Summit View Publishing (SΔP)

Summit View can refer to: (a) the view of a mountain peak from the valley below, (b) the view of the peak as one is climbing toward it, and (c) the view from the peak of the valleys below. We publish and recommend books that suggest different ways of viewing and doing that we have found interesting and helpful.
 

Lost Language of Symbolism: An Essential Guide for Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols of the Gospel

by Alonzo Gaskill, BYU Assistant Professor of Church History and Doctrine

The Lord declared: "All things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me" (Moses 6:63). Symbols are the language through which gospel covenants and ordinances have been revealed. This carefully researched, enlightening book helps readers understand the meaning of symbols they see in the scriptures and in the temple.

 Available at Seagull Book and Deseret Book

Symbols & Shadows: Unlocking a Deeper Understanding of the Atonement

by Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry. Donald Parry is a BYU Professor of Hebrew Bible Studies

The scriptures declare that all things testify of Christ. But what does that really mean? How do we identify and understand symbols of the Atonement? Because Jesus Christ and his Atonement are absolutely central to God s plan, our Heavenly Father has given witnesses all around us in heaven, on earth, and throughout His holy word. An ancient legal code, the high priest s sacred vestments, even the seven cities of refuge all these and more provide rich symbols of Jesus Atonement. We find types and symbols in the lives of ancient prophets and the details of modern ordinances, as well as scriptural patterns, stories, and parables that bear witness of Jesus Christ and his divine sacrifice. This remarkable book will increase our understanding of the Atonement and show how it reaches into our hearts, impacts our daily lives, and increases our desire to become like God.

Available at Seagull Book and Deseret Book

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels

by Kenneth E. Bailey

Beginning with Jesus' birth, Ken Bailey leads readers on a kaleidoscopic study of Jesus throughout the four Gospels. Bailey examines the life and ministry of Jesus with attention to the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, Jesus' relationship to women and especially Jesus' parables. Through it all, Bailey employs his trademark expertise as a master of Middle Eastern culture to lead us into a deeper understanding of the person and significance of Jesus within his own cultural context. With a sure but gentle hand, Bailey lifts away the obscuring layers of modern Western interpretation to reveal Jesus in the light of his actual historical and cultural setting.

The Cross & the Prodigal: Luke 15 Through the Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants

by Kenneth E. Bailey

Ken Bailey's unique familiarity with Near Eastern Christian literature and his intimate knowledge of Near Eastern village life produce a fascinating explanation of the parable of the prodigal son, which emerges not as the sentimental account of the pilgrimage of a sorry sinner, but as the portrayal of God as a Father who pays every price possible in the search of two lost sons, a portrait contrary to all expectations associated with a patriarch.

Drawing on his extensive knowledge of both the New Testament and Middle Eastern culture, Bailey presents an interpretation of this parable from a Middle Eastern perspective and, in doing so, powerfully demonstrates its essentially Christian message. Here Bailey highlights the underlying tensions between law and love, servanthood and sonship, honor and forgiveness that grant this story such timeless spiritual and theological power.

Beloved Bridegroom: Finding Christ in Ancient Jewish Marriage and Family Customs

by Donna B. Nielsen, BYU graduate

Christ has many titles which describe the various aspects of His nature and power. He is called the lamb, the Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, and the Light of the World, to name a few. The focus of theis book relates to another scriptural title--the Bridegroom. Beloved Bridegroom has been written for those who want to better understand this metaphor in the scriptures.

A knowledge of Biblical marriage imagery can greatly enrich our understanding of how God relates to us through covenants. Biblical covenant marriage imagery encompasses principles as divers as Sabbath observance, the Atonement, temple worship, and missionary work. It literally begins with Adam and ends with Zion.