Charles E. Hill

The atonement is the crown jewel of Christian doctrine. And it is the responsibility of each generation of theologians to preserve its heritage, explore its facets and allow its radiance to illumine their day. With The Glory of the Atonement editors Charles E. Hill and Frank A. James III, along with a group of expert contributors, attempt to fulfill this trust at the dawn of a new millennium. The Glory of the Atonement is divided into three parts -- biblical, historical and practical -- with each section introduced by an overview essay. In part one evangelical biblical scholars explore the atonement within the contours of Scripture, looking first at the atonement in the Pentateuch, Psalm 51 and Isaiah 53, and then more closely at the major texts of the New Testament. In part two historical and systematic theologians weigh the atonement in the ancient, medieval and Reformation traditions. The primary perspective of the contributors is the Reformed tradition, which is further represented by essays on John Calvin, Herman Bavinck and Karl Barth. A timely capstone to this historical view is a stimulating consideration of the atonement and postmodernism. Finally, the implications of the atonement are brought home in part three with a look at the atonement in contemporary preaching and Christian living. Here is a full-course feast for ministers of the Word, a textbook for students of the Bible and theology, and a valuable resource for any theological library. - Publisher.

The Bible contains four Gospels which tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth. And yet, many more Gospels once existed. Who, then, determined which Gospels would, for the next two thousand years, serve as the main gateways to Jesus and his teaching? Recent books and films have traced the decision to a series of fourth-century councils and powerful bishops. After achieving victory over their rivals for the Christian name, these key players, we are now told, conspired to 'rewrite history' to make it look like their version of Christianity was the original one preached by Jesus and his apostles: the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John became the prime tools for their re-sculpting of the Christian story, leading to the destruction of previously treasured writings like the Gospels of Judas, Mary, and Thomas. Are the four canonical Gospels, then, in the Bible as the result of a great, ecclesiastical conspiracy? Or does this explanation itself represent another 'rewriting of history', this time by a group of modern academics? Who Chose the Gospels? takes us to the scholarship behind the headlines, examining the great (and ongoing) controversy about how to look at ancient books about Jesus. How the four Biblical Gospels emerged into prominence among their competitors is a crucial question for everyone interested in understanding the historical Jesus and the development of the Christian church.

The books traditionally associated with John the Apostle constitute a major portion of the Christian New Testament. The influence of these books, particularly the Gospel according to John and the book of Revelation, has been immense both in Christianity and in Western culture. This study provides a fresh examination of how these books were accepted--or not accepted--in the early Church, and in so doing demonstrates why long-held theories about them must be discarded and replaced. - Publisher.

"This book adds significantly to our understanding of the life and rhetorical work of Polycarp of Smyrna, one of the most important figures in post-apostolic Christianity. It proposes that two sources of his teaching may be identified and restored to him: the oral teaching preserved by Irenaeus of Lyons in Against Heresies 4.27.1-32.1, and the writing known as the Ad Diognetum."--BOOK JACKET.