Library & Online Resources
The Rev. Dr. Jerome Creach is the Robert C. Holland Professor of Old Testament. Before joining the faculty of Pittsburgh Seminary in 2000, he taught at Barton College (1994-2000), the College of William & Mary, Randolph-Macon College, and the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. Creach earned his doctorate at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia (now Union Presbyterian Seminary). Prior to his study at Union, he earned his M.Div. and Th.M. (in systematic theology) at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Creach is interested in Old Testament theology and the appropriation of the Bible to the life of the Church. Psalms and Prophets are his primary areas of research. He has published five books and numerous articles and reviews in journals for biblical studies. Creach’s publications include Discovering the Psalms (SPCK/Eerdmans, 2020), The Ten Commandments for Today (WJK, 2015), Violence in Scripture (WJK, 2013), The Destiny of the Righteous in the Psalms (Chalice, 2008), Joshua: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (WJK, 2003), Psalms Interpretation Bible Studies (Geneva, 1999), and Yahweh as Refuge and the Editing of the Hebrew Psalter (Sheffield Academic Press, 1996). He also has one book about to be published: Reading the Psalms. A Minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Creach has served congregations in Virginia and North Carolina and preaches and teaches regularly in churches in the Pittsburgh area. He is married to Page L.D. Creach, also a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). They have two children, Adair and Davis.
The Rev. Dr. Edwin Chr. van Driel occupies the Directors’ Bicentennial Chair in Theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He teaches mainly in Christology, ecclesiology, and the interaction between Biblical studies and theology. Van Driel is deeply invested in helping the church think about its existence and calling as it moves into an increasingly post-Christian world.
Van Driel is the author of Rethinking Paul: Protestant Theology and Pauline Exegesis (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and Incarnation Anyway: Arguments for Supralapsarian Christology (Oxford University Press, 2008). He also edited What Is Jesus Doing? Divine Agency in the Life of the Church and the Work of the Pastor (IVP Academic, 2019) and the T&T Clark Handbook of Election (forthcoming from Continuum). His work has been published in academic journals such as Modern Theology, The International Journal of Systematic Theology, Worship, and The Scottish Journal of Theology, but also in popular magazines such as Christian Century, Call to Worship, and The Presbyterian Outlook.
Van Driel’s main theological interests are in Christology, ecclesiology, and the interaction between biblical studies and theology. His first book dealt with the divine motivation for the incarnation: is it contingent upon sin, or does God have deeper motives to become human? Van Driel suggests the latter, arguing that in friendship and love God wants to come as close to creation as God can—by coming among us as a human being. His current book, Rethinking Paul, offers a theological reading of contemporary Pauline exegesis and tries to glean what Protestant theologians can learn from the New Perspective on Paul and an apocalyptic reading of the apostle.
Van Driel is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and served on the church’s committee that produced the denomination’s new hymnal, Glory to God. He was the primary writer of the committee’s “Theological Vision Statement” and “A Statement on Language,” and also served on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Book of Common Worship. He is a member of the International Research Consortium, which researches missional congregations.
Click on the links below to perform subject/author searches in the library catalog:
Bible. Epistles of Paul - Criticism, Interpretation, Etc.
Bible. Epistles of Paul - Theology
Bible. New Testament - Theology
Bible. Old Testament - Theology
Bible. Psalms - Criticism, Interpretation, Etc.
Bible. Psalms - Theology
Creach, Jerome F. D. (author)
Protestant Churches - Doctrines
van Driel, Edwin Chr. (author)
Wisdom Literature - Criticism, Interpretation, Etc.
Select Bibliography
The links below will take you to either Bookshop.org (which supports local bookstores) or Amazon.com, where you can purchase the book.
Barclay, John M. G. Paul and the Power of Grace. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2020.
Brown, William P. Deep Calls to Deep: The Psalms in Dialogue Amid Disruption. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2021.
Campbell, Douglas A. Pauline Dogmatics: The Triumph of God's Love. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2020.
Creach, Jerome F. D. Discovering the Psalms: Content, Interpretation, Reception. Chicago, IL: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2020.
van Driel, Edwin Chr. Rethinking Paul: Protestant Theology and Pauline Exegesis. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2021.
Books in Barbour Library
Print books below may be checked out by PTS students, faculty, and staff, as well as local area patrons who have library accounts (requires an annual fee). Ebooks are indicated by asterisks, and are available to current PTS students, faculty, and staff only.
