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Counterpoints – Four Views on Moving beyond the Bible to Theology

By on December 25, 2022 in

Title: Four Views on Moving beyond the Bible to Theology (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology)
Series:
Published by: Zondervan Academic
Release Date: October 24, 2009
Contributors: Zondervan (Author), Gary T. Meadors (Editor), Stanley N. Gundry (Series Editor), Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (Contributor), Daniel M. Doriani (Contributor), Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Contributor), William J. Webb (Contributor), Mark L. Strauss (Contributor), Al Wolters (Contributor), Christopher J. H. Wright (Contributor)
Genre:
Pages: 384
ISBN13: 978-0310276555

The Bible has long served as the standard for Christian practice, yet believers still disagree on how biblical passages should be interpreted and applied. Only when readers fully understand the constructs that inform their process of moving from Scripture to theology--and those of others--can Christians fully evaluate teachings that claim to be "biblical."

In this book--part of the Counterpoints series--scholars who affirm an inspired Bible, relevant and authoritative for every era, present models they consider most faithful to Scripture

Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.: Principlizing Model
Daniel M. Doriani: Redemptive-Historical Model
Kevin J. Vanhoozer: Drama-of-Redemption Model
William J. Webb: Redemptive-Movement Model
Each position receives critiques from the proponents of the other views. Moreover, due to the far-reaching implications this topic holds for biblical studies, theology, and church teaching, this book includes three additional reflections by Christopher J. H. Wright, Mark L. Strauss, and Al Wolters on the theological and practical interpretation of biblical texts.

The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.

From the Back Cover
The Bible has long served as the standard for Christian practice, yet believers still disagree on how biblical passages should be interpreted and applied. Only when readers fully understand the constructs that inform their process of moving from Scripture to theology---and those of others---can Christians fully evaluate teachings that claim to be 'biblical.' Here, scholars who affirm an inspired Bible, relevant and authoritative for every era, present models they consider most faithful to Scripture: - Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.: A Principlizing Model - Daniel M. Doriani: A Redemptive-Historical Model - Kevin J. Vanhoozer: A Drama-of-Redemption Model - William J. Webb: A Redemptive-Movement Model Each position also receives critiques from the proponents of the other views. Moreover, due to the far-reaching implications this topic holds for biblical studies, theology, and church teaching, this book includes three additional reflections by Christopher J. H. Wright, Mark L. Strauss, and Al Wolters on the theological and practical interpretation of biblical texts. Four Views on Moving beyond the Bible to Theology empowers readers to identify, evaluate, and refine their own approach to moving from the Bible to theology.
About the Author
Stanley N. Gundry is executive vice president and editor-in-chief for the Zondervan Corporation. He has been an influential figure in the Evangelical Theological Society, serving as president of ETS and on its executive committee, and is adjunct professor of Historical Theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He is the author of seven books and has written many articles appearing in popular and academic periodicals.

Dr. Gary T. Meadors (ThD, Grace Theological Seminary) was professor of Greek and New Testament at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He is author of Decision Making God’s Way and a contributor to the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Dr. Meadors and his wife, Gloria Jean, have been married since 1967 and reside in Ft. Myers, Florida.

Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (PhD, Brandeis University) is distinguished professor emeritus of Old Testament and president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Dr. Kaiser has written over 40 books, including Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching; The Messiah in the Old Testament; and The Promise-Plan of God; and coauthored An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning. Dr. Kaiser and his wife, Marge, currently reside at Kerith Farm in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. Dr. Kaiser’s website is www.walterckaiserjr.com.

Kevin J. Vanhoozer (PhD, Cambridge University, England) is Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is author of several books, including Is There a Meaning in This Text? The Bible, the Reader, and the Morality of Literary Knowledge, The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology, and Faith Speaking Understanding: Performing the Drama of Doctrine. He also serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Systematic Theology and the Journal of Theological Interpretation.

William Webb is professor of New Testament at Heritage Theological Seminary in Cambridge, Ontario (Canada). He has also written Returning Home: New Covenant and Second Exodus as the Context for 2 Corinthians 6:14--7:1 (Sheffield) and Slaves, Women and Homosexuals (IVP).

