related to church structures. 

A Landmark Series of Studies devoted to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer — Volume Nine presents options for inclusive and expansive liturgical language for God.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformation in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy. 

Volume 9 comes 10 years after the ratification of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. This study presents options for inclusive and expansive liturgical language for God and a framework for teaching about these liturgies and concepts to both children and adults.

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision of the Book of the Common Prayer — Volume Four revisits the Church Calendar and the Eucharist.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformation in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy.

The two studies in Volume 4 revisit two important subjects addressed in earlier work: the Calendar and the Eucharist. Notably, their publications in 1963 and 1966 address and incorporate important ecumenical developments resulting from the dramatic events of Vatican II (1962-1965).

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer — Volume Seven presents new prayers and Thanksgiving and a defense of proposed liturgical revisions.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformation in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy.

Volume 7 contains the Prayers and Thanksgivings--not seen before--and also a response to the skeptical reception by some of the proposed Christian Initiation materials. In addition to a new set of liturgies, a lengthy supplement explains and defends the new approach.

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer — Volume Six presents new draft liturgies for the Eucharist, Daily Office, the Psalms and Pastoral Offices.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformation in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy. 

Volume 6 contains the second group of draft liturgies presented to the General Convention of 1970. These studies provide liturgies for the Eucharist, Daily Office, the most used Psalms, and the Pastoral Offices.

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision the of Book of Common Prayer — Volume Two addresses the Litany and the Daily Office.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformations in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy. 

In Volume 2 The Litany and Daily Office--including the Calendar-- are addressed, completing the chief elements of Anglican/Episcopal public worship. The materials here begin with the Litany study published in 1953; the others appeared in 1957.

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer — Volume Three addresses marriage, baptism, minor holy days and the burial of the dead.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformation in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy. 

In Volume 3, the Standing Commission on Liturgy takes up the Pastoral Offices outside of Christian Initiation in publications from 1958 and 1959. The concluding study is not a study at all, but a plea to General Convention in 1961 to allow Trial Use for the liturgies produced up to this point.

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer returns to print — Volume Five concerns new draft liturgies presented to the Church’s general convention.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformation in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy. 

Volume 5 contains the first group of draft liturgies presented to the General Convention of 1970. These studies provide liturgies for the Calendar, Christian Initiation, and the Ordinal.

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision of the Book of the Common Prayer — Volume Four revisits the Church Calendar and the Eucharist.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformation in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy.

The two studies in Volume 4 revisit two important subjects addressed in earlier work: the Calendar and the Eucharist. Notably, their publications in 1963 and 1966 address and incorporate important ecumenical developments resulting from the dramatic events of Vatican II (1962-1965).

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer — Volume One concerns the core liturgy of the Church: Communion, Confession and the Eucharist.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformation in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy. 

The studies included in Volume One were published between 1950 and 1953, and address Christian Initiation, the Epistles and Gospels for reading at Holy Communion, Confession, and the Holy Eucharist.

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision the of Book of Common Prayer — Volume Two addresses the Litany and the Daily Office.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformations in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy. 

In Volume 2 The Litany and Daily Office--including the Calendar-- are addressed, completing the chief elements of Anglican/Episcopal public worship. The materials here begin with the Litany study published in 1953; the others appeared in 1957.

A landmark series of studies devoted to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer — Volume One concerns the core liturgy of the Church: Communion, Confession and the Eucharist.

The creation of the landmark 1979 American Book of Common Prayer was the fruit of nearly four decades of discussion within the Episcopal Church. Prayer Book Studies is a series of official reports by the Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission that were published irregularly over the course of that period, representing the work of the committees deliberating over and drafting the materials that would eventually become the 1979 revision. These reports provide an extraordinary window into the work of leading liturgical scholars during an age characterized by huge transformation in the fields of liturgy. Long out of print and unavailable, these reports, collected in nine volumes, are an invaluable resource for liturgical scholars and clergy. 

The studies included in Volume One were published between 1950 and 1953, and address Christian Initiation, the Epistles and Gospels for reading at Holy Communion, Confession, and the Holy Eucharist.

The goal of this book is to suggest that Jesus as a creative artist was heavily influenced by the Hebrew Bible’s Book of Proverbs. It posits that he created some of his short parables from specific verses found in Proverbs, suggests that he expanded some basic sapient themes present in this book when composing his parables, and shows him reacting negatively to the commonly held belief that this Book’s overall concept of wisdom is that the wise are rewarded and the fools are punished by God through their own self-destructive choices and subsequent actions. Thus this text points to Jesus as an inventive artist, a concept not usually associated with him, and it complicates simplistic ways of defining biblical wisdom. Part I demonstrates how Jesus might have created his tales from specific proverbs found in the Book of Proverbs. The overarching theme for these parables is wisdom: Jesus as wisdom (I Cor. 1:24) speaking wisdom in new ways.

Part II discusses Jesus as a self-actualized artist who creatively designed these tales. It examines what shaped Jesus’ artistry, what might have been the sources of his literacy, why he might have chosen to expand individual proverbs imaginatively in order to create his moral tales, and how his wisdom enhanced conventional attitudes toward wisdom as the former included and clarified his new ""kingdom of God"" concepts. This book could be used in courses treating Literature and the Bible, Biblical Art, The Humanity of Jesus, and Wisdom Literature Common to Christians and Jews.

RUS:

Цель этой небольшой книги — показать, что евангельский Иисус находился под сильным влиянием Книги Притчей из древнееврейской Библии (Ветхого Завета). Как объясняет Кэрол Дж. Ламберт, некоторые из его притч, вероятно, были задуманы как комментарии к конкретным стихам этой книги. Кроме того, он творчески переосмыслял ключевые идеи Притчей, связанные с темой Премудрости, а также оспаривал интерпретацию, по которой мудрые неизменно получают награду, а глупцы — наказание. Во второй части книги исследуется, что повлияло на творческий метод Иисуса: какими могли быть источники его образованности, почему он избрал путь расширения содержания отдельных библейских притч и каким образом его мудрость обогатила традиционные представления — например, концепцию «Царства Божьего».

Автор представляет Иисуса как мыслителя и рассказчика, искусным образом сочетавшего глубокое знание письменной традиции с силой живого слова. Книга будет полезна не только специалистам по Новому Завету, но и всем, кто интересуется библеистикой, историей религии и духовным наследием Иисуса из Назарета.

Препятствует ли Православная церковь свободному развитию культуры? Сторонники западноцентричных моделей полагают, что да. Тем не менее американский славист Дональд Островский демонстрирует, что непредвзятое изучение феномена «интеллектуального молчания» древней Руси рисует куда более сложную и многослойную картину.

Большая часть древнерусской культуры остается скрытой от восприятия: вера здесь превалировала над критикой и рассудком, а диалектическая логика не только не считалась необходимой, но и воспринималась как помеха прямому созерцанию божественного

В приложении книги публикуются статьи научной дискуссии из журнала Russian History No 46 (2019), дополняющие и углубляющие основное исследование. Для всех, кто интересуется православием, культурой и наследием Древней Руси.

Противостоят ли религия и биология друг другу в вопросе о происхождении человека? Принято считать, что они дают взаимоисключающие ответы. Однако, по мнению Теренса Кила, в современной теории происхождения рас отчетливо прослеживаются следы христианской интеллектуальной традиции. Религиозные представления не были окончательно вытеснены из науки — напротив, они по-прежнему во многом формируют ее облик. 

Книга заинтересует всех, кто занимается историей религии и науки, исследует проблему человеческого разнообразия или размышляет о соотношении веры и разума.

That the God of the Hebrew Bible and rabbinic literature, "the God of the Jews," is perfectly good is challenged by apparently immoral acts of that God, by contemporary standards, as well as by the classic problem of evil. In this book, Jerome Gellman aims to alleviate the first challenge, the so-called ideological critique, for the traditional believer by recommending replacing the God of the Jews with a different God, a "Jewish God," one in whom many traditional Jews have come to believe. And the problem of evil is lightened for the traditional believer, mainly by a possible theodicy explaining much evil. The book is at once analytic in style and Hasidic in broad orientation.

