The Church's Portraits of Jesus adds another voice to the ever-growing discussion about Jesus in recent media and scholarly conversations. While showing the unique portraits of Jesus offered by the four gospels-Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John-the book also establishes an approach to understanding the communities who shaped the portraits. As contemporary Christians explore their portraits of Jesus, Bridges provides excellent questions and guidance. This book is perfect for church, college and seminary classrooms that focus on the reading of the gospel narratives, theology, or interpretation...

With a helpful amount of scholarly information on organization, form, and context, Bellinger will help you and your class explore the depths of the poetry and wisdom of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. The Psalms, or hymns, of lament and praise nurture honest dialogue with God. The pragmatic teaching of Proverbs remind us of the sacred nature of all that God has created. And the speculation of Job and Ecclesiastes allows us to raise questions about the unexplainable and ambiguous aspects of life. These are texts from the community of faith for the community of faith.