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.

Often called "minor prophets," these first great classical prophets spoke to issues that dominated their times--love, redemption, fidelity, renewal, authority, justice, righteousness, and inclusivity--and that continue to have great relevance today. Books in the Westminster Bible Companion series assist laity in their study of the Bible as a guide to Christian faith and practice. Each volume explains the biblical book in its original historical context and explores its significance for faithful living today. These books are ideal for individual study and for Bible study classes and groups.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves. The prophetic books gathered together in the book of the Twelve are sometimes called the "minor" prophets because of their relatively small size when compared with Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. They are often neglected, at least partly because their words of judgment make the reader uncomfortable. Yet they have considerable theological and ethical value--for their call for social justice (especially Amos and Micah), their insights about the passionate love of God (in Hosea), God's grace and forgiveness (Jonah, Hosea, and elsewhere), and the finality of hope, even in the face of terrible catastrophes.

"This Handbook is primarily an exegetical summary on the books of Hosea and Joel, with suggestions on how translators of these books may overcome linguistic and semantic problems of equivalence"--

This commentary offers a timely and up to date assessment of the books of Hosea, Joel and Amos, and shares the best of contemporary Old Testament scholarship in non-technical language and an accessible style. It enables an appreciation of the books of Hosea, Joel and Amos as literary texts with continuing theological value.

"Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind . . . " Julian of Eclanum (c. 386–455) was the bishop of Eclanum, located in modern-day Italy. In this volume in IVP's Ancient Christian Texts series, Thomas Scheck provides a new translation of Julian's commentaries on the biblical books of Job and those of three Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, and Amos. Here, readers will gain insight into how early Christians read texts such as God's speech to Job, Hosea's symbolic representation of God's unending love for a faithless Israel, Joel's anticipation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and Amos's call for social justice. While Julian was a well-known leader among the Pelagians, whose theology was famously opposed by Augustine of Hippo and ultimately determined to be outside the bounds of the church's orthodoxy, the Pelagian movement was a significant element within the early church. And although Julian's Pelagianism does not fundamentally affect the commentaries presented in this volume, Christians can gain insight into the truths of Scripture by reading the text alongside others, even when—or perhaps especially when—we might disagree with other aspects of their beliefs. Ancient Christian Texts are new English translations of full-length commentaries or sermon series from ancient Christian authors that allow you to study key writings of the early church fathers in a fresh way.

Hosea, Joel, and Obadiah Through the Centuries The first book devoted solely to the reception history of Hosea, Joel, and Obadiah How have readers through the centuries understood the prophet Hosea’s marriage to an unfaithful woman? Does the prophet Joel really speak about a locust invasion, or is he referring to invading armies? How should we understand the harsh rhetoric that Obadiah uses about Judah’s neighbor Edom? In Hosea, Joel, and Obadiah Through the Centuries, Bradford A. Anderson provides historical context for these prophetic texts and traditions while offering original insights into their interpretation, use, and impact. Chapter-by-chapter commentary examines the use of these texts in different religious communities, surveys various commentaries and interpretive traditions, and addresses the social and cultural employment of these prophetic works in literature, music, the visual arts, and more. Each prophetic text is introduced by a chapter containing a brief history of interpretation and discussion of key historical, literary issues, theological, thematic, and rhetorical issues, as well as the religious, social, and cultural reception of the prophet and the book. Throughout the text, recurring “conversation partners” high-light important and interesting trajectories in the afterlives of the prophetic books. Encompassing Christian, Jewish, and modern critical reception, Hosea, Joel, and Obadiah Through the Centuries is an excellent textbook for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students working on these prophetic works, and a must-have resource for scholars, clergy, and religious leaders interested in how the prophets have been employed over the millennia.