Love, freedom and evil : does authentic love require free will? /
:
The defining premise of the Relational Free Will Defense is the claim that authentic love requires free will. Many scholars, including Gregory Boyd and Vincent Brümmer, champion this claim. Best-selling books, such as Rob Bell's Love Wins , echo that love "cannot be forced, manipulated, or coerced. It always leaves room for the other to decide." The claim that love requires free will has even found expression in mainstream Hollywood films, including Frailty , Bruce Almighty , and The Adjustment Bureau . The analysis shows convincingly that the claim that authentic love requires free will, does not meet the criteria of consistency, compatibility with Scriptural sources, and the demands of concrete encounter with problems of moral evil.
:
1 online resource (203 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-198) and index. :
9789401200585 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Coping with violence in the New Testament /
:
Violence is present in the very heart of religion and its sacred traditions - also of Christianity and the Bible. The problem, however, is not only that violence is ingrained in the mere existence of religions with their sacred traditions. It is equally problematic to realise that the icy grip of violence on the sacred has gone unnoticed and unchallenged for a very long time. The present publication aims to contribute to the recent scholarly debate about the interconnections between violence and monotheistic religions by analysing the role of violence in the New Testament as well as by offering some hermeneutical perspectives on violence as it is articulated in the earliest Christian writings. Contributors include: Andries G. van Aarde, Paul Decock, Pieter G.R. de Villiers, Ernest van Eck, Jan Willem van Henten, Rob van Houwelingen, Kobus Kok, Tobias Nicklas, Jeremy Punt, Jan G. van der Watt, and Wim Weren.
:
Proceedings of a conference held Jan. 21-23, 2008 in Stellenbosch, South Africa. :
1 online resource (x, 305 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004221055 :
1566-208X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Sola Scriptura : biblical and theological perspectives on scripture, authority, and hermeneutics /
:
Sola Scriptura offers a multi-disciplinary reflection on the theme of the priority and importance of Scripture in theology, from historical, biblical-theological and systematic-theological perspectives, aiming at the interaction between exegesis and dogmatics. Brian Brock and Kevin J. Vanhoozer offer concluding reflections on the theme, bringing the various contributions together.
:
1 online resource (x, 372 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004356436 :
1571-4799 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
An African Research Ethics Reader : From the Ground Up /
:
Cultural research ethics is in a nascent phase within the field of research ethics as a whole and requires more attention and in-depth articulation. With specific case studies, this vital volume provides unique perspectives on topics such as social autonomy vis-a-vis interests of individuals. This volume assembles needed resources and case studies in cultural research ethics practices, providing insight into current developments and future research directions. It is a valuable contribution to cultural research ethics given the dearth of published literature available in this emerging field. It is designed with two broad audiences in mind: (1) African researchers and research organizations that want homegrown guidance about research ethics, and (2) research ethicists worldwide who can use it to learn about cultural research ethics especially with respect to Africa.
:
1 online resource (304 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004697676
Prayer and poetry in the Dead Sea Scrolls and related literature : essays on prayer and poetry in the Dead Sea scrolls and related literature in honor of Eileen Schuller on the occ...
:
The last major volume of articles devoted to the topic of prayer and poetry in the Dead Sea Scrolls comprised a collection of articles presented at a conference in the year 2000 ( Liturgical Perspectives: Prayer and Poetry in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls ). This collection reflects the state of research in the field broadly and on specific prayers and poetic texts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls; it also offers new insights into topics on which Eileen Schuller has written extensively.
:
1 online resource (xxiii, 482 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004215016 :
0169-9962 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Purity and Holiness : The Heritage of Leviticus /
:
Purity has long been recognized as one of the essential drives which determines humankind's relationship with the holy. Codes of purity and impurity, dealing with such far-ranging topics as 'external stains' and 'inner remorse', represent the physical and 'bodily' side of religious experience and provide the key to the understanding of human orientation to nature, and the structure of society, including even relationships between the sexes. Starting with the Hebrew Bible, a number of articles study some rather neglected passages from both exegetical and cultural-anthropological standpoints. Next, it is shown that the concept of purity is far more central to the New Testament than previously thought. Luke is portrayed as a Jewish-oriented writer. The discussion of purity in Mark is compared with Rabbinical and Qumranic material. Patristic discussions of purity reflect both allegorical and literal interpretations, while rabbinical rulings display a fine sense for detail and realia. Biblical references to illness are interpreted both in Christian and Jewish traditions as a metaphor for immoral behavior. The present collection of studies proceeds far beyond other collections on purity, studying both the medieval and modern periods. Purity rules, in both Christian and Jewish society, do not disappear in the Middle Ages, but become increasingly stronger. Sometimes there appear unexpected and surprising similarities between both societies. Modern society sees a decline in the importance of purity, reflecting a growing ambiguous attitude to the relationship between the body and the holy. A feminist perspective is also provided, examining the intertwined relationship between religion, gender and power. Exegesis, archaeology, liturgy, anthropology and even architecture are all used to study the complex phenomena of purity in their religious and social dimensions from both Christian and Jewish perspectives.
:
1 online resource :
9789004421394
9789004114180
Playing with Leviathan : interpretation and reception of monsters from the biblical world /
:
Since ancient times Leviathan and other monsters from the biblical world symbolize the life-threatening powers in nature and history. They represent the dark aspects of human nature and political entities and reveal the supernatural dimensions of evil. Ancient texts and pictures regarding these monsters reflect an environment of polytheism and religious pluralism. Remarkably, however, the biblical writings and post-biblical traditions use these venerated symbols in portraying God as being sovereign over the entire universe, a theme that is also prominent in the reception of these texts in subsequent contexts. This volume explores this tension and elucidates the theological and cultural meaning of 'Leviathan' by studying its ancient Near Eastern background and its attestation in biblical texts, early and rabbinic Judaism, Christian theology, Early Modern art, and film.
:
1 online resource (xxviii, 315 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004337961 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.