C. John Collins

Biblical Foundations Award Finalist Holidays today are often established by legislation, and calendars are published on paper and smart phones. But how were holidays chosen and taught in biblical Israel? And what might these holidays have to do with the creation narrative? In this book, Michael LeFebvre considers the calendars of the Pentateuch with their basis in the heavenly lights and the land's agricultural cadences. He argues that dates were added to Old Testament narratives not as journalistic details but to teach sacred rhythms of labor and worship. LeFebvre then applies this insight to the creation week, finding that the days of creation also serve a liturgical purpose and not a scientific one. The Liturgy of Creation restores emphasis on the religious function of the creation week as a guide for Sabbath worship. Scholars, students, and church members alike will appreciate LeFebvre's careful scholarship and pastoral sensibilities.

What does it mean to be a good reader of Genesis 1-11? What does it mean to take these ancient stories seriously and how does that relate to taking them literally? Can we even take any of this material seriously? Reading Genesis Well answers these questions and more, promoting a responsible conversation about how science and biblical faith relate by developing a rigorous approach to interpreting the Bible, especially those texts that come into play in science and faith discussions. This unique approach connects the ancient writings of Genesis 1-11 with modern science in an honest and informed way. Old Testament scholar C. John Collins appropriates literary and linguistic insights from C. S. Lewis and builds on them using ideas from modern linguistics, such as lexical semantics, discourse analysis, and sociolinguistics. This study helps readers to evaluate to what extent it is proper to say that the Bible writers held a "primitive" picture of the world, and what function their portrayal of the world and its contents had in shaping the community.

Opas oikeaan raamatuntulkintaanMiten saan enemmän irti omasta raamatunlukemisestani? Mitä tapahtui Uuden ja Vanhan testamentin välisenä ajanjaksona? Miten kaikki Raamatun kirjat sopivat yhteen kokonaisuutena? Tämä kirja vastaa näihin kysymyksiin ja antaa lukijan käyttöön selkeät ja ymmärrettävät apuvälineet Raamatun tutkisteluun. Kirja sisältää 13 opetuskirjoitusta tämän hetken merkittävimpiin lukeutuvilta evankelikaalisilta raamatuntutkijoilta, kuten C. John Collinsilta, Thomas Schreinerilta, Gordon Wenhamilta ja Darrell Bockilta. Teos auttaa lukijaa:Näkemään Raamatun kertomuksen kokonaiskuvan. Ymmärtämään Vanhan ja Uuden testamentin teologiaa. Lukemaan Raamatun eri osia niiden asiayhteyden mukaisesti. Tietämään, mitä tapahtui Vanhan ja Uuden testamentin välisenä aikana. Sen lisäksi, että kirjassa käsitellään Raamatun eri kirjallisuudenlajeja, kirjassa valaistaan kreikkalais-roomalaista maailmaa yleensä sekä erityisesti juutalaisuuden eri suuntauksia uusitestamentillisena aikana. Auttaakseen lukijaa sijoittamaan raamatunjakeet asiayhteyteensä, kirja sisältää myös Vanhan ja Uuden testamentin aikajanakaaviot ja yhteenvedon testamenttien välisen ajan tapahtumista. Kirja on hyödyllinen sekä yleisenä katsauksena Raamattuun että perusteellisemman Raamattuun paneutumisen ja raamatunopetuksen työvälineenä. Se auttaa lukijaa kasvattamaan omaa ymmärrystään Raamatusta ja kykyään soveltaa Raamatun opetuksia arkielämään.

Applying well-informed critical thinking to questions raised by theologians and scientists alike, Collins examines the relevant biblical and Second Temple Jewish texts, to discover whether they really do support the traditional position. He also considers the biblical view of human uniqueness and dignity, and relates these to everyday moral and religious experience, asking whether these too are evidence. He concludes with a description of some sample scenarios for a scientific understanding of human origins. Extensive appendices examine how the material in Genesis relates to similar material from Mesopotamian myths. Collins' goal is to enable readers to think through the issues for themselves. His analysis will strengthen confidence that the traditional Christian story equips us better than any alternatives to engage with life as it is actually encountered in the modern world.

Throughout history, most Christians have believed that Adam and Eve were actual persons, of whom we are all descendants. Some Christians today, however, readily dismiss the historical consensus, arguing that those same Christians also believed the earth was the center of the universe. Understandably, there are reasons to doubt the traditional view . . . and yet rarely are those doubts humbly subjected to serious scholarship. C. John Collins invites both doubts and scholarship to the table. Applying well-informed, critical thinking to questions raised by theologians and scientists alike, Collins examines the historicity and relevance of a real Adam and Eve, ultimately answering the questions: Did Adam and Eve really exist? And why should we care?

Does the Bible favour one particular model for God's relationship with the created order? Is it intellectually responsible or credible to talk of 'special divine action'? Such questions are explored by Dr C. John Collins, who provides a thorough exegetical foundation for discussing God's action in the world, and offers a concise examination of key philosophical, theological, scientific and apologetic questions which arise from it. Dr Collins begins by presenting and contrasting the main options within traditional Christian theism, then examines the biblical passages which support, or seem to support, these options. He offers a wide-ranging evaluation of the biblical teaching on miracles, 'nature', 'cause' and special divine action. He ably defends the biblical view from empiricist, rationalist or postmodern critiques.

Part of the debate over God's existence centers on questions about the possibility and "provability" of miracles. Collins begins by presenting and contrasting the options within traditional Christian theism. Collins then explores the biblical passages that support a classically theistic foundation and relates these results to the corresponding philosophical, theological, scientific, and apologetic questions that it raises. By bringing together what the Bible teaches about miracles; "nature," "cause," and special divine action, Collins effectively takes on the God-of-the-gaps position and answers with a persuasive "yes" the crucial question of whether it is intellectually responsible to embrace the biblical view of God's action in the world.