Anthony Thiselton - Böcker

What did Jesus and the early Christians believe about death, resurrection, heaven and hell, human destiny and God's ultimate purpose for creation? And what are the implications for Christian doctrine today? Drawing on his acclaimed work in biblical hermeneutics, Thiselton shows how methods and insights from the philosophy of language can clarify our perception of the New Testament data and help us develop a more rounded, coherent and biblically based understanding of God's planfor the world and for humanity.

The book is divided into three parts. Part One provides a thematic analysis and exegetical commentary on all the relevant biblical and cognate literature, including Josephus, Philo and the Mishnah. Part Two investigates the thinking of key Christian theologians on the Holy Spirit, from the Apostolic Fathers to eighteenth century authors such as John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards. Part Three examines more recent writings on the Spirit, from the nineteenth century onwards, including major systematic theologians such as Schleiermacher, Barth and Moltmann, as well as biblical scholars such as James D G Dunn, Gordon Fee and Gerd Theissen. Thiselton concludes the entire study by identifying seven fundamental themes, and calling for greater dialogue between mainstream scholarship and contemporary leaders of the Pentecostal and Renewal movements.

At last, here is a concise one-volume systematic theology that readers will find both accessible and affordable. Equally useful to students, ministers and interested lay people, the work is divided into fourteen chapters, to match weekly sessions in an average-length semester. Each chapter, in turn, contains five roughly equal subsections.One of the book’s great strengths is to provide a broad interdisciplinary perspective, and within that framework to cover all the key elements expected of any systematic theology: a theological understanding of God and creation; issues concerning theism and atheism; the nature of humankind and of misdirected desire and alienation; the work and Person of Christ; the Person and work of the Holy Spirit; the Church, ministry and sacraments; and two chapters on the last things. Each chapter is built on careful foundations in biblical exegesis, while also interacting with major thinkers through the centuries and today.Too often systematic theologies yield disappointingly few practical lessons for Christian discipleship and devotion. Thiselton, by contrast, has produced a work that is fully mindful of these practical concerns, injecting into his theological discussions many helpful observations about their relevance to the Christian life.

Anthony Thiselton’s major works have been hugely influential in both biblical studies and theology. This dictionary will be the first book of its kind to take full account of key developments in biblical hermeneutics as well as historical and contemporary systematic theology.Each section has its separate bibliography. Hence the work combines some shorter articles, sometimes constituting explanatory teaching tools of 50-100 words, with longer articles which embody reflection and research.

This introduction to the interpretation of Romans aims to encourage in-depth study of the text, and genuine grappling with the theological and historical questions raised, by providing a ‘map’ to the letter as a whole, and to key interpreters and interpretative debates. It will draw on a range of methodological approaches (author-, text- and reader-centred), as complementary rather than mutually exclusive ways of interpreting the text. In particular, this new introduction will attempt to reflect the growing scholarly attention to the reception history of biblical texts, increasingly viewed as a vital aspect of interpretation rather than an optional extra.

The book opens with an engaging history of the subject, mapping the major landmarks and outlining the main issues of current debate. The rest of the book falls into three parts:Part 1: Approaches. Descriptions of the main approaches developed by scholars to study the subject, with lively case histories and working examples showing the approaches in action, and assessing their lasting value.Part 2: Concepts and Issues. Brief introductions to their origins and evolution, highlighting their significance in the work of major thinkers.Part 3 Key Terms. Concise explanations of all the words and phrases that readers need to know in order to fully grasp the subject.

This introductory guide to the study of theology opens with an engaging history of the discipline, mapping the important landmarks and introducing the main areas of debate. The rest of the book falls into three parts: Part 1 describes the major approaches that have been developed by scholars over the centuries, which are still relevant today;Part 2 explains the main concepts and issues, highlighting their significance in the work of major thinkers;Part 3 provides a helpful glossary of all the key terms that readers need to understand in order to find their way around the subject.

A biblical, historical and theological investigation into the tendency of literary images to either enlighten or mislead, and how we can learn to distinguish between the two.Part One considers key philosophical and aesthetic evaluations of literary images and symbols. The power of pictures is widely appreciated, as in the adage 'a picture is worth a thousand words'. Sometimes Christian discourse can be smothered by endless prose, which demands much inferential reasoning. There is, however, a contrary argument. An isolated visual representation can be misleading if it is improperly interpreted. For example, some mystical visions are interpreted as direct instructions from the Holy Spirit, as happened with the Radical Reformers, who advocated the Peasants' Revolt. Hence theories of symbol, metaphor, and visual representation must be examined.Part Two discusses visual representation in the Old Testament, the teaching of Jesus, pictures and analogies in Paul, and the Book of Revelation. This shows the range of authentic visual representations. In contrast to biblical material, we find throughout Christian history abundant examples of misleading imagery which is often passed off as Christian. A notorious example is found in the visual representation and metaphors used by Gnostic writers. Almost as bad are some visual representations used by the medieval mystics, Radical Reformers, and extreme charismatics - all of which lack valid criteria of interpretation, relying instead on subjective conviction. Similarly, sermons and prayers today can be enriched with pictorial images, but some can be misleading and unhelpful for the life of the Church.