Bruce C. Birch

A Hermeneutic of Imagination

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The work of Heim and Oetter brings together the best of both literary and theological readings of the biblical text in an illuminating hermeneutic of imagination. While these usually separate strands of biblical interpretation have produced some insightful work, they have often been posed as alternative ways of reading. The brilliance of this work is the case made that imagination, wielded in a variety of modes, is the necessary ingredient for fully understanding the wide literary range of texts intended and handed on as theological witness. Imagination is convincingly argued as the needed quality through which literary texts intended as sacred witness can reveal their full power.”

Biblical Figures in the Islamic Faith

World Religions

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Creation Untamed

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“There is no issue in contemporary faith more vexing than how we are to understand God's will and action in the event of natural disasters like tsunamis and hurricanes, wildfires and floods. Fortunately for readers, there is no more reliable guide for thinking biblically about these issues than Terence Fretheim. In this thoughtful and compact volume, Fretheim helps us not only to see clearly our own created vulnerability but also to encounter biblical testimony to a God who becomes vulnerable with us.”

Leadership Roles of the Old Testament

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In her earlier work, Marty Stevens proved to be a reliable interpreter of biblical scholarship for the life and ministries of the church. Here she addresses the cutting-edge issue of leadership and directs our attention to the important roles of leadership in the life of ancient Israel . . . Both clergy and lay leaders in the church will be enriched and empowered by the biblical grounding Stevens offers to the challenges leaders face in every age.”

Out of Exodus

Church Leadership & Ministry

“In a time when entire denominations are threatening to split over human sexuality issues Darryl Stephens in Out of Exodus offers us the account of a refreshing journey taken by a congregation in south-central Pennsylvania to face challenging moral issues and find God’s grace in the midst of faithful wrestling and societal ambiguity. . . The hope of finding and preserving the church’s unity in the face of moral ambiguity and uncertainty for many shines through the testimony of this volume. It should be an encouraging and helpful resource to many.”

Prophets beyond Activism

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Julia O’Brien has provided us with a long-needed and comprehensive corrective to our understanding of the Hebrew prophets. She exposes the historic process that led to a limited and stereotypical view of their role as primarily progressive social reformers. Then she builds a convincing case for a richer, more diverse understanding of the prophetic voices in the Hebrew Bible. She elevates the key role of community reception and redaction in the message passed on from them, rejects the reduction of their message to our own preconceptions, and uncovers a more wholistic understanding of the prophetic message that can stand alongside our own diverse commitments and experiences in a more honest and fruitful biblical dialogue for our times.”

Sanctifying Art

Arts & Literature

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

The Substance of Things Seen

Arts & Literature

“Robin Jensen has spent a good part of her personal and professional life moving comfortably and knowledgeably between the arts and theology, between the academy and the church. This volume distills the wisdom she has gained in her journey into a collection of essays that illumine the central role of the arts in the life of faith. The result is a book that is uncommonly readable, filled with provocative insights, and utterly convincing in the case it makes for the indispensable role of art in Christian theology, worship, and practice. Jensen's discussions are historically informed, theologically wise, artistically insightful, and extremely practical. No one interested in the arts and theology should be without this book.”