For more than five centuries, parents, teachers, and preachers in Europe and America have written and illustrated Bibles especially for children. These children's Bibles vary widely, featuring different stories, various interpretations, and markedly divergent illustrations, despite their common source. How children's Bibles differ, and why, is the subject of this ground-breaking book, the first to recognize children's Bibles as a distinct genre with its own literary, historical, and cultural significance.

We Believe in the Holy Spirit: Global Perspectives on Lutheran Identities Today the concept of "identity" is contested against the backdrop of myriad forms of social, political, economic and ecological exclusion. How is identity expressed in a global Lutheran tradition whose members share common biblical, liturgical, confessional, theological and spiritual foundations, yet represent diverse cultures and traditions? At the end of 2019, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) hosted a global consultation on contemporary Lutheran identities, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The result is the papers presented in this publication. The authors – church leaders, young Christians, theologians, lay and ordained practitioners in local communities – explore the Spirit's work to revive and equip the faithful for vocation through the ministry of the church today and into the future of the Lutheran communion. [Wir glauben an den Heiligen Geist: Lutherische Identitäten aus weltweiter Perspektive] Vor dem Hintergrund der vielfältigen Formen von gesellschaftlicher, politischer, wirtschaftlicher und ökologischer Ausgrenzung ist das Konzept einer "Identität" in unserer aktuellen Zeit höchst umstritten. Wie wird Identität in einer globalen lutherischen Glaubenstradition zum Ausdruck gebracht, deren Anhängerinnen und Anhänger zwar gemeinsame biblische, gottesdienstliche, konfessionelle, theologische und spirituelle Grundfeste haben, aber gleichzeitig aus ganz unterschiedlichen Kulturen und Traditionen kommen? Ende 2019 hat der Lutherische Weltbund (LWB)in Addis Abeba, Äthiopien, eine globale Konsultation zu lutherischen Identitäten von heute veranstaltet. Das Ergebnis dieser Konsultation sind die Abhandlungen in dieser Publikation. Die Autorenschaft – Kirchenleitende, junge Erwachsene, Theologie-Fachleute, ordinierte und nicht-ordinierten Fachleute aus Ortsgemeinden – untersucht das Wirken des Heiligen Geistes, der die Gläubigen für ihre Berufung durch den Dienst der Kirche von heute und die Zukunft der lutherischen Kirchengemeinschaft neu belebt und zurüstet.

Formerly known by its subtitle "Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete", the International Review of Biblical Studies has served the scholarly community ever since its inception in the early 1950's. Each annual volume includes approximately 2,000 abstracts and summaries of articles and books that deal with the Bible and related literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigrapha, Non-canonical gospels, and ancient Near Eastern writings. The abstracts - which may be in English, German, or French - are arranged thematically under headings such as e.g. "Genesis", "Matthew", "Greek language", "text and textual criticism", "exegetical methods and approaches", "biblical theology", "social and religious institutions", "biblical personalities", "history of Israel and early Judaism", and so on. The articles and books that are abstracted and reviewed are collected annually by an international team of collaborators from over 300 of the most important periodicals and book series in the fields covered.

The essays by Heikki Raisanen (1941-2015) collected in this volume deal with a broad array of topics, ranging from early Christian identities to bibliodrama and other modern-day approaches to the scriptures. The exegetical studies in the first part explore issues related to early Christian eschatology, virginal conception, and Paul's complex argumentation about the Jews and their salvation in Romans 9-11. The essays on ancient and modern interpretations of the Bible in the second part pay special attention to ethical issues, address the "dark sides" of its reception, and discuss the biblical interpretations of Marcion and Joseph Smith. The third section comprises studies on the Bible and Qur'an, while the concluding chapter provides a comprehensive description of the Bible as scripture from a comparative perspective.

Whoever starts on a Journey should be prepared for surprises! The Old Testament offers a wealth of wonderful stories. The stories talk about people who are on a quest for God with all their heart and soul. About skeptics, unhappy people, and enthusiasts. About people just like you and me. About life as it is. With all its worries, anxieties, and unfairness. But also about God who makes His face shine upon us. Who does not abandon us. We should not deprive our children of this hope. If we read these stories with them, we can awaken their longing for God. We may perhaps also arouse their curiosity. And touch their heart and move their mind with pictures from two thousand years of art. Thus igniting a life-long journey in search of God. With easy-to-understand picture explanations for children and textual commentaries for adults. A read-aloud book for children ages 5 and up, a book to be read on one’s own for children ages 8 and up, and a book to lose yourself in for adults of all ages.

Medieval pilgrims not only worshipped relics, they also venerated statues and paintings. These images or idols' were of particular importance in the day-to-day religion of ordinary people judged superstitious by the Church.