A Light in Darkness: The Church’s Role in Ending Human Trafficking

Eddie Byun
Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program and Associate Professor of Christian Ministry
Aneko Press, September 2023

It is clear that God is passionate about justice and righteousness in his Word and in our world. With tens of millions of people in slavery today, human trafficking is one of the darkest evils of our generation. But what can we do as believers? A Light in Darkness gives a biblical foundation for the church to understand God’s call for us to pursue justice, and provides practical steps for us to demonstrate the gospel as we shine light into these dark places.

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem

Kenneth Berding
M.A. ‘96, Professor of New Testament
Lexham Academic, February 2023

Paul’s enigmatic “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians has baffled interpreters for centuries. Many offer suggestions as to the identity of Satan’s messenger; others despair that the puzzle is unsolvable. In Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh, Kenneth Berding reopens the case. He follows a trail of clues that includes ancient beliefs about curses, details from Paul’s letters, Jesus’s own suffering, and the testimony of the earliest Christian interpreters. Berding offers 20 criteria — some familiar, others neglected — that any proposal must explain. While the usual suspects fall short, Berding suggests a new solution — one that satisfies all the evidence and gives us a fuller view of Paul. Far from an abstract puzzle, Paul’s own suffering is relevant to Christians today.

Sensing Salvation in the Gospel of John: The Embodied, Sensory Qualities of Participation in the I Am Sayings

Jeannie Marie Hanger
M.A. ‘04, Th.M. ‘09, Assistant Professor of New Testament
Brill Academic, July 2023

Recent scholarship focused on the role of embodiment within cognition and communication reminds us that part of how we “know” is through our physical senses. We only know the softness of a kitten by touching its fur, or the tastiness of bread by eating. How might this influence our understanding of biblical texts, such as Jesus’s claim, “I am the bread of life,” and the invitation to eat? This study explores the “I am” sayings of John’s Gospel, their sensory elements providing an imaginative entry into the narrative and contributing tangible value to the participatory theology of the Fourth Gospel.

Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters

Carmen Joy Imes
Associate Professor of Old Testament
IVP Academic, June 2023 (ECPA bestsellers list in new releases, September 2023)

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. Every human being is created as God’s image. Imago Dei is our human identity, and God appointed humans to rule on God’s behalf. Being God’s Image explores the implications of this kinship relationship with God and considers what it means for our work, our gender relations, our care for creation and our eternal destiny.