Books published by Cascade Books

This book is an autobiography tracing Rosemary Radford Ruether's intellectual development and writing career. Ruether examines the influence of her mother and family on her development and particularly her interactions with the Roman Catholic religious tradition. She delves into her exploration of interfaith relations with Judaism and Islam as well. Her educational formation at Scripps College and the importance of historical theology is also a major emphasis. Mental illness has also affected Ruether's nuclear family in the person of her son, and she details the family's struggle with this issue. Finally in this intellectual autobiography, Ruether explores her long concern and involvement with ecology, feminism, and the quest for a spirituality and practice for a livable planet.

What happens after a congregation welcomes new Christians into its ministry? Building on the work of the first volume in this series, Faith Forming Faith, Paul Hoffman interprets how a congregation that intentionally practices baptism and its renewal is itself re-formed. Pastors, teachers, lay leaders, students of ministry, and people in the pew: all will find the compelling story of the ministry of Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in Seattle, Washington--one of our nation's most secular cities--to be an inspiring and practical primer for renewal. Who would have thought? Bringing others to the waters of baptism transforms those already at home in the congregation. In fact, this intentional spiritual practice completely transforms the parish and the lives of God's people. There are new discoveries to be made in the ancient treasures of the Church as these gifts are shared with those hungering and thirsting for a place at God's table.

Where in the world is the church? These articles, essays, opinion pieces, and blog posts gather around that question. If we quit on the question in despair, we are lost. If we answer it too quickly, we are not digging deeply enough. But if we hunt hard with the help of the Holy Spirit, we'll find Christ's body alive, active, working, growing, and making things new.In Discerning the Body, Jason Byassee goes hunting for the church guided by a singular conviction--God has promised there will be a church until Christ's return. So it's out there, it's just slightly hard to find. Where is a batch of Jesus' disciples, gathering around his Word and Sacraments, living out his mission in the world? Byassee spends time among Catholics, evangelicals, mainliners, and a few non-Christians looking for signs of Christ's body. He also looks in less likely places: among athletes, in institutions, in popular culture, in the craft of writing.It is very hard to expect to be surprised. Doesn't the expectation ruin the surprise? Yet it's Jesus who surprises us in the church. Every time we find him, we have to expect to be surprised to find him anew in some counterintuitive guise. This book is about the author's learning to expect to be astounded anew by Christ.

The influence of Hans Frei (1922-1988) is wide and deep in contemporary theology, even though he published little in his own lifetime. These two volumes collect a wide range of his letters, lectures, book reviews, and other items, many of them not previously available in print. Together, they display the range and richness of Frei''s thinking, and provide new insights into the nature and implications of his work. They are an invaluable resource for all those interested in Frei''s work, and for any interested in his central themes: the development of modern biblical hermeneutics, the interpretation of biblical narrative, and the figural interpretation of all reality in relation to the narrated identity of Jesus Christ.""Imagine the excitement that would accompany the discovery of Brahms'' sketches for a fifth symphony, or unpublished letters from Einstein on the theory of relativity. These pieces provide something similar: Hans Frei''s emerging thinking about biblical narrativity and theology. This volume is further evidence of the seminal nature and continuing significance of Frei''s close theologizing.""--Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Research Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School ""Hans Frei was probably the greatest American theologian of the twentieth century, and his thought has if anything grown in importance since then. This superbly edited collection of mostly unpublished material distills key points of his thinking on major issues of Christian truth, biblical interpretation, and how best to do theology. It is rigorous, persuasive, and above all wise, and succeeds remarkably in being able at the same time not only to introduce Frei attractively to a new generation but also to draw deeper those who know him well.""--David F. Ford, Emeritus Regius Professor of Divinity, Cambridge UniversityHans W. Frei (1922-1988) was one of the most important American theologians of his generation. He spent the majority of his career teaching at Yale Divinity School, where he authored The Identity of Jesus Christ and The Eclipse of Biblical Narrative, numerous essays, and a vast collection of unpublished works, which have since been published posthumously: Types of Christian Theology, Theology and Narrative, and the forthcoming Reading Faithfully: Writings from the Archives. Mike Higton is Professor of Theology and Ministry at Durham University. He is the author of numerous books, including Christ, Providence, and History: Hans W. Frei''s Public Theology.Mark Alan Bowald is Associate Professor of Religion & Theology at Redeemer University College. He is the author of Rendering the Word in Theological Hermeneutics: Mapping Divine and Human Agency.

