THAT faith and reason need each other is an important assumption made by Marcus Borg which under­lies his book Meeting Jesus in Mark. He sees his mission as adult "theological re-education", helping people to see the Christianity of their childhood in a different way. In introducing people to the earliest Gospel, he emphasises that his approach is based on both his own faith and also biblical scholarship (SPCK, £9.99 (£9); 978-0-281-06401-4).

The Interpretation series of com­mentaries, aimed at preachers and teachers, now has an offshoot of books subtitled "Resources for the use of scripture in the Church". Its suggested readership is the same as the earlier books, but, instead of focusing on biblical books, it takes a topic-based approach. Canon and Creed by Robert Jenson explores the relationship between the two, and encourages the Church to recognise the mutuality of both (Westminster John Knox, £16.99 (£15.30); 978-0-664-23054-8).

In God's Dangerous Book, Nick Page tells the story of the history of the written Bible from the putting together of the Torah to the many modern translations, but also looks at how people throughout the ages have used the texts to inspire them­selves and others to change the world (Authentic Media, £8.99 (£8.10); 978-1-85078-901-7).

Introducing Romans: Critical issues in Paul's most famous letter by Richard Longenecker attempts to provide an overall account of cur­rent thinking on this epistle, and how scholars vary in their views. The book begins with a chapter on undisputed claims, and then moves through pivotal issues, the context in which it was written, and modern work on establishing the original text, and ends with a section on issues relating to St Paul's main focus and arguments in Romans (Eerdmans/Alban, £26.99 (£24.30); 978-0-8028-6619-6).

In Daniel Timmer's A Gracious and Compassionate God: Mission, salvation and spirituality in the book of Jonah, the author intro­duces the book of Jonah, its text, and its context, but then widens his study to look at the prophet in the wider context of salvation history, and at how his story might facilitate spiritual change in its readers (Apollos, £12.99 (£11.70); 978-1-84474-499-2).

A survey quoted in the accom­pany­ing blurb to Route 66 by Krish Kandiah suggests that only one in three Christians reads the Bible daily. For many, this is because daily life and the Bible seem poles apart. The book seeks to address this gap by providing an eight-week course suitable for individuals, small groups, or, with appropriate adapta­tion, congregations. Each chapter takes a type of biblical literature, e.g. narrative, law, or wisdom; connects it with a way of living, e.g. distinctively, purposefully, or pro­phetically; and links it to daily re­flec­tions and weekly Bible-study suggestions (Monarch, £8.99 (£8.10); 978-0-85721-018-0).

A Different Priest is a commentary on Hebrews by Albert Vanhoye. He believes that the epistle, in its entirety, is the text of a homily divided into five parts, based on an investigation into faith in Christ, and corresponding to Semitic rhetoric and its form (Con­vivium Press, £22.50 (£20.25); 978-1-934996-20-1).

Jesus Decoded by Les Marsh is based on St Luke's Gospel. The author calls his work a historical translation, and explains in the introduction that this means trans­lating not just the words but also what they imply. By opening up the context in which Jesus was minis­tering, Marsh hopes to provide a deeper understanding of Jesus as presented in the Gospel (Wide Margin, £4.99; 978-0-9565943-4-1).

Jesus and His Own is a detailed commentary on John 15-17. Daniel Stevick, the author, believes that these chapters, more than anywhere else in the New Testament, develop the bonds between Jesus and his Church (Eerdmans, £25.99 (£23.40); 978-0-8028-4865-9).

Religion, sex, and politics are key parts of the story of King David, as well as of life today. Pete Wilcox explores David's life to show its relevance to the 21st century. Talking the Talk: The fall of King David for today expounds each chapter of the biblical text, begin­ning with 2 Samuel 5, where David and Hiram of Tyre make an alliance, and ending with David's death (1 Kings 2.11) (Lutterworth Press, £15.75 (£14.20); 978-0-7188-9234-0).

John Goldingay is doing for the Old Testament what Tom Wright did for the New in the For Everyone series (SPCK). In Joshua, Judges and Ruth (978-0-281-06128-0), Goldingay explains the unfolding history of Israel, using both his theological expertise and examples and anecdotes from modern life. In 1 and 2 Samuel, this series con­tinues the story of Israel's history through the foundation of the monarchy (978-0-281-06129-7). Both are priced at £9.99 (£9).

The Global NT takes the NIV Bible in English, and sets it alongside German, French, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic translations. Each double-page spread contains the same biblical passage in all six languages for easy comparison (Relationship Building Service, formerly Russian Bible Society, Box 1801, SE-701 18 Örebro, Sweden; available via email from InterBible@telia.com).

How did people in medieval times interpret the Bible? Ian Levy has translated and brought together six medieval commentaries on Galatians or chapters in Galatians in order to enable readers to be re­acquainted with a tradition of biblical interpretation which has faded into the background. The Letter to the Galatians is part of a new series, The Bible in Medieval Tradition (Wm B. Eerdmans/Alban, £22.99 (£21.70); 978-0-8028-2223-9).

Joseph Blenkinsopp's com­mentary on Genesis 1-11, Creation, Un-creation, Re-creation, goes beyond the usual preoccupations of such works - the linguistic, historical, and cultural explanations - and includes work on the theological and human interest. He concen­trates particularly on the key ques­tions that, he believes, underline these chapters: how evil could have taken a hold so quickly in a world created by God as good (T. & T. Clark, £17.99 (£16.20); 978-0-567-37287-1).

John Benton argues in favour of the moral absolutes that he finds in the Bible, and against the rise in what he terms "the culture of emotion" as a way of interpreting scripture. His material began life as sermons to his Baptist congregation. His six topics are: faith alone, penal substitution, justification, imputed righteousness, Christ's obedience and sanctification. The book, @the┼: Big deals outside the city, is published by EP Books (£6.99 (£6.30); 978-085234-741-6).

A new commentary series is Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible. The inaugural volume is William Placher's Mark. The aim of this set of books is to concentrate on the contemporary relevance of the texts rather than on historical or literary criticism (Westminster John Knox/Alban, £19.99 (£18); 978-0-664-23209-2).

Dig Even Deeper: Unearthing Old Testament treasure, by Andrew Sach and Richard Alldritt, is a guide to Exodus for beginners. Each of the 14 chapters is centred on a theme. These range from plagues to whingeing, and from Passover to Tabernacle (IVP, £7.99 (£7.20); 978-1-84474-432-9).

In The Impossible: Tracking Luke's Gospel, John Bloor aims at showing how Jesus makes knowing God possible. He follows Luke, chapter by chapter, relating the biblical material to anecdotes and experiences from his own life (Gilead Books, £8.95; 978-0-9558099-8-9).

Jacques More takes 52 passages that, he believes, have not been conveyed accurately in some ver­sions of scripture when they are translated. Serious Mistranslations of the Bible argues for a literal approach, and warns readers against believing that some Bibles are accurate word-for-word translations when they are paraphrases (Jarom Books, £7.99; 978-1-898158-21-9).

The First Letter to the Corinth­ians by Roy Ciampa and Brian Rosner is an addition to the Pillar New Testament Commentary series. It concentrates on answering three questions: what were Corinth and its church like?; who was Paul and what were his aims in this letter?; and how should we read 1 Corinth­ians? (Apollos, £44.99 (£40.50); 978-1-84474-484-8).

Prices in brackets are Church Times Bookshop prices (Use code CT895 ).