Covenant of Peace

by Swartley, Willard M.

• ISBN13: 9780802829375
• ISBN10: 0802829376
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-03-15
• Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co

Summary

One would think that "peace," a term that occurs as many as a hundred times in the New Testament, would enjoy a prominent place in theological and ethical textbooks. But it is surprisingly absent. "Covenant of Peace" seeks to restore to New Testament theology and ethics the peace that many standard texts have missed.In this accessible volume, Willard Swartley explicates virtually all of the New Testament, relating peace -- and the related emphases of love for enemies, non-retaliation, and reconciliation -- to core theological themes such as salvation, Christology, and the reign of God. No other book in English makes this contribution. Swartley concludes by considering practices that lead to peacemaking and what place these might have in our contemporary world. Remedying a historical deficiency in biblical scholarship, Swartley's book beckons us to hear the compelling New Testament witness to peace.

Author Biography

Willard M. Swartley is professor emeritus of New Testament at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana.

Table of Contents

Studies in Peace and Scripture	vii
Foreword	ix
Glen Stassen
Preface	xiii
Abbreviations	xvi
Introduction	1	(10)
Jesus and Peace: The Gospel of the Reign of God	11	(16)
Shalom and Eirene in Hebrew Scripture, the Greco-Roman World, and the New Testament	27	(26)
Matthew: Emmanuel, Power for Peacemaking	53	(39)
Mark: Gospel of the Way, Crucified Messiah	92	(29)
Luke: Gospel of Joy, Peace, and Praise	121	(31)
Acts: God's Strategies for Peace in the Church	152	(37)
Jesus Makes the Covenant of Peace (Retrospect and Prospect)	177	(12)
Paul's Peace Interpretation of Jesus Christ	189	(33)
Paul: Victory over Evil, Including the Principalities and Powers	222	(32)
Hebrews, James, and 1 Peter: Peace Commitment Tested	254	(22)
The Johannine Corpus: Conflictual Ethos and Alternative Community as Foundation for Peace	276	(28)
Peace and Mission in John's Gospel: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman	304	(20)
Revelation: Nonviolent Victory! Faithfully Persevere in Prayer, Praise, and Worship	324	(32)
Discipleship and Imitation of Jesus the Suffering Servant: The Mimesis of New Creation	356	(21)
God's Moral Character as the Basis for Human Ethics: Foundational Convictions	377	(22)
New Testament Peacemaking in the Service of Moral Formation	399	(16)
Summary and Conclusion, Reflections and Directions	415	(16)
Appendix 1: Analysis of Important Contributions to New Testament Theology and Ethics	431	(41)
Appendix 2: Peter Stuhlmacher's Twelve Theses on Peace in the New Testament	472	(3)
Bibliography	475	(32)
Index of Authors	507	(7)
Index of Subjects	514	(14)
Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings	528