Bier proposes here a strong new understanding of the Book of Lamentations, drawing on Bakhtinian ideas of multiple voices to analyse the poetic speaking voices within the text; examining their theological perspectives, and nuancing the interaction between them. Bier scrutinises interpretations of Lamentations, distinguishing between exegesis that reads Lamentations as a theodicy, in defense of God, and those that read it as an anti-theodicy, in defense of Zion. Rather than reductively adopting either of these approaches, this book advocates a dialogic approach to Lamentations, reading to hear the full polyphony of pain, penitence, and protest.

Bier proposes here a strong new understanding of the Book of Lamentations, drawing on Bakhtinian ideas of multiple voices to analyse the poetic speaking voices within the text; examining their theological perspectives, and nuancing the interaction between them. Bier scrutinises interpretations of Lamentations, distinguishing between exegesis that reads Lamentations as a theodicy, in defense of God, and those that read it as an anti-theodicy, in defense of Zion. Rather than reductively adopting either of these approaches, this book advocates a dialogic approach to Lamentations, reading to hear the full polyphony of pain, penitence, and protest.

Insights gained from the study of metaphorical language in other fields, particularly New Testament parable research, are here applied to the tree metaphors in Isaiah 1-39. The focus of investigation is the content of the metaphors , the intentions underlying their use, and the consequences of that use. The author suggests that (1) the informative function of the tree metaphors is to provide theological interpretations of the political situation; (2) the performative function of the metaphors is to engage the audience in such a way that they adopt the metaphors' interpretation of reality as their own; (3) the use of metaphorical language encourages continual reinterpretation of the original proclamation. The tree in the Garden, the felling of trees, new growth of felled trees and the forest fire, are among the images Isaiah uses to make his political statements. He shows himself to be an extremely competent rhetorician in using these images to instil an active response in his audience. The modes in which the metaphors can be reinterpreted and reapplied in new contexts are perceived as significant not only for the composition of Isaiah, but for that of subsequent religious literature.

Very often we face difficulties in this life that appear to be like a great mountain, impossible to overcome. I also faced a great mountain I couldnt conquer on my own. I was diagnosed with kidney cancer, and shortly after the diagnosis, the doctor removed my left kidney. Unfortunately this cancer proved to be very dangerous and had spread to my lungs. It became what they called a metastatic cancer. As a result, the doctor gave me a death sentence, but the Lord healed me by removing the cancerous nodules from my lungs. But while I was going through these difficult times, The Lord gave me peace in my heart and hope through His Word that everything would be all right. And so, no matter how difficult or what kind of challenge you are facing, there is hope.

There Is Hope for Blacks & Whites By: Rev. Douglas Ahamefula After the killing of a black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer, author Rev. Douglas Ahamefula was spurred to write There Is Hope for Blacks & Whites. Many people across the world believed his killing was racially motivated. People watched the video, saw how the police officer had his knees on the neck of the black man who was screaming and saying “I cannot breathe” till he died. This event led to numerous protests and demonstrations all over the world. In many cities where the protests and demonstrations were held, the number of the white people who were protesting outnumbered the black protesters. The new generation of white youth came out in record number to protest. This is a turning point in the history. With this turn of events, Ahamefula can now visualize a future society where discrimination and social injustice would become a thing of the past. Now that the blacks and whites have agreed on the same issue and are asking for social justice for all, irrespective of the color of your skin, then There is Hope for Blacks and Whites.

Whether you suffer from a diagnosable condition, or simply want to better understand yourself, There’s Always Help; There’s Always Hope will help you find your path to a better future.