African American Readings of Paul: Reception, Resistance, and Transformation by
The letters of Paul--especially the verse in Ephesians directing slaves to obey their masters--played an enormous role in promoting slavery and justifying it as a Christian practice. Yet despite this reality African Americans throughout history still utilized Paul extensively in their own work to protest and resist oppression, responding to his theology and teachings in numerous--often starkly divergent and liberative--ways. In the first book of its kind, Lisa Bowens takes a historical, theological, and biblical approach to explore interpretations of Paul within African American communities over the past few centuries. She surveys a wealth of primary sources from the early 1700s to the mid-twentieth century, including sermons, conversion stories, slave petitions, and autobiographies of ex-slaves, many of which introduce readers to previously unknown names in the history of New Testament interpretation. Along with their hermeneutical value, these texts also provide fresh documentation of Black religious life through wide swaths of American history. African American Readings of Paul promises to change the landscape of Pauline studies and fill an important gap in the rising field of reception history.
Call Number: Stacks BS2651 .B64 2020ISBN: 9780802876768Publication Date: 2020-10-01
Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul & His Letters by
THIS COMPREHENSIVE, WIDELY USED TEXT by Michael Gorman presents a theologically focused, historically grounded interpretation of the apostle Paul and raises significant questions for engaging Paul today. After providing substantial background information on Paul's world, career, letters, gospel, spirituality, and theology, Gorman covers in full detail each of the thirteen Pauline epistles. Enhancing the text are questions for reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter as well as numerous photos, maps, and tables throughout. The new introduction in this second edition helpfully situates the book within current approaches to Paul. Gorman also brings the conversation up-to-date with major recent developments in Pauline studies and devotes greater attention to themes of participation, transformation, resurrection, justice, and peace.
Call Number: Stacks BS2651 .G64 2017ISBN: 9780802874283Publication Date: 2017-01-01
The Case for the Psalms: Why They are Essential by
Widely regarded as the modern C. S. Lewis, N. T. Wright, one of the world's most trusted and popular Bible scholars and the bestselling author of Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope, presents a manifesto urging Christians to live and pray the Bible's Psalms in The Case for the Psalms. Wright seeks to reclaim the power of the Psalms, which were once at the core of prayer life. He argues that, by praying and living the Psalms, we enter into a worldview, a way of communing with God and knowing him more intimately, and receive a map by which we understand the contours and direction of our lives. For this reason, all Christians need to read, pray, sing, and live the Psalms. By providing the historical, literary, and spiritual contexts for reading these hymns from ancient Israel's songbook, The Case for the Psalms provides the tools for incorporating these divine poems into our sacred practices and into our spirituality itself.
Call Number: Stacks BS1430.52 .W75 2013ISBN: 9780062230508Publication Date: 2013-09-03
Discovering Psalms: Content, Interpretation, Reception by
This compact introduction to the interpretation of the book of Psalms encourages in-depth study of the text and genuine grappling with related theological and historical questions by providing a critical assessment of key interpreters and interpretative debates. It draws on a range of methodological approaches (author-, text-, and reader-centered) and reflects the growing scholarly attention to the reception history of biblical texts, increasingly viewed as a vital aspect of interpretation rather than an optional extra.
Call Number: Stacks BS1430.52 .C734 2020ISBN: 9780802878069Publication Date: 2020-01-01
Justification: God's Plan & Paul's Vision by
Few issues are more central to the Christian faith than the nature, scope and means of salvation. Many have thought it to be largely a transaction that gets one to heaven. In this riveting book, N. T. Wright explains that God's salvation is radically more than this.At the heart of much vigorous debate on this topic is the term the apostle Paul uses in several of his letters to describe what happens to those in Christ--justification. Paul uses this dramatic image from the law court to declare that Christians are acquitted of the cosmic accusations against them. But justification goes beyond this in Paul's writings to offer a vision of God's future for the whole world as well as for his people.Here in one place Wright now offers a comprehensive account and defense of his perspective on this crucial doctrine. With anew introduction, he provides a sweeping overview of the central points in the debate before launching into a thorough explanation of the key texts in Paul's writings. While fully cognizant of tradition and controversy, the final authority for his conclusions is the letters of Paul themselves.Along the way Wright responds to critics, such as John Piper, who have challenged what has come to be called the New Perspective. For Wright, what Paul means by justification is nothing less than God's unswerving commitment to the covenant promise he made to bless the whole world through Abraham and his family.This irenic response is an important contribution for those on both sides of the debate--and those still in between--to consider. Whether you're a fan of Wright's work or have read his critics and would like to know the other side of the story, here is a chance to interact with Wright's views on the issues at stake and form your own conclusions.
