Download or read book Constantine written by Paul Stephenson and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2010-06-10 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This “knowledgeable account” of the emperor who brought Christianity to Rome “provides valuable insight into Constantine’s era” (Kirkus Reviews). “By this sign conquer.” So began the reign of Constantine. In 312 A.D. a cross appeared in the sky above his army as he marched on Rome. In answer, Constantine bade his soldiers to inscribe the cross on their shield, and so fortified, they drove their rivals into the Tiber and claimed Rome for themselves. Constantine led Christianity and its adherents out of the shadow of persecution. He united the western and eastern halves of the Roman Empire, raising a new city center in the east. When barbarian hordes consumed Rome itself, Constantinople remained as a beacon of Roman Christianity. Constantine is a fascinating survey of the life and enduring legacy of perhaps the greatest and most unjustly ignored of the Roman emperors—written by a richly gifted historian. Paul Stephenson offers a nuanced and deeply satisfying account of a man whose cultural and spiritual renewal of the Roman Empire gave birth to the idea of a unified Christian Europe underpinned by a commitment to religious tolerance. “Successfully combines historical documents, examples of Roman art, sculpture, and coinage with the lessons of geopolitics to produce a complex biography of the Emperor Constantine.” —Publishers Weekly

Download or read book Luke s Jesus in the Roman Empire and the Emperor in the Gospel of Luke written by Pyung-Soo Seo and published by James Clarke & Company. This book was released on 2015-08-27 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shrewd and thoughtful, Pyung-Soo Seo offers an exciting and refreshing perspective on Luke's Gospel, which provides valuable clues to a deeper understanding of the vast power of the Roman Empire through Jesus' birth and trial accounts. Seo analyses the political role the Gospel played in the decades following the Crucifixion, and presents a compelling argument: the Bible emphasises Jesus' relationships with tax collectors as a way of displaying his moral authority, seen as he confronts one of the most hated aspects of the empire: the corruption and intimidation for which the emperor was ultimately responsible. Seo suggests that Luke wants us to compare Jesus and the emperor to show us how the emperor is found wanting. Concentrating on the titles of 'benefactor' and 'saviour' his analysis of Christ's moral authority is both discerning and erudite.

Download or read book The Son of God in the Roman World written by Michael Peppard and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-07-18 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2013 Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise Michael Peppard examines the social and political meaning of divine sonship in the Roman Empire. He begins by analyzing the conceptual framework within which the term ''son of God'' has traditionally been considered in biblical scholarship. Then, through engagement with recent scholarship in Roman history - including studies of family relationships, imperial ideology, and emperor worship - he offers new ways of interpreting the Christian theological metaphors of ''begotten''and ''adoptive'' sonship. Peppard focuses on social practices and political ideology, revealing that scholarship on divine sonship has been especially hampered by mistaken assumptions about adopted sons. He invites fresh readings of several early Christian texts, from the first Gospel to writings of the fourth century. By re-interpreting several ancient phenomena - particularly divine status, adoption, and baptism - he offers an imaginative refiguring of the Son of God in the Roman world.

Download or read book Jesus Wars written by John Philip Jenkins and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-02-20 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fifth-Century Political Battles That Forever Changed the Church In this fascinating account of the surprisingly violent fifth-century church, PhilipJenkins describes how political maneuvers by a handful of powerful charactersshaped Christian doctrine. Were it not for these battles, today’s church could beteaching something very different about the nature of Jesus, and the papacy as weknow it would never have come into existence. Jesus Wars reveals the profoundimplications of what amounts to an accident of history: that one faction ofRoman emperors and militia-wielding bishops defeated another.

Download or read book Revelation written by and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.

Download or read book The Lost Gospel written by Simcha Jacobovici and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-11-12 with total page 754 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Waiting to be rediscovered in the British Library is an ancient manuscript of the early Church, copied by an anonymous monk. The manuscript is at least 1,450 years old, possibly dating to the first century. And now, The Lost Gospel provides the first ever translation from Syriac into English of this unique document that tells the inside story of Jesus’ social, family, and political life.The Lost Gospel takes the reader on an unparalleled historical adventure through a paradigm shifting manuscript. What the authors eventually discover is as astounding as it is surprising: the confirmation of Jesus’ marriage to Mary Magdalene; the names of their two children; the towering presence of Mary Magdalene; a previously unknown plot on Jesus’ life (thirteen years prior to the crucifixion); an assassination attempt against Mary Magdalene and their children; Jesus’ connection to political figures at the highest level of the Roman Empire; and a religious movement that antedates that of Paul—the Church of Mary Magdalene.Part historical detective story, part modern adventure, The Lost Gospel reveals secrets that have been hiding in plain sight for millennia.

