BIBLE STUDY

Following the alphabetical list of authors for this page, the abstracts begin with resources not identified with a specific author. Call signs begin with NA-, Na-, or a publisher’s acronym, i.e. ABC for Anglican Book Centre.

These are followed by abstracts for resources identified with a specific author or editor. Call signs begin with the letters A to E.

Additional abstracts will be uploaded shortly.

No Author:

No Author
No Author (YWC: Young Women’s Christian Association)

Adeney, Carol, general ed.
Ahern, The Rev. Barnabas M. et al
Allen, James Turney
Anderson, Bernhard W.
Appleton, George
Azzarello, Marie

Bailey, Kenneth E.
Barclay, William
Barton, R. Ruth
Bechtel, Carol M.
Beckett, Michael
Biddle, Mark E.
Binz, Stephen J.
Blackaby, Henry
Blair, Christine Eaton
Blasé, John
Blomberg, Craig L.
Borg, Marcus J.
Borgman, Paul
Branick, Vincent P.
Brashler, James A.
Brown, Raymond E.
Brueggemann, Walter
Bryan, Christopher
Bundesen, Lynne
Burns, Paul
Burridge, Richard A.

ABSTRACTS in alphabetical order for BIBLE STUDY:

No Author (YWC: Young Women’s Christian Association)

YWC BS132 BOOKLET
Morning Times: Meditations on the Book of Ruth
YWCA 
No abstract.

Books shelved by author’s name:

Ade BS217
This Morning With God: A Daily Study Guide to the Entire Bible
InterVarsity Press           1968             510 p.        SC 
Adeney, Carol, general ed.
This unique daily devotional guide leads the reader to study the Bible itself in order to listen directly to what God is saying in Scripture. The method is simple: each day a few well-worked questions direct attention to the passage, helping the reader discover how the Bible affects and transforms life. This is not spoon-feeding, but allows personal conclusions to be drawn.

Ahe BS188
New Testament Reading Guide (3): The Gospel of Saint Luke
The Liturgical Press     1964       164 p.       SC
Ahern, The Rev. Barnabas M. et al, Editorial Committee
Stuhlmueller, Carroll C. P., authorThe author guides readers through the Gospel of Luke by narrative section, and provides background on the author, his sources and doctrine. Review aids and discussion topics are included at the back of the book. This is an older, but easy to read companion to help readers understand Luke’s life and message.

All BS266
The First Year of Greek, Revised Edition
The MacMillan Company          1931            383 p.      HC
Allen, James Turney, Ph.D.
This college text is an older resource, but may be of interest to those who wish to gain an understanding of the way students begin the journey of exploring Greek literature, including biblical texts, in the original language. It contains the fundamental principles of grammar and prepares a student of the language for more advanced study. Also provided are exercises and interesting tidbits of Hellenic life.

And BS369  
Understanding the Old Testament (2nd edition)
Prentice-Hall  Ltd.         1966         586 p.         HC
Anderson, Bernhard W.
The second edition, like the first, focuses on two main topics: the milieu from which the Christian message arose, and the manner in which that message was interpreted by the Christian community. However, in this edition more attention has been devoted to critical analysis of sources of information dealing with the lives of Paul and Jesus, and more weight assigned to important questions implicit in the shift from oral tradition to written gospels, and in assessment of the historical value of the Book of Acts. A full chapter is now devoted to each gospel. Also, the beginnings of institutional Church development receive greater detail.

App BS370  
The Heart of the Bible
William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd./Font Paperbacks         1986           372 p.           SC
Appleton, George
Bishop Appleton shares with the reader his own insights and his delight in the passages of the Bible that speak most immediately to the mind and heart of man. He explores the wonders of this greatest of all books in a way which not only brings it alive to a world which badly needs its message, but will lead his readers on their own path to further study and deeper understanding.