Call Number: Stacks BT764.3 .W754 2016ISBN: 9780830851393Publication Date: 2016-02-11
The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms by
Intended for both scholar and student, The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms features a diverse array of essays that treat the Psalms from a variety of perspectives. Classical scholarship and traditional approaches as well as contextual interpretations and practices are well represented. Fromancient Near Eastern backgrounds and Hebrew poetry to Qumran studies and ancient translations to Asian and African-American approaches and liturgical usage, the Handbook's coverage is uniquely wide ranging. This handbook serves as a rich introduction into the increasingly complex field and is anindispensable resource for all students of the Psalms.
Call Number: Stacks BS1430.52 .O94 2014ISBN: 9780199783335Publication Date: 2014-03-28
Paul and the Faithfulness of God by
This text is printed in two book sections: First book comprises Parts I and II and frontmatter Second book has Parts III and IV plus bibliography and indices This highly anticipated two-book fourth volume in N. T. Wright’s magisterial series, Christian Origins and the Question of God, is destined to become the standard reference point on the subject for all serious students of the Bible and theology. The mature summation of a lifetime’s study, this landmark book pays a rich tribute to the breadth and depth of the apostle’s vision, and offers an unparalleled wealth of detailed insights into his life, times, and enduring impact. Wright carefully explores the whole context of Paul’s thought and activity—Jewish, Greek and Roman, cultural, philosophical, religious, and imperial—and shows how the apostle’s worldview and theology enabled him to engage with the many-sided complexities of first-century life that his churches were facing. Wright also provides close and illuminating readings of the letters and other primary sources, along with critical insights into the major twists and turns of exegetical and theological debate in the vast secondary literature. The result is a rounded and profoundly compelling account of the man who became the world’s first, and greatest, Christian theologian. To see an interview with N. T. Wright and learn more about his current projects and speaking engagements, click here!
Call Number: Stacks BS2398 .W75 1992 V.4 PT.1-4ISBN: 9780800626839Publication Date: 2013-11-01
Psalms: A Guide to Studying the Psalter by
A leading authority on the Psalms and a seasoned teacher presents a new edition of an already successful book. W. H. Bellinger takes account of the latest developments in Psalms studies and presents a nuanced approach in this accessible and concise primer. Not only will students of the Psalms appreciate these studies but church leaders teaching from the Psalms will also gain new insight from this classic text.
Call Number: Stacks BS1430.52 .B45 2012ISBN: 9780801048555Publication Date: 2012-08-01
The Psalter As Witness: Theology, Poetry, and Genra by
The Psalter as Witness considers the complexity of the Psalms as well as their role in bearing witness to the theological claims that comprise Israel's traditions. While no single volume can readily capture the full range of the Psalter's theology, these chapters provide rich reflection on significant themes in selected psalms, in collections of psalms, and even across the structure of the Psalter itself. The result of the Baylor-Bonn symposium, The Psalter as Witness employs the full array of methodological approaches to the Psalms practiced in both Germany and North America. The Psalter as Witness thus effectively mirrors the theological, thematic, and generic intricacies of the Psalms in the myriad ways interpreters read the Psalter. The Psalms here become a window into the central, life-giving commitments of Israel in its call to justice and mercy, its practice of ethics and politics, and its worship and life with God.
Call Number: Stacks BS1430.52 .B394 2013ISBN: 9781481305563Publication Date: 2017-03-01
Rethinking Paul: Protestant Theology and Pauline Exegesis by
In this book, Edwin van Driel analyzes contemporary Pauline exegesis and its implications for Protestant theology. Over the last several decades, scholars have offered fresh interpretations of the apostle, including the New Perspective on and the apocalyptic reading of Paul. Van Driel juxtaposes these proposals with traditional Protestant understandings of Paul and argues that the crucial difference between these two readings lies not in how one understands isolated Pauline notions but in different assumed narrative substructures of the apostle's writings. He explores how these new exegetical proposals deepen, broaden, enrich, and challenge traditional Protestant theological paradigms, as well as how they are situated alongside current contextual conversations on theological anthropology, social imagination, and the church's mission. Van Driel's volume opens up new avenues for interdisciplinary exploration and cooperation between biblical scholarship and theology.
