The centrality of the death of Jesus for the Christian faith can hardly be overstated, and interest in the subject is "red hot." As each generation of Christians comes to terms with its historical claims, and its theological import, it is only natural that its implications merit reexamination. Taking a studied look at the death of Jesus" from the Old Testament's perspective to that of the Gospels and Hebrews to that of extra-canonical accounts" Carroll and Green put us in their debt for their comprehensive survey of the effects and implications of a central tenet of Christianity. "John Carroll and Joel Green have harvested bountiful scholarship on a central issue in Christian thought, offering us a volume as impressive in its range as in its depth, as satisfying in its parts as in its cohesiveness. Thoroughly conversant with current research, their study remains, to its great credit, concentrated on the primary texts. The end product is historically grounded, literarily perceptive, and theologically astute. Well-balanced and admirably clear, "The Death of Jesus in Early Christianity" belongs off the shelf and on the desk of scholar and pastor alike." " C. Clifton Black, Associate Professor of New Testament, Perkins School of Theology "Carroll and Green have written the perfect book for those interested in exploring the meaning and significance of Jesus' death. Well-organized, carefully documented, it can serve as a text for theological students as well as a source book for exegetes and systematicians." Frank J. Matera, Professor of New Testament, The Catholic University of America "This is the most comprehensive treatment of the NT material on this subject now available. Itis not simply an analysis of key passages, but sets them in the context of the different writings, showing full awareness of narrative nuance as well as of theological crux. It tackles historical questions and the sensitive issue of anti-Judaism in the passion narratives with equal flair. It is concerned with the meaning of atonement then but also its significance now. And all this in highly competent and often incisive dialogue with the most recent literature on the subject. If you can afford only one volume on your shelves on this subject, this is it. " James D.G. Dunn, Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, University of Durham

Why is the Resurrection of Christ so remote, almost non-existent in many early Christian writings of the first 140 years of Christianity? This is the first Patristic book to focus on the development of the belief in the Resurrection of Christ through the first centuries A.D. By Paul, Christ's Resurrection is regarded as the basis of Christian hope. In the fourth century it becomes a central Christian tenet. But what about the discrepancy in the first three centuries? This thought provoking book explores this core topic in Christian culture and theology. Taking a broad approach - including iconography, archaeology, history, philosophy, Jewish Studies and theology - Markus Vinzent offers innovative reading of well known biblical and other texts complemented by rarely discussed evidence. Christ's Resurrection in Early Christianity takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the wilderness of unorthodox perspectives in the breadth of early Christian writings. It is an eye-opening experience with insights into the craftsmanship of early Christianity - and the earliest existential debates about life and death, death and life - all centred on the cross, on suffering, enduring and sacrifice.

In Speaking Christian, acclaimed Bible scholar Marcus Borg, author of Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, argues that the very language Christians use has become dangerously distilled, distorted, and disconnected from the beliefs which once underpinned it. Stating a case that will resonate with readers of N. T. Wright’s Simply Christian, Borg calls for a radical change to the language we use to invoke our beliefs—the only remedy that will allow the Church's words to once again ring with truth, power, and hope.

Paul Barnett not only places the New Testament within the world of caesars and Herods, proconsuls and Pharisees, Sadducee and revolutionaries, but argues that the mainspring and driving force of early Christian history is the historical Jesus.

The publication of the King James version of the Bible, translated between 1603 and 1611, coincided with an extraordinary flowering of English literature and is universally acknowledged as the greatest influence on English-language literature in history. Now, world-class literary writers introduce the book of the King James Bible in a series of beautifully designed, small-format volumes. The introducers' passionate, provocative, and personal engagements with the spirituality and the language of the text make the Bible come alive as a stunning work of literature and remind us of its overwhelming contemporary relevance.

When world-class biblical scholar Bart Ehrman first began to study the texts of the Bible in their original languages he was startled to discover the multitude of mistakes and intentional alterations that had been made by earlier translators. In Misquoting Jesus, Ehrman tells the story behind the mistakes and changes that ancient scribes made to the New Testament and shows the great impact they had upon the Bible we use today. He frames his account with personal reflections on how his study of the Greek manuscripts made him abandon his once ultraconservative views of the Bible. Since the advent of the printing press and the accurate reproduction of texts, most people have assumed that when they read the New Testament they are reading an exact copy of Jesus's words or Saint Paul's writings. And yet, for almost fifteen hundred years these manuscripts were hand copied by scribes who were deeply influenced by the cultural, theological, and political disputes of their day. Both mistakes and intentional changes abound in the surviving manuscripts, making the original words difficult to reconstruct. For the first time, Ehrman reveals where and why these changes were made and how scholars go about reconstructing the original words of the New Testament as closely as possible. Ehrman makes the provocative case that many of our cherished biblical stories and widely held beliefs concerning the divinity of Jesus, the Trinity, and the divine origins of the Bible itself stem from both intentional and accidental alterations by scribes -- alterations that dramatically affected all subsequent versions of the Bible.

Prominent scholars in the fields of Archaeology, New Testament Studies, and the Dead Sea Scrolls have come together in "The World of Jesus and the Early Church" to focus on early Jewish and Christian communities of faith and their impact on the collections of texts that were their scriptures (and would become, in due time, part of their various canons). Professors, students, and pastors who are interested in how these communities lived--how they developed, what they believed, and how they regarded and preserved the written documents that were their scripture--will be interested in this comprehensive volume drawn from presentations made to key conferences on the subject. This book's emphasis on a variety of communities of faith (not just Christian) and their early (and critical) influence on the development of religious canonical materials sets it apart from others on New Testament-period culture.