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Courting Sanctity: Holy Women and the Capetians
by Sean L. FieldThe rise of the Capetian dynasty across the long thirteenth century, which rested in part on the family's perceived sanctity, is a story most often told through the actions of male figures, from Louis IX's metamorphosis into "Saint Louis" to Philip IV's attacks on Pope Boniface VIII. In Courting Sanctity, Sean L. Field argues that, in fact, holy women were central to the Capetian's self-presentation as being uniquely favored by God. Tracing the shifting relationship between holy women and the French royal court, he shows that the roles and influence of these women were questioned and reshaped under Philip III and increasingly assumed to pose physical, spiritual, and political threats by the time of Philip IV's death. Field's narrative highlights six holy women. The saintly reputations of Isabelle of France and Douceline of Digne helped to crystalize the Capetians' claims of divine favor by 1260. In the 1270s, the French court faced a crisis that centered on the testimony of Elizabeth of Spalbeek, a visionary holy woman from the Low Countries. After 1300, the arrests and interrogations of Paupertas of Metz, Margueronne of Bellevillette, and Marguerite Porete served to bolster Philip IV's crusades against the dangers supposedly threatening the kingdom of France. Courting Sanctity thus reassesses key turning points in the ascent of the "most Christian" Capetian court through examinations of the lives and images of the holy women that the court sanctified or defamed.
Courting Trouble
by Margaret BrownleyIt's 1885 and five preachers sit around a campfire out West, trading stories of unlikely couples they've seen God bring together. This is one of those stories . . .He's a wild-West attorney and she's his beautiful client. Could she really be guilty of murder?Attorney Brock Daniels meets Grace Davenport in the least romantic setting he could imagine: the town jail. And yet her beauty and kindness capture his heart almost from the start.But Grace is facing a tough "jury" in this rough-and-tumble town. And the charges don't look good given her track record. This last one makes her a widow three times over, with each of her dead husbands worse than the last. Geoffrey ate poisoned mushrooms, Harry was so drunk he got thrown by a horse, and Billy Joe went missing after Grace chased him down and gave him what for at the saloon where he'd gambled away all their food money.Still, Brock is a skilled attorney. And Grace's son Jesse is determined to prove her innocence through researching case law at Brock's side until his mom is freed. In the end, Brock may be meeting Grace in front of a judge for an altogether more celebratory occasion . . . as soon as she's cleared."A delightfully romantic tale." --Maggie Brendan, author of The Jewel of His Heart (on "And Then Came Spring" in A Bride for All Seasons)"Brownleyhas a way with words that keeps the reader interested until the last page." --Romantic Times
Courting Trouble (Trouble #1)
by Deeanne GistTired Waiting for a Match Made in Heaven, She’ll Settle for One Made in Texas Whether it’s riding bikes, catching snakes, or sliding down banisters,. Essie Spreckelmeyer just can’t quite make herself into the ideal woman her hometown--and her mother--expect her to be. It’s going to take an extraordinary man to appreciate her joy and spontaneity--or so says her doting oilman father. Sadly such a man doesn’t appear to reside in Corsicana, Texas. It’s 1894, the year of Essie’s thirtieth birthday, and she decides the Lord has more important things to do than provide her a husband. If she wants one, she needs to catch him herself. So she writes down the names of all the eligible bachelors in her small Texas town, makes a list of their attributes and drawbacks, closes her eyes, twirls her finger, and... picks one. 'But convincing the lucky "husband-to-be" will be a bit more of a problem. Join Deeanne Gist for another unforgettable tale. Find out whether Essie’s plan to catch a husband ""SUCCEEDS OR IF SHE’S JUST COURTING TROUBLE.
