Andrew Lincoln - Böcker

William Blake's The Four Zoas is one of the most challenging poems in the English language, and one of the most profound. It is also one of the least read of the major poetic narratives of the Romantic period.Spiritual History presents a much-needed introduction to the poem, although it will also be of great interest to those already familiar with it. This is the first full-length study to examine in detail Blake's numerous manuscript revisions of the poem. It offers a staged reading, one that moves, as Blake himself moved, from simpler to more complex forms of writing. Andrew Lincoln reads the poem in the light of two competing views of history: the biblical, which places history within the framework of Fall and Judgement, and that of the Enlightenment, which sees history as progress from primitive life to civil order. In so doing, he offers an account of the narrative that is more coherent - and accessible - than much previous criticism of the work, and Blake's much misunderstood poem emerges as the most extraordinary product of the eighteenth-century tradition of philosophical history.

Many Christians find the virgin birth a difficult doctrine and are not sure how to handle it. This book examines why that is by addressing the whole range of issues that arise - literary, historical and hermeneutical - from a perspective that takes seriously creedal confession and theological and ecclesiological concerns. incoln's investigation of the primary sources for the virgin birth leads him to consider the literary genre and distinctive characteristics of the New Testament birth narratives as part of ancient biography, and to reassess the likely historicity of the traditions that Matthew and Luke have in common. He then looks at how changes in our views of history and biology decisively affect any traditional understanding of the virgin birth, exploring what that means for the authority of Scripture and creed, and for our understanding of Christology.

Burkett offers a new viewpoint on the much-debated Synoptic Problem. He contends that each theory regarding the Synoptic Problem is problematic. Each presents a case for the mutual dependence of one source upon another - for example, Matthew and Luke depend primarily on Mark, but use each other where they report the same story not contained already in Mark. Neither Mark nor Matthew nor Luke served as the source for the other two, but all depended on a set of earlier sources now lost. The relations between the Synoptic Gospels are more complex than the simpler theories have assumed.

Burkett offers a new viewpoint on the much-debated Synoptic Problem. He contends that each theory regarding the Synoptic Problem is problematic. Each presents a case for the mutual dependence of one source upon another - for example, Matthew and Luke depend primarily on Mark, but use each other where they report the same story not contained already in Mark. Neither Mark nor Matthew nor Luke served as the source for the other two, but all depended on a set of earlier sources now lost. The relations between the Synoptic Gospels are more complex than the simpler theories have assumed.

This volume offers a concise and accessible introduction to 1 Peter, especially aimed at undergraduate-level students. It provides information on the likely historical and social setting of this letter, on its literary form and theological content, and on issues involved in its interpretation. In particular, this volume suggests that 1 Peter is an important text not least for the ways in which it both reflects and constructs early Christian identity, in its relationships with Judaism and the Roman Empire. Although 1 Peter remains neglected compared with the canonical gospels and the major Pauline letters, Horrell argues that the letter deserves much more attention for the pivotal contribution it makes to the development of early Christianity and for the ways in which it reveals this development in progress.

This volume offers a concise and accessible introduction to 1 Peter, especially aimed at undergraduate-level students. It provides information on the likely historical and social setting of this letter, on its literary form and theological content, and on issues involved in its interpretation. In particular, this volume suggests that 1 Peter is an important text not least for the ways in which it both reflects and constructs early Christian identity, in its relationships with Judaism and the Roman Empire. Although 1 Peter remains neglected compared with the canonical gospels and the major Pauline letters, Horrell argues that the letter deserves much more attention for the pivotal contribution it makes to the development of early Christianity and for the ways in which it reveals this development in progress.

Hebrews: A Guidesheds light on an important, but often overlooked, New Testament book. In this highly accessible introductory guide, Lincoln aims to provide a broad appreciation of the setting, background, argument, and overall thought of Hebrews. Lincoln argues that the controversy surrounding Hebrews, and the question of whether or not one should consider it an apostolical text, has resulted in its being the object of relative neglect in biblical scholarship. He maintains that if the reader puts the issue of authorship to one side, they will find that its writer is not only the most elegant stylist among the New Testament writers but also a first-class theologian and pastor in his own right, whose message continues to speak effectively to Christians today.

Hebrews: An Introduction sheds light on an important, but often overlooked, New Testament book. In this highly accessible introductory guide, Lincoln aims to provide a broad appreciation of the setting, background, argument, and overall thought of Hebrews. Lincoln argues that the controversy surrounding Hebrews, and the question of whether or not one should consider it an apostolical text, has resulted in its being the object of relative neglect in biblical scholarship. He maintains that if the reader puts the issue of authorship to one side, they will find that its writer is not only the most elegant stylist among the New Testament writers but also a first-class theologian and pastor in his own right, whose message continues to speak effectively to Christians today. Hebrews is in some respects more demanding of its readers than the other books of the New Testament, it's meaning perhaps more ambiguous. This guide is intended to enable a greater appreciation of the distinctive voice of Hebrews within the New Testament canon and to underline the significance of its message.

