What historical, political, and ecclesial realities drove the canonization of the New Testament? How are the doctrines of Early Christianity related to the formation of the New Testament? Should the New Testament differ in authority from other early Christian texts? As these questions demonstrate, the enduring influence of the New Testament does not lessen the dispute over the events and factors leading to its adoption. Five Views on the New Testament Canon presents five distinct ways of understanding how the New Testament came to be: • A Conservative Evangelical Perspective -- Darian R. Lockett • A Progressive Evangelical Perspective -- David R. Nienhuis • A Liberal Protestant Perspective -- Jason David BeDuhn • A Roman Catholic Perspective -- Ian Boxall • An Orthodox Perspective -- George L. Parsenios Each contributor addresses historical, theological, and hermeneutical questions related to the New Testament canon, such as what factors precipitated the establishment and recognition of the New Testament canon; the basis of any authority the New Testament has; and what the canon means for reading and interpreting the New Testament. Contributors also include a chapter each responding to the other views presented in the volume. The result is a lively exchange suitable for both undergraduate and graduate students seeking to grasp the best canon scholarship in biblical studies.

The first of a two-volume project delving into the doctrine of justification. Michael Horton seeks not simply to recover a clear message of its role in modern Reformed theology, but also to bring a fresh discovery of the gospel in a time when contemporary debates around justification have reignited. The doctrine of justification stands at the center of our systematic reflection on the meaning of salvation and grace as well as our piety, mission, and life together. And yet, within mainline Protestant and evangelical theology, it's often taken for granted or left to gather dust in favor of modern concerns and self-renewal. Volume 1 is an exercise in historical theology, exploring the doctrine of justification from the patristic era to the Reformation. This book: Provides a map for contemporary discussions of justification, identifying and engaging principal sources: Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Gabriel Biel, and the magisterial reformers. Studies the transformations of the doctrine through Aquinas, Scotus and the nominalists leading up to the era of the Reformation and the Council of Trent. Concludes by examining the hermeneutical and theological significance of the Reformers' understanding of the law and the gospel and the resultant covenantal scheme that became formative in Reformed theology. Engaging and thorough, Justification will not only reenergize the reader—whether Protestant or Catholic—with a passion for understanding this essential and long-running doctrinal conversation, but also challenge anyone to engage critically with the history of the Church and the heart of the gospel.

Spiritual Canon is an extensive and broad subject. It is not limited to the Canonical prayers or the Lord's prayer or even genufl ecting, (Matania), neither is it the reading of the Bible and spiritual books, nor adhering to the Sacraments of Confession and Eucharist. It is more intense than that.We should not be concerned only with the external appearance of the Spiritual Canon: counting how many times we prayed or how well recited. More importantly is the spirit by which we carry our spiritual practices.May our Lord enlighten us and bestow on us His grace to practice these Rules. May the Holy Spirit pave the path and help us in our spiritual walk all the days of our lives.

This volume tells the story of the interaction between Christianity and law-historically and today, in the traditional heartlands of Christianity and around the globe. Sixty new chapters by leading scholars provide authoritative and accessible accounts of foundational Christian teachings on law and legal thought over the past two millennia; the current interaction and contestation of law and Christianity on all continents; how Christianity shaped and was shaped by core public, private, penal, and procedural laws; various old and new forms of Christian canon law, natural law theory, and religious freedom norms; Christian teachings on fundamental principles of law and legal order; and Christian contributions to controversial legal issues. Together, the chapters make clear that Christianity and law have had a perennial and permanent influence on each other over time and across cultures, albeit with varying levels of intensity and effectiveness. This volume defines "Christianity" broadly to include Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions and various denominations and schools of thought within them. It draws on Christian ideas and institutions, norms and practices, texts and titans to tell the story of Christianity's engagement with the world of law over the past two millennia. The volume also defines "law" broadly as the normative order of justice, power, and freedom. The chapters address natural laws of conscience, reason, and the Bible and positive laws enacted by states, churches, and voluntary associations. Several chapters focus on Christian engagement with specific types of law: canon law, family law, education law, constitutional law, criminal law, procedural law, and laws governing labor, tax, contracts, torts, property, and beyond. Other chapters take up cutting edge legal issues of racial justice, environmental care, migration, euthanasia, and (bio)technology as well as fundamental legal principles of liberty, dignity, equality, justice, equity, judgment, and solidarity.

