James F. McGrath

A Complicated Pregnancy

Theology

“In A Complicated Pregnancy, Kyle Roberts offers a dramatic, sincerely honest, and deeply personal exploration of the question of Jesus' virginal conception. While many other books wrestle with this topic primarily from another angle (that of historical uncertainty and Gospel discrepancies, which Roberts does also cover), in Roberts' book a profoundly theological approach dominates, as he surveys a wide array of famous and neglected early Christian authors. He also invites readers to take a long hard look at our aversion to blood and semen, to sex, spit, and excrement, and the way this has motivated us to disconnect Jesus from such mundane yet essential human elements—with troubling results for our view of Jesus' own humanity, and thus also his connection to us. The book’s wrestling with history, science, and the various facts of life are offered not in order to tear down cherished beliefs with no good reason, but precisely in order to counter the devaluation of human existence in general, and of women, reproduction, and the humanity of Jesus in particular, so as to make the case that in Jesus, we encounter God precisely in a human being who was not immune or exempt from those characteristic experiences that make us human.”

Apostle Paul

History & Biography

“Paul's life, of which we get snippets from his letters and also from the accounts of others about him, was a dramatic one. Robert Orlando takes those details, and the insights and interpretations of scholars, and weaves them together with the skill of a filmmaker to provide a compelling narrative of Paul's life, his aims, his struggles.”

Born of a Virgin?

Theology

“Certain topics are such a focus of controversy and attention that eventually we come to feel that all has been said that can or should be said. Then along comes a groundbreaking book that arrives like a breath of fresh air and allows us to see the familiar with new eyes. Andrew Lincoln's volume on the virginal conception is such a work. Not only does it offer insightful explanation of what the infancy stories in Matthew and Luke say, but it also identifies and explores the contrasting perspectives on the topic from other New Testament authors. . . . Lincoln's excellent, clear, and comprehensive treatment is sure to be considered the volume to turn to on this topic for many years to come.”

Entering the Fray

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This book aims to not only make the major scholarly issues known to the reader, but to introduce the reader to the scholars who have studied and discussed those issues . . . Halcomb works to build a bridge between the academy and the church, and the result is a unique opportunity for Christians to experience something like a speed-dating round with several centuries' worth of scholars!”

Exploring the Paranormal

World Religions

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Flat Earths and Fake Footnotes

Science & Faith

“Derrick Peterson combines painstakingly detailed historical research with a delightful writing style to tell the story of a famous war that never actually happened. Through primary source after primary source Peterson uncovers the neglected truth that the supposedly eternal conflict between religion and science is a myth, not only in the technical sense of a symbolic story that people tell to express their worldview, but also in the popular sense. Despite being something that everyone knows, it never happened. Perhaps because the story of something that didn’t happen is hard to tell compellingly, this truth that is known to many historians, scientists, and theologians is little known to the wider public, and is even unfamiliar to some who ought to know the truth. Peterson shows himself a gifted storyteller as well as scholar, combining true accounts of famous events (which prove no less interesting than the legends that have grown up around them and in some cases have replaced them) with the story of how those events were overlaid and refashioned into the myth so many treat as common knowledge today: the untrue history of the war between religion and science. In an era full of so much untruth, Peterson’s book is a breath of fresh air.”

Gospel Media

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“New Testament scholars regularly repeat sweeping generalizations about ancient reading and writing practices. Few in our field have read widely enough in ancient Greek and Roman literature to be acquainted firsthand with the many descriptions that ancient authors provide of their own diverse activities. Elder’s book brings together an incredible array of primary sources and couples it with detailed scholarly analysis, to help us learn what we don’t know. You won’t read the New Testament writings (or any ancient texts, for that matter) in the same way again after reading this book. This will be the definitive work to refer to on the process of Gospel composition and dissemination for a long time to come.”

In the Form of a God

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In his latest book In the Form of a God, Andrew Perriman has shown himself once again to be an incredibly creative and insightful thinker. If you are at all interested in New Testament Christology, you simply cannot afford to skip reading this book. It will lead you to ask new questions and make you think even if you have given sustained attention to the key christological passages in the New Testament.”

Jesus’s Manifesto

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Montero’s book is not simply another exposition of the ‘sermon’ of Jesus, but an exploration of how Jesus’ ethical teachings compare and contrast with those of major influential figures from the Greek world like Aristotle and Plato, as well as their connections to Israel’s ethical traditions as articulated by figures such as Isaiah and the rabbis of the Mishnah. The result is a powerful historical portrait of Jesus as a teacher in conversation with his contemporaries (as well as the past and longstanding cultural values), offering a radical vision for a community that has love as the ‘central organizing principle’ of its values and its practices.”

