Shannon Craigo-Snell and Christopher J. Doucot Westminster John Knox Press, 144 pages Reviewed by Angela Williams “No Innocent Bystanders” by Shannon Craigo-Snell and Christopher J. Doucot is a wonderfully practical primer written by, to and for white Christians seeking to become allies in the struggle for racial justice. Tracing the similarities and differences between the struggles for LGBTQ equality and racial justice, the book explores how to be an ally from historical, theological and practical perspectives.  Craigo-Snell and Doucot give an excellent crash course in the history of the LGBTQ equality movement in the U.S. and how the presence of straight allies helped that movement create change so quickly. After laying out some facts in the history of racism, the authors identify issues of welcome, relationship and classism that white would-be allies must address to start antiracism work. This framing adequately addresses the need for the work to be intersectional and for … [Read more...]

Diana Butler Bass HarperOne, 256 pages Reviewed by Marlise Burr-Asher The title of Diana Butler Bass’ newest work, “Grateful,” may arguably be its biggest shortcoming. I can see a prospective reader glancing at this title on a bookshelf, cringing as she remembers the thank-you note she forgot to send her great aunt last month and moving on. There is often a big gap between thinking of ourselves as thankful people and living as thankful humans, as Bass points out. “Grateful” explains why. Although Bass does characterize thankfulness as a practice, this book goes way beyond that. It examines the historical, philosophical and social implications of gratitude. Truthfully, there are lots of other books out there if what you’re looking for is a tutorial on how to maintain a thankfulness journal. What Bass does in “Grateful” is to take us beyond a quid pro quo perception of giving thanks — and this is only the beginning. Bass starts out differentiating between what she calls “cheap … [Read more...]

Gradye Parsons Westminster John Knox Press, 88 pages Reviewed by Linda L. Lanam Since the 2015 publication of the book “Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence” by Erica Dhawan and Saj-nicole A. Joni, the adjective “connectional” has been too carelessly attached to a multitude of nouns. But in his little book, “Our Connectional Church,” Gradye Parsons not only uses the word correctly, but also demonstrates its meaning in a way that is unique and useful. As a resource for a congregational reading list or as required reading for pastors in need of ideas for imaginative and innovative ministry, Parsons has added one more entry to the lengthy list of his services to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The book actually grew out of the tricentennial celebration of the Presbyterian Board of Pensions as part of the Board’s commitment to taking “the long view.” So, at the request of board president Frank Spencer, Parsons, who was concluding his service to the … [Read more...]

Jason Byassee Cascade Books, 264 pages Reviewed by Bob Melone “Where in the world is Jesus?” That is the question that Jason Byassee, former pastor of Boone United Methodist Church in North Carolina, now professor of theology at Vancouver School of Theology, attempts to answer in his book “Discerning the Body: Searching for Jesus in the World.”   We regularly hear and read about the “death of the church.” However because the church is Christ’s risen body in the world today – the presence of God in creation – it is safe to say that death is simply not an option! God is not dead, and the Spirit’s holy and mysterious presence will never be absent from creation.  Nevertheless, sometimes the body can be hard to find. Perhaps that is why Byassee states that he has spent much of his literary career looking hard for Jesus in the church and the world, wondering if it was possible to discern the presence of this one who has changed the course of human history. Christ has indeed … [Read more...]