Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, presents the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection as viewed through the eyes of those who witnessed them. The Sign and the Sacrifice explores the meaning of the cross and the significance of Christ's resurrection, discussing what these events meant to Jesus' followers in the early years and what they can say to us today.

The cover of My Children or the Cross depicts a defining moment in the life of missionary mother Miriam Dunn... her angelic six year old daughter, Rosemary, about to set sail out of her life for an interval of four years. Standing on the wharf in Hong Kong, Rosemary cradles the doll she was given if she promised not to cry. Looming in the background is the Queen Mary, the ship that would carry this wee one to Alberta, Canada, for her education. How could God let this come about? Must Miriam and her husband Marvin entrust Rosemary to others while they pursue the spreading of the good news of Jesus? Our Savior, who takes an active interest in the intimate details of his people, gently reminds them: "He that loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of me."

The cross has long been not only a scandal but also a profound paradox: filled with saving significance and power, it is at the same time a sobering tragedy. In Saved from Sacrifice theologian Mark Heim takes on this paradox, asserting that the cross must be understood against the whole history of human scapegoating violence. In order to highlight the dimensions of his argument, Heim carefully and critically draws on the groundbreaking work of French theorist and biblical scholar René Girard. Yet Heim goes beyond Girard to develop a comprehensive theology of the atonement and the cross through his fresh readings of well-known biblical passages and his exploration of the place of the victim.

SUPERNATURAL meets DA VINCI CODE. Cross is a mortal soul trapped in the body of Christ.

The term "sacrifice" belies what is a complex and varied transhistorical and transcultural phenomenon. Bringing together scholars from such diverse fields as anthropology, archaeology, epigraphy, literature, and theology, Diversity of Sacrifice explores sacrificial practices across a range of contexts from prehistory to the present. Incorporating theory, material culture, and textual evidence, the volume seeks to consider new and divergent data related to contexts of sacrifice that can help broaden our field of vision while raising new questions. The essays contributed here move beyond reductive and simple explanations to explore complex areas of social interaction. Sacrifice plays a key role in the overlapping sacred and secular spheres for a number of societies in the past and present. How religious beliefs and practices can be integral parts of life on individual and community levels is of fundamental importance to understanding the past and present. In addition to aiding scholarly research, Diversity of Sacrifice enables students to explore this rich theme across Europe and the Mediterranean with clear discussions of theory and data.

An investigation on ancient sources (patristic and liturgical) on the Cross and the Eucharist that sheds light on contemporary discussions.