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The study analyzes four macro-areas of Walter Mosterts theology of justification in dialogue with alternative approaches as a source of relevant theological insights. Mostert avoids both subjectivism and objectivism, understanding theology as the soteriological answer to sin as the usurpation of Gods salvific prerogative. Justification is Gods saving act, received in faith as ones being-in-Christ. It establishes an anthropology in which the human being is defined not by personal deeds but by the gifted Gospel. Justification is thus distinct from ideological thinking and its theory-praxis model. It founds the Church and serves as the basis for ecumenical consensus. Despite certain one-sided aspects, Mosterts theology allows for a clear articulation of the Gospel. [Walter Mosterts Gedanken zur Rechtfertigung. Argumente fur eine neue Perspektive in der christlichen Theologie] Die Studie analysiert vier Makrobereiche von Walter Mosterts Rechtfertigungstheologie im Dialog mit alternativen Ansatzen als Quelle aktueller theologischer Impulse. Mostert meidet Subjektivismus und Objektivismus und versteht Theologie als die soteriologische Antwort auf die Sunde als Anmaung des gottlichen Heilsprarogativs. Rechtfertigung ist Gottes Heilshandeln, das im Glauben als Sein-in-Christus empfangen wird. Sie begrundet eine Anthropologie, in der der Mensch durch das geschenkte Evangelium, nicht durch das eigene Tun bestimmt ist. Rechtfertigung unterscheidet sich daher vom Theorie-Praxis-Modell ideologischen Denkens. Sie grundet die Kirche und ist die Basis fur okumenischen Konsens. Trotz aller Einseitigkeit ermoglicht Mosterts Theologie eine klare Profilierung des Evangeliums.

Andrew R. Johnson asks why it is the case that "believing" is centrally significant in and for Christianity. He argues that if we attend to the various implicit dimensions of explicit faith and to the holistic character of Christian believing then this central significance becomes more intelligible. The study aims to be a work of Protestant systematic theology, first and foremost, but one that is of ecumenical value. Johnson engages continental, analytic, and American pragmatic philosophers as they reflect on the human phenomenon of believing, intentional action, embodied cognition, and the relation between theory and practice. Theologically the study engages with Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican and Roman Catholic theologians as they reflect on the nature of faith in Christ amidst the concrete realities of life and the encounter with God through those concrete realities. Key interlocutors of the study include Rudolf Bultmann, Karl Barth, Cornelius Ernst, Fergus Kerr, Ludwig Wittgenstein, H.H. Price, Robert Brandom, and Andrew Inkpin, in addition to others.

Most scholars of Reformed orthodoxy devote little attention to the nineteenth century, and most students of nineteenth century Reformed thought bypass the influence of Reformed orthodox ideas on their subjects. Aligning himself with Reformed theology in nineteenth century America, Charles Hodges writings are an ideal place to bring such studies together. Hodges American context and Reformed identity illustrate the persistence and change of Reformed ideas in a post-Enlightenment context. Encompassing philosophy, science, and theology, Ryan M. McGraw traces the development of Hodges ideas with an eye both to Reformed orthodoxy and to American thought.

For centuries it has been discussed whether systematic theology is a scientific discipline. But it is not obvious what is meant by either "systematic theology" or "scientific discipline". Michael Agerbo Mrch presents an understanding of systematic theology as a tripartite discipline and science as a rationally justified public discourse about a given topic. Systematic theology is shown to meet the most generally accepted criteria for scientific work, since its theories can be tested and even falsified in an intersubjective setting. This can be done by the most proper tool we have for assessing and comparing scientific theories, which is coherence theory. Therefore, even though systematic theology is a distinct and normative discipline, it is not compromising for its theories because it can present its theses in a transparent way that can be checked and criticized by peers and compared to relevant alternatives. As such, the book shows that systematic theology is a scientifically strong discourse that meets accepted criteria to the same degree as other disciplines.

