Paul and the Faithfulness of God 1 and 2

Volume 1: This first volume in the series Christian Origins and the Question of God provides a historical, theological, and literary study of first-century Judaism and Christianity. Wright offers a preliminary discussion of the meaning of the word god within those cultures, as he explores the ways in which developing an understanding of those first-century cultures are of relevance for the modern world. Volume 2: In this highly anticipated volume, N.T. Wright focuses directly on the historical Jesus: Who was he? What did he say? And what did he mean by it? Wright begins by showing how the questions posed by Albert Schweitzer a century ago remain central today. Then he sketches a profile of Jesus in terms of his prophetic praxis, his subversive stories, the symbols by which he reordered his world, and the answers he gave to the key questions that any world view must address. The examination of Jesus' aims and beliefs, argued on the basis of Jesus' actions and their accompanying riddles, is sure to stimulate heated response. Wright offers a provocative portrait of Jesus as Israel's Messiah who would share and bear the fate of the nation and would embody the long-promised return of Israel's God to Zion. Volume 3: Why did Christianity begin, and why did it take the shape it did? To answer this question, which any historian must face, renowned New Testament scholar N.T. Wright focuses on the key question: what precisely happened at Easter? What did the early Christians mean when they said that Jesus of Nazareth had been raised from the dead? What can be said today about this belief? This book ... sketches a map of ancient beliefs about life after death, in both the Greco-Roman and Jewish worlds. It then highlights the fact that the early Christians' belief about the afterlife belonged firmly on the Jewish spectrum, while introducing several new mutations and sharper definitions. This, together with other features of early Christianity, forces the historian to read the Easter narratives in the gospels, not simply as late rationalizations of early Christian spirituality, but as accounts of two actual events: the empty tomb of Jesus and his 'appearances.' How do we explain these phenomena? The early Christians' answer was that Jesus had indeed been bodily raised from the dead; that was why they hailed him as the messianic 'son of God.' No modern historian has come up with a more convincing explanation. Facing this question, we are confronted to this day with the most central issues of worldview and theology. Volume 4: This highly anticipated two-book ... volume in N.T. Wright's magisterial series ... is destined to become the standard reference point on the subject for all serious students of the Bible and theology. The mature summation of a lifetime's study, this landmark book pays a rich tribute to the breadth and depth of the apostle's vision, and offers an unparalleled wealth of detailed insights into his life, times, and enduring impact. Wright carefully explores the whole context of Paul's thought and activity Jewish, Greek and Roman, cultural, philosophical, religious, and imperial and shows how the apostle's worldview and theology enabled him to engage with the many-sided complexities of first-century life that his churches were facing. Wright also provides close and illuminating readings of the letters and other primary sources, along with critical insights into the major twists and turns of exegetical and theological debate in the vast secondary literature. The result is a rounded and profoundly compelling account of the man who became the world's first, and greatest, Christian theologian."--Publisher descriptions. "This text [v. 4] is printed in two book sections: First book comprises Parts I and II and frontmatter. Second book has Parts III and IV plus bibliography and indices. This highly anticipated two-book fourth volume in N.T. Wrights magisterial series, Christian Origins and the Question of God, is destined to become the standard reference point on the subject for all serious students of the Bible and theology. The mature summation of a lifetimes study, this landmark book pays a rich tribute to the breadth and depth of the apostles vision, and offers an unparalleled wealth of detailed insights into his life, times, and enduring impact. Wright carefully explores the whole context of Paul's thought and activity--Jewish, Greek and Roman, cultural, philosophical, religious, and imperial--and shows how the apostles worldview and theology enabled him to engage with the many-sided complexities of first-century life that his churches were facing. Wright also provides close and illuminating readings of the letters and other primary sources, along with critical insights into the major twists and turns of exegetical and theological debate in the vast secondary literature. The result is a rounded and profoundly compelling account of the man who became the worlds first, and greatest, Christian theologian"--Publisher description Book 1. Part I. Paul and his world. Return of the runaway? Like birds overhead : the faithfulness of the God of Israel Athene and her owl : the wisdom of the Greeks A cock for Asclepius : 'religion' and 'culture' in Paul's world The eagle has landed : Rome and the challenge of empire Part II. The mindset of the apostle. A bird in the hand? : the symbolic praxis of Paul's world The plot, the plan and the storied worldview Five signposts to the apostolic mindset Book 2. Part III. Paul's theology. The one God of Israel, freshly revealed The people of God, freshly reworked God's future for the world, freshly imagined Part IV. Paul in history. The lion and the eagle : Paul in Caesar's empire A different sacrifice : Paul and 'religion' The foolishness of God : Paul among the philosophers To know the place for the first time : Paul and his Jewish context Sign of the new creation : Paul's aims and achievements.