For Us, but Not to Us: Essays on Creation, Covenant, and Context in Honor of John H. Walton

What does it mean to be human? This timeless question proves critical as we seek to understand our purpose, identity, and significance. Amidst the many voices clamoring to shape our understanding of humanity, the Bible reveals important truths related to our human identity and vocation that are critical to the flourishing of all of creation. Carmen Joy Imes seeks to recover the theologically rich message of the creation narratives starting in the book of Genesis as they illuminate what it means to be human.

Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters – Audiobook

In this warm, accessible volume, Imes takes readers back to Sinai, the ancient mountain where Israel met their God, and explains the meaning of events there. She argues that we’ve misunderstood the command about “taking the Lord’s name in vain.” Instead, Imes says that this command is about “bearing God’s name,” a theme that continues throughout the rest of Scripture. Readers will revisit the story of Israel as they trudge through the wilderness from a grueling past to a promising future.

Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends – Audiobook

The Psalms teach us how to pray. Many saints over the past three millennia have come near to God by praying the Psalms, and this volume introduces us to some of their greatest thoughts on them. Covering all 150 psalms, this companion to the “Prayerbook of the Bible” contains key devotional readings from the Great Tradition as well as space for journaling our own prayers. This book will help us learn to pray as Jesus prayed—after all, He quoted from the Psalms more often than any other book.

Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Illustrated Psalms 1–150 in Hebrew (GlossaHouse Illustrated Biblical Texts)

Illustrated Psalms 1–150 in Hebrew belongs to the series GlossaHouse Illustrated Biblical Texts (GIBT) that presents the books of the Bible in their original languages, embedded scene by scene in the context of Keith R. Neely’s evocative, full-color illustrations. These innovative resources will accelerate your comprehension by helping you distinguish narrative from dialogue at a glance. The illustrations provide visual cues for action, tension, and emotion, inviting an immersive reading experience in the ancient languages. Whether you are a beginning student of biblical languages, or an accomplished scholar, our hope is that this fresh presentation of the ancient texts will ignite your imagination and turn the world of these words into an expansive, multicolored landscape in your mind’s eye. Co-authored with a Biola/Talbot student, R. Mark Reasoner

Illustrated Exodus in Hebrew (GlossaHouse Illustrated Biblical Texts)

Illustrated Exodus in Hebrew belongs to the series GlossaHouse Illustrated Biblical Texts (GIBT) that presents the books of the Bible in their original languages, embedded scene by scene in the context of Keith Neely’s evocative, full-color illustrations. These innovative resources will accelerate your comprehension by helping you distinguish narrative from dialogue at a glance. The illustrations provide visual cues for action, tension, and emotion, inviting an immersive reading experience in the ancient languages. Whether you are a beginning student of biblical languages, or an accomplished scholar, our hope is that this fresh presentation of the ancient texts will ignite your imagination and turn the world of these words into an expansive, multicolored landscape in your mind’s eye.

Charlie Trimm

A Cultural History of Genocide in the Ancient World

The preamble to the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide recognizes “that at all periods of history genocide has inflicted great losses on humanity”. Studies of the phenomenon of genocide have, however, tended to concentrate on the modern world. The original contributions in this volume turn the focus to the question of genocide and mass violence in the ancient world, with a particular emphasis on the worlds of Greece, Rome and the Near East. This volume presents a range of views on the challenges of applying the modern concept of “genocide” to an ancient context. It also considers the causes, motivations, and justifications of ancient mass violence, as well as contemporary responses to, and critiques of, such violence, along with how mass violence was represented and remembered in ancient literature and iconography. In addition, chapters analyse what drove the perpetrators of mass violence, and the processes of victimization, as well as the consequences of mass violence and ravaging warfare, including in particular mass enslavement and sexual violence.

Biola University Contributor:
Charlie Trimm – “Causes of Genocide”

Righteous Indignation: Christian Philosophical and Theological Perspectives on Anger

Righteous Indignation: Christian Philosophical and Theological Perspectives on Anger explores the philosophy of Christian anger—what anger is, what it means for God to be angry, and when anger is morally appropriate. The book explores specific biblical questions, such as how God communicates his anger in the Old Testament and whether anger at one’s enemies in the imprecatory psalms is praiseworthy. In addition, some chapters focus on the practical application of anger to topics such as racial justice, criminal law, and civil discourse, and on the ideas of historical figures such as Thomas Aquinas and Jonathan Edwards. The purpose of the book is to provide multiple perspectives, examining anger from different angles, but most of all it is hoped that readers will come away with a better understanding of God’s nature and how followers of Jesus ought to relate to those who wrong them.

Biola University Contributor:
Charlie Trimm – “Praying Against Enemies: Biblical Precedents, Ethical Reflections, and Suggested Guidelines”

The Ancient Israelite World

This volume presents a collection of studies by international experts on various aspects of ancient Israel’s society, economy, religion, language, culture, and history, synthesizing archaeological remains and integrating them with discussions of ancient Near Eastern and biblical texts. Driven by theoretically and methodologically informed discussions of the archaeology of the Iron Age Levant, the 47 chapters in The Ancient Israelite World provide foundational, accessible, and detailed studies in their respective topics. The volume considers the history of interpretation of ancient Israel, studies on various aspects of ancient Israel’s society and history, and avenues for present and future approaches to the ancient Israelite world. Accompanied by over 150 maps and figures, it allows the reader to gain an understanding of key issues that archaeologists, historians, and biblical scholars have faced and are currently facing as they attempt to better understand ancient Israelite society. The Ancient Israelite World is an essential reference work for students and scholars of ancient Israel and its history, culture, and society, whether they are historians, archaeologists, or biblical scholars.

