Old Testament Cosmology and Divine Accommodation PDF Download

Author: John W. Hilber
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532676212
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
In order to reconcile the discrepancies between ancient and modern cosmology, confessional scholars from every viewpoint on the interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis agree that God accommodated language to finite human understanding. But in the history of interpretation, no consensus has emerged regarding what accommodation entails at the linguistic level. More precise consideration of how the ancient cognitive environment functions in the informative intention of the divine and human authors is necessary. Not only does relevance theory validate interpretative options that are inherently most probable within the primary communication situation, but the application of relevance theory can also help disentangle the complexities of dual authorship inherent in any model of accommodation. The results also make a salutary contribution to the theological reading of Scripture.

Author: John W. Hilber
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532676239
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
In order to reconcile the discrepancies between ancient and modern cosmology, confessional scholars from every viewpoint on the interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis agree that God accommodated language to finite human understanding. But in the history of interpretation, no consensus has emerged regarding what accommodation entails at the linguistic level. More precise consideration of how the ancient cognitive environment functions in the informative intention of the divine and human authors is necessary. Not only does relevance theory validate interpretative options that are inherently most probable within the primary communication situation, but the application of relevance theory can also help disentangle the complexities of dual authorship inherent in any model of accommodation. The results also make a salutary contribution to the theological reading of Scripture.

Author: Jonathan T. Pennington
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567357619
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
For first-century people, cosmology was a fundamental part of their worldview. Whether it was the philosopher contemplating the perfection of the heavenly orbits, the farmer searching the sky for signs of when to plant his crops, or the desert-dwelling sectarian looking for the end of the world, the cosmos held an endless fascination and occupied a prominent place in their understanding of life. For most ancient peoples, cosmology and theology were inseparable. Thus, when the Jewish and Christian Scriptural traditions begin with the bold claim, "In the beginning God created the heavens and earth," these words make statements which are at once cosmogonic, cosmological, and theological. Scholarship has begun only recently to investigate more fully the various cosmological and cosmogonic traditions that were current in the time of the Old and New Testaments. Much of this work, however, has focused on how OT conceptions of the world compared to other Ancient Near Eastern traditions. Much less has been done on the cosmological traditions which stand behind the views of the NT writers. Even fewer works have sought to connect cosmological views with NT theology. In light of the great importance that cosmology had in ancient peoples' worldviews and theological understanding, a thorough investigation of this neglected topic is in order. Cosmology and New Testament Theology systematically examines the NT documents to show how cosmological language and concepts inform, interact with, and contribute to the specific theological emphases of the various NT books. In some NT books, the importance of cosmology can be easily discerned, while in others what is required is a new and close examination of key cosmological terms (e.g., heaven, earth, world, creation) with an eye to the themes and theology of the book.

Author: Robin A Parry
Publisher: Lutterworth Press
ISBN: 0718843959
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of the Bible.Robin Parry takes the reader on a guided tour of the biblical cosmos with the goal of opening up the Bible in its ancient world. He then goes further and shows how this very ancient biblical way of seeing the world is still revelatory and can speak God's word afresh into our own modern worlds.

Author: Kyle Greenwood
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830898700
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 255

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Book Description
Christians often claim to hold a biblical worldview. But what about a biblical cosmos view? From the beginning of Genesis we encounter a vaulted dome above the earth, a "firmament," like the ceiling of a planetarium. Elsewhere we read of the earth sitting on pillars. What does the dome of heaven have to do with deep space? Even when the biblical language is clearly poetic, it seems to be funded by a very different understanding of how the cosmos is put together. As Kyle Greenwood shows, the language of the Bible is also that of the ancient Near Eastern palace, temple and hearth. There was no other way of thinking or speaking of earth and sky or the sun, moon and stars. But when the psalmist looked at the heavens, the delicate fingerwork of God, it evoked wonder. Even today it is astronomy and cosmology that invoke our awe and point toward the depths of divine mystery. Greenwood helps us see how the best Christian thinkers have viewed the cosmos in light of Scripture—and grappled with new understandings as science has advanced from Aristotle to Copernicus to Galileo and the galaxies of deep space. It's a compelling story that both illuminates the text of Scripture and helps us find our own place in the tradition of faithful Christian thinking and interpretation.

