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Acknowledgments This work would not have been possible without the encouragement and support of far too many people to name. Many, however, are owed special thanks. I owe a special debt of gratitude to Paul DeHart, who oversaw this work in its earliest incarnation as a dissertation. I am also indebted to Patout Burns, my first reader. Both have been exceptional models of scholarship and teaching, and their continued support was welcomed at critical moments. I also want to thank the other members of my committee, Ellen Armour and John J. Thatamanil. I am also grateful to Douglas Meeks, from whom I learned to recognize myself as a theologian for the church. The subtle impact this made for me made all the difference. It has been a special honor that this work took its initial shape within the vibrant and creative community of scholarly dialogue that took place at Vanderbilt Graduate Department of Religion during my time there. I owe more than I could ever know or successfully recount to Travis Ables, David Dault, David Dunn, Burt Fulmer, Sean Hayden, Aaron Simmons, and Natalie WiggStevenson . I am glad to have called Nate Kerr my friend. And my sincerest thanks go to Mike Gibson, my editor, who made the project possible and saw it completed. Tim Eberhart—ever stalwart!—has been in due turns a brother, antagonist, teacher, and moral compass. The influence of his friendship permeates this work. The same is true of Dave Belcher. I believe he read and commented on every version of this work. It is better because of him. So am I. ix ...

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