Azz BS292
Mary, the First Disciple: A Guide for Transforming Today’s Church
Novalis         2004         263 p.         SC
Azzarello, Marie, CND
Mary has long been held up as a model of discipleship based on her “Yes” to God at the Annunciation. But her influence as a disciple of Jesus goes far beyond the realm of private spirituality – a Christian’s personal relationship with God. By examining the scriptural memory of Mary, and especially in reconnecting Luke’s narratives of the Annunciation, the Visitation and Pentecost, we discover a prophetic, active and dynamic image of discipleship rooted in our baptismal identity and the scriptural example of Mary. This image of discipleship can show us how to integrate our private spiritual life with our public lives each day. Like Mary’s, our vocation to intimacy with God and service to neighbour will be united into one call. As this unity shapes our lives we become contemplative disciples in action. Mary is an inspiring guide for today’s Church. Mary, the First Disciple offers us a renewed image of discipleship that opens a window on the transformation of the Church into a community of equal disciples.

Bai BS434
The Cross & the Prodigal:
Luke 15 Through the Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants (Second Edition)
IVP Books (InterVarsity Press)         2005         151 p.         SC
Bailey, Kenneth E.
This revised and expanded edition presents the parable of the prodigal son from a Middle Eastern perspective, demonstrating its essentially Christian message. He highlights the underlying tensions between law and loe, servanthood and sonship, honour and forgiveness that grant this story such timeless spiritual and theological power.

Bar BS004
The New Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of Luke
Barclay, William
Westminster John Knox Press        2003         SC
With a historian’s precision, Barclay looks at areas in Luke’s account that were either minimized or neglected by the other Gospel writers. Luke emphasizes prayer, the dignity of women, and praise of God, and Barclay’s insightful commentary helps each of us to see the infinitude of God’s love through the apostle’s eyes.

Bar BS006
The New Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of John, Volume Two
(Chapters 8 through 21)
Barclay, William
Westminster John Knox Press        2001         SC
Barclay completes his intensive study, bugun in The Gospel of John, Volume One, and helps give the reader a sharpened perception of the emphasis of this Gospel. Written during a time when heresies abounded, the Gospel of John clarifies both the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ.

Bar BS007
The New Daily Study Bible Series: The Acts of the Apostles
Barclay, William
Westminster John Knox Press         2003             SC
According to Dr. Barclay, Acts gives us “a series of typical exploits and adventures of the great heroic figures of the early Church. Although the book never says so, from the earliest times Luke has been held to be its writer.” He wrote both his gospel and Acts for the principal purpose of showing how the new faith that began so humbly in Palestine had expanded. Dr. Barclay discusses Luke’s skill as a historian, the accuracy of his sources, and the honesty with which he used them. He covers Luke’s purpose in writing Acts, his skill as a historian, the accuracy of his sources, and the honesty with which he uses them. Full of unique insights and little known information about the background of the early Church, the volume displays Barclay’s great ability for clear and perceptive expression.

Bar BS009 
The New Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters to the Corinthians
Barclay, William         1975            268 p           SC
The Westminster John Knox Press
Corinth was not only one of the most flourishing commercial centres of the ancient world, but also a symbol of debauchery. Here, Dr. Barclay narrates, “some of the greatest work of Paul was done.” In the simple, illustrative manner that has endeared him to thousands of students, he clarifies every passage in Corinthians, showing how what Paul said then helps us now, as we live in the midst of twenty-first century temptations.

Bar BS012
The New Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon
Westminster John Knox Press         2003         SC
Barclay, William
These often neglected New Testament books deal with topics of interest to today’s readers, such as practical matters of church management and personal conduct. The letter to Philemon is the only private letter we have from Paul and tells the tale of a runaway slave. Barclay’s remarkable talent for writing combines a mastery of ancient languages with the wider conversation of secular literature and a deep devotion to Scripture.

Bar BS014
The New Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters of James and Peter
Barclay, William
Westminster John Knox Press         2003         SC
Barclay, William
Barclay examines the questions of the authorship and dating of James and its content on personal ethics. He places The First Letter of Peter into its context as a “catholic” or “general” epistle and delves into its many theological contributions to topics like the role of women. The Second Letter of Peter is primarily a denunciation of false teachers. Barclay combines style and scholarship in this volume.

Bar BS016
The New Daily Study Bible Series: The Revelation of John, Volume One
(Chapters 1 through 5)
Westminster John Knox Press         2004         SC
Barclay, William
In this and its companion volume, Barclay makes the most difficult book in the Bible easier to understand. In his introduction, he examines areas such as the characteristic of apocalyptic literature and the nature of Caesar worship. His commentary goes beyond clarifying the meaning of the imagery to cover the central issues of the book, such as the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the probable facts about John’s exile on the island, and the meaning of Christ’s knocking at the door.