One of the most influential social activists of the twentieth century, A. J. Muste is remembered by some as a pioneering labor leader, by others for his work helping lay the foundations of the civil rights movement, and by many others for his tireless work for peace, justice, economic equality, and the protection of civil liberties. As a pastor, Muste''s life and work were shaped by his Christian theology. This collection of Muste''s sermons, speeches, articles, and other works for religious audiences is a timely call for Christians to follow him in the way of peace.""This book recovers one of the great forgotten voices of religious radicalism. A. J. Muste''s demanding spiritual and social vision still challenges Christians to make their faith relevant in a world afflicted with hatred, violence, and misery.""--Joseph Kip Kosek, Associate Professor of American Studies, George Washington University""Although he spent most of his life outside of the church in movements for peace, justice, and civil rights, A. J. Muste remained a preacher at heart and a gifted and powerful theologian. Jeffrey Meyers''s superb collection of his writings demonstrates why his contemporaries, both inside and outside the church, viewed him as a prophet--and why he remains as relevant today as he was then.""--Leilah Danielson, Associate Professor of History, Northern Arizona University""Jeffrey Meyers is emerging as a creative and constructive specialist on the life, work, and writings of A. J. Muste. Scholars and students alike remember Muste as a passionate advocate for civil rights, labor rights, and building cultures of peace. However, little scholarly attention has been given to the spiritual and theological inspiration for Muste''s public work for justice. Meyers has edited and introduced an engaging collection of Muste''s sermons, speeches, and articles addressed to religious audiences allowing contemporary readers to better understand the pastoral vision behind the activist''s prophetic public voice.""--Scott Holland, Slabaugh Professor of Theology & Culture, and Director of Peace Studies, Bethany Theological Seminary""Jeffrey Meyers''s magnificent book offers deep insight into the prophetic theology of A. J. Muste, arguably the most important pacifist of twentieth-century America. We are indebted to Meyers for helping us understand not only Muste''s Christian convictions but also the spirituality that drove so much of US pacifism from World War I to the Cold War.""--Michael G. Long, Editor, Christian Peace and Nonviolence: A Documentary HistoryJeffrey David Meyers is a PhD student in theology at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. His master''s thesis at Earlham School of Religion focused on A. J. Muste''s theology.

On the fiftieth anniversary of his death, C. S. Lewis was memorialized in Poets'' Corner, Westminster Abbey, taking his place beside the greatest names in English literature. Oxford and Cambridge Universities, where Lewis taught, also held commemorations. This volume gathers together addresses from those events.Rowan Williams and Alister McGrath assess Lewis''s legacy in theology, Malcolm Guite addresses his integration of reason and imagination, William Lane Craig takes a philosophical perspective, while Lewis''s successor as Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English, Helen Cooper, considers him as a critic.The collection also includes more personal and creative responses: Walter Hooper, Lewis biographer, recalls their first meeting; there are poems, essays, a panel discussion, and even a report by the famous ""Mystery Worshipper"" from the Ship of Fools website, along with a moving reflection by royal wedding composer Paul Mealor about how he set one of Lewis''s poems to music.Containing theology, literary criticism, poetry, memoir, and much else besides, this volume reflects the breadth of Lewis''s interests and the astonishing variety of his own output: a diverse and colorful commemoration of an extraordinary man.""Formidably learned and capable of dazzling eloquence, C. S. Lewis was one of the towering intellects of the twentieth century. Interest in his work and achievements persists unabated. The lucid power and luminous imagination of the mind of Lewis, moreover, is most admirably illustrated in this fine collection of essays by a distinguished and distinctive group of scholars.""--Douglas Hedley, Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge; author, The Iconic Imagination""This unique and essential volume provides a fitting tribute to C. S. Lewis on the fiftieth anniversary of his death, including the actual proceedings of the historic event at Westminster Abbey, as well as suitably wide-ranging engagements with his remarkable achievements as scholar, theologian, apologist, poet, and imaginative writer.""--Robert MacSwain, Associate Professor of Theology, Sewanee: The University of the South; coeditor of The Cambridge Companion to C. S. LewisMichael Ward is a Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, and Professor of Apologetics at Houston Baptist University, Texas. He is author of Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis (2008). Peter S. Williams is Assistant Professor in Communication and Worldviews at Gimlekollen College, NLA University, Norway. His books include C. S. Lewis vs. the New Atheists (2013) and A Faithful Guide to Philosophy (2013).

