Stephen Finlan – författare

Two volumes of essays on deification, the process of becoming like God, discussing the biblical and theological development of the concept.Deification' refers to the transformation of believers into the likeness of God. Of course, Christian monotheism goes against any literal 'god making' of believers. Rather, the New Testament speaks of a transformation of mind, a metamorphosis of character, a redefinition of self hood, and an imitation of God. Most of these passages are tantalizingly brief, and none spells out the concept in detail.Deification was an important idea in the early church, though it took a long time for one term to emerge as the standard label for the process. That term was theosis, coined by the great fourth-century theologian, Gregory of Nazianzus. Theologians now use theosis to designate all instances where any idea of taking on God's character or being 'divinized' (made divine) occurs, even when the term theosis is not used. And of course, different Christian authors understood deification differently.While some articles in this collection discuss pre-Christian antecedents of theosis, Greek and Jewish, most focus on particular Christian understandings. The article by Gregory Glazov examines Old Testament covenant theology, with an emphasis on divine adoption, and on bearing the fruit of knowledge or attaining the stature of a tree of righteousness in Proverbs, Isaiah, and Sirach. The article by Stephen Finlan on 2 Pet 1:4 ('You may become participants of the divine nature') examines the epistle's apparent borrowings from Middle Platonic spirituality, Stoic ethics, and Jewish apocalyptic expectation. The epistle stresses 'knowledge of Christ,' which means cultivation of godly character and growing up into Christ.

The second volume offers a variety of innovative approaches to the issue of theosis – the name by which this process of transformation has become known. The interconnections between the theology of deification and the doctrines of the Trinity, Christology, anthropology, protology, hamartiology, soteriology, and eschatology are made manifest in these fascinating new studies.

Much of the popular understanding of the apostle Paul has been shaped, not by Paul's letters themselves, but by the Acts of the Apostles. This understanding, many believe, leads to misunderstanding Paul's theology. In The Apostle Paul and the Pauline Tradition Stephen Finlan takes a new approach, focusing on the letters themselves. He views the Pauline tradition as including the teachings and writings of Paul himself, the assimilation and often simplification of Paul's ideas by those who followed him and then wrote letters in his name, and the final form of the letters the church has labeled as Paul's. Through this broad, shifting, and expanding notion of tradition, readers will explore with Finlan such questions as:

' What did Paul really think 'and write 'about Jesus, redemption, and the Christian life? ' Who were the original audiences that first received these texts? ' How and how much did Paul's followers change his ideas in the letters they wrote for" him?

Finlan is convinced that this educated questioning and investigating becomes a valid part of the life of faith 'not replacing faith, but joined to it. Through his accessibly written text, readers in the end will understand and agree.

Stephen Finlan, PhD, is an adjunct professor at Drew University and has taught at Fordham. He is also author of Problems with Atonement and Options on Atonement in Christian Thought (both published by Liturgical Press) as well as The Background and Content of Paul's Cultic Atonement Metaphors (SBL and Brill, 2004).

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Do bullies have free rein in our churches? Who are the bullies? What is scapegoating? Is it possible to practice the mercy and forgiveness demanded by Gospel ethics while also protecting people from emotional and professional damage?These are some of the questions that Stephen Finlan seeks to answer, looking for an ethic of behavior that is both spiritually valid and psychologically wise. He seeks responses to bullying that are both "wise" and "harmless" (Matt 10:16), that do not leave people helpless against the cruelty of church bullies. Bullying has become a major concern in schools and workplaces, but the church sometimes lags behind the secular workplace in its ethics.

This revised edition of The Family Metaphor in Jesus'' Teaching examines the family metaphors for God (Father) and for believers (children, brothers) that Jesus chose to use. Jesus not only held up a child as an example of receptivity, but he defended actual children, warning against despising one of these little ones. Using current discussions of the equal-regard family and of the importance of human fathering, Stephen Finlan explores how the gospel entails a changed model of parenting and of marriage and a new approach to spiritual growth.

To Unite the Scattered Children of God is an accessible exploration of hope for the spiritual uniting of humankind, in worship and in other ways, from Isaiah on down to present times. Several prophets shared this hope: "Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people" (Zech 2:11). To an even greater degree, Jesus set in motion a universalizing power. Jesus and Paul inspired hope for the uniting of Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles into "one fold," in the "unity of the faith." The book also builds upon the work of Teilhard de Chardin regarding the convergence of the human race under the spiritual influence of Christ, the omega point of evolution. Insights from pneumatology, process theology, personalism, interfaith discussions, and world peace advocacy add to the discussion.