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This reprinted edition contains an introduction by Captain Christopher R. Davis, US Navy (Ret.).

Philosophy and theology are important concepts for Christians. This important work identifies how philosophy shapes theology, while also addressing various philosophical issues that arise within the Bible and theology. The hope is that this book will catapult the reader into critical thinking, while creating an appetite and appreciation for these separate yet similar disciplines.""Convergence is an insightful guide and a helpful introduction to the mutually edifying and increasingly important conversation taking place between theology and philosophy."" --Paul Copan, Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic UniversityDaniel J. Fick is adjunct assistant professor of philosophy at Schoolcraft College in Michigan.Jesse K. Mileo is adjunct assistant professor of philosophy at Schoolcraft College in Michigan.

This reprinted edition contains an introduction by Captain Christopher R. Davis, US Navy (Ret.).

Philosophy and theology are important concepts for Christians. This important work identifies how philosophy shapes theology, while also addressing various philosophical issues that arise within the Bible and theology. The hope is that this book will catapult the reader into critical thinking, while creating an appetite and appreciation for these separate yet similar disciplines.

In tracing theological approaches to music in the era between Luther and Bach, the author reveals the variety and tension in German Lutheran theology. Both dogmatism and devotionalism helped shape Lutheran spirituality. The introduction of Italian Baroque style into church music, however, evoked controversies which pitted Pietism against Orthodoxy and preachers against musicians.

Sin Boldly--a manual for fallen angels--is a guide to spiritual issues facing the secular world. Chris Levan, author of The Dancing Steward and God Hates Religion, has a gift for translating theological concepts into contemporary and comprehensible terms. This collection of his columns is like a conversation over coffee with a close friend.""Sin Boldly was a breath of theological fresh air when it was first published in 1997. It still breathes life into old conversation, with a vigorous faithfulness and a deep passion for the kairos...the holy now. Chris is a bold disciple of Christianity's minority positions and I am grateful for his ability to celebrate the theological energy hidden in the stories of our lives."" -Peter Woods, Minister at MacKay United Church in OntarioChristopher Levan is a pastor, professor, and parent, and has spent his life working with words. His day job is in a church, and his life's vocation is as a ""repairer of dreams,"" helping others to achieve their goals and ambitions. Whether in a university classroom or Cuban village, his gifts of enthusiasm and energy are conveyed by vibrant words that move hearts and turn heads. Christopher is a baker, biker, and tour guide when he's not writing or helping others, and he dreams of crafting the right turn of phrase to change the world. He resides in Toronto with his wife Ellen.

The Saints want to have a word with you today.Wouldn't we love to have heard St. Francis of Assisi speak about the beauty of creation? Or to have listened to St. Teresa of Avila teach about prayer? Well, although we can't converse ""live"" with the saints, we can still hear from them. The wisdom of their sayings, preserved over the centuries, still inspires us.The Saints Speak to You Today offers 365 short quotations from saints about a wide diversity of subjects essential to successful living. Nourish your mind with a word from St. Therese of Lisieux about doing everything with love or St. Thomas More on facing death courageously. Let the saints remind you every day of your high calling to love God and to love others.

The following papers, with the exception of Mr. Shapley's, contain the substance of addresses given at Jacob Sleeper Hall, Boston, on the two-hundredth anniversary of Kant's birth, April 22, 1924. A few alterations and additions have been made here and there in preparing the materials for the press; but the papers remain substantially as delivered. It is hoped that they may be of interest to a wider public.--From the Editor's Preface by E.C. WilmOpening Words by George Herbert Palmer, Emeritus Professor of Natural Religion, Moral Philosophy, and Civil Polity, Harvard UniversityKnowledge by Mary Whiton Calkins, Professor and Civil Polity, Wellesley CollegeEthics by E.C. Wilm, Professor of Philosophy, Boston UniversityThe Postulates by W.E. Hocking, Professor of Philosophy, Harvard UniversityScience by Harlow Shapley, Director, Harvard Observatory Art by Kuno Francke, Curator, Germanic Museum, Harvard UniversityLaw by Roscoe Pound, Dean, Harvard Law SchoolPeace by Gerhart von Schulze-Gaevernitz, Professor of Economics, University of FreiburgE.C. Wilm was a professor of philosophy at Boston University.