Courting the Amish Nanny (Amish of Serenity Ridge #1)
by Carrie LighteAll she wants for Christmas is to not fall in love…She’ll be their Christmas nanny…But a permanent family’s not part of her plans.Embarrassed by an unrequited crush, Amish maedel Sadie Dienner needs a vacation from her life in Pennsylvania—and from romance. Until Christmas, she’s working in Maine as a nanny to Amish widower Levi Swarey’s twins. But Levi is frustratingly overprotective and they just can’t see eye to eye on anything. And the worst part? Sadie can’t seem to stop herself from losing her heart…Amish of Serenity Ridge
Courting the Doctor's Daughter
by Janet DeanA widow with three boys to raise, Mary Graves has no time for peddlers of phony medicine. She's a dedicated healer working alongside her doctor father. When a handsome stranger blows into town with his "elixir of health" and asks questions about her newly adopted son, Mary's determined to uncover the truth behind all his claims.Once the reckless heir to a Boston fortune, Dr. Luke Jacobs travels the country with his herbal medicine while searching for his long-lost son. After meeting the feisty doctor's daughter and her youngest boy, Luke has found what he's been looking for at last. But can he convince her to let him into her home, her family-and her heart?
Courting the Doctor's Daughter & Spring Creek Bride: A 2-in-1 Collection
by Janice Thompson Janet DeanA matter of trustCourting the Doctor’s Daughter by Janet DeanOnce the heir to a Boston fortune, Dr. Luke Jacobs travels the country with his herbal medicine while searching for his long-lost son. After meeting feisty doctor’s daughter Mary Graves and her youngest boy, Luke has found what he’s been looking for. But Mary’s skeptical about Luke’s claims and his interest in her newly adopted son. Can Luke convince her to let him into her family—and her heart?Spring Creek Bride by Janice ThompsonIda Mueller’s formerly lovely hometown of Spring Creek, Texas, has been overtaken by saloons and disorderly conduct. So when a handsome stranger arrives with plans to open a gambling hall next to her family’s store, Ida makes plans of her own: to foil his! Ida’s convinced marriage isn’t in her future. But after one look into Mick Bradley’s eyes—and heart—she might start hearing wedding bells!
Covenant Bible Study: Covenant Meditations (Covenant Bible Study)
by Covenant Bible StudyThis Covenant experience will guide participants in a comprehensive, in-depth study of the Bible over twenty-four weeks. Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in other groups, this in-depth study of the whole Bible emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying pattern through all the books in the Old and New Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God’s people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God’s love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in love with God while we share signs of that love with others. Many participants find great personal benefit and contentment in an intimate connection with God through “praying scripture.” In addition to the once-weekly meditation in the participant guides (on Day 6), a set of sixty-six additional covenant meditations is included in this ePub which can be used on a Kindle. Sample: A new heart When I make myself holy among you in their sight, I will take you from the nations, I will gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you to your own fertile land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be cleansed of all your pollution. I will cleanse you of all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your stony heart from your body and replace it with a living one. Ezekiel 36:23c-26 Praying the wordAt times our hearts harden. We become stubborn toward other people, different opinions and points of view, situations that make us uncomfortable, and even toward ourselves. After reading this scripture passage, sit quietly and reflect on the last time you felt your heart harden—or become “stony”—toward someone or something. What was happening at the time? Why did you respond with a stubborn heart? What would it take for your heart to soften again toward this person or circumstance? Offer a prayer that God might help your heart come alive again toward whatever caused your heart to become stony.