From his first publication of hymns in 1707, common knowledge regarding Isaac Watts (16741748) often revolves around his hymn-writing legacy. Though Watts legacy as a hymnographer is significant, he also functions as a key transitional figure between the English Puritans and the Evangelicals during eighteenth-century English dissent. As a pastor, theologian, philosopher, and literary mainstay of his era, Watts influence grew well beyond his early work in hymnody to impact scores of Christians on both sides of the Atlantic. Watts approach to Christian spirituality is an area of his thought thats been unexplored. This book provides the first ever analysis of Watts theological vision for the Christian spiritual life. In emphasizing the experience of holiness and happiness, Watts leans heavily upon his Reformed theological heritage to underscore how knowing and loving God are central to Gods preparation of the soul for heaven.

The present volume aims at a clarification and a discussion of the church in the 16th century: What did the reformers think about the essence and origin of the holy, apostolic and Catholic church? What was seen as the aim of it, its task and mission? Can human beings see the true church or not? Does it have one existence in this world and another in the world to come? Furthermore, the concept of church is indissolubly connected to the theological concepts of sin, faith, justification, sanctification, and salvation, and the study of the church also involves reflection upon the nature and scope of the sacraments, the role of the clergy, the aim of church-buildings, the significance of church properties and upon the constituent parts of the mass/church service. Finally, and not least, it is important to investigate the role of the church in the societies of the 16th century, such as the impact of the ruling powers upon them, their significance for education and social cohesion, and the cultural significance of migrating believers, on the run within and beyond the borders of Europe. Together with theological, philosophical and art-historical questions, these issues are considered in order to create a much fuller picture of the church at the time of the Reformation.

The christocentric character of Herman Bavincks thought has long been acknowledged, but an analysis of Bavincks christocentrism has not been forthcoming. The Heart of Dogmatics redresses this situation, offering a comprehensive study of Bavincks concept of a christocentric theological system. Building on the more recent secondary literature, Pass draws attention to many unexplored avenues in Bavincks writings. In particular, Pass sheds light on the intimate connection between Bavincks christocentrism and his organicism. Delving deeply into Bavincks appropriation of Reformed Orthodoxy and German Idealism, Pass presents a compelling account of this thinkers attempt to establish Neo-Calvinism as a modern orthodoxy. By way of conclusion, pertinent ways in which Bavincks christocentrism may prove a useful resource for contemporary projects of theological retrieval are explored in a comparison of Bavinck and John Webster.

Les Devanciers dAquila by Dominique Barthélemy (1963) is an epoch-making work on the textual history of the Septuagint. On the basis of his analysis of the Nahal Hever Minor Prophets Scroll, Barthélemy developed his theory of an early Hebraizing revision (so-called kaige revision), designed to bring the traditional text of the Septuagint closer to the Hebrew text, and recognized examples of it in the B-text of books such as Joshua, Judges, and Samuel-Kings. The work of these early Hebraizing revisers resembled the later very literal translation by Aquila; hence the name of the book, "the predecessors of Aquila". Textual scholars of today continue in the footsteps of Barthelemy and work on the same questions that were raised in Devanciers: How extensive was the influence of the kaige revision and how can it be recognized? What is the nature of the Lucianic text: when does it represent the Old Greek and when does it give a stylistically revised text? What is the relationship between the kaige revision and Theodotions revision of the Septuagint?The present volume mainly consists of papers presented at the 50th anniversary symposium of Les Devanciers dAquila that was held in connection with the SBL International Meeting in St Andrews, Scotland, in 2013. The papers focus on history of research, case studies on the text of Samuel-Kings (14 Kingdoms), and studies on the text-historical position of specific witnesses.

The present volume contains the proceedings of the fourth symposium of the Novum Testamentum Patristicum project (NTP), an international re-search project on the reception history of the New Testament in the early Church. The symposium was held in October 2012 at the University of Leuven. It was organised by Joseph Verheyden, Tobias Nicklas, and An-dreas Merkt, the coordinators of NTP. The topic of the meeting was the reception of the resurrection and empty tomb stories and the development of the belief in resurrection in the early Church.The belief in the resurrection constitutes the core issue of Christianity and of Christian tradition. The earliest references to the resurrection and witnesses to such a belief are found in the canonical gospels and in the letters of Paul, but the topic obviously remained of the utmost importance all through the early Church. Contributions to this volume offer studies on reception of the resurrection and empty tomb stories and the development of the belief in resurrection in the early Church by examining the most important early references on this topic.