Description:New Testament studies are witnessing many exciting developments. And Douglas Campbell''s groundbreaking publications are an important contribution to future discussions relating to Paul. Familiar problems relating to justification, ""old"" and ""new"" perspectives, and much more besides, have been tackled in fresh and exciting ways, setting down challenge after challenge to all those involved in Pauline studies. Campbell''s publications therefore demand serious engagement. This book seeks to facilitate academic engagement with Campbell''s work in a unique way. It contains numerous chapters critiquing his proposals, while others summarize the key themes succinctly. But it also contains Campbell''s own response to the reception of his work, allowing him space to outline how his thinking has developed. In so doing, this work allows readers to be drawn into a vitally important conversation. It is academic theology in the making and constitutes the cutting edge of Pauline studies.

Description:For thirty years, Stratford Caldecott has been an inspirational figure in liturgy, fantasy literature, graphic novels, spirituality, education, ecology and social theory. Hundreds of people have learned from his spiritual approaches to the great existential questions. The Beauty of God''s House is a Festschrift dedicated to him. The book seeks to cover the whole range of Caldecott''s interests, from poetics to politics. Anyone interested in the field of theology and the arts will find much to intrigue them in this delightful multi-authored volume. The common core of Stratford''s interests is in the beauty of the cosmos and how it reflects the beauty of God. This book is about the beauty of God''s ""realm,"" and it conceives God''s realm as the arts, politics, liturgy, religions, and human life. It touches on the many places where beauty and spirituality overlap. It is an engagement in theological aesthetics that goes well beyond the ""aesthetic.""

Description:In the Fray collects David Gushee''s most significant essays over twenty years as a Christian intellectual. Most of the essays were written in situations of ethical conflict on the highly contested ground of Christian public ethics. Topics addressed include torture, climate change, marriage and divorce, the treatment of gays and lesbians in the church, war, genocide, nuclear weapons, race, global poverty, faith and politics, Israel/Palestine, and even whether Christian ethics is a real academic discipline. Quite visible in the collection is Gushee''s deep research interest in the Nazi era in Germany and how the churches fared in resisting Nazi intimidations and seductions and, finally, the Holocaust. All essays reflect the desire for a church that has learned the lessons of that period--a church with resistance to racism, militarism, nationalism, and other social-ideological toxins, and with the discernment and courage to resist these in favor of a courageous allegiance to the lordship of Christ at the time of testing. Considerable attention is directed to contesting some of the public ethics found in the author''s own US evangelical Christian community. Concluding reflections on Gushee''s ethical vision are offered in an illuminating essay by senior Christian ethicist Glen Harold Stassen.

Twelve scholars take us on a journey through twelve books that have defined the methodologies and orthodoxies of key disciplines within the university curriculum. These books have not only been formative for their respective disciplines, but have reshaped the university and continue to reframe our understanding of education. Each chapter places a Great Book in its historical context, summarizes the key ideas, and assesses the influence of the text on its discipline and society as a whole. In addition, each contributor offers an evaluation from a Christian perspective, explaining both the benefits of the book and the challenges it presents to a Christian worldview and philosophy of education.""Wilkens and Thorsen are to be commended for mobilizing their colleagues at Azusa Pacific University to put together a marvelous introduction to a few great books of the Western canon, especially for undergraduate students. Faculty who teach the liberal arts in Christian colleges and universities will find this a fair, critical, and helpful point of entry for those approaching these important original sources for the first time.""--Amos Yong, Regent University, School of Divinity, Virginia Beach, VA""Their clarity and passion for what it means to be a Christian in the world of ideas, sciences, literatures, economics, and politics is inspiring.""--Kurt Anders Richardson, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada""Twelve Books not only makes a strong case for the enduring importance of engagement with the classic texts it addresses, but even more importantly, provides an effective resource for those seeking to recover the vital unifying role of the liberal arts for Christian higher education. In this sense, it makes a great companion to Mark Noll''s Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind and Alasdair MacIntyre''s God, Philosophy, Universities.""--Mark H. Mann, Wesleyan Center, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CASteve Wilkens, PhD, is Professor of Philosophy and Ethics and Faith Integration Fellow for Faculty Development at Azusa Pacific University. He has authored and edited several books, including Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories that Shape Our Lives and Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics.Don Thorsen, PhD, is Professor of Theology and Chair of Graduate Theology and Ethics at Azusa Pacific University. He is author of more than ten books, including The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, An Exploration of Christian Theology, Everything You Know about Evangelicals Is Wrong, and Calvin vs. Wesley: Bringing Belief in Line with Practice.

