Augsburg
Ending Hunger Now: A Challenge to Persons of Faith, by George McGovern, Robert Dole, Donald Messer (with foreword by Bill Clinton.) Paperback, 128 pages. Item No: 0800637828. Price: $12.00
Ending Hunger Now brings together three powerful voices behind a shared conviction: that helping the millions who lack basic provision for food has become a religious imperative and human priority. Writing for congregations and individuals of faith, McGovern, Dole, and Messer appeal to the religious ethical foundations for action against hunger. This book is informative, inspiring, and filled with practical personal involvement and political commitment to the cause.
The Ending Hunger Now Web site www.endinghungernow.org provides further information about the book, author bios, links to hunger organizations and networks, hunger events, suggestions on how hunger organizations and congregations can partner in this effort, and a discussion forum.
The Church Enslaved: A Spirituality for Racial Reconciliation by Tony Campolo and Michael Battle. Paperback, 171 pages. Item No: 080063697X. Price: $15.00
Two of the most vocal activists on racial issues in the church seek nothing less than a conversion of American Christianity. They directly challenge the churches to resume leadership in overcoming and redressing America’s legacy of racial segregation.
Campolo and Battle expose the realities of racial division in the churches and then lift up a vision of a church without racism. To achieve reconciliation within and among the denominations, they argue, both the black and the white church need to acknowledge and overcome substantial problems in their traditions. The authors provide a blueprint for how racially reconciled churches can encourage activism in the cities, church involvement in politics, and responsible use of the Bible, ultimately helping to transform American society itself.
Introduction to World Religions with CD-ROM, Christopher Partridge, general editor. Hardcover & CD-ROM, 496 pages. Item No: 0800637143. Price: $45.00
Accessible and engaging, this highly acclaimed and lavishly illustrated text now appears in a substantially revised and rewritten edition. With more than 300,000 copies of the earlier editions sold, Introduction to World Religions builds on a rich heritage.
Drawing on a team of 80+ contributors from around the world and including a high proportion of fresh material, this edition edited by Christopher Partridge is objective, authoritative, and lavishly illustrated with nearly 200 full-color photographs, maps and diagrams. Introduction to World Religions will be widely welcomed by all those seeking to understand the complexity and diversity of the world’s religious landscape.
Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings with CD-ROM (2nd edition), Timothy Lull and Wm. Russell, editors. Paperback and CD-ROM. Item No: 0800636805. Price: $29.25
The best one-volume reader of Martin Luther’s writings, this work has become the gold standard for use in seminary and college environments. It not only offers all of Luther’s most influential, noted, and important writings in the modern translations from the American edition of Luther’s Works but also includes excerpts of his sermons and letters that shed light on Luther’s own religious and theological development.
This new edition augments the first with further autobiographical excerpts, Luther’s Preface to Romans, some of his controversialist writings, and a selection of graphics from the period. The CD-ROM features the fully searchable text, a short biography of Luther, a historical timeline, links to Reformation-era graphics, links to biographies and pictures of key Reformation figures, a glossary of key theological terms, a research-paper guide, and introductions to each part of the volume.
Thirsty for God: A Brief History of Christian Spirituality, 2nd Edition, by Bradley P. Holt. Paperback, 240 pages. Item No: 0800637097, Price: $13.00.
This accessible and engaging history provides an excellent primer on the two-millennium quest for union with God, a “thirst” at the center of Christian life and practice. Holt traces the practice of Christian devotion, prayer, and contemplation from the biblical and influential early periods through the diverse insights of the Reformation and modern eras. Globally framed, the book also highlights the contributions of women and people of color.
This new edition not only updates all the chapters and features but also adds more material on the spirituality of Jesus, medieval women mystics, and contemporary spirituality. Short excerpts from primary sources, a glossary, a timeline, a bibliography, and a set of spiritual exercises heighten the book’s usefulness for students and laypersons alike.