RUS:

Абсолютная благость Бога древнееврейской Библии и раввинистической литературы — «Бога евреев» — нередко ставится под сомнение. Критика исходит как из сферы морали, где Его поступки воспринимаются как противоречащие универсальным человеческим нормам, так и в связи с «аргументом от зла», утверждающим, что количество зла в мире перевешивает любое добро. Обращаясь прежде всего к религиозному читателю, Джером Геллман стремится преодолеть первую из этих трудностей — так называемую идеологическую критику, — предлагая заменить образ «Бога евреев» на «еврейского Бога», в Которого верят последователи иудаизма. Вторая проблема — теодицея — получает у Геллмана новое осмысление, укорененное в еврейской философской и этической мысли.

Книга написана в аналитическом ключе, но при этом вдохновлена богословскими моделями хасидизма.

Over the centuries, from the transatlantic slave trade to voluntary mass migrations through the digital era, African cultural practices have taken root and transformed in the Americas. Even though Afro-Brazilians make up a large share of the global Black diaspora, and Brazilian culture in turn has been deeply shaped by African influences, their particular contributions remain overlooked.

Imagining the Past, Remembering the Future investigates the interlinked art, history, religion, philosophy, and cosmology of oral traditions across the Afro-Brazilian diaspora, arguing that these varied cultural expressions together constitute distinctive forms of knowledge. Through case studies of sacred and secular performances, Isis Barra Costa shows how Afro-Brazilian concepts and practices preserve and renew an ever-changing diasporic philosophy. Ranging across parades of Black royal courts, Carnaval performing groups, oracular literature, “spirit-dictated” novels, and many other forms, she illuminates the survival and transformation of African cosmologies, epistemologies, and poetics in the Americas. Foregrounding oral narratives, Barra Costa sheds light on the nonhegemonic protagonists and canons of the Black Atlantic: the spaces and beings, kingdoms and heroes, philosophers and historians that orient Afro-Brazilian memory and imagination. By tracing forms of knowledge across the global African diaspora, this deeply interdisciplinary book reveals the transformative potential of Afro-Brazilian philosophical paradigms.

An intriguing look at how the city's built environment influences the shape of Muslim communities in Chicago

Zoning Faith offers a rare in-depth look at three distinct Muslim communities in Chicago, one Shia
Muslim, one Sunni, and one Black Muslim community. The volume explores how these communities
navigate their social and political environments, and how their experiences in urban settings help to
explain the emergence of new Islamic organizations, practices, and theologies in America.

Zoning Faith provides the first comprehensive spatial examination of Muslims' experiences in global
cities. Although cities play a crucial role in the enactment of faith, they are often treated as places
Muslims happen to live, or as places that are transformed as many Muslims come to inhabit them. Little
attention has been paid to the ways in which cities may transform faith groups in meaningful ways,
from zoning regulations and debates about where a mosque can be situated to how a building’s
structure can influence prayer and communal life. This book pays careful attention to the intersections
of urban space and religion, approaching “built spaces” as profoundly political and particularly
illuminating of the experiences of minority faiths.

Drawing on a multi-year and multi-site ethnography, the volume provides a previously unobtainable, in-depth look at how Muslim communities in Chicago defy the expectations of conventional places of
worship. Crossing the boundaries of urban studies, theological studies, architecture, and public policy,
Zoning Faith offers new insights into how Islam is vernacularized and grounded in the US in many
different ways.

An intriguing look at how the city's built environment influences the shape of Muslim communities in Chicago

Zoning Faith offers a rare in-depth look at three distinct Muslim communities in Chicago, one Shia
Muslim, one Sunni, and one Black Muslim community. The volume explores how these communities
navigate their social and political environments, and how their experiences in urban settings help to
explain the emergence of new Islamic organizations, practices, and theologies in America.

Zoning Faith provides the first comprehensive spatial examination of Muslims' experiences in global
cities. Although cities play a crucial role in the enactment of faith, they are often treated as places
Muslims happen to live, or as places that are transformed as many Muslims come to inhabit them. Little
attention has been paid to the ways in which cities may transform faith groups in meaningful ways,
from zoning regulations and debates about where a mosque can be situated to how a building’s
structure can influence prayer and communal life. This book pays careful attention to the intersections
of urban space and religion, approaching “built spaces” as profoundly political and particularly
illuminating of the experiences of minority faiths.

Drawing on a multi-year and multi-site ethnography, the volume provides a previously unobtainable, in-depth look at how Muslim communities in Chicago defy the expectations of conventional places of
worship. Crossing the boundaries of urban studies, theological studies, architecture, and public policy,
Zoning Faith offers new insights into how Islam is vernacularized and grounded in the US in many
different ways.

Over the centuries, from the transatlantic slave trade to voluntary mass migrations through the digital era, African cultural practices have taken root and transformed in the Americas. Even though Afro-Brazilians make up a large share of the global Black diaspora, and Brazilian culture in turn has been deeply shaped by African influences, their particular contributions remain overlooked.

Imagining the Past, Remembering the Future investigates the interlinked art, history, religion, philosophy, and cosmology of oral traditions across the Afro-Brazilian diaspora, arguing that these varied cultural expressions together constitute distinctive forms of knowledge. Through case studies of sacred and secular performances, Isis Barra Costa shows how Afro-Brazilian concepts and practices preserve and renew an ever-changing diasporic philosophy. Ranging across parades of Black royal courts, Carnaval performing groups, oracular literature, “spirit-dictated” novels, and many other forms, she illuminates the survival and transformation of African cosmologies, epistemologies, and poetics in the Americas. Foregrounding oral narratives, Barra Costa sheds light on the nonhegemonic protagonists and canons of the Black Atlantic: the spaces and beings, kingdoms and heroes, philosophers and historians that orient Afro-Brazilian memory and imagination. By tracing forms of knowledge across the global African diaspora, this deeply interdisciplinary book reveals the transformative potential of Afro-Brazilian philosophical paradigms.

"Muggeridge's masterpiece, the greatest achievement of his life as a writer."—The London Times

One of the most arrestingly insightful reflections ever written on the life, person, and teachings of Christ. 

In Jesus, the Man Who Lives, the celebrated British author Malcolm Muggeridge offers meditation that was deemed by The London Times to be his “masterpiece, the greatest achievement of his life as a writer.” Muggeridge's portrait of Christ is at once deeply personal and universally accessible.

Beginning with the assertion that the “coming of Jesus into the world is the most stupendous event in human history,” Muggeridge provides astute commentary on the events of Christ’s life, his teachings, his parables, his prophecies, and his relationships. Along the way, he happily punctures many of the cherished myths held about Jesus—and about itself—by the modern, self-satisfied, largely post-Christian world. With his trademark honesty and wit, Muggeridge concludes that “either Jesus never was or he still is. I assert that he still is." 

This new, fiftieth-anniversary edition proudly reintroduces Malcolm Muggeridge’s profound spiritual meditation to a new generation of readers.

An intriguing look at how the city's built environment influences the shape of Muslim communities in Chicago

Zoning Faith offers a rare in-depth look at three distinct Muslim communities in Chicago, one Shia
Muslim, one Sunni, and one Black Muslim community. The volume explores how these communities
navigate their social and political environments, and how their experiences in urban settings help to
explain the emergence of new Islamic organizations, practices, and theologies in America.

Zoning Faith provides the first comprehensive spatial examination of Muslims' experiences in global
cities. Although cities play a crucial role in the enactment of faith, they are often treated as places
Muslims happen to live, or as places that are transformed as many Muslims come to inhabit them. Little
attention has been paid to the ways in which cities may transform faith groups in meaningful ways,
from zoning regulations and debates about where a mosque can be situated to how a building’s
structure can influence prayer and communal life. This book pays careful attention to the intersections
of urban space and religion, approaching “built spaces” as profoundly political and particularly
illuminating of the experiences of minority faiths.

Drawing on a multi-year and multi-site ethnography, the volume provides a previously unobtainable, in-depth look at how Muslim communities in Chicago defy the expectations of conventional places of
worship. Crossing the boundaries of urban studies, theological studies, architecture, and public policy,
Zoning Faith offers new insights into how Islam is vernacularized and grounded in the US in many
different ways.