APTS Press is privileged to offer this festschrift honoring Dr. Kay Fountain, who for more than twenty years has served the Lord at the Asia Pacific Theological Seminary (APTS), in Baguio City, Philippines, first as a student, then as a faculty member and finally as the Academic Dean. Our hope is that this book will reflect her passion for teaching and understanding the Old Testament, which has instilled in her students that kind of passion for the ministry as well.From the Foreword In keeping with the theme of this Festschrift: The Old Testament in Theology and Teaching, the included articles predominantly provide an Old Testament focus. Significantly, most have been written by Kay's current and former students and colleagues, both Western and Asian, including one by her PhD Mentor, Dr. Tim Bulkeley. John Carter, PhD, President Emeritus, Asia Pacific Theological SeminaryWonsuk Ma--Tragedy of Spirit-Empowered Heroes: A Close Look at Samson and SaulTim Bulkeley--How Can a Man Read Esther?Jacqueline Grey--Navigating the Empire: Esther As a Model of MarginalizationTim Meadowcroft--Wise Participation in the Divine Life: Lessons From the Life of DanielTeresa Chai--Old Testament Pedagogy on MissionDave Johnson--Gideon and the Angel of the Lord: An Anthropological Perspective on Judges 6:11-40 Tham Wan--Asian Theological Education Now and Then: An Asian Pentecostal Pastor- Educator's Survey of Theological EducationLian Sian Mung--The Charismatic and Non-Charismatic Roles of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:1-5Itzhaq Shai, with Chris McKinny, Benjamin Yang and Deborah Cassuto--Illuminating a Canaanite and Judahite Town: The Archaeological Background of Tel BurnaAdelina C. Ladera--Kay Fountain: Historical-Biographical SketchThe EditorsTeresa Chai, PhD, is the academic dean at the Asia Pacific Theological Seminary in Baguio City, Philippines and is a past president of Alpha Omega College in Malaysia. She also served for eight years as a missionary in Bangladesh and is the author of numerous articles in various publications.Dave Johnson, DMiss, has been a missionary to the Philippines since 1994. He currently serves as a faculty member at APTS as well as the managing editor of the Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies and the director of APTS Press. He is the author of Led by the Spirit: The History of the American Assemblies of God Missionaries in the Philippines and Theology in Context: A Case Study in the Philippines.

Are There Horses in Heaven? is a collection of thought-inspiring talks by Presbyterian minister Dr. F. Morgan Roberts. Drawing upon a lifetime of personal experiences with people of all denominations, age groups, and races, his perceptive stories tackle theological questions you've always wondered about. Dr. Roberts challenges us to look beyond our traditional beliefs, and offers unique insights about living in a modern day world where the story of Creation continues to evolve. His ideas address relevant issues that will surely make you pause and reflect. Some of his thoughts will have you laughing, others will make you cry, but all will leave you profoundly moved.""These words come from the heart of Jesus, whose inclusive love has always been open to all God's creatures. There simply are no 'others,' no 'left out folk.' How the sermons reflect this fact!"" --Rev. Howard B. WarrenDirector of Pastoral Care, The Damien CenterA service/support organization for people living with HIV/AIDSIndianapolis, Indiana""Morgan Roberts is one of the ten finest preachers it has been my privilege to hear. His sermons raise difficult issues about life--issues that too often the contemporary pulpit ignores. But he also addresses people with a thoroughly biblical message--that God loves them and invites them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Reading his sermons will never be as good as hearing him preach them or hearing him chuckle at his own foibles. But they will give anyone who takes the time to read them a glimpse of the mystery and majesty of God's love in Jesus Christ."" --Dr. John MulderPresident, Louisville Presbyterian Theological SeminaryLouisville, KentuckyDr. F. Morgan Roberts is Pastor Emeritus of the Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, where he served as pastor from 1985 until his retirement in May of 1994. In addition to his pastorates at Shadyside; Birmingham, Michigan; Louisville, Kentucky; Mount Vernon, New York; and Newburgh, New York; Dr. Roberts' talks are familiar to local radio audiences, and to a worldwide congregation through audio tape ministries. A proponent of social change, Dr. Roberts has raised his voice in defense of the rights of welfare recipients, has worked actively with housing and food programs for the homeless, and has encouraged education in the performing arts for the mentally handicapped. Dr. Roberts has served his denomination as a member of its General Assembly Mission Council. In 1986, he was preacher to the 198th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. Educated at Colgate University and Princeton Theological Seminary, Dr. Roberts also is the recipient of several honorary doctorate degrees. He maintains an active interest in the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Not one for retirement, Dr. Roberts is serving his second Interim Pastorship since leaving Shadyside Church.