Bar BS017
The New Daily Study Bible Series: The Revelation of John, Volume Two
(Chapters 6 through 22)
Westminster John Knox Press         2004         SC
Barclay, William
A companion to Volume One, where the reader meets many of the picturesque images associated with Revelation: the four horses and their riders, the antichrist, the woman clothed with the sun, the beast with his number, Armageddon, the Millenium and the New Jerusalem.

Bar BS025
The Daily Study Bible Series, Revised Edition: The Letter to the Romans
Welch Publishing Company Inc.        1975       223 p.      SC
Barclay, William
There is an obvious difference of both atmosphere and method between Paul’s Letter to the Romans and any other of his letters. This difference is due largely to the fact that when Paul wrote to the Church  at Rome he was writing to a Church with whose founding he had nothing whtever to do and with which he had had no personal contact at all. For this reason Romans, of all Paul’s letters, comes nearest to being a theological treatise.

Bar BS027
The Daily Study Bible Series, Revised Edition:
The Letters of the Galatians and Ephesians
Westminster John Knox Press         1976           SC
Barclay, William 
The Letters to the Galatians proclaims God’s free gift of grace, bestowed on all who would accept that gift by faith, Gentile and Jew alike. Because it declares this universality, the letter is one of the great theological cornerstones of Christianity, according to Barclay. The Letter to the Ephesians’ main theme is the universal battle between good and evil, and the ultimate unity to be achieved only when all things are gathered together in Christ. Barclay’s remarkable talent for writingh combines a mastery of ancient languages with the wider conversation of secular literature and a deep devotion to Scripture.

Bar BS030
The Daily Study Bible Series, Revised Edition: The Letter to the Hebrews
G. R. Welch Co. Ltd.        1976       203 p.      SC
Barclay, William
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews thought of religion as access to God, that which removes the barriers and opens the door to his living presence. He found in Christ the one person who could take him into the very presence of God. Barclay explores this and other themes in his inimitable style for devotional reading and Bible study, by individuals or discussion groups.

Bar BS032
The Daily Study Bible Series, Revised Edition: The Letters of John and Jude
Westminster John Knox Press         1976             SC
Barclay, William 
The Letters to the Galatians proclaims God’s free gift of grace, bestowed on all who would accept that gift by faith, Gentile and Jew alike. Because it declares this universality, the letter is one of the great theological cornerstones of Christianity, according to Barclay. The Letter to the Ephesians’ main theme is the universal battle between good and evil, and the ultimate unity to be achieved only when all things are gathered together in Christ. Barclay’s remarkable talent for writingh combines a mastery of ancient languages with the wider conversation of secular literature and a deep devotion to Scripture.

Bar BS033
The Daily Study Bible Series, Revised Edition: 
The Revelation of John, Volume One
Westminster John Knox Press         1976           SC
Barclay, William 
In this and its companion volume, Barclay makes the most difficult book in the Bible easier to understand. In his intro he examines areas such as the characteristic of apocalyptic literature and the nature of Caesar worship. His commentary goes beyond clarifying the meaning of the imagery to cover the central issues of the book, such as the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the probable facts about John’s exile on the island, and the meaning of Christ’s knocking at the door.

Bar BS034
The Daily Study Bible Series, Revised Edition: 
The Revelation of John, Volume Two
Westminster John Knox Press         1976         SC   
Barclay, William
A companion to Volume One, where the reader meets the picturesque images associated with Revelation: the four horses and their riders, the antichrist, the woman clothed with the sun, the beast with his number, Armageddon, the Millenium and the New Jerusalem.

Bar BS158
New Testament Words
SCM Press Ltd.       1964        288 p.       SC
Barclay, William          
Here are 70 key words of the Greek New Testament, with their background and significance expounded by a master in the art of teaching. He gives to the lay person an interesting introduction to the Greek language, and provides a useful resource even for those who possess Greek.

