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The apostle Paul was a man of many journeys. We are usually familiar with the geographical ones he made in his own time. This volume traces others--Paul''s journeys in our time, as he is co-opted or invited to travel (sometimes as abused slave, sometimes as trusted guide) with modern and recent Continental philosophers and political theorists. Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Benjamin; Taubes, Badiou, Zizek, and Agamben--Paul journeys here among the philosophers. In these essays you are invited to travel with them into the regions of philosophy, hermeneutics, political theory, and theology. You will certainly hear the philosophers speak. But Paul will not remain silent. Above the sounds of the journey his voice comes through, loud and clear.""Is it good news that Zizek, Badiou and Agamben have refound Paul? I am not yet sure, since this may signal a new route into the Word or a new route out. Paul, Philosophy, and the Theopolitical Vision offers urgent instruction on how to keep this a route in. And that is very good news indeed. A powerful, brilliant, and urgent book!""--Peter Ochs University of Virginia. ""To the surprise of many, the apostle Paul has brought new energy to continental philosophy. But to date, the ''Pauline turn'' in contemporary theory has been rather isolated from scholars in biblical studies--where Paul is undergoing a different kind of reconsideration. Finally, this volume changes all of that, bringing together philosophers, biblical scholars, and theologians to assess and engage the ''postmodern Paul,'' intimating a Pauline revolution that not even Zizek could have dreamed.""--James K. A. SmithCalvin College""This collection of essays forms a front that takes on recent philosophical interpretations of Paul by the likes of Heidegger, Benjamin, Taubes, Badiou, Zizek, and Agamben with the best voices in contemporary theology and biblical studies. What you get is nothing less than a new composition of the very core structures that make up theology, critical theory, and biblical studies--indeed the humanities as such! In this way, these arguments enact a very Paulinean Event that stands toe-to-toe with philosophy''s greats figures in order to identify the truth of God''s act in History--The Scandal of the Incarnation!""--Creston DavisRollins College""In this wonderful collection of essays, an adept team of scholars, expertly marshaled and framed by Douglas Harink, engages with the intriguing conversation currently unfolding between the apostle Paul and certain modern European theorists. The result is a dialogue rich with insights flowing in both directions--from modern theory to new (or recovered) angles of illumination on Paul, and from the apostle''s charged texts back to the presuppositions and conceits of modern theory. That the view of Paul often pressed is ''apocalyptic,'' in the sense of drawing on the seminal work of J. Louis (Lou) Martyn, makes the analysis still richer. The result is a book that both educates and delights."" --Douglas A. CampbellDuke Divinity School ""There is a rich education to be had within these covers. On the one hand, the essayists offer crucial insights into what all the fuss is about regarding the philosophical rediscovery of the apostle Paul, and readers come to appreciate his varied fate in the hands of Taubes, Badiou, Agamben, and Zizek. On the other hand, these secular despoilers of Paul are themselves despoiled here, and Christian theology has set before it a wealth of provocations to better faithfulness and understanding. Taken together, these essays illumine the contours of the apocalyptic gospel of God at the heart of Paul''s own witness and make plain its import for contemporary political thought. Philosophers and theologians alike are well reminded--indeed well warned--of the dynamite they take into their hands when, in quest of a better human politics, they turn to Paul.""--Philip G. ZieglerUniversity of AberdeenDouglas Harink is Professor of Th

From the polling place to the pulpit, The Romance of Innocent Sexuality investigates the passions that are enacted in debates about same-sex marriage. In a critique that is at once humorous and unrelenting, Geoffrey Rees argues that sexual desire is fundamentally a desire to make sense of oneself as a whole person. Through a constructive engagement with the writings of Saint Augustine on original sin, Rees turns on its head the conventional wisdom regarding the goodness of sexual relationship, arguing that sin, not innocence, is the starting point in pursing justice in sexual ethics. To that end Rees boldly reclaims the wisdom of the most disreputable teachings of the Augustinian tradition: that original sin is a literal inheritance of all humanity of the singular disobedience of Adam and Eve in Eden, and the inherent sinfulness of all human sexuality. This work also engages theological readings of nineteenth-century fiction and literary readings of contemporary theological writings. In so doing Rees shows that debates about same-sex marriage are so compelling because the participants are all telling a common story in which they seek to establish the innocence of their own preferred forms of self-understanding as defined against some other persons'' sinful selves. In contrast to this, Rees argues for the acceptance of responsibility for the sinful exclusions that make possible finding the meaning of embodied personal identity through marriage between any two persons.""This is a highly original and provocative inquiry into the sexual politics of sin, marriage, and identity. Tackling sensitive and controversial material head on, Rees''s tone is sober and serene. With Augustine and Foucault as guides, he crosses disciplinary boundaries between theology, philosophy, literature, and history with audacity and ease. Rees''s book demonstrates how, when it comes to same-sex relations, the personal is deeply political and innocence is overrated. Here is a new religious ethics which generates a radically innovative conversation on the nature of original sin, death, and pleasure.""--Richard KearneyBoston College""In this text Geoffrey Rees looks to the Augustinian tradition as providing constructive insights that are currently neglected, if not vilified, so that the tradition''s association of sexuality and sin affords a corrective to the perfectionist and simplifying liberationist trends in contemporary discourse . . . he also considers romantic narrative conventions that appear in nineteenth-century literature, and claims, originally I believe, that they epitomize the strains in contemporary discourse on sexuality that extol its perfectionist and liberationist possibilities . . . in doing so, Rees shows himself to be an astute thinker and an engaging and elegant writer.""--Gene Outka,Yale UniversityGeoffrey Rees teaches health care ethics in the Department of Religion, Health, and Human Values at Rush University in Chicago, Illinois, where he also serves on the ethics consultation service.