St. Elizabeth Seton called him ""The Pope""; his students dubbed him ""Little Bonaparte."" To Pope Gregory XVI he was ""my most particular friend""; while his own Bishop charged him with acting as a ""Bishop"" rather than as parish priest. The man was Father John Dubois, an exile from France, the founding father of many cherished Catholic institutions in America. Dubois was beloved by the ""little people""--the scattered Catholics he served in rural Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania; and he was the amiable friend of Protestants such as James Monroe and Patrick Henry. In 1808 he began his ""Mountain"" seminary at Emmitsburg, Maryland, and 175 years later Mount St. Mary''s College still serves as his memorial to education. The founder would just as easily pick up an axe to fell lumber for his college buildings, as he would ride through the night on horseback to minister to the sick and dying. He called himself ""an ugly little wretch,"" but to his students (his children) he was fondly remembered as ""old father."" Dubois'' great life''s work was his role as spiritual and physical architect of the Sisters of Charity in the United States. Without him, Elizabeth Seton might never have been known to history. This ""American St. Vincent de Paul"" wrote the first rule for the American sisters and pushed them out into missions across the country. Dubois was domineering, a tireless workman, often rough and blunt--not at all Mrs. Seton''s choice as a religious Superior. In 1826 the labors of the benevolent dictator ended at Emmitsburg, and he was called to head the immigrant church in New York. John Dubois became bishop of a turbulent diocese, dominated by fiercely nationalistic clergy and laity--""chiefly Irish."" Despite his good will, and although dedicated to all that was ""chiefly American,"" the French emigre remained a foreigner to his people in New York City. Embattled for sixteen years with insolent clergy and powerful lay trustees, the Bishop shunned public controversy and concentrated on pastoral care. He made frequent visits to the missionary territory in upstate New York, worked through cholera epidemics and went on a begging tour in Europe. In the 1830s, Protestants were beginning to react violently to Catholics and the immigrant Irish, yet Dubois was respected by numerous non-Catholics. He was also a friend to important Catholics: Roger Taney, Charles Carroll, Pierre Toussaint, the black philanthropist, and Mark Frenaye. He had enough faith in one young immigrant to ordain him and give him his start in America: St. John Neumann. As an old man, incapacitated by a series of strokes, he was sadly ignored by his energetic auxiliary, Bishop John Hughes. Before Bishop John Dubois died in 1842, he requested: ""Bury me where the people will walk over me in death as they wished to do in life."" Ironically, his gravesite was ""lost"" for well over 125 years. Now, the stirring and inspiring life of John Dubois is recaptured in his first full-length biography. The author finds Dubois a great and holy man--truly worthy of the title ""Founding Father.""Richard Shaw is a Catholic priest of the Albany, New York, diocese, and has degrees in American history and criminology. He has taught high school and is currently on his faculty of Maria College, Albany. Father Shaw is a chaplain at two county jails, and has been engaged in this ministry for ten years. In addition to published articles and short stories, he has written Dagger John: the Unquiet Life and Times of Archbishop John Hughes of New York; and The Christmas Mary Had Twins.

