Michael F. Bird

Theology

“One will be hard-pressed to find a more comprehensive explanation of trinitarian doctrine than this collection of essays. Matthew Barrett has assembled a prestigious team of scholars to explain what the Trinity is and why it still matters. On Classical Trinitarianism is an outstanding achievement in modern scholarship on the Christian doctrine of God.”

Participating in Christ

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Michael Gorman is one of the leading Paul scholars of our time, committing his professional career to expounding the significance of union with Christ for both academic theology and practical Christianity. In this collection of essays we find Gorman at his erudite best, combining Pauline themes of participation, justification, cruciformity, mission, resurrection living, and spirituality with rare poignancy and power. Few volumes are both informative and spiritually uplifting--this one is!”

Patterns of Ministry among the First Christians

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Kevin Giles offers a welcomed update to his compelling account of the ministry and offices of the early church. A judicious and balanced treatment on everything the New Testament says about spiritual gifts, servant leadership, and leading a group of Christian believers in community. Sure to be a popular volume.”

Paul and Imperial Divine Honors

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In this erudite yet accessible volume, Clint Burnett does a terrific job of explaining the manifold forms of religious devotion to the emperor in the cities of Corinth, Philippi, and Thessalonica, and how it was part of the atmosphere in which the early church lived. Burnett’s knowledge of inscriptions and artefacts makes the ancient world come alive for readers, who will begin to understand, perhaps for the first time, what it meant to worship Jesus as ‘Lord’ in a religiously pluralistic and politicized context.”

Paul and the Giants of Philosophy

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“We all know that Paul ranks among the philosophical giants of the ancient world, but now, thanks to Joey Dodson and David Briones, we can finally see why. This series of essays by world-class scholars shows how Paul fits in with the intellectual heavyweights of antiquity on topics like faith, hope, suffering, ethics, letter writing, grace, and slavery. We see how Paul is both similar to and different from Greco-Roman luminaries and understand how Paul's thought meshes with and challenges norms of the ancient world. This is a terrific study of a neglected area of Pauline studies.”

Paul and the Hope of Glory

Theology

“Con Campbell has produced a careful and comprehensive study of Pauline eschatology. Campbell works through the key texts and important themes in Paul’s letters to explain with a rare mix of insight and clarity what Paul taught about the “hope of glory.” Campbell handles the complexity and occasional ambiguity of Paul’s “end-times” thought with responsible restraint, even as he offers a lucid explanation of Paul’s letters. I have no doubt that this will be the standard book on the subject for decades to come.”

Rev.

Paul and the Language of Faith

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Nijay Gupta presents here the best contemporary exploration of the meaning of ‘faith’ and ‘believing’ in the Christian Bible. He leaves no stone unturned as he covers topics like faith as doctrine, virtue, allegiance, trust, obedience, and fidelity, among other things. Along the way Gupta cracks open a few hoary chestnuts like the ‘faithfulness of Christ’ and faith as a social boundary marker, always with clarity and acumen. All in all, a wonderful exposition of the meaning of faith in the biblical world.”

Paul and Union with Christ

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Campbell provides a lucid and lively study of union with Christ. Few authors are able to combine combine exegetical skill with theological acumen on such a complex topic as Campbell does here. It is a brilliant study about what a constellation of images of union, participation, identification, and incorporation into Christ actually means. Campbell’s tour de force will be the authoritative book on the subject for decades to come.”

Paul Behaving Badly

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“I often hear people say, 'The apostle Paul was a sexist, homophobic bigot, so who cares what he thinks?' Well, Randy Richards and Brandon O'Brien care what he thinks, and they want to make sure that we get a proper picture of Paul, warts and all! They show that while Paul is much maligned, he is little understood, and they act like an attorney cross-examining the controversial apostle on scintillating topics like slavery, women, and homosexuality to get to the bottom of the issues. This is an honest grappling with one of the most controversial figures of Western religious history. Whether you love Paul or despise him, you'll never see him the same way again after reading this book!”

