This book is about the names given to Jesus by those followers responsible for putting his words and deeds into writing-the earliest "Christian scribes." In the first-century Mediterranean world, the first name of male person was his proper name. The second name indicated the family or clan to which he belonged, whereas the third name was an "honorary title" bestowed on him because of some achievement, good fortune, physical attribute, or "special excellence." Honorary titles were bestowed on Jesus mostly after his death. Such titles were often given to sages. The titles could either amplify Jesus' wisdom and empower people, or serve as instruments of power. This book aims to demonstrate the ideological and political mystification of Jesus in the transmission of the tradition about him. It illustrates the relevance of --The social history of formative Christianity; --The evolution of the Jesus traditions; --The genre of the gospels as biography; and --The institutionalization of charismatic authority.

Making sense of Jesus is comprised of twelve chapters of a Christological nature, which are the result of a multidisciplinary theological research project. The aim of this book is to ascertain how, in the current cultural situation, an encounter with Jesus is determined by specific historical and personal conditions, and what the consequences of such an encounter may be.

Margaret Froelich examines the Gospel of Mark using political and empire-critical methodologies, following postcolonial thinkers in perceiving a far more ambivalent message than previous pacifistic interpretations of the text. She argues that Mark does not represent an entirely new way of thinking about empire or cosmic structures, but rather exhibits concepts and structures with which the author and his audience are already familiar in order to promote the Kingdom of God as a better version of the encroaching Roman Empire. Froelich consequently understands Mark as a response to the physical, ideological, and cultural displacement of the first Roman/Judean War. By looking to Greek, Roman, and Jewish texts to determine how first-century authors thought of conquest and expansion, Froelich situates the Gospel directly in a historical and socio-political context, rather than treating that context as a mere backdrop; concluding that the Gospel portrays the Kingdom of God as a conquering empire with Jesus as its victorious general and client king.

This book is the second of two volumes which reflect on the trend in biblical scholarship that contrasts the vision of the historical Jesus with that of the apostle Paul, on the one hand, and the vision of Paul with that of the evangelist Matthew, on the other. It argues that Jesus replaced the concept of ‘politics of holiness’ with that of ‘politics of compassion’. This means that the church as a community of Jesus-followers forms a fictive family, replacing a soteriology grounded in the biological family. God’s adoption of people as ‘God’s children’ is based on the potential of people to absorb the divine into their humanity. This truism is to be found in the visions shared by the peasant Jesus, the apostle Paul and the rabbi Matthew, as well as in creedal Christianity. The book concludes with autobiographical reflective notes, analogous to the parabolic story of the travellers to Emmaus from Jerusalem (Luke 24) and that of the African eunuch (Acts 8) on his way back from Jerusalem to Africa. The notes serve to consolidate the two volumes on Jesus, Paul and Matthew and their messages of God’s wisdom, justice and mercy.

'The pages of this book represent the quest of a man intent on discerning the nature of structural evil in light of the biblical evidence. His experience of living for a time in Latin American and witnessing extensive social and political oppression appears to have moved him profoundly. The end result is a book that is a model of the attempt to integrate scholarship with faith.'--Clinton E. Arnold, Catalyst

What appeals to me intellectually and emotionally about your book is that reading these pieces together creates a very new context to hold the experience of life. Spirituality, what you call meditation, is the glue that holds all the parts together. I feel that all your contributors are committed to integrate the fragments of what knowledge and methods we have acquired with real life experience. John Lounibos, PhD Intimate Meanderings is an inspiring array of insight and bears witness to human life and our innate movement towards wholeness. Roshi Wendy Egyoku Nakao, Abbot ZCLA, Buddha Essence Temple This book is an amazing potpourri of wisdom. Intimate Meanderings should be required reading in every Jesuit tent. Dan Berrigan, S.J. Most memoirs are I-full. Morgan gives us a lot of We-full. Robert Blair Kaiser Intimate Meanderings shares the wisdom, inner-thoughts, and vast experiences of over twenty-five contributors who offer their inspiring reflections on meditation, religion, community involvement, hospice, and death, ultimately piquing spiritual and literary curiosity for those contemplating their own pilgrimage through life. A glance at the list of contributors, their articles, conversations, and poems illustrates their breadth and depth as well as diversity; personal historiesboth positive and negativethat need to be told and not forgotten; spiritual journeys that still have a powerful impact; and poetry that captures emotional and motivational moments. Zo-Callahan and friends honestly communicate their deepest desires and yearnings as they explore the inner and inter-relational processes of obtaining serenity and joy.

Journal of the American Name Society.

For the first time in history, large numbers of people from the world’s major non-Christian religions are following Jesus as Lord. Surprisingly for many Western Christians, they are choosing to do so within the religious communities of their birth and outside of institutional Christianity. How does this work, and how should we respond to these movements? This long-awaited anthology brings together some of the best writings on the topic of insider movements. Diverse voices explore this phenomenon from the perspectives of Scripture, history, theology, missiology, and the experience and identity of insider believers. Those who are unfamiliar with the subject will find this book a crucial guide to a complex conversation. Students and instructors of mission will find it useful as a reader and reference volume. Field workers and agencies will discover in these chapters welcome starting points for dialogue and clearer communication. The first book to provide a comprehensive survey of the topic of insider movements, Understanding Insider Movements is an indispensable companion for those who want to glimpse the creative, unexpected, boundary-crossing ways God is at work among the peoples of the world in their diverse religious communities.

This is a volume of cross-disciplinary essays focused on the enigmatic story of the woman taken in adultery (John 7.53--8.11). Explorations of the background, history and interpretation of the passage are offered, including investigations of the adulterous woman motif in Old Testament, New Testament, rabbinic, patristic and mediaeval writings. There are also treatments of the motif as it appears in other cultural expressions, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter, and assessments of the theme's significance for contemporary theologies, in particular for feminist and pastoral approaches. The contributors represent a wide range of professional and ecclesiological backgrounds.