Bar BS161
The Apostle’s Creed for Everyone
Harper & Row, Publishers        1967           384 p.       HC
Barclay, William          
In an age when so many people are questioning the centuries old affirmations of Christian faith, this book shows that the Apostle’s Creed is as vital today as it was at the dawn of Christianity. The author examines the Creed’s origins and explores each great affirmation, and concludes with a penetrating analysis of the relevance of the Apostle’s Creed to life in the modern world.

Bar BS166
Good Tidings of Great Joy: The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
William John Knox Press         1999       100 p.       SC
Barclay, William            
This book offers a noted teacher and author’s reflections on the event that changed human history: the birth of Christ. Complemented by inspiring anecdotes, each passage encourages readers to hear anew the echoes of prophecy and the praise of angels, to understand the anxiety of an impending birth and the adoration of wise men, and to cultivate within their own lives the practice of worship. The book is designed for daily devotions, study groups or general reading.

Bar BS196
Introducing the Bible
Denholm House Press      1972       155 p.       SC
Barclay, William
The author testifies to the value of the Bible as an inspired and unique book. He gives clear advice on how best to read it, tells how the biblical writings came into being and finally gained acceptance as Scripture, and explains the significance and status of the Apocrypha. Most important of all, Dr. Barclay presents the Bible as a book to be read and enjoyed today.

Bar BS197
Letters to the Seven Churches
SCM Press Ltd.       1957       128 p.      SC
Barclay, William
Each chapter begins with a brilliantly sketched account of the city in which each church addressed in Paul’s letters was based. This is followed by an exposition of the Letter to that church, concise, well illustrated and written in Barclay’s arresting style. His gift of bringing out the valuable meanings of Greek words is particularly helpful. This book will be a boon to teachers, preachers and Bible readers.

Bar BS198
The Plain Man Looks at the Beatitudes
Fontana Books (Collins)           1963          124 p.        SC 
Barclay William
The Beatitudes are something more than mere surprising paradoxes: to work out their implications is to discover ‘the technique of being a Christian’. In this book they are examined against the background of the Bible, both Old and New Testament, and of its languages. Dr. Barclay’s insight and learning find fresh and fuller meaning in familiar words, and help to point very plainly the ‘way of the Beatitudes’ and its practice.

Bar BS199
The Plain Man Looks at the Lord’s Prayer 
Fontana Books (Collins)           1964          128 p.        SC 
Barclay William
Prof. Barclay shows how this prayer that Jesus gave to his disciples is at once a summary of Christian teaching and a pattern for all our prayers. He describes the Jewish world from which it emerged, with its emphasis on the importance of prayer and its awareness of the dangers of ‘vain repetition’. He then discusses each clause in detail, considering both its linguistic meaning and its historical background. Once again Prof. Barclay carries his learning lightly. In this book he not only increases our understanding of the prayer, but teaches us how to pray.

Bar BS200
The Mind of St. Paul 
William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.           1958          192 p.        SC 
Barclay William
Prof. Barclay examines in detail the unique advantage of Paul’s mixed nationality – he was both Jewish and Roman. He shows how well equipped Paul was to be Christ’s greatest witness in the Hellenic-Roman world, and how much he contributed to the interpretation of Christ’s teaching and to the spread of Christianity as a whole.

Bar BS293
The Lord is My Shepherd: Expositions of Selected Psalms
Collins           1980           153 p.           SC
Barclay, William
William Barclay was renowned the world over for his insights into the New Testament and for his great gift of making its message alive to people today. In his last years he began to turn his mind to the Old Testament, and this book on some of the Psalms was to have been the start of a much larger work, reflecting his ever fresh and lively approach to the Bible. The law as seen through Barclay’s eyes is a new and living thing; it is the dynamic of God’s unfolding revelation of his will and purpose in history. This book is a fitting final word from a man who understood the Bible more than most.

Bar BS294
The Plain Man’s Guide to Ethics: Thoughts on the Ten Commandments
Collins           1973           205 p.           SC
Barclay, William
This book is written in vintage Barclay style, inviting and accessible to a wide readership. It consists of eleven chapters – short or long as the subject dictated. Dr. Barclay has no use for the outworn devices of theory, admonition and exhortation in this book. He demonstrates that the Ten Commandments are the most relevant document in the world today and are totally related to humankind’s capacity to live and make sense of it all within a Christian context. Personal beliefs, historic evidence, fearless convictions about such matters as war, sex and Sunday Observances illuminated by clear and scholarly exposition make this an excellent text on its topic.