Covenant Bible Study: Creating Participant Guide (Covenant Bible Study)
by Covenant Bible Study Christine A. Chakoian David A. DeSilva Prof. David L. Bartlett Dr Alejandro F. Botta Dr Michael Joseph Brown Dr Diane Chen Dr Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder Prof. Judy Fentress-Williams Prof. Francisco Garcia-Treto Roy Heller Prof. Matthew L. Skinner Dr Brent A. Strawn Prof. Monya Stubbs Dr Audrey West Prof. Christine R. Yoder Dr William P. Brown Dr Amy Erickson Prof. Linda M. Day Dr Patricia K. Tull Dr Melody Knowles Prof. Thomas B. Slater Dr Daniel L. Smith-Christopher Rev Shane Stanford Dr Theodore HiebertThis Covenant experience will guide participants in a comprehensive, in-depth study of the Bible over twenty-four weeks. Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in other groups, this in-depth study of the whole Bible emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying pattern through all the books in the Old and New Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God’s people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God’s love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in love with God while we share signs of that love with others.Each episode connects to an aspect of this covenant relationship, which is summarized in the heading of each participant guide.GOD ESTABLISHES THE COVENANT to be in relationship with us. So the first eight weeks, Creating the Covenant, examines how the covenant community is created and established—highlighting several examples throughout scripture. It discusses the story of our origins in Genesis, the Exodus narrative, the teachings of Moses, the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, as well as other books from each Testament that focus on the foundation of Christian faith. In doing so, it lays out the framework for a life lived in concert with God and others. Each participant in the group needs the Participant Guides and a Bible. The CEB Study Bible is preferred. The Creating Participant Guide is eight weeks long, and has a lay flat binding making it easy to take notes in the generous space provided on each page. The Creating Participant Guide contains the following episodes:Episode 1: Creating the CovenantRelationships with people in our lives are key to faithful living. Covenant is about the family God creates and the power of love that overcomes evil. We are broken and miss the mark. Substitutes for faithful love destroy our relationships. Yet God’s response to broken relationships is to restore us to wholeness. Through the shared practice of reading and interpreting the Bible scripture in holy conversation, we sharpen our understandings until they become more accurate and relevant. And we learn about God’s gracious love and how to share it with others.Episode 2: Torah—GenesisGenesis answers the question: Who are we in the scheme of things? Covenant relationships are a metaphor for life together before God. This life is characterized by both gift and responsibility. Broken relationships in these stories are countered by forgiveness and generosity.Episode 3: Exodus, Leviticus, NumbersPassover is a bittersweet celebration of Israel’s liberation. The covenant at Sinai creates a people with instructions for living in harmony. These instructions are ever in need of reinterpretation in new situations, much like amendments to a constitution. God is holy and calls the people to be distinct and set apart in their faithfulness.Episode 4: Gospels—Matthew and MarkThe Gospels are similar to Greco-Roman biographies but with a saving twist. They paint a portrait of Jesus’ significance for first-century readers living under Roman rule before and after the destruction of the temple in 70 CE. By arranging the events of his life, death, and resurrection in distinct order, these writers depict Jesus as both the suffering “human one” (Mark) and a new teacher like Moses (Matthew). Jesus comes to bring and embody a new covenant reign (kingdom) of God’s saving love in the world.Episode 5: Romans and GalatiansThe letters of Paul substituted for his presence and represent his attempt to deal with controversies and provide guidance to churches from a pastor’s perspective. For Paul, God’s grace expressed in Jesus’ faithfulness on the cross is a saving gift with no substitutes. The Spirit’s presence, too, is a gift that marks the community of faith and produces fruit for faithful life together, making us more gracious to ourselves and others.Episode 6: HebrewsThe book of Hebrews is a masterful sermon written by an unknown author to a struggling community.The writer encourages them to live lives of gratitude for God’s saving work in Jesus. Hebrews embraces the i
Covenant Bible Study: Leader Guide (Covenant Bible Study)
by Covenant Bible StudyCovenant Bible Study guides small groups through a comprehensive, in-depth study of the whole Bible over twenty-four sessions broken into three eight-session modules. Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in other groups, this study emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying theme through both the Old and New Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God’s people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God’s love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in relationship with God while sharing signs of God's love with others.The Leader Guide contains comprehensive and detailed direction for the group leader to use in each 90- minute group experience. Direction is provided for each component of the group meeting with options that allow leaders to adapt to the group's unique characteristics. Components of the group meeting experience include: Gathering Together - Opening questions designed to prompt conversation that connects to the main theme of the episode. Reflecting Together - Sharing what participants learned from the week’s scripture readings with questions that tie their discoveries into a central theme. Video Segment - Playing of the video for the current episode. Discovering Together - Building on the insights of the biblical scholar, analyzing a single passage from the week’s readings, going deeper into the way they explore the Bible’s meaning. Centering Together - Engaging in meditation, which is a devotional way to read the Bible. Serving Together - Reading together the “Signs of Faithful Love' provided.