Eerdmans
Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology by Eugene H. Peterson. Hardcover, 380 pages; ISBN: 0-8028-2875-2, Price: $25.00
Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places reunites spirituality and theology in a cultural context where these two vital facets of Christian faith have been rent asunder. Lamenting the vacuous, often pagan nature of contemporary American spirituality, Eugene Peterson here firmly grounds spirituality once more in Trinitarian theology and offers a clear, practical statement of what it means to actually live out the Christian life.
Writing in the conversational style that he is well known for, Peterson boldly sweeps out the misunderstandings that clutter conversations on spiritual theology and refurnishes the subject only with what is essential. As Peterson shows, spiritual theology, in order to be at once biblical and meaningful, must remain sensitive to ordinary life, present the Christian gospel, follow the narrative of Scripture, and be rooted in the “fear of the Lord” – in short, spiritual theology must be about God and not about us.
The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami? by David Bentley Hart. Hardcover, 119 pages; ISBN: 0-8028-2976-7, Price $14.00
As news reports of the horrific tsunami in Asia reached the rest of the world, commentators were quick to seize upon the disaster as proof of either God’s power or God’s nonexistence. Expanding on his Wall Street Journal piece, “Tremors of Doubt,” published the last day of 2004, David Bentley Hart here returns to this pressing question: How can the existence of a good and loving God be reconciled with such suffering? Hart clarifies the biblical account of God’s goodness, the nature of evil, and the shape of redemption, incisively revealing where both Christianity’s champions and its critics misrepresent what is most essential to Christian belief.
Though he responds to those skeptical of Christian faith, Hart is at his most perceptive and provocative as he examines Christian attempts to rationalize the tsunami disaster. Many people want a divine plan that will make sense of evil. Hart contends, however, that God does not will the history of suffering and death. Rather than appealing to a divine calculus that can account for every instance of suffering, Christians must recognize the ongoing struggle between the rebellious powers that enslave the world and the God who loves it.
This meditation by a brilliant young theologian will deeply challenge serious readers grappling with God’s ways in a suffering world.
C. S. Lewis: Images of His World by Douglas Gilbert, Clyde S. Kilby. Hardcover, 144 pages; color and b&w photos throughout. ISBN: 0-8028-2800-0. Price: $24.00
Offers a beautiful window into the people and places that shaped the life of beloved author, scholar, and apologist C. S. Lewis. In photographs and text (much of it in Lewis’s own words), Douglas Gilbert and Clyde S. Kilby introduce us to such memorable friends as J. R. R. Tolkien and transport us to such magical places as the deer park outside Lewis’ rooms at Magdalen College, Oxford. We also meet Lewis as a talented and brilliant child in Belfast, captivated by the myths and legends of the North, already writing and illustrating imaginative stories and poems at a young age.
While the book includes an essay tracing Lewis’s struggle to find faith and a chronology of his life, it is not a biography per se but rather a personal introduction, a composite portrait of a fascinating individual and the world in which he lived. Attractively laid out in a fresh new format, this volume will be prized both by longtime fans of Lewis and by those encountering him for the first time.
Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom by Stanley J. Grenz. Paperback revised edition; 143 pages. ISBN: 0-8028-2847-7. Price: $14.00. Foreword by Eugene H. Peterson
Bringing our needs and desires to God has always stood at the heart of Christian prayer. But why is petitioning God so important? In Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom noted theologian Stanley Grenz points to petitionary prayer as a crucial way for us to be involved with God’s work in history. At the center of such prayer, Grenz argues, is the cry to God that his kingdom might come into the world.
Grenz explores key questions that many Christians ask: What does it mean to pray “according to God’s will”? Should we persist in petitioning God for our needs? Does prayer really influence God? In the process of addressing these questions, Grenz offers practical guidance on praying effectively and challenges the contemporary church to recapture what it means to be a church that prays.
