John Holdsworth – författare

Many Christians write off the Old Testament as an outdated rule book which has little to say to them and has been superseded by the New Testament and the Christian tradition. Lies, Sex and Politicians is for those thinking Christians who want to 'recapture' the Old Testament from those who, in wanting to promote it in a particular way (e.g. in the homosexuality debate), have closed it off to the majority.John Holdsworth offers a way into the Old Testament through linking some of the themes found in this very diverse collection of texts with themes found in contemporary culture. This in turn enables readers to engage with the Old Testament as a resource for doing Christian theology and ethics today.Each chapter concentrates on a text-based theme. This leads to exegetical input and discussion of the wider theme in the light of contemporary scholarship. The text is then approached from the direction of some element of contemporary culture or concern. A final suggested exercise aims to bring these elements together in a creative and interesting way.

Conversations with the New Testament presents an innovative approach to introducing the study of the New Testament. It has a user-friendly narrative style, telling the story of various members of a Church Learning Group as they learn about the content of the material, the critical issues it raises for scholars, and the current state of those questions for today's students.Unlike other introductions, Conversations takes as its starting point the concept of good news, and asks: how do we experience good news in the here and now? Those answers then become part a conversation with the New Testament text. Within that conversation all that might be expected of a New Testament introduction is covered, but hopefully in a way that will encourage further reflection and engagement.

The Learning Church series offers a range of brief and accessible introductions to the key themes of Christian discipleship and theology.Conversations with the Old Testament introduces major themes and critical issues of the Old Testament in a way which relates them to current experience, context and culture.

How might a young student be inspired by the sermon on the Mount? How can environmentalists, anxious for the future of the world, connect with Matthew’s concerns about the End? Refusing to be intimidated by the challenges implicit in reading the gospel, Everyday Conversations with Matthew brings the situations of ordinary readers into conversation with the scholarship to help make the text accessible and practically or pastorally useful in specific instances. These everyday conversations are predicated on a belief that connections are possible; that there are ways of seeing the pastoral or practical usefulness of the text, and, ultimately that there is some point in reading, preaching and teaching from Matthew’s gospel.

The Exile in the Old Testament is frequently portrayed as a sign of failure and judgement, the inevitable consequence of human disobedience. Turning this idea on its head, John Holdsworth asks whether being in exile is not in fact the proper state for God’s pilgrim people to be. Freeing the Church of the tyrannical grip of material security and safety, might it become more open to God’s direction and a more authentic sign of the kingdom?

Getting Started With the Bible is a beginner's guide which provides an easy way in to understanding individual books of the Bible and the entire panoramic of the biblical drama and message.Working his way through the whole Bible, John Holdsworth focuses on the passages most likely to be heard in churches and uses these to explore what is actually being said in each passage, the overall message of each book, original contexts and how to approach these texts today, differences of interpretation, and questions raised for living in today's world.