Once upon a time, on grounds of both religion and common sense, people assumed that the earth was flat and that the sun literally rose and set each day. When newly developing knowledge made those beliefs untenable, giving them up was difficult. Today the belief that only one of the world''s various religions is true for all people on earth is equivalent to the belief in a flat earth. Both notions have become untenable, given contemporary knowledge about religion. Even though many people are still troubled by the existence of religious diversity today, that diversity is a fact of life. Religious diversity should be no more troubling to religious people than the fact that the earth is round and circles the sun.This provocative book, based on the author''s longtime practice of Buddhism and comparative study of religion, provides tools with which one can truly appreciate religious diversity as a gift and resource rather than as a deficiency or a problem to be overcome. After we accept diversity as inevitable and become comfortable with it, diversity always enriches life--both nature and culture.""Let me dare say that no Christian theologian of religions is going to be able to carry on her/his work without dealing with this book. It''s a conversation-starter and changer. With her penetrating critique of exclusive truth claims and of traditional Western understandings of otherness and identity, Gross will both disturb and enrich the ongoing discourse on how to understand and deal with religious diversity. I found it challenging, enlightening, and inspiring.""--Paul F. Knitter, Emeritus Paul Tillich Professor of Theology, World Religions and Culture, Union Theological Seminary""Rita Gross personifies religious diversity. She grew up in a religiously exclusive Christian church, was disfellowshipped, converted to another religion, and then another. In the meantime, she became one of the world''s leading religious scholars. Drawing on both personal experience and scholarly expertise, she has written the best book on religious diversity I have ever read.""--Terry C. Muck, Executive Director, Louisville Institute""Today the ''growing tip'' for every religion is its inevitable encounter with other religions. We can cling ever harder to conventional dogmas or we can open up to the new perspectives and possibilities that other traditions offer. But how does one actually embark on the challenging path of genuine dialogue and engagement? The fruit of Rita Gross''s many years participating in interreligious dialogue, Religious Diversity--What''s the Problem?, applies the psychological insights and spiritual wisdom of the Buddhist tradition to a task that is becoming increasingly necessary in our globalizing world.""--David R. Loy, author of Money Sex War Karma""In this timely, engaging, and provocative work, Rita Gross takes up the issue of religious diversity in the modern world and--from her longtime studies and experience as a feminist, theologian, and Buddhist practitioner--offers us creative and insightful ways to live with, appreciate, and even flourish with it.""--Jan Willis, author of Dreaming MeRita M. Gross is Professor Emerita of Comparative Studies of Religion at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Senior Dharma Teacher in the Nyingma Lineage of Vajrayana Buddhism. A past president of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, she has participated in many forums for interreligious exchange. Gross is the author of many books and articles. Her major work is Buddhism after Patriarchy: A Feminist History, Analysis, and Reconstruction of Buddhism (1993).

