Between Babel and Beast
(America and Empires in Biblical Perspective)

The Glory of Kings: A Festschrift for James B. Jordan

Fyodor Dostoevsky
(Christian Encounters Series)

Athanasius
(Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality)

The Four: A Survey of the Gospels

Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom

From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John

Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture

Jane Austen
(A Biography)

Solomon Among the Postmoderns

The Baptized Body

1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary

The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter

A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons

Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature

Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen

The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism

A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel

Against Christianity

From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution

Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy

Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper

A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament

Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature

Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays

Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life

The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church

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Bible - NT - Romans: Thanks for strangers

Edward Vacek (Spirituality and Moral Theology: Essays from a Pastoral Perspective, 103): says that “Gratitude essentially has a ‘for me’ or ‘for mine’ quality. We can, properly speaking, give thanks only when we or persons whose lives we share have been benefited. We can be happy that a stranger has won the lottery, but not thankful.”

Vacek hasn’t fully absorbed the New Testament’s, especially Paul’s, theology of gratitude.  Paul thanks God on behalf of many people who are distant from him.  Perhaps we could simply say that he gives thanks for distant Christians because he shares their life, which is true enough.  But Paul gives thanks for benefits God does to people whom he has never met.  At the beginning of Romans, he writes, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world” (1:8).  He has never been to Rome, yet he gives thanks on behalf of the Romans.  Still he “shares life” with them, and to that extent Vacek’s point stands.  But Paul’s practice shows that we “share life” with many who are personally strangers to us, share the life of Jesus and His Spirit.