Call Number: Stacks BS2650.52 .V36 2021ISBN: 9781108482226Publication Date: 2021-05-06
Soundings in the Theology of Psalms: Perspectives and Methods in Contemporary Scholarship by
The many introductions to the psalms available to readers tend to focus on various types and forms of psalms but overlook different theological approaches to the Psalter. This volume brings together leading psalms scholars from Catholic and Protestant traditions and takes into account recent scholarship on the shape and shaping of the Psalter and on the rhetorical interpretation of the Psalms. Soundings in the Theology of Psalms is the second of several "Soundings" volumes to be published by Fortress Press. These volumes offer state-of-the-art essays introducing readers to the current state of discussion and debate on various segments of the Bible.
Call Number: Stack BS1430.52 .S68 2011ISBN: 9780800697396Publication Date: 2010-11-01
When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel According to Paul by
Invites Readers of Romans to Expand Their View of God and the Gospel When reading the book of Romans, we often focus on the quotable passages, making brief stopovers and not staying long enough to grasp some of the big ideas it contains. Instead of raiding Paul's most famous letter for a passage here or a theme there, leading New Testament scholar Beverly Roberts Gaventa invites us to linger in Romans. She asks that we stay with the letter long enough to see how Romans reframes our tidy categories and dramatically enlarges our sense of the gospel. Containing profound insights written in accessible prose and illuminating references to contemporary culture, this engaging book explores the cosmic dimensions of the gospel that we read about in Paul's letter. Gaventa focuses on four key issues in Romans--salvation, identity, ethics, and community--that are crucial both for the first century and for our own. As she helps us navigate the book of Romans, she shows that the gospel is far larger, wilder, and more unsettling than we generally imagine it to be.
Call Number: Stacks BS2665.52 .G38 2016ISBN: 9780801097386Publication Date: 2016-11-15
Select Bibliography
The articles below without links are not available in the Barbour Library journal collection - please check your local library for interlibrary loan services in order to obtain copies of these, or click on the link to access an article on the Internet.
Johnson, L. T. (2021, November 4). Luke Timothy Johnson wants us to read Paul in all his complexity. The Christian Century.
Loop, J. (2018). Interview: Prof. Wright on the Psalms in Life and in the Church. N. T. Wright Online.
Articles in Barbour Library
Articles that are available online have links, and are only available to current PTS students, faculty, and staff. Articles without links are in the print journal collection.
Brueggemann, W. (1985). Psalm 109: three times “steadfast love.” Word & World, 5(2), 144–154.
Brueggemann, W. (1986). The costly loss of lament. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 11(36), 57–71.
Campbell, D. A. (2016). Panoramic Lutheranism and apocalyptic ambivalence: an appreciative critique of N. T. Wright’s Paul and the faithfulness of God. Scottish Journal of Theology, 69(4), 453–473.
Hill, W. (2016). The Scandalous Gift of Grace. Christianity Today, 60(1), 34–39. [interview of John Barclay]
Zenger, E. (1998). The composition and theology of the fifth book of Psalms, Psalms 107-145. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 23(80), 77–102.
- Cambridge University PressCambridge University Press publishes a wide range of high-quality academic content across Cambridge Core, including leading journals, research monographs, reference works and textbooks. In line with the commitment of Cambridge University Press to advance learning, knowledge and research around the world, we currently publish more than 380 peer-reviewed academic journals and more than 33,000 ebooks for the global market.
- N. T. Wright OnlineN.T. Wright Online helps Christians seeking a deeper experience of studying Scripture. Whether church leader, long-time layperson, or new believer, N.T. Wright Online wants you to ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12.2). Learn from the world-renowned Prof. Wright by engaging a variety of resources, including more than 30 online courses, certifications of study, free ebooks, and blog articles.
- SPCK PublishingSPCK Publishing is a recognised market-leader in the areas of Theology and Christian Spirituality, publishing authors such as Tom Wright, Rowan Williams, Paula Gooder and Alister McGrath. SPCK continues to gather recognition in other genres, including History and Leadership books written for people of all backgrounds, proudly representing authors such as Terry Waite, Melvyn Bragg, Janina Ramirez and Katie Piper.
- Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is an independent publisher of religious books, from academic books and scholarly works in theology, biblical studies, and religious history to popular titles in spirituality, ministry, and cultural criticism.
Below, you'll find a list of Barbour Library books that were used in a book display to complement Dr. Creach's and Dr. van Driel's Book Talk. Feel free to download it and use it to find more resources!