Books published by Calvin College Press

Congregational community engagement is so widespread in the United States that it is best described as a congregational norm. Both congregational leaders and attenders, in fact, expect to be involved in community activities simply as a matter of course. Moreover, people in need assume aid from congregations is natural and normal. Beyond that, most congregations want to be involved in their communities-they see neighborhood participation as a natural product of their mission. And congregational social activity also tends to spur other action: studies show that individuals who attend congregations in which there is a strong and clear priority on community care are more likely than others to be civically engaged outside the congregation. In other words, congregational activity has ripple effects that are hard to even measure. Congregations interested in community engagement, though, should prepare to accurately assess both their limits and capacities in addressing community issues. There exists no step-by-step formula for congregational engagement that simply translates to all communities/neighborhoods. This book, however, offers a brief overview to stimulate congregational thinking about community engagement in a manner that includes insights regarding social science and local context.

There and Back: Living and Learning Abroad encourages students to prepare for off-campus study programs, to think deeply about the challenges they will encounter, to document their growth, and to explore, affirm, and expand their faith. Featuring blog posts from former students, There and Back offers a resource to help students become pilgrims rather than tourists and to deepen their study abroad experience.

If you are a student wondering what to study in college, this book is for you. It invites you to seek out the practical benefits of studying literature, language, the arts, history, religion, and philosophy. These disciplines - known collectively as the humanities - will teach you to analyze complex social dynamics, articulate good arguments, and apply the hard-won wisdom of the past to new and challenging situations.

As Christians, what should we do until Jesus returns? Attention to theological thinking about the intersection of living, learning, and acting in the world has been a historic strength of Reformed Christianity. This book weaves the future of world Christianity with Reformed Christian frameworks, providing fresh ideas for the 21st century.