Books published by Cascade Books

""Heaven is one of those great mysteries that somehow symbolize what we don''t know about ourselves and the world around us. At the same time it lifts our vision from the mundane realities of our everyday lives and reminds us that beyond the daily grind of our existence there is another, unseen reality. A reality that is as real--if not more so--than our everyday lives. Heaven suggests an answer to the familiar human feeling that there must be more than this, and prompts us to wonder whether there is indeed more in heaven and earth than can be dreamt of in all our philosophies.""-Paula Gooder, from the Introduction""As Paula Gooder puts it, this book tackles all the ''weird stuff'' the church tends to shy away from. We are in the realm here not of fluffy clouds and harps but of God''s presence, angelic beings and mystical visions. Heaven, we discover, is not just about the afterlife but the here and now--about how we live with each other, the planet, and God. This is indeed the essential ''rough guide'' to heaven, and much more.""-Steve Hollinghurst, author of Mission-Shaped Evangelism""In this profound, lucid and compassionate book, Paula Gooder demonstrates that heaven is not a vague future hope but the presence of the God who made heaven and earth. This means that believing in heaven involves us in God''s passionate commitment to earth. A concept of heaven that is only about the fate of the pious individual after death is a meager diet compared with the feast that this book lays before us: heaven and earth renewed, restored, and reconnected.""-Jane Williams, author of Lectionary Reflections""Paula Gooder has an extraordinary ability to offer top-class biblical scholarship in an accessible form. She makes a complex topic interesting and surprisingly relevant.""-Christopher Rowland, author of Christian OriginsPaula Gooder is a freelance writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies. She is Canon Theologian of Birmingham and Guildford Cathedrals, Lay Canon at Salisbury Cathedral, Visiting lecturer at King''s College, London, Associate lecturer at St Mellitus College, London, and Theological Adviser to the Bible Society. She has authored numerous books including Journey with Mark: Bringing the Gospel Alive for Groups and Individuals (with Mark Pryce and James Woodward), This Risen Experience: The Spirit of Easter, and A Way Through the Wilderness: God''s Help in a Time of Crisis.

At the same time as Catholic and evangelical Christians have increasingly come to agree on issues that divided them during the sixteenth-century reformations, they seem increasingly to disagree on issues of contemporary ""morality"" and ""ethics."" Do such arguments doom the prospects for realistic full communion between Catholics and evangelicals? Or are such disagreements a new opportunity for Catholics and evangelicals to convert together to the triune God''s word and work on the communion of saints for the world? Or should our hope be different than simple pessimism or optimism? In this volume, eight authors address different aspects of these questions, hoping to move Christians a small step further toward the visible unity of the church.""Christians are often divided by the justification of homosexuality or some other controversial moral issue rather than the doctrine of justification. This excellent collection of essays helps us think through the ways in which moral differences have reshaped the ecumenical task.""--R. R. Reno, Creighton University""This book identifies the chief cause of internal strife and division afflicting most mainline Protestant denominations. Separating faith from works is an old heresy that always breeds schism. The authors are leading theologians of their respective traditions who write from a wealth of experience in church service and with profound knowledge of classical Christianity. Anyone engaged in ecumenical dialogues and the quest for Christian unity needs to read and heed the message of this book.""--Carl E. Braaten, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago ""It is a historical fact that moral disagreement has divided the church. This is not possible unless certain kinds of moral disagreements are, in fact, doctrinal disagreements . . . and other kinds of moral disagreements are, in fact, tolerable divergences owing to context and judgment. The offerings in this excellent collection go a long way toward recognizing this difference and sorting it out for us today.""--Paul R. Hinlicky, Roanoke College James J. Buckley is Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland. He has contributed to and edited (with Frederick Bauerschmidt and Trent Pomplun) The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism (2007). He is associate director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology.Michael Root is Professor of Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America and Executive Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He was formerly the Director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France.

How do people think about God as they look death squarely in the face? This is the central question in The Spiritual Lives of Dying People. Here are the stories of fifteen people who confront death in their own ways and who find spiritual strength in their faith. This is also the story of a remarkable and gifted priest, one who has made ministry with the chronically ill a special focus of his pastoral life and has guided people not only through their dying but also to God. In this book, readers will find the inspiring stories of people who found hope and courage in life so that they could meet death. Readers will also glean insights into how they might approach their own deaths or care for others who are in the midst of making the last journey of life. This is a book that illuminates how to answer one of life''s most important questions: How shall I die?""The modern hospice movement has become a new, major, and wonderful locus and focus for theology and ministry. This collection of striking stories is an excellent example of this Spirit-led development.""--Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, Founding Director, Center for Action and Contemplation""The Spiritual Lives of Dying People fills a void in the literature of death and dying that few have dared to explore. . . . As both a professional and one in remission from cancer, I recommend it enthusiastically to people faced with life-threatening illness and to their loved ones. It should be required reading for seminary, pastoral care, and spiritual direction students, and highly encouraged for all professionals who attend to dying persons.""--Jane Thibault, Clinical Professor Emerita, School of Medicine, University of Louisville""No topic has occupied the human spirit, mind, and imagination more than the end of life. Poets, philosophers, and theologians have all pondered and explored the mystery. This good book brings real-life stories of real-life people who have confronted their own mortality with courage and creativity. John Mulder and Paul Scaglione tell these stories out of their own lives of scholarship, teaching, experience, and faith.""--John Buchanan, Editor and Publisher, The Christian CenturyPaul A. Scaglione is pastor of St. Barnabas Catholic Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and is the former Director of Spiritual Formation at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology.John M. Mulder is the former President and Professor of Historical Theology at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The author of many publications, his most recent book is Finding God: A Treasury of Conversion Stories (2012).

With major themes like ""the knowledge of good and evil,"" ""knowing that YHWH is your God,"" knowing that Jesus is the Christ, and the goal of developing Israel into a ""wise and discerning people,"" Scripture clearly stresses human knowledge and the consequences of error. We too long for confidence in our understanding, the assurance that our most basic knowledge is not ultimately incorrect. Biblical Knowing assesses what Israel knew, but more importantly, how she was meant to know--introducing a comprehensive Scriptural epistemology, firmly rooted in the Scripture''s own presentation of important epistemological events in the story of Israel. Because modern philosophy has also made authoritative claims about knowledge, Biblical Knowing engages contemporary academic views of knowledge (e.g., Reformed Epistemology, scientific epistemology, Virtue Epistemology, etc.) and recent philosophical method (e.g., Analytic Theology), assessing them for points of fittedness with or departure from Scripture''s own epistemology. Additionally, Biblical Knowing explores what proper knowing looks like in the task of theology itself, in the teaching and preaching of the church, and in the context of counseling.""Dru Johnson attends carefully to Scripture to elucidate the dimensions of human knowing it exemplifies throughout. He compares biblical knowing favorably with scientific epistemology in a Polanyian vein, and he contrasts it with the myopic preoccupation with propositions in Anglo-American analytic philosophy. Johnson taps his multi-disciplinary expertise to bring Christian scholars a valuable study that itself calls us to listening and participation in order to see a broader reality.""--Esther L. MeekAssociate Professor of PhilosophyGeneva College""Dru Johnson''s Biblical Knowing is a superb introduction to the latest currents in scholarship seeking to elucidate the philosophical content of Scripture. Johnson focuses on biblical approaches to human knowledge, arguing that Scripture shies away from propositional affirmations in favor of phenomenal experience as constitutive of knowledge. In doing so he defends rigor and clarity as biblical values, but boldly insists that these can be no less present in biblical stories about gaining knowledge than in the discursive arguments of later traditions. This is an excellent work that deserves careful attention, opening up new horizons in both philosophy and biblical studies.""--Yoram Hazonyauthor of The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture""Biblical Knowing makes a significant contribution to a fresh opening up of the relationship between Scripture and philosophy. This is no easy task, requiring the author to navigate philosophy, biblical studies, and theology. Dru does this masterfully. The result is a lucid, accessible text, and yet one that makes an original contribution. It is the sort of book that I have been waiting for when teaching epistemology and I suspect that many professors will have the same experience.""--from the foreword by Craig G. BartholomewH. Evan Runner Professor of PhilosophyRedeemer University CollegeDru Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at The King''s College in New York City. He is also the Templeton Associate Research Fellow in Analytic Theology at the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem, Israel.

