Books published by SCM Press

Perhaps Dietrich Bonhoeffer's most radical book, this reading of the Sermon on the Mount has influenced many Christians throughout the world over the last 50 years.

Christianity Rediscovered is more than just a classic missionary story. It is also a profound challenge, a call to a radical redefinition of what we mean when we talk about mission - as relevant to today's church as it was when it was first written.

In this book, Professor Barr presents a reading of the story of the Garden of Eden, not as a tale of the origins of sin and death, but as a tale of a chance of immortality, briefly accessible to humanity but quickly lost. Old Testament scholars have long been aware that the traditional reading of the story of Adam and Eve as the 'Fall of Man', though hallowed by St Paul's use of it, cannot stand up to close examination of the text. However, they have not succeeded in formulating an alternative interpretation which rivals the force of this traditional reading or is relevant to such a wide range of biblical and theological issues.Professor Barr's new interpretation has such force, and with its challenges to many conventional views it is likely to cause a considerable stir among traditionalists and to excite those dissatisfied with aspects of traditional thought.Central to the book is its stress on the role and prevalence of the idea of immortality, commonly thought to be a later Greek and un-biblical import into Christian thinking. Reflection on immortality also leads to a reconsideration of ideas about death in the Hebrew Bible; about Sheol. the Hebrew underworld; and about the soul. Professor Barr brings out the importance of time for the Hebrew Bible and the concept of length of days, showing that the threat is not so much death as such, but the manner and time of death. His study of chronology leads to a reconsideration of the story of Noah's ark, and the book ends by seeingresurrection and immortality as complementary, rather than conflicting, ideas.

A profound study of infant baptism in the early church by one of the twentieth century's leading New Testament scholars.

Part of Moltmann's contributions to systematic theology, this is an invitation to openness and the affirmation of life. A truly charismatic book, offering new hope and vision.

One of the classics of prison literature, this collection of documents serves as the last will and testament of the Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, executed by the Nazis after incarceration in Tegel Prison

Throughout history, we have exalted and theologised about men like Adam or David to the point where we have become oblivious to the fact that they are far from perfect role models for Christian manhood. Failing to read scripture properly, we have used it to shape a distorted understanding of masculinity. Stretching from issues of violence, emotional and sexual abuse, the desire for power, homophobia, and the suppression of emotions, Will Moore draws from scholarship, personal stories, and popular culture to offer an honest and accessible insight into the toxic myths which frame how w e read scripture. Only when we expose these myths, he argues, can we start to see the authentic men staring straight back at us from the pages of our bibles, and be able to reshape the way in which we produce Christian men today, tackling the violence that is being done by men to themselves and others.

Leadership is a growing preoccupation of the contemporary church, but for some of the most inspiring examples of good leadership we need to go back, not forwards. Archbishop William Temple is widely regarded as one of the most influential church leaders of the twentieth century. In this book Stephen Spencer unpacks Archbishop Temple's life and legacy, and the ways in which his leadership transformed society in remarkable ways. From education to politics, and from spiritual direction to leading the church through national crisis, this book draws on Temple's biography to offer a unique and profound portrait of the kind of servant leadership the church needs today.

The Church of England finds itself colliding with society at large on regular occasion. Has the time come, therefore, where the advantages of being the established church are at last outweighed by the disadvantages? Is there a case for disestablishment, and if so, what might a fresh vision of the church's relationship with wider society be?Separating the question of establishment, from the question of presence in the community, Chaplin argues that the time has come for the ending of privileged constitutional ties between the Church of England the British state.Rather than offering a smaller place for the Church of England within society, he suggests, such a separation would in fact enhance its ability to maintain an embedded presence in local parishes, and allow it the room to speak out about the deeper, bigger challenges which face society today.

Editorial 7 Part One: The Global Issue Amazonia 4.0: An Innovative Socio-Bio-Economy 14 for a Standing Forest CARLOS A. NOBRE, ISMAEL NOBRE, MARITTA KOCH-WESER The Ecological Crisis and Tropical Forest Ecosystems: 24 Cases from Africa, Asia, and Melanesia NICOLE BERNEX Extractivism: A Perspective of Social Ethics 36 GERHARD KRUIP Part Two: Analysis of the Issue The Politics of Forest Conservation: Ethical Dilemmas 49 and Impact on Peacebuilding LÉOCADIE LUSHOMBO Amazonia Gift: to Right the Wrongs 61 CEDRIC PRAKASH Supporting Indigenous Peoples to Defend Amazonia 73 BIRGIT WEILER Part Three: Reflection on the Issue A New Look at Creation Theology from Amazonia 85 FERNANDO ROCA ALCÁZAR Gift and Task: From Differentiation to Solidarity 95 CRISTINO ROBLES PINE Ecclesial Unity and Diversity from the Amazon Synod 105 VÍCTOR CODINA Part Four: Response to the Issue Incarnation, Territoriality, and New Pastoral Paths: 119 the Itinerary of REPAM and the Amazon Synod MAURICIO LÓPEZ OROPEZAR Social and Environmental Pastoral Theology in the Church 130 in Africa: the Case of the Congo Basin Ecclesial Network RIGOBERT MINANI BIHUZO Theological Forum Canonical Observations on the Instruction 143 The Pastoral Conversion of the Parish Community MARTIN REHAK A Contextual Reading of the Instruction 148 The Pastoral Conversion of the Parish Community in the Service of the Evangelizing Mission of the Church CAROLINA BACHER MARTÍNEZ

Drawing from real-life pastoral examples, socio-political analysis, and the theme of Eucharist as a means to human healing and restoration, A Redemption Song outlines and explores what a black British pastoral theology might look like. A landmark text, it offers critical reflection and practical tool for those working and ministering within multicultural communities, especially those with large African-Caribbean populations.

