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How does one become a «Righteous among the Nations»? In the case of Henri Nick (1868-1954) and Andre Trocme (1901-1971), two French Protestant pastors on whom that title was conferred by Yad Vashem (Jerusalem) for their acts of solidarity toward persecuted Jews, the answer seems to be: by being immersed, from an early age, in the discourses and practices of social Christianity. By focusing on the lives of two significant figures of twentieth-century Christianity, this study, the first in English on the Social Gospel in French Protestantism, presents a genealogy of that movement, from its emergence in the last decades of the nineteenth century to its high point, during World War II, in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, where Trocme and many people of that area of southern France rescued hundreds of Jewish refugees. As social Christians who prayed and worked for the coming of God's kingdom on earth in the midst of a world torn by two world wars, Henri Nick and Andre Trocme combined a deep revivalist faith with a concern for the concrete conditions in which people live. They wished to «save» others, and indeed they realized that intent in ways they did not foresee.

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The question of the relationship between the Gospel of Mark and letters of Paul has been ever-present in New Testament scholarship but has never been fully explored. This monograph seeks to probe further into this question through an examination of the literary relationship between sections of Mark and 1 Corinthians. Nelligan explores the context of these texts in Greco-Roman and Jewish literature, adopting the view that New Testament authors use imitation, with a sophisticated use of literary sources, as a major technique in their composition. He proposes a new set of criteria for judging literary dependence that builds upon and advances those already promoted by biblical scholars. Sections of Mark and 1 Corinthians are then compared and analyzed including the Eucharist accounts given in both texts. By analyzing and comparing sections of Mark and 1 Corinthians, most notably the account of the Eucharist in both texts, Nelligan argues Mark used 1 Corinthians as a literary source and that this was done using well-established literary techniques used in the wider Greco-Roman and Jewish literary world.

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Water is a core symbol in the Gospel of John and is particularly prevalent in passages that involve the revelation of Jesus's identity. Using Richard Bauckham's category of a «Christology of Divine Identity,» That He Might Be Revealed explores the way the Fourth Evangelist plays on the memory of the major water events of Israel's history and mythology in order to incorporate Jesus into the divine identity. In the water stories of the OT, the distinctive identity and abilities of Yahweh are at stake. Yahweh's victory in these events forever fuses his identity to water imagery so that control of the waters becomes one of the major markers that characterizes and distinguishes him in Jewish thought. The water imagery in John is the author's attempt to tap into this rich accumulation of images and memories to identify Jesus as God himself incarnate.

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The yearning to be a theologian is widespread. Pastors, students, supervisors, and mentors all wish to think theologically about their ministries but often feel inadequately prepared. This book seeks to respond by showcasing a variety of approaches to theological reflection brought to bear upon actual situations in ministry. It is written by theological field educators. We define theological reflection as reflection upon lived, embodied experiences in ministry that seeks to make sense of practice and form reflectors in habits for competent ministry. An introductory chapter defines theological reflection as practiced within field education and points readers toward a diversity of approaches. Eleven subsequent chapters present two reflections upon the same case, each reflection written by a different author and representing a different reflection method. The book's significance is as a resource for teaching theological reflection in a range of settings. It not only offers a definition of and rationale for theological reflection but models various approaches to it. Its use of cases furthermore models the use of case studies in theological education and pastoral practice more widely.

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If Saint Thomas Aquinas was a great theologian, it is in no small part because he was a great philosopher. And he was a great philosopher because he was a great metaphysician. In the twentieth century, metaphysics was not much in vogue, among either theologians or even philosophers; but now it is making a comeback, and once the contours of Thomas's metaphysical vision are glimpsed, it looks like anything but a museum piece. It only needs some dusting off. Many are studying Thomas now for the answers that he might be able to give to current questions, but he is perhaps even more interesting for the questions that he can raise regarding current answers: about the physical world, about human life and knowledge, and (needless to say) about God. This book is aimed at helping those who are not experts in medieval thought to begin to enter into Thomas's philosophical point of view. Along the way, it brings out some aspects of his thought that are not often emphasized in the current literature, and it offers a reading of his teaching on the divine nature that goes rather against the drift of some prominent recent interpretations.