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Augustine – Confessions

By on December 19, 2022 in

Title: Confessions
Series:
Published by: Penguin Classics
Release Date: December 30, 2008
Contributors: Augustine (Author), Garry Wills (Translator)
Genre:
Pages: 353
ISBN13: 978-0143105701

The son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine spent his early years torn between conflicting faiths and world views. His Confessions, written when he was in his forties, recount how, slowly and painfully, he came to turn away from his youthful ideas and licentious lifestyle, to become instead a staunch advocate of Christianity and one of its most influential thinkers. A remarkably honest and revealing spiritual autobiography, the Confessions also address fundamental issues of Christian doctrine, and many of the prayers and meditations it includes are still an integral part of the practice of Christianity today.

Aurelius Augustinus, Augustine of Hippo (November 13, 354-August 28, 430) is a saint and the pre-eminent Doctor of the Church according to Roman Catholicism; he was the eldest son of Saint Monica. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, which does not accept all of his teachings, he is usually called "Blessed Augustine." Many Protestants consider him to be a spiritual ancestor of Protestantism, in the sense that Protestantism's founder Martin Luther was deeply influenced by him (Luther was trained as an Augustinian monk). --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

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Philosophy – Ethics

By on December 19, 2022 in

Title: Ethics
Series:
Published by: Penguin Classics
Release Date: July 26, 2005
Contributors: Benedict de Spinoza (Author), Edwin Curley (Translator), Stuart Hampshire (Introduction)
Genre:
Pages: 134
ISBN13: 978-0140435719

Published shortly after his death, the Ethics is undoubtedly Spinoza's greatest work - an elegant, fully cohesive cosmology derived from first principles, providing a coherent picture of reality, and a guide to the meaning of an ethical life. Following a logical step-by-step format, it defines in turn the nature of God, the mind, the emotions, human bondage to the emotions, and the power of understanding - moving from a consideration of the eternal, to speculate upon humanity's place in the natural order, the nature of freedom and the path to attainable happiness. A powerful work of elegant simplicity, the Ethics is a brilliantly insightful consideration of the possibility of redemption through intense thought and philosophical reflection. The Ethics is presented in the standard translation of the work by Edwin Curley. This edition also includes an introduction by Stuart Hampshire, outlining Spinoza's philosophy and placing it in context.

The noblest and most lovable of the great philosophers ... ethically he is supreme. (Bertrand Russell)"

Benedict de Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in 1632, where his orthodox Jewish family had fled from persecution in Portugal. Spinoza was expelled from the synagogue for his heterodox philosophy, and earned his living as an optical-lens grinder. He identified God with nature and denied the possibility of an act of creation. Ethics was published in 1677 after his death and explored a doctrine which inspired the Romantic poets.

Edwin Curley is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Michigan and editor and translator of Spinoza's Collected Works.

Stuart Hampshire was elected a Fellow of All Souls in 1936 and was a tutor in philosophy. He has held numerous presitigious academic posts.

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Moody – The Pilgrim’s Progress

By on December 21, 2022 in

Title: The Pilgrim's Progress
Series:
Published by: Moody Classics
Release Date: October 1, 2007
Contributors: John Bunyan (Author), Rosalie De Rosset (Editor)
Genre:
Pages: 218
ISBN13: 978-0802456540

This is not a devotional classic; it is a dangerous tale. It is a call to the high stakes of every Christian's journey. Don't pick it up expecting quaint amusement- it is a story woven through with undeniable truth, great cost, and overwhelming joy.

One of the most widely read books of all time, this adventure reveals John Bunyan's intense grasp of the Scriptures. Penned while in prison for refusing to compromise the gospel, The Pilgrim's Progress is a guide for the journey from death to life. The times have changed, but the landmarks and adversaries are very much the same.

John Bunyan was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory The Pilgrim's Progress, which also became an influential literary model. In addition to The Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan wrote nearly sixty titles, many of them expanded sermons.

John Bunyan (baptised 30 November 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory The Pilgrim's Progress, which also became an influential literary model. In addition to The Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan wrote nearly sixty titles, many of them expanded sermons.

