David Wyn Williams presents a literary reimagining of the Suffering Servant of Second Isaiah through the lens of the work of Mikhail Bakhtin, offering insight into how the servant's prophetic characterisation dismantled an exiled nation's ideologies of suffering and called the people to understand their plight as part of a redemptive story on behalf of the nations. While Williams devotes the first half of this volume to a close examination of the scriptural servant, the second half is given wholly to the experiences and thoughts of a contemporary 'suffering servant' whom Williams interviewed throughout his final days, setting up a dialogue between the two in order to raise important questions around our corporate and individual responses to suffering. This book is a timely reflection on how an ancient people responded in faith to a national calamity, and how a prophetic figure who features in but a handful of poems inspired the nation to endure and rewrite its own narrative of suffering. The servant's example in the midst of today's uncertainties could not be more poignant.

David Wyn Williams presents a literary reimagining of the Suffering Servant of Second Isaiah through the lens of the work of Mikhail Bakhtin, offering insight into how the servant's prophetic characterisation dismantled an exiled nation's ideologies of suffering and called the people to understand their plight as part of a redemptive story on behalf of the nations. While Williams devotes the first half of this volume to a close examination of the scriptural servant, the second half is given wholly to the experiences and thoughts of a contemporary 'suffering servant' whom Williams interviewed throughout his final days, setting up a dialogue between the two in order to raise important questions around our corporate and individual responses to suffering. This book is a timely reflection on how an ancient people responded in faith to a national calamity, and how a prophetic figure who features in but a handful of poems inspired the nation to endure and rewrite its own narrative of suffering. The servant's example in the midst of today's uncertainties could not be more poignant.

The God of Second Isaiah, the “Holy One of Israel,” is increasingly foreign to modern Anglicans, who are often uncomfortable with the uncanny, fiery side of God. Unfortunately, this may leave Anglicans frustrated both with God’s “non-rational” ways and with morality-centered Christianity. The new research behind this book reveals Second Isaiah as priestly temple literature, expert at the Holy and its coming dawn on earth. Second Isaiah highlights priestly themes and quotes the temple texts to help readers approach that which is utterly mysterious. To study this material is to rediscover the overwhelming, absolute worth of God.

The Learning Church series offers a range of brief and accessible introductions to the key themes of Christian discipleship and theology. Conversations with the New Testament introduces the major themes and critical issues of the New Testament in a way that relates them to current experience, context and culture. The starting point is the reader's own experience and engagement with Scripture in a variety of different contexts.

The Old Testament is transformed from problem to ally when preachers attend to power at work in ancient and modern contexts by mirroring Second Isaiah's proclamation, listening to contemporary servant Israel, and learning from African American preaching in context of domination. This book analyses the impact of domination on Old Testament proclamation and thus leads to several unique contributions. Firstly, it reads Second Isaiah as a homiletic model for proclaiming older (pre-exilic) texts in response to exilic domination. Secondly, it treats the Old Testament as a rich resource for confronting racism and anti-Semitism though teaching and it introduces contemporary Christian-Jewish dialogue in Germany as a model for the Church. Lastly, it highlights preaching traditions within the African American Church as instructive for formulating an effective Old Testament preaching strategy.

Prose interspersed with poetries, "Conversations" is a text which deals with the ambiguities of modern life. It is about the interactions which determine the weighing of language that creates thought in the internal life of the mind. As we live in this era of social disorder and political ideals, drugs and medication, repression and individual expression, fundamental theology and secular atheism this book attempts to resolve the conflict which not only destroys society yet seems to cause the obliteration of personal endeavour. It is representative of these dichotomies and the ironies therein that hold together the balances of existence. And yet, within this textual form of internal dialogue, this seeks to be a book of hope in that night after night follows the birth of a fresh new day.

Robert (Bob) Bailor is a recently retired philosophy professor, mental health therapist and chemical addictions counselor. He has published seven other books, two non-fiction books in the field of philosophy (Passion, Longing and God and A Month of Wonders), one non-fiction book in addiction counseling (Chemical Addiction & Family Members), a trilogy of novels (Through Fire to Faith, Through Horror to Hope and Through Loss to Love) and a fictionalized self-help book (Getting Older). All books are summarized and available at his website, robertbailor.com. Bob has also published numerous professional articles in the fields of philosophy and counseling, and he has presented professional talks at national conferences on the topics of teaching philosophy, spirituality, counseling family members of addicts/alcoholics and advancing professional counseling skills. His passions are his faith, his family and his writing. Bob lives in Westerville, OH with his wife, Mary Rose. He has three grown children and four grandchildren.

In the contemporary theological world, traditional substitutionary accounts of Christ’s atoning work have increasingly come under criticism for what is said to be their propensity for encouraging violence by a variety of theologians such as feminists, pacifists, and Girardians. Cur deus homo?, the question about God’s sovereign purpose in Christ’s atoning work, is radically transposed into “who killed Jesus?” which is a provocative inquiry into the ethical issues surrounding divine violence from the nonviolent perspective of atonement. Nonetheless, in this monograph, contrary to their nonviolent intention, you will witness that Brock, Schwager, and Weaver violently damage a “holistic” dimension of atonement event under the human cause of the victim Jesus’ crucifixion by evil. By contrast, you will hear the harmonized voices of Anselm, Calvin, and Barth, who adamantly proclaim the incarnated Son of God’s sovereignty in his self-giving death for our salvation. Furthermore, it is through the theological conversation between the opposite camps that you will realize how the anthropological motifs of healing, scapegoat mechanism, and nonviolence are to be constructively engaged with the Christological-cultic context of an evangelical doctrine of substitution. You will encounter the crux of Christ’s saving death for us.

It has been said that we are called not only to read Scripture but to let Scripture read us. In that spirit, this book will guide readers into conversation with Paul’s letter to the Romans. The author will help us listen to what that letter said to the people to whom it was written and to hear what it says to us today. Readers will bring their own reflections, personal concerns, and questions to the table as we let this letter challenge us with meaning—letting it read the reader. The thesis of this book is that the letter has demonstrated transforming power to renew lives and the church through a focus on worship; a rigorous assessment of the human condition, especially the failure of human religiosity; a claim of transforming power in the ongoing life of Christ; an expansive vision of who is included in God’s life and love; a call to practical application and proclamation of the gospel.

Imagine if you could hear God speak. Imagine if you could sit down and speak to God about a wide range of subjects that are helpful to the Christian faith and have him respond to you. Matthew Robert Payne did exactly that over the course of a month. He sat down with the subjects covered in his previous book, "Jesus Speaking Today," and asked God to open up about them. What follows is a number of intimate conversations with God. God shares his heart with Matthew in a way that is raw, honest and candid. Peek inside the pages to see how God speaks to his friend who is interested in hearing his heart. Listen in on these conversations as God gets personal and emotional about the things that matter to him and that should ultimately matter to humanity. Book 4 also takes on an additional element where Matthew and God not only converse with each other, but they also speak with the reader direct. It is Matthew's hope that this book will encourage you to learn to hear from God for yourself and encourage you to journal what God says to you each day.