The Ten Commandments belong to the "classics" of Western culture. They are an authoritative part of the Hebrew and the Christian Scriptures. Since they come to us from an ancient past, it is both necessary and worthwhile to inquire what they may mean for us today. Thorwald Lorenzen contends it is important to hear God's invitation to an alternative lifestyle: "you shall not kill," "you shall not commit adultery," "you shall not covet." His thoughtful reflections on the commandments for today's tumultuous world begin with the God who "speaks" ten word to liberate God's people from oppression. Grounded in God's liberating "yes," the "ten words" are neither laws nor rules. They are elements for a culture of freedom in which people are invited to celebrate life.

The Reformation of the Decalogue tells two important but previously untold stories: of how the English Reformation transformed the meaning of the Ten Commandments, and of the ways in which the Ten Commandments helped to shape the English Reformation itself. Adopting a thematic structure, it contributes new insights to the history of the English Reformation, covering topics such as monarchy and law, sin and salvation, and Puritanism and popular religion. It includes, for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of surviving Elizabethan and Early Stuart 'commandment boards' in parish churches, and presents a series of ten case studies on the Commandments themselves, exploring their shifting meanings and significance in the hands of Protestant reformers. Willis combines history, theology, art history and musicology, alongside literary and cultural studies, to explore this surprisingly neglected but significant topic in a work that refines our understanding of British history from the 1480s to 1625.

In Retiring Retirement Rodney Macready doesn’t believe retirement is a biblical concept, especially the way it's practiced in today's Western culture, with a sense of entitlement. His aim is to challenge readers to think about retirement and what the Bible has to say in relation to it. He encourages retirees to continue to be productive and contribute to the Kingdom, and challenges us to evaluate our current concept of "retirement" by exploring what the Bible says about it.

This collection of studies by friends, colleagues, students, and associates of Thorwald Lorenzen centers on his pivotal research interests--the theological and ethical implications of a relational understanding of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In two major works on the resurrection, Lorenzen demonstrated the radical ramifications for Christian discipleship of affirming a relational perspective on the resurrection, especially with regard to social justice, human rights, ecumenical dialogue, and holistic spirituality. The purpose of this book is to honor the theological work of Thorwald Lorenzen by examining anew and pressing ahead with certain aspects of his own research interests, whether in historical and systematic theology, biblical exegesis and hermeneutics, or social ethics and spirituality.

Public theology is a developing field of discourse concerned to address matters of pressing public concern in theological perspective for the common good. Themes of ecology, poverty, human rights, and especially justice feature prominently in its discourse. Although justice is also a prominent theme in the Bible, there is no single perspective on what constitutes justice in the Bible and no single view on how biblical perspectives on justice should contribute to contemporary discussion regarding the meaning and implementation of justice. Informed and inspired by Christopher Marshall's landmark work on Compassionate Justice (Cascade Books, 2012) in dialogue with Jesus' parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, this collection of studies addresses various interrelations between the Bible, justice, and public theology. Marshall himself proposes that certain parables of Jesus are paradigmatic for public theology, and some contributors respond to different dimensions of his treatment of the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son in terms of restorative justice. Other contributors, by contrast, examine broader related concerns such as justice in biblical, theological, and philosophical perspective, the hermeneutics of engagement for justice, the relation between feminist theology and restorative justice, biblical resources for public theology, and popular culture as both a conversation partner with and a medium for public theology.

Digitalization now affects nearly all aspects of our lives. Much has been changing in the world – and this has led to the reassessment of crucial ethical questions: How are people to treat one another and what responsibility do we bear for the environment and the living world? And how can we shape our ongoing digital transformation in freedom and responsibility? This is the overarching concern of the publication, published by the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany. The publication touches on timeless questions to be reassessed in the context of digitalization: How to address issues on securing our future, work and leisure, trust and betrayal, truth and lies. It encourages readers to avail themselves of the opportunities provided by digitalization, while not glossing over its critical facets. In doing so, the publication connects these developments with a text central to the biblical tradition, the Ten Commandments. Even in our times of digital transformation, the Decalogue provides us with a basic ethical orientation for lives in freedom and responsibility.

The purpose of this book is to help those engaged in Christian formation, or those exploring faith perspectives for themselves, to see the Ten Commandments in a positive and liberating, rather than a restrictive, sense. Seen in the context of Israel's story, the commandments are guidance toward a life of freedom in community. Commonly held meanings of faith, freedom, and love are challenged as social and political dimensions of this journey toward freedom are developed.