Bunyan came from the village of Elstow, near Bedford. He had some schooling and at the age of sixteen joined the Parliamentary Army during the first stage of the English Civil War. After three years in the army he returned to Elstow and took up the trade of tinker, which he had learned from his father. He became interested in religion after his marriage, attending first the parish church and then joining the Bedford Meeting, a nonconformist group in Bedford, and becoming a preacher. After the restoration of the monarch, when the freedom of nonconformists was curtailed, Bunyan was arrested and spent the next twelve years in prison as he refused to give up preaching. During this time he wrote a spiritual autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, and began work on his most famous book, The Pilgrim's Progress, which was not published until some years after his release.

Bunyan's later years, in spite of another shorter term of imprisonment, were spent in relative comfort as a popular author and preacher, and pastor of the Bedford Meeting. He died aged 59 after falling ill on a journey to London and is buried in Bunhill Fields. The Pilgrim's Progress became one of the most published books in the English language; 1,300 editions having been printed by 1938, 250 years after the author's death.

Bunyan is remembered in the Church of England with a Lesser Festival on 30 August. Some other churches of the Anglican Communion, such as the Anglican Church of Australia, honour him on the day of his death (31 August).

Wikipedia 12/2022

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J.R.R. Tolkien – The Fellowship of the Ring

By on December 20, 2022 in

Title: The Fellowship of the Ring
Series:
Published by: HarperCollins; Illustrated edition
Release Date: June 25, 2020
Contributors: J.R.R. Tolkien
Genre:
Pages: 407
ISBN13: 978-0008376123

Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power — the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring — the ring that rules them all — which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as the Ring is entrusted to his care. He must leave his home and make a perilous journey across the realms of Middle-earth to the Crack of Doom, deep inside the territories of the Dark Lord. There he must destroy the Ring forever and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

J.R.R. TOLKIEN (1892–1973) is the creator of Middle-earth and author of such classic and extraordinary works of fiction as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.

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C.S. Lewis – A Grief Observed

By on December 18, 2022 in

Title: A Grief Observed
Series:
Published by: HarperCollins
Release Date: July 28, 2009
Contributors: C.S. Lewis
Genre:
Pages: 96
ISBN13: 978-0060652739

A classic work on grief, A Grief Observed is C.S. Lewis’s honest reflection on the fundamental issues of life, death, and faith in the midst of loss. Written after his wife’s tragic death as a way of surviving the “mad midnight moments,” A Grief Observed an unflinchingly truthful account of how loss can lead even a stalwart believer to lose all sense of meaning in the universe, and the inspirational tale of how he can possibly regain his bearings.

From the Back Cover
Written with love, humility, and faith, this brief but poignant volume was first published in 1961 and concerns the death of C. S. Lewis's wife, the American-born poet Joy Davidman. In her introduction to this new edition, Madeleine L'Engle writes: "I am grateful to Lewis for having the courage to yell, to doubt, to kick at God in angry violence. This is a part of a healthy grief which is not often encouraged. It is helpful indeed that C. S. Lewis, who has been such a successful apologist for Christianity, should have the courage to admit doubt about what he has so superbly proclaimed. It gives us permission to admit our own doubts, our own angers and anguishes, and to know that they are part of the soul's growth."

Written in longhand in notebooks that Lewis found in his home, A Grief Observed probes the "mad midnight moments" of Lewis's mourning and loss, moments in which he questioned what he had previously believed about life and death, marriage, and even God. Indecision and self-pity assailed Lewis. "We are under the harrow and can't escape," he writes. "I know that the thing I want is exactly the thing I can never get. The old life, the jokes, the drinks, the arguments, the lovemaking, the tiny, heartbreaking commonplace." Writing A Grief Observed as "a defense against total collapse, a safety valve," he came to recognize that "bereavement is a universal and integral part of our experience of love."

Lewis writes his statement of faith with precision, humor, and grace. Yet neither is Lewis reluctant to confess his continuing doubts and his awareness of his own human frailty. This is precisely the quality which suggests that A Grief Observed may become "among the great devotional books of our age."

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Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar

By on December 26, 2022 in

Title: Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar
Series:
Published by: Zondervan Academic; Fourth edition
Release Date: February 5, 2019
Contributors: William D. Mounce (Author)
Genre:
Pages: 544
ISBN13: 978-0310537434

Clear. Understandable. Carefully organized. Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar by William D. Mounce is the standard textbook for colleges and seminaries. Since its initial publication in 1993 its integrated approach has helped more than 250,000 students learn New Testament Greek.

