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Abigail of Venice
by Leigh RussellA sixteenth-century Jewish woman flees persecution and an abusive marriage in this historical saga from “a brilliant talent” (Jeffery Deaver).When soldiers attack the inhabitants of a Jewish ghetto in sixteenth-century Lithuania, Abigail manages to escape both the attack and her abusive husband, Reuven. She travels over land and sea to Venice, where she settles in another ghetto. Believing Reuven is dead, Abigail falls in love with her widowed neighbour, Daniel. But before Abigail and Daniel announce their betrothal, her violent husband reappears.Reuven is arrested for drunken brawling and sentenced to slavery in the galleys. Abigail hopes she has finally seen the last of him, but he returns to Venice, and Abigail fears she will never be free of him . . .From the Dagger Award finalist and acclaimed author of the Geraldine Steel novels, Abigail of Venice is an engrossing story of forbidden love that explores domestic violence, religious persecution, the Inquisition, and witch burning against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent periods of European history.Praise for the novels of Leigh Russell:“Tense and compelling.” —Publishers Weekly“Unmissable.” —Lee Child
Abigail's Story: Women of the Bible
by Ann BurtonThey were women of conviction and courage, whose stories inspire the faithful to this day. Now, Signet launches Women of the Bible, a compelling new series for fans of historical fiction and romance. This is the story of Abigail... To settle her brother's gambling debt, Abigail of Carmel convinces her boorish lord to marry her. Then exiled by him to the life of a shepherdess, she grows to love David, the warrior son of Jesse, who will come face-to-face with her husband in a senseless war-and destroy her hopes of peace.
The Ability of God: Prayers of the Apostle Paul (Gleanings Series Arthur Pink)
by Arthur W. PinkMany Christians long to see greater depth in their praying but don't know where to turn. Bible-expositor Arthur Pink reminds readers that Scripture itself has much to teach us about prayer. In this book, Pink gives us a rich and detailed look at the prayers of Paul - showing us not only how to pray, but giving us greater insight into Paul himself, his relationship with God, and the people he served.
The Ability of God: Prayers of the Apostle Paul (Gleanings Series Arthur Pink)
by Arthur W. PinkMany Christians long to see greater depth in their praying but don't know where to turn. Bible-expositor Arthur Pink reminds readers that Scripture itself has much to teach us about prayer. In this book, Pink gives us a rich and detailed look at the prayers of Paul - showing us not only how to pray, but giving us greater insight into Paul himself, his relationship with God, and the people he served.
Ability Therapy
by R. W. Alley Sarah Cecelia MuellerWhile striving for inclusivity, equality, and a full life, people with disabilities are frequently confronted with pity and isolation, and are routinely disenfranchised by a focus on perceived weaknesses rather than strengths and abilities. In Ability Therapy, author Sarah Cecelia Ann Mueller offers words of wisdom and insight based on her own experiences, encouraging others who are living with physical disabilities of all types to live an ability-driven life.
