Opening The Scriptures

Bible Lessons From The 2005 Annual Gathering Of Friends

BY TOM GATES
By popular demand the Bible talks given at the 2005 Annual Gathering of Friends now appear in printed form, a booklet containing the text, footnotes and the readings handed to participants. Tom Gates explores the Bible through the eyes of early Friends and how their understanding can shed light on the Bible for contemporary Friends. "Tom Gates' presentations, delivered at the FGC Gathering 2005, are truly inspired illuminations of the thought and witness of George Fox. For those of us who were present, Tom `opened' George Fox to us in very much the same way that those who were contemporaries of George Fox said that he, George Fox, opened the scriptures to them." - Art Larrabee

Quaker Press of FGC 2005 64 PP. Paper

$9.95 (in stock)

Paul Among The People

The Apostle Reinterpreted And Reimagined In His Own Time

BY SARAH RUDEN
Looks at the letters of Paul against the background of ancient Greek and Roman literature, especially the bawdy and comic works Biblical scholars tend not to know. Quaker scholar & Poet Sarah Ruden translates passages from these works and sets them beside famous and controversial passages of Paul and some modern interpretations. Using the early texts to explain important words, ideas, customs and institutions, she shows what Paul was likely reacting against and trying to say on such subjects as pleasure, homosexuality, women, slavery, the state, and love. She makes Paul real in his own world.

Pantheon 2011 214 PP. Paper

$14.00 (in stock)

The Psalms Speak

Php 298

BY GEORGE PECK
What the psalms can say to us today.

Pendle Hill Pamphlet 1991 40 PP. Paper

$6.50 (in stock)

Quaker Bible Index

An Index To Scripture References In The Works Of Fox, Barclay, Penn, Woolman And Others - Cd-rom

COMPILED BY ESTHER GREENLEAF-MURER
A handy tool for identifying Scripture passages of importance to early Friends and locating representative uses of them. Lists nearly 10,000 Bible references in modern editions of early Quaker writings. For scholars, religious educators, and anyone interested in the Biblical roots of Quakerism. Now available as a CD-ROM which is compatible with both Mac and PC operarting systems.

Quaker Press of FGC 2001 CD-ROM Disk

$30.00 (out of stock but can be backordered)

The Quaker Bible Reader

EDITED BY PAUL BUCKLEY AND STEPHEN ANGELL
Thirteen very different Quakers look at portions of scripture, describe what they find, and how they found it. Their goal is to encourage every Friend to engage the Bible, "not passively accepting someone else's interpretation; not looking for 'the good parts' and skipping the rest; not contorting scripture to support pre-determined ideas - but entering into a dialog with this ancient book, exploring your own assumptions about God, and deepening your relationship with the divine." - Marty Paxson Grundy Contributors include John Punshon, Howard Macy, Beckey Phipps, Esther Mombo, Anthony Prete, and Deborah Shaw.

Earlham School of Religion 2006 310 PP. Paper

$19.95 (in stock)

The Rapture Exposed

The Message Of Hope In The Book Of Revelation

BY BARBARA ROSSING
The idea of "The Rapture" - the return of Christ to rescue and deliver Christians off the earth - is an extremely popular interpretation of the Bible's Book of Revelation and a jumping-off point for the bestselling "Left Behind" series of books. This interpretation, based on a psychology of fear and destruction, guides the daily acts of thousands if not millions of people worldwide. In The Rapture Exposed, Barbara Rossing argues that this script for the world's future is nothing more than a disingenuous distortion of the Bible. The truth, Rossing argues, is that Revelation offers a vision of God's healing love for the world.

Basic Books 2004 222 PP. Paper

$15.99 (out of stock but can be backordered)

Records Of The Life Of Jesus

BY HENRY BURTON SHARMAN
A masterly presentation side by side on the page of the complete text of the four Gospels, this resource simplifies the processes of comparing and understanding the Gospels. Used with Mary Morrison's approaching the Gospels together.

Guild for Psychological studies 1991 289 PP. Cloth

$18.75 (in stock)

The Riddles Of The Fourth Gospel

An Introduction To John

BY PAUL N ANDERSON
Paul Anderson is the leading Quaker bible scholar. Here he looks at the literary, historical, and theological aspects of the Fourth Gospel., evaluating methods others have used and looking at questions of the Gospels authorship and composition in relation to the other synoptic gospels.

