Francis Watson Bücher

A history of India, beginning in the 3rd millennium BC with the Indus Valley civilization and ending with the rise of modern India. It also looks at the pastoral nomads who established the Vedic religion, the Moghul incursions and the British influence.

The exploration of the four canonical gospels reveals that their differences offer rich opportunities for theological reflection rather than posing contradictions to faith. Francis Watson argues that the formation of these texts represents a pivotal moment in understanding early gospel literature and Jesus. The interplay among the gospels creates a complex textual entity, emphasizing their interconnectedness and transforming their meanings. Watson proposes a new paradigm for gospel studies that integrates noncanonical material to enhance the historical and theological significance of the canonical texts.

What role does the interpretation of Scripture play in theological construction? In Reading the Decree David Gibson examines the exegesis of election in John Calvin and Karl Barth, and considers the relationship between election and Christology in their thought. He argues that for both Calvin and Barth their doctrine of election and its exegetical moorings are christologically shaped, but in significantly different ways. Building on Richard A. Muller's conceptual distinction between Calvin's soteriological christocentrism and Barth's principial christocentrism, Gibson carefully explores their exegesis of the topics of Christ and election, and the election of Israel and the church. This distinction is then further developed by showing how it has a corresponding hermeneutical form: extensive christocentrism (Calvin) and intensive christocentrism (Barth). By focussing on the reception of biblical texts Reading the Decree draws attention to the neglected exegetical foundations of Calvin's doctrine of election, and makes a fresh contribution to current debates over election in Barth's thought. The result is a study which will be of interest to biblical scholars, as well as historical and systematic theologians alike.

"A collection of essays, new and old, from noted biblical scholar Francis Watson on viewing early gospel literature as a unified genre that transcends conventional categories of canonical, noncanonical, and heretical"-- Provided by publisher

This book is intended for scholars and students of the New Testament and early Christianity, and highlights the significance of an early gospel-like text that has been neglected owing to the inadequacy of previous translations. A new translation is provided, and links with other early Christian literature are explored.