In Christology and Scripture leading biblical scholars and theologians explore the relation of theological thought to the reading of Scripture. The focus is on three inter-related issues. The first is how theologians appropriately read Scripture around Christ, and what contribution, if any, historical-criticism makes to this endeavour. The second is that of the person and work of Christ in relation to Scripture. In interaction with specific texts, contributors engage with the related questions of who Christ is and how his benefits are communicated. This leads on to the final issue of responsiveness to our current context of reading, and contributors reflect on how Christological models relate to contemporary cultural and political concerns.

Like other volumes in the New Testament Guides series, James offers a concise and accessible introduction to a New Testament text, in this case aimed specifically at undergraduate-level students. Kloppenborg introduces the reader to a series of critical issues bearing on the reading of James and provides a balanced presentation and assessment of the range of scholarly views, with guidance for further reading and research.

Walter Scott and Modernity argues that, far from turning away from modernity to indulge a nostalgic vision of the past, Scott uses the past as means of exploring key problems in the modern world. This study includes critical introductions to some of the most widely read poems published in nineteenth-century Britain (which are also the most scandalously neglected), and insights into the narrative strategies and ideological interests of some of Scott’s greatest novels. It explores the impact of the French revolution on attitudes to tradition, national heritage, historical change and modernity in the romantic period, considers how the experience of empire influenced ideas about civilized identity, and how ideas of progress could be used both to rationalise the violence of empire and to counteract demands for political reform. It also shows how current issues of debate - from relations between Western and Islamic cultures, to the political significance of the private conscience in a liberal society - are anticipated in the romantic era. Key Features* Explains the historical, political and aesthetic significance of Scott’s ‘Tory scepticism’* Considers the relationship between Scott’s interests and twentieth-first-century debates about nation, empire, community, identity and state legitimacy* Includes detailed analyses of three of Scott’s most influential poems* Offers detailed, and carefully historicised interpretations in an accessible style

The women in Jesus' life are a raucous and rowdy bunch, including "riotous" foremothers, "loose women," and "distressed daughters of Israel." Reading these new ways of interpreting women in the Gospels, male New Testament scholars have discovered liberating perspectives. In seven scintillating studies, Spencer explores among others the genealogy of Matthew's Gospel to discover the riotous yet righteous nature of Jesus' foremothers, slave girls and prophetic daughters in Luke-Acts, and women leading men in the Gospel of Mark 5-7. Scott Spencer, a virtuoso young New Testament scholar, provides his own lively forays into reading the Gospels through women's eyes. He shows what it is like for a man to read stories about the women in Jesus' life from a new perspective. Spencer is an able and inventive scholar whose broad-ranging insights and engaging style make his work very accessible.

"The magnificent series of biblical commentaries known as Black's New Testament Commentaries (BNTC) under the General Editorship of Professor Morna Hooker has had a gap for far too long - it has lacked an up to date commentary on the Fourth Gospel. Professor Andrew Lincoln now fills this gap with his excellent new commentary. The key questions for scholars are gone into thoroughly- questions of historicity, the use of historical traditions and sources, relationship to the Synoptics, authorship, setting, first readers and Professor Lincoln makes his own position on these issues abundantly clear. The Fourth Gospel raises a number of problems generally known as The Johannine Question. According to tradition the Gospel was written by St John the Apostle. The authenticity of the tradition is examined in the introduction but the textual issues are examined within the commentary itself. For example one problem is that Chapters 15 and 16 seem in early versions to have preceded chapter 14. Chapter 21 must have been a later addition. The purpose of the Gospel as stated in Chapter 20 v 31 is to strenghten the reader's faith in Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God.But even the celebrated prologue has given rise to much speculation, whereas most commentators believe it is the key to the Gospel as a whole. These issues are meat and drink to scholars but in Professor Lincoln's expert hands they are extremely interesting and highly pertinent to our contemporary understanding of the Gospel."