A battle is being fought—and most people don’t even know it’s happening.

In every corner of America today, familiar values are under siege. A hidden web of deception—woven by the rise of humanism, situational ethics, and secular ideologies—has infiltrated homes, communities, churches, and institutions. The result? A nation dangerously close to losing its moral foundation.

In Awaken, Dr. James J. Torkildson exposes the ideologies behind this cultural shift, revealing how deceptive narratives have quietly invaded society and reshaped what people believe about truth, morality, and faith. Drawing on his background as a psychologist, educator, and faith leader, Dr. T explains how these forces have fueled division, spiritual confusion, and the erosion of traditional values.

Awaken is not just a warning—it’s a guide. Through biblical insight, historical analysis, and practical strategies, Dr. T equips believers and open-minded readers to

• Uncover the lies behind today’s most dangerous ideologies
• Stand firm in biblical truth without fear
• Reclaim purpose, conviction, and spiritual clarity
• Engage in today’s culture war with wisdom and confidence

Awaken is an invitation to stand up, speak out, and defend the faith and freedoms that are slipping away.

Soar Higher Than Ever Before

Tell Them is a deeply personal Christian memoir that weaves together testimony, faith-centered storytelling, and life lessons. With unflinching honesty, Jerry McCormick invites others into a journey marked by divine encounters, spiritual growth, and the relentless grace of God. His story resonates with both believers and those still seeking purpose.

Through powerful reflections on divine providence, adversity, and the strength found in prayer, Tell Them reveals how faith transforms even the most difficult circumstances. Biblical truths blend seamlessly with real-life experiences, offering encouragement and spiritual insight. McCormick’s journey as an entrepreneur and leader further grounds his message in the principles of perseverance, discipline, and God-led vision.

“When you’ve tried everything else, try God. That’s when the soaring begins.”

For those walking through trials, standing at a crossroads, or searching for something more, Tell Them extends an unforgettable invitation: Rise above it all and soar.

Surviving Severe Child Abuse, Sexual Assault and Leaving the Amish Church

In May 2022 Misty Griffin released the Child Rights Act petition calling on Congress to take action and help abused children in religious communities. It is currently gaining momentum and national media attention.

Watch Sins of the Amish on Peacock
#1 Best Seller in Cults & Demonism, Parenting & Relationships, Notable People, Religious, Survival, Sexual Assault, and Biographies & Memoirs

A gripping story that takes you on the journey of a child abuse and sexual assault survivor turned activist. (Photo gallery included).

True story of child abuse. When Misty Griffin was six years old, her family started to live and dress like the Amish. Misty and her sister were kept as slaves on a mountain ranch and subjected to almost complete isolation, sexual abuse, and physical violence. Their step-father kept a loaded rifle by the door to make sure the young girls were too terrified to attempt escape. No rescue would ever come since the few people who knew they existed did not care.

Sexual abuse among the Amish. When Misty reached her teens, her parents feared she and her sister would escape and took them to an Amish community. Devastated to again find herself in a world of fear, cruelty, and abuse, Misty was sexually assaulted by the bishop. "...I knew I had to get help, and one freezing morning in early March, I made a dash for a tiny police station in rural Minnesota. After reporting the bishop, I left the Amish and found myself plummeted into a strange modern world with only a second-grade education and no ID or social security card." Ultimately Misty graduated nursing school and currently works as an activist for abused children.

Inside learn how:

• A cycle of abuse can be broken
• Abuse was not your fault
• Moving forward is possible

Read true crime books and child abuse true stories like Educated, A Child Called It, The Family Next Door, or Etched In Sand? Then Tears of the Silenced is a must-read.

The Psalms, a collection of 150 ancient Hebrew poems, songs and prayers, provide one of the richest accounts of humanity's relationship to God.  They are dear to the hearts of many generations, particularly when people are navigating life's challenges and seeking joyful restoration.

In the first of a five-part series, Marty Folsom, a leading relational theologian, invites the reader to contemplate each psalm, to hear its heartbeat, to discern its relational themes, to listen deeply into its intentions, and to reflect on the voices that speak when the psalms are unleashed. The reader will find a sanctuary to soak in the Psalms and allow their authentic selves to dwell with the God of grace and mercy. 

Ultimately, this is a spiritual guide that lets you know you are not alone. It takes ancient wisdom and crafts melodies and pathways that lead us to intimacy with our Companion Creator as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an invitation to the art of bringing the Psalms to life.

From a NASA scientist comes a fascinating tour through the cosmos, revealing God’s infinite and wondrous presence in the universe. 

In this thought-provoking devotional, Conrad invites readers to explore the vastness of outer space through both the lens of faith and the rigor of science. From the life cycles of stars to the gravitational pull of the moon, each devotion weaves together scripture, scientific insight, reflection questions, and prayers—offering a fresh perspective on how the heavens truly proclaim God's glory.

Drawing from her work with NASA’s Perseverance Rover and her experience in ministry, Conrad bridges the gap between the material and the spiritual, encouraging readers to embrace both curiosity and contemplation. Whether pondering the expanding universe, the delicate balance of Earth’s ecosystems, or the mystery of the Trinity through the dimensions of space, this devotional illuminates how science and faith point together toward the divine. Perfect for seekers, scientists, and stargazers alike, A Believer's Journey through the Stars is an invitation to stand in awe of God’s creation—and to find deeper meaning in its beauty.

A 40-day journey exploring how the eternal wisdom of Jesus can comfort, challenge, and center us in a rapidly changing world.

In a time marked by anxiety and polarization, Everlasting Jesus offers a daily invitation to slow down and reconnect with what is lasting and true. Drawing from the Gospels and writing with his signature warmth, Rick Hamlin shows how the words and actions of Jesus still speak powerfully into the complexity of modern life. Whether it's Jesus crossing cultural lines to speak with a Samaritan woman—offering her, a social outcast, dignity and “living water”—or his call to invest in what matters rather than be ruled by fear and scarcity, each reflection ties Scripture to the concerns of now: social division, information overload, spiritual exhaustion, and the search for authentic connection.

Through stories of compassion, resilience, and radical grace, Hamlin explores how Jesus can help us confront prejudice, live generously, and hold on to hope when the world feels unsteady. From the challenge to love those we disagree with to the promise that “you are the light of the world,” this book provides a deep well of encouragement for anyone seeking clarity and purpose. With Scripture-based reflections and thoughtful prompts for personal or group use, Everlasting Jesus will help you renew your faith, reframe your priorities, and simply hear Jesus’s voice above the noise.

Praise for Rick Hamlin's previous works:

"An utterly relatable book full of honesty and hope." ―Sue Monk Kidd, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees

"From the darkness of life, when the questions Why me? and Why now? go unanswered, Rick Hamlin leads us to hearing the gentle whispers of God in his deeply personal story of healing." ―Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Funny, engaging and faith-filled." —Roma Downey, co-producer of The Bible and Ben Hur 

"A great gift to us all." —Thomas Cahill, author of How the Irish Saved Civilization and Heretics and Heroes in the Hinges of History series

A 16-month calendar built around religious observances, featuring breathtaking images of pilgrimage sites with quotes to inspire.

Each year, more than 300 million people around the world embark on some form of spiritual pilgrimage—journeys that nourish the soul, renew the spirit, and connect seekers to the holy. Whether traveling across continents or simply pausing for reflection at home, pilgrims are drawn to places where the veil between the divine and the everyday feels especially thin. This calendar brings that sacred geography into your daily life. It showcases exquisite, full-color photographs of iconic Christian pilgrimage destinations—including the ancient, rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia, the iconic grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, the windswept holiness of Iona Abbey in Scotland, the peaceful waters of the Sea of Galilee, and the hillside serenity of Assisi, the home of St. Francis.

Covering September 2026 through December 2027, the calendar highlights major religious observances from the Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox Christian traditions, alongside significant Jewish, Islamic, and secular holidays—making it a rich interfaith companion for the year. Each month pairs a breathtaking image with an inspirational quote—from saints, historians, authors, travel writers, and religious leaders—offering encouragement and hope for your personal journey, wherever it may lead. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler, an armchair pilgrim, or simply someone seeking beauty and meaning in the rhythms of the year, this calendar offers a sacred invitation: to walk with intention, wonder, and reverence every day. 