Covenant Bible Study: Living Participant Guide (Covenant Bible Study)
by Covenant Bible Study Christine A. Chakoian David A. DeSilva Prof. David L. Bartlett Dr Alejandro F. Botta Dr Michael Joseph Brown Dr Diane Chen Dr Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder Prof. Judy Fentress-Williams Prof. Francisco Garcia-Treto Roy Heller Prof. Matthew L. Skinner Dr Brent A. Strawn Prof. Monya Stubbs Dr Audrey West Prof. Christine R. Yoder Dr William P. Brown Dr Amy Erickson Prof. Linda M. Day Dr Patricia K. Tull Dr Melody Knowles Prof. Thomas B. Slater Dr Daniel L. Smith-Christopher Rev Shane StanfordThis Covenant experience will guide participants in a comprehensive, in-depth study of the Bible over twenty-four weeks. Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in other groups, this in-depth study of the whole Bible emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying pattern through all the books in the Old and New Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God’s people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God’s love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in love with God while we share signs of that love with others. Each episode connects to an aspect of this covenant relationship, which is summarized in the heading of each participant guide.COVENANT TRANSLATES INTO ACTIONS—into how we behave in our everyday lives. That’s why the second module, Living the Covenant, focuses on how the community lives out their covenant in faithful love—how it’s applied to actual relationships in daily life. The books included in these eight episodes examine the practical challenges of faithful covenant life. We explore leadership problems among tribal chieftains, kings and prophets, and spiritual and political crises. They look for practical wisdom and guidance in the teachings of Israel’s sages, the letters of Paul, and more.And by demonstrating how people of vastly different cultures came together in a common purpose, they show how faithful love is the root of the covenant life. Each participant in the group needs the Participant Guides and a Bible. The CEB Study Bible is preferred.The Living Participant Guide is 8 weeks long, and has a lay flat binding making it easy to take notes in the generous space provided on each page. The Living Participant Guide contains the following episodes:Episode 9: Ruth, Esther, Song of SongsRuth, Esther, and Song of Songs are a part of the “Festival Scroll” and linked to sacred celebrations in Israel’s life. In the story of Ruth, both Ruth and Boaz risk caring beyond conventional expectations, displaying faithful, expansive love with consequences for Israel’s royal future. Esther risks everything to identify with her people and rescue them from a genocidal plot. Song of Songs displays the power and passion of a “crazy love” that also helps us understand God’s love.Episode 10: Luke and ActsLuke and Acts offer a vision of who God is and what salvation means. For the writer of Luke, Jesus is a prophet who reveals God’s heart and intention to remake human beings and the broader world through a new community gathered in Jesus’ name: the church. Living out Jesus’ prophetic role in the power of the Holy Spirit, the church continues God’s call to changed hearts and lives. Through Jesus and the church, God’s Spirit calls people to belong, serve, and love by welcoming those considered outsiders by the world.Episode 11: 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 KingsIn these books the prophets serve as truth-tellers to Israel’s kings. They stress that relationship rather than power is central to choosing what’s best for the people God loves. Kings are at their best when they are moved by compassion that trumps every preoccupation with power. Idolatry splits our attention and distorts our priorities, distracting us from the main thing: God alone is worthy of absolute loyalty and trust.Episode 12: 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus1 and 2 Thessalonians are written to a community Paul loves—a community suffering and anxious about Jesus’ return. 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (pastoral letters) are written to Paul’s younger partners in ministry. While 1 Timothy is intimate, 2 Timothy reads like a last will and testament for Paul.Episode 13: Wisdom—Proverbs and EcclesiastesWisdom literature begins and ends with what is good for human beings in life. Starting with everyday insights gathered across time by courts scribes, these sayings are short and easy to remember. The wise person is one who understands these teachings and can apply them appropriately in real-life situations. Life is fragile and short, so wise people will enjoy family, friends, and th
Covenant Bible Study: Trusting Participant Guide (Covenant Bible Study)