Mankind is created in the image and likeness of God for the purpose of sharing in the Divine Life and participating in the blessedness of the infinite glory and goodness of the Holy Trinity. This Beatific Vision is not seeing God in His essence, but rather seeing God by possessing Him within oneself. Communion with God is attained through the cooperation of the divine and human will, whereby the follower of Jesus Christ puts on Christ through the sacraments of the Church and imitates the life of Christ through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. Amen. Jesus describes in the opening words of His Sermon on the Mount all that produces beatitude. The very intent of the Beatitudes is to issue the Father’s divine call for man to enter in the blessedness of the Divine Life. Therefore, the Beatitudes illuminate the pathway to theosis (“deification” or “divinization”), which is a journey of eternal progress in the virtuous life by which a perpetual transformation is made into the likeness of God from glory to glory. The Scriptures and the patristic writings of the Church Fathers provide the theological foundation of this book, the objective of which is to provide a guide for the soul to consciously advance in the spiritual life toward the divine goal of theosis in a step-by-step, concrete way. Dr. Christopher J. Mertens is a deacon in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. He serves at the parish of Saint Basil the Great in Hampton, Virginia. He received a master’s degree in Applied Orthodox Theology from the Antiochian House of Studies in partnership with the Saint John of Damascus School of Theology of the University of Balamand in the Republic of Lebanon, under the aegis of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch. He is a Knight of the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch. He holds a PhD in Physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a Senior Research Physicist at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. His areas of research are space weather and geospace environment modeling, galactic and solar cosmic rays, space and atmospheric ionizing radiation and dosimetry. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles on his scientific research. He is a recipient of the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Metal and numerous other professional awards. Father Deacon Christopher and his wife, Rhonda, reside in Toano, Virginia. They have two adult daughters and two grandchildren. Publishers Maxim Hodak & Max Mendor

We human beings have messed up so badly. We have atomized the Body of Christ so that only a miracle can heal the wounds of the Body again. But God is already acting to heal the Body of His Son, as you will see in part 1 of the book. This book does not deal in generalities when it comes to Christians. It views the Body of Christ as one big family complete with a mother; our heavenly Father; His Son, who is the head of the Body; and children, kissin' cousins, aunts, uncles, and so forth. Oh, yes, we have had our fights, but they have all been family fights. Now this book issues a challenge to all of the members of the family: Appreciate one another's heritage and bring it to the table of the Lord. This book is also a call to greater evangelism and mission, but it by and large recognizes that the churches are going all out to bring the world to Christ. Its Gods Time Its Kingdom Time Its the Fullness of Time Its Gods Opportunity!

This book is a study of Byzantine canon law which, although usually neglected by legal-historical research, Dr Wagschal argues is a fascinating and complex legal system of considerable coherence and sophistication, with many implications for our broader understanding of Christian culture and thought.

Historically, natural law has played a pivotal role in Christian approaches to the law, and a contested role in legal philosophy generally. However, comparative study of natural law across global Christian traditions is largely neglected. This book provides not only the history of natural law ideas across mainstream Christian traditions worldwide, but also an ecumenical comparison of the contemporary natural law positions of different traditions. Its focus is not solely theoretical: it tests the practical utility of natural law by exploring its use in the legal systems of the churches studied. Alongside analysis of the assumptions underlying the concept, it also proposes a jurisprudence of Christian law itself. With chapters written by distinguished lawyers and theologians across the world, this book is designed for those studying and teaching law or theology, those who practice and study ecumenism, and those involved in the practice of church law.

About the Contributor(s): Aidan Nichols, OP, is a member of the Dominican community at Blackfriers, Cambridge, and the author of numerous books on Eastern and Western theology and Church history.