Lively, well-informed portrait of the complex figure who was the apostle PaulThough Paul is often lauded as the first great Christian theologian and a champion for Gentile inclusion in the church, in his own time he was universally regarded as a strange and controversial person. In this book Pauline scholar Michael Bird explains why.An Anomalous Jew presents the figure of Paul in all his complexity with his blend of common and controversial Jewish beliefs ...

Explains the importance of the title and role of Messiah in each of the Gospels and argues that Christianity was a messianic movement rooted in its Jewish context.Michael Bird engages the subject of the messianism of the four Gospels. While the title and role of 'Messiah' ascribed to Jesus in the Gospels has long been regarded as a late add on, a fabricated claim, or an insignificant feature, Bird argues in contrast that the messianic claims are the most significant for the portray...

Answers to the most common questions and misconceptions about the BibleSeven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible is a short and accessible introduction to the Bible--its origins, interpretation, truthfulness, and authority.Bible scholar, prolific author, and Anglican minister Michael Bird helps Christians understand seven important "things" about this unique book:how the Bible was put together;what "inspiration" me...

The Zondervan Biblical and Theological Lectures series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text, Evangelical Theology: Audio Lectures includes high quality live-recordings of college-level lectures that cover the important points from each subject as well as relevant material from other sources.Evangelical Theology: Audio Lectures, presents systematic theology from the unique perspective of a b...

The Zondervan Biblical and Theological Lectures series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text, What Christians Ought to Believe: Audio Lectures includes high-quality live recordings of college-level lectures that cover the important points from each subject as well as relevant material from other sources.Modern Christians have often hesitated to embrace the ancient creeds because of our "nothing but t...

What do the books of Luke and Acts teach us about God, Jesus, and the early church? How do these two books relate to each other? And what do they mean for us today?In this accessible and compelling introduction, Michael Bird draws us into the wide-ranging narrative of Luke-Acts to discover how Luke frames the life of Jesus and of the first disciples who set out from Jerusalem to "the ends of the earth" proclaiming the Good News. Bird shows us how these two books, w...

Paul and Jewish identity after ChristPaul believed Israel's Messiah had come. But what does this mean for Israel? Debate rages over Paul and supersessionism: the question of whether--and if so, to what extent--the new covenant in Christ replaces God's "old" covenant with Israel. Discussion of supersessionism carries much historical, theological, and political baggage, complicating attempts at dialogue.God's Israel and the Israel of God: Paul and Superse...

The Zondervan Biblical and Theological Lectures series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text, The New Testament in Its World: Audio Lectures includes high quality live-recordings of college-level lectures that cover the important points from each subject as well as relevant material from other sources.Enter the world of the New Testament. A companion to The New Testament in Its World by N. T...

The Zondervan Biblical and Theological Lectures series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text, The New Testament in Its World: Audio Lectures includes high quality live-recordings of college-level lectures that cover the important points from each subject as well as relevant material from other sources.Enter the world of the New Testament. A companion to The New Testament in Its W...

The study of Paul's Thessalonian letters is enjoying fresh interest today. These texts are considered by many to be amongst the earliest extant Christian documents. They are included in conversations about early Jewish and Christian apocalypticism. New insights are coming from examination of the religious, socio-cultural, and political contexts of Roman Thessalonica. And, looking back, these letters have played an important role in the development of Christian eschatology. This volumes ser...

We all share a fascination for discovering 'the rest of the story.' We enjoy learning the behind-the-scenes facts about seemingly familiar events. In this eight-session video Bible study, well-known Bible scholars N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird team up to take you on a tour of the explosive story behind the New Testament.You will discover things you never knew about Jesus' baptism and journey in the wilderness, the meaning behind his parables and miracles, the significance of his...

In a world gripped by intersecting crises and deepening inequalities, can social work break free from its colonial entanglements to imagine a more just and compassionate future?Decolonising Social Work Education: Memory, Haunting and Critical Hope in the Nordics confronts the enduring legacies of colonialism that continue to shape the foundations of social work education. Through the lenses of haunting, memory, and critical hope, it challenges the discipline’s historical c...