A powerful new study provides a Womanist theological framework to understand high levels of depression in Black women.

In a remarkable and poignant series of case studies, clinical social worker and ordained minister Rochelle Johnson provides a cogent study of the causes and effects of depression in Black woman in contemporary America. 

Inspired by Womanist theology and the insights of the pioneering psychoanalytic theories of Heinz Kohut, she shows how societal and historical barriers hinder the healing journeys of Black women thanks to the lack of mental health resources and systemic racism. By examining Black women's experiences at the intersection of oppression, trauma, culture, and church life, she demonstrates how historical trauma, racist myths, and harmful theological interpretations intensify the unique difficulties they encounter.

A portable calendar designed for clergy making pastoral visits.

This compact, pocket-sized weekly planner is ideal for ministers and church leaders who are often on the move. Thoughtfully designed to support pastoral care throughout the year, it includes essential resources such as prayers, devotions, and scripture readings drawn from the Book of Common Prayer and other trusted sources.

The planner also features key dates from Anglican, Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Islamic, Jewish, and civil calendars, helping users stay grounded in the rhythm of sacred and civic time. With space for daily notes, contact information, birthdays, and reminders, this accessible, travel-ready tool is an indispensable companion for anyone engaged in spiritual care.

A powerful new study provides a Womanist theological framework to understand high levels of depression in Black women.

In a remarkable and poignant series of case studies, clinical social worker and ordained minister Rochelle Johnson provides a cogent study of the causes and effects of depression in Black woman in contemporary America. 

Inspired by Womanist theology and the insights of the pioneering psychoanalytic theories of Heinz Kohut, she shows how societal and historical barriers hinder the healing journeys of Black women thanks to the lack of mental health resources and systemic racism. By examining Black women's experiences at the intersection of oppression, trauma, culture, and church life, she demonstrates how historical trauma, racist myths, and harmful theological interpretations intensify the unique difficulties they encounter.

The book is a collective work that addresses a critical gap in understanding the role of Islamic populations in European history through their manuscript cultures. By examining a diverse array of Islamic texts—particularly those preserved only in manuscript form—this book highlights the multifaceted interactions between Islamic and European traditions.

The volume offers case studies based on four thematic cores: cataloguing and describing manuscripts, analyzing manuscript circulation and textual traditions, studying various scripts, and conducting diachronic linguistic analyses. The chapters delve into manuscripts of the Tatars of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Ottoman influences on South-Slavic literature, and significant Arabic texts in European collections.

This collective volume not only enriches the scholarship on European Islam but also serves as an essential resource for historians, linguists, and manuscript scholars interested in the complex legacies of multicultural exchanges in Europe.

On Palm Sunday 1960, three women knelt in front of an altar to be ordained as the first female priests in the Church of Sweden. During the 1960s, 54 women were admitted into the priesthood. This book tells the story of these pioneers through an analysis of their own personal narratives.

Viewed through the dual analytical lens of the theological concept of vocation and the social theorist Axel Honneth’s concept of recognition, these narratives provide a rich and complex picture of a groundbreaking reform that complements and challenges established historical narratives and contributes to the understanding of similar processes of change in other churches.

In this innovative intellectual biography, Oded Yisraeli offers an unprecedented, comprehensive portrait of Rabbi Moses b. Nahman, or Nahmanides (1194ca. 1270), one of the greatest Jewish thinkers and writers of the Middle Ages. Nahmanides' creative energy spanned his long life, covering diverse fields—Talmudic and halakhic exegesis, biblical commentary, Kabbalah, homiletics, polemics, and poetry—that have all individually been the object of extensive scholarly study. This book brings the many facets of Nahmanides' work together, and breaks new ground by relating the circumstances of his life to the long arc of his intellectual career.

Yisraeli examines Nahmanides' oeuvre in light of his time and place, reading his writings as a discourse with both movements within the Jewish world of his day and the lively scholasticism of thirteenth-century Western Europe. He takes account of changes over time both in the religious world around Nahmanides, and in his doctrine throughout his career, raising new questions about Nahmanides' work and the influences on his thought. Rooted in deep historical research and attention to social context, this book offers a new historical and biographical perspective that illuminates Nahmanides' religious and intellectual world.

What does it mean to wonder in awe or terror about the world? How do you philosophically understand Judaism? In How to Measure a World?: A Philosophy of Judaism, Martin Shuster provides answers to these questions and more.

Emmanuel Levinas suggested that Judaism is best understood as an anachronism. Shuster attempts to make sense of this claim by alternatively considering questions of the inscrutability of ultimate reality, of the pain and commonness of human suffering, and of the ways in which Judaism is entangled with the world. Drawing on phenomenology and Jewish thought, Shuster offers novel readings of some of the classic figures of Jewish philosophy while inserting other voices into the tradition, from Moses Maimonides to Theodor W. Adorno to Walter Benjamin to Stanley Cavell.

How to Measure a World? examines elements of the Jewish philosophical record to get at the full intellectual scope and range of Levinas's proposal. Shuster's view of anachronism thereby provokes an assessment of the world and our place in it. A particular understanding of Jewish philosophy emerges, not only through the traditions it encompasses, but also through an understanding of the relationship between humans and their world. In the end, Levinas's suggestion is examined theoretically as much as practically, revealing what's at stake for Judaism as much as for the world.

Что значит испытывать благоговение или страх перед миром? Как философски осмыслить иудаизм? В книге «Как измерить мир? Философия иудаизма» Мартин Шустер предлагает ответы на эти и многие другие вопросы.

Эммануэль Левинас считал, что иудаизм следует понимать как анахронизм. Шустер пытается осмыслить это утверждение, исследуя вопросы непостижимости высшей реальности, непреодолимости страданий, а также то, каким образом иудаизм вплетен в повседневность. Опираясь на феноменологию и классическую еврейскую мысль, автор предлагает оригинальные интерпретации ключевых фигур, вводя в традицию современные голоса — от Маймонида до Теодора В. Адорно, Вальтера Беньямина и Стэнли Кавелла.

Позиция Левинаса рассматривается не только с теоретической, но и с практической точки зрения, это позволяет глубже понять, что именно поставлено на карту — как для  иудаизма, так и для мира в целом.

This book explores how modern religious thought and religious Zionism have addressed the profound question of evil, with a particular focus on the Holocaust. It delves into the theological and philosophical challenges posed by absolute, undeniable, and inexplicable primal evil. The awareness of this primal evil serves as the foundation connecting the chapters, which trace the perspectives of influential thinkers such as Rabbis Zvi Yehuda Kook, Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, and Eliezer Berkowitz, as well as figures like Rabbi David Hartman and Eliezer Goldman.

Through a combination of philosophical and theological inquiry alongside historical and conceptual analysis, the book creates a rich mosaic of religious thought in the modern era. It also examines the responses of leaders and activists to the enduring question of evil in the shadow of Auschwitz.

World of Our Fathers traces the journeys of Eastern Europe’s Jews to America over four decades. Beginning in the 1880s, it offers a rich portrayal of the East European Jewish experience in New York, and shows how the immigrant generation tried to maintain their Yiddish culture while becoming American. It is essential reading for those interested in understanding why these forebears to many of today’s American Jews made the decision to leave their homelands, the challenges these new Jewish Americans faced, and how they experienced every aspect of immigrant life in the early part of the twentieth century.

This invaluable contribution to Jewish literature and culture is now back in print in a paperback edition, which includes a foreword by the noted author and literary critic Morris Dickstein.

A new collection of thought-provoking essays explores the impact of questions of culture and history across the Anglican Communion. 

Edited by Michael Battle, an Anglican thought leader and innovator, Conversations in Global Anglican Theology: Culture, the second book in this new series, appears at a moment in time when culture wars bedevil national and international politics, as well as Christian communities across the globe.
 
Featuring contributions by a diverse group of theologians including Mercy Tabitha Wambui Kamau, Khushnud Azariah, Walter Brownridge, James Tengatenga, Noah Mbano, and Chanmi Byun, this volume addresses the most pressing questions facing the churches of the Anglican Communion. From classical issues such as Christ against Culture, to the possibility of common prayer among diverse cultures, to the problems of ethnocentrism, the conversation on Culture challenges the Western church how to better engage the global one.