The fourth edition of Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar has been updated throughout based on continuing feedback from professors, students, self-learners, and homeschoolers, making it even more effective for today's students. Other improvements have been made based on recent developments in scholarship.

The key to the effectiveness of Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar in helping students learn is in how it introduces them to the language. Students learn about the features of the Greek language in a logical order, with each lesson building upon the one before it. Unnecessary obstacles that discourage students and hinder progress are removed, such as rote memorization of endless verbal paradigms. Instead, students receive encouragement along the way to assure them they are making the necessary progress. Detailed discussions are also included at key junctures to help students grasp important concepts.

By the time students have worked their way through Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar they will have learned:

The Greek Alphabet
Vocabulary for words occurring 50 times or more in the Greek New Testament
The Greek noun system
The Greek verbal system, including indicative and nonindicative verbs, and participles
A robust suite of learning aids is available for purchase to be used alongside the textbook to help students excel in their studies. These include a workbook, video lectures for each chapter featuring the author, flashcards keyed to vocabulary in each chapter, a laminated quick study sheet with key concepts, and audio of the vocabulary for each chapter to aid in acquisition.

William D. Mounce (PhD, Aberdeen University) lives as a writer in Washougal, Washington. He is the President of BiblicalTraining.org, a non-profit organization offering world-class educational resources for discipleship in the local church. See BillMounce.com for more information. Formerly he was a preaching pastor, and prior to that a professor of New Testament and director of the Greek Program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is the author of the bestselling Greek textbook, Basics of Biblical Greek, and many other resources. He was the New Testament chair of the English Standard Version translation of the Bible, and is serving on the NIV translation committee.

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The Imitation of Christ

By on January 16, 2023 in

Title: The Imitation of Christ
Published by: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Release Date: January 11, 2014
Contributors: Thomas à Kempis (Author), Aloysius Croft (Translator), Harold Bolton (Translator)
Genre:
Pages: 440
ISBN13: 978-1494975258

he Imitation of Christ (Latin: De Imitatione Christi) by Thomas à Kempis is a Christian devotional book. It was first composed in Latin ca.1418-1427. It is a handbook for spiritual life arising from the Devotio Moderna movement, where Kempis was a member.

The Imitation is perhaps the most widely read devotional work next to the Bible, and is regarded as a devotional and religious classic. Apart from the Bible, no book has been translated into more languages than the Imitation of Christ. The text is divided into four books, which provide detailed spiritual instructions: "Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life", "Directives for the Interior Life", "On Interior Consolation" and "On the Blessed Sacrament".

The approach taken in the Imitation is characterized by its emphasis on the interior life and withdrawal from the world, as opposed to an active imitation of Christ by other friars. The book places a high level of emphasis on the devotion to the Eucharist as key element of spiritual life.

Criticisms:
Theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar wrote, "It rejects and eliminates every speculative element not only of scholasticism but also of mysticism, and yet, at the same time, it abstracts from the colourful multiplicity of the Bible and – since it is written for those who have turned from the world – disregards the world, in all its richness, as a field for Christian activity…In place of the openhearted readiness of a Catherine of Siena, a subdued and melancholy resignation runs through the book…there is an excess of warnings about the world, the illusions of egoism, the dangers of speculation and of the active apostolate. In this way, even the idea of the imitation of Christ does not become the dominant perspective. There is no mention of the mediation of the God-man, of access through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, to the Father. The mystery of the Church, therefore, does not come into view either. The individual is unaware that his love of God can only be fulfilled if it expands into love of neighbor and into the apostolate. All [that] remains is a flight from the world, a world that has not been brought home in Christ."

René Girard wrote, "Neither does Jesus propose an ascetic rule of life in the sense of Thomas a Kempis and his celebrated Imitation of Christ, as admirable as that work may be."

Friedrich Nietzsche stated that this was "one of those books which I cannot hold in my hand without a physiological reaction: it exudes a perfume of the Eternal-Feminine which is strictly for Frenchmen - or Wagnerians."