The concepts of social memory and social identity have been increasingly used in the study of ancient Jewish and Christian sources. In this collection of articles, international specialists apply interdisciplinary methodology related to these concepts to early Jewish and Christian sources. The volume offers an up-to-date presentation of how social memory studies and socio-psychological identity approach have been used in the study of Biblical and related literature. The articles examine how Jewish and Christian sources participate in the processes of collective recollection and in this way contribute to the construction of distinctive social identities. The writers demonstrate the benefits of the use of interdisciplinary methodologies in the study of early Judaism and Christianity but also discuss potential problems that have emerged when modern theories have been applied to ancient material.In the first part of the book, scholars apply social, collective and cultural memory approaches to early Christian sources. The articles discuss philosophical aspects of memory, the formation of gospel traditions in the light of memory studies, the role of eyewitness testimony in canonical and non-canonical Christian sources and the oral delivery of New Testament writings in relation to ancient delivery practices. Part two applies the social identity approach to various Dead Sea Scrolls and New Testament writings. The writers analyse the role marriage, deviant behaviour, and wisdom traditions in the construction of identity in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Other topics include forgiveness in the Gospel of Matthew, the imagined community in the Gospel John, the use of the past in Pauls Epistles and the relationship between the covenant and collective identity in the Epistle to the Hebrews and the First Epistle of Clement.

Among the most prominent hallmarks of the late Prof. Hanan Eshel (19582010) were his generosity, passion, and integrative approach. The eighteen essays in this volume were selected by Prof. Eshel shortly before his untimely death, to be printed as a collection aimed at contextualizing the textual finds of the Dead Sea Scrolls within their archaeological settings and within the contours of contemporary scholarship.The Qumran texts that stand at the center of these articles are correlated with archaeological and geographic information and with a variety of textual sources including epigraphic evidence and, especially, the Hebrew Bible, Josephus, and rabbinic texts. The essays are organized according to the provenance of the discovered material, with sections devoted to the Damascus Documentand the scrolls from Caves 1, 3, 4, and 11, as well as a final more general chapter.Half of the essays have been previously published in English, while the other half have been translated from Hebrew here for the first time. The book includes essays that have been co-authored with Esther Eshel, Shlomit Kendi-Harel, Zeev Safrai, and John Strugnell.

Timothy P. Mackie focuses on the quantitative differences between the Greek and Hebrew text witnesses of the book of Ezekiel and explores the interrelationships between the production, transmission, and interpretation of scriptural scrolls by Jewish scribes during the late Second Temple period. A comparison of the Hebrew Masoretic text and Greek Septuagint versions of Ezekiel provides a large body of evidence for the phenomenon of "scribal expansion," instances where scribes added words and phrases into the body of the text.Mackie starts off by laying out a methodology for identifying scribal additionsamong the many textual differences between the Hebrew and Greek text-forms of Ezekiel. Having compiled an index of such quantitative differences, he proposes a descriptive typology for categorizing and analyzing the different types of additions in order to understand their purpose and significance. The body of the book is a commentary on all the various types of scribal expansion.The scribal additions in Ezekiel show how scribes expressed reverence for the texts divine authority, by not only by preserving the sacred text, but supplementing it in order to increase its coherence and clarity for future readers. They also demonstrate an awareness of an emerging collection of scriptural scrolls in the post-exilic Judean community and represent attempts to coordinate Ezekiel with other parts of that collection.Ultimately, the scribal expansions in Ezekiel provide a glimpse into the intersection of scriptural interpretation, scribal production, and the transmission of these texts. Mackies Conclusions are relevant not only for text-critical scholarship on the Hebrew Bible, but also for research on the early history of Jewish scriptural exegesis and scribal culture.