Fortress 2011 288 PP. Paper

$22.00 (in stock)

Sex Texts From The Bible

Selections Annotated & Explained

SELECTED AND ANNOTATED BY TERESA HORNSBY
Discover what the Bible says about sex - with no previous background in theology or religious history. This SkyLight book offers insightful and engaging commentary that explains the historical context and religious worldviews of those who wrote the Bible as well as the role their perspectives play in current social debates. The book encourages you to form your own opinion about what the Bible has to say about sex and gain a deeper understanding of your own sexuality

Skylight Paths 2007 172 PP. Paper

$16.99 (in stock)

Simple Lives, Radiant Faith

Bible Lessons From The 2004 Fgc Gathering Of Friends

BY BECKEY PHIPPS
These 5 lessons reflect the author's personal encounter with the bible as a source of spiritual truth. She reveals the treasure she found through intimate vignettes of learning to engage and interpret the scriptures. Each lesson uncovers an aspect of the radiant faith that leads to an inner transformation and a subsequent simplified life. Written lovingly but not avoiding difficulty or sorrow, you may find yourself awakened as the author did, awakened to a greater response-ability to God's persistent invitation to faithfulness.

Quaker Press of FGC 2005 28 PP. Paper

$7.00 (in stock)

Sins Of Scripture

Exposing The Bibles Texts Of Hate To Reveal The God Of Love

BY JOHN SHELBY SPONG
Bishop John Shelby Spong boldly approaches those texts that have been used through history to justify the denigration or persecution of others while carrying with them the implied and imposed authority of the claim that they were the "Word of God." As he exposes and challenges what he calls the "terrible texts of the Bible," laying bare the evil done by these texts in the name of God, he also seeks to redeem these texts, hoping to recover their ultimate depth and purpose. Spong looks specifically at texts used to justify homophobia, anti-Semitism, treating women as second-class humans, corporal punishment, and environmental degradation.

HarperSanFrancisco 2006 336 PP. Paper

$15.95 (in stock)

The Spirituality Of The Psalms

BY WALTER BRUEGGEMANN
Walter Brueggemann divides his short book into four sections: "The Psalms and the Seasons of Life," "The Psalms of Disorientation," "The Psalms of New Orientation," and "Spirituality and God's Justice." Brueggemann shows the reader the sheer vibrancy of the psalms as a practical approach to faith in today's world and he re-evaluates them in light of literary criticism and liberation theology particularly reflected in quotes from the works of John Updike and Jose Miranda.

Fortress Press 2001 76 PP. Paper

$6.00 (in stock)

The Way Of The Cross

The Gospel Record - Php 260

BY MARY MORRISON
A long-time teacher of the Gospels sees the heart of their message as a center that is everywhere, inclusive, yet highly individual.

Pendle Hill Pamphlet Blank

$6.50 (in stock)

What Does An Angel Look Like? Six Meditations For Christmas

BY JOSHUA BROWN
Joshua Brown serves as pastor at West Richmond Friends Meeting in Richmond and taught at Earlham School of Religion. Here he takes a fresh look at the familiar Advent readings. What if we could strip all of the "extras" away? What if we could go back and hear the Christmas story for the first time? Could the story have worked out in a different way? What would have happened if Mary had said, "No!"? Do we hear what the prophets were really saying? What happens when Christmas Day is over and we have to go on with our lives?

Good Read Press 2000 69 PP. Paper

$9.95 (in stock)

What It's All About Mp3 Download

The Great Commandment And The Deepest Yearnings

BY MARCUS BORG
Renowned Jesus and Bible scholar Marcus Borg delves into the story of the Good Samaritan from the Gospel of Luke. Drawing broadly from the Old and New Testaments, he uncovers the deep yearnings a the center of the Great Commandment and charts the possibility for a life lived in God's passion for liberation, peace, and economic justice. This is a downloadable mp3 version of his talk. When you purchase this, after confirming your order, we will send you a limited time web link to download the file.

Quaker Press of FGC 2007 65 MIN MP3 Audio

$5.00 (in stock)

Who Will Roll Away The Stone?

Discipleship Queries For First World Christians

BY CHED MYERS
Myers exposes the social and spiritual "stones" that impede us in our development and growth as Christians. "In every age," writes Myers, "disciples despair that the story has ended, only to discover that again the stone 'has been rolled away,' reopening the possibility - and imperative - of following the Way of Jesus." He uses three of the most troubling and problematic of recent events - the Los Angeles riots, the Gulf War, the Columbus quincentennial - to demonstrate how the subtle complexities of a culture of technological wizardy, information overload, and short-term memory can be recognized as blocking the first step on the journey of discipleship.

Orbis 1994 495 PP. Paper

$37.00 (out of stock but can be backordered)