Mark W. Elliott - Providence: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Account

This work was begun in Edinburgh, in the summer of 2016, although a preliminary sketch had been made as part of a masters module, Creation and Providence, taught at St. Andrews. A paper on the New Testament material was given at Alphacrucis College, Sydney, hosted by Paul Oslington. A visit to Keble College, Oxford, with generous hosts Markus Bockmuehl and Nathan Eubank, and time in the Bodleian Library helped me to make a good start on the research. The chance to present something of what is contained in the first chapter as an inaugural professorial lecture at St. Andrews University was very welcome. There was opportunity to communicate another section at the research seminar of Konrad Schmid in the spring of 2017 at the University of Zrich, a place without equal for quality of hospitality. In October 2017 I read a paper at Highland Theological College on some biblical texts and received helpful feedback. I am grateful to Darian Lockett for the opportunity to present material on James at the SBL session he chaired in Boston in November 2017 and to Tinu Rupparel for hosting me in Calgary in January 2018, when I was able to deliver part of what became the final chapter. The National Library of Scotland, New College Library of Edinburgh University, and, of course, that of St. Andrews were the locations where most of the book took shape. Resuming teaching and other responsibilities at St. Andrews in August 2018 necessarily slowed the pace down, but also gave ideas time to percolate. I am grateful to the St. Andrews Laidlaw scheme for allowing me the sharp-eyed copyediting services of Autumn Lambert. Dave Nelson at Baker has been an encouragement at a number of stages in the process. Between delivering the first draft and the second I have changed employment and in early 2019 have taken up positions at the University of Glasgow and at the University of Toronto. Im grateful to the leadership of both those places and for their close interest in what I do, including this project. However, Id also like to acknowledge the scholarly and supportive context of my former work place, St. Marys College, St. Andrews, not least the administrative staff as well as sterling academic colleagues. Fifteen (and a half!) years at a place leave a mark, and I have benefited much. Looking ahead, I hope to be able to work a bit around the confines of overspecialization in academic departments today. I trust that this book offers one way of doing this, as I become increasingly aware of the importance of collaboration and theology as part of our common life of worship and wisdom, as response to our Providentissimus Deus .

Glasgow, March 2019