Trying to articulate the ways in which one''s life meshes with one''s own time can be perilous, yet friends have encouraged me to do just that. Nevertheless, for one oriented to serving others as teacher and mentor in a context of faith, writing about oneself seems unnatural. Yet the ""self"" we have been given to share embodies many others as well. So many of the encounters narrated here will open into friendships. Moreover, what spices those encounters are the places and passions they embody, so the story that emerges is hardly my own. Different places often unveiled different faith communities, each of which has altered, if not transformed, the ""self"" narrated here. In that respect, and in many others, my story is not mine but that of the times our generation has inhabited. Finally, it has been my religious community of Holy Cross that made these multiple transformations possible, so it is only fitting to dedicate the work to that community and the rich exchanges it continues to effect among women and men.""When the complex story called Roman Catholicism of our day is told, David Burrell''s memoir will be crucial for that telling. But even now the gift of this memoir is that it helps us see and understand what a life looks like when dedicated to discovering God in the stranger. To have been claimed as friend by David Burrell is one of the most cherished parts of my life. Which makes it all the more significant for me--and for others--to have him tell us his story.""--Stanley Hauerwas, Duke University""In this engaging autobiography, David Burrell serves as a modern-day troubadour, leading the reader nimbly from the Rockies to Rome, Notre Dame to Bangladesh, Cairo (and Athens) to Jerusalem, singing all the while of love.""--Janet Soskice, University of CambridgeDavid B. Burrell, CSC, Hesburgh Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology at the University of Notre Dame, has served as Professor of Comparative Theology at Tangaza College, Nairobi. His most recent work is Towards a Jewish-Christian-Muslim Theology (2011).

Cultural changes and social conditions today give evidence of a growing disregard of traditional authority and an increasing distrust of institutions. Relations between pastor and people are changing. In many situations, the practice of top-down leadership appears no longer to be effective. Members Are Ministers identifies the positive change necessary to achieve greater unity and to reduce conflict within the church. This book promotes an approach that generates a greater sense of community, enables a clearer corporate and personal witness to the faith, and reduces the social distances between pastors and people. Above all, it recognizes the Word as crucial for effecting change in our emerging new culture. Paul Goetting works from a biblical base that shapes the Christian ministry of all people through their various vocations, and equips them for a clearer witness to the Christian faith and to issues of injustice. The family, the workplace, the political arena, and the church are seen as the primary contexts for authentic servant ministry of both clergy and laity. ""Combining his decades of experience as a parish pastor and seminary professor, Paul Goetting gives us a savvy, impassioned appeal for the church to do what God continually calls it to do, turn itself upside down by striving to make the ministry of every baptized Christian effective. Why it matters and how to go about it with creative fidelity make for lively reading and faithful follow through.""-Dean LuekingGrace Lutheran Church, River Forest, Illinois""Drawing upon the theological cross-centered roots of the Reformation and his years of observation and experience in a variety of leadership roles in the church, Goetting proposes that the church utilize its core theology which manifests ''inverted leadership'' in a manner that will make use of the gifts of all the baptized, both with respect to fulfilling its vocation to proclaim the Gospel as well as caring for God''s creation and tending to justice. The book is a provocative read.""-Bishop Marcus C. LohrmannEvangelical Lutheran Church in America ""Goetting describes the nasty divorce in our congregations between Sunday and Monday. As one church member witnessed, ''No pastor has ever asked about my work.'' Goetting''s goal is to invert the pyramid of church leadership so that the people in the pew discover their callings. Goetting draws on the Reformation--along with modern leadership theories--to paint a new picture of ministry. Goetting''s real goal is to mess with our imaginations about how a congregation works. Consequently, handle with care. The calls for ''ministry in daily life'' are growing. Goetting''s contribution to these voices is an important one.""-Rick BlieseLuther Seminary""Combining theological and social analysis Goetting ably revives the theme of the ministry of the laity in its contemporary relevance.""-Richard BaeplerValparaiso UniversityPaul Goetting (1930-2013) was a Lutheran pastor who served the church through a very active career in three congregations and in seven interim ministries. He also became a professor at Concordia Seminary-St. Louis and Christ Seminary-Seminex. Goetting also held administrative positions for Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Council, USA, both in New York City. He spent six years in two major ecumenical research programs in Philadelphia and Chicago. He was often called to short-term service abroad, principally in India and Africa.

The ongoing global financial crisis was not simply the fault of the financial sector. Bankers, households, and governments had all entered a spiral of greed, selfishness, and impatience in pursuit of their respective aims of higher remuneration, greater consumption, and enhanced popularity. The outcome, besides costly bank bailouts, has been rising private and public debt and stagnant economies. Economics, the ruling paradigm in today''s society, can explain their motivation of self-interest but not the underlying irrationality of their behavior. Taking a view from Scripture, Philip Davis critiques the overall aims of individuals, as assumed by economics--wealth, consumption, and power--in contrast to Jesus'' proclamation of the kingdom of God, the love for God and neighbor, and responsible stewardship of resources. In doing so, he aims to equip Christians to better understand the crisis from a kingdom perspective, to provide the church with a distinctive voice in these troubled times, and to press for radical Christian solutions to address the underlying difficulties. This little book aims to redress the gap in Christians'' understanding that led the theologian Jurgen Moltmann to remark trenchantly, ""The neglect of economics is a wound in the side of the church.""""The effects of the financial crisis have shown the impact economic issues have on all our lives and have underlined the importance for Christians of reflecting prayerfully on them. This book provides valuable support for that reflection, and I am delighted it is part of our continuing conversations on finance and Christian ethics.""-Rowan WilliamsArchbishop of Canterbury""The financial crisis of 2007-08, and its continuing unfolding since, has been the subject of many popular books seeking to explain what went wrong. But until now, there has been no substantial Christian voice addressing the crisis: the issues are too complex, and the Christian ethical response too poorly articulated to provide much guidance to concerned Christians. E. Philip Davis has expertly filled the gap with this book. It would be hard to find someone better qualified to do so: the author is an acknowledged academic authority on financial markets and systems, and he also brings substantial theological and biblical training to the task. His careful and judicious juxtaposition of explanations of what happened in the crisis with biblical critique is a model of clarity. His exposition goes beyond the financial system to challenge the accumulation of debt by households and government, and indeed the underlying motivations of wealth accumulation, consumption, and power in the modern economy. This is a truly ''prophetic'' short book that deserves to be widely read--and acted upon.""-Donald Hay author of Economics Today: A Christian CritiqueE. Philip Davis is Senior Research Fellow at the UK National Institute of Economic and Social Research, Associate Professor of Economics and Finance at Brunel University, London, and Pastor of Penge Baptist Church, London. Previous works include Debt, Financial Fragility, and Systemic Risk (Oxford University Press).