As the world seems to be pivoting away from a compassionate global order the voices in this volume shy away from the typical tropes of peace on earth and instead present the practical steps needed to first practice and resemble a communion of churches.

Platforming non-Western theologians, the Conversations in Global Anglican Theology series addresses the most pressing questions facing the churches of the Anglican Communion, featuring thought-provoking essays by established and emerging scholars.

This volume is the first in a series whose aim is to keep track of the topics and changes which guide research, understanding and dissemination within the many disciplines involved in the study of religion in Europe. The volume collects some of the lectures delivered at the Ex Nihilo Zero Conference (2017) and the First Annual Conference (2018), while the following issues will be dedicated to one annual conference each. Authors are leading European scholars within their own field of expertise and will guide the reader through the themes which set the pace of recent scholarly debates. The heterogeneity of the topics is precisely the distinctive mark of EuARe, which supports the disciplinary and interdisciplinary creation and dissemination of knowledge in order to contribute to the construction of society and the formation of culture.

Die Forschungsschwerpunkte von Ludwig Schmugge, seit 1979 Ordinarius für mittelalterliche Geschichte an der Universität Zürich und Herausgeber des »Repertorium Poenitentiariae Germanicum«, bilden den Rahmen dieser Festschrift, die ihm Schüler und Freunde zu seinem 65. Geburtstag widmen. Seinem Beispiel folgend, daß interessante Quellen es verdienen ediert zu werden, veröffentlichen zahlreiche Autoren in ihren Beiträgen bisher unbekannte einschlägige Quellen zur Geschichte des Papsttums, des mittelalterlichen Pilgerwesens und der päpstlichen Pönitentiarie.

“Empowering the Individual, Nurturing the Community” is the topic that authors discussed in their lectures delivered at the Second Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (2019), the texts of which are collected in this volume. Tackling the theme from the different perspectives of their fields of study, Craig Calhoun (Arizona State University) explores the meaning of secularisation for the individual and the community, and the challenges resulting from the reorganisation of human existence on a global scale and from new technologies; Maureen Junker-Kenny (Trinity College Dublin) analyses different approaches to the relationship between individuality and sociality, and the consequences of this for people’s views of religion; Sophie Nordmann (École Pratique des Hautes Études) discusses the contribution of Jewish philosophers to political theory in the twentieth century, and how they developed their conceptions of the way in which individuals belong to social, political, and cultural communities; finally, Tim Winter (University of Cambridge) surveys foundational Islamic assumptions about human diversity and measures their intelligibility to modern positivism.

This edition offers a newly worked critical edition of the text of the Liber ad Renatum monachum, a didactic letter written in the 1st quarter of the 5th century on the correct lifestyle for monks. The letter is rhetorically ambitious and linguistically polished, combining satire, theology, and parainesis in the style of Hieronymus.

The papers in this volume revolve around the history of the influence exerted by the person of Moses and the traditions associated with him. They deal not only with the function of the figure of Moses in the Pentateuch, the salvation in the Red Sea and the final day of Moses’ life, but also with the way Moses was received in the Deuteronomic history, the Psalms, the Book of Jeremiah, the Septuagint, in Qumran, early Jewish extra-biblical literature, the New Testament and the Early Church.

It is crucial today to understand how religions can exist harmoniously in a shared environment, whether local or global. A reasoned approach to this question was sought by participants at a stimulating conference of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR) in a predominantly Muslim country, Indonesia. Themes treated include the relation between theoretical approaches and religious viewpoints, practical problems and conflict resolution at the local level, and religious education with special reference to the role of Muslim schools (pesantren) in Indonesia.

In biblical as well as in non-biblical texts war is a widespread theme often embedded in a narrative framework. In this volume that contains the proceedings of a conference in Kerkrade (Netherlands) in July 2009, a whole series of war narratives has been analyzed, such as 1 Maccabees, Ben Sira, the Book of Judith, the Book of Chronicles, Esther. Special attention is paid to the Scrolls of War from Qumran, to the concepts of Holy War and Divine Warrior, to Josephus and to war and peace in the Book of Psalms.
Visions of peace are discussed in contributions that give attention to the Idea of Peace in Antiquity, to peace in Jewish Prayer, to the collocation ‛covenant of peace’, as well as to specific passages in the books of Micha and Isaiah, and in the Gospel of Matthew.

Alttestamentliche Texte zum Sabbat, zur hauswirtschaftlichen Verwertung von Tieren und zum Rechtsleben werden auf Spuren von Profanität und Sakralisierung hin untersucht. Die Quellen lassen nicht erkennen, ob die Profanität der betrachteten Lebensbereiche das Ergebnis eines Säkularisierungsprozesses ist. Sie zeigen den Kult jedoch eher auf dem Vormarsch: Die Kultgemeinde bietet ihre spezifischen Möglichkeiten für die Erhaltung schützenswerter Sitten und Gebräuche sowie die Herstellung des Rechtsfriedens an.

Well-known scholars in the study of religions bring up to date and elucidate the discussion on the three most debated approaches in comparative religion, namely, the hermeneutical approach, the explanatory or cognitivist approach, and the critical approach. The approaches and methods of studying religion are disputed in an outspoken and challenging way, critically and radically arguing pros and cons. This work is unique, unrivalled, and full of essential insights into the dialogue of today and of the challenges of tomorrow.

Das "Testament Salomos" liegt hier erstmals zur Gänze in deutscher Übersetzung der bislang maßgeblichen Textedition von McCown - unter konsequenter Berücksichtigung der griechischen Textvarianten - vor. Die ausführliche religionsgeschichtliche Kommentierung und Einleitung präsentieren es nicht als jüdische Schrift mit christlicher Überarbeitung, sondern als genuin christliche Schrift aus dem 4. Jahrhundert, womöglich als die erste christliche Dämonologie überhaupt.

Two major texts of Justin Martyr are now available in one volume (reprint of 1994/1997 editions):
Iustini Martyrs’ Apologiae pro Christianis, a critical edition of Justin Martyrs’ Apologia Maior and Apologia Minor (approx. A.D. 150), consisting of an introduction, Greek text (with double apparatus), Appendix, and a complete Index verborum.
Iustini Martyrs’ Dialogus cum Tryphone, a critical edition of Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho, consisting of an introduction, Greek text (with double apparatus), and an Index locorum and Index nominum.

Jewish religion, Greek philosophy and Islamic thought mold the philosophy and theology of Maimonides and characterize his work as an excellent example of the fruitful transfer of culture in the Middle Ages. The authors show various aspects of this cultural cross-fertilization, despite religious and ethnic differences. The studies prompt thoughts on a question which is important for the present and the future: How may the different religions, cultures and concepts of knowledge continue to be conveyed in synthesis?

The volume publishes the lectures given at the July 2004 international congress at the occasion of the 800th anniversary of Maimonides’ death.

Der Band versammelt Beiträge des Kongresses zum 200. Todestag Herders, der im Dezember 2003 in Weimar als gemeinsames Projekt der Stiftung Weimarer Klassik und Kunstsammlungen und des Sonderforschungsbereichs 482 „Ereignis Weimar – Jena. Kultur um 1800“ stattfand. Die Beiträge stellen unter interdisziplinären Gesichtspunkten (Germanistik, Geschichte, Pädagogik, Philosophie, Romanistik, Theologie) das theologische Schaffen Herders in den Mittelpunkt. Das Themenspektrum reicht dabei von seiner exegetischen Arbeit über die Pantheismusfrage bis hin zu Herders Tätigkeit im Kirchen- und Schulwesen Weimars.

Pluspunkte

• Umfassende Würdigung des theologischen Werks Herders
• Interdisziplinäre Perspektive
• Von Interesse für die Fachgebiete Theologie, Germanistik und Geschichte

The study assesses the main issues in the current debate about the early history of Pesach and Easter and provides new insights into the development of these two festivals. The author argues that the prescriptions of Exodus 12 provide the celebration of the Pesach in Jerusalem with an etiological background in order to connect the pilgrim festival with the story of the Exodus. The thesis that the Christian Easter evolved as a festival against a Jewish form of celebrating Pesach in the second century and that the development of Easter Sunday is dependent upon this custom is endorsed by the author’s close study of relevant texts such as the Haggada of Pesach; the “Poem of the four nights” in the Palestinian Targum Tradition; the structure of the Easter vigil.