What is church? What spaces does church occupy? Can ecclesial space exist beyond the boundaries of church? In An Interweaving Ecclesiology Mark Scanlan offers a fresh vision of Christian community as constructed for and by participants as potential ecclesial spaces combine to create an experience which we call "church". Drawing in particular on research into the dynamic between youth groups and the churches within which they operate, Scanlan brings us a distinct approach to the church in mission that can nuance and develop the tired and sometimes flawed thinking around Fresh Expressions and pioneer ministry. Combining deep ecclesiology with a practical approach, this book will be useful to students and scholars of pioneer and youth ministry and those with a wider interest in how churches operate.

Inclusion has recently become a high priority issue within the development sector, brought to the fore by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development's commitment to leave no one behind. Practices within the remit of inclusion often focus on increasing access and meaningful participation, with emphasis placed on bringing those at the margins to the centre. Theologies and Practices of Inclusion challenges such centre-focused practices from a global perspective, based on research conducted within the Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation Tearfund and beyond.Offering inspiration for practitioners within the sector and faith-based organisations in particular, as well as an academic contribution to the fields of international development studies and theology, the book aims to bridge theology and practice in an accessible way.Consisting of 13 chapters and case studies, this book draws on the wisdom of a diverse team of contributors at the forefront of international development, working in a variety of contexts. These include South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Ecuador, Panama, Bolivia, the Philippines, Iraq, Egypt and the UK. Highlighting 'journey', 'change' and 'belonging' as three key aspects of inclusion, the book explores the outworking of theologies of inclusion within organisational practice.With a foreword by Ruth Valerio, and an afterword by Catriona Dejean.

If the church is ever tempted to think that it has its theology of grace sorted, it need only look at its reception of queer black bodies and it will see a very different story. In this honest, timely and provocative book, Jarel Robinson-Brown argues that there is deeper work to be done if the body of Christ is going to fully accept the bodies of those who are black and gay. A vital call to the Church and the world that Black, Queer, Christian lives matter, this book seeks to remind the Church of those who find themselves beyond its fellowship yet who directly suffer from the perpetual ecclesial terrorism of the Christian community through its speech and its silence.

Engaging with the Bible in a small group context has the potential to be transformative, but the picture is not without some complications. Key factors in determining whether a small group can be transformed through scripture include the use (or abuse) of 'experts', the opportunity for challenge in the group, and how study materials are used."Do Small Groups Work?" not only presents extensive research into these questions, with the potential to transform practice, but also offers a unique window into how practical theological research can productively encounter scripture.

Much of the conversation and concern of churches and of Christian individuals is centred around Christian discernment or knowing God's leading in decision-making. The language we use around these moments is fluid, and often feels inadequate - ask someone how they 'know' what God might be saying in a given situation and they may well reach for the phrase 'I just know'. In "How do you know it's God?", Lynn McChlery draws on ethnographic research amongst those in different kinds of 'discernment' processes, along with theological, spiritural and psychological insights to try and understand this phenomenon of 'insight' - or 'just knowing'.Challenging the perception that such intuition needs to be marginalised and removed from discernment conversations, McChlery suggests that instead intuition can and should be intentionally matured both individually and in communities; and that it can be verified, articulated and recorded in forms appropriate to its own mode of insight. It is a vital new contribution to the scholarship for all practical theologians researching ecclesiology, vocation, group dynamics in churches, and communal decision-making processes of any kind.

The experiences of infertility and childlessness, while not worse than other griefs and disappointments people experience, are nevertheless distinctive in a number of important respects. Unlike other griefs, they often take place in private, with no body, no funeral, and no public acknowledgement of the loss.In her profound and wise theology of childnessness, Emma Nash takes her own story as a starting point, examining several distinctive features of this painful human experience. She asks what biblical and theological resources offer consolation, and what liberative action individuals and churches might take to make an appropriate response.Weaving trauma theology together with personal experience, Nash offers a profound and heartfelt theological reflection which breaks the barriers between pastoral resource and carefully constructed theology.

Descartes' "Meditations on First Philosophy", published in 1641, was designed for the philosopher and for the theologian. It consists of six meditations. Part of "SCM Briefly" series, this title seeks to serve as a support resource for students. It summarises the original text. It is intended for Philosophy Level One courses in the UK.

If our bodies could do more things, would our lives be better? Genome editing is a rapidly developing technology that can modify human genes. It can cure heritable diseases, but we could even make certain genetic "improvements" to healthy people. Should we change human embryos genetically to achieve such goals?Bringing together a leading molecular biologist and a Christian ethicist, Modifying Our Genes responds to the need for solid information and helpful orientation for a pressing moral issue. They explain relevant technical issues without the jargon, clarify the most important philosophical and religious arguments and bring empirical insights to the question of what helps us lead meaningful lives.