Prior to his death in 2007, the self-described secular philosopher Richard Rorty began to modify his previous position concerning religion. Moving from ""atheism"" to ""anti-clericalism,"" Rorty challenges the metaphysical assumptions that lend justification to abuses of power in the name of religion. Instead of dismissing and ignoring Rorty''s challenge, the essays in this volume seek to enter into meaningful conversation with Rorty''s thought and engage his criticisms in a constructive and serious way. In so doing, one finds promising nuggets within Rorty''s thought for addressing particular questions within Christianity. The essays in this volume offer charitable yet fully confessional engagements with an impressive secular thinker.""Jacob Goodson and Brad Stone have brought together a fair sampling of contemporary thinkers . . . The three sections of Rorty and the Religious take on the status of Christianity in analytic philosophy, the implications of Rorty''s thought for Christian moral understanding, and the prospects for social hope. This book . . . brings together the intellectual life, as exemplified by Rorty, and the ''sustained practice'' informed by ''spiritual nourishment and the hope of the risen Christ.''""--G. Scott Davis, University of Richmond""Goodson and Stone''s spirited gathering of Christian thinkers shows us not only why, but how Rorty''s pragmatism needs an account of religion to ground its vision of hope and love. [It shows] why and how contemporary Christian theology needs a chastened pragmatism to bring its imaginings back down to earth. Here is an engaging philosophy and a critically minded theology, a reason for hope.--Peter Ochs, University of Virginia""Goodson and Stone have brought together an excellent group of religious thinkers who take seriously the invitation to start a new conversation with a secular, though not antireligious, thinker, one who recognized the power of telling and retelling in our private lives, but also in the generation of civic solidarity. By doing so, they have enriched and expanded our understanding of Rorty''s thought and of our religious America.""--Eduardo Mendieta, Stony Brook UniversityJacob L. Goodson (PhD, University of Virginia) is Visiting Professor of Religious Ethics in the Department of Religious Studies at the College of William & Mary. He has published scholarly essays in The American Journal of Theology and Philosophy and Contemporary Pragmatism.Brad Elliott Stone is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of the University Honors Program at Loyola Marymount University. He has published several essays and book chapters in pragmatism, continental philosophy, and Spanish philosophy.

Throughout Walter Brueggemann''s career, he has repeatedly found his way back to the David and royal traditions. From some of his earliest articles and essays to monographs, commentaries, and sermons, he has explored this rich field in literary, social, and theological depth. As he has said, ""My preoccupation with David rests on the awareness that David occupies a central position in the imagination of ancient Israel and in the rendering of ''faith and history'' by that community. As the genealogies locate David, he stands mid-point between the rigors of Mosaic faith and the destruction of Jerusalem; as a consequence he becomes, in the artistry of Israel, the carrier of all the ambivalence Israel knew about guarantees and risks in the world YHWH governs."" This volume brings together some of Brueggemann''s key essays on the David traditions, as well as their interrelationships with traditions in the book of Genesis.--from the Foreword""This volume usefully brings together a powerfully argued body of material from Walter Brueggemann relating to David and the development of Israelite theology. Its chapters feature the typical hallmarks of Brueggemann''s scholarship: strong arguments on important themes, a very sharp eye for exegetical detail, a profound sensitivity to the theology of the narratives and a remarkable freshness of style. Students of the Bible encountering these contributions for the first time, or established scholars revisiting them, will find this book deeply enriching.""-Philip F. Esler DD (Oxon) FRSESt Mary''s University College, Twickenham""Various critical studies of the imposing figure and theological importance of David, written throughout the remarkable career of Walter Brueggemann, are brought together in this volume. Attentive to literary and historical matters, Brueggemann is always concerned about the impact the theological message can have on the church today. Grounded in the scholarship we have come to expect from this prolific author, this very readable book will appeal to a broad audience.""-Dianne Bergant, CSACatholic Theological Union""Walter Brueggemann is unexcelled in his ability to discern historical, literary, and theological connections between the Bible and our common work. This is amply demonstrated in this welcome collection of his essays on David, ''the carrier of all the ambivalence Israel knew about guarantees and risks in the world YHWH governs.'' For a focused probe on the royal establishment, and on the man who most enigmatically embodied it, there is no better place to begin than by reading David and His Theologian.""-Samuel E. BalentineUnion Presbyterian Seminary Walter Brueggemann is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He is past President of the Society of Biblical Literature and the author of numerous books, including Truth-Telling as Subversive Obedience, Praying the Psalms, A Pathway of Interpretation, and Ichabod toward Home.

Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in Seattle discovered that by forming the faith of new Christians and leading them to the waters of baptism, they as a parish were renewed and revitalized for mission in the world. Faith Forming Faith describes the year-long process of faith mentoring that has become the center of this congregation''s ministry. Hoffman''s easy narrative style weaves together solid pastoral and theological insights with the practical, real-life stories of lives transformed by a vibrant new faith--the lives of newcomers and long-time members alike. This is a great primer for anyone wanting more than a pastor''s class, more than another curriculum. It is a book for pastors, parish leaders, or seminarians. But it''s also a great witness to a skeptical, questioning world outside the Church as well, showing that a life of faith can be lived in a secular, questioning culture.""This is the book for which many of us have been waiting. In our new, post-Christendom time the critical need for faith formation--catechesis--has now been understood and accepted. But how? How to do faith formation for adults, for seekers, for a new time? Paul Hoffman''s inspiring report on ''The WAY'' goes a long way toward answering not only the ''why'' and ''what,'' but also the crucial ''how'' question. Invaluable.""-Anthony B. RobinsonPresident, Congregational Leadership Northwest""Paul Hoffman joyously testifies to God''s reviving breath stirring a congregation and bringing new Christians to baptism when a faith community embraces the Adult Catechumenate as the focus of its ministry. Those skeptical that an ancient way of forming Christians can work today will meet people whose lives were truly transformed as they walked with God, surrounded by God''s people, on a journey of revelation, faith, and discovery that a congregation in Seattle simply calls ''The WAY.''""Craig A. SatterleeProfessor of HomileticsLutheran School of Theology at Chicago""Paul Hoffman has written a stunning book. The book describes one congregation''s bold embodiment of the ancient catechumenate--a pattern of apprenticeship forming people into faith in Jesus Christ. It offers pastors, seminarians, and congregational leaders sage council for beginning this baptismal pattern of ''font-forming-faith'' in their own communities, and in doing so sets out a gracious and vital proposal about the witness of faith in an increasingly secular society.""-Christian ScharenCodirector, Learning Pastoral Imagination ProjectPaul E. Hoffman is Lead Pastor at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in Seattle, Washington. For the past fifteen years, along with other staff members and committed lay leaders, he has led The WAY at Phinney Ridge, a contemporary adaptation of the ancient ministry of the Adult Catechumenate.

Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) was one of the world''s last great polymaths and one of the most important Christian thinkers of his time, engaging the world with a simplicity, sincerity, courage, and passion that few have matched. However, Ellul is an often misunderstood thinker. As more than fifty books and over one thousand articles bear his name, embarking on a study of Ellul''s thought can be daunting. This book provides an introduction to Ellul''s life and work, analyzing and assessing his thought across the most important themes of his scholarship. Readers will see that his remarkably broad field of vision, clarity of focus, and boldly prophetic voice make his work worth reading and considering, rereading and discussing.""Understanding Jacques Ellul is an academic treasure. . . . The complicated correlation between Ellul''s biblical thinking and his social theoretical work is developed with extraordinary sophistication. This book lives up to its own internal promise, demonstrating with impeccable scholarship Ellul''s distinctiveness as a Christian thinker.""--Clifford Christians, University of Illinois""Understanding Jacques Ellul is a useful introduction to the prolific author, who was a sociologist, historian, and a Christian. This book is the first to give equal weight to his secular and Christian views. Given Ellul''s voluminous writings, the authors had to be selective, and their choice of topics is excellent.""--Richard Stivers, Professor of Sociology, Illinois State University""Jacques Ellul was one of the twentieth century''s most insightful Christian analysts of contemporary society. His writings remain of great value for Christian mission today. This study shows his continued relevance through its accessible, well-informed introduction and overview of some of the many key themes in his extensive corpus. I hope it introduces Ellul''s thought to a new generation of Christian disciples and scholars.""--Andrew Goddard, Associate Director, Kirby Laing Institute of Christian Ethics""This revealing overview of Ellul''s life and work enables us to grasp the underlying unity of his principal interests: communication and Christianity. . . . This balanced study will be of prime service to anyone who [wishes to] understand Ellul''s thought and insights.""--Eric McLuhan, author of Know Thyself: Action and PerceptionJeffrey P. Greenman is Associate Dean of Biblical and Theological Studies and Professor of Christian Ethics at Wheaton College (IL).Read M. Schuchardt is Associate Professor of Communication at Wheaton College (IL).Noah J. Toly is Director of Urban Studies and Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at Wheaton College (IL).

John Heywood Thomas was probably the earliest twentieth-century British scholar to study Kierkegaard''s texts. Here he offers, as the fruit of a lifetime''s devotion to that study, what Kierkegaard would call a ""fragment""--a little of what needs to be said about the legacy of this radical Danish writer, philosopher, and theologian. This book, based on lectures given at the University of Calgary, seeks to explore different aspects of Kierkegaard''s work in its original context and its legacy. Chapters include studies on Kierkegaard the writer (located within the history and development of European literature and nineteenth-century aesthetic theory) and Kierkegaard the philosopher (understood within the context of the development of philosophy in the first quarter of the nineteenth century). Also, since he always described himself as a religious thinker, Kierkegaard''s view of religion is explored and in particular his attitude to the possibility of Christianity without the confines of an established church. Because Kierkegaard''s philosophy is never separate from his religious thinking, Heywood Thomas also offers studies on the issues of metaphysics in Kierkegaard--its relation to theology, the scope of reason, the problem of time, and the meaning of death. Finally, to appreciate Kierkegaard as a man of his time as well as a ""man for all seasons,"" his views on education are considered.""I enthusiastically commend this book by the doyen of British Kierkegaard scholars. To the elucidation of Kierkegaard''s thought, John Heywood Thomas brings incisive analytical skills, a scholarly grasp of the history of Christian thought, detailed knowledge of Kierkegaard in his historical context and in subsequent debate, and a deep commitment to the Christian faith. This book is the fruit of a lifetime''s reflection on Kierkegaard. It deserves to be widely read.""-Alan P F SellMilton Keynes, UK""John Heywood Thomas here presents the fruits of a lifetime of wrestling with the work of Kierkegaard. Always an astute reader of Kierkegaard, Thomas guides us through the central philosophical and theological concerns of Kierkegaard''s authorship, tracks the impact of Kierkegaard''s thought on much twentieth-century thought, and reminds us that the challenges set before Kierkegaard''s readers remain profoundly apposite in our own time.""-Murray RaeUniversity of Otago""In The Legacy of Kierkegaard Thomas gives us a reading of Kierkegaard which manages to be both faithful to the text and deeply original. While taking Kierkegaard''s Christian faith with the utmost seriousness, Thomas shows us a Kierkegaard who is a profound philosopher with deep things to say about metaphysics and ethics, time and immortality.""-C. Stephen EvansBaylor UniversityProfessor John Heywood Thomas studied under Paul Tillich and was described by Tillich as ""my logical critic."" A lifetime researcher on Kierkegaard, Heywood Thomas has taught philosophy and theology at the Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, Texas, and at the universities of Manchester, Durham, and Nottingham in the UK.

""A major challenge for people of faith is to resist the growing demonization of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism . . . I want to do something to build bridges between the three religions. I feel called to embody in my own life the healing, the reconciliation, the unity I long for between people of different religions."" Art Gish became involved in the life and worship of all three religions; he considered himself a Christian, a Muslim, and a Jew, and worked at integrating those three perspectives into his life. Acknowledging that Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are all threatened by narrow-minded, violent extremists who put the particular interests of their own people above our common interests, he tells inspiring stories of open-minded Muslims, Jews, and Christians who struggle together for reconciliation and who confront injustices that spawn hostility. Gish looks not only at the disagreements but also at the unity of the three Abrahamic faiths. He writes, ""When people cross boundaries, exciting things happen. Each time in Israel/Palestine that I experience Jews, Muslims, and Christians eating, working, laughing, and crying together, I sense a foretaste of the coming kingdom of God, a demonstration of how things could be, and one day will be.""""Through stories of human witness in the contexts of suffering, hope, and personal testimony, Gish eloquently calls us to look more deeply into our faith--whether Muslim, Christian, or Jew--as the taproot for interfaith dialogue. Embodying the prophetic gift during his life and in these words published after his untimely death, Gish reminds us that because God can be trusted, we need not fear interfaith relationships.""--Ruthann Knechel Johansen, Bethany Theological Seminary ""Art Gish writes movingly as he draws from his diverse and difficult commitments in the world . . . Gish has seized his moment to be faithful in the world. It is up to us to seize our moment.""--Marc H. Ellis, Baylor University""Art Gish has written an inspiring book for secular and spiritually motivated people who still question the role religion can play in building a culture of peace in the Middle East and around the world. This book is full of wisdom . . . and it is rich with practical experiences of how religious leaders can act for solidarity and justice.""--Mohammed Abu-Nimer, American University""This book is full of inspiring stories of reconciliation and compassion that move toward countering religiously motivated violence. But more than that, Gish points us in a direction that is even more radical, one that will require deep collaboration by the peoples of the Abrahamic religions. He calls us to worship the one God through our words and actions.""--Lydia Neufeld Harder, Toronto School of TheologyRaised a Christian, Art Gish became more personally involved with Islam and Judaism in his work in Israel/Palestine since 1995, with the Christian Peacemaker Teams. He was active in peace and justice for over fifty years. In 2010, after completing this book, Gish died tragically in a farming accident. He is the author of The New Left and Christian Radicalism (1970), Beyond the Rat Race (1972), Living in Christian Community (1979), Hebron Journal: Stories of Nonviolent Peacemaking (2001), and At-Tuwani Journal: Hope & Nonviolent Action in a Palestinian Village (2008).

