Michael F. Bird

Creating the Canon

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Benjamin Laird has written an insightful and helpful introduction to how we got the New Testament. Laird explains everything from ancient writing practices to book production and publication to letter writing in antiquity, as well as the origins and reception of Christian texts, and the importance of apostolic authority. A helpful read for anyone interested in the what and the how of the Bible.”

Cultural Christians in the Early Church

History & Biography

“Nadya Williams has written a fascinating account of how Christians have, since ancient times, faced the temptation to imitate resident cultures rather than adopt an authentic Christian life. Whether it is about food, sex, money, or politics, Christians have, from the Tiber to Tallahassee, faced the temptation to give themselves over to worldly vices rather than holy habits. An excellent example of how understanding the struggle of Christianity and culture in antiquity can help us to understand our own cultural struggles in the present. Thoroughly recommended!”

Rev.

Dawn of Sunday

Counseling, Grief & Mental Health

“Cockayne, Harrower, and Hill show us how the triune God gives us solace in sufferings, hope amidst horrors, and strength in our weakness. This is no empty therapeutic but theology for healing and restoration after traumatic experiences. A terrific resource in pastoral theology.”

Divine Suffering

Theology

“Divine Suffering is a collection of essays committed to thinking through how God’s transcendent being experiences and interacts with a world of suffering and sorrows. This is a serious exercise in wrestling with how God’s god-ness is safeguarded even as he covenants with and participates in the human condition through his Son, Jesus Christ. A diverse range of perspectives for a difficult, yet profoundly stimulating topic.”

Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage?

Marriage, Family & Relationships

“Preston Sprinkle does not shy away from the hard questions about Christianity, sexuality, and marriage. Sprinkle lays out a clear, compelling, and compassionate case as to why historical Christianity affirms that marriage is between one man and one woman in life-long commitment to each other. In a world where ‘love is love,’ Sprinkle offers a counter-cultural case for Christian marriage.”

Entering the Fray

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“New Testament studies are often a beehive of contentious debates. Halcomb surveys several of these debates and guides his readers away from the killer bees of confusion and takes them to the honeycomb of understanding. If you want to get a grip on some hot-potato topics in biblical studies without frying your figurative fingers, then Halcomb does a sterling job of introducing readers to several big debates and showing what the various interpretative options are. Great for students!”

Exile: A Conversation with N. T. Wright

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“N. T. Wright's thesis that most Second Temple Jews believed that they were in a protracted state of punitive exile, despite the fact that many Judeans had returned to the land from Babylon, is one of the most exciting and controversial proposals in biblical scholarship. In this volume, James Scott has assembled a wonderful cast of scholars to prod, evaluate, critique, and engage Wright's thesis about exile in biblical theology, Jewish literature, and as a theological idea in the New Testament. It's the best exploration to date of what it meant for the Jewish people, including the early church, to look forward to the day when 'many will come from the east and west to recline in the company of Abraham.'”

Exiles

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Sprinkle does what is necessary in Christian political discourse—he brings us back to the Bible. By situating our story in the larger sweep of the biblical narrative, he demonstrates how politics is not a separate sphere for Christians but at the very core of our discipleship to Jesus. This book challenges party loyalists, and while people might disagree with how he describes ordering our allegiances, I hope it will spur on a new generation of faithful witnesses to the King of Kings.”

Exploring the Financial Parables of Jesus

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Keith Bodner has written a concise yet compelling interpretation of some of Jesus’s most stirring and even confusing parables. He appeals to a mix of Old Testament narratives, famous literature, cultural anecdotes, and even movies to show us how the parables work and how they continue to challenge us today. It is a book that shows us, very cleverly, how the parables teach the grift of sin and the gains of grace.”

Five Things Biblical Scholars Wish Theologians Knew

Theology

“While biblical and theological studies are like separate tribes, each with its own language, rules, and culture, Scot McKnight begins a friendly conversation with theologians from the biblical studies side, showing how theologians can use the Bible more helpfully in their discipline and contribute positively to his world of biblical studies. McKnight's advice to theologians will hopefully be heard and heeded and contribute to breaking down the self-enclosed silos of divinity studies. This book, combined with the sister volume by Hans Boersma, makes for a great conversation.”