This volume contains the papers of the international RefoRC conference on Reformed Majorities and Minorities in Early Modern Europe as it was organized by the Johannes a Lasco Bibliothek, Emden in cooperation with the Faculty of Artes Liberales of the University of Warsaw. The conference took place April 10-12, 2013 in Emden and was part of the research project Doctrina et Tolerantia directed by the Johannes a Lasco Bibliothek. The contributions in this volume deal with the question how the relation between doctrine and toleration was dealt with in territories with a Reformed majority. Did the refugee-experience of the Reformed make them tolerant or militant? How did official policy relate to everyday practice? Were there different opinions on this issue within the Reformed tradition? The answers to these questions give more insights into the diversity of international Calvinism and the way theory was put into practice.

At the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism, an international conference on the spirituality of the Heidelberg Catechism was held at the Theological University Apeldoorn, 21-22 June 2013. This publication offers the plenary papers presented, and a selection of the short papers. While the papers center on the Catechisms spirituality, a wide range of topics is covered, from both historical and theological perspectives. These topics include: the roles of Ursinus and Olevianus, controverse theologians, anabaptist spirituality, comparisons with Calvins Genevan Catechism and the later Synopsis of Purer Theology. Also, the distinct spirituality of faith, regeneration, the trinity, the law and prayer in the Heidelberg Catechism are scrutinized, besides the idea of mystical union and the art of dying and living. Three contributions reflect on the controversy on the Eucharist which has stamped the Heidelberg Catechism. From a practical-theological perspective, the preaching and teaching of the Catechism are discussed, as well as the mode of gospel presentation and the permanent character of catechetical instruction. So, this volume offers a broad range of scholarly perspectives on the Catechism. Its spirituality is famous for the first question and answer, on the only comfort in life and death: That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.""

While the so-called "New perspective in Paul" has been in the focus of New Testament exegesis for more than 25 years now, ancient interpretations of Pauline texts and ideas have been neglected widely. The present volume aims to fill this gap. Its articles concentrate on three different foci of modern exegesis: interpretations of Pauls conversion, his ideas about the relation of "grace" and "works" and the fate of Israel. Several additional articles contrast these ancient perspectives with answers of modern exegesis.

Until recently, most non-biblical manuscripts attested in the Qumran library were regarded as copies of texts that were composed after the books of the Hebrew Bible were written. Students of the Hebrew Bible found the Dead Sea Scrolls therefore mostly of interest for the textual and interpretative histories of these books. The present collection confirms the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for both areas, by showing that they have revolutionized our understanding of how the text of the biblical books developed and how they were interpreted. Beyond the textual and interpretative histories, though, many texts attested in the Qumran library illuminate the time in which the later books of the Hebrew Bible were composed and reworked as well as Jewish life and law in the time when the canon of the Hebrew Bible developed. This volume gives important examples as to how the early texts attested in the Dead Sea Scrolls help to better understand individual biblical books and as to how the later texts among them illustrate Jewish life and law when the canon of the Hebrew Bible evolved. In order to find an adequate expertise for the seminar The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Hebrew Bible, the editors invited both junior and senior specialists in the fields of Hebrew Bible, Second Temple Judaism, Dead Sea Scrolls and Rabbinics to Rome.

The Book of Wisdoms understanding of Israels history, of contemporary politics and of the immortal fate of the persecuted sage can be understood to be part of one theological system. This system integrates texts and concepts from Jewish Wisdom, the biblical narratives of the patriarchs from Adam to Moses, eschatological hope and apocalyptic language, an understanding of the spirit of God in the enabling of prophets and leaders and, most distinctively, the Stoic concept of pneuma. This last concept unites the biblical resources and allows Wisdom, using eschatological language, to speak of the ordering of the cosmos for the judgement for the wicked and the exaltation of Gods people in the present age.Matthew Edwards addresses first the question of the literary unity of Wisdom. This is followed by an examination of the differing uses of the term pneuma within Wisdom, that is as divine agent of salvation, the means of the ordering the cosmos and the substance from which souls are composed. The nature of personal salvation within Wisdom is also considered and shown to be an integral part of the understanding of the cosmos, ordered for judgement and exaltation. Finally, this notion of the ordering of the comos and history for Gods people is discussed with its consequences for Jewish life under contemporary Hellenistic and Roman rule.