Bar BS295
The Plain Man Looks at the Apostles’ Creed
Collins           1975           384 p.           SC
Barclay, William
In this book William Barclay’s considerable powers of analysis and exposition are focused on the Apostles’ Creed. “If there is one statement of the Christian Church,” writes Dr. Barclay, “it is contained here.” After an introduction examining the Creed’s origins as a formulation of the collective belief of the individual Christians who are the Church – what we assent to by being part of the church – he explores each great affirmation from “I believe in God” to “In the Life Everlasting” in twenty-one lucid chapters. Dr. Barclay concludes with a penetrating analysis of the Apostles’ Creed for today when so many traditional beliefs are being called into question by theologians and laymen alike.

Bar BS371
The Making and Meaning of the Bible (12th edition)        
SCM Press Ltd.       1961           160 p.           SC
Barclay, George
An old but extremely popular  book for people “not accustomed to reading theological books,” this study presents the results of modern Biblical study to those readers. This is an easy approach to subjects such as: I. What is the Old Testament?  II. How Old Testament history was written. III. The early chapters of Genesis. IV. What the prophets were doing. V. The Book of Jonah. VI. The Epistles of the New Testament. VII. The first three Gospels. VIII. The Gospel according to St. John. All in all this is a simple, clear introduction to Bible study for the beginner.

Bar BS372
William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible Index
G. R. Welch Co. Ltd.           1978          213 p.         SC
Rawlins, C. L., compiler      
Having sold in excess of five million copies, The Daily Study Bible does not need an introduction. This index is an aid to its greater use. By means of a six-fold division (of Old Testament references; of New Testament references; of subjects and places; of personal names; of foreign words, terms and places; and of ancient writings) the reader is enabled to explore further the ideas, opinions, subjects, and sources in the individual parts of the series.

Bar BS373
God’s Young Church
The Saint Andrew Press           1970         120 p.         SC
Barclay, William
This study of the early Church is alive with illustrations in Professor Barclay’s well-loved style. Three sections describe the Christian community in its early days; aspects of the Christian life; and outstanding men who travelled and taught in the hostile world of the Roman empire. At the heart of early Christianity were values and beliefs which will never age. These pages are filled with guidance for daily living.

Bar BS420
And He Had Compassion on Them: A Handbook on the Miracles of the Bible
Church of Scotland         1955         292 p.         SC 
Barclay, William
Although written as a teaching resource for youth, a much broader readership will appreciate this book. In the tradition of his many other works, this one inspires by exploring Scripture in a way that it becomes meaningful for people’s everyday lives. He makes the perennially valid point that God is always active, and miracles still happen, if only we have eyes to see and a mind to understand. Through the author’s discernment, the reader can see how Jesus took natural events and in them discovered God, thus showing God to humanity.

Bar BS128                         BOOKLET
Becoming Women of Purpose
—           1994           77 p.        
Barton, R. Ruth 
Although women have unprecedented opportunities and options today, their lives are still often filled with the mundane, the difficult, the downright tragic. This study aims to help them discover God’s purposes in their lives and provide a framework for making wise choices. It begins with the story of Esther, and moves to the student seeing herself as a woman of purpose – in her creation, salvation, giftedness, and preparation. Three important elements of purposeful living are explored: identifying God’s purposes, planning for his purposes (goal-setting), and discipline.

Bec BS374 
Life After Grace – Daily Reflections on the Bible
Westminister John Knox Press         2003         113 p.         SC
Bechtel, Carol M.
Thirty reflections on living in the midst of God’s grace, each including a Scripture passage and questions for reflection, make this book ideal for private devotion, group or individual study, or sermon preparation. The tests, tribulations, and victories of believers in both the Old and New Testaments are traced after their experience of God’s saving grace. It is, in theological terms, a short course in sanctification (as opposed to justification). But in simple terms, it is a series of biblical snapshots on themes like forgiveness, self-deception, care of creation, suffering, call, discord, and hope.

