Theology

Cyril of Alexandria's theology rewards close reading from unexpected angles. Jonathan Morgan takes one such angle - Cyril's interpretation of circumcision - and uses it to illuminate a rich, multifaceted doctrine of salvation and a distinctive way of reading Scripture in the light of Christ.

Psalm 39 reveals a struggle with personal and anthropological questions through lament and self-reflection. It deals with guilt, silence, and mortality. In this study Margarethe Kelm shows how prayer can become a process of working on oneself and on the relationship with God - honest, painful, yet hopeful.

How did the book of Kings come to have its present shape? Samson Olanrewaju examines the formulas used to evaluate each Israelite and Judean king and argues that their variations reflect the work of successive scribes, from the ninth century BCE through the post-exilic period. The result is a new, stratified model of the composition of Kings.

Social interaction is shaped by both positive and negative emotions. The norm of μακροθυμία (long-suffering), which constitutes and defines interpersonal interaction, intervenes precisely in this complex of emotionality and relationships. Kerstin Reussner investigates what characterizes μακροθυμία, what it means in ancient texts, in which contexts it is relevant and how it is theologically substantiated.