Christians are prone to so focus on the realities of Jesus'' divinity that we minimize or ignore the realities of his humanity. That he called himself the Son of Man more than any other title emphasizes that Jesus lived humanly in our fallen world, facing our temptations and living out the tensions of being human in the flow of life. He was just like us, human in a sinful world, yet he did not sin.So what can we learn from Jesus'' glorious life about the meaning of our own humanity, about the tensions of being human in a sinful world and the difference between being a sinner and being a finite, flesh-and-blood human being? With this book as a helpful and trustworthy guide, you will begin to see how we can learn from Jesus how to:- live gracefully in our bodies, even our wounded and dying bodies- live with integrity as finite human beings who are created to enjoy limits- love our family, friends, neighbors, strangers, and enemies- enjoy being alone without being lonely- enjoy the good things of life- wear our scars with hope and dignity- learn to dieAs Dr. Russ shows, it is by truly encountering, understanding, and learning from Jesus'' humanity that we can become more fully and truly human.""This book is a little gem rich with quiet wisdom and deep insights, and is beautifully written. This is a book to read slowly and savor long.""--Os Guinness, author of A Free People''s Suicide: Sustainable Freedom and the American Future""A book of uncommon power and insight. By providing incisive commentary on the gospel''s story of Jesus''s humanity, Russ opens wide a window into our own.""--Robert Walter Wall, Paul T. Walls Professor of Scripture and Wesleyan Studies, Seattle Pacific University""I don''t know when I have been more pleased with a book on Christian life than I am with this stunningly helpful examination of the humanity of Christ. . . . This is the kind of book that not only deserves, but needs, a wide readership.""--Luder G. Whitlock Jr., Former President, Reformed Theological Seminary""A marvelously surprising book. Surprising because it uncovers an obvious truth we have persistently managed to obscure or ignore. Marvelous because, like all truths, its discovery has the capacity to set us free, free to enjoy the limits of our finitude, and free to marvel, once again, at the full-orbed wonder of the Word-made-flesh. A tour de force.""--Stan D. Gaede, President, Christian College ConsortiumDan Russ is Academic Dean and faculty member at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. He is also a Fellow of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture and a Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum, where he has also served as a moderator, resource scholar, editor, and project director. He has previously published on biblical and classical literature as well as education.

Our theology does not exist in a vacuum but must relate to the world we inhabit and must influence our moral and ethical actions. This is especially true when discussing theology of ""the land"" in the context of a violent territorial conflict. The Holy Land has seen so much bloodshed that the earth itself is crying out to God.The chapters presented in this book form a unique collection of voices speaking from different perspectives on the issue of the theology of the land. These voices include Messianic Jewish and Palestinian Christian theologians and scholars who live in the Holy Land, as well as others from around the world. The various chapters reflect a wide spectrum of opinion and reveal how much disagreement still exists among followers of Christ. However, the dialogue generated by having these opposing voices side by side, speaking to each other rather than past each other, is encouraging. This book is both challenging and inspirational, and contributes in an innovative way to this important discussion.""This book plunges the reader into the complexities and intransigencies of this most urgent and most difficult of all of our public problems . . . the Holy Land. The discussion provides a rich, representative spectrum of opinion and puts acute hermeneutical differences fully on exhibit. The book inches toward the legitimacy of ''the other,'' and one author dares to conclude that it is not history or land that finally matters, but ''it is in the face of the other that we find the image of God.'' This collection adds more voices to the ongoing struggle. Like other voices in the cacophony, these voices fall short of the reconciliation that the cry of the land requires.""--Walter BrueggemannColumbia Theological Seminary""The Land Cries Out is a valuable anthology of theological perspectives of both Palestinian and Israeli followers of Jesus on the issue of ''the Land.'' The representative national (and international) voices serve as a helpful resource to acquaint one with the theological complexity of the Body of Christ in Israel/Palestine. The anthology illustrates how both regional politics and theological influences affect each community''s reading of Scripture and offers some constructive attempts to escape the theological impasse between both communities.""--Akiva CohenHaifa Theological InstituteSalim J. Munayer is a Palestinian Israeli theologian and lecturer at the Bethlehem Bible College, as well as the cofounder and director of Musalaha, a ministry that seeks to facilitate reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Lisa Loden is a leader in the Israeli Messianic Jewish community. She heads up and is a lecturer in the Department of Leadership Development Studies at the Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary.

One passage, two verses, four words.As a writer and an adjunct professor of psychology, Amy Hollingsworth is on her way to becoming an ""expert"" on creativity. But just days before delivering her first professional seminar on the topic, she has an unsettling dream. The dream awakens her to the fact that she has missed a crucial element in understanding what true creativity is. Trying to unravel the dream, she soon discovers its contents reflected in a single passage of ancient literature. In this passage she sees for the first time creativity''s core, its spiritual roots, and as its meaning unfolds through months of spiritual reflection and study, it confirms the very scientific theories she''s been teaching all along. In fact, she discovers the underpinnings of the whole body of creativity research tucked into four small words penned centuries ago, kernels of truth that explode with a new depth of meaning. As she digs deeper, she uncovers for the reader God''s blueprint for cultivating the creative spirit in everyday life, through a practical outworking of her spiritual findings. In the end, both writer and reader come away with a new understanding of their own creative abilities--and a profound sense of what''s truly holy about holy curiosity.""So sensitive, intelligent, and gutsy.""-Thomas Moore, New York Times best-selling author of Care of the Soul ""Amy brings her uniquely lyrical style to the subject of creativity, its origins, and its purpose in our lives. This book is personal, practical, and poetic all in one, and will be a welcome addition to your shelf.""-Daniel H. Pink, New York Times best-selling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind ""You know that best afternoon ever, with the rain outside, and the comfy chair inside, and the good book -a glorious, quiet revelation of a book-and the family dog sleeping at your feet? This is that book. You''ll have to bring your own dog.""-Sean Herriott, host of national Catholic radio program Morning Air™ on Relevant Radio®""With wit and grace, Amy Hollingsworth invites her readers to listen to their lives. She is bold to embrace the possibility that the Wisdom with whom God framed Creation is the very Wisdom who yearns to create through each of us. Amy draws thread from spools ancient and modern, mythic and scientific, experiential and theoretical and weaves a seamless story that calls us all to hear and respond to the whispers of Wisdom."" -Jim Street, writer and pastor of North River Church, Lawrenceville, Georgia ""I found Amy''s book to be a fascinating mix as she examines the deeper essence of creativity. Her personal journey, insights from both the scientific and biblical realms, and the practical delineation of how to assure creativity''s existence in a driven, specialized world provide a portal to understanding that everything is relevant and that creativity is our inherent nature. Amy''s blueprint for how to live the creative lives we are all meant to live is clear, awakening, profound and practical.""-Carla Hannaford, PhD, Neurophysiologist and author of Playing in the Unified Field: Raising and Becoming Conscious, Creative Human Beings ""Amy is one of my revered people: such a warm, good heart infused with profound spiritual insight and tremendous sensitivity to others. These qualities uniquely position her to offer a nuanced, affecting, practical, and truly exceptional work on creativity in Holy Curiosity. Thank you, Amy.""-Danny Fisher, writer and Professor of Religious Studies at University of the West, Coordinator of the Buddhist Chaplaincy ProgramAmy Hollingsworth is the author of The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers: Spiritual Insights from the World''s Most Beloved Neighbor (2005), based on her nine-year friendship with television''s Fred Rogers; and Gifts of Passage: What the Dying Tell Us with the Gifts They Leave Behind (2008). She taught as an adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Mary Washington in Frederi

