Ellen F. Davis

Psalms

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“Here an extraordinary Christian shows us the power of Israel's Psalms to renew our minds in Christ, as well as the spiritual alertness and discipline that entails. Framed by the later witnesses of Bethge and Brueggemann, this small yet beautifully complete volume testifies to how Bonhoeffer kept the faith of Christ in extreme times, as we must do.”

Reading the Pentateuch as Christian Scripture

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This is a textbook with a (major) difference: It generates excitement and builds confidence in its readers, even as it gives them vast amounts of information, beautifully presented and in readily comprehensible language. Beldman and Rhodes open windows into the ancient world in all its complexity and lay down clear paths through the almost infinitely varied landscape of modern biblical interpretation. With the skill of the best teachers, they anticipate the myriad questions that thoughtful students pose, and they address them with clarity and directness, not shying away from the most difficult theological conundrums but instead offering guidance for wrestling with them in good faith. A textbook this good could go a long way toward renewing the enthusiasm of those who teach Bible, and indeed raising up a new generation of wise readers and scholars for the church.”

Reimagining Biblical Politics

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Rhodes gallops from one end of the Bible to the other at an exhilarating pace, yet with a keen eye for how subtle word choices, overlooked narrative details and characters, and even whole biblical books that we might have neglected bear upon our exercise of political discipleship. One of the most exciting and trustworthy biblical theologians currently at work, Rhodes offers not prescribed choices but rather guidelines for discernment of a variety of faithful responses to the text as read and lived out in community. Practical exegesis such as this keeps the Word of God alive in the church.”

Roots of Transformation

Christian Living

“Using sources as diverse as Augustine's and Ricouer's narrative theology, Wittgenstein and C. S. Lewis, Stockitt illuminates Scripture and Christian lives, from ancient times to the present. This accessible and engaging volume will be useful for pastors, preachers, and their congregations, as well as for others offering spiritual instruction to individuals and groups.”

Sacred Sense

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In a book that is eye-opening and occasionally jaw-dropping, Brown draws the vital connection between genuine wonder and hope for the created world. Wide-ranging and thoroughly engaging, this volume shows both mature and novice readers how to see more deeply into the Bible. What is much more, it gives us the best reason to slow down and look. Ideally suited for discussion groups in congregational settings.”

The Bible in the Contemporary World

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Here Bauckham shows the breadth of his concerns, from the classical theological topics of freedom and hope to Christianity's conversation with Buddhism and modern secular culture. He is unafraid to point to the inadequacies of some aspects of traditional theology, while at the same time he offers a strong, distinctively biblical, Christian critique of contemporary culture. . . . These essays are lucid and mercifully free of technical jargon, suitable for experts and lay theologians alike.”

The Church's Guide for Reading Paul

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Here Brevard Childs offers his clearest statement of the continuities and differences between his canonical approach and historical criticism. The book has the character of a careful, probing conversation — punctuated by disagreement — that extends also to figural readings, postmodernism, and evangelical interpretation. His final gift is to demonstrate at length how central to all the church's work is wide-ranging, critical scriptural exegesis, guided by the Spirit and disciplined by participation in the church's life. This book will remain part of our conversation for years to come.”

The Faith of the Outsider

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The perspective offered here is more than timely; it yields theological and ethical insight into the Bible as a whole. With a keen eye to literary structure and detail — metaphor, symbol, wordplay — Frank Spina goes to the heart of the texts he treats, often challenging conventional readings. A master teacher is at work here, whose lively style and lucid presentation make his fine scholarship accessible to a wide audience. This book is a delightful short course in reading biblical narrative well.”

The Great Story and the Great Commission

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Wright reframes the concept of mission—as ‘a mode of existence for the church’—in a way that works deep changes in our understanding of the whole Christian canon. Through careful argumentation and rereading of Scripture, he exposes the arrogance and moral obliviousness that are all too common among Christians. Written in a clear, conversational style, yet full of memorable phrases and insights, this is a book that should be widely used in the church.”

The Joshua Delusion?

Apologetics

“This sophisticated but plainly written study is eye-opening even for highly practiced readers and teachers of Scripture. Taking on one of the most difficult cases in the Bible, Earl offers guidance for discovering the truth of Scripture without sacrificing critical acumen on historical and ethical matters.”

The Moral Vision of Proverbs

Theology

“Sandoval presents Proverbs as a profoundly theological statement about the cultivation of moral character through the practice of the complex moral and intellectual activity that the sages call ‘wisdom.’ Eschewing conventional moralistic and utilitarian treatments, he brings to his reading a philosophical, cultural, and literary sophistication that encourages critical and self-critical engagement. This study will be essential for serious students of biblical wisdom traditions, in the academy and also in the church.”

The Saint John’s Bible and Its Tradition

Arts & Literature

“This intriguing set of essays shows how illumination may happen, not just on the page but also in our minds and lives—but only if we are willing to replace our industrialized habit of ‘processing’ words with slow practices of dwelling on the words of Scripture, in all their challenging beauty.”

The Struggle to Understand Isaiah as Christian Scripture

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Probably no one but Brevard Childs could have written this lucid, fascinating, and vastly learned account of Christian hermeneutics and exegesis of Isaiah — an account best understood as a nonreductionistic 'family history.' Without glossing over tensions and failures, Childs shows how complex is the process of reading the Bible in faith from generation to generation in the church.”

Walter Brueggemann's Prophetic Imagination

History & Biography

“Here we see biblical scholarship embedded in a contemporary life of struggle, conviction, commitment, and prayer. For preachers, teachers, scholars, readers who cannot leave the Bible alone because God won't leave them alone, this book helps us make sense of our experience and our sense of what is still possible with God.”

We Need Mountains

Arts & Literature

“With exquisite and loving attention and a profound awareness of tragedy, this book of elegies shows us a majestic world under threat and of death, and also the beauty of its creatures, both human and nonhuman, who make the mountains of this earth living landscapes.”