Richard Rohr Convergent Books, 260 pages Reviewed by Leslie A. Klingensmith “Homecoming” — that’s the best word I can think of to describe the feeling I have when I read Richard Rohr. It has never made sense to me – intuitively or spiritually – for the love of God to be tied to only one culture or faith tradition. We grow up hearing of a God of love, and yet are told that the same God will damn anyone to hell for eternity for being born into a Muslim or Buddhist family. Such an exclusive and narrow interpretation of the gospel has never added up for me with the doctrines of mercy and grace that we claim in the Christian church. Where did this rigidity concerning who is “in” and who is “out” come from? Why do we humans even concern ourselves with something that ultimately is up to God and not really any of our business? When I read “The Universal Christ” I could tell that Richard Rohr has given much prayerful consideration to developing a theology that creates space for everyone, … [Read more...]

Thomas Ronald Vaughan Wipf and Stock, 152 pages Reviewed by Richard L. Morgan This is a much-needed book on a subject often bypassed by pastors and rarely heard from pulpits. Vaughan embraces a Christian Universalist view, affirming that God wants everyone to spend eternity with God. He insists that there is no Hell of everlasting torment. In the author’s own words, ”Christian Universalism has come to harrow the traditional view of Hell of its frightening and devastating effect on people.” Vaughan would replace the monster God of eternal torment for sinners, with the unconditional love of the Mother-Father God who intends to save everyone. On the basis of serious study of the Gospels, the author claims that Jesus did not believe in an eternal hell. The letters of Paul show the change in his view from “Hell, Yes, to Hell, No.” Such a view proves liberating to anyone imprisoned by a vindictive God, and allows him or her to be open to God’s loving embrace. Nor does Vaughan let … [Read more...]

Arianne Braithwaite Lehn Chalice Press, 144 pages Arianne Braithwaite Lehn is a pilgrim. She makes that abundantly clear in this set of prayers composed over years of daily praying. She is a pilgrim who sees the whole of life as an opportunity to experience the reality of God’s presence. That divine reality is both known and evoked in prayer that arises from the heart. The prayers here display her deep conviction that we are ash and starlight, humanity formed of earth and heaven. As she puts it, “Prayer is how I pilgrimage through the dust and splendor of my own life.” The death of her beloved father during her pregnancy became an occasion to go deeper. It also launched her courage to put these prayers into print after praying them weekly during her pastoral ministry. In doing so, Braithwaite Lehn has joined the company of John Baillie, providing daily prayers in ordinary language for her readers whom she describes as “sibling pilgrims” on a journey. Each prayer is for a specific … [Read more...]

Justo L. González Eerdmans, 176 pages Reviewed by Jo Forrest Consider two approaches to writing. One writer presents provocative ideas, dense illustrations and lofty prose to expound upon complex problems. Another writer’s text is approachable to inspire confidence among readers that they may acquire deeper understanding. The former writer sought to display his or her intelligence. The latter writer focused on creating content for readers to feel intelligent. Justo González’s newest book, “Knowing Our Faith,” is among the latter. He brings ethereal theological concepts down from the heights, placing them into common discourse and understanding for lay readers. González begins with the premise that it is not his task to convince the reader to believe in God. Belief comes through the power of the Holy Spirit. People cannot reason their way to faith. But once someone believes, she will seek to understand the truths of Christian faith. Building upon this, his stated goal is to … [Read more...]

N.T. Wright Baylor University Press, 365 pages Reviewed by Donald K. McKim The Gifford Lectures, delivered in four Scottish universities, is one of the most prestigious lecture series in the world. The lectures were established through the will of Adam Gifford in 1887 and are to deal with “natural theology.” How can God be known apart from the special revelation associated with the Christian Bible? Lecturers have usually been philosophers and theologians who have bracketed out the Scriptures and Jesus to explore avenues of the knowledge of God that depend on other sources, or to argue up to God from the natural world. The 2018 Gifford Lecturer was N.T. Wright. He was the first New Testament scholar to be a lecturer since Rudolf Bultmann spoke on history and eschatology in 1954-1955. The subtitle of Wright’s book of lectures is “Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology.” Wright argues that the Bible – and Jesus – belong to nature and to history, an insight the development of … [Read more...]

W. David O. Taylor Eerdmans, 312 pages Reviewed by Kristin Stroble As a solo pastor of a traditional congregation, I spend a great deal of time shaping worship that honors our identity and tradition while also being inclusive, participatory and spiritually rich. What a surprise and delight to read David Taylor’s book which speaks of the power of the liturgical arts to form identity in a particular context and to open up and close down “possibilities for the formation of a human life in the particular context of corporate worship.” I own many books that give practical suggestions on the use of liturgical arts in worship. My shelves are filled with books of poetry, hymns, visual arts, multicultural liturgy and other worship resources. “Glimpses of the New Creation” provides a much needed basis for how the arts shape us and our congregations, as well as a theological understanding of the liturgical arts. He begins by defining worship and the arts before delving individually into … [Read more...]