B. J. Oropeza offers the most thorough examination in recent times on the subject of apostasy in the New Testament. The study examines each book of the New Testament with a fourfold approach that identifies the emerging Christian community in danger, the nature of apostasy that threatens the congregations, and the consequences of defection. Oropeza then compares the various perspectives of the communities in Christ in order to determine the ways in which they perceived apostasy and whether defectors could be restored. In this second volume of a three-volume set titled Apostasy in the New Testament Communities, Oropeza focuses on the Christ communities of the undisputed and disputed Pauline Letters.""Professor B. J. Oropeza''s three-volume work on perseverance and apostasy in the New Testament is certain to become the standard in the field for years to come . . . it is thoroughly exegetical, without attempting to promote established theological agendas.""-Don Garlington, author of Studies in the New Perspective on Paul""Professor Oropeza provides readers with a stimulating study of apostasy in early Christian communities. It is an important (and much neglected) topic and warrants a careful, detailed study. What I especially like about Oropeza''s approach is his skillful integration of exegesis, biblical theology, and historical and social contexts . . . Readers will come across a number of interpretive gems. I found the discussion of Paul particularly insightful."" - Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia, Canada""The present book offers a genuine contribution to Pauline studies, not only in its study and analysis of ''apostasy'' as a socio-religious category addressed within the Pauline tradition but also in its overview of those whose ideas and practices were perceived as a very real threat to the salvific well-being of the churches. In critical interaction with a broad range of contemporary scholarship, Oropeza provides a well-organized and accessible account of detractors from Paul and his followers. One important outcome of the book is its recognition of the bewildering variety of problems (and sources for these problems) faced by Pauline communities. While focusing on apostasy as a socio-religious reality and the role it played in shaping Pauline thought, Oropeza''s study raises serious questions about the perception of evil in different dimensions, not all of which result in the loss of faith formerly embraced. This is a must-read for anyone looking for new ways to access the theological world of Paul and his associates.""-Loren T. StuckenbruckRichard Dearborn Professor of New Testament StudiesPrinceton Theological SeminaryB. J. Oropeza is Professor of Biblical Studies at Azusa Pacific University. He is the current founder and chair of Intertextuality in the New Testament sessions for the Society of Biblical Literature. Among his many publications are Jesus and Paul: Global Perspectives in Honor of James D. G. Dunn (2009), and Paul and Apostasy: Eschatology, Perseverance and Falling Away in the Corinthian Congregation (2000/2007).

""I should not be writing this. I had a malignant brain tumor. I had an extremely malignant brain tumor. By all medical statistics, I should be dead. Last time I checked, dead people don''t write."" So begins Julie Anderson Love''s memoir. It is the funny, horrifying, compelling story of her battle with an extremely malignant brain tumor. The good news is, she survived; the scary news is, according to medical statistics and prognoses, she wasn''t supposed to. Her book is not just a How-To-Be-The-Patient-From-Hell, although one could read it for that; it is the story of a woman of faith who believes in a loving God, who faces the possibility of her imminent death. As one reader described it: ""This is a fully realized story of faith, the dissolution of faith, and the redefinition of faith."" As she battles the tumor, and as the reader travels the journey with her, she takes God to task. Using biblical reflections, theological and philosophical deliberations, journal writings, and sermons she''d written (she''s been a Presbyterian pastor for over twenty years), she ponders the nature of God''s power, miracles, and forgiveness. Disrupted will make you laugh and cry. It will compel you to think deeply about the nature of God, the experience of being alive, and what it means to forgive.""What is moving and beautiful about this book is not just the elegantly written story of a courageous struggle for life and hope, but also the way that theological wisdom is so naturally woven into the most extreme of life''s experiences. The wind of faith blows through every page, moving seemingly as effortlessly as breathing in and breathing out. Julie Anderson Love tells her own story of her battle with brain cancer with amazing candor, profound insight, and unexpected wit, and in the end we not only rejoice in her newfound strength and trust, but also in our own.""--Thomas G. LongProfessor of PreachingCandler School of Theology""In Disrupted, Julie Anderson Love breaks the niceness conventions--that code of silence under which pastors live--to tell the poignant, beguiling truth about faith, community, and wholeness. As Love trudges through the shadow of death, we learn about the abundance of life. When she analyzes betrayal, we discover the audacity of love. And when she examines illness, we realize the tenacious act of healing.""--Carol Howard MerrittPastor of Western Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC""Disrupted could be called a ''spiritual autobiography,'' but I would call it a study in wrestling with angels. Like Jacob of old, Julie Anderson Love does not walk away unscathed, yet she emerges having demanded--and received--profound blessing. Read this book and learn to make your own demands amidst life''s struggles--and walk on, blessed for having done so.""--Eric Elnesauthor of The Phoenix Affirmations and Asphalt JesusJulie Anderson Love grew up in rainy Seattle and loves mountains, evergreens, and a good cup of coffee. She has had one sermon published in the Journal for Pastoral Care, and two narratives published in ""Drama Resources."" She earned her MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary and her MFA from the University of San Francisco. She lives in Marin County with her husband, her daughter, her dog, Corin, and her cat, Monkey.