Als Beitrag zur Wiederentdeckung der Theologie Ernst Lohmeyers (1890-1946) untersucht diese Monographie die Verbindung von Philosophie und Theologie in Lohmeyers Denken.

Philosophisch orientiert sich Lohmeyer an der Erkenntnistheorie Richard Hönigswalds. Die historische Frage nach neutestamentlichen Inhalten ist für Lohmeyer untrennbar verbunden mit ihrer sachlichen Begründung. So interpretiert er zum Beispiel die mythische Ausdrucksweise des Neuen Testaments, indem er nach den Gründen dieser historisch bedingten Sprache fragt. Damit stellt sein Denken sowohl eine Alternative zur rein historisch-kritischen Forschung wie auch zur existentialen Interpretation der Bultmann-Schule dar.

Much of the primary research summarized here relates to Cambridge Genizah manuscripts, a thousand-year-old source that testifies to liturgical (as well, of course, as non-liturgical) developments that greatly predate other source material. When the research is concerned with pre-Genizah history, the Genizah evidence is also relevant since the historian of religious ideas must ultimately decide how to date, characterize, and conceptualize its contents and how to explain where they vary significantly from what became, or is regarded (rightly or wrongly) as having become, the standard rabbinic liturgy sanctioned by the Iraqi Jewish authorities from the ninth to the eleventh century.

Die Studie unterzieht das gesamte Hoseabuch einer redaktionsgeschichtlichen Analyse und kommt, ausgehend von einem Kern in Hos 4-9, zu dem Ergebnis, dass es erst sukzessive zu seiner heutigen Gestalt angewachsen ist. Die Geschichtsrückblicke ab Hos 9,10 und die biographischen Symbolhandlungen in Hos 1 und 3 gehören demnach späteren Redaktionsschichten an. So wird ein literatur- und theologiegeschichtlicher Bogen von den Anfängen prophetischer Überlieferung im 8. Jh. v. Chr. bis hin zu ihrer Rezeption in Qumran geschlagen.

This collection of essays analyzes ‛tradition’ as a category in the historical and comparative study of religion. The book questions the common assumption that tradition is simply the “passing down” or imitation of prior practices and discourses. It begins from the premise that many traditions are, at least in part, social fabrications, often deliberately serving particular ideological ends. Individual chapters examine a wide variety of historical periods and religions (Congolese, Buddhist, Christian, Confucian, Cree, Esoteric, Hawaiian, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, New Religious Movement, and Shinto). Different sections of the book consider tradition's relation to three sets of issues: legitimation and authority; agency and identity; modernity and the West.

The world chronicle of Jo(h)annes Antiochenus is a decisive source in the development of Christian universal historiography and world chronicles in the Christian Orient. It stretches from Adam to the beginning of the reign of Heraclius (610). The author was an educated official in the imperial administration in Constantinople. The chronicle was written in the context of the cultural and political debate about the renewal of the Emperorship after the deposition of the tyrant Phokas (October 610); the model is provided by the political structure of the Roman republic.

In this volume, the chronicle has been made available for the first time in a modern edition (with an Italian translation) and with a detailed introduction. The edition of the fragments includes new texts on Greek prehistory, Roman history, the chronology of biblical and Greek history, and the history, topography, and archaeology of Constantinople.

Der Autor bietet eine Studie zur seinsgeschichtlichen Entfaltung der christlichen Zentralbotschaft von der Liebe Gottes. Ausgehend vom Begriff der „Agape“ wird die kirchliche Wirklichkeit in ihrer Spannung zwischen Ganz-Sein und Seins-Krise erschlossen. Indem dabei die Möglichkeiten der Agape voll ausgelotet werden, lässt der Autor die Vision der originalen christlichen Seins-Alternative wieder aufleben. Als die Versöhnungsbereitschaft Gottes weist die Gottesliebe insbesondere der Ökumene einen verheißungsvollen Weg und lässt erkennen, wie das Christentum zu neuer Glaubhaftigkeit und Zukunftsfähigkeit finden kann.

This volume examines the specific role of horoscopic astrology in Western culture from antiquity to the nineteenth century. Focusing on the public appearance of astrological rhetoric, the essays break new ground for a better understanding of the function of horoscopes in public discourse. The volume's three parts address the use of imperial horoscopes in late antiquity, the transformation of doctrines and rhetorics in Islamic medieval contexts, and the important status of astrology in early modern Europe. The combination of in-depth historical studies and methodological considerations results in an important contribution to religious and cultural studies.

Finanzierung und Unterhalt von Kulten, Verwaltung von Heiligtümern und Ausdrucksformen von Religiosität sind wichtige Aspekte zum Verständnis der Organisation menschlicher Gemeinschaften in der Antike. Die Autorin untersucht unter anderem den Umfang an Landbesitz von Heiligtümern, die landwirtschaftliche Nutzung des Landes, Einnahmemöglichkeiten aus Verpachtung, Vorschriften zum Schutz von 'heiligem Land' sowie möglichen Wandel von Religiosität im Umgang mit Besitz der Götter (7. - 4. Jh. v. Chr.).

The commentary that Moses ibn Tibbon (approx. 1195 - 1275) wrote on the Song of Solomon serves in this book as an example of the interlacing between Judaic-Arabic philosophy and Judaism’s traditional interpretation of hymns of praise. The authentic text is first established through philological manuscript analysis, a step that allows the true contour of Moses ibn Tibbon’s philosophy to emerge. He sought to render an exoteric materialist reinterpretation of the esoteric-metaphysical philosophy of Maimonides. This attempt not only aimed at a democratization of knowledge in medieval Jewish society but also led Moses ibn Tibbon to a philosophy of language that based the cognitive act on the aesthetic experience of the reader.

Der Apostel Paulus hat mit seinen Briefen nicht nur Theologie vermittelt, sondern auch persönliche Beziehungen zu den angeschriebenen Gemeinden gepflegt. Die Studie untersucht, wie die Briefe die bleibende Bedeutung des Paulus, so sie nicht bereits mit dem Apostolat gegeben war, für die Gemeinden entwerfen und sichern. Dies geschieht vor allem durch Metaphern. Im Mittelpunkt der Studie stehen Eltern-Kind-Metaphern (1 Thess 2; 1 Kor 4; Gal 4), mit denen Paulus seine "Kinder" in besonderer Weise an sich binden will.

This monograph explores the theology of the Acts of the Apostles while taking seriously the status of the writing as ancient historiography: What does it mean to speak of theology in a historiographical work? How can this theology be apprehended? What does this theology have to do with the overall character of the writing and with how the writing functioned for its original audience? Acts 19 is both, case study and source to generate the answers.

This work uses anthropological theory and field studies to investigate the social function and meaning of sacrifice. All rituals, including sacrifice, communicate social beliefs and morality, but these cannot be determined outside of a study of the social context. Thus, there is no single explanation for sacrifice - such as those advanced by René Girard or Walter Burkert or late-19^th and early-20^th century scholars. The book then examines four different writings in the Hebrew Bible - the Priestly Writing, the Deuteronomistic History, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles - to demonstrate how different social origins result in different social meanings of sacrifice.

The Hebrew Bible portrays King Manasseh and child sacrifice as the most reprehensible person and the most objectionable practice within the story of 'Israel'. This monograph suggests that historically, neither were as deviant as the Hebrew Bible appears to insist. Through careful historical reconstruction, it is argued that Manasseh was one of Judah's most successful monarchs, and child sacrifice played a central role in ancient Judahite religious practice. The biblical writers, motivated by ideological concerns, have thus deliberately distorted the truth about Manasseh and child sacrifice.

This study explores the interplay between the commendation of enjoyment and the injunction to fear God in Ecclesiastes. Previous studies have tended to examine these seemingly antithetical themes in isolation from one another. Seeing enjoyment and fear to be positively correlated, however, enables a fresh articulation of the book’s theology. Enjoyment of life lies at the heart of Qohelet’s vision of piety, which may be characterized as faithful realism, calling for an authentic engagement with both the tragic and joyous dimensions of human existence.