The Abingdon African American Preaching Library: Volume 1 (Abingdon African American Preaching Library)
by Kirk Byron JonesGod's people need to hear "a word from the Lord," to know their God is with them, and to transcend this world and be taken to the very feet of Jesus. The preacher is charged with assisting in this mission. While there may be different theological perspectives and different methods of sermon preparation and delivery, one thing remains constant--the need for quality preaching resources. Drawing upon the rich and powerful tradition of the black church, The Abingdon African American Preaching Library offers a wealth of thoughtful, biblically grounded preaching aids, including special days in the Black Church tradition. To read the Introduction to the book click here
The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual 2014
by Jenee WoodardIntroducing The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual! Get the best from the best. Invest some time in careful thought and conversation with creative ideas and with people who successfully express the power and inspiration of God through preaching. The Abingdon Preaching Annual, a long-time trusted resource, is now The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual, created in collaboration with Jenee Woodard, curator of the popular website, textweek.com. From editor, Jenee Woodard: "When I consider the word creative, media certainly comes to mind, but more than that, I think of preaching that offers radical hope, disturbing challenge to the status quo, and fresh, personal insight from God through the text and the preacher." For each week and liturgical event of the calendar year, The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual 2014 offers: A variety of perspectives on the lectionary texts in conversation with one another Original contributions, reprinted blog excerpts Access to the blogs and websites of online contributors Media and music suggestions related to the lectionary texts Contributors from a across the world In addition to the weekly entries, the Annual provides: A comprehensive online resource list Scripture Index Contributor Index
The Abingdon Introduction to the Bible: Understanding Jewish and Christian Scriptures
by Joel S. Kaminsky Joel N. Lohr Mark ReasonerThe Bible has profoundly influenced the western world. Many of its characters and stories are well known and yet, oddly enough, wide swaths of the Bible are unknown and misunderstood. The laws and teaching contained within it have shaped contemporary thinking and jurisprudence in ways many do not realize. Equally important, two of the world's largest religions--Judaism and Christianity--consider the Hebrew Bible to be sacred and to contain enduring truths about beginnings and creation, life and death, the world, and what it means to be human. Introductions to the Bible tend toward extensive discussion with little to introduce the beginner to the Bible's tremendous influence on contemporary society or to the complexities of reading ancient religious literature. Further, few discuss the differing ways Jews and Christians approach those parts of the Bible that they share in common or how each group appropriates materials from this common scriptural pool in divergent, conflicting, and often complex ways. As classroom teachers of introductory courses on the Bible, the authors of this volume will acquaint students with the tremendous influence that the Bible has had on culture and to address some of the critical questions in user-friendly, faith-respecting ways, in order to maximize students' appreciation of the biblical text and their understanding of it. This introduction will introduce the beginner to the Bible with simplicity and precision, in an engaging manner. It will provide the reader with a quick overview of the issues related to reading and studying the Bible as an academic discipline while simultaneously illustrating the importance of the Bible for religion, western jurisprudence, ethics, and contemporary conceptions of the family, morality, and even politics.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries - 1, 2, & 3 John: 1, 2, & 3 John (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by David RensbergerAfter years of close contact with the Johannine epistles, David Rensberger discusses the numerous puzzles--linguistic, literary, and historical--that characterize these brief texts. His comments on their theological and ethical significance illumines the meaning and interrelationship of faith and love. In short, Rensberger skillfully demonstrates that despite the Johannine epistles' existence on the periphery of the New Testament canon, they nevertheless touch on the heart of its message. Inquiry includes relationship of these epistles to the gospel of John, Christology, Dualism, Eschatology, the Church, and Salvation.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by Victor Paul FurnishAccepting the widespread view that 1 Thessalonians is the earliest surviving Pauline letter, Furnish commends reading it as fully as possible on its own terms, without presupposing or imposing themes or positions that are explicit only in letters of a later date. While he agrees with commentators who note this letter's pastoral aims and character, he is more convinced than some that it also exhibits a rich and coherent theological point of view. Furnish interprets 2 Thessalonians as the work of an anonymous Paulinist writing several decades after the apostle's death. He regards this letter, too, as historically and theologically valuable, although less for what it discloses about Paul's ministry and thought than for what it shows about the reception and interpretation of Paul in the late first-century church.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries #Vol. 1)