Bec BS375
Gospel in Esther
Paternoster Press         2002         156 p.         SC
Beckett, Michael
Christian tradition has long been hostile to the book of Esther. Many of the church fathers regarded it as uncanonical, believing it lacked a specifically religious perspective, making no mention of God or of prayer. But perhaps this short book of the Old Testament has more to say to us today than we would expect. The author presents an overtly Christian and typological reading of Esther, in which she is presented as a female exemplar of Christ. What would appear to be an entirely secular telling of a story of deliverance is shown to be a typological depiction of the universality of God’s grace and the all sufficiency of the sacrifice of Jesus, in whom God has done all that is necessary to save humankind.

Bid BS376  
Missing the Mark – Sin and Its Consequences in Biblical Theology
Abingdon Press         2005         190 p.         SC
Biddle, Mark E.
Sin has been flattened, trivialized, reduced to ‘crime,’ and completely misconstrued among us. With shrewdness and finesse, the author shows the ‘thickness’ of sin in the Bible, and the way in which sin, without reductionism, pertains to the deepest human reality.” Andrew Sung Park adds that the book “is a watershed in the biblical study of sin. Beyond simplistic understandings of sin, it is a comprehensive recovery of the biblical understanding of sin as an organic continuum of act, condition, and cause. Biddle’s view of sin lays a momentous biblical foundation for the healing of sinners trapped in vicious cycles.” It is “an indispensable tool for understanding the biblical conceptions of sin, salvation, and healing.”

Bin BS377
Advent of the Saviour: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives of Jesus    
The Liturgical Press         1996         69 p.         SC
Binz, Stephen J.
The Infancy Narratives of Jesus have enriched the lives of believers through the centuries. These infancy accounts serve as overtures to the writing of the evangelists and as bridges connecting the Old and New Testaments. They point back to the history of Israel and forward to the ministry of Jesus, culminating in his cross and resurrection. This book is ideal for adult education and Bible study groups, as well as for personal study and reflection on these Advent and Christmas texts.

Bla BS111
Living the Questions in Mark: A NavStudy Featuring “The Message”
NavPress         2005           139 p.         
Blasé, John
This modern Bible study uses Scripture from “The Message”  Bible. There are ten lessons based on the major questions in the Gospel of Mark. It also includes Psalms, and excerpts from Christian writers for comparative reading, as well as prayers and study questions — for leaders and participants. This resource is easy to read, follow and understand.

Bla BS219
Chosen to Be God’s Prophet: Lessons From the Life of Samuel
Thomas Nelson Publishers           2003             237 p.        SC 
Blackaby, Henry
As Christians we are not immune to crises. Like the Hebrews of old, bad things do happen in our personal lives and even in our churches. These defining moments can become times for God to call us, times for Him to work clearly and thoroughly in us. This book uncovers those defining moments in Samuel’s life and helps readers take a spiritual inventory of their own lives, ministries and families to discover their own “defining moments.”

Bla BS378
The Art of Teaching the Bible: A Practical Guide for Adults     
Geneva Press         2001         138 p.         SC
Blair, Christine Eaton
How can adult educators teach the Bible faithfully, engagingly, and creatively? Why do so few adults come to Bible study? The author clearly outlines a plan for motivating adults to use the tools and theological principles necessary to interpret biblical texts for themselves. She offers teachers of adults “a creative, fresh approach to preparing for teaching the Bible. Her careful research and extensive experience are presented in ways easily accessible to the teacher, making it a helpful resource for lay teachers, pastors, and educators whether they use published Bible study curriculum or create their own lesson plans from scratch.”

Blo BS296
Contagious Holiness: Jesus’ Meals with Sinners
Intervarsity Press         2005         216 p.         SC
Blomberg, Craig L.
One of humanity’s most basic and common practices – eating meals – was transformed by Jesus into an occasion of divine encounter. In sharing food and drink with his companions, he invited them to share in the grace of God. His redemptive mission was revealed in his eating with sinners, repentant and unrepentant alike. Jesus’ “table fellowship” with sinners in the Gospels has been widely agreed to be historically reliable. However, this consensus has recently been challenged, for example, by the claim that the “sinners” involved were the most flagrantly wicked within Israel’s society, not merely the ritually impure or those who did not satisfy strict Pharisaic standards of holiness. In this study Craig Blomberg engages with the debate and opens up the significance of the topic. He surveys meals in the Old Testament and the intertestamental period, examines all Gospel texts relevant to Jesus’ eating with sinners, and concludes with some contemporary applications.