""I believe that complete separation of church and state is one of those miraculous things which can be best for religion and best for the state, and the best for those who are religious and those who are not religious.""- Leo PfefferCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. These sixteen words epitomize a radical experiment unique inhuman history . . . It is the purpose of this book to examine how this experiment came to be made, what are the implications and consequences of its application to democratic living in America today, and what are the forces seeking to frustrate and defeat thatexperiment.(From the Foreword)Leo Pfeffer (1910-1993) was a lawyer, humanist, and constitutional scholar. He was Professor of Constitutional Law at Long Island University, Brooklyn and a member ofthe American Jewish Congress. He wrote extensively on issues of religious liberty and was a leading voice in the ""strict separation"" interpretation of the establishment clause.

This book is a collection of short reflections on mentoring and discipleship in honor of Scott M. Gibson. Gibson says: ""The missing ingredient in the Church today is discipleship."" This book casts a vision for all believers for what mentoring and discipleship can look like in the local church, in Bible colleges and seminaries, and in Christian friendships. We hope that you will be inspired by Scott M. Gibson''s example to be selfless and intentional about mentoring and discipling others. Gibson desires to see a multiplying effect of true mentorship and discipleship rippling across congregations in North America and around the globe. He has spent his life prioritizing discipleship because he wants to look more and more like his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and he wants the same for others. Read this book and be moved to serve as a mentor and to make disciples.""Scott Gibson knows biblical preaching, and he is a teacher of teachers. If anyone desires to understand more about homiletics from a scholar and practitioner mentored by the inimitable Haddon Robinson, Scott Gibson is among the handful of today''s leading professors and scholars. I trust this book will help many in their public articulation of God''s Word with conviction and courage.""--Barry H. Corey, President of Biola University and author of Love Kindness: Discover the Power of a Forgotten Christian Virtue""It was my joy as President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to observe first-hand the work of Dr. Scott Gibson as teacher and mentor of homiletical skills for those preparing for ministry of the Word of God in his church worldwide. This volume is a good proof and sample of that work. In each of the chapters the reader will find truth-laden wisdom that speaks to some of the great issues of our day. I heartily commend this wonderful set of chapters to both laypersons who reflect on these same issues and to many who seek the call of our Lord in his vineyard.""--Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., President Emeritus, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary""It is often that some students admire a professor in the classroom. It is less often that they find a friend and mentor during their seminary days. It is even yet more extraordinary to weigh the impact of Dr. Scott Gibson on the lives of so many for so long. Years after leaving the academy they pay tribute to an adult lifetime of mentorship. Firm, fair, faithful, and gracious has been his abiding influence in the lives of so many. Such as this grants him the promised ''abundant entrance.''""--Joel C. Gregory, Holder of the George W. Truett Endowed Chair of Preaching and Evangelism, George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor UniversityMatthew D. Kim is Associate Professor of Preaching and Ministry at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and co-editor with Scott M. Gibson of Homiletics and Hermeneutics: Four Views on Preaching Today.

In an age of theological innovation and doctrinal discount, the heritage of evangelical Reformed theology is in increasing danger of betrayal. Old established understandings of ""the faith once delivered to the saints"" are under attack, disturbing the peace of the church, tarnishing its witness, and challenging its purity. Against the pressures of newer fashions in thought, Douglas Vickers here returns to the seventeenth-century confessions of faith and illustrates from successive chapters common to three of those confessions the ways in which, and the reasons why, traditional beliefs and doctrinal constructions are to be preserved. Among questions examined with biblically informed insight are the relation between eternity and time and its significance for the gospel of redemption, the meaning and function of saving faith, the accomplishment of redemption by the incarnate Christ, the significance of his heavenly high priestly office, the high doctrine of the Christian believer''s union with Christ, and the implications these doctrinal realities hold for the Christian life.In a discussion of contemporary theologies, When God Converts a Sinner examines such innovations as the New Perspective on Paul, Federal Vision theology, Shepherdism, and other attempts to effect a paradigm shift in historically received theology.Dr. Douglas Vickers, keenly aware of historical theology and current developments, addresses vital biblical and theological issues of the day. A vigilant watchman on the walls, he provides necessary correctives to the siren songs of discordant voices heard within the church and to the minor side tracks and major derailments of contemporary theology.Robert E. Davis, Pastor, Covenant Church, Millers Falls, MassachusettsDouglas Vickers is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts. Throughout his academic career in the social sciences, he has maintained a close and productive interest in doctrinal and apologetic theology. His most recent theological titles include The Texture of Truth, Divine Redemption and the Refuge of Faith, Christian Confession and the Crackling Thorn, and The Fracture of Faith. He is a member of Covenant Church at Millers Falls, Massachusetts.