Winner of the 2007 John Templeton Award for Theological Promise

In Abgrenzung zur romantischen Ästhetik der Originalität geht die Analyse des Textes von Gen 26 und seinen Kotexten von einer Ästhetik der Wertschätzung von Wiederholungen und "Doppelungen" aus. Nach der Vorstellung des rezeptionsästhetischen Auslegungskonzeptes wird der Lektüreprozess von Gen 12,10-20; Gen 20 und Gen 26 rekonstruiert, wobei nicht nur die christliche Sekundärliteratur, sondern auch jüdische Exegesen intensiv einbezogen werden. Die drei Geschichten von der Gefährdung der Ahnfrau und die beiden Brunnenstreit-Erzählungen werden als jeweils neue Folgen sichtbar, die mit Gen 26 in einer erzähltechnisch anspruchsvollen Friedens- und Segensgeschichte ihren Höhepunkt finden.

Die Interpretation der Vätererzählungen im umfangreichen Corpus Philonicum zeigt exemplarisch: Schriftauslegung konnte formal und intentional in einer komplexen Wechselbeziehung zu spezifischen regionalen, milieubedingten, gesellschaftlichen und religiösen Faktoren im 1. Jh. n. Chr. stehen. Philos drei Werke zum Pentateuch sind ein Ausweis dafür, in welchem Maße hermeneutische Prinzipien bei einem Exegeten konstant bleiben konnten und in welchem Umfang Entwicklungen unterschiedlichen Adressaten gegenüber möglich waren. Solche Ergebnisse bilden Grundlagen, die für spezielle neutestamentliche Fragestellungen fruchtbar gemacht werden müssen.

Die Tübinger Dissertation bietet eine Neubesinnung auf die Thematik der Sünde in Gestalt einer Auseinandersetzung mit Julius Müllers Die christliche Lehre von der Sünde (zuerst erschienen 1839–44). Müllers zweibändiges Werk - nach dem Urteil Karl Barths das "wichtigste literarische Spezialwerk, das der schwierigen Materie ... bis jetzt zugewendet worden ist" - wird hier erstmalig umfassend dargestellt und als eine Theorie der Freiheit interpretiert, die auf die Einsicht in die Unbegreiflichkeit der Sünde zuläuft. Søren Kierkegaard hat "Müllers Lehre von der Sünde sehr hoch geschätzt und aus ihr für seine Bekämpfung Hegels gelernt" (Emanuel Hirsch). Die entsprechenden Tagebuchnotizen über Julius Müller werden im Anhang zum ersten Mal vollständig in deutscher Sprache dokumentiert.

In recent discussions, increasing attention has been focussed on the question of how knowledge and the interpretation of reality come about. This volume presents a collection of papers dealing with this topic from historiological, philosophical and theological perspectives. In this way, a dialogue is conducted which transcends the boundaries of specialist disciplines and places the problem in a broader humanities perspective.

In der jüngeren Forschung haben die beiden klassischen Hypothesen einer Aufstiegsgeschichte Davids und einer Thronfolgeerzählung an Überzeugungskraft verloren. Damit rücken die Texte in II Sam 1-5 verstärkt in den Blick, denen eine Schlüsselstellung für die literarische Genese der Davidüberlieferung zukommt. Die vorliegende Studie ermittelt einen ersten durchlaufenden und noch vorexilischen Darstellungszusammenhang, der im 7. Jh. v. Chr. entstanden ist. Entsprechend erklärt sie das Doppelkönigtum Davids über Israel und Juda als eine protodeuteronomistische Gründungsgeschichte der späten Königszeit. Die Untersuchung schließt mit einer redaktionsgeschichtlichen Skizze der Daviderzählungen im zweiten Samuelbuch und einer Revision der geschichtlichen Zeugnisse.

The hermeneutics employed in this work is partly referred to as hindsight hermeneutics, and upholds the resonance and dissonance between the Epilogue of the Book of Job and the preceding sections. Within the Theophany-epilogue continuum, rebuke and approval, retribution and its suspension, divine transcendence and accessibility are all held together. The dramatically discordant traditions in the preceding section are not interpreted as competing alternatives but as complementary possibilities for understanding the nature of the divine-human relationship and responding to the threat and reality of chaos and suffering.

Eusebs Lexikon der biblischen Ortsnamen ist das grundlegende Handbuch zur historischen Landeskunde des Heiligen Landes diesseits und jenseits des Jordans. In seiner lateinischen Fassung hat es das Abendland stark beeinflusst. Die syrische Fassung hat auf den Orient ähnlich stark gewirkt. Sie enthält die Weiterungen der lateinischen Fassung nicht und ist damit auch für die Textgeschichte der griechischen Fassung von erheblicher Bedeutung. Die syrische Fassung wird hier erstmals in einer interlinearen Form geboten: griechisch und syrisch, samt englischer und deutscher Übersetzung. Für den griechischen und für den syrischen Text sind vollständige Indices der Personennamen, der Wörter, der Zahlen und Entfernungsangaben erstellt.

Pluspunkte:

• Erste kritische Edition des syrischen Textes von Eusebs "Onomastikon".
• Eingehender Vergleich der syrischen mit der griechischen Version.
• Ausführlicher textkritischer Kommentar.
• Mit interlinearer englischer und deutscher Übersetzung.
• Vollständige Konkordanzen zum griechischen und syrischen Text.

Der Autor stellt anhand einer Analyse antiker Vorstellungen und Begriffe vom Lehrer, Schüler und Studenten Ausbildungswege, Bildungsideale und literarische Bildung in hellenistischer Zeit dar. Vor diesem weiten Hintergrund und mit Blick auf die Herkunft des Paulus wird anschließend Paulus’ Bildungsgang diskutiert. Analysen seiner Briefe (besonders 1 Kor 7 und 2 Kor 10 – 13) belegen seine hohe Textkompetenz, so dass eine literarische und rhetorische Bildung vorausgesetzt werden muss.

Ausgehend von 2 Kön 17-18 fragt die Studie nach dem ursprünglichen Umfang des Deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerks und nach der Redaktion des Enneateuch. Sie prüft die verschiedenen Annahmen, dass die Königsbücher einmal vor dem jetzigen Schluss geendet haben, und weist sie ab. Sie identifiziert eine im Exodusbuch und im 2. Königebuch erkennbare Redaktion, die dem Volk eine Zukunft nach Jerusalems Fall 587 v. Chr. verheißt. Anhand weiterer redaktioneller Reflexionstexte stellt sie die allmählich vollzogene Redaktion des Enneateuch und die Entwicklung seiner Zukunftsvorstellungen dar.

Der Tod Jesu wird im Johannesevangelium in diskursiven wie narrativen Texten thematisiert. Die Arbeit geht im Anschluss an Joh 14,29 davon aus, dass die erste Abschiedsrede (13,31-14,31) mit ihrer Eschatologie und Pneumatologie, aber auch der angekündigten Konfrontation Jesu mit dem Teufel der Schlüssel- und Kommentartext für den Passions- und Osterbericht (Joh 18-20) ist. Zur Erhebung des theologischen Verständnisses vom Tod Jesu werden beide Textcorpora detailliert und in ihren gegenseitigen Bezügen in synchroner wie diachroner Hinsicht analysiert.

This latest comprehensive work on Simon Magus lends new impetus to the investigation of Early Christianity and questions surrounding the origin and nature of Gnosticism. Major contributions of this study include: (1), a departure from the traditional exegesis of Acts 8, 5-24 (the first narrative source of Simon), and the later following reports of ancient Christian writers; (2), an overview of the literature of Graeco-Roman antiquity to determine the contribution of "magic" and "the Magoi" in the development of perceptions and descriptions of Simon; and (3), the inclusion of social science explanation models and modern estimations of "identity", in a creative approach to questions surrounding the phenomenon of Simon.