Auch uber die 500-Jahr-Feier des Jahres 2009 hinaus haben Calvin und die mit seinem Namen verbundenen Folgen der Reformation nichts von ihrer Faszination verloren. Aktuelle Fragestellungen und Forschungsprojekte drehen sich um Leben, Werk und Gedanken des fruhneuzeitlichen Theologen. Das Werk enthalt die Vortrage des zehnten Internationalen Kongresses fur Calvin-Forschung (Bloemfontein 2010) und reprasentiert den neuesten Stand der Calvinforschung. Der erste Teil besteht aus allen Vortragen fuhrender Wissenschaftler aus Reformationsgeschichte und Theologie, u.a. Luca Baschera, Tony Lane und Wim Janse. Sie befassen sich mit dem Schwerpunktthema des Kongresses, der Versohnung. Der thematisch vielfaltige zweite Teil enthalt Kurzvortrage, wie etwa uber Calvins Konzept der Theologie oder das calvinsche Verstandnis von Freiheit. Mimako Saito schreibt uber Calvins Vermachtnis in Japan. Ebenso wie die Veroffentlichungen fruher erschienener Vortrage des Calvin-Kongresses soll auch diese Ausgabe als Quelle und Leitlinie fur zukunftige Studien dienen. Die Auswahl des Titels, Calvinus clarissimus theologus, fuhrt die Tradition weiter, jeweils aus einem Briefwechsel an Calvin zu zitieren. Der Titel nimmt die Worte Johannes Sturms auf, der Calvin als scharfsinnigen und gelehrten Theologen lobt. Herman J. Selderhuis bringt in Anlehnung an diese Worte das ehrende Gedenken an den Calvin-Experten und langjahrigen Sekretar sowie Mitglied des Prasidiums Wilhelm Heinrich Neuser zum Ausdruck, der wenige Wochen vor Beginn des Kongresses starb.

Though interest in the use of metaphor in the Hebrew Bible has gained momentum in recent years, there is, to date, no investigation which concentrates exclusively on the animal metaphors in the book of Jeremiah. In this book, the author brings to light this neglected area of study by examining the language and imagery of the animal metaphors for the people of Israel in the book of Jeremiah. The contribution that these metaphors make to the theology of the book is given special attention, and since different interpretations have been given to many of the metaphors in question, the author resolves some of the questions regarding the meaning of these images in his in-depth study. Additionally, scholars have not tended to research metaphors for the nation of Israel and thus this volume draws attention to a particular subject which has largely been overlooked.In chapter one Foreman familiarizes the reader with the major theoretical approaches to metaphor and spells out the approach taken in his investigation. Eighteen metaphors are then thoroughly analyzed in chapters two, three, and four. These metaphors are grouped into three categories, each of which constitutes a chapter: pastoral metaphors, mammal metaphors, and bird metaphors. Chapter five draws the results of the inquiry together. This study reveals how animal metaphors make important theological claims about the nation of Israel and demonstrates that they are essential elements of the message of the book of Jeremiah. Foremans elucidation of the language and imagery of the animal metaphors for the people of Israel leads to a richer understanding of these metaphors and ultimately contributes to a more precise interpretation of the message of the book of Jeremiah as a whole.

The Syrohexapla is widely believed to be a faithful witness to the Hexapla of Origen. This Syriac version was produced in the seventh century on the basis of Greek texts related to Origens six-columned masterpiece of biblical scholarship. The signs used in Origens Hexapla, as well as the readings of several Greek Jewish versions which are no longer fully extant, are preserved in this version. The present study evaluates the Syrohexapla as a witness to these hexaplaric materials in 3 Kingdoms (1 Kings).The nearly 600 signs preserved in the Syrohexapla are analysed, divided into correctly marked asterisks, correctly marked obeli, and inaccurately marked readings. The more than 300 readings attributed to the Greek Jewish versions are treated separately. Finally, by including a chapter which examines a portion of the many readings in the Syrohexapla for which no hexaplaric sign has been preserved, the author balances assessments of the reliability of the Syrohexapla for studying the remains of Origens Hexapla.This study prepares the way for the authors new critical edition of the hexaplaric fragments of 3 Kingdoms.