This work explores a perennial question that Christians who are called to teach must consider: So what makes our teaching Christian? It considers the essential and distinctive elements of Christian teaching by examining the apostles'' teaching ministry in the Book of Acts and aspects of Jesus''s own teaching in the Gospel of John. It proposes how teaching in the name, spirit, and power of Jesus relates to the teaching ministries of Christians today. For example, an in-depth look at Jesus''s teaching of both Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman known in Christian tradition as Photini provides insights for transformative teaching of both insiders and outsiders in a Christian community. This work is a theological, pastoral, and educational exploration of Christian teaching that has implications for both laity and clergy in their ministries.Robert W. Pazmino is Valeria Stone Professor of Christian Education at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, where he has taught since 1986. He has also taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and other theological schools across the United States. He is the author of eight works including God Our Teacher: Theological Basics in Christian Education (2001), a third edition of Foundational Issues in Christian Education (2008), and Doing Theological Research: An Introductory Guide for Surviving and Thriving in Theological Education (2008).

Facebook. Twitter. Snapchat. We live in a rapidly changing world, a world that seems to be increasingly inhospitable toward preaching. In the face of digital technology, social media, cultural pluralism, and pastoral burnout, how can Christian preachers proclaim the gospel faithfully and effectively? This book answers that question by bringing together a selection of important voices from across North America, Asia, and the Pacific. It argues that Spirit-empowered preaching is characterized by five attributes: it opens the Scriptures, engages the culture, addresses the listener, dissects the preacher, and elevates the Savior. With contributions from authors like William Willimon, Darrell Johnson, Lynne Baab, Robert Smith Jr., and Paul Windsor, this is an excellent resource for ordained ministers, lay preachers, theological students, and anyone wrestling with the challenge of preaching God''s word in a smartphone world.""John Tucker is to be commended for sensitively editing this highly relevant collection of essays about preaching, many of them flowing from the School of Preaching at Carey Baptist College, Auckland. Text Messages is organized around five themes--text, society, listener, preacher, and Christ. At a time when we hear so much about the ''crisis in preaching'', these excellent papers lay a pathway for a positive future."" --Brian Harris, Principal, Vose Seminary, Perth, AustraliaJohn Tucker is Principal of Carey Baptist College, Auckland, where he lectures in Homiletics and Church History. He is also the Director of the Carey School of Preaching. His publications include A Braided River: New Zealand Baptists and Public Issues, 1882-2000 (2013) and several chapters and articles on the history and mechanics of preaching.