Revised and completely rewritten, with the inclusion of additional material, and now featuring an insightful foreword by Eugene Peterson, Grenz’s Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom will help readers from every Christian tradition to foster a richer personal and communal life of prayer.
The Uttermost Part of the Earth: A Guide to Places in the Bible by Richard R. Losch. Paperback, 272 pages; b&w photos and maps. ISBN: 0-8028-2805-1. Price: $16.00,
This informative volume takes you to the many geographical regions, empires, cities, and towns mentioned in the Bible. Designed to serve as a short and enjoyable survey of the world of the Bible, The Uttermost Part of the Earth will broaden your knowledge of the places and cultures connected with the biblical narrative.
Richard Losch sets the stage with a brief history of the Holy Land from ancient times to the present. Writing clearly and vividly, he then offers alphabetically listed entries on dozens of locations found in the Old and New Testaments. He devotes considerable attention to the Roman Empire because of its prominence in the world of early Christianity. Also included are a number of places not specifically named in the Bible that nonetheless played significant roles in shaping biblical events.
Complete with photos, maps, a pronunciation guide, and an index, The Uttermost Part of the Earth will make an ideal reference resource for Bible classes, church education, and personal Bible study.
Kerygma Publishing
For more than 25 years The Kerygma Program’s Adult Bible Study resources have been stimulating faith and challenging minds. These are among the top sellers for 2005:
Kerygma: Discovering the Bible, Leader’s Guide: $34.00, Participant Resource Book: $28.50.
This book invites both newcomers to Bible study and those with long experience to explore how the stories of the Bible find an echo in their own life stories. Fifteen sessions focus on Old Testament people, places and events, and fifteen sessions look at the New Testament. This study is welcoming for participants of all levels of familiarity with Scripture and is a solid recommendation for churches considering a “whole church” Bible study to increase biblical literacy. (30 sessions, 1-1.5 hrs each.)
Kerygma: The Bible in Depth. Leader’s Guide: $37.00, Participant Resource Book: $32.00
This book approaches the Bible whole through ten great themes that weave together Old and New Testament strands. This novel approach offers a “stained glass window” experience of Bible study, where all of the pieces fit together to provide the big picture. This study does presuppose some familiarity with Scripture, and guarantees a deeply satisfying encounter with the Bible. (34 sessions, 2-2.5 hrs each)
Hallelujah: The Bible and Handel’s Messiah. Leader’s Guide: $24.00, Participant Resource Book: $17.00
The lure of the music initially brings new people to this Bible study! Once there, they discover the beauty of the Scripture sung throughout Handel’s masterpiece. Congregations have great success inviting those with musical background to join the leadership team, and many recommend opening up this course to the community. The study’s ten sessions are organized to fit Advent and Lenten study times with a four-session focus on the Christmas portions and six sessions on the Easter portions of Messiah. (10 sessions, 1-1.5 hrs each.)
Job and the Life of Faith: Wisdom for Today’s World. Leader’s Guide on CD: $18.00, Participant Resource Book: $18.00
What happens when we discover that no matter how faithfully we try to live, bad things will happen? Why do we continue to worship God? In a world where we often have to ask questions like these, this much-needed study offers the companionship of Job, a fellow questioner. As we move from a “what’s in it for me” perspective to a life of faith that allows us to live without answers, Job’s discoveries prove to be very relevant to contemporary people. (seven sessions, 1-1.5 hrs each.)
New for 2005!
Amos and Hosea: Boundaries, Tough Love, Amazing Grace. Leader’s Guide on CD: $18.00; Participant Resource Book: $18.00
The call to keep our worship authentic and to maintain the link between faith and social justice even today spring from the teachings of these two Bible books. Between them, the prophets Amos and Hosea represent God’s claim on the social conscience of the Lord’s people, as well as God’s claim on the exclusive devotion of that people, even when they often break the Divine heart. This is a hearts and hands kind of study that should lead your group from examination of Scripture into action. (eight sessions, 1-1.5 hrs. each).
