The Shadow of the Almighty: Father, Son and Spirit in Biblical Perspective
by Ben Witherington (Author), Laura Michaels Ice (Author)
On This Page
Description
The Shadow of the Almighty introduces readers to the nature of God by exploring the biblical references to God as "Father," "Son," and "Holy Spirit." This fruitful approach offers fresh insight into the meaning of the biblical language used for God, giving readers the background necessary for properly understanding the trinitarian perspective of the New Testament and of the Christian faith. Divided into four chapters, the book looks at "Father" language in early Judaism, at "Father" language show more in early Christianity, at "Son" language, and at language designating the Spirit. This thorough review of the traditional God language across the biblical texts shows what the earliest Christians understood by using these terms and, ultimately, what these terms mean for modern faith and practice. While much of this material is deceptively familiar, the authors' close examination of how and where the different terms are used reveals some surprising results. It makes clear, for example, that speaking of God in trinitarian terms was not as radical a departure from early Jewish monotheism as many have thought, and it shows that while early Christianity was characterized by disparate ideas, the first Christians nevertheless shared a common understanding of God. Equally engaging findings of the book include the authors' support for the traditional gendered term "Father" when speaking about God. Complete with helpful questions at the end of each chapter, The Shadow of the Almighty provides an excellent place to begin a deeper study of God. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
The Trinity—one God in three persons—is a challenge to understand. To make matters worse, scripture contains no explicit theology of the Trinity. It does, however, speak often of God as Father, Son, and Spirit. This type of biblical language is what Witherington III and Ice study in The Shadow of the Almighty.
The authors argue that "Father" language for God is not prevalent in the Old Testament. God desired to be a Father to Israel, but Israel was unfaithful. It is only when Jesus became incarnate that God was spoken of as Father. He is the unique father of Jesus (who called him my Father). The church, having received adoption into the family of God, now calls God our Father.
The Shadow of the Almighty is a helpful survey of Father, show more Son, and Spirit language in scripture. The authors help to make a complex topic more accessible. show less
The authors argue that "Father" language for God is not prevalent in the Old Testament. God desired to be a Father to Israel, but Israel was unfaithful. It is only when Jesus became incarnate that God was spoken of as Father. He is the unique father of Jesus (who called him my Father). The church, having received adoption into the family of God, now calls God our Father.
The Shadow of the Almighty is a helpful survey of Father, show more Son, and Spirit language in scripture. The authors help to make a complex topic more accessible. show less
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
Ben Witherington III is Jean R. Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is both a scholar and a popular lecturer, and has appeared on programs such as 60 Minutes, 20/20, and Dateline. He is the author of over forty books on the New Testament and other topics, including A Week in the Life of Corinth.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 91
- Popularity
- 352,409
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.00)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 1