About the Author:
Thomas à Kempis, C.R.S.A. (Thomas van Kempen or Thomas Hemerken or Haemerken, litt. "small hammer"; c. 1380 - 25 July 1471) was a German canon regular of the late medieval period and the most probable author of The Imitation of Christ, which is one of the best known Christian books on devotion. His name means "Thomas of Kempen", his hometown, and in German he is known as Thomas von Kempen. He also is known by various spellings of his family name: Thomas Haemerkken; Thomas Hammerlein; Thomas Hemerken and Thomas Hämerken.

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The Philokalia Volume 1

By on October 9, 2021 in

Title: The Philokalia Volume 1
Series:
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux;
Release Date: January 1, 1984 U.S. Edition
Contributors: St. Nikodimos (Author), St. Makarios (Author), G.E.H. Palmer (Translator), G. E.H. Palmer (Translator), Philip Sherrard (Translator), Kallistos Ware (Translator)
Genre:
Pages: 384
ISBN13: 978-0571130139

The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the fourth and the fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition. First published in Greek in 1782, then translated into Slavonic and later into Russian, The Philokalia has exercised an influence in the recent history of the Orthodox Church far greater than that of any book apart from the Bible. It is concerned with themes of universal importance: how man may develop his inner powers and awake from illusion; how he may overcome fragmentation and achieve spiritual wholeness; how he may attain the life of contemplative stillness and union with God.

"This excellent English translation, which takes into account the latest scholarly research into the original works, represents a major 'gift' from the wise men of the East. The fluency of the literary style of this translation and the practical understanding that these writings reveal of the spiritual predicaments facing each Christian in every generation brings the book well within the range of the ordinary reader who seeks spiritual counsel. The complete Philokalia covers the period from the fourth to the fifteenth century. Volume One . . . takes us up to the eighth century and is thus the common heritage of Orthodox and Catholics." - Chrysostom

Review
“The Philokalia is a collection of texts written in Greek between the fourth and fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox tradition. Compiled in the 18th century and first published in Venice in 1782, it has had a profound influence on the spiritual life of the Eastern churches.” ―Theology Digest

“A treasure of insight, wisdom, and counsel. The translation is clear and readable.” ―Library Journal

From the Back Cover
The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the fourth and fifteenth centuries by a spiritual master of the Orthodox Christian tradition. First published in Greek in 1782, translated into Salvonic and later into Russian, The Philokalia has exercised an influence far greater than that of any book other than the Bible in the recent history of the Orthodox Church.

About the Author
G. E. H. Palmer served as a translator for Philokalia: The Complete Text.

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The Divine Comedy

By on December 25, 2022 in

Title: The Divine Comedy: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso
Series:
Published by: Flame Tree Collections
Release Date: November 19, 2018
Contributors: Dante Alighieri (Author), Henry W. Longfellow (Translator), Gustave Dore (Illustrator), Robin Kirkpatrick (Foreword)
Genre:
Pages: 432
ISBN13: 978-1786648112

Dante’s masterpiece of literature is well matched by the peerless art of Gustave Doré. Dante and his guides, Virgil and Beatrice, journey through the cantos in an allegory of the passage of the soul through the Afterlife, with the subtle engraving of Doré’s illustrations perfectly complementing the movement from darkness through to light.

Long narrative poem originally titled Commedia (about 1555 printed as La divina commedia) written about 1310-14 by Dante. The work is divided into three major sections--Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso--which trace the journey of a man from darkness and error to the revelation of the divine light, culminating in the beatific vision of God. It is usually held to be one of the world's greatest works of literature. The plot of The Divine Comedy is simple: a man is miraculously enabled to visit the souls in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. He has two guides: Virgil, who leads him through the Inferno and Purgatorio, and Beatrice, who introduces him to Paradiso. Through these fictional encounters taking place from Good Friday evening in 1300 through Easter Sunday and slightly beyond, Dante the character learns of the exile that is awaiting him (an actual exile that had already occurred at the time of writing). This device allowed Dante not only to create a story out of his exile but also to explain how he came to cope with personal calamity and to offer suggestions for the resolution of Italy's troubles as well.