Making Justice Our Business is the story of Darryl Hunt, and of those drawn to him who refused to give up on him, each other, and justice. Boyd tells the story of how one summer morning in 1985, an attractive, white newspaper editor named Deborah Sykes was raped, brutally stabbed, and murdered in a Southern town. A 911 caller gave a false name--Sammy Mitchell--and the investigation quickly focused on him and his friend, Darryl Hunt, a black nineteen-year-old orphan. Facing public pressure and having a history with Mitchell, a District Attorney won a conviction before an all-white jury, sending Hunt to prison for life. Convinced of his innocence, a handful of people led a community effort to free him that turned into a nineteen-year struggle with a few exhilarating highs, but more discouraging, depressing defeats against an intractable justice system. Their dogged determination led to an improbable series of events in 2003 that broke the case open. This is the story of an extraordinary man told by a white, uneasy participant who came late to the struggle but was transformed by the process.""Stephen Boyd offers a moving account of the eighteen-year-long nightmare of Darryl Hunt. . . . In the faithful work of extraordinarily ordinary Muslims, Jews, and Christians, we see the force of divine love that wouldn''t quit, and we catch a clear vision of what it takes from all of us to create a humane society where it is easier for us to truly love all our brothers and sisters.""--Sr. Helen Prejeanauthor of Dead Man Walking  "" . . . I suggest this book as an important read for every American citizen.""--Maya Angelouauthor of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings  "" . . . Let this defining volume stand as witness to the fallacy that our justice system reigns supreme; rather, what does is the human spirit that survives and is joined by others equally committed to telling the truth. . . . I am left with an overwhelming sense of awe and gratitude for Darryl''s spirit and Professor Boyd''s tenacity.""--asha bandeleauthor of The Prisoner''s Wife  "" . . . Making Justice Our Business is equal parts ringing social critique and personal faith journey. For Darryl and for all who continue to suffer unjustly, another necessary blow against the prison industrial complex has been struck.""--Alton B. Pollard IIIHoward University School of DivinityStephen Boyd is the John Allen Easley Professor of Religion at Wake Forest University. He is the author of Pilgram Marpeck: His Life and Social Theology (1992) and The Men We Long to Be (1996).

The remarkable discovery of ancient Near Eastern law collections or ""codes,"" beginning with the Laws of Hammurabi and followed by many other collections in decades following, opened a new window upon biblical law. This volume seeks to examine within a single study all of the biblical laws that are similar in content with ancient Near Eastern laws from Sumer, Babylonia, Assyria, and Hatti. The book also examines a small but important group of early rabbinic laws from postbiblical times that exhibit significant similarities with laws found in the ancient Near Eastern collections or ""codes."" This later group of laws, although absent from the Bible, are nevertheless of comparable antiquity. The presentation focuses on the actual law statements preserved in these ancient law ""codes."" The discussion then adds narratives, records, and reports of legal actions from ancient sources outside the laws-all of which relate to the formal law statements. The discourse is non-polemical in tone and does not seek to revisit all theories and interpretations. The format allows readers, including those who are new to the subject of biblical law, to engage the primary sources on their own.""This book''s intriguing thesis is that there are many ''remainders'' of ancient near eastern law that survive in the late antique legal literature of rabbinic Judaism (the Mishnah and the two Talmuds) . . . Greengus uniquely shows how this influence may be discovered in rabbinic legal materials that lack explicit biblical models and antecedents. A fascinating read for all those interested in the history of law and intercultural influences.""-Richard S. SarasonProfessor of Rabbinic Literature and ThoughtHebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati""Samuel Greengus analyzes an important group of biblical laws with all the legal and linguistic resources discovered in the past century . . . This book will prove indispensable for readers who seek to understand the meaning of biblical laws in their original cultural context and in the course of their ongoing application in postbiblical times.""-Jeffrey H. TigayEmeritus Ellis Professor of Hebrew and Semitic Languages and LiteraturesUniversity of Pennsylvania""Greengus presents a comprehensive discussion of biblical law in relation to the entire spectrum of law in the ancient Near East, the Greco-Roman world, and Rabbinic Judaism. Written for the general reader as well as the specialist, this volume opens the biblical laws to a broad range of readers from a variety of fields.""-Marvin A. SweeneyClaremont Lincoln University and Claremont School of TheologyAcademy for Jewish Religion CaliforniaSamuel Greengus is Julian Morgenstern Emeritus Professor of Bible and Near Eastern Literature at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the author of Old Babylonian Tablets from Ishchali and Vicinity (1979) and Studies in Ishchali Documents (1986).

Have you ever wondered if there might be more to Genesis than fodder for anti-evolutionism? Or have you ever thought, ""Revelation has to be more than simply a roadmap for the future of the Middle East""? You''re not alone.In The Beginning and the End Michael Pahl surveys the opening chapters of Genesis and the concluding chapters of Revelation, taking seriously both their historical and literary features as ancient texts and their theological purposes as inspired Scripture. The result is a reading of the first and last books of the Bible that sketches out, from beginning to end, a story of God, humanity, and all creation--a grand narrative in which we are placed in the middle, and which calls us to live in a particular way as our identity and our values are shaped in light of our origins and our destiny.""Pahl leads his readers through a historical, literary, and theological look at the controversial-and commonly misunderstood-bookends of the Christian Bible. He does so not as an academic exercise, but as a faith-building journey. Pahl shows his readers that God''s story ends where it begins. And that makes all the difference in how we see our own place in God''s story.""-Peter EnnsBiblical Scholar The BioLogos Foundation""Can my students and other thoughtful believers be delivered from misguided misunderstandings of absolutely key texts in Genesis and Revelation? They can, if they are presented with a crystal clear, compelling, faithful alternative. That''s what Michael Pahl gives us here. This little book will become a core text in my Theology of Creation course, and I hope also a core text for bible study in many, many churches.""-Douglas HarinkProfessor of TheologyThe King''s University College, Edmonton ""The beginning and ending of the Christian story are perhaps the most hotly contested parts of our canon. Michael Pahl cuts through the morass of distracting debate, laying out an accessible approach to the narratives of creation and consummation. In doing so he also demonstrates how historically sensitive readings can feed the faith of God''s people. The church needs this book.""-J. R. Daniel KirkAssistant Professor of New TestamentFuller Theological Seminary""This is biblical theology at its purest. Without imposing preconceived questions upon the text, Michael Pahl walks his readers through a discovery process leading to theological truths that directly impact our faith journey. This book honors the sacred text by embracing the fullness of its humanity, carefully considering issues of genre, historical background, and literary complexities. Readers will be intellectually challenged and spiritually enriched.""-T.C. HamAssistant Professor of Old TestamentCedarville UniversityMichael W. Pahl (PhD theology, Birmingham, UK) is a pastor at Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church in Edmonton, Alberta. He has taught biblical studies and theology for over ten years in college and seminary settings in Canada and the UK, and is the author of From Resurrection to New Creation (2010) and Discerning the ""Word of the Lord"" (2009).