For more information about Kerygma resources, please visit our Web site: www.kerygma.com or call 1-800-KERYGMA.
Morehouse
The Top five books of 2005:
Knitting into the Mystery: A Guide to the Shawl-Knitting Ministry by Susan Izard and Susan Jorgensen. 0-8192-1967-3. Hardcover, 160 pages. Price $17.95
In this beautifully illustrated book, the authors share stories of ways the shawl-knitting ministry has touch lives and hearts around the world. They offer directions for knitting the shawls and for starting a parish or community-knitting ministry. The book also provides a selection of prayers, written from many faith traditions, to offer along with each completed shawl.
Susan Izard is a UCC minister serving a parish in Connecticut; Susan Jorgensen is a spiritual director in private practice, who leads retreats and workshops across the country.
She Who Prays: A Woman’s Interfaith Prayer Book by Jane Richardson Jensen and Patricia Harris-Watkins. 0-8192-2113-9. Paperback, 224 pages. Price: $21.95
Drawing on feminine images of God, as well as the language and experience of women, this lovely prayer book helps women tap into their own rich and unique spirituality. With material from new translations of ancient Christian hymns and prayers, as well as original prayers in the Christian and other faith traditions, She Who Prays helps women speak to God in their own voices. Included are a seven-day cycle of daily prayer, prayers for special occasions, rituals marking reconciliation and new beginning, and a woman-oriented liturgical calendar.
Jane Richardson Jensen is a scholar specializing in early Christian literature; Patricia Harris-Watkins is a scholar specializing in English as a second language. Both are co-chaplains of Clare’s Place, a women’s spirituality center in College Station, Texas.
St Benedict’s Toolbox: The Nuts and Bolts of Everyday Benedictine Living by Jane Tomaine. 0-8192-2152-X, 224 pages, paperback. Price: $16.95
Written nearly 1,500 years ago, the Rule of Benedict still offers practical tools for living a Christ-centered life today. Here readers will find a primer on how to use these tools in their own busy lives. Each chapter examines one aspect of the Rule — from ways of listening for God to ways to live a balanced life — and offers suggestions for prayer, reflection, journaling, and action. As they learn to use Benedict’s tools, readers discover the power and timeliness of this ancient way of life.
Jane Tomaine is an Episcopal priest who serves a parish in New Jersey.
Blowing the Lid Off the God-Box: Opening Up to a Limitless Faith by Anne Robertson. 0-8192-2178-3, paperback, 128 pages, Price: $13.95
What’s in your God-box? Each of us, says author Anne Robertson, builds our own way of understanding God — our “God-box” — and fills it with bits of Scripture, wisdom, and experience of God at work in our lives. But to say that our experience of God is the only valid one is to put a lid on the box and create an idol. The book is about examining our God-boxes and bursting them wide open. Beginning with the ministry of Jesus — who blew everyone’s God-boxes wide open — the author examines the God-boxes we create with Scripture, worship, and political and social agendas.
Anne Robertson, a United Methodist minister who serves a parish in Massachusetts, is a regular columnist for Zion’s Herald.
God the Ingenious Alchemist: Transforming Tragedy into Blessing by John Claypool. 0-8192-2180-5, hardcover, 112 pages. Price: $14.95
In this, his final book, beloved author John Claypool explores biblical texts carefully and with a pastoral eye, offering challenge and comfort to people who feel their sins may be beyond God’s concern and their lives beyond redemption. Using Old Testament stories, he explores ways God — an ingenious alchemist — turns the “lead” of evil into the “gold” of abundant blessing.
John Claypool was an Episcopal priest and popular teacher, speaker, preacher, and retreat leader, as well as professor at the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University in Atlanta. He died in September 2005.