Biola University Contributor:
Charlie Trimm – “Warfare and Intelligence Gathering in Ancient Israel”

What Can You Do with Your Bible Training?

ByCharlie Trimm, Joanne J. Jung

Employment in the field of biblical studies has changed significantly in recent years, and the coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated the resulting challenges. The purpose of this anthology is to inform and inspire evangelical students and graduates of biblical studies programs about the wide variety of training-related vocational paths they can pursue, both conventional and unconventional. The book does this by listing and categorizing twenty-five relevant pathways, sharing the stories and insights of insiders within each pathway, and calling for further creativity in putting one’s biblical training to work. Each contributor shares (1) how they settled into their represented occupation, (2) the ways in which they have used their biblical training in that occupation, (3) the “joys” and “trials” of their work, and (4) advice for those who would like to follow in their footsteps. The volume stands in the tradition of several nuts-and-bolts-like resources within the guild (e.g., Nijay Gupta’s Prepare, Succeed, Advance and Ben Witherington’s Is There a Doctor in the House?), and it seeks to develop that tradition considerably.

Biola University Contributors:
Joanne J. Jung – “Administration”
Charlie Trimm – “Afterward: Reimagining Theological Education and Careers in Biblical Studies”

Theology and Tolkien: Constructive Theology

The Lord of the Rings and other works of J.R.R. Tolkien have had a far-reaching impact on culture in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In print and on film, Tolkien’s works seem to be incredible epics, but religious aspects are less obvious. Yet Tolkien himself stated in his letters that the chief conflicts of his epic works were “about God, and His sole right to divine Honour,” and whether Sauron can wrest and destroy all that is good in Middle-earth. It is from this that readers awaken to the theological truths that imbue Tolkien’s works. In Theology and Tolkien: Constructive Theology, an international group of scholars consider how Tolkien’s works (and Jackson’s interpretations) can help us build better theologies for use in our world today. From essays on the music of creation in the Ainulindalë, to angels, demons, and Balrogs, to Tolkien’s theology of God, providence, evil, and love, to the eschatology of the Final Chord of the Great Music, this book invites the reader to journey through Middle-earth as the contributors engage the theology of Tolkien’s works and its impact on the world.

Biola University Contributor:
Charlie Trimm – “Gandalf, Sauron, Melian, and the Balrogs as Angels? A Study of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Maiar in the Context of Biblical Angelology”

“YHWH Fights for Them!” The Divine Warrior in the Exodus Narrative – Hardcover

The divine warrior is an important motif in the Old Testament, leading many to study profitably the motif in its most prominent manifestations in poetic texts. This study builds on that foundation by examining the divine warrior in detail in the exodus narrative to construct a broader picture of the motif in the Old Testament. The heart of the work focuses on the exodus narrative. Many aspects of YHWH’s actions in the narrative, such as the terminology, his nature weapons, his psychological attacks, the presence of supernatural envoys and disease, and his harmonious relationship with his people identify YHWH’s role as that of a divine warrior.

Ryan Peterson

The Imago Dei as Human Identity: A Theological Interpretation

ByRyan Peterson

How do we best read Genesis 1 in its literary, historical, and cultural contexts? How should it be read theologically? How should we read Genesis 1 as a canonical text? This book charts a path through these disagreements by offering a dogmatically coherent and exegetically sound canonical interpretation of the image of God. Peterson argues that the fundamental claim of Genesis 1:26–28 is that humanity is created to image God actively in the world. “Made in the image of God” is an identity claim. As such, it tells us about humanity’s relationship with God and the rest of creation, what humanity does in the world, and what humanity is to become. Understanding the imago Dei as human identity has the further advantage of illuminating humanity’s ontology.

Kenneth Way

Judges and Ruth (Teach the Text Commentary Series)

ByKenneth Way

The Teach the Text Commentary Series utilizes the best of biblical scholarship to provide the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. The carefully selected preaching units and focused commentary allow pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. Each unit of the commentary includes the big idea and key themes of the passage and sections dedicated to understanding, teaching, and illustrating the text. The newest Old Testament release in this innovative commentary series is Kenneth C. Way’s treatment of Judges and Ruth.

Donkeys in the Biblical World: Ceremony and Symbol

ByKenneth Way

In this volume, Kenneth Way explores the role of donkeys in the symbolism and ceremonies of the biblical world. His study stands alone in providing a comprehensive examination of donkeys in ancient Near Eastern texts, the archaeological record, and the Hebrew Bible. Way demonstrates that donkeys held a distinct status in the beliefs and rituals of the ancient Near East and especially Canaan-Israel. The need for this study on donkeys is very apparent in the disciplines that study the biblical world. There is not a single monograph or article that treats this subject comprehensively. Philologists have discussed the meaning of the Amorite phrase “to kill a jackass,” and archaeologists have discussed the phenomenon of equid burials. But until now, neither philologists nor archaeologists have attempted to pull together all the ceremonial and symbolic data on donkeys from burials, ancient Near Eastern texts, and the Hebrew Bible. Way’s study fills this void.