Enoch, Levi, and Jubilees on Sexuality marks a first stage in William Loader's research on attitudes toward sexuality in Judaism and Christianity of the Hellenistic Greco-Roman era. Loader first discusses the early Enoch literature relevant to the theme, focusing on the impact of an ancient myth on the writings and examining how sexual deeds are not here concerned with sexual wrongdoing. He then examines the weight of such wrongdoing in the priestly instruction of the fragmentary Aramaic Levi Document as a whole. He finally considers Jubilees as a cumulative work,...

The dynamic teachings of the New Testament are often lost in the dryness and formality of academic study. In The New Testament with Imagination William Loader seeks to solve this conundrum. He brings imagination into play to enter the world of the New Testament and carefully reads key sample passages to go right to the heart of its message.
This book offers a unique new way of approaching the New Testament -- nothing else like it is in print -- and will be accessible to a broad readership, although it will also give longtime students of scripture a fresh perspective. Loader's...

This fascinating book by William Loader shows how the Septuagint created new slants and emphasis on sexuality and explores how they leave their mark in the writings of Philo and the New Testament.

Loaderbs useful motif in this study is that bsome things are lost in translation, others gained.b The Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures could not help but result in verbal connections, lost emphases, and novel word plays that ultimately opened the door to new interpretations. One particularly important instance of this effect of translation is the Septuagintbs treatment of sexuality.

In...

Discourse related to sex excites passion and debate, partly because sexuality is a central aspect of what it means to be human. Following up on his recent book on sexuality in the Septuagint, William Loader here explores what the Christian Gospels and related writings have to say about sexuality, how they reflect the faith and social values of their day, and what impact they've had on our own.
"Sexuality and the Jesus Tradition" is thorough in its investigation and compelling in its analyses. Loader examines all of the passages that convey views about sexuality in the Gospels and other...

In Jesus and the Fundamentalism of His Day Loader investigates each of the four Gospels as well as the major streams of tradition that stand behind them. What emerges from this fascinating study is a diverse range of interpretations of Jesus. Mark depicts a Jesus prepared to jettison some parts of biblical law. Matthew and Luke, following Q, portray a Jesus who remained fully observant of the Torah and made his impact though the placement of emphasis. John, by contrast, has Jesus assume the qualities of divine law within himself, never disparaging its requirements though for him they are no...

This book provides a critical reassessment and fresh analysis of Jesus' attitude towards the Law as portrayed in each of the canonical Gospels, Q, Thomas, and the apocryphal Gospels. Representing William Loader's definitive work on the subject, this comprehensive study presents in a clearer picture of Jesus and his message.

A special feature of this book is its textually "sequential analysis of the theme of the Law. By taking this unique approach, Loader lets Jesus' stance towards the Law emerge directly out of the Gospel narratives themselves while at the same time highlighting...

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls brought to light the richest collection of early Jewish writings ever retrieved from the ancient world, including copies of biblical writings centuries older than other surviving manuscripts. Their gradual publication unleashed a flurry of research and considerable speculation. One such area of speculation concerns the understanding of sexuality in the ancient Jewish world.

William Loader here investigates every document of potential relevance for understanding ancient attitudes towards sexuality, aside from the biblical writings -- and there...

Loader looks at hotly contested New Testament passages on sexuality and offers a fair and balanced treatment of what scholars say about them. He also offers an analysis of why interpreters say what they say, and demonstrates how texts may be interpreted specifically to support a preformed opinion.

Written in straightforward, non-technical language, this classroom text is also ideal for Bible study groups.

Philo, Josephus, and the Testaments on Sexuality is the fourth of five volumes by William Loader exploring attitudes toward sexuality in Judaism and Christianity during the Greco-Roman era. In this volume Loader examines three substantial and historically important sets of documents the writings of Philo of Alexandria, the histories of Josephus, and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. For each set of writings, he provides an in-depth introduction, detailed analysis highlighting each writer's position on a broad range of matters pertaining to sexuality, and a summary conclusion."

This is the fifth and final installment of William Loader's authoritative, acclaimed series on attitudes toward sexuality in the ancient world.
Sexual themes are never far beneath the surface where there are human beings. This was certainly the case for Christians in the first-century world. Some began in a strongly Jewish context and worked out their faith in dialogue with their scriptural heritage. Others had to work out their sexual ethics in a world strongly influenced by Greco-Roman ideals and practices.
In The New Testament on Sexuality William Loader explores the...