From the Foreword by Paul N. Anderson:""Among the most provocative New Testament scholars of the tweitieth century, Ernst Kasemann tops the list, and his most striking work is The Testament of Jesus. This brief book is significant not because the bulk of Johannine scholars have fully agreed with it; indeed, most have taken exception to many of its points. The impact of Kasemann''s 1966 Shaffer Lectures, delivered at Yale Divinity School and rendered in book form in German and English over the next couple of years, lay in his capacity to communicate worthy insights in sharp and provocative ways, blocking some paths of discussion while opening others.... The Testament of Jesus cannot simply be read. It can only be engaged--refuted and embraced--and dialectically so.""Critical Acclaim for The Testament of Jesus by Ernst Kasemann:""This stunning reaction to Bultmann''s Johannine interpretation follows in the path of F.C. Baur and William Wrede, sharing the critical sharpness and polemic of both. Kasemann''s eye for theological controversy and his passionate theological engagement challenge traditional assumptions and invite us to hear the text and read the evangelist''s critics in fresh ways.""                -- Robert Morgan, University of Oxford""One of the most influential, albeit highly controversial, studies of the Fourth Gospel in recent decades is Ernst Kasemann''s The Testament of Jesus. Although the book''s subtitle, ''A Study of the Gospel of John in Light of Chapter 17,'' suggests an exegetical analysis of that chapter, this is no plodding commentary. Rather, the study offers a provocative and sometimes irritating sketch of Johannine theology.""-- Marianne Meye Thompson, Fuller Theological Seminary""All his writing demonstrates his conviction that ''true dialogue depends on meeting, irritating and stimulating each other precisely where the stakes are the highest.'' That describes this book nicely, for it represents Kasemann at his iconoclastic best.""-- Wayne Meeks, Yale UniversityErnst Kasemann (1906-1998) served as a professor of New Testament at Universities of Mainz (1946-51), Gottingen (1951-59), and Tubingen (1959-71), where he became Emeritus Professor and continued to write, lecture, and engage. His antithetical engagements with his mentor, Rudolf Bultmann, are legendary; he served as President of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS) in 1972.

In the three decades since it was first published, Charles Hartshorne''s Beyond Humanism has come to be regarded as a classic in the study of humanism and nature. The volume includes: Part One: HUMANISM AND HUMAN NEEDS-God or Nature-Humanism as Disintegration-Dewey''s Philosophy of Religion-Other Humanist Philosophies -Russia and Marxian Humanism-Freud''s View of Religion-Historic Forms of HumanismPart Two: NATURE-The Cosmic Variables-Order in a Creative Universe -Indeterminism in Psychology and Ethics-Mind and Matter-Mind and Body: Organic Sympathy-Russell on Causality-Santayana on Matter-Mead and Alexander on Time-Logical Positivism and the Method of Philosophy -Croce, Heidegger, and Hartmann-Conclusion: The Historic Role of Humanism""This is a book that will be eagerly read by all those who are looking for a way forward out of the perplexities which have overtaken religion in our time."" -Christian Century

In this second volume of the new APTS Press Monograph Series, Dr. Russ Turney presents a compelling case study of why some missionaries leave the field far too soon. Normal attrition occurs because of health problems, retirement, or the obvious call of God to go elsewhere. However, Turney notes that far too often missionaries leave due to interpersonal conflicts with their colleagues ornationals, problems with authority and other issues that, Turney contends, could be significantly reduced. He then presents an excellent strategy for dealing with these and other issues, enabling missionaries to continue in their calling long term and finish well.This strategy will help equip not only missionaries and mission leaders from both the West and the Majority World, but also pastors and church members who love and support missionaries and who want to learn how to strengthen them better through prayer and action. Anyone who shares the warm hearted conviction that missionaries can and should leave a legacy will benefit from this book.From the Foreword. . .Dr. Russ Turney and his wife, Patsy, have been Assemblies of God World Missionaries (ASWM USA) since 1983. For the first fourteen years they served in the Philippines. During this time they also served for eight years as the Area Directors for Southeast Asia. Since 1998 Russ has served as the AGWM Regional Director for the Asia Pacific Region of the world. Russ and Patsy have two sons, Mark and Nathan, who along with their wives are AGWM missionaries, and a daughter Rebekah and son-in-law who are church planters in the U.S.A. The Turneys have ten grandchildren and are based in Springfield, Missouri.