Bor BS062
The Way According to Luke: Hearing the Whole Story of Luke-Acts
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company         2006   
Borgman, Paul
This engaging and lively reading of Luke-Acts attends to the balanced patterns, narrative echoes, and interlocking themes of Luke’s two-part story. By reading the narrative on its own terms as narrative art, Borgman recovers what is often missed – a coherent and compelling story of God’s message of peace. He presents rich insights into how these two books represent a dramatic unity and how the structure of oral literature forms the written text that we have today.

Bor BS215
Reading the Bible Again for the First Tim
HarperCollins Publishers           2001             321 p.        SC 
Borg, Marcus J.
In this thinking person’s guide to the Bible, the author offers a bold new understanding of Scripture that respects both tradition and reality, blending the best of biblical scholarship with a profound concern for authentic faith and how it can be lived today. Here is a way to take the Bible seriously, but not literally. In addition to historical and literary matters, the religious significance of the Bible for Christians is explored, with the purpose of addressing conflict about the Bible within the church.

Bor BS379 
Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time:
The Historical Jesus & the Heart of Contemporary Faith
HarperCollins Publishers (HarperOne)         1994         150 p.         SC
Borg, Marcus J.
The author examines the implications of newer historical Jesus research for today’s believers, and “provides an account of contemporary Jesus scholarship—told in simple language for lay readers—and of his personal struggle to fine authentic, mature faith.” He “directs his readers, especially those who have found no meaningful image of Jesus, away from confessed doctrines about Jesus (what the gospels and the churches say about Him) and toward a relationship with the Spirit of God.” This is “a fresh and imaginative picture of Jesus” from a writer “of rare lucidity, original scholarly insights, profound spirituality, and the universal capacity to connect it all to life in the present.”

Bor BS380       (out on loan, Jordan Waterbury, 2020)
The First Paul: 
Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church’s Conservative Icon 
HarperCollins Publishers (HarperOne)         2009         230 p.         SC
Borg, Marcus J.; and Crossan, John Dominic
Continuing in the tradition of The Last Week and The First Christmas, these world-renowned New Testament scholars use the best of biblical and historical scholarship to expose the Church’s conspiracy to silence Jesus’s most faithful disciple, the apostle Paul. According to one reviewer, “In this scholarly and engaging account, Paul is situated firmly in his first-century context and portrayed against the backdrop of history as a revolutionary figure who chose the way of Jesus as a countercultural alternative over the way of the Roman empire. This well-researched and highly readable account is recommended for all students of Paul as well as interested lay readers.”

Bra BS255
Song of Songs: Interpretation, July 2005
Union Theological Seminary/Presbyterian School of Christian Education   
2005             irr. p.           SC 
Brashler, James A.; and Balentine, Samuel E., eds.
Volume 59 Number 3 of the journal Interpretation takes an in depth look at the Song of Songs, with articles on Nature, Humanity, and Love in Song of Songs; The Arithmetic of Eros; The Delight of Beauty and Song of Songs 4:1 – 7; and Song of Songs: A Metaphorical Vision for Pastoral Care. Also included are major reviews on a number of new biblical books.

Bra BS297
Understanding the New Testament and its Message
Paulist Press         1998         412 p.         SC
Branick, Vincent P.
This comprehensive introduction to the New Testament combines the historical-critical method with a perspective of faith. Illustrated with photographs, charts and maps, it summarizes the scientific data regarding authorship, readership and literary structure. It then concentrates on the religious faith of each biblical author. It develops a specific portrait of Jesus, his saving death, and his return proper to each book. The author then provides his own reflections that deal with the challenge of reconciling these portrayals with traditional Christian faith.

