Pauline Theology as a Way of Life: A vision of human flourishing in Christ by Joshua W. Jipp (Baker, £26.99 (£24.49); 978-1-5409-6895-1).
“In this fresh approach to Pauline theology, respected scholar Joshua Jipp brings Paul’s pastoral concerns to the fore, specifically his concern for human flourishing in his congregations.”
The Messianic Commons: Images of the Messiah after modernity by David Benjamin Blower (SCM Press, £25 (Church Times SPECIAL OFFER PRICE £20); 978-0-334-06638-5).
“Messianic stories run through the Abrahamic faiths and many others besides. Messianism is the religion of the oppressed; the faith of those whose struggle compels them toward alternative futures. Messianism has also become a watchword for visionaries of radical politics, far beyond confessional religious spaces. These sketches explore how we might encounter ourselves differently in the dim light of that illusive figure: how we might reimagine ourselves as ecological creatures, economic agents, and as beings who dance differently with power and life, amidst the many threads of messianic folklore.”
Glimpsing the Future: New Testament perspectives on death, resurrection, immortality, eternity, and the afterlife by Murray J. Harris (Cascade Books, £14 (£12.60); 979-8-3852-2726-6).
“What happened when Jesus, Peter, and Paul had firsthand encounters with death? Should we welcome death as a friend or fear it as an enemy? Is there any satisfactory answer to all the powerful objections to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection? What is Paul’s view of the resurrection body? Are all humans immortal or is this a privilege reserved for the few? Who wins in the Plato-versus-Paul debate about immortality? How should we view eternity and Hades? What happens to atheists when they die? And apart from guesswork, what is the real nature of heaven? All these crucial questions and many more are addressed in this concise and comprehensive treatment of the New Testament’s answers.”
Selected by Frank Nugent, of the Church House Bookshop, which operates the Church Times Bookshop.