The Malady of the Christian Body, Paperback/Brian Brock

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Description The ailments of the contemporary church are remarkably similar to those suffered by the fractious Corinthian church in the first century. This is the challenge presented in The Malady of the Christian Body, a two-volume commentary by Brian Brock and Bernd Wannenwetsch. The manner in which Paul engages questions of factionalism, sexuality, legal conflict, idolatry, dress codes, and eating habits reveals that neither the malady he diagnoses nor the therapy he offers track the dominant accounts currently on offer of the malaise suffered by today's church. This volume depicts the Apostle as carefully examining the organic whole that is the body of Christ in order to detect obstacles to the healthy flow of powers that sustain its life. The therapy that is then offered comes by way of a redirection of the Corinthian believers' attention to the ways in which they can embrace God's active working among them to heal their broken unity. This book breaks new ground in crossing and reconfiguring the traditional disciplinary boundaries between biblical studies, systematic theology, and theological ethics. "Thick--that is the word that comes to mind for characterizing this extraordinary commentary. 'Thick' is sometimes associated with 'slow, ' but I am using the term to indicate the richness of the theological readings of Paul offered in this book. I think they touch on every theological issue we confront today. As a result I cannot imagine another resource taking its place for many years." --Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Emeritus Professor of Divinity and Law, Duke University "While theological readings of Scripture often glide over the text, this one plunges into it. The authors' interpretations are sometimes controversial, often highly original, and always theologically rich and insightful. Most importantly, they invite the reader to participate in their own act and practice of reading 1 Corinthians from and for the church. It is an invitation any theologian