Für diesen Band haben sich Freunde, Kolleginnen und Kollegen zusammengetan, um Hans G. Kippenberg zu ehren, seine Ideen kreativ aufzugreifen und kritisch fortzuschreiben. Die 32 Beiträge in deutscher und englischer Sprache befassen sich mit Themengebieten, zu denen Hans G. Kippenberg in den vergangenen Jahren verstärkt gearbeitet hat: Geschichte der Religionswissenschaft · Methodische Reflexionen · Europäische Religionsgeschichte · Religion und Moderne · Religion und Gewalt · Religion und Recht.

Mit diesem zweiten Band wird die erste wissenschaftliche deutsche Gesamtübersetzung der ca. 50 Schriften des Handschriftenfundes von Nag Hammadi sowie der Texte des Codex Berolinensis 8502 samt Einleitungen durch ausgewiesene Spezialistinnen und Spezialisten mit koptologischer Kompetenz abgeschlossen (vgl. Nag Hammadi Deutsch I, 2001).

Die mehrheitlich im 2. und 3. Jahrhundert entstandenen Texte, unter denen z.B. apokryphe Evangelien (etwa das Thomasevangelium) und bedeutsame Originalzeugnisse der Gnosis zu finden sind, gehören zu den wichtigsten handschriftlichen Neuentdeckungen des 20. Jahrhunderts. Sie sind insbesondere für die Bibelwissenschaften und die Kirchengeschichte von kaum zu überschätzender Bedeutung.

Der Berliner Arbeitskreis für Koptisch-Gnostische Schriften wurde vor mehr als 30 Jahren durch Hans-Martin Schenke begründet. Mit zahlreichen deutschen Erstübersetzungen und Textausgaben samt Kommentierungen sowie sehr vielen anderen Publikationen hat sich dieses wissenschaftliche Team als eines der weltweit führenden Forschungszentren für die Nag-Hammadi-Texte und andere koptische Texte etabliert.

This monograph presents a fresh and detailed treatment of the problems posed by the Nehemiah-Memoir. Starting from the pre-critical interpretations of Ezra-Neh, the study demonstrates that the use of the first-person does not suffice as a criterion for distinguishing between the verba Neemiae and the additions of later authors. The earliest edition of the Memoir is confined to a building report, which was expanded as early generations of readers developed the implications of Nehemiah's accomplishments for the consolidation and centralization of Judah. The expansions occasioned in turn the composition of the history of the "Restoration" in Ezra-Neh.

The author again presents a collection of studies examining the literary structure of the Psalms (in this case 9-10, 37, 46-48, 68, 78, 105, 106, 143) (cf. BZAW 235 and 289). The study starts by listing structural elements (recurrences of terms, phonetic similarities, synonyms, turns of phrase, oppositions) and working from these examines first the smallest structures, and then proceeds to larger and larger structures until the structure of the whole psalm has been revealed. It is thus possible to incorporate into the interpretation all the relationships inherent in the text itself, which thus provides a major part of its meanings.

Past scholarship on the prison-escapes in the Acts of the Apostles has tended to focus on lexical similarities to Euripides' Bacchae, going so far as to argue for direct literary dependence. Moving beyond such explanations, the present study argues that miraculous prison-escape was a central event in a traditional and culturally significant story about the introduction and foundation of cults - a story discernable in the Bacchae and other ancient texts. When the mythic quality and cultural diffusion of the prison-escape narratives are taken into account, the resemblance of Lukan and Dionysian narrative episodes is seen to depend less on specific literary borrowing, and more on shared familiarity with cultural discourses involving the legitimating portrayal of new cults in the ancient world.

The book presents diplomatic transcriptions (in Greek) and translations (in German and English) of all the known textual fragments which can be attributed to what is known as the Gospel of Peter and the Apocalypse of Peter or which scholars are discussing as possible elements of these texts. In addition, the documentation of the texts in ancient times is considered, and there is a brief discussion of the philological problems involved. With concordances.

This collection of essays stages a dialogue between Friedrich Schleiermacher and Alfred North Whitehead on significant features of 'open' system. The volume offers new options for rehabilitating system for future theological and philosophical thinking by opening system to a flexible relation with changing reality. Key ingredients for system are discussed in three areas of contact between Schleiermacher and Whitehead. One such ingredient concerns historical precedents figuring crucially in Western systematic philosophy. Another feature is the systematic categorization of experience that relates epistemology, metaphysics, and the empirical sciences. System is also brought to bear on pressing contemporary issues, such as ethics and religious pluralism.

Die Studie erörtert Darstellung und Prägung räumlicher Erfahrung im religiösen sowie im kognitionspsychologischen Kontext. Dazu werden "religiöse" und "technische" Erfahrung anhand des Ansatzes von Kuno Lorenz zum Erwerb von Handlungskompetenzen (im Anschluss an C.S. Peirce) verglichen, Zeitlichkeit personaler Identität nach Paul Ricoeur mit einem "narrativen Schematismus" beschrieben und dieses Modell der Mimesis, ausgehend von dem "Satz vom Widerspruch", auf die Räumlichkeit und Widerständigkeit der Person hin ergänzt.

Die "narrative Mimesis" lässt sich als für den religiösen Kontext typische Form der Darstellung und Prägung verstehen. Analog wird die "Simulation" als für die Kognitionspsychologie charakteristischer "topischer Schematismus" behandelt. Fallstudien (Dtn 26,5-9; Ex 1,1-20; "States of being Conscious") verdeutlichen die Konkurrenz, die bezüglich des Anspruchs auf Erfahrung minimaler Widerständigkeit besteht.

Der Band vereinigt Studien des Salzburger Exegeten Friedrich V. Reiterer zu seiner langjährigen und intensiven Beschäftigung mit Ben Sira. Die einzelnen Beiträge wurden überarbeitet und die Zählung der Ben Sira-Belege der von Reiterer im Jahr 2002 herausgegebenen „Zählsynopse zum Buch Ben Sira“ angeglichen.

The collection of essays contains nineteen contributions that aim at locating the Song of Songs in its ancient context as well as addressing problems of interpretation and the reception of this biblical book in later literature. In contrast to previous studies this work devotes considerable attention to parallels from the Greek world without neglecting the Ancient Near East or Egypt. Several contributions deal with the use of the Song in Byzantine, Medieval, German Romantic and modern Greek Literature. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the collection new perspectives and avenues of approach are opened.

Savonarola (1452-1498) hat sich als vordringlichste, bislang kaum beachtete Aufgabe die Begründung der Wahrheit des Christentums gestellt. In seiner Jugend selbst in der Versuchung, das katholische Christentum mit einer neuepikureischen Weltanschauung zu vertauschen, sucht er zeitlebens Argumente für die Wahrheit des Glaubens. Im Anschluss an den aristotelischen Empirismus und in Parallele zur naturwissenschaftlichen Methode versucht er einen Induktionsbeweis für die Wahrheit des Christentums: Die Beobachtung des ethischen Verhaltens der Christen und die kausale Analyse dieser Wahrnehmungsdaten sollen den Schluss ermöglichen, dass der solches Verhalten motivierende Glaube wahr sei.

Metaphern haben für die Rede von Christus im Neuen Testament und in der Theologiegeschichte eine besondere Bedeutung. Untersucht werden hier Formen und Funktionen metaphorischer Christologie im Neuen Testament, die Christusmetaphorik in der Spätantike, in der Mystik Taulers, bei Luther und im 19. Jahrhundert. Systematische Beiträge erörtern die Rede von Christus als "Wort Gottes", das Verhältnis von Metapher und Erfahrung sowie Grundprobleme der Metaphorizität christologischer Rede. Thematisiert werden auch Christusmetaphern in der Lyrik und die Bedeutung der Metaphorik für die Rede von Christus im Religionsunterricht.

For some years the view has become established that the Book of the Twelve is a systematically structured literary unity. An exegesis which takes the final canonical text seriously undertakes to understand the structure and theological intention of this unity. The papers collected here attempt to reveal significant structures which overarch the individual components. Particular emphasis is placed on the reconstruction of thematic threads which are created when individual prophets take up topics from their predecessors (e.g. Jehovah's Day, conversion, role of the peoples) and intensify them. The papers were written between 1999 and 2002 under the aegis of the Society of Biblical Literature's Working Group on The Formation of the Book of the Twelve.