Download or read book A Clash of Kingdoms Discovery Guide written by Ray Vander Laan and published by HarperChristian Resources. This book was released on 2017-07-18 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we as Christians proclaim God's name in all the earth in the midst of false gospels? Learn from the Apostle Paul as he communicated the Good News of Christ to Philippi, a Roman colony that worshipped false gods. In this fifteenth volume of the That The World May Know series, take a tour through the land of the Bible and discover how to live in your present-day Philippi or Delphi—a dechristianized Western world—in a way that keeps your citizenship in God's Kingdom. This discovery guide includes passages of Scripture explored in the DVD (sold separately); questions for discussion and personal reflection; personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions; as well as sidebars, maps, photos, and other study tools. The Gospel of Caesar The Believers The Powers of Darkness The Philippian Jailer Confronting the Empire Designed for use with A Clash of Kingdoms Video Study (sold separately). _______________ THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW Join renowned teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan as he guides you through the land of the Bible. In each lesson, Vander Laan illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. Filmed on location in the Middle East and elsewhere, the That the World May Know film series will transform your understanding of God and challenge you to be a true follower of Jesus.

Download or read book Introduction to the Spiritual Life written by Brant Pitre and published by Image. This book was released on 2021-11-02 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compelling exploration of the biblical foundations, contemplative practices, and spiritual path of Jesus himself—from the bestselling author of The Case for Jesus “What happens when a biblical theologian explores classic spirituality? This book. Pitre’s students have asked, Why have we never heard this before? The reader wonders the same.”—Dr. David Fagerberg, author of Liturgical Mysticism The path of following Jesus is an ancient and storied spiritual tradition. Yet many believers are not familiar with the three major forms of prayer and the three stages of spiritual growth that exist to bring them closer to God. In his most personal book yet, Brant Pitre, PhD, draws on the riches of the Bible, the words of Jesus, and the writings of mystics across the centuries to shed light on the mystery—and wonder—of the spiritual life. Starting with the age-old belief that the path of prayer is not only informative but transformative, Dr. Pitre explores • the scriptural roots of the major forms of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplation • the purgative, illuminative, and unitive stages of spiritual growth • the spiritual exercises of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving • the Jewish roots of the Lord’s Prayer • Lectio Divina: how to pray with the Bible • seven vices and their seven opposing virtues • the battle of prayer: how to deal with difficulty and distractions • the “dark night of the soul” in the Scriptures Full of sacred truths, contemplative insights, and practical steps, Introduction to the Spiritual Life is a biblical road map of the spiritual landscape that enables us to follow Jesus as our primary guide.

Download or read book The Gospel between Emperor and Temple in the Gospel of Mark written by Morten Hørning Jensen and published by Mohr Siebeck. This book was released on 2023-06-13 with total page 556 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Beyond Belief written by Elaine Pagels and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2004-05-04 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Beyond Belief, renowned religion scholar Elaine Pagels continues her groundbreaking examination of the earliest Christian texts, arguing for an ongoing assessment of faith and a questioning of religious orthodoxy. Spurred on by personal tragedy and new scholarship from an international group of researchers, Pagels returns to her investigation of the “secret” Gospel of Thomas, and breathes new life into writings once thought heretical. As she arrives at an ever-deeper conviction in her own faith, Pagels reveals how faith allows for a diversity of interpretations, and that the “rogue” voices of Christianity encourage and sustain “the recognition of the light within us all.”

