This unique volume contributes a profound-autism perspective to the ongoing discussion of belonging in the church. By taking readers into two church communities, the author explores the issues of belonging from those least welcomed by the church and consider what the church should do differently. Adopting a “we” approach, she emphasizes the unity of different members in Christ. As one body in Christ, all believers share Christ’s sonship and become children of God. The household concept invites readers to reconceptualize Christian relationships as covenantal kinship. The kinship relationship is established by God’s covenantal commitment fulfilled in Christ. With or without autism, any person who obeys God’s summons is incorporated into Christ’s body by the Spirit to become God’s child. Believers are thus siblings to one another. Viewing each person this way enables us to see beyond human differences and welcome one another as God’s gifts and indispensable members of the community.

While the canonical scriptures were produced over many centuries and represent a diverse library of texts, they are unified by stories of divine covenants and their implications for God's people. In this book, Scott Hahn shows how covenant, as an overarching theme, makes possible a coherent reading of the diverse traditions found within the canonical scriptures. Biblical covenants, though varied in form and content, all serve the purpose of extending sacred bonds of kinship, Hahn explains. Specifically, divine covenants form and shape a father-son bond between God and the chosen people. Biblical narratives turn on that fact, and biblical theology depends upon it. The author demonstrates how divine sonship represents a covenant relationship with God that has been consistent throughout salvation history. --From publisher's description.

In this thoroughly revised and expanded edition of a milestone study, a careful explanation of four essential cultural themes offers readers a window into how early Christians sustained commitment to distinctly Christian identity and practice, and with it, a new appreciation of the New Testament, the gospel, and Christian discipleship.

Exploring Biblical Kinship honors John J. Pilch, a long-time member of the Catholic Biblical Association and a founding member of the Context Group. The festschrift, generated by the Social-Science Taskforce of the CBA explores biological and fictive kinship issues reflected in the lives of biblical persons. The essays in Part One deal with how patronage operates in biblical culture. Part Two analyzes family dynamics, commencing with an essay on violence contributed by the honoree. Part Three delves into kinship, descent, and discipleship. The text reflects the enduring influence of a renowned social-science scholar.

A team of scholars offers keen insights into family customs and culture in the Bible, providing a vision for family life today.

Mark R. Glanville and Luke Glanville offer a new approach to compassion for displaced people: a biblical ethic of kinship. Challenging the fear-based ethic that often motivates Christian approaches, they demonstrate how this ethic is consistently conveyed throughout the Bible and can be practically embodied today.