Gerald L. Borchert

In Tension: Empowering Christian Thought and Life, author Gerald L. Borchert wrestles with the many ways in which Christians experience tension both in the church and in real life. The very nature of choice is a source of tension, and all humans are confronted daily with choices that can have significant impacts on themselves and those around them. Borchert examines what it means to live with freedom and to engage with our choices in a meaningful way. Pulling from personal experience, Borchert recalls how, as a young child, he first encountered tension in the ongoing debate over the timing of creation and the dichotomy of how science and Bible handle the origin of the universe. "Our task as humans," he writes, "is to recognize what is science and what it is not. The task likewise is to recognize what the Bible claims to be hard truth or reality and what it does not. Our further task, therefore, is to recognize what is true biblical exegesis (interpretation) and what is merely an assumption concerning statements in Scripture. Our task is to work at understanding what statements are rooted in observable fact and what are theological or scientific reflections. In this pursuit of understanding, it is not a question of truth but the kind of truth that is present in an issue." Borchert continues to reflect on a number of areas inherent with tension: Christian salvation; our personal mindset; the ancient understanding of "time"; the nature of human failure and suffering; and what it means to be Christ-like. "I trust these and other preliminary reflections will set your thoughts into high gear. Hopefully they will stir your mind and challenge you to reflect more on the tensions and polarities that may be present in your theologies and the way you approach life. Some of these tensions may be easily discernible, while others may not be so evident in your thinking. Wherever you are on the spectrum, I suggest that there is a need to reconsider the issues concerning tension as we look to the challenges of the future." Borchert's goal is to encourage the reader to think about tension as an instructive force that makes us look at both sides of an issue and learn to deal with the uncomfortable feeling that our current perspective might by in need of updating. "I think we need repeatedly to ask: Is our theology ready to deal better with old tensions and accept the fact that new tensions loom in the future? Perhaps, seeing the incredible power that is present in dealing more effectively with both sides of tensions may be more productive. Dynamic power may be present if we are a people who are willing to accept and creatively integrate such tensions into new combinations. Will we be among the new explorers of Christianity?"

This work alerts readers to about a hundred crucial questions that relate to 15 (14+ 1) areas of concern with which college/theological students and Christians in general often wrestle. Briefly, these areas focus on ethical and theological issues under the designations of "On" Chaos, Equality/Discrimination, Integrity, Battles Christians Fight, Government and Politics, the Meaning of Salvation, Defining a Christian, the Spirit World, Freedom and the Will of God, Divorce and Remarriage, Homosexuality, Encountering the Dark Side, Death, Heaven and Eternity, and Christian Worship. I have also included at the end a major Postscript on significant questions related to issues that are reaching into the future including: Refugees, Wealth, War, Euthanasia, Abortion, Birth Control and Sexual Activity, Genetic Engineering, Robotics and Transplants.

Despite our era of communication and information overload, biblical illiteracy is widespread. In Portraits of Jesus, Gerald L. Borchert assists both ministers and laypeople with a return to what the New Testament writers say about this stunning Jesus who shocked the world and called a small company of believers into an electrifying transformation.

Gerald Borchert provides a unique survey of the New Testament by centering on its understanding, teaching, language, and reflections of worship. He seeks to show how worship language and action lie behind much of the New Testament and how the modern church can gain a new power in worship through renewed reflection on the New Testament. Borchert first looks at the larger New Testament unit-gospels, Pauline letters, pastorals, etc. Then he takes each book in the section, passage by passage, and shows how worship constantly enters into the author's style and purpose in bringing that author's unique meaning to the individual context. He concludes each section with a terse Worship Summary of the biblical book and with questions for the reader to contemplate. Thus Borchert invites the reader to enter into the worship discussion and find ways to give depth, meaning, and hope to personal and congregational worship. At each step, Borchert underlines the deep connection between worship and life.

THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY is for the minister or Bible student who wants to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features include: * commentary based on THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION;* the NIV text printed in the body of the commentary;* sound scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages;* interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole;* readable and applicable exposition.