Ruth Anne Reese

In the early days of the church, James taught a message of joyful endurance, resisting temptation, and putting into practice the truth of the word the church had received. This little book offered reflections on trials, sin, and desire; on the challenges of controlling speech in the context of community and the damage such uncontrolled speech can bring about; and on the dangers of wealth and autonomy. James holds up a picture of a community that seeks a life of purity, prayer, and patience. He confronts those who choose their own way over God's way and speaks words of judgment against those who oppress and steal from the poor. In contrast, this community of early Christians is one of wisdom, joy, and praise that seeks healing for those among them who suffer. At each step, James encourages these Christians to consider the two ways: the way of righteousness and the way of evil, and to choose the good. This ancient book offers wisdom for today as we too seek to live godly lives of prayer, purity, and care for one another in a world that seeks to pull us away from God.

In the early days of the church, James taught a message of joyful endurance, resisting temptation, and putting into practice the truth of the word the church had received. This little book offered reflections on trials, sin, and desire; on the challenges of controlling speech in the context of community and the damage such uncontrolled speech can bring about; and on the dangers of wealth and autonomy. James holds up a picture of a community that seeks a life of purity, prayer, and patience. He confronts those who choose their own way over God's way and speaks words of judgment against those who oppress and steal from the poor. In contrast, this community of early Christians is one of wisdom, joy, and praise that seeks healing for those among them who suffer. At each step, James encourages these Christians to consider the two ways: the way of righteousness and the way of evil, and to choose the good. This ancient book offers wisdom for today as we too seek to live godly lives of prayer, purity, and care for one another in a world that seeks to pull us away from God.

In this commentary, Ruth Anne Reese offers a multi-disciplinary study of 1 Peter that builds on contemporary scholarship and research methods. She explores the relationship of the letter to the Old Testament, as reflected in the themes of exodus, exile, suffering, and glory. Integrating sociological analysis, she offers insights into the social situation of the letter's audience that have grown out of post-colonial and empire criticism. Reese also explores the themes of majority-minority relationships, non-retaliation, and ethical living. Her study reveals a more subversive character to 1 Peter than is often posited. Written in an accessible style, Reese's commentary provides overviews of important scholarly questions and points readers to a range of potential answers to those questions. It also features a 'Closer Look' section on a significant topic in each passage, as well as 'Bridging the Horizon' sections that connect the ancient context of 1 Peter with the contemporary world.

This survey textbook offers an accessible introduction to the Later New Testament in its literary, canonical, and theological contexts. Unlike other portions of the New Testament such as Paul's Letters or the Gospels, introductions to the Later New Testament (Hebrews through Revelation) are uncommon. These texts have been relatively neglected in the history of Christian interpretation. In this book, Ruth Anne Reese and Madison N. Pierce offer the most up-to-date introduction to these texts in more than a decade. This textbook is grounded in the view that the Later New Testament should be read as Christian Scripture. Although the book covers critical issues such as authorship, background, and history, its primary focus is on the message and theology of the Later New Testament and the contribution these texts make to the Christian canon. Reading Christian Scripture is a series of survey textbooks that will cover the Old and New Testaments. Beautifully designed in full color with maps, sidebars, images, and illustrations to hold interest and aid learning, Reading the Later New Testament as Christian Scripture offers a faith-friendly introduction to students. Additional resources for instructors are available through textbook eSources.

In this commentary, Ruth Anne Reese offers a multi-disciplinary study of 1 Peter that builds on contemporary scholarship and research methods. She explores the relationship of the letter to the Old Testament, as reflected in the themes of exodus, exile, suffering, and glory. Integrating sociological analysis, she offers insights into the social situation of the letter's audience that have grown out of post-colonial and empire criticism. Reese also explores the themes of majority-minority relationships, non-retaliation, and ethical living. Her study reveals a more subversive character to 1 Peter than is often posited. Written in an accessible style, Reese's commentary provides overviews of important scholarly questions and points readers to a range of potential answers to those questions. It also features a 'Closer Look' section on a significant topic in each passage, as well as 'Bridging the Horizon' sections that connect the ancient context of 1 Peter with the contemporary world.

In this volume, Ruth Anne Reese explores the theological and literary meaning of "2 Peter and Jude" with an emphasis on theology for the church today. She seeks to meld together the best tools derived from the disciplines of both biblical studies and theology. Reese's "2 Peter and Jude" begins with a general introduction to the two books and proceeds to look at each text, exploring the meaning of particular words and illuminating the text with elements of history, sociology, and literary study. The themes of each book - and how they are played out throughout the biblical canon - are examined from an explicitly theological angle. Reese brings together insights from the best of biblical scholarship with the work of theologians, both contemporary and ancient. The combination of disciplines leads to new insights on such issues as judgment, community living, and the relationship between faith and ethics.