by Covenant Bible Study Christine A. Chakoian David A. DeSilva Prof. David L. Bartlett Dr Alejandro F. Botta Dr Michael Joseph Brown Dr Diane Chen Dr Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder Prof. Judy Fentress-Williams Prof. Francisco Garcia-Treto Roy Heller Prof. Matthew L. Skinner Dr Brent A. Strawn Prof. Monya Stubbs Dr Audrey West Prof. Christine R. Yoder Dr Jaime Clark-Soles Dr William P. Brown Dr Amy Erickson Prof. Linda M. Day Dr Patricia K. Tull Dr Melody Knowles Prof. Thomas B. Slater Dr Daniel L. Smith-Christopher Rev Shane StanfordThis Covenant experience will guide participants in a comprehensive, in-depth study of the Bible over twenty-four weeks. Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in other groups, this in-depth study of the whole Bible emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying pattern through all the books in the Old and New Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God’s people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God’s love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in love with God while we share signs of that love with others.Each episode connects to an aspect of this covenant relationship, which is summarized in the heading of each participant guide. LIFE, AS WE ALL KNOW TOO WELL, IS IMPERFECT. Difficulties are inevitable. That’s why the final eight-weeks, Trusting the Covenant, looks at the crises that sometimes call covenant life into question, and how we are restored to trust in God when troubling things happen.This module discusses the loss of hope, and how it is restored by faithfulness in the midst of suffering. From the story of Job, to the Hebrew exile, to the apocalyptic visions in Daniel and Revelation, we learn how faithful love is at work in everything—to restore hope, freedom, and wholeness to our lives. Each participant in the group needs the Participant Guides and a Bible. The CEB Study Bible is preferred.The Trusting Participant Guide is 8 weeks long, and has a lay flat binding making it easy to take notes in the generous space provided on each page. The Trusting Participant Guide contains the following episodes: Episode 17: John; 1, 2, and 3 JohnFor John the God we meet in Jesus is the one who keeps coming into the world, going out of the way to be in relationship with us. Jesus meets his followers in whatever ways they need with new and abundant life. Jesus draws people back into community and promises the Holy Spirit to those who follow him.Episode 18: PsalmsPsalms are songs, poems, and prayers to and about God. There is diversity of authorship across the Psalms. Three major types of psalms are laments, thanksgiving psalms, and psalms of praise. The psalms are user-friendly and give voice to our conflicts, confessions, and cries for God’s rescuing help. The Psalms teach us how to pray and that God’s primary character trait is faithful love. Episode 19: JobLike the Bible as a whole, the book of Job offers a number of voices or perspectives. Job stages difficult human questions such as, “Why do human beings worship God?” or “Why do people suffer?” and even, “what is God’s role in suffering?” The book of Job also asks, “Does good behavior bring blessing?” and “Does bad behavior bring curse and suffering?”Episode 20: Jeremiah, Lamentations, EzekielJeremiah, Lamentations, and Ezekiel offer three different perspectives on the same catastrophic event: the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 587 CE and the exile of God’s people to a foreign land.These books affirm the power of lingering with sorrow so we can hear the voices of those who are suffering. Any hope found in these books remains in the promise that God will bring life to dry bones or write a new covenant on hearts in a blessed but distant future.Episode 21: Isaiah 40-66The story of how Israel gained and lost the land becomes a treasure that they carry with them into exile. The poetry in these passages is written to inspire and invite God’s homesick people in Babylon to become pioneers and return home to Israel. The God of Israel is no regional deity but is the one and only God of all, everywhere and all the time. Through fire and water, chaos and captivity, the people called by God and redeemed by God also belong to God.Episode 22: 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, NehemiahThe people returning home from exile in successive waves must rebuild their whole way of life. Ezra and Nehemiah look at the practical need for city walls and a center for worship. The Chronicler stresses the importance of “re-remembering” our story in the right way in order to understand who we are in this new
Covenant Child
by Terri BlackstockA story of sacrifice and love that is a metaphor of Jesus Christ. Twins Kara and Lizzie's lives are shattered when their father and wealthy grandparents, the Hollbrookes, are killed in a plane crash. Their doting step mother Amanda fights for custody but loses. In a sad twist of events, Amanda inherits the Hollbrooke fortunes but loses the precious twins. Now the girls must grow up with relatives that tell them they're trash and Amanda must love and support them from a distance.