Download or read book The Gospel the Zodiac written by Bill Darlison and published by ABRAMS. This book was released on 2008-02-14 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Darlison elucidates the zodiac’s significant place in the Gospels, most specifically in the Book of Mark . . . An intriguing leap into faith” (Kirkus Reviews). For millennia the world has been driven by the differences between the great patriarchal religions. Western civilization—or Christendom, as it was once called—received its values and its confidence from a belief in God, the Father, and Jesus, his only son. But what if this conviction were founded on an error? Who is the man in the factually inconsistent Gospel stories? And who is the man who makes a brief appearance carrying a jar of water? This extraordinary study by a Unitarian minister suggests that Jesus never existed historically; he was simply a representation of an astrological theology—a representation, simply put, of the zodiac sign of Aquarius. In The Gospel & the Zodiac, Rev. Bill Darlison demonstrates that all the other signs are present too, in perfect zodiacal order. The Gospel story is not the product of historians or eyewitnesses, but an older, mystical text produced by an ancient, esoteric school as a guide to the Age of Pisces. Every bit as revelatory and controversial as it sounds, The Gospel & the Zodiac will shake up the religious status quo, and in doing so, provide both a new look at a religious icon and a deeper understanding of the faith that binds millions together. “Darlison begins by looking at different scholarly approaches to the gospels, then outlines his astrological interpretation logically and lucidly, matching the zodiacal signs to the narrative of Mark.” —Fortean Times

Download or read book Christ and the Emperor written by Gilbert van Belle and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume contains the proceedings of an international symposium held at Leuven University on November 30 - December 2, 2011. The contributors are I. Dunderberg, J. Frey, S. Freyne, P. Herz, N. Huttunen, J.S. Kloppenborg, D.-A. Koch, M. Labahn, A. Lindemann, T. Nicklas, C.M. Tuckett, S. Witetschek, and T. Witulski. They deal with various aspects of this fascinating topic that has received much attention in recent years. Among the topics addressed are: the influence of the emperor cult in the Galilee, the similarities and differences between the Roman emperor cult and the New Testament evidence, the concept of universalism as understood by Roman and Christian authors, the notion of the divine judge, the ritual of proskynesis, and methodological problems in dealing with the emperor cult and the New Testament evidence. Several essays deal with specific passages from the gospels - the Son of David title, the controversy on paying taxes, Jesus and the emperors as miracle workers, the notion of conquering and victory in John, and Roman characters in the Gospel of John (the basilikos, the centurion, Pilate).

Download or read book The Purpose of Mark s Gospel written by Adam Winn and published by Mohr Siebeck. This book was released on 2008 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moderate revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--Fuller Theological Seminary, 2007.

Download or read book The Gospel Code written by Ben Witherington III and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2004-06-02 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ben Witherington III confronts the claims of The Da Vinci Code with the sure-footedness of a New Testament scholar, yet in the plain language that any interested reader can follow.

Download or read book Gospel Allegiance written by Matthew W. Bates and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2019-09-17 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is faith in Jesus enough for salvation? Perhaps, says Matthew Bates, but we're missing pieces of the gospel. The biblical gospel can never change. Yet our understanding of the gospel must change. The church needs an allegiance shift. Popular pastoral resources on the gospel are causing widespread confusion. Bates shows that the biblical gospel is different, fuller, and more beautiful than we have been led to believe. He explains that saving faith doesn't come through trust in Jesus's death on the cross alone but through allegiance to Christ the king. There is only one true gospel and one required response: allegiance. Bates ignited conversation with his successful and influential book Salvation by Allegiance Alone. Here he goes deeper while making his acclaimed teaching on salvation more accessible and experiential for believers who want to better understand and share the gospel. Gospel Allegiance includes a guide for further conversation, making it ideal for church groups, pastors, leaders, and students.

Download or read book Constantine Divine Emperor of the Christian Golden Age written by Jonathan Bardill and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 471 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. The book explores the emperor's image as conveyed through literature, art, and architecture, and shows how Constantine reconciled the tradition of imperial divinity with his monotheistic faith. It demonstrates how the traditional themes and imagery of kingship were exploited to portray the emperor as the saviour of his people and to assimilate him to Christ. This is the first book to study simultaneously both archaeological and historical information to build a picture of the emperor's image and propaganda. It is extensively illustrated" --Provided by publisher.

Download or read book Exposition of the Christian Faith written by Saint Ambrose and published by Aeterna Press. This book was released on 2016-04-17 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author praises Gratian’s zeal for instruction in the Faith, and speaks lowly of his own merits. Taught of God Himself, the Emperor stands in no need of human instruction; yet this his devoutness prepares the way to victory. The task appointed to the author is difficult: in the accomplishment whereof he will be guided not so much by reason and argument as by authority, especially that of the Nicene Council.