When the Bible refers to Jesus as a "cornerstone," what was the intended meaning behind this symbolic expression? Other literary references to rock and stone pervade the biblical narrative and provide metaphorical value to numerous subjects, including God, the temple, and the eschatological kingdom, to name a few. Does the use of a common metaphor reveal a theological connection between these various referents? Is there a progression of thought upon which each additional use of the metaphor expands? This book explores the stone testimonia of Scripture and provides insight into how the connective tissue of the rock metaphor informs the Christology and ecclesiology developed within the New Testament canon. Through examining the way in which New Testament authors interact with Old Testament passages, this study reveals a more comprehensive way in which to understand Christ and his church in relation to stone imagery.
When the Bible refers to Jesus as a "cornerstone," what was the intended meaning behind this symbolic expression? Other literary references to rock and stone pervade the biblical narrative and provide metaphorical value to numerous subjects, including God, the temple, and the eschatological kingdom, to name a few. Does the use of a common metaphor reveal a theological connection between these various referents? Is there a progression of thought upon which each additional use of the metaphor expands? This book explores the stone testimonia of Scripture and provides insight into how the connective tissue of the rock metaphor informs the Christology and ecclesiology developed within the New Testament canon. Through examining the way in which New Testament authors interact with Old Testament passages, this study reveals a more comprehensive way in which to understand Christ and his church in relation to stone imagery.