Covenant Child
by Terri BlackstockAmanda's heart broke as she watched them drive her beloved twins away. She resolved to hope . . . and to fight for them to her last breath. Kara and Lizzie are heiresses to one of the largest fortunes in the country. But when their father dies suddenly, the toddlers are taken from the arms of Amanda, their loving stepmother, and given to relatives who only want the children's fortune for themselves. Kara and Lizzie grow up questioning their worth . . . until the day when they learn the truth. Intensely involving, emotionally charged, and infused with hope, Covenant Child is an inspiring story that challenges us to embrace the life God holds out to us. "Blackstock is a masterful writer . . ." --Christian Retailing
Covenant Marriage
by Fred LoweryA new movement is spreading across America, bringing hope to existing marriages and new guidelines for marriages yet to be; and Dr. Fred Lowery, in this courageous and insightful book, shares with you the principles of the Covenant Marriage Movement. Every marriage faces storms and struggles that can lead to failure. Unexpected changes, personality conflicts, money problems, and misguided expectations can send even the best of marriages into a tailspin. But this insightful, new book provides real answers through chapters such as "The Difference between a Contract and a Covenant," "Learning How to Manage Conflict," and "What to Do When Marriage Is Not What You Expected." Covenant marriages will stand the test of time, change, and personal problems and will shine with brilliance in a world that is besieged by divorce. This book will not only impact your life, but will impact marriages for generations to come. The principles, power, and pattern for a covenant marriages will help you and your spouse stay together in your marriage for life.
Covenant Renewal and the Consecration of the Gentiles in Romans
by Sarah WhittleIn his letter to the Romans, Paul describes the community in Rome as 'holy ones'. This study considers Paul's language in relation to the Old Testament, particularly accounts of the events at Mount Sinai that established the nation of Israel and consecrated its people as God's holy people. Sarah Whittle illustrates how Paul reworks citations from Deuteronomy, Hosea, and Isaiah to incorporate the Gentiles into Israel's covenant-renewal texts. Analysing key passages, she further ties the covenant-making narrative to themes of sacrificed bodies and moral transformation, fulfilment of the Torah, the promises of the fathers, and Paul's priestly ministry. This volume argues that the latter has a climactic function in Paul's letter, overseeing the offering of the Gentiles, who are 'made holy by the holy spirit'. This study will be of interest to scholars of New Testament studies, Pauline theology, and early Christianity.
Covenant and Commandment: Works, Obedience and Faithfulness in the Christian Life (New Studies in Biblical Theology #Volume 33)
by Bradley G. GreenFrom a close study of key Old and New Testament texts and interaction with historical and contemporary theologians, Bradley Green shows how different aspects of the Christian life are each God-elicited, real and necessary. Reaffirming the best Reformed voices, this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume provides a biblical theology of the nature, role and place of works, obedience and faithfulness in the new covenant. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.