At the center of Christianity is Jesus of Nazareth--whose maleness is used by many to justify the subordination of women and to emphasize that men, rather than women, better represent Jesus. This raises a number of questions that are the subject of this book. What is the significance of Jesus'' maleness? Does it reveal the character of God? Is it foundational for the gospel? Is Jesus'' maleness associated with an ongoing created order of male priority? Our answers will affect Christianity''s task of love, justice, and reconciliation in a world that is characterized by the global marginalization, oppression, and abuse of women.Questions concerning the maleness of Jesus and the implications of this for women have been the subject of interesting theological conversation. Is Jesus'' male personhood central to his meaning as the Christ or not? In this welcome volume Neil Williams provides a thorough discussion of this significant theological question and carefully draws out its implications for the church and the world demonstrating that the advent of Jesus is good news for all people.John R. Franke Clemens Professor of Missional Theology, Biblical Seminary, Hatfield, PAThis book is highly informative--but even more so--a mind opener. You will surely have to stretch your mind, whatever your present views are. Williams deals with the vast field of the problem in a very responsible and innovative way.Adrio KonigHead of Department of Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics (retired)University of South AfricaIn this provocative and carefully nuanced book, Neil Williams tackles one of the most controversial issues among conservative Christians. His exploration of the theoretical and practical relevance of the maleness of Jesus balances serious theological analysis with a sensitivity to the pastoral challenges that surround this debate. Williams shows the similarities between the hermeneutical trajectory that characterizes arguments on this topic and other biblical themes, such as slavery and the Sabbath. Moreover, his attention to the larger matrix of theological issues--including the Incarnation and the Trinity--makes an important contribution that ought to be appreciated by all of those involved in this ongoing evangelical dialogue.F. LeRon ShultsProfessor of Theology and Philosophy, University of Agder, NorwayAt first glance, it might seem that the question of the necessity of the maleness of Christ to the incarnation is an abstract theological issue. Williams shows just how important the issue is, not just for our understanding of redemption but also for our understanding of gender relationships. His book not only deftly addresses the question of Jesus'' gender, but is a model for how to think through important theological and ethical issues with intelligence and civility.Tremper Longman IIIRobert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies , Westmont CollegeThis is a breathtaking book. Williams offers not only an invaluable excursus on the Sonship of Jesus and its implications for gender, role differentiation, marriage, and patriarchy, but it also offers a way of doing theology that invites many disparate voices and theological debates to the table. And rather than increasing cacophony, Williams judiciously draws out the competing views of each voice/view to a stunning symphonic shalom. For some, this work will be spurned as an accommodation to culture''s shifting sands--but if so, Williams counters with a steady and gracious critique of all positions, including his own. There is no one path that is problem free. The way forward in this conversation on gender is with the kind of scholarship, wisdom, and grace offered by this courageous labor.Dan B. Allender, Ph.D.Professor of Counseling Psychology and Founding President, Mars Hill Graduate SchoolAuthor, Sabbath and The Wounded HeartWilliams combines uncommon common-sense and interdisciplinary synthesis to address a perennial challenge for some quarters of

W. E. B. Du Bois was editor and principal author of The Negro Church, first published in 1903. A groundbreaking study, this volume is the first in-depth treatment of African-American religious life. It is the first sociological book on religion in the United States. It is the first empirical study of religion conducted by Black scholars. It is a landmark historical text on African-American religion and mores of a century and more ago. A new introduction provides the contextual backdrop for understanding the religious scholarship and faith of Du Bois. The appearance of this text for a new generation of students, scholars, researchers, and communities of faith is cause to celebrate. Recognition of The Negro Church is long overdue and justly deserved.""The entire scholarly community and all concerned Americans welcome the reprint of The Negro Church. W. E. B. Du Bois, the most brilliant intellectual ever produced by the United States, penned this social scientific study in 1903. Not only is this the first academic engagement with the black church and black religion. It is also the first text on sociology of religion in American history. Thus Du Bois understood the centrality of black people to the US narrative. Similarly, he understood the centrality of the black church for black communities. Here is scholarship at its best--engaged, theoretical work making a difference in everyday lives. Alton B. Pollard III has offered a masterful introduction for the twenty-first-century reader.""-Dwight N. Hopkinsauthor of Being Human: Race, Culture, and Religion""No one can have a respectable knowledge of African American Christianity who has not read Woodson''s The History of the Negro Church (1921) and Du Bois''s earlier sociological study of the same subject, The Negro Church (1903). Now we have a much anticipated new edition of the latter book by one of the late C. Eric Lincoln''s brightest proteges, Alton B. Pollard, the dean of the Divinity School of Howard University. Pollard''s explanatory and expansive introduction is alone worth the price of the book, making Du Bois''s path-blazing opus live again as an indispensable guide to understanding the scope, depth, and paradoxes of classic Black religion and theology today.""-Gayraud S. Wilmore ITC, Honorably Retired""In editing and providing commentary on The Negro Church, Alton B. Pollard III has provided a valuable and accessible resource for Du Bois scholars and students that is also of interest for general readers.""-Carol B. DuncanWilfrid Laurier UniversityW. E. B. Du Bois is a towering figure in African-American and US twentieth-century social, cultural, political, and intellectual life. He was a pioneering social scientist, leading literary light, political progressive, and precursor to the modern Black-led movement for freedom in the African Diaspora and on the African continent. DuBois''s spiritual disciples and descendants among the world''s communities of African descent are numerous. Alton B. Pollard III is Dean and Professor of Religion and Culture at Howard University School of Divinity and is the author of Mysticism and Social Change: The Social Witness of Howard Thurman.

This compendium of primary resources reflects the important but often overshadowed contribution of African American believers to the dynamic growth of the modern Pentecostal movement--the fastest-growing segment of global Christianity. The doctrinal statements, sermons, songs, testimonies, news articles, as well as scholarly treatises included here allow black leaders, scholars, and laypeople to speak in their own voices and use their own language to tell us their stories and articulate the issues that have been important to them throughout the one-hundred-year history of this movement. Among the constant themes that continue to emerge is their appreciation of an empowering encounter with the Holy Spirit as the resource for engaging the dehumanizing racial reality of contemporary America.""This indispensable, heritage book of precious primary documents is revolutionary and powerful in expressing how the Holy Spirit moved through hidden cultural racism, sexism, classism, and other ''isms'' to spread the Holiness-Pentecostal religion.""--Sherry Sherrod DuPree, Former President of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Library of Congress Ambassador""This remarkable collection is an indispensable resource for students of Pentecostalism and American religious history. We now have in one volume judiciously selected writings not only of African American Pentecostals in all their diversity, but also their Holiness antecedents and charismatic offspring. By providing this reader, Alexander enables us to move beyond preconceptions and engage their actual beliefs and practices, both enriching historical study and providing insight for future ministry.""--Henry H. Knight III, Professor of Wesleyan Studies, Saint Paul School of Theology""Black Fire Reader is a groundbreaking, historically contextualized collection of rare and engaging primary resources by African American Holiness-Pentecostals from the late 1800s to 1900s. Replete with autobiographical accounts, sermons, hymns, and other rich documents, Black Fire Reader is an outstanding compendium of African American pentecostal thought and practice. Students and scholars of black religion in general and African American Holiness-Pentecostalism will appreciate its remarkable breadth and scope.""--Karen Kossie-Chernyshev, Professor of History, Texas Southern UniversityEstrelda Alexander is Associate Professor of Theology at Regent University School of Divinity and Executive Director of the Seymour Pan-African Pentecostal Project. She is author of The Women of Azusa Street (2006), Limited Liberty (2007), and Black Fire (2011).