Catalyst Publications
Publications by Category
Despite the advances of scholarship on 1-2 Samuel over the last 3 decades, the two-volume work of P.K. McCarter Jr. in the Anchor Bible is arguably still the standard historical critical commentary (AB; Doubleday, 1980/84). McCarter’s textu…
Mar/01/2011
We may begin with an observation that is not new to Christians. Namely, the Old and New Testament portraits of God and theology are generally different. The earliest followers of Jesus addressed this problem in two different ways. Among the…
Mar/01/2011
One of the four drivers of congregational vitality identified by the Call to Action Steering Team examining contemporary United Methodism was “inspirational preaching and length of pastoral appointment.” Certainly inspirational preaching wa…
Mar/01/2011
This is a time of much exciting activity in two fields of theological study that are of special interest to me and, I suspect, also to many Catalyst readers: Pauline studies (particularly the meaning of justification, but also much more) an…
Feb/01/2011
The study of Scripture and ethics is a relatively new phenomenon. For many years and for a variety of reasons, ethics was treated (especially in the academy) as a topic secondary to theology—and, more specifically, soteriology. We can trace…
Feb/01/2011
“In the beginning was the Word.” At the root of apostolic preaching is God’s proclamation of the world’s salvation in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This essay offers brief descriptions of pastors who preached during sign…
Feb/01/2011
The Call to Action Steering Team that studied the state of United Methodism identified lay leadership as one of four main drivers of congregational vitality. This may seem obvious, and yet it has not been so in practice for much of the twen…
Feb/01/2011
For Genesis, B.T. Arnold’s work in the New Cambridge Bible Commentary (NCBC; Cambridge University Press, 2009) is the seventh volume to appear in the emerging series. Arnold includes an overview of the history of Genesis studies, presents a…
Nov/01/2010
Issues in sexual morality have been around for a long time. A cursory reading of the book of Genesis shows that humans have struggled with their sexual impulses and longings since Adam and Eve took matters into their own hands. At one level…
Nov/01/2010
Ever since the Reformation, the doctrine of justification has sparked lively conversation peppered with heated disagreements. During the last few decades the conversation has kicked into high gear in various venues. For example, Finnish Lut…
Nov/01/2010
Recently the Call to Action Steering Team released two studies on the state of United Methodism. One, the “Congregational Vitality” study, identified four “main drivers of vitality”: (1) a mix of traditional and contemporary worship service…
Nov/01/2010
A missional hermeneutic is an interpretive approach that privileges mission as the key to reading the Scriptures. Missional hermeneutics works across the spectrum of approaches to the biblical text. It takes seriously the historical situati…
Apr/01/2010
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A Foundation for Theological Education (AFTE) John Wesley Fellowships have been awarded to three doctoral stud…
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Announcing that 2026 John Wesley Fellowship Scholarship Applications are now being accepted. Please see the at…
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JWF and Friends of AFTE, we look forward to you joining us Thursday-Sunday, January 15-18, 2026, for the AFTE …
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Twenty John Wesley Fellows, spouses, and friends were able to experience a trip of a lifetime. The travel itin…
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