Covenant and Commonwealth
by Daniel ElazarAt the very beginning of the history of the covenant idea, human beings were conceived as entering into a morally grounded and informal pact with God. Politically, this pact, or covenant, involves the coming together of basically equal humans who consent with one another through a morally binding pact, setting the partners on the road to a new task. As a theological and political concept, covenant is designed to keep the peace in the face of conflicting human interests, needs, and demands. This pioneering continuation of Daniel J. Elazar's work is concerned with political uses of the idea of covenant and the political arrangements that flow from it.Covenant and Commonwealth is the second in a series of volumes exploring the covenantal tradition in Western politics. The first, Covenant and Polity in Biblical Israel, analyzed how the Bible set forth ideas of covenant in ancient Israel and the Jewish political tradition. In this volume, those themes are taken a step further to examine covenant as a political idea and tradition along with the culture and behavior that they produced. The book focuses on the struggle in Europe to produce a Christian covenantal commonwealth, a struggle that climaxed in the Reformed Protestantism of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It also briefly examines covenant and hierarchy in Islam and other premodern polities that shape our present.The third volume in this series will examine the progressive secularization of the covenant idea in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Covenant and Commonwealth is a fundamental and original contribution to the scholarship of Western civilization. It ranks with commensurate efforts of Ferdinand Braudel and Joseph Needham. As such it will be of deep interest to historians, social scientists, and theologians of all persuasions.
Covenant and Constitutionalism: The Covenant Tradition in Politics (Covenant Traditions in Politics Series)
by Daniel ElazarThis volume traces the trends and the developing relationships of constitutionalism and covenant that ultimately led to the transformation of the latter into the former. Elazar explores the paths that emerged out of the constitutionalized covenantal tradition in Europe such as federalism, communitarianism, and the cooperative movement.
Covenant and Hope: Christian and Jewish Reflections
by Robert W. Jenson & Eugene B. KornCovenant and Hope centers around two main themes in Jewish-Christian dialogue: "Covenant, Mission, and Relation to the Other" and "Hope and Responsibility for the Human Future." In the first section scholars from both faiths analyze the idea of covenant, how it determines their religious commitments, behavior, and theology, and how their covenantal theology shapes their relations with people outside their religious communities. The second section focuses on the foundation for religious hope, how belief in the future can be nourished, and on our practical and philosophic responsibility to work for a better human future.
Covenant and the Jewish Conversion Question: Extending the Thought of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (Jewish Thought and Philosophy)
by Benji LevyCovenant and the Jewish Conversion Question reevaluates conversion and Jewish identity through the lens of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s dual conception of the Covenants of Fate and Destiny. By studying an array of key rabbinic texts through this lens, the book explores the boundaries and interplay between these biblical covenants through apostasy, holiness and the key elements relating to conversion law. This understanding provides a relevant framing device to deal with the conversion and Jewish identity crises faced in the State of Israel and beyond.
Covenant: God's Purpose, God's Plan (The\lost World Ser. #Volume 6)
by John H. WaltonAs one of the most prominent themes in Scripture, the covenant is crucial to all Christian theological systems, from dispensationalism to covenant theology to theonomy to liberation theology. One would think that by now all controversies have been exhausted, but an issue of this magnitude can never finally be laid to rest. Because disagreements persist, there is room for yet another attempt to study the covenant and improve our understanding of it. This book proposes that the path toward an evangelical consensus is not to be found in building another modified systematic theology, but in a biblical theology approach. Grounded in this approach, John Walton's perspective is that while the covenant is characteristically redemptive, formulated along the lines of ancient treaties, and ultimately soteric, it is essentially revelatory. This view in turn has implications regarding the continuity or discontinuity of the covenant phases, the conditionality of the covenant, and our understanding of the people of God. And this ultimately affects the way the Old Testament is preached and taught. Walton's thesis is an important contribution to the discussion of the covenant and the attempts to find common ground among evangelicals of diverse theological traditions.
