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Sources of the Christian Self: A Cultural History of Christian Identity

Edited by James M. Houston & Jenns Zimmermann

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Eerdmans; 1st edition (May 1 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 694 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0802876277
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0802876270
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.16 kg
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16 x 5.08 x 23.62 cm

About the Book

Using Charles Taylor’s magisterial Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity as a springboard, this interdisciplinary book explores lived Christian identity through the ages. 

Beginning with such Old Testament figures as Abraham, Moses, and David and moving through the New Testament, the early church, the Middle Ages, and onward, the forty-two biographical chapters in Sources of the Christian Self illustrate how believers historically have defined their selfhood based on their relation to God/Jesus. 

Among the many historical subjects are Justin Martyr, Origen, Augustine, Aquinas, Julian of Norwich, Dante, John Calvin, Teresa of Ávila, John Bunyan, Jonathan Edwards, Christina Rossetti, Blaise Pascal, Søren Kierkegaard, C. S. Lewis, and Flannery O’Connor―all of whom boldly lived out their Christian identities in their varied cultural contexts. In showing how Christian identity has evolved over time, Sources of the Christian Self offers deep insight into our own Christian selves today.

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CONTRIBUTORS: 

Markus Bockmuehl, Keith Bodner, Gerald P. Boersma, Hans Boersma, Robert H. Bork, Paul C. Burns, Julie Canlis, Victor I. Ezigbo, Craig M. Gay, Yonghua Ge, Christopher Hall, Ross Hastings, Bruce Hindmarsh, James M. Houston, Sharon Jebb Smith, Robert A. Kitchen, Marian Kamell Kovalishyn, Pak-Wah Lai, Jay Langdale, Bo Karen Lee, Jonathan Sing-cheung Li, V. Phillips Long, Howard Louthan, Elizabeth Ludlow, Eleanor McCullough, Stephen Ney, Ryan S. Olson, Steve L. Porter, Iain Provan, Murray Rae, Jonathan Reimer, Ronald T. Rittgers, Sven Soderlund, Janet Martin Soskice, Mikael Tellbe, Colin Thompson, Bruce K. Waltke, Steven Watts, Robyn Wrigley-Carr, Jens Zimmermann.

Table of Contents 

Abbreviations xi

Editors' Introduction xv

Acknowledgments xxv

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Part 1 Identity In The Old Testament

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1 Abraham: Friend of God, Father of the Faithful V. Phillips Long 3

2 Moses: Man of God Iain Provan 21

3 David: The Anointed Israelite Keith Bodner 36

4 Jeremiah: How the Prophet Self-Identified Bruce K. Waltke 54

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Part 2 Identity In The New Testament

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5 Simon Peter: The Transformation of the Apostle Markus Bockmuehl 69

6 James and Jude: Brothers of Jesus Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn 84

7 Paul: The Christian as an "In-Christ" Person Sven Soderlund 100

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Part 3 Identity in the Early Church

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8 Justin Martyr: Christian Identity-Formation in the Second Century CE Mikael Tellbe 119

9 Origen: Exegete, Theologian, Disciple Christopher Hall 133

10 Gregory of Nyssa: Becoming Human in the Face of God Hans Boersma 146

11 Ambrose: Baptismal Identity and Human Identity Gerald P. Boersma 168

12 John Chrysostom: Vision of the Angelic Life Pak-Wah Lai 192

13 Augustine of Hippo: The Christian Life, Then and Now Paul C. Burns 209

14 Gregory the Great: Conversionis Gratia-Ipse Becoming Idem Ryan S. Olson 223

15 Captives in Late Antiquity: Christian Identity under Foreign Rule Andrea Sterk 241

16 Timothy I of Baghdad: A Stranger in His Own Land Robert A. Kitchen 257

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Part 4 Identity in the Middle Ages

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17 Anselm: The Integrated Theologian Steven L. Porter 277

18 Bernard of Clairvaux: Lover of God as the Lover of Jesus James M. Houston 294

19 Dominic of Caleruega (d. 1221), Jordan of Saxony (d. 1237): The Formation of Dominican Identity Steven Watts 312

20 Aquinas: Participating in Christ's Poverty, Mission, and Life Yonghua Ge 328

21 Julian of Norwich: The Inclusive Christian Eleanor McCullough 341

22 Dante: The Path of the Pilgrim Janet Martin Soskice 353

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Part 5 Identity in the Age of Reform

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23 Thomas More: For Our Season Robert Bork 369

24 Martin Luther: The Self-less Christian Ronald K. Rittgers 379

25 John Calvin: Knowing the Self in God's Presence Julie Canlis 392

26 Thomas Becon: Popular Devotional Writer Jonathan Reimer 411

27 Teresa of Avila: The Christian Mystic Robyn Wrigley-Carr 423

28 Fray Luis de León (1527-1591): "The Imprisoned Self" Colin Thompson 441

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Part 6 Christian Identity In The Emergence Of The Modern World

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29 John Amos Comenius: A Life of Loss, a Theologian of Hope Howard Louthan 455

30 Anna Maria van Schurman and Madame Jeanne Guyon: The Oblation of Self Bo Karen Lee 469

31 John Bunyan: The Bible and the Individual Life Narrative in Pilgrim's Progress Stephen Ney 494

32 Jonathan Edwards: From Him, Through Him, and To Him Jonathan Sing-Cheung Li 506

33 Charles Wesley: Christian Identity in the Enlightenment Bruce Hindmarsh 524

34 Christina Rossetti: Identity in the Communion of Saints Elizabeth Ludlow 543

35 Blaise Pascal: Perpetual Contemporary Richard V. Honey 554

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Part 7 Christian Identity in the Upheavals of the Twentieth Century

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36 Søren Kierkegaard: Becornmg a Self Murray Rae 569

37 Karl Barth: Human Identity and the Freedom of God in Christ Ross Hastings 584

38 C. S. Lewis: From Self-Obsession to Plerosis Sharon Jebb Smith 603

39 Flannery O'Connor: Novelist and Believer Jay Langdale 618

40 Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Question of Christin Identity Jens Zimmermann

41 Jacques Ellul: Christian Identity in the Technological Society Craig M. Gay 648

42 African Christian or Christian African? Identity Relations in African Christianity Victor I. Ezigbo 664

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Contributors 683

Index 691

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