Seabury Press
Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations by Margaret Benefiel. ISBN: 1-59627-013-6 Paperback. Price: $20.00
Soul at Work describes the way organizations do business. Soul in the workplace is not a theological abstraction, but a way of being and doing. Each of the organizations that Benefiel profiles in this lively and informative book describes the profound role that awareness of soul, or spirituality, can play in leadership and organizational life. Divided into three parts, the book looks at the role of individuals in nurturing soul, the organizational reality by which soul is manifest, and the process by which the tension between individual and organization are managed. It is for managers, workers, organization specialists, church groups and anyone involved in the transformation of organizational life. It is for everyone who suspects that there is more to business than the bottom line.
In Times Like These: How We Pray, by Malcolm Boyd and J. Jon Bruno. ISBN: 1-59627-015-2, Hardcover. Price: $20.00
In Times Like These: How We Pray features an array of individuals telling stories about how they pray, or how they began or stopped praying, or how prayer saved their lives. Boyd and Bruno bring together people from many different walks of life. A military chaplain uses (Islamic) prayer beads in Iraq. Through prayer, a law enforcement officer who kills a man in the line of duty eventually finds wholeness and another way to serve – as a bishop of the church. A female Muslim physician describes the riches of prayer practice in her faith. A Buddhist priest describes Zen prayer. A worker for the World Health Organization ruminates on prayer, hope … and helplessness. A playwright offers up humor as a prayerful activity. A mother offers a prayer of thanksgiving for her gay son. An advocate for the poor offers the prayerful example of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Malcolm Boyd meditates on how a son learns humble prayer lessons from tending to an elderly, incapacitated parent. Each story is unique and compelling; no one model fits all. Some of the well-known writers include Martin Marty, Norman Mailer, Phyllis Tickle, Nora Gallagher, Frederick Buechner, Alan Jones, and Harvey Cox.
Marked by Steve Ross ISBN: 1-59627-002-0 Paperback. Price: $20.00
An occupied country. A people infested with demons. A time of revolution. A liberator rises. One of the oldest and most powerful stories in human history comes uniquely alive in this re-telling of the Gospel of Mark as a graphic novel.
Join a carpenter as he changes the world. And join Steve Ross as he re-imagines the ancient story, with all of its power and mystery intact. Told with unexpected and startling imagery, Marked will forever change the way you think about this both familiar and strange tale. This is a human story of passion and murder. Of a compassionate man brutally killed and yet compellingly alive.
Faith in the Neighborhood: Belonging by Lucinda Mosher. ISBN: 1-59627-010-1 Paperback. Price: $15.00
This new series of books explores what it means to live and worship among the many faiths unique to America’s neighborhoods. Each book in the series illuminates the questions Christians have about other faiths such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Baha’i, Zoroastrianism, Afro-Caribbean religions, Native-American religions, Confucianism, and Shinto. Different faiths have different ideals of community, and different kinds of rules. In Belonging Lucinda Mosher explores the vocabulary of America’s many religions, the theologies and rituals that create a sense of belonging, and how these religions handle life’s stages–welcoming babies, rites of passage for adolescents, initiation, and conversion. Interwoven with interviews and personal stories, Belonging is intended for interfaith education of all kinds. A quick guide to each religion, a glossary, and recommended reading are included.
Changing Boundaries: The Best Religion News Writing, Debra Wagner, Ed. ISBN: 1-59627-009-8 Hardcover. Price: $20.00
This collection of award winning journalism provides a compelling demonstration of how diverse religious perspectives play an influential role in current events. Anyone interested in issues of war, sexuality, and death will find new insight and food for thought from this volume’s multiple contributors. The book offers prayerful, thoughtful reflection on life’s greatest quandaries: What to make of death? What’s the significance of sexual expression? Can peace come from making war? Journalists from several mainline denominations (Roman Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Reformed Church in America, Episcopal, United Methodist, Mennonite, and non-denominational writers from Sojourners and The Christian Century) show that these issues are too complex for faithful Christians to cram into a single airtight category of doctrinal definitiveness.