by Jouette M. Bassler"Jouette Bassler's volume on the Pastoral Letters is a model of careful, clearly written cogent interpretation. She gives faithful attention to the problematic trees along the exegetical path, yet without losing sight of the forest. Organized by literary units but not avoiding difficult verses, Bassler's commentary keeps before the reader the unfolding history of the early Christian community from which the text emerges. It is unquestionably the best resource we have on the Pastoral Letters." -- Charles B. Cousar, Columbia Theological Seminary "Bassler's commentary has the crispness of style and no-nonsense quality about it that one has come to expect from its author. The underlying learning is evident throughout. It results in careful, critical exegesis that places the Pastorals securely in their social and historical context. All relevant issues are explained and discussed. Bassler is particularly good at referring the reader to other texts that illuminate her own, with a broad range over Jewish, Greco-Roman, and Christian texts. She presupposes the non-Pauline authorship of the Pastorals, but otherwise has no special axes to grind. As an introductory commentary for theological students, it could not be bettered." --Troels Engberg-Pedersen, Copenhagen University, Denmark
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | 1 Corinthians (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries #Vol. 1)
by Richard A. HorsleyThis commentary highlights both the socio-political context of 1 Corinthians and the clash of significantly different religious viewpoints represented by Paul and the congregation he had founded in Corinth. In particular, Richard Horsley shows that this letter provides a window through which one may view the tension between the Corinthians' interest in cultivating individual spirituality and the apostle's concern for building up a social-religious community devoted to the common advantage, for the flourishing both of personal dignity and a humanizing solidarity.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | 1 Peter (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by M. Eugene BoringIdentifying the theme of 1 Peter as how the church is to witness responsibly in a non-Christian world, Boring emphasizes the necessity of a sympathetic historical understanding of those parts of the letter that collide with modern cultural values and understandings of what Christian commitment and theology require. He gives special attention, as well, to the narrative world within which this ancient writer operated, and to the strong affirmation of ecumenism implicit in the letter's amalgamation of traditions stemming from Peter and Paul, respectively. "Through the years, Professor Boring has shown himself to be a master of technical exegesis and theology wedded to great pastoral concern. These twin talents are fittingly brought to bear on a New Testament document that shows the same union of rich theology and pastoral care. Indeed, the sober, centrist, yet moving commentary squares perfectly with the sober, centrist, yet moving document that is 1 Peter. If this commentary is a popularization, then it is a popularization of very high caliber; a tremendous amount of research and insight is made available and intelligible to a wide public. This commentary is not just a rehash of what everyone else has said on 1 Peter. The innovative appendix detailing the narrative world of 1 Peter is alone worth the price of admission. All in all, an excellent contribution to present-day literature on an often neglected book of the New Testament." --John P. Meier, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | 2 Corinthians (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by Calvin J. RoetzelFrom the second century to the present, 2 Corinthians offers its riches grudgingly,if at all; and even then it demands only the most careful and attentive inquiries. The Abingdon New Testament Commentaries series provides compact, critical commentaries on the writings of the New Testament. These commentaries are written with special attention to the needs and interests of theological students, but they will also be useful for students in upper-level college or university settings, as well as for pastors and other religious leaders. In addition to providing basic information about the New Testament texts and insights into their meanings, these commentaries are intended to exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful, critical biblical exegesis."2 Corinthians is a treasure hidden in a thorny thicket. It is so rich, so full of theological insight, so packed with hope and possibility, so aware of dark human tendencies and human vulnerability, and so radical in its reevaluation of what is true and real." From the Introduction
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | Acts: Acts (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by Beverly Roberts GaventaIn a striking departure from customary readings of the Acts of the Apostles as the story of the growth of the church, Gaventa argues that Luke's second volume has to do with nothing less than the activity of God. From the beginning of the story at Jesus' Ascension and extending until well past the final report of Paul's activity in Rome, Luke narrates a relentlessly theological story, in which matters of institutional history or biography play only an incidental role. Gaventa pays careful attention to Luke's story of God, as well as to the numerous characters who set themselves in opposition to God's plan.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | Colossians (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by David HayThe short letter to the Colossians has played a significant role in the development of Christian thought. Its emphases on salvation as largely realized here and now, on knowledge in relation to faith, on Christ as the head of the church, on the entire cosmos and all humanity as the objects of God's work of redemption through him, and on Paul's authority--all these point in the direction of church theology at the end of the apostolic period. Christian notions of ethical responsibility between asceticism and worldliness, as well as the subordination of wives to husbands and slaves to masters, were influenced by the "household table" of Colossians 3:18-4:1. In the fourth century Colossians' Christological claims surfaced on opposite sides of the Arian controversy, which dealt with the status of the Son of God in relation to the Father/Creator and the created order. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Colossians attracted special attention as theologians and ordinary believers have wrestled with new questions about science and religious pluralism.