This significant volume draws together an exceptional list of contributors to honor the life and work of Victor Paul Furnish. Doing credit to the focus and character of Furnish''s career as a scholar, educator, and churchman, the individual essays, and the volume as a whole, have been written in a way that renders them accessible to seminary students in the classroom and that builds substantially on Furnish''s own work. The book is structured in three parts:(1) Theology and Ethics in Paul (focusing on individual Pauline texts and on the broader themes, foundations, and context of Paul''s theological and ethical thought); (2) Theology and Ethics in Paul''s Earliest Interpreters (both in the NT and in the church which came to accept Paul''s letters as canonical); and (3) Paul in Contemporary Theology and Ethics (engaging Furnish''s own work as well as that of his colleagues and students in the area of Pauline theology and ethics).""Furnish''s distinguished career as an interpreter of Pauline theology and ethics is appropriately honored in this outstanding collection of essays. The best voices in Pauline studies wrestle with the critical issues of how the apostle has been and is to be understood in matters of faith and life--the nature of the self, the role of scripture in decision-making, the place of the law, issues like slavery and religious pluralism. The volume is a major contribution to the ongoing conversation.""--Charles B. CousarColumbia Theological Seminary""No Festschrift in recent years has included a more distinguished group of contributing scholars, and it is appropriate that they should salute one of the most outstanding Pauline scholars of this generation. This collection of timely and stimulating essays has immense importance for any consideration of the theology and ethics of Paul and his early interpreters, and should share the shelf with other great Festschriften of the last half-century dedicated to the likes of Bultmann, Kasemann, and C. H. Dodd.--Calvin J. RoetzelMacalester CollegeEugene H. Lovering Jr. (SMU) has served as Associate Director of the Society of Biblical Literature; as an independent editor and compositor for the former Scholars Press, the SBL, and various other academic publishers; as a construction leader for Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta and for church missions in North Georgia; and as pastor of United Methodist churches in Texas. He has recently moved to the Texas hill country, where, as Paul''s interpreter, he endeavors to obey ""the first commandment with a promise."" Jerry L. Sumney is Professor of Biblical Studies at Lexington Theological Seminary. His books include Steward of God''s Mysteries: Paul and Early Church Tradition; Paul: Apostle and Fellow-Traveler; The Bible: An Introduction; Colossians: A Commentary; and Identifying Paul''s Opponents: The Question of Method in 2 Corinthians (the revision of his dissertation with Victor Furnish). He is also the editor of Reading the Letter to the Romans and co-editor of Paul and Pathos.

All ministry leaders concern themselves with the intersection of Jesus-centered ministry and contemporary culture. They ask themselves questions such as,""What do we need to change in order to keep up with a wired world?""""What should never change?""""What are the nonnegotiables of faith in Jesus?""Many have attempted to answer these questions. However, most of these leaders offer solutions that the everyday ministry leader simply cannot replicate.Signs of the Times is a unique offering to those who wrestle with the mash-up of ministry and culture. All of the contributors have found success within their ministries, and yet most do not minister to thousands on a weekly basis. Additionally, all of them have had the privilege of studying directly with Dr. Leonard I. Sweet.Despite having authored more than fifty books, Sweet can still be a bit of an enigma. Many of his readers have been deeply influenced by him, and yet they may still struggle to understand what his insights might mean for their ministry.Each of the contributors to this work thoughtfully engages with a key idea that they personally learned from Sweet and they translate it for ministry in the early twenty-first century. ""There are so many words, titles, and descriptions you could use for Leonard Sweet. He is, without a doubt, one of the greatest gifts given to the church the past forty years. For him to be a blessing to your life you have to engage with his mind and heart, and this book shows how many people have done that--and for that reason alone it''s a great gift to all who read it."" --Bob Roberts, Jr., Founder & Senior Pastor, Northwood Church; Author; Founder, GlocalnetBrian A. Ross is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministries at the Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary and an adjunct professor at Toccoa Falls College. He is a seventeen-year ministry veteran, having served as a youth pastor, church planter, senior pastor, and church consultant. He is a minister with the Brethren in Christ Church.

