A socio-cultural model of Judean ethnicity is developed, being a synthesis of (1) Sanders’ notion of covenantal nomism, (2) Berger and Luckmann’s theories on the sociology of knowledge, (3) Dunn’s “four pillars of Second Temple Judaism” and his “new perspective” on Paul, (4) cultural or social anthropology in the form of modern ethnicity theory, and, lastly, (5) Duling’s Socio-Cultural Model of Ethnicity.

This volume invites readers to walk in Israelite sandals, that is, to take a journey of the imagination, and to immerse themselves in the identity, values, and institutions of first-century CE Israelites with the help of contemporary social-scientific studies and theories.

In Bad Girls and Boys Go To Hell (or not), Gloria Neufeld Redekop takes us on her own personal journey as she engages a movement in which she was raised, conducting a careful study of the history of fundamentalist evangelicalism, the attachment to a literal-factual interpretation of the Bible, and an analysis of the experience of those who have left the movement.

In The Blossoming of the World, Brian H. Peterson–author of the critically acclaimed The Smile at the Heart of Things–picks up both pen and camera and journeys to the deep end of life. Along the way he confronts some painful contradictions–beauty and violence, love and grief–and reflects on illness, family, death, dreams, epiphanies, and the birth of self-awareness.

These writings by author-poet Susan McCaslin offer fresh and alternative ways of seeing and understanding our relationship with Spirit. Christian-based, the 14 pieces that make up this collection (on topics such as perfectionism, paradise, the Beatitudes, Revelation, and presence) range beyond the compass of traditional Christianity to reveal universal wisdom and meaning.

The World is our Cloister is about the new religious life: a life to which a Protestant, Catholic, Hindu or those with no label can relate. It is a guide to living the devotional life, not behind the walls of a monastery, but in the world.

We ask an important question, whether God is necessary, and answer it with reference to scriptures, politics, feminism, secularisation and the serious financial and environmental issues which now confront us and which can no longer be ignored.

The Nicene Creed was both a religious and a political tool, a humanly constructed statement of belief that gave order and meaning to the world of its time. The question this book raises is whether it still gives order and meaning to our world–or rather, what kind of order and meaning does it give to our world.

Re-Visioning Theology proposes a contemporary mythic approach to theology that offers a way of living fully and faithfully in the midst of the tension and uncertainty of changing times.

Where God Comes From explores how the sublime and miraculous can be found in a whole range of processes– from chemistry and biology to language and literature and social interactions — and how they loop back on themselves to form complex systems, stitching themselves and their environments together.

Existentialism and Christian Zen is a book written for readers without an in depth background in philosophy, especially existentialism. Written in the style of an in-depth essay, the book is both an examination of the interface between Christian meditation and Zen Buddhism and a practical dialogue between Christian existentialism and the practice of Zen.

In this vibrant and radical book, Noel Moules offers a compelling vision of identity, community, life and faith from a Jesus perspective. By sketching a bold and colourful manifesto that teems with graciously passionate provocation, the author explores creativity, wisdom, spiritual growth, truth, ecology, values, justice, faith-dialogue and activism, all wrapped in the thrilling encompassing vision of shalom.

Good Living in Hard Times explains how you can get the best from the life you have now and find a peacefulness that no bank or politician or credit card company can take away from you. The goal is for you to live a contented life no matter your present situation.

Based on the bestselling DVD course of the same name, Living the Questions explores matters many churches are afraid to address including the humanity of Jesus and homosexuality, and examines in a new light traditional faith topics such as the Bible, atonement, salvation, the rapture, and more.

This is the joyful yet heartbreaking true story of four friends who walk a 21- day pilgrimage from the sea to the source of Melbourne’s Yarra River. There is no path for most of the way, but offers of campsites and boats, and free access to private lands, illustrates the generosity shown to pilgrims even in modern times. Maya Ward’s lyrical exploration of her river as it winds through the city and the wild is a revelation, a testament to the fact that the greatest of worlds are often at our doorstep. Its author understands the power of the natural world to transform lives, and writes about the connection between a river and the self with humility, humour, and a clear-headed wisdom.

New Testament scholars continue to probe into its origins and significance, but–with the exceptions of John Anthony McGuckin’s 1986 patristic study and the late Arthur Michael Ramsey’s 1949 theological-liturgical treatment–there have been few books on its place in the long tradition of Christian spirituality or interpretation, Eastern or Western.

How does one go about explaining the existence of God to a child? With its beautiful, fun illustrations and memorable rhyme I Want You to Know: The Wonder of God helps introduce children to the beauty, mystery, comfort and presence of a loving God in everything and everyone. I Want You to Know: The Wonder of God, a 10×10 hardcover book with a quality dustjacket, speaks to children in terms that they can relate to while providing parents and loved ones with a useful tool to introduce a beautiful and important subject.

In this groundbreaking work, John Hick refutes the traditional Christian understanding of Jesus of Nazareth. Thus, the divine incarnation, he explains, is best understood metaphorically.