Robin Kirkpatrick [Foreword] is Professor emeritus of Italian and English Literatures at the University of Cambridge. He was an undergraduate at Merton College, Oxford and has been a Fellow of Robinson College, Cambridge since 1978. He has written widely on Dante’s work, and his verse translation of the Commedia is published by Penguin in a variety of editions. Other of his writings include studies of Renaissance literature and volumes of his own poetry.

Dante Alighieri (c. 1265-1321) was an Italian poet, writer, and political thinker. After studying at the University of Bologna, he married and had four children. Dante was exiled from his hometown of Florence in 1302 due to his political leanings, finally settling in the city of Ravenna in 1307, when he began writing The Divine Comedy.

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Counterpoints – Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy

By on December 25, 2022 in

Title: Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy
Series:
Published by: Zondervan Academic
Release Date: December 10, 2013
Contributors: J. Merrick (Editor), Stephen M. Garrett (Editor), Stanley N. Gundry (Editor), Jr. R. Albert Mohler (Contributor), Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Contributor), John R. Franke (Contributor)
Genre:
Pages: 336
ISBN13: 978-0310331360

The inerrancy of the Bible--the belief that the Bible is without error--is often a contentious topic among mainstream Christianity.

Like other titles in the Counterpoints collection, this volume gives those interested in theology the tools they need to draw informed conclusions on debated issues by showcasing the range of positions in a way that helps readers understand the perspectives--especially where and why they diverge.

Each essay in Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy considers:

  • The present context, viability, and relevance for the contemporary evangelical Christian witness.
  • Whether and to what extent Scripture teaches its own inerrancy.
  • The position's assumed or implied understandings of the nature of Scripture, God, and truth.
  • Three difficult biblical texts: one that concerns intra-canonical contradictions, one that raises questions of theological plurality, and one that concerns historical authenticity.

Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy serves not only as a single-volume resource for surveying the current debate, but also as a catalyst both for understanding and advancing the conversation further. Contributors include Al Mohler, Kevin Vanhoozer, Michael Bird, Peter Enns, and John Franke.

R. Albert Mohler Jr. has been called "one of America's most influential evangelicals" (Economist) and the "reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement" (Time.com). The president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he writes a popular blog and a regular commentary, available at AlbertMohler.com, and hosts two podcasts: The Briefing and Thinking in Public. He is the author of many books, including We Cannot Be Silent and The Prayer that Turns the World Upside Down, and has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and on programs such as NBC's Today, ABC's Good Morning America, and PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. He and his wife, Mary, live in Louisville, Kentucky.

Kevin J. Vanhoozer (PhD, Cambridge University, England) is Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is author of several books, including Is There a Meaning in This Text? The Bible, the Reader, and the Morality of Literary Knowledge, The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology, and Faith Speaking Understanding: Performing the Drama of Doctrine. He also serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Systematic Theology and the Journal of Theological Interpretation.

John R. Franke (DPhil, Oxford) serves full-time as Theologian in Residence with Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis. He is also Professor of Religious Studies and Missiology for the Protestant Theological Faculty of Leuven, Belgium, and the General Coordinator for the Gospel and Our Culture Network, North America.

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Roman – Meditations

By on December 19, 2022 in

Title: Meditations
Published by: Penguin Classics
Release Date: October 31, 2006
Contributors: Marcus Aurelius (Author), Martin Hammond (Translator)
Genre:
Pages: 304
ISBN13: 978-0140449334

Written in Greek by an intellectual Roman emperor without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a wide range of fascinating spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the leader struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. Spanning from doubt and despair to conviction and exaltation, they cover such diverse topics as the question of virtue, human rationality, the nature of the gods and the values of leadership. But while the Meditations were composed to provide personal consolation, in developing his beliefs Marcus also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a series of wise and practical aphorisms that have been consulted and admired by statesmen, thinkers and ordinary readers for almost two thousand years.

To provide a full understanding of Aurelius's seminal work, this edition includes explanatory notes, a general index, an index of quotations, an index of names, and an introduction by Diskin Clay putting the work in its biographical, historical, and literary context, a chronology of Marcus Aurelius's life and career.

A series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behavior, Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. Marcus's insights and advice--on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity and interacting with others--have made the "Meditations required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style.

In Gregory Hays's new translation--the first in a generation--Marcus's thoughts speak with a new immediacy: never before have they been so directly and powerfully presented.

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