The magnificent series of biblical commentaries known as Black's New Testament Commentaries (BNTC) under the General Editorship of Professor Morna Hooker has had a gap for far too long - it has lacked an up to date commentary on the Fourth Gospel. Professor Andrew Lincoln now fills this gap with his excellent new commentary. The key questions for scholars are gone into thoroughly- questions of historicity, the use of historical traditions and sources, relationship to the Synoptics, authorship, setting, first readers and Professor Lincoln makes his own position on these issues abundantly clear. The Fourth Gospel raises a number of problems generally known as The Johannine Question. According to tradition the Gospel was written by St John the Apostle. The authenticity of the tradition is examined in the introduction but the textual issues are examined within the commentary itself. For example one problem is that Chapters 15 and 16 seem in early versions to have preceded chapter 14. Chapter 21 must have been a later addition. The purpose of the Gospel as stated in Chapter 20 v 31 is to strenghten the reader's faith in Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God.But even the celebrated prologue has given rise to much speculation, whereas most commentators believe it is the key to the Gospel as a whole. These issues are meat and drink to scholars but in Professor Lincoln's expert hands they are extremely interesting and highly pertinent to our contemporary understanding of the Gospel.

Ranging over political, moral, religious, artistic and literary developments in eighteenth-century Britain, Andrew Lincoln explains in a clear and engaging style how the 'civilizing process' and the rise of humanitarianism, far from inhibiting war, helped to make it acceptable to a modern commercial society. In a close examination of a wide variety of illuminating examples, he shows how criticism of the terrible effects of war could be used to promote the nation's war-making. His study explores how ideas and methods were developed to provide the British public with moral insulation from the overseas violence they read about, and from the dire effects of war they encountered at home. It shows, too, how the first campaigning peace society, while promoting pacificism, drew inspiration from the prospects opened by imperial conquest. This volume is an important and timely call to rethink how we understand the cultural and moral foundations of imperial Britain.

This is a short, up-to-date volume, concise yet comprehensive, on the New Testament text. It has been designed to meet your needs and includes items such as an introduction to the contents of the particular biblical book, a balanced survey of the important critical issues, suggestions about critical appropriation of the text by the contemporary reader, and much more.

The first question is: Should Revelation be studied at all? Is it monopolised by fundamentalists, or of such a minority interest that it doesn't belong in the New Testament? This study guide introduces the text anew by a series of thematic readings. The text is seen to deal with essential themes-God and Christ, the Church in the World, Creation and the end of the Universe, Politics and Rival Powers, and the Future Hope. Special attention is paid to the living traditions within which Revelation is interpreted, including art, literature and music. Not only does this guide seek to orientate the reader within the whole range of the text and its traditions; it also focusses discussion in three substantial chapters dealing in turn with the key literary, historical, and theological issues raised. How can one describe Revelation's literary character? From what historical and social context did it come? What are its abiding theological values and doctrines? This study is set in the context of modern approaches to the biblical text and is supported by selected bibliographies and recommendations for further reading.

This brief study is intended primarily for theological students, and perhaps also for ministers who wish to update their scholarship. It seeks to show the issues facing those who seek to study Ephesians or interpret it. The first part examines in detail the normal questions of authorship and destination. The second offers a brief survey of the content of the letter drawing out its main points. The third part concentrates attention on its theology, treating in detail its teaching about the church and behaviour. In this it is claimed that these two areas of life together in the Christian community and conduct within it reflect on one another and influence each other; in that sense the letter is a unity of thought. While an attempt is made to solve the problems which present themselves, for example whether, the author was not Paul but a disciple, there is no suggestion that the writer's own solutions are the only possible ones.

Anyone who tries to read through Paul's epistle to the Romans soon discovers it is a dense and difficult text. Some of the difficulties are concealed by modern translations, yet even those translations are likely to baffle the average reader with unfamiliar terms-or to mislead the well-informed reader with terms that are over-familiar through the Christian doctrinal tradition. Morgan provides a guide to Romans, to help modern readers understand what Paul intended his audience to understand. The religious language of the epistle, its use of scripture and tradition, and its impact are all clearly discussed, with the needs of students in mind.

These two small texts have often been outshone by other New Testament writings and have sometimes been regarded as of scant importance. Neither of them is easy to understand. Their language is sometimes difficult and the symbolism and biblical allusions are obscure to readers who do not know Jewish apocalyptic literature. Knight demonstrates that they do, however, repay careful study. They reveal a thought-world that is dominated by meditation on biblical literature, and they show how such material was interpreted to deal with problems in the life of certain unknown churches in the first century CE.

The three epistles of John occupy only five or six pages of an English Bible, yet they are among the most intriguing writings of the New Testament. Were they written by one person or more? In what sort of community did they originate, and what situation are they addressing? What is the background to their thought? How do they relate to the Gospel of John? What is their theological message, and does it have any relevance to the modern world? These are some of the issues considered in this student textbook Guide to the Johannine epistles.