Holly Beers

A Week In the Life of Ephesus

Fiction

“I often tell my students that one of our goals in New Testament courses is to develop our historical imaginations. Those accustomed to viewing faith and religion as a private sphere often struggle to imagine their way into the first-century world, where religion was deeply entwined with governmental structures and the corporate well-being of both city and empire. DeSilva's story narrates compellingly the very real pressure that early followers of Jesus would have experienced as many of their contemporaries viewed them as threats to the social order; if they refused to honor the gods, including the deified emperors, their reputations, finances, and even lives were at stake. Again and again in this story I asked myself, What would I have done?”

Between History and Spirit

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Craig Keener is a scholar who refuses the separation of history, theology, and experience. This collected volume of prior essays showcases Keener’s deep investment in each of these realms over the years, and reading through them is, for those who know Keener’s work, like visiting a group of old friends. Come and join the reunion; it is rich indeed.”

Faith, Doubt, and God's Mysterious Timing

Christian Living

“If you yearn for more awareness of how Scripture speaks into our everyday realities, then let my dear friend Laurie Short listen with you. She hears God’s voice in the text and invites all of us to trust that God is working even when we cannot see it.”

Jesus the Lord according to Paul the Apostle

Theology

“I cut my intellectual teeth on Gordon Fee’s 1 Corinthians commentary as an undergraduate student. Again and again his academic insight astounded me, and his pastoral wisdom and overt Pentecostal spirituality encouraged me. Almost twenty years later my respect for him has not diminished; I routinely check his works in my own research and teaching. So many of his areas of scholarly and practical passion combine in Jesus the Lord according to Paul the Apostle, including his careful reading of texts, his emphasis on Christian behavior (as opposed to ‘works’), his interest in the Spirit, and his bridge work between biblical studies and systematic theology. This is a classic Fee feast. Chew on this. Chew well.”

The Holy Spirit in the New Testament

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Pentecostals and charismatics read the Bible as the Word of God for us today, insisting that the Spirit actively speaks through the text. That same Spirit, of course, indwells and empowers us as he did the first followers of Jesus. William Simmons builds on these emphases in The Holy Spirit in the New Testament while incorporating thoughtful and practical (another typical Pentecostal value) exegesis of New Testament texts. As a Pentecostal myself, I am grateful for a kindred spirit like Simmons who is also living in that sometimes awkward but also hopeful space between the church and the academy. May his book remind us all that the Spirit is present there as well.”

The Kingdom of God Is among You

Theology

“In a time when global Pentecostalism is taken seriously both by the academy and the church, new generations need the wisdom of mentors like Gordon Fee. This collection of Fee’s lectures on New Testament theology frames him as a scholar of his time and a prophet for ours, demonstrating that the breath of the Spirit grounds and inspires though the winds of scholarship may blow and shift.”

The Mind of the Spirit

Theology

“Keener exegetes key passages on the mind in Paul with both his trademark attention to detail and expansive knowledge of ancient sources. As a Pentecostal, I appreciate the academic finesse of his work, but beyond intellectual appreciation, I am deeply grateful. My gratitude stems from feeling understood; Keener has also lived in a world where the tension between the Spirit and the mind is very real. He insists upon envisioning a new world where the Spirit calls to human spirits and minds, and human minds and spirits respond.”

The Spirit and Race in John’s Gospel

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Some wonder if racial ideologies even existed in the ancient Mediterranean, while others utilize only modern racial frameworks in their readings of New Testament texts. Rodolfo Estrada helpfully cultivates a third approach, demonstrating how the world of John categorized difference while also showing how the Spirit’s breath reveals the insufficiency of such frameworks. Estrada’s pneumatic solution is a compelling invitation to ‘see’ race in John’s Gospel through the Spirit’s work to birth a new family of God.”

Women in Ministry

Women

“SFM Consulting & Associates "With this short volume De Young offers an accessible treatment of the gender discussion as it relates to ministry. Moving beyond the traditional grammatical framework to worldview concerns, he highlights key interpretive issues such as the distinction between sin and violating 'traditions,' the notion of shame and Paul's referent(s) for 'law.' De Young's greatest strength is his eschatological insistence that the 'essential' reality of equality impact our present 'existential' relationships.”