Adopted into God's family: Exploring A Pauline Metaphor (New Studies in Biblical Theology)

` ... you received the Spirit of adoption' (Romans 8:15)The relationship between God and his people is understood in various waysby the biblical writers, and it is arguably the apostle Paul who uses therichest vocabulary.Unique to Paul's writings is the term huiothesia, the process or act ofbeing `adopted as son(s)'. It occurs five times in three of his letters,where it functions as a key theological metaphor.Trevor Burke argues that huiothesia has been misunderstood, misrepresented,or neglected through scholarly preoccupation with its cultural background.He redresses the balance in this comprehensive study, which discussesmetaphor theory; explores the background to huiothesia; considers the rolesof the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; examines the moral implications ofadoption, and its relationship with honour; and concludes with theconsequences for Christian believers as they live in the tension betweenthe `now' and the `not yet' of their adoption into God's new family.