Author: Dustin G. Burlet
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1666736724
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 307

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Book Description
This book contends the text of the Noachian deluge narrative categorically underscores all God did to preserve life in spite of the disaster. Despite the picture of devastation that the narrative depicts, the prominent emphasis of the text is on deliverance and redemption, i.e., salvation, not judgment. The focus of the Genesis flood is acutely bent towards God’s salvific rather than punitive purposes. The arc of salvation within the flood narrative can be broken down into two main ideas. Firstly, God’s intention for creation is not thwarted, and, secondly, God commits himself to his intentions of creation. God’s intention for creation can be stated thus: the establishment of order via covenant showing the sanctity of human life and the upholding of all life. This involves, in particular, humanity as his image bearers, including the lex talionis (life-for-life) principle.

Author: Loren Haarsma
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493430696
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
The question of the "historical Adam" is a flashpoint for many evangelical readers and churches. Science-and-theology scholar Loren Haarsma--who has studied, written, and spoken on science and faith for decades--shows it is possible both to affirm what science tells us about human evolution and to maintain belief in the doctrine of original sin. Haarsma argues that there are several possible ways of harmonizing evolution and original sin, taking seriously both Scripture and science. He presents a range of approaches without privileging one over the others, examining the strengths and challenges of each.

Author: Joseph Minich
Publisher: Lexham Academic
ISBN: 1683596765
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 255

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Book Description
How modernity creates atheists—and what the church must do about it. Millions of people in the West identify as atheists. Christians often respond to this reality with proofs of God's existence, as though rational arguments for atheism were the root cause of unbelief. In Bulwarks of Unbelief, Joseph Minich argues that a felt absence of God, as experienced by the modern individual, offers a better explanation for the rise in atheism. Recent technological and cultural shifts in the modern West have produced a perceived challenge to God's existence. As modern technoculture reshapes our awareness of reality and belief in the invisible, it in turn amplifies God's apparent silence. In this new context, atheism is a natural result. And absent of meaning from without, we have turned within. Christians cannot escape this aspect of modern life. Minich argues that we must consciously and actively return to reality. If we reattune ourselves to God's story, reintegrate the whole person, and reinhabit the world, faith can thrive in this age of unbelief.

Author: J. Daniel Hays
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
ISBN: 1087742226
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
In The Pentateuch: Life in the Presence of God, J. Daniel Hays surveys the narrative history of the Pentateuch—the first five books of Scripture and invites readers to know the God who covenanted with Israel to rescue them and live in his presence. This book will encourage and equip pastors, students, and laypersons as they encounter the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As part of the Scripture Connections series, The Pentateuch includes helpful sidebars with ancient, biblical, gospel, and life connections. Written in an accessible manner, this book will help readers engage more deeply with the stories of God's chosen people. The Scripture Connections series is a concise and accessible guide to the Bible that focuses on Scripture’s natural unity. Each volume covers a particular set of biblical books, providing a thorough overview of the content and background in a shorter page count than a traditional textbook. The authors bring forward connections between Scripture and the ancient world, other biblical texts, the good news of the gospel, and everyday life, inviting readers to engage more deeply with God’s Word.

Author: M. Daniel Carroll R.
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467459402
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 510

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Book Description
In this commentary on the book of Amos, Daniel Carroll combines a detailed reading of the Hebrew text with attention to its historical background and current relevance. What makes this volume unique is its special attention to Amos’s literary features and what they reveal about the book’s theology and composition. Instead of reconstructing a hypothetical redactional history, this commentary offers a close reading of the canonical form against the backdrop of the eighth century BCE.