This unique book is an introductory guide to the life and theology of John Calvin (1509-64). Calvin''s theology has been highly significant as a major expression of Protestant theology. Reformed churches throughout the world appropriate Calvin''s theological understandings and find his work provides important insights into Scripture and communicates a vibrant Christian faith. The first part of this book describes events in Calvin''s life that helped shape his major work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. The second part follows the flow of the Institutes and provides a narrative exposition of this major work, with numerous quotations of Calvin''s own words. This enables readers to hear Calvin''s voice as his views are explained. This close reading of Calvin opens the door to further, more thorough Calvin studies.""A superb primer on the life and thought of John Calvin by one of our finest Reformation scholars. Highly recommended!""--Timothy George Founding Dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University, General Editor of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture""McKim''s accessible and lucid presentation of Calvin''s life as well as his thought through a summary of the Institutes of the Christian Religion prioritizes the voice of Calvin in a fresh way that provides a solid and useful introduction for any reader.""--Jennifer Powell McNutt, Associate Professor of Theology and History of Christianity, Degree Coordinator of M.A. History of Christianity Program, Chair of Graduate Council, Wheaton College Graduate School""John Calvin''s ideals for theological writing were clarity and brevity. Don McKim''s work would have made him proud. In fewer than two hundred pages, McKim gives a rich but accessible biography of Calvin, and an equally inviting summary journey through Calvin''s mature theology as found in the 1559 Institutes. It makes a good first exploration of the influential Reformed theologian as well as a ready reference guide.""--Gary Neal Hansen, Associate Professor of Church History, University of Dubuque Theological SeminaryDonald K. McKim is a former seminary Dean, Professor of Theology, and Executive Editor for Theology for Westminster John Knox Press. He is the author and editor of a number of books, many focusing on John Calvin and the Reformed theological tradition. He is an Honorably Retired minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Rudolf Bultmann is one of the most widely known but least read theologians of the twentieth century. He is famous as the one who ""demythologized"" the New Testament, but very few understand what he meant by this or how his hermeneutical program connects to the other areas of his theological project. Bultmann presents a unique challenge to readers, not only because of his radical theological inquiry but also because of the way his ideas are worked out over time, primarily through short, occasional writings that present complex issues in a disarmingly straightforward manner. In this introduction to his theology--the first of its kind in more than twenty years--David W. Congdon guides readers through ten central themes in Bultmann''s theology, ranging from eschatology and dialectic to freedom and advent. By gaining an understanding of these themes, students of Bultmann will have the necessary tools to understand and profit from his writings. The result is not only an accessible guide for those encountering Bultmann for the first time but also a cohesive, systematic presentation of his thought for those wondering how his work might speak to our current context.""With great clarity and insight, focusing on themes which lie at the very heart of Bultmann''s theological project and placing him in conversation with recent and contemporary trends, David W. Congdon has written the best short introduction to Bultmann''s thought. The point is not to ''return'' to the great New Testament scholar and theologian--but neither should we bypass him.""--Christophe Chalamet, University of Geneva""Who better than David Congdon to take us into the work of Christianity''s greatest interpreter of Scripture in the modern period? With an expert''s grasp of the entire architecture of Rudolf Bultmann''s thought, Congdon leads the reader through its conceptual entry points. Here is a reliable primer, likely a classic, to guide both beginning students and well-schooled theologians away from the misconceptions, even myths, so often bedeviling treatments of Bultmann.""--James F. Kay, Princeton Theological Seminary""In these pages, Bultmann stands before us as a difficult but compelling figure, a Christian thinker who took the eschatological vision of the New Testament as his charter and pursued its course with extraordinary tenacity and fearlessness. Congdon sets Bultmann''s thought into critical discussion with contemporary theology, posing sharp challenges to our current preferences for ressourcement and the rule of faith. And he saves the best till last. The book ends with a superb meditation on Bultmann''s Christmas sermons--a glimpse of Bultmann at his most attractive, or most seductive, depending on where you stand."" --Benjamin Myers, Charles Sturt University""David Congdon''s lucid and innovative treatment of Rudolf Bultmann is an excellent contribution to scholarship. Those eager to understand, appreciate, and, most importantly, learn from one of the most important (and, alas, most misunderstood) ''greats'' of twentieth-century European theology have, in this book, an indispensable resource.""--Paul Dafydd Jones, Associate Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of Virginia""Being master of a subject matter as demanding as Rudolf Bultmann''s theology and a master communicator, capable of introducing that subject-matter to beginning students in a manner both interesting and arresting (!) is rare. David Congdon has that rare combination of skills. This is a wonderful ''guide'' to Bultmann''s thought. Indeed, it is hard to imagine one more perfectly executed. It is a companion worthy of the thought of one of the real giants of twentieth century theology.""--Bruce McCormack, Charles Hodge Professor of Systematic Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary; author of Karl Barth''s Critically Realistic Dialectical Theology (Clarendon Press) and Orthodox and Modern: Studies in the Theology of Karl Barth (Baker Academic)David W. Congdon is asso