William C. Mills Resource Publications, 170 pages Reviewed by Stephen McCutchan Father William Mills, or Bill as he prefers to be called, has provided us with an insider’s look at the spiritual journey of a priest. He is the rector of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. This memoir traces his journey from childhood, when he first sensed God’s call, through to his experience of the blessings and curses of serving God as an Orthodox priest. With searing honesty, sardonic humor, painful doubts and ennobling faithfulness, Bill invites us to travel his spiritual journey with him. A unique feature of his story is that we not only hear about his journey, but also his interior thought pattern as events unfold. Many Protestant and Roman Catholic clergy will recognize the parallel events of their own life’s journey. Many churchgoers may be uncomfortably reminded of the potential for cruelty within the church while also recognizing the healing … [Read more...]

Jeremy Everett Brazos Press, 176 pages Reviewed by Nancy Neal Our politics are more polarized than we’ve experienced in recent history, but the hunger crisis in the United States can and should unite us. Everett argues that by coordinating our efforts across social and political divides, we can end what he calls the “systemic hunger disaster” in our country. As the founder and executive director of the Texas Hunger Initiative, Everett seeks to awaken compassion for the plight of people in the U.S. who struggle with food insecurity and to inspire and equip readers to take action in their own communities. “I Was Hungry” tells the story of the Texas Hunger Initiative, an organization that partners with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas state agencies, the corporate sector and thousands of faith- and community-based organizations to develop and implement strategies to alleviate hunger. Along the way, Everett weaves in his own story as the son of a Baptist preacher, inspired … [Read more...]

Scot McKnight Baylor University Press, 236 pages Be forewarned: Anyone who reads this book will never again think of Romans in the conventional way. Scot McKnight has done a rare thing by arguing vigorously that Paul’s most famous letter is about “lived theology” rather than abstract theology. He rightly notes that Romans has influenced and shaped Western Christianity since Augustine and Calvin and Barth, all the way to the present time with contemporary scholars. McKnight is familiar with these voices, but he is determined to begin with the very specific context of Paul’s theology, namely the problem of peace between the weak and the strong. Reading Romans 12-16 as the starting point compels McKnight’s vivid pastoral theology: “Paul’s lived theology is about Peace in the empire, and it is a radical alternative to Rome’s famous Pax Romana.” The aim of this theology is primarily an alternative way of life. The early chapters of Romans set the ground for this alternative rather than … [Read more...]

Shea Tuttle Eerdmans, 184 pages Reviewed by Jo Forrest The teachings of Fred Rogers continue to enliven people through the numerous biographies, essay collections and stories published since his death in 2003. The fall release of “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” starring Tom Hanks, will bring smiles to those who were raised in the neighborly ideals conveyed in “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” From 1968 to 2001, this children’s television show was hosted by the on-air character, Mister Rogers, who welcomed children into a neighborhood demonstrating the joy of accepting others as they were and learning to love one’s self. Shea Tuttle begins “Exactly as You Are” with the first-person voice, confiding her motive to discover the man behind Mister Rogers. Reared on daily doses of “Neighborhood,” Tuttle felt “completely seen, completely loved” when watching this show; he “was part of my becoming.” In subsequent chapters, Tuttle’s personal voice fades as she presents research from … [Read more...]

Murray Milner Jr. Wipf & Stock, Eugene, 134 pages Reviewed by David K. Garth Explanations and antidotes for the decline of mainline church membership abound, although few of them attack the problem frontally on theological grounds. Murray Milner starts with the premise that some modern Christians have given up on church simply because they cannot believe basic doctrines. “Understanding the Sacred” is his attempt to give classical Christian doctrines – such as the Nicene Creed – the kind of understandable language current in today’s world. Three things make his effort attractive to pastors, congregations and theologians. First, he writes as an insider, a lifelong lay Christian personally committed to the church’s worship and culture. Almost incidentally, he reveals his stance as a progressive in social causes. References to God move casually between male, female and neuter. This book is neither an attack nor a replacement for the language of the last 2000 years, merely an … [Read more...]