Anathea E. Portier-Young

God Gardened East

“Ruprecht's remarkable book combines garden journal, travelogue, treatise, and commentary in a sustained meditation on freedom, faith, politics, and place. God Gardened East challenges its readers to dig into the rich soil of many traditions--Hebraic, Christian, Islamic, and Greek--moving from one, to many, to the infinite. A gardener knows the cadences of light and dark, dry and wet, the march of seasons, and the transformation of death into life. Ruprecht shows us that by growing the soil of our own gardens, we nurture also the patience, attention, and humility in which dialogue can take root across the boundaries of nation and religion.”

Introducing the Apocrypha

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“David deSilva's Introducing the Apocrypha remains the best book in the field. These important writings are placed in full context--historically, religiously, and literarily. Again and again deSilva shows how the books of the Apocrypha clarify important themes and traditions in the teaching of Jesus and in the literature of the early church. The revised edition is rich with insight and will serve well a new generation of students and scholars."Craig A. Evans, John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins, Houston Baptist University "David deSilva offers a readable and competent introduction to these complex and neglected writings. This is the best one-volume introduction to the apocryphal, or deuterocanonical, books currently available in English."Jeremy Corley, lecturer in Sacred Scripture, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland "For most Christians today the Apocrypha remain a marginal curiosity or object of suspicion. Informed by burgeoning scholarship in the study of early Judaism, the second edition of Introducing the Apocrypha reveals these books as vibrant witnesses to streams of thought, tradition, and faith that formed a theological and cultural matrix for the earliest church. Throughout, deSilva's fine introduction balances nuance and precision with clarity and accessibility.”

Prophets beyond Activism

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Fresh and compelling, Julia O’Brien’s Beyond Activism challenges a simplistic progressive orthodoxy that paints biblical prophets as champions of social justice. For O’Brien, reassessing the prophets requires owning our values, contexts, and histories of harm. Pairing metacriticism with textual analysis, she equips readers for a more honest appraisal of prophetic books and our own social and interpretive commitments and communities. This book is for every preacher, teacher, and activist who finds in biblical prophets inspiration for contemporary ethics. You will gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities of the prophetic books and the very contexts in which we read.”

Social and Economic Life in Second Temple Judea

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Sam Adams’s exciting and timely book brings to life the social and economic world of Second Temple Judea. Adams masterfully balances attention to micro- and macroeconomic structures, giving equal space to the spheres of family and empire. Informed by critical gender studies and postcolonial theory, Adams examines old and new evidence with a keen and judicious eye. Accessible, well-organized, and fresh, this book will be a vital resource for students and scholars alike.”

The Book of Daniel, Chapters 1–6

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This monumental commentary marries a Christian evangelical commitment to scriptural authority with detailed critical analysis informed by a wide array of ancient evidence and current scholarship in biblical and ancient West Asian studies. Buster and Walton offer students, scholars, and curious readers rich and sensitive treatment of topics ranging from pseudonymity to cultural memory. The commentary is a treasure trove of historical, literary, and theological insight that illuminates the relevance of Daniel’s court tales to questions of identity, power, and faith.”

The Book of Daniel, Chapters 7–12

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This monumental commentary marries a Christian evangelical commitment to scriptural authority with detailed critical analysis informed by a wide array of ancient evidence and current scholarship in biblical and ancient West Asian studies. Buster and Walton offer students, scholars, and curious readers rich and sensitive treatment of topics ranging from pseudonymity to cultural memory. The commentary is a treasure trove of historical, literary, and theological insight that illuminates the relevance of Daniel’s court tales to questions of identity, power, and faith.”