6
Bibles
Christian Life & Practice
Aby Puthukulangara
Laura Jurgens
Ecclesia in Ephesians
Martin Luther and Women
A Theology of an Undivided Apostolic Church in the Letter to the Ephesians
Theology and Lived Experience New York, 2020. XIV, 162 pp.
Berlin, 2021. 284 pp. Forum Fundamentaltheologie. Vol. 11
hb. • ISBN 978-1-4331-7939-6 CHF 98.– / €D 84.95 / €A 87.10 / € 79.20 / £ 64.– / US-$ 94.95
hb. • ISBN 978-3-631-83757-3 CHF 59.– / €D 49.95 / €A 50.– / € 47.60 / £ 39.– / US-$ 57.95
eBook (SUL) • ISBN 978-1-4331-7940-2 CHF 98.– / €D 84.95 / €A 87.10 / € 79.20 / £ 64.– / US-$ 94.95
eBook (SUL) • ISBN 978-3-631-83758-0 CHF 59.– / €D 50.95 / €A 52.40 / € 47.60 / £ 39.– / US-$ 57.95
The Church of Christ was, is and always will be undivided. However, disunity among Christians is a reality. While safeguarding the apostolic tradition in the first era of Christianity, Ephesians provides a remarkable history – more potent for ecumenism and internal reform today. This book investigates the Ecclesiology of Ephesians, with a plenitude of references to exegetes who mainly come from the German-speaking world. It is a Catholic approach to the standard features of the Church, which provides insights for a comprehensive reassessment of the Church. This book is concerned not just with defending particular doctrines. It is an honest exploration of how first-century Ecclesiology fits the milieu and context of the contemporary Church and provokes and challenges us to appreciate the diverse ecclesiological convictions.
John E. Ziolkowski
Similes in the Bible (A Compendium) Oxford, 2022. XII, 394 pp. Religions and Discourse. Vol. 63 hb. • ISBN 978-1-80079-673-7 CHF 103.– / €D 88.95 / €A 91.– / € 82.80 / £ 67.– / US-$ 100.95 eBook (SUL) • ISBN 978-1-80079-561-7 CHF 103.– / €D 88.95 / €A 91.– / € 82.80 / £ 67.– / US-$ 100.95
This book lists all the similes in the Bible in three different versions (Greek, Latin and English), noting especially the variation in the use of introductory words (protheses). There are over 1000 examples, not counting the predicate and genitive versions, a significant collection. The Introduction discusses the parts and types of similes as well as other similar figures of speech (e.g., analogies, comparisons and metaphors); examples are provided of prothetic (prosthesis expressed: he runs like a panther) and non-prothetic types (prothesis implied: he is [like] a lion in savagery). The Conclusion points out various aspects of Biblical usage, some differing from those in classical Greek authors (Homer and Plato). The importance of similes in clarifying difficult concepts while adding grace to the narrative accounts for their popularity in philosophical and religious writers.
This book argues that Martin Luther did not enforce his own strict theological convictions about women and their nature when he personally corresponded with women throughout his daily life. This becomes clear with Luther’s interactions with female family members and Reformation women. With these encounters, he did not maintain his theological attitudes and made exceptions to his own theology for such influential women. Luther also did not enforce his theology throughout his pastoral care where he treated both men and women respectfully and equally. His pastoral work shows that he allowed his compassion and empathy to win over his own strict theological convictions about women. It is important to remember that Luther not only wrote about women in the abstract, but also lived both his public and private life among women. However, there have been no comprehensive studies that have examined his theological writings about women and personal encounters with women. For this reason, fundamental aspects of Luther have remained in the dark. As actions speak louder than words, scholars need to include the practical, as well as the theoretical when analyzing his attitudes towards women. This book not only contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Luther’s theological views on women, but also how those views compare to his actual social encounters with women. This work highlights the necessity to explore Luther’s personal encounters with women, as well as his theology when trying to provide an authentic assessment of the reformer’s attitudes towards women.
