Baptism

About: Baptism is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2387 publications have been published within this topic receiving 15146 citations. The topic is also known as: christening.

Systematic Theology : An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine

Abstract: Includes treatments of subjects of contemporary interest, such as baptism of the Spirit, spiritual gifts, and the ministry of women.

The theology of Paul the Apostle

Abstract: The Theology of Paul the Apostle, by James D. G. Dunn. Grand Rapids/Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 1998. Pp. xvi + 808. $45.00/29.95. Into this massive volume Professor Dunn has poured both his vast learning and his passion for his hero, Paul. The result is detail (sometimes, perhaps, tedious) wedded with engagement (sometimes, certainly, enthusiastic). In his "Prolegomena" the author lays out the basic judgments that determine the structure and character of what is to follow. It is important to mention a few. ( 1 ) "Theology" is to be assigned a breadth that includes worship and ethics. "A theology remote from everyday living would not be a theology of Paul" (p. 9). (2) Paul's theology must be constructed out of a synthetic analysis of all the authentic letters. (3) Yet Paul's theology is more than the sum total of the statements in his letters, since they imply and depend upon a larger theological structure. Dunn uses the image of the iceberg: what we see suggests much of what we cannot see. This is dangerous water (the reader will pardon the metaphor), since it provides opportunity for the researcher to find just about anything. What Dunn finds is a flourishing Judaism, complete with frequent allusions to Torah and the teaching of Jesus. (4) As a structure for his book, Dunn proposes to use, as far as possible, Paul's outline in Romans, since that is Paul's own, most mature, structure. Along with a number of scholars, Dunn rejects the idea of a static "center" in Paul, although he is prepared to accept Beker's term, "coherence." Some allowance must be made for fluidity and even development. (5) And what should be the attitude of the researcher to Paul? Dunn states it clearly: "The most fruitful dialogues depend on a degree of sympathy of the one dialogue partner for the concerns of the other" (p. 12). This is preferable to "a hostile hermeneutic of suspicion" found in some interpreters, especially, apparently, those who investigate Paul's rhetoric (he names no names). Whether or not Dunn's structure is always aligned with that of Romans, it does suggest that of a theological handbook. First the author describes Paul's God, a God who is consistently Jewish. "Paul's conversion had not changed his belief in and about God" (p. 29). Then comes the human as created and finite, followed by the human in sin. At this point Christ enters the scheme: the historical person, the crucified (perhaps for Dunn the key concept), the resurrected, the preexistent, the eschatological. In the section on "the crucified" it is interesting to see that Dunn lumps together Paul's statements about sacrifice, redemption, reconciliation, and christus victor, but not grace and justification. After the event of Christ salvation can begin (in this chapter comes grace as event, justification by faith, participation in Christ, spirit, and baptism). But this has to be followed by the process of salvation, which includes treatment of Romans 9-11. The final chapters deal with the church and ethics. I detail his structure because an author's perspective is so clearly revealed in it. For example, how different the outcome might have been if the topics of grace and justification were part of the discussion about God or Christ! Who is the Paul that emerges from this book? First of all, he remains a Jew in heart and mind. What has been added to his Judaism, of course, is the belief that Jesus is God's chosen one, the center of whose activity is the saving activity in the cross. What is changed in his Judaism is liberation from the narrow pride of a community which saw itself as singly called by God. …

The Oxford companion to the Bible

Abstract: The Bible has had an immeasurable influence on Western culture, touching on virtually every aspect of our lives. It is one of the great wellsprings of Western religious, ethical, and philosophical traditions. It has been an endless source of inspiration to artists and writers, and for countless generations, it has been a comfort in suffering; a place to reflect on the mysteries of birth, death, and immortality. Its stories and characters are an integral part of the repertoire of every educated adult, forming an enduring bond that spans thousands of years and embraces a vast community of believers and nonbelievers. The Oxford Companion to the Bible provides an authoritative one-volume reference to the people, places, events, books, institutions, religious belief, and secular influence of the Bible. Written by more than 250 scholars from some 20 nations and embracing a wide variety of perspectives, the Companion offers over seven hundred informative entries. These range from brief identifications (who is Dives? Where is Pisgah?) to extensive interpretive essays on topics as diverse as the Bible's influence on music, immortality, ethics, grace, baptism, and the Holy Spirit. The contributors also explore biblical views of modern issues such as homosexuality, marriage, and anti-Semitism, and the impact of the Bible on the secular world. Of course, the Companion can also serve as a handy reference, the first place to turn to find factual information on the Bible. Readers will find fascinating, informative articles on all the books of the Bible - including the Apocrypha, Dead Sea Scrolls, and many other ancient texts. Virtually every figure who walked across the biblical stage is identified here, ranging from Rebekah, Rachel, and Mary, to Joseph, Barabbas, and Jesus. The Companion also offers entries that shed light on daily life in ancient Israel and the earliest Christian communities, with fascinating articles on feasts and festivals, clothing, medicine, units of time, houses, and furniture. Finally, there are twenty-eight pages of full-colour maps, providing an accurate, detailed portrait of the biblical world. A vast compendium of information related to scriptures, here is an ideal complement to the Bible, an essential volume for every home and library, the first place to turn for information on the central book of Western culture. Includes: Aaron, Angels, Apocrypha, Assyria, Baptism, Chapter and Verse Divisions, Cherub, Dead Sea Scrolls, Feminism and the Bible, Freud and the Bible, Leaven, the Gospel According to Luke, Miriam, Music and the Bible, the Book of Ruth, Suffering, Tabernacle, Zion.

Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture

Abstract: In this history of the rise of pentecostalism in the United States, Grant Wacker gives an indepth account of the religious practices of pentecostal churches as well as an engaging picture of the way these beliefs played out in daily life. The core tenets of pentecostal belief - personal salvation, Holy Ghost baptism, divine healing, and anticipation of the Lord's imminent return - took root in the first quarter of the 20th century. Wacker examines the various aspects of pentecostal culture, including rituals, speaking in tongues, the authority of the Bible, the central role of Jesus in everyday life, the gifts of prophecy and healing, ideas about personal appearance, women's roles, race relations, attitudes toward politics and the government. Tracking the daily lives of pentecostals, and paying close attention to the voices of individual men and women, Wacker is able to identify the reason for the movement's spectacular success: a demonstrated ability to balance idealistic and pragmatic impulses, to adapt distinct religious convictions in order to meet the expectations of modern life.

Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours?

Abstract: Frontispiece New Foreword Foreword to previous edition Author's Preface Antecedent Conditions Strategic Points Class Moral and Social Condition The Presentation of the Gospel Miracles Finance The Substance of St Paul's Preaching The training of Converts The Teaching The Training of Candidates for Baptism and Ordination St Paul's Method of Dealing with Organised Churches Authority and Discipline Unity Conclusions Principles Application Epilogue Index to Biblical References.