A sweeping history of Judaism over more than three millenniaJudaism has preserved its distinctive identity despite the extraordinarily diverse forms and beliefs it has embodied through the centuries. Martin Goodman provides a comprehensive look at how this great religion came to be, how it has evolved from one age to the next, and how its various strains, sects, and traditions have related to each other. He takes readers from Judaism's origins in the polytheistic world of antiquity to the man...

Church historians have long known and appreciated Christianity's global history. Until recently, however, introductory textbooks on the history of Christianity focused almost exclusively on Europe and North America. Robert Bruce Mullins's A Short World History of Christianity, by contrast, offers a panoramic picture of the history of Christianity in its Western and non-Western expressions.

It tells the story of the early church in the Greek East as well as the Latin West; of Christianity's sp...

For some of us, the apostle Paul is intimidating, like a distant and difficult uncle. Maybe not someone you'd like to hang out with at a coffee shop on a rainy day. He'd make a scene, evangelize the barista, and arouse looks across the room.

For a mid-morning latte, we'd prefer Jesus over Paul. But Paul is actually the guy who-from Ephesus to Athens-was the talk of the marketplace, the raconteur of the Parthenon. He knew everyone, founded emerging churches, loved the difficult people, and hel...

Muslim Identities: An Introduction to Islam (Second Edition) presents a fully updated introduction to the religion of Islam and the various social groups who define themselves as Muslim. Unlike other such works, it presents both insider and outsider accounts with the aim of striking a unique balance between overly apologetical and overly Orientalist perspectives. With the first edition described as a “truly outstanding book”, and “the very best introduction currently available in Englis...

In this accessible book, Anthony Thiselton introduces the apostle Paul, sometimes described as the founder of Christianity, to students and the general reader.

The Cambridge Guide to Jewish History, Religion, and Culture is a comprehensive and engaging overview of Jewish life, from its origins in the ancient Near East to its impact on contemporary popular culture. The twenty-one essays, arranged historically and thematically, and written specially for this volume by leading scholars, examine the development of Judaism and the evolution of Jewish history and culture over many centuries and in a range of locales. They emphasize the ongoing diversity a...

A collection of extra-biblical scriptures written by the gnostics, updated with three ancient texts including the recently discovered Gospel of Judas “The one indispensable book for the understanding of Gnosis and Gnosticism.”—Harold Bloom This definitive introduction to the gnostic scriptures provides a crucial look at the theology, religious atmosphere, and literary traditions of ancient Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism. It provides authoritative translations of ancient texts from...

This comprehensive, user-friendly text introduces students to the principal world faiths. This text is cross-referenced to and can be used in conjunction with Markham's World Religions Reader, Second Edition as a complete teaching package for comparative religion courses.

The first systematic overview of the field of comparative theology Meaning and Method in Comparative Theology offers a synthesis of, and a blueprint for, the emerging field of comparative theology. It discusses various approaches to the field, the impact of the views of other religions on the way in which comparative theology is conducted, and the particularities of comparative theological hermeneutics. The text also provides an overview of the types of learning and of the importance of compa...

This accessible introduction to religious ethics focuses on the major forms of moral reasoning encompassing the three 'Abrahamic' religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Draws on a range of moral issues, such as examples arising from friendship, marriage, homosexuality, lying, forgiveness and its limits, the death penalty, the environment, warfare, and the meaning of work, career, and vocationLooks at both ethical reasoning and importantly, how that reasoning reveals insights into a reli...