Galatians

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Peter Oakes has delivered the goods in his much-anticipated Galatians commentary. Despite the many difficult passages in Galatians, Oakes provides a judicious and magisterial treatment of the text. His study of Galatians is informed by archaeological, sociological, and historical data usually ignored by most scholars. He also does not shy away from mapping the theological implications of the text. Oakes's commentary is a great reminder that the Brits still do some of the best work in biblical exegesis.”

Galatians

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Todd Wilson has written a deeply pastoral and theologically competent commentary on Galatians that is an exemplary effort at Biblical exposition. There are some doozy passages in Galatians, especially on the Law, and Wilson provides a plain explanation and then shows readers how these texts relate to modern Christian living. A wonderful synergy of homiletical energy and honest exegesis.”

Galatians, Volume 9

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Nijay Gupta explores the many themes in Galatians around the poles of family, faith, and freedom. The result is a helpful introduction to many tricky topics including justification by faith, the law, circumcision and covenant, the fruit of the Spirit, gospel and law, and more.”

God’s Acts for Israel, Gentiles, and Christians

Theology

“Joshua Jipp offers a collection of cutting-edge studies on Israel, Gentiles, and Christians in Luke-Acts that will benefit a wide audience. It is full of learned insights and new perspectives on contested topics. Jipp’s volume is necessary reading for anyone interested in Luke-Acts scholarship and in how Luke’s story of Jesus and the early church can speak to our own world today.”

Hearing the Silence

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“'But the dog did not bark!' Sherlock noted. Now Bruce Longenecker, with a similar steely detective-like resolve, explores one of the most perplexing silences in the Gospel of Luke. Specifically, what actually happened to Jesus on the edge of a hill in Nazareth, that he was able to walk away scot free from an angry mob? With literary sensitivity, Longenecker demonstrates how the silence of details actually speaks volumes . . . God is at work to reveal the liberating power of the kingdom of God by preserving the messianic deliverer in the midst of evil. An engaging read!”

Heaven

Theology

“Robert Peterson and Chris Morgan have put together an elegant and edifying series of books for the Theology in Community series. This series tackles some big and juicy topics on theology, ranging from kingdom to suffering to sin to glory. They have recruited some of the best theological thinkers in the world to explain what it means to have a ‘faith seeking understanding’ in our contemporary age. The volumes are full of solid teaching in biblical, historical, systematic, and practical theologies and contain a wealth of immense learning. A valuable resource for any thinking Christian.”

Heaven Ain’t Goin’ There

Theology

“John Davies has written a tremendously simple and yet wonderfully helpful account of heaven. Not a caricature or cartoon view of heaven, but an actual account of what the Bible actually says about heaven. Specifically, what heaven is and is not. Some people will have their minds blown and others will be joyfully refreshed by this little yet informative book.”

Hidden Criticism?

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

““Christoph Heilig’s volume Hidden Criticism is a game-changing exploration of counter-imperial themes in Paul’s letters. Heilig does a superb job of refining the methodology necessary for such an enquiry and then deftly demonstrates how Paul’s writings contained veiled or hidden counter-imperial resonances that sensitive readers would pick up on by creating an alternative narrative that undermines imperial claims. This is a must have book for anyone interested in how the early church tried to negotiate its place in the Roman Empire."”

Holy Communion in Contagious Times

Preaching & Worship

“A fascinating study. Something all church leaders need to wrestle with!”

How (Not) to Read the Bible

Apologetics

“Dan Kimball takes us through the weird, the bad, and the ugly of the Bible with penetrating insight. Whether its misogyny, slavery, or violence, Kimball takes an honest approach and shows us how (not) to read the Bible and why we can still believe in a God who loves all people. A valuable resource for doubters, seekers, and anyone confused about whether the Bible is true and good for people.”

Rev.