Paul the Storyteller

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Christoph Heilig masterfully shows how in the apostle Paul’s letters, the Word has become a story; in other words, how Paul’s theology is deeply embedded in episodic and grand narratives. Heilig explains how narrativity works and how narratives work out in Paul’s letters. A terrific resource for studying Paul and the storied nature of Paul’s theology.”

Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in Christ

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Thomas Schreiner is one of the preeminent Pauline scholars of our time and we now have a welcomed update to his magisterial account of Pauline thought. Schreiner has provided a lucid account of Paul as God's chosen envoy for the gospel of God, heralding the work of Christ, and working unto the glory of God. An ideal resource for anyone seeking to better comprehend the teaching and legacy of the apostle Paul.”

Paul's Divine Christology

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Masterful. . . . Tilling effectively opens up a new line of inquiry into early devotion to Jesus, beyond stalled debates about identity and function, and sets forth a new paradigm where Jesus' nature and activity relate to believers the same way as YHWH related to the Israelites. An erudite and learned volume on one of the most contested areas of New Testament studies.”

Paul's Gospel in Romans

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Jarvis Williams has gifted readers with an amazing exposition of Paul’s Letter to the Romans that examines the vast scope of salvation in all its rich dimensions: vertical, horizontal, and cosmic. Williams shows how Paul’s gospel narrates the story of how God saves sinners and transforms them into new creations, all ahead of the restoration of the entire cosmos itself. This book will leave readers with a bigger and better vision of Paul’s gospel and of the God of the gospel.”

Preaching Ephesians

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Lynn Cohick brings together decades of research, writing, and teaching on Ephesians and makes it accessible to readers in this new volume in the Proclamation series. An ideal resource for pastors and students who want to understand Ephesians and its many complexities in a way that is comprehensible, useful, and even exciting.”

Preaching in a New Key

Preaching & Worship

“Mark Glanville offers an amazing mix of theory and practice for the art of preaching Christ in a post-Christian world. A great manual for how to craft preaching that is authentic, artful, contextual, and grounded in Scripture. A fresh approach to ministry of the Word in the twenty-first century.”

Pursuing Moral Faithfulness

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Gary Tyra tackles a demanding task with courage and conviction, namely, to describe how Christians are to think about how to live. Tyra not only takes readers through the maze of ethical systems, but nobly constructs a Christ-centered, biblically-informed, and Spirit-led approach to making moral decisions. It is a great primer on the theory and practice of Christian ethics, but more than that, Tyra proves that if Christians are to make a difference then they have to be different!”

Reading Galatians

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

““John Anthony Dunne has written an informative and energetic introduction to Galatians that teachers and students will treasure. A concise and readable summary of recent scholarship on the letter as well as a robust analysis of its setting, contents, and significance. An excellent resource for people delving into Paul’s most ferocious epistles.”

Reading Mark's Christology Under Caesar

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Adam Winn has composed a careful and thoughtful study of Mark's story of Jesus with a view demonstrating the Markan Jesus' superlative honor and power over and against the Roman empire with its propaganda about its own 'Lord' and 'Son of God.' By reading Mark's Gospel in the context of the Roman world, Winn opens up new vistas of understanding that will truly excite and engage all readers.”

Reading Philippians

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Nijay Gupta offers an informed, learned, and eminently readable introduction to Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. A wonderful survey of the letter, from the summit of the Christ-hymn to Paul’s soliloquy about facing possible execution, suffused with great insights about Christian community, and it puts readers in touch with the latest in Pauline scholarship. A terrific volume by a world-class Pauline scholar!”

Reading the Gospels as Christian Scripture

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Joshua Jipp pursues the questions of what the Gospels are, where they come from, what they say, and, most important of all, why they still matter. Jipp provides a historically informed and theologically sensitive reading of the Gospels that is full of great quotes and amazing insights. He shows with wisdom and erudition that the Gospels are among the most transformative books in the Christian canon.”