Category: Church History and Historical Theology

Award of Commendation, Concordia Historical Institute. Second edition, 2005.

This thorough and lively overview of Christian history in the United States, from colonial times to the present, is informed by both classical and recent scholarship and is written for the non-specialist. Unlike many histories, Koester offers ample coverage of Protestant, Evangelical, and Roman Catholic developments. Includes black & white illustrations, maps, glossary, and other study aids.

Explores the theological underpinnings of ancient Christian theophany interpretation regarding polemic and the formation of Christian identity, the relationship between vision and spiritual transformation, and theological claims about knowing God through creation. Argues that Augustine‘s challenge to traditional claims that Christ appeared in the Old Testament theophanies demonstrates the critical and creative capacity of early Christian authors to adapt and transform exegetical traditions.

In addition to a historiography of usury scholarship, explanation of the economic and historical contexts of early Christian writings on usury and biblical and philosophical attitudes regarding usury and lending, this monograph considers the financial and salvific implications of usury in select sermons of fourth century Greek authors Basil the Great and his younger brother Gregory of Nyssa.