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | Ephesians: Ephesians (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by Pheme PerkinsIn this volume, Pheme Perkins mines the writings from Nag Hammadi and Qumran for illuminating parallels to Ephesians, showing how a first-century audience would have heard and responded to the various parts of the letter. Under her sure guidance, contemporary readers are led to see the rhetorical power and the theological depth of this pseudonymous letter.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | Galatians (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by Sam WilliamsThis informative and engaging commentary invites modern readers to "overhear" Paul's letter as if they were present in one of the Galatian house-churches where it was being read for the first time. By setting aside the theological baggage of the centuries that burdens many other interpretations of Galatians, Williams allows the Apostle's own provocative thought to be encountered freshly and appreciated anew in its own terms.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | Hebrews (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by Victor PfitznerPfitzner interprets Hebrews as a passionate appeal directed by its author to a community that is in danger of surrendering the distinctiveness of its faith. Through an examination of its structure, rhetorical devices, and arguments, he shows Hebrews to be a splendid example of extended exhoration, with a recurring pattern of formal introduction, scriptural quotation, exposition, and appplication. By seeing the message of Hebrews as a "word exhortation" (13:22) to a community in crisis, Pfitzner is able to set its distinctive Christology firmly in its original social, historical, and cultural context.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | James: James (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by C. Freeman SleeperSleeper's lucid exposition of James restores this often neglected work to its rightful place in the Christian canon. Carefully charting the verbal structures and argument of the letter, he demonstrates that it is a coherent piece of moral teaching intended to encourage the development of Christian character, not just a collection of disparate maxims. As he guides the reader through the letter's basic themes, Sleeper is attentive to its echoes in the Old Testament, Hellenistic Jewish wisdom literature, and sayings of Jesus, as well as to its affinities with other Christian writings. Moreover, he shows that the author's understanding of God and of human nature provides a significant theological foundation for practical wisdom about the Christain moral life.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | John: John (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by D. Moody SmithIn this volume, Smith views the Fourth Gospel within several contexts in order to illuminate its specific purposes and achievements. A growing consensus of recent scholarship (including Martyn, Raymond E. Brown, Meeks) seeks the roots of this Gospel and its traditions in the coflict between Jesus' followers and opponents within Judaism. In their struggles, Jesus' followers are encouraged and strengthened by his continuing presence in the Spirit, which articulates his meaning for new situations. Although distinctive, Johannine Christianity does not develop in complete isolation from the broader Christian Gospels. Out of a fascinating, if complex, setting develops the strikingly unique statement of Christian faith, practice, and doctrine found in the Gospel of John. The purpose of this commentary is to enable the reader to comprehend that statement in historical perspective in order to appreciate its meaning and significance.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | Jude & 2 Peter: Jude & 2 Peter (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by Steven J. KraftchickThe Abingdon New Testament Commentaries series offers compact, critical commentaries on the writings of the New Testament. These commentaries are written with special attention to the needs and interests of theology students, but they will also be useful for students in upper-level college or university settings, as well as for pastors and other church leaders. In addition to providing basic information about the New Testament texts and insights into their meanings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful, critical exegesis. In this volume of the Abingdon New Testament Commentaries series, Steven J. Kraftchick both studies these two epistles in their late first century context and discusses their relevance to the contemporary Christian church. The author discusses the importance of the insider/outsider language, the harsh polemical tone of both letters, and their reliance upon the Old Testament and both early Jewish and Greco-Roman thought. "Because of the numerous similarities between Jude and Second Peter (the latter probably made use of the former), Kraftchick emulates many commentators by treating the two epistles together. In antiquity few writers commented upon Second Peter; the letter is little used in the liturgy. But this does not diminish its importance as providing an insight into aspects of life in the early church. Kraftchick sees Second Peter as possibly originating in the period 90-100 CE (earlier than many commentators). Its pseudonymous authorship and nature as a 'farewell testament' were common enough at the time, enabling the writer to cloak his own arguments in the garments of a revered, authoritative personage of the past. The letter's teaching on the delay of the parousia is among its most striking features; it is the only NT writing to teach that the present world will be destroyed by fire, though such a notion is found in intertestamental Jewish writings and among the Stoics. Kraftchick brings nothing startlingly new to an already well-furrowed exegetical field, but his skill at synthesis and clarity of expression will be appreciated by the students for whom this entire series is intended. "--Casimir Bernas, Holy Trinity Abbey, in Religious Studies Review, Volume 29 Number 3, July 2003.