Covenantal Rights: A Study in Jewish Political Theory (New Forum Books #20)
by David NovakCovenantal Rights is a groundbreaking work of political theory: a comprehensive, philosophically sophisticated attempt to bring insights from the Jewish political tradition into current political and legal debates about rights and to bring rights discourse more fully into Jewish thought. David Novak pursues these aims by presenting a theory of rights founded on the covenant between God and the Jewish people as that covenant is constituted by Scripture and the rabbinic tradition. In doing so, he presents a powerful challenge to prevailing liberal and conservative positions on rights and duties and opens a new chapter in contemporary Jewish political thinking. For Novak, "covenantal rights" are rooted in God's primary rights as creator of the universe and as the elector of a particular community whose members relate to this God as their sovereign. The subsequent rights of individuals and communities flow from God's covenantal promises, which function as irrevocable entitlements. This presents a sharp contrast to the liberal tradition, in which rights flow above all from individuals. It also challenges the conservative idea that duties can take precedence over rights, since Novak argues that there are no covenantal duties that are not backed by correlative rights. Novak explains carefully and clearly how this theory of covenantal rights fits into Jewish tradition and applies to the relationships among God, the covenanted community, and individuals. This work is a profound and provocative contribution to contemporary religious and political theory.
Covenantal Thinking: Essays on the Philosophy and Theology of David Novak (The Kenneth Michael Tanenbaum Series in Jewish Studies)
by Paul E. Nahme Yaniv FellerThe philosophy and theology of David Novak, one of the most prominent and creative contemporary Jewish thinkers, grapples with Judaism, Christian theology, the tradition of natural law, and the Western philosophical canon. Never shying away from contested ethical and religious themes, Novak’s original insights and intellectual spirit have spanned voluminous publications and inspired Jewish, Christian, and Muslim thinkers to engage concepts such as religious liberty, covenantal morality, and the importance of theological reasoning. Written primarily by scholars in the field of Jewish thought, Covenantal Thinking is a collection of essays dedicated to Novak’s work. The book examines topics such as election, natural law, Jewish political thought, Zionism, and the relation between reason and revelation. This collection is unique because it includes Novak’s replies to his critics, including his clarifications of his philosophical and theological positions. Offering a vital contribution to contemporary Jewish thought, Covenantal Thinking illuminates Novak’s contributions as a scholar who trained, conversed with, and inspired the next generation of philosophical theologians.
Covenantal and Dispensational Theologies: Four Views on the Continuity of Scripture (Spectrum Multiview Book Series)
by Brent E. Parker, Richard James Lucas Brent E. Parker Richard James LucasCovenant Theology: Michael S. Horton, Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary CaliforniaProgressive Covenantalism: Stephen J. Wellum, professor of Christian theology, Southern Baptist Theological SeminaryProgressive Dispensationalism: Darrell L. Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological SeminaryTraditional Dispensationalism: Mark A. Snoeberger, professor of systematic theology and apologetics, Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary
Cover Girls: A Novel
by T. D. JakesThis compelling novel follows four women as they learn to balance children, estranged husbands, boyfriends, and problems at work through their faith in God.Michelle, Tonya, Mrs. Judson, and Miz Ida. African-American, white, rich, poor -- they seemingly have nothing in common. Yet every day they face the complex realities of twenty-first-century urban life as they try to balance their needs with their belief in God. Through the course of a year, these women must come to terms with the past, discover their true identities, and recognize the unexpected miracles that reveal God's all-encompassing love.These four women entertain us and invite us to join in their lives. As they welcome us, they also introduce us to the men in their lives. The men play supporting roles, adding color and zest to the lives of the Cover Girls.Bishop Jakes knows the struggles real women encounter and the losses that make it difficult to face the future. He brings compassionate insight and deep wisdom to this novel and proves that he is not only a gifted preacher, but a born storyteller.