Endorsements:"The doctrine of the Trinity--that God is one and yet three and three without ceasing to be one--is for many people the most perplexing of all beliefs. How does one make sense of it? Dave Andrews has meditated long and hard on what this most mysterious and beautiful of religious beliefs means, not just at a theoretical or speculative level, but also at a practical, down-to-earth level. It''s an indispensable paradigm for living together in a cruel, violent and lonely world."-Chris Marshall, St. John''s Senior Lecturer in Christian Theology, Religious Studies Department, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand"Dave Andrews is one of Australia''s most innovative community workers. His vision for social change, however, comes out of a well-articulated theological vision. Dave clearly demonstrates that Jesus'' vision of the in-breaking reign of God rooted in Trinitarian theology can be the inspirational centre for contemporary community work. This challenging piece of integrated writing can be ''a guide to all who seek to bring the shalom of God to all the places of pain and injustice in our world.''"-Charles Ringma, Professor Emeritus, Regent College, Vancouver, Canada"When I met Dave Andrews, I could feel the fire burning in him. Then I heard him speak. Then I read his books. Ever since, he has been and continues to be a major inspiration in my life and work."-Brian McLaren, pastor and best selling author of The Secret Message of Jesus and Everything Must Change.Author Biography:Dave Andrews is an Australian Christian anarchist author, speaker, social activist, and community worker who, along with his wife, Ange, and their family have lived and worked in intentional communities with marginalized groups of people in Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India for over forty years. Along with friends, Dave and Ange started Aashiana, Sahara, and Sharan--three Christian community organizations working with slum dwellers, sex workers, and people with HIV/AIDS in India. He is also a part of Waiters Union, an inner-city Christian community network working with Indigenous Australians, refugees and people with disabilities in Australia. Dave is also an Elder for Servants to Asia''s Urban Poor, an educator for TEAR Australia, a Christian international aid and development agency, and a lecturer at the University of Queensland and Christian Heritage College.

Endorsements:"The bits and pieces people have written for this book represent a beautiful multicolored, multilayered mosaic of lessons they have learned about living life together through their association with the Waiters Union. These reflections highlight the little bit of progress we have made in the midst of our struggle to live with each other and work with one another. These stories of our successes, wrested from our failures, sustain our hope for learning more about how we can move towards a more authentic life together."--Dave Andrews and Helen Beazley, Editors"Raw, authentic, generous . . . Unprocessed, untreated, pure, organic even . . . There''s no pretense, no effort to put on a mask or try to show a face other than that which is the normal and everyday . . . A ''big'' experience, not half-hearted or sparse . . . The heart of community."--John Dacey, Community Minister, Mt. Druitt"This book celebrates the learnings of people who journeyed a week, a month, a decade, or more with that small network in West End. It''s a celebration of many ordinary, everyday people living in and working with communities where not everyone has enough to eat, or a safe place to live, or access to a good education or adequate health care. It''s a celebration of an authentic struggle to live grace and hope and love into the world. It''s a celebration of a successful people''s movement and a life-changing community immersion experience. I hope it is also an encouragement to help you move from where you are now to where you want to be."--Lin Hatfield Dodds, Director of Uniting Care Australia"Through the Waiters Union I have been able to experience more of the many worlds that exist in my street and suburb . . . The Waiters network has quiet links to many aspects of my suburb that I hadn''t previously realized were connected . . . This (becomes) quite obvious if you fall down the Waiters Union rabbit hole."--Emily James, Community Worker, Neighbor and Friend"The Waiters model and method, infused by the practices of love and hope of justice, is an important contribution to the life of many people in West End, mine included. It is also a model that enables many people in other locations to re-imagine community development in all its breadth, and depth, and multiplicity."--Peter Westoby, Lecturer in Community Development, University of Queensland"Clearly the current surge of interest in the Waiters Union is because (its) ministry was before its time, but now that time has come. The Waiters Union offers one of the very effective, replicable, genuine, missional models of (the future) church in Australia."--Geoff Westlake, Co-Founder and Coordinator of CheersAuthor Biography:Dave Andrews is an Australian Christian anarchist author, speaker, social activist, and community worker who, along with his wife, Ange, and their family have lived and worked in intentional communities with marginalized groups of people in Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India for over forty years. Along with friends, Dave and Ange started Aashiana, Sahara, and Sharan--three Christian community organizations working with slum dwellers, sex workers, and people with HIV/AIDS in India. He is also a part of Waiters Union, an inner-city Christian community network working with Indigenous Australians, refugees and people with disabilities in Australia. Dave is also an Elder for Servants to Asia''s Urban Poor, an educator for TEAR Australia, a Christian international aid and development agency, and a lecturer at the University of Queensland and Christian Heritage College.