Bonnie B. Thurston – författare

Somewhere along the way, says Bonnie Thurston, the wild unlikelihood of the Christian message has been reined in and made to fit more conventional categories of thought. That it is good and moral to be Christian we understand. That it is feral and almost uncontrollably countercultural is something that has been largely forgotten or suppressed. This taming has been especially effective in the case of the first gospel. In Maverick Mark, Thurston sets out to rediscover the radicalism of Mark's original message.

Thurston focuses on Mark's conception of discipleship, economic justice, and personal lifestyle. She demonstrates that this gospel raises fundamental questions about some common contemporary Christian assumptions. This is an accessible introduction to Mark, ideal for interested adult readers of all kinds, which incorporates the most reliable and up-to-date Scripture scholarship.

Bonnie B. Thurston, after years as a university and seminary professor, lives quietly in her home state of West Virginia. She is the author of many books of scripture and theology, including The Spiritual Landscape of Mark and Philippians in the Sacra Pagina series. Her poetry appears frequently in religious periodicals and among her published collections is Belonging to Borders: A Sojourn in the Celtic Tradition.

"When the scholar and the poet wrestles in you," Bonnie Thurston was once asked by a friend at Tymawr, "who wins?" The poems in Belonging to Borders are her response. In these poems, Thurston reverences the borders, literal and metaphorical, that have been a part of her life since childhood. This reverence shines in her deep appreciation for holy space, for nature infused with the divine, for roots that are deep. These prayerful meditations on Celtic saints and places invite the reader to honor the borders in their own lives and to recognize the holiness of living on the borders.

Although relatively brief, Philippians is one of the most interesting and beloved of Paul’s undisputed epistles. In Philippians and Philemon, Bonnie Thurston makes a convincing case that canonical Philippians is as Paul wrote it, one letter. Although there is not enough specific evidence to “name names,” she suggests a number of possible audiences. A translation conforming as closely as possible to the original Greek is provided, along with a careful analysis of the language of the letter that yields insights into the context and theological underpinning of this epistle.

The apostle’s very brief letter to Philemon stands solidly within the Pauline collection of authentic and canonical letters. In this volume, Judith Ryan argues that Philemon makes two specific appeals. The first seeks to elicit Philemon’s partnership and his community’s support in welcoming Onesimus back as both beloved brother and honored guest. The second requests that Onesimus be allowed to use the freedom he already has to serve Christ and his Gospel. In this commentary Ryan provides a fresh translation, critical notes for each verse, and interpretation on defined sections. She situates the letter in the historical context of slavery in the ancient world and shows how Paul combined his theology with contemporary rhetorical strategies to produce an effective challenge to his audience.

Bonnie B. Thurston, PhD, lives in West Virginia in solitude. She is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the author of several books, including The Spiritual Landscape of Mark and Religious Vows, the Sermon on the Mount, and Christian Living (Liturgical Press) and Preaching Mark (Fortress Press).

Judith M. Ryan, PhD,STL, is associate professor of New Testament at the University of St. Thomas School of Theology at St. Mary's Seminary, Houston, Texas. Previously she taught at Catholic University of America, Fordham University, the University of Scranton, College Misericordia, and St. Mary's Seminary and University, Baltimore, Maryland.