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How freely can salvation be offered to people? How do Law and Grace find balance? What influence does Federal Theology have on the overall theological enterprise? How does a confessional church interact with both the civil government and other religious communions? These are the questions roiling the twenty-first century-church; these were the questions threatening to splinter the Scottish church in the early eighteenth century. In those earlier days of mounting theological confrontation within the Scottish church, Ebenezer Erskine–a parish minister renowned for his evangelistic zeal–had a major role to play. Through this examination of the theology and ministry of Erskine, one therefore gains not only a deeper understanding of a man critically important within Presbyterian history, but also insight into the pressing theological disputes of the day. By analyzing Erskine's contributions to ongoing theological discussion, greater clarity is gained on the development of Federal Theology; on the root causes of the Marrow controversy; and on the challenges involved as increasing religious diversity penetrated lands once dominated by national churches. In these areas and more, Erskine serves both to illuminate an obscure era and to refine modern understandings of still controversial theological issues.

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This sesquicentennial project of Presbyterian College tells the stories of thirteen individuals, chosen from among its graduates, faculty and benefactors, whose still voices represent in unique ways the history and influence of the college over the past 150 years. Each chapter presents a biography, a sermon, address, letter or report, followed by a commentary showing how this still voice spoke to the issues of the time and why it still should be heard. The themes remind us of the college's continuing mission to provide the Church with strong and visionary leaders. The book concludes with useful lists of Presbyterian College's students, scholars, supporters and societies down through the years.

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This stimulating collection of essays by prominent scholars honors Turid Karlsen Seim. Bodies, Borders, Believers brings together biblical scholars, ecumenical theologians, archeologists, classicists, art historians, and church historians, working side by side to probe the past and its receptions in the present. The contributions relate in one way or another to Seim's broad research interests, covering such themes as gender analysis, bodily practices, and ecumenical dialogue. The editors have brought together an international group of scholars, and among the contributors many scholarly traditions, theoretical orientations, and methodological approaches are represented, making this book an interdisciplinary and border-crossing endeavor. A comprehensive bibliography of Seim's work is included.

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In this book Nigel Wright brings together the two concerns that have defined his ministry: the formation of healthy congregational life on the one side, and the considered articulation of Christian convictions on the other. In the belief that these two concerns are intimately related, he sets out the range of Christian convictions in a way intended to be accessible to church members who wish to clarify and deepen their understanding. The book is rooted in the belief that the resurrection of Christ is the central reality out of which all other Christian convictions emerge. Beginning at this point and in the belief that Christ is present in the community of believers, the book then explores Christian convictions about God, Christology, creation, salvation, election, evil, eschatology, and witness to the world.

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Paul's comments regarding the new creation in 2 Cor 5:17 and Gal 6:15 have tended to be understood somewhat myopically. Some argue the phrase «new creation» solely refers to the inward transformation believers have experienced through faith in Jesus Christ. Others argue this phrase should be understood cosmologically and linked with Isaiah's «new heavens and new earth.» Still others advocate an ecclesiological interpretation of this phrase that views Paul referring to the new community formed around Jesus Christ.
In As It Was in the Beginning, Mark Owens argues that the concept of «new creation» should be understood (like the gospel) within the realm of Paul's anthropology, cosmology, and ecclesiology. At the same time, he also argues that Paul's understanding of new creation belongs within an Urzeit-Endzeit typological framework, especially within 2 Cor 5-6 and Eph 1-2. This reading of new creation attempts to give due weight to the use of Isaianic traditions in 2 Cor 5:17 and Eph 2:13, 17. Owens demonstrates that the vision of new creation in 2 Corinthians and Galatians is starkly similar to that of Ephesians.

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