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | Luke (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by Robert C. TannehillThe Abingdon New Testament Commentaries series offers compact, critical commentaries on the writings of the New Testament. These commentaries are written with special attention to the needs and interests of theology students, but they will also be useful for students in upper-level college or university settings, as well as for pastors and other church leaders. In addition to providing basic information about the New Testament texts and insights into their meanings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful, critical exegesis. In this volume, Robert C. Tannehill focuses on the significance of the Gospel of Luke in its final form for its original audience. Drawing on his own extensive previous work on Luke as a literary narrative as well as on recent studies of the ancient Mediterranean social world, Tannehill suggests that modern readers will find that certain features of Luke's Gospel only take on significance--or deeper significance--when matched with an appropriate historical and cultural context in the first century. "This commentary is designed to meet the needs of sophisticated nonspecialist students of the Bible. The evangelist's literary genius, frequently displayed in multivalent diction and imagery, finds in Robert Tannehill a faithful and sensitive interpreter. Social-scientific criticism, use of cultural anthropology, and frequent correction of renderings in the New Revised Standard Version appear without undue intrusiveness. This is a work well done." -Frederick W. Danker, Christ Seminary-Seminex/ Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | Mark: Images Of An Apostolic Interpreter (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries #No. 27)
by C. Clifton BlackMark's genius lies, not in telling a story about Jesus, but in creating conditions under which the reader may experience the peculiar quality of God's good news. The Evangelist hurries one along breathlessly, "immediately," making sure that the reader lurches with the characters into one pothole after another. "What is this new teaching" that consorts with the flagrantly sinful, turning the pious homicidal, intimates into strangers, and mustard seeds into "the greatest of all ... shrubs"? Jesus' closest adherents, the Twelve, are among the most muddled. Who can blame them? They ask for an obscure parable's interpretation and receive an answer even more confounding. They are told to feed thousands with next to nothing. Their boat almost capsizes while their teacher sleeps. As they oar in rough waters, the teacher strides the waves intending to bypass them. Putting the reader in the same boat, Mark structures conversations with Jesus that make little sense, if any. The Twelve are craven, stupid, self-serving, and disobedient: meet the average Christian. Besides, "their hearts were hardened." Who hardens hearts? God. Should not God's Messiah lift the burdens of those following him? What kind of Christ heads to a cross, handing his disciples another for themselves. "Do you not yet understand?" from the Introduction
Abingdon New Testament Commentaries | Matthew: Interpreting Biblical Texts Series (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)
by Donald SeniorThe Abingdon New Testament Commentaries series provides compact, critical commentaries on the writings of the New Testament. These commentaries are written with special attention to the needs and interests of theological students, but they will also be useful for students in upper-level college or university settings, as well as for pastors and other religious leaders. In addition to providing basic information about the New Testament texts and insights into their meanings, these commentaries are intended to exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful, critical biblical exegesis.In this volume, Donald Senior unfolds the meaning of Matthew's Gospel in its original context. The Gospel was written for an early Christian community caught in a moment of profound transition, striving to remain faithful to its Jewish heritage and facing a new and uncertain future in the Gentile world. Building on a lifetime of scholarship on this Gospel, Senior uses an array of methodologies to explore the literary, historical, and theological perspectives of Matthew in context. At the same time, he provides leads for the contemporary reader to note the interplay between Matthew's Gospel and our own time and place. In the nexus between these two worlds of experiences, the message of the Gospel comes alive and takes on new meaning.