Mimetic Criticism and the Gospel of Mark

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The newest element in the periodic table of scholarly tools, highly unstable and liable to cause reactions, mimetic criticism gets a detailed methodological exploration in this book, followed by a similarly detailed application to the gospel of Mark. . . . At times, his way of expressing things, like Mark's, seems rough and unpolished. I suspect Watts did this intentionally, just as he argues Mark did, and the translators of the Septuagint before him. For at the end of the book, Watts indicates he has written seriously yet playfully, aiming not merely to discuss mimesis but to illustrate it. All in all, a fascinating book, bound to generate fruitful and illuminating discussion.”

Paul the Storyteller

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Stories are everywhere, if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. Christoph Heilig’s book helps us attune our senses to notice both explicit and implicit storytelling in Paul’s letters. More than that, time and again his book offers a close analysis of Paul’s precise wording and a compelling case that our typical translations and interpretations flatten and obscure the richness of Paul’s expression. The result is a book that mediates to us a greater understanding of what Paul wrote and a heightened appreciation for what has made these texts so compelling over the span of millennia.”

Rethinking the Dates of the New Testament

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Bernier offers a much-needed corrective to the tendency for dates assigned to New Testament works to drift further in opposite directions due more to ideological preferences than to evidence, or to be placed in the middle of a possible range as though that were the best way to respond to our uncertainty. With careful attention to the evidence for each work, Bernier makes a strong case for dates that are often earlier than the scholarly consensus. He takes seriously our inability to be certain and precise about dates, never shying away from providing a range that starts astonishingly early or continues well into the second century when the evidence supports it. At the same time he never allows the range of possibilities to hinder arguing for what is likely. Whether by gaining wide acceptance or by prompting well-argued responses, Bernier’s book promises to shake up the scholarly study of the New Testament and some extracanonical Christian works. What Bernier has provided will undoubtedly serve as an impetus to refreshing scholarly conversations for decades to come.”

So Say We All

Arts & Literature

“So Say We All is an excellent guide to the details of religious and ethical themes in Battlestar Galactica. Season by season, story by story, and character by character, Mongé-Greer highlights the issues the show raises and explores them insightfully in a manner that is accessible to any fan. Reading her book will make you want to go back and watch the show again to see what new thoughts and insights emerge as a result.”

Songs of Resistance

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In Songs of Resistance, R. Alan Streett takes seriously the need to consider not only the words that the earliest Christians likely sang, but the social function of songs. Exploring their sociopolitical as well as religious implications, Streett makes connections and comparisons with relevant material as diverse as the hymns from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Odes of Solomon, the Psalms, and hip hop.”

The Beloved Apostle?

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In The Beloved Apostle? Michael Kok does for the question of the authorship of the Gospel of John what he had previously done for Mark, namely offer an impressively even-handed treatment of both the traditions of the ancient church, and the internal evidence, neither uncritically embracing nor uncritically dismissing the traditional attribution to John the son of Zebedee. I only hope that Kok will go on to provide similar treatments for Matthew and Luke!”

The Doctor and the Apostle

“In this book, Jeff Nelson answers the question a select few have longed to see answered: what happens if you compare the lives, activities, and values of the Doctor and the Apostle Paul? For those who never thought to ask this question, his book is all the more interesting and valuable, since it opens up fascinating avenues along which you’ll better appreciate your faith and fandom—whether as a Whovian, a Christian, or both—and at the same time be led to ask new questions that will deepen your understanding of stories and/or letters that you think you’re familiar with.”

The Human Faces of God

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Stark's book effectively demonstrates how the Bible, in practice, is the most dangerous enemy of fundamentalists.”

The Son of God

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

There Once Was a Prophet from Judah

Arts & Literature

“Mr. Carter’s an author who’s liable To make you laugh at things in the Bible. Comprehension’s a must If your sides are to bust, But you’ll also learn—that’s undeniable!”

Under Her Wings

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Mothers (both literal and metaphorical) appear throughout the New Testament, both in the form of contemporary individuals and when the New Testament authors interpret biblical texts. Rarely is their status as mothers brought to the fore. When it is, important insights emerge. Bringing all the relevant texts together in one volume, Under Her Wings is a unique and valuable resource that no serious student of the New Testament can afford to be without. No matter how long you have been studying the New Testament, you will come away from reading Jennifer Houston McNeel’s book with a greater understanding of both the New Testament itself and its cultural background.”