Christians frequently slaughter freedom of conscience with fanatical dogmatism. It is not uncommon for various fellowships of God's people to lay an embargo on freedom in favor of their own exclusive doctrine or understanding of the Scriptures. One objective of this book is to set Christians free from sectarianism. The views set forth in this book are not bound by party ties. It is my desire that these writings will assist Christians in their desire to escape the prevailing forms of radicalism manifested by so many sincere and devout believers. In my fifty-eight years of preaching and teaching, I have witnessed that men and women, for the most part, are afraid of freedom. This volume examines the philosophy of "what we teach is true and what others teach is false." Among some bodies of believers, freedom of investigation is rigidly shackled. The chapters in this book seek to defuse the attitude that the one who refuses to comply with the status quo is no longer a brother in Christ. The diversity of the chapters in this book refutes the prevailing opinions of many Christians-"my opinion is the only sound one, flawless and incontestable." Dallas Burdette has been a serious student, teacher and preacher of the Bible for fifty-eight years, supporting himself for many years as an agent for AFLAC. He has written numerous articles for religious journals, as well as many essays and sermons which are available on his website. He has developed a keen interest in promoting unity among God's people through a more accurate reading of the Word. He has degrees from Amridge University (formerly Southern Christian University) where he also was Director of Extended Learning for five years. He holds the Doctor of Ministry degree (1999) from Erskine Theological Seminary.

The letters of James, 1 and 2 Peter, and Jude are among the most neglected letters of the New Testament. Thus, methodological advances in New Testament study tend to arise among the Gospels or Pauline letters. But these letters are beginning to receive increased attention in the scholarly community. Reading Jude With New Eyes is the fourth of four volumes that incorporate research in this area. The essays collected here examine the impact of recent methodological developments in New Testament studies to Jude, including, for example, rhetorical, social-scientific, socio-rhetorical, ideological and hermeneutical methods, as they contribute to understanding this letter and its social context. Each essay will have a similar three-fold structure: a description of the methodological approach; the application of the methodological approach to the particular letter under consideration (the bulk of the essay); and a conclusion identifying how the methodological approach contributes to a fresh understanding the letter.

The African Presence and Influence on the Cultures of the Americas, an interdisciplinary collection of essays by scholars and writers whose disciplines include but are not limited to literature, languages, linguistics, history, sociology and psychology, reflects the complexity and diversity of the historical and cultural legacy of the African diasporic reality and provides a critical perspective for examining the persistence of African cultural traditions in the Americas. These writers and scholars explore the ways in which people connected by moments in history and the common legacies of racism, classism, colonialism and imperialism, have used literature, music, dance, religion and cultural rites and rituals to survive and resist. The poetry and prose of Afro-Cuban icon, Nicolás Guillén and Afro-American literary legend, Gwendolyn Brooks provide a context for exploring these themes. Guillén and Brooks symbolize the triumph of the human spirit and the “Africanisms” present amongst people who share a common legacy originating in Africa. Building on the themes in the work of these poets, the scholars and writers in The African Presence and Influence on the Cultures of the Americas examine the nature, persistence and impact of these themes in literature, language, music, dance and religion. The scholarship generated in this collection has implications for the ways in which we read, study and teach cultural studies, literature, history, language, African American Studies, Caribbean Studies and Africana Studies.

One objective of this book is to set forth the heart of God's Gospel. This volume is composed of a compilation of sermons and in-depth studies designed to strengthen and encourage Christians in their daily walk with God and with one another. Since the Cross of Christ is pivotal to a proper understanding of Christianity, numerous chapters in this book explore the "ins" and "outs" of the importance of the Cross in the lives of God's people. Not only does this book focus upon the scheme of God's redemption and evangelism as a part of every believer's ministry, it also calls attention to Christian apologetics, that is, a defense of Christianity. Three chapters are devoted to this kind of study: (1) Christianity versus Skepticism, (2) Credibility and Candor of the New Testament Writers, and (3) Paul's Conversion: Apologetic for Christianity. Also, this book allocates three chapters to the subject of baptism and its meaning to God's children. And, finally, four chapters are dedicated to a detailed study of worship within the Christian community. Dallas Burdette has been a serious student, teacher and preacher of the Bible for fifty-eight years, supporting himself for many years as an agent for AFLAC. He has written numerous articles for religious journals, as well as many essays and sermons which are available on his website (www.freedominchrist.net). He has developed a keen interest in promoting unity among God's people through a more accurate reading of the Word. He has degrees from Amridge University (formerly Southern Christian University) where he also was Director of Extended Learning for five years. He holds the Doctor of Ministry degree (1999) from Erskine Theological Seminary.

In this volume, scholars from around the world read the story of Earth in key texts from the Psalms and the Prophets.Their readings challenge popular understandings of the Chaoskampf myth, the theophany of Psalm 29 and the New Earth in Isaiah 65. Re-readings of Ezekiel expose the cruelty of divine justice extended to the natural world. Several articles by indigenous writers sensitive to the voice of Earth bring new insights to the potential meaning of texts like Psalm 104. Contributors include Lloyd Geering, Russell Nelson, William Urbrock, Laurie Braaten, Keith Carley, Anne Gardner, John Olley, Gunther Wittenberg, Kalinda Stevenson, Peter Trudinger, Arthur Walker-Jones, Norman Charles, Howard Wallace, Geraldine Avent, Madipoane Masenya and Abotchie Ntreh.

One objective of this book is to set forth an interest in the Book of Ephesians and the Book of Philippians. Ten studies are developed from Ephesians in order to explain predestination, election, and the richness of God's grace. Chapters 11 and 12 advance God's salvation with an emphasis in Chapter 11 concerning the role of women in sharing the message of redemption. Chapter 13 examines one's life before rebirth and life after rebirth. Chapter 14 looks carefully at arguments adopted to condemn instrumental music in the Christian assembly. The next seven chapters (15-21) investigate several statements from the Book of Philippians with accent upon God working in us to accomplish His outreach to the lost. Three chapters (22-24) look at the purpose of the church, church and ministry, and the identification of the church. Chapter 25 sets forth the biblical date for the Exodus as well as biblical chronology versus liberal chronology. The next chapter (26) looks at the prophetic ministry. Chapters 27 and 28 review the prophet Jonah with an emphasis upon his psychological setback in his first refusal to carry out God's command to go to Nineveh. Chapter 29 discusses God's admonition to Joshua. Chapters 30-32 scrutinize 1 Timothy 2:11-15, which in-depth study is an overview of the Pastoral Epistles. This study seeks an answer to Paul's negative declaration about the participation of women in the church at Ephesus. These particular women were involved in the telling of stories about their gods and goddesses as well as the practice of magic. They did not understand the true nature of Jesus. The next three chapters (33-35) analyze the identity of Jesus. And, finally, Chapter 36 is written from an apologetic viewpoint, which reading concentrates upon the "cell" to demonstrate that there is an Intelligent Designer.