N.T. Wright’s next book published will not in fact be Paul and the Faithfulness of God; rather, it will be: The Case for the Psalms (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2013). Due for release in September. There’s an endorsement from Former ABC Rowan Williams: “A characteristic blend of learning, personal insight and spiritual perception. This book will be of enormous help to Christians who want to know how to make fuller use of one of the greatest scriptural resources for prayer.” Read more

Douglas Campbell has a new article in Pro Ecclesia (12 [2013]: 129-52) on “Paul’s Apocalyptic Politics,” an illustrating piece which ends with the words: The Christian colony is well aware that while Christ lives Adam lives on as well, in an ontologically parasitic but visibly dominant fashion. And he lives on in the members of the Christian colony, bar one. The solution that the colony offers to the cosmos then is only a solution as its activities correspond to the activity of God and resist correspondence... Read more

SPCK has produced two wonderfully picturesque Bible resources for lay people and those beginning biblical studies.   First, The SPCK Bible Guide edited by Henry Wansbrough provides a summary of every chapter of the Bible, concurrently coordinated with a variety of themes. The pages include introductions to the biblical books, commentaries on key chapters, and filled with lovely photos from historic Christian art. Second, The SPCK Bible Atlas is a wonderfully graphic collection of maps, pictures, artwork, and introductions about places in the biblical world,... Read more

Scot McKnight has an earnest plea to Bring Paul Back and he includes a nice little plug about the Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters. Read more

For my Ridley College students during this exam/essay season, heed the LOTR wisdom: Read more

I’m glad to announce that Ridley Melbourne has launched The Ridley Certificate which is a fully integrated on-line multi-media  course designed for interested students, lay people, and church groups to grow in their knowledge of the Bible, Christian service, and theological doctrine. Here’s the promo video:  The certificate has some great units such as “Bible Overview,” “Ministry Skills,” “Christian Beliefs,”  “1 Corinthians,” and “Apologetics” to name a few. It also has some great teachers including Brian Rosner, Michael Raiter,  Andrew Reid, Tim... Read more

The Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, preached a sermon in Venezuela about seeing the glory of others. In the course of her sermon, she says what I think is the strangest and stupidest thing I have ever  heard/read for a sermon. In her sermon, she recalls Acts 16 and the story about the demon-possessed slave girl who prophesied. This is what Jefferts Schori has to say: There are some remarkable examples of that kind... Read more

Coming out from Eerdmans around late November is All Things to All Cultures: Paul Among Jews, Greeks, and Romans edited by Mark Harding and Alanna Nobbs. It looks to me very much like a “Macquarie Uni and Friends” project with several contributors from Macquarie University where the history department is known for its robust treatment of early church sociology and archaeology in the ancient world (check out the works of E.A. Judge and the New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity Series). I’m glad to say... Read more

Over at ABC Religion and Ethics, Simon Smart of CPX has a piece on Count Your Blessings: A Religious America, where he looks at Rodney Stark’s book Americas Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists. According to Stark, religion makes America better socially, economically, and even improves fertility rates among the population (apparently the religious have more sex)! Smart warns that, “No doubt Stark’s work will draw howls of protest, but he can’t be too swiftly dismissed as a religious... Read more

I just got a brochure on my desk for the Wycliffe Hall (Oxford) School of Preaching for 2013 is on: “How to Preach the Gospel from the Gospels.”  A subject near and dear to my heart. Speakers include Steve Walton, David Wenham, and Justin Hardin. Read more