Bro BS109
An Introduction to the Gospel of John
—         2003     — p.         
Brown, Raymond E.; and Maloney, Francis J., ed.
This survey of major issues in the study of the Fourth Gospel was originally intended as the introduction to a major revision of Brown’s  landmark Anchor Bible commentary on John. With thoroughness and respect for the work of others, even those in disagreement, Brown updates and moves beyond positions articulated three decades ago,  and Maloney adds an insightful introduction and conclusion, signposts for the shifts in Brown’s work, along with developments subsequent to his death. A current bibliography is included.

Bro BS165
101 Questions & Answers on the Bible
Paulist Press       1990       147 p.      SC
Brown, Raymond E.           
In this book the author, called by Time Magazine “probably the premier Catholic scripture scholar in the U.S.” during his lifetime, answers 101 questions he was most commonly asked on the Bible. Arranged topically, they cover a range of subjects, ranging from reasons for reading the Bible, to what Jesus knew, and the founding and structure of the early Church. Anyone who has read or reflected on the Bible will find questions here they wanted to ask, along with the concise responses of a noted biblical scholar.

Bro BS426 
The Birth of the Messiah: 
A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke
Doubleday & Company, Inc.         1977         594 p.          HC 
Brown, Raymond E.   
For many less conservative Christians, the infancy narratives are mere legends unworthy to be a vehicle of the pure Gospel message. They are simple folklore devoid of real theology, and fit only for romantics or the naive. Yet every Christmas, those ordained to parish ministry will include these readings. Faithful to the insights of historical criticism, the author writes about their role in the early Christian understanding of Jesus. He contends that each narrative  is the essential Gospel story in miniature, the Good News that God has made Himself present to us in the life of his Messiah.

Bru BS082
The Bible Makes Sense 
—         1980      155 p.     
Brueggemann, Walter
In this unique “how-to” book about the Bible, the author reveals an engaging biblical understanding of the world leading to joy, life, and wholeness. It is suggested that insiders to biblical faith will find energy and illumination that outsiders never guess at. The author proposes that Christians should approach the Bible, not as a collection of ancient documents, but as our partner in an ongoing dialogue about our lives here and now. He explains how to enter into this dialogue, how to listen, and how to respond. Suggestions for reflection, discussion, and meditation on particular passages provide outlines for group study and for the individual reader’s own prayerful Bible-reading.

Bry BS277
And God Spoke: The Authority of the Bible for the Church Today 
Cowley Publications                2002          149 p.           SC
Bryan, Christopher
A Scripture scholar and Anglican priest looks at the nature of the Bible’s authority and inspiration and how it can inform the Church’s decision-making today. He explores common questions about Scripture, such as: What do we mean when we say that Scripture is revelatory, inspired, and the Word of God? How do we define the Bible’s authority for the past and the future? What does a church that takes the Bible’s authority seriously actually look like? How does that church read, study, and pray with the Bible? This book offers essential guidelines for everyone who wonders about the authority of the Bible, and who wants to read it with attentiveness and understanding.

Bun BS283
The Woman’s Guide to the Bible
The Crossroad Publishing Company            1993         192 p.         HC
Bundesen, Lynne
The Bible is a narrative of spiritual power for woman, and this guide explores that narrative.Through looking at the women who are at the heart of the Bible, such as Sarah, Rebekah, Deborah, Mary, Priscilla and many others, the reader can understand the search for woman’s spiritually created identity. Breathtaking and compassionate, here is a new way to look at the Scriptures, free of some of the assumptions made by scholars and theologians of the past.

Bur BS298
Faith Odyssey: A Journey through Life
William B. Eerdmans         2003         226 p.         SC
Burridge, Richard A.
To boldly go where no Christian Book has gone before…Faith Odyssey is a Bible study unlike any other ever written. The author invites readers to explore the journey of faith through fifty short devotional readings that combine Scripture with stories from science fiction and popular culture. For each day, passages from the Bible are placed alongside stories drawn from literature, television, and film – from Homer’s Odyssey to Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, from Star Trek to Star Wars, from Dune to The Matrix, from the charms of Narnia to the spells of Harry Potter. Imaginative yet deep, these reflections trace with flair and relevance the Christian pilgrimage against the background of today’s world.

Bur BS340  
The Bible Now – Its Meaning and Use for Christians Today
The Seabury Press         1981           208 p.         SC
Burns, Paul and Cumming, John
No abstract.

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