In this compelling work, Fisher brings a fresh understanding to the book of Job by highlighting the four main sections of the book that have truly different perspectives: the folktale, the poetic dialogue, the poem on wisdom, and Elihu''s speeches. As he says in the Preface, ""the poem and its author were framed in both meanings of that word. The Ancient Folktale of Job formed a frame that was ancient and ornate, and it ruined the inserted poem or dialogue. It caused both books to be misunderstood."" Anyone interested in a fresh translation and a vibrant analysis of Job will want to read this volume.""Loren Fisher provides a fine translation and an insightful commentary on the book of Job. Over against efforts by ancient editors and contemporary interpreters to force the story into a single, often consoling, message, he highlights the disconcerting and opposing voices within the whole. These voices yield an open-ended debate between God unjust and cruel and God merciful and compassionate--a debate that endures to this day.""--Phyllis Tribleauthor of Texts of Terror""Many writers seek a single unifying thesis in the book of Job. Fisher uncompromisingly insists that it is not a coherent book. By taking it apart he exposes the contrasting views of God and justice. In particular he frees the angry Job to utter his powerful and unqualified attack on the orthodoxy of his day, and of ours."" --John B. Cobb Jr.author of A Christian Natural Theology""Loren Fisher proposes an insightful approach to the entirety of the book of Job, enabling us to read this prime exemplar of the biblical wisdom tradition differently. Instead of forcing its parts and speeches into a single mold, he shows how it speaks with different voices like the separate themes of a symphony.""--Baruch A. Levineauthor of In the Presence of the LordLoren R. Fisher took early retirement as Professor of Hebrew Bible at the School of Theology at Claremont and Professor of Semitic Languages and Literature at Claremont Graduate School. He edited Ras Shamra Parallels (vols. 1 and 2), and he is the author of Genesis: A Royal Epic, The Jerusalem Academy, and The Minority Report.

The Death of Secular Messianism argues that, the claims of secularists notwithstanding, modernity did not so much abandon humanity''s historic search for the divine, but rather transposed it into a new, innerworldly key. This ""secret religion of high modernity"" came in both positivistic and humanistic variants. The first sought to overcome finitude by means of scientific and technological progress. The second sought to overcome contingency by creating a collective Subject--the Modern Democratic State or the Communist Party--in and through which human beings would become the masters of their own destiny. In making his case for this thesis, the author outlines a new political-theological and social-theoretical perspective which saves what is best in modernity--its focus on human creative activity and its commitment to rational autonomy and democratic citizenship--while re-engaging humanity''s great spiritual traditions.""Anthony Mansueto''s book is an important contribution to the history of thought. He describes the roots and history of the contemporary world''s ''civilization crisis'' with an outstanding analytic mind and an encyclopedic knowledge of philosophy and the social sciences. This alone would be a considerable help in understanding the situation. But starting with those reflections, he goes further in studying what could be an answer to the crisis . . . This large synthesis, rigorously elaborated in a very clear language, is a milestone in contemporary social philosophy.""--Francois HoutartProfessor Emeritus of the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium and founder of the Tricontinental CenterAnthony E. Mansueto is President and Senior Scholar at Seeking Wisdom.

This book is an attempt to critically embrace a tradition--a culture--in which the author was formed and against which he has often found himself in resistance, using academic disciplines in which he is well versed but about which he is deeply suspicious. This book began to come together as a book in a series of lectures on the history of Western thought at Shenzhen University in the People''s Republic of China, an opportunity to cultivate disciplined criticism that might afford a second look at traditions behind the West which are being embraced all too quickly. In a time of acceleration, this book offers a meditation on the virtue of hesitation.The book is an invitation to philosophy and the history of ideas, but it is also a sustained critical reflection on the religious dimensions--explicit and implicit--of those ideas, with enough utopian vision left to imagine a city in which violence is not necessary.""Combining erudition of a true scholar and insight of a gifted poet, professor Steven Schroeder offers his readers an adventurous ''pilgrimage'' of mind into the realms of cultural history, philosophy, and religion. This perfectly structured, consistent, and well-argued book is a good companion to anyone who wishes to transgress the boundaries of supposedly ''Western'' ideas and open new vistas to the territories that reflect the legacy of so many vanished civilizations."" --Almantas SamalaviciusVilnius Gediminas Technical University and Vilnius University""This new book by Steven Schroeder contains careful examinations of and insightful reflections on the intellectual history of the West. It not only provides us with guidance when journeying through the labyrinth of Western ideas, but it enables us to see how ideas, almost always intertwined with human desires and fears, are projected into the real world and contribute to transform the place we live in. It is highly illuminating for understanding the human creation of ideas, and therefore, is instructive to anyone who wants to coexist harmoniously with others in the twenty-first century.""--Dongming ZhaoShenzhen University, People''s Republic of China.""Without ever raising his voice, the author challenges some of our most cherished assumptions--the centrality of ''the West,'' the primacy of Greek thought in the development of Western philosophy, and the identification of heroic virtue with aggression and conquest--among others. Here is philosophy restored to its mission of ''passionate engagements in a controversy that matters.'' The fact that Schroeder is a poet as well as a scholar makes this book a pleasure to read and of interest to the general reader as well as to scholars and specialists.--A. G. Mojtabaiauthor of Blessed Assurance ""How to summarize this heady ride from Babel to Thebes to Shenzhen, from the meaning of language to the meaning of meaning . . . Where is God? What is really real? Who is the stranger? This book rockets from the paradox of free will to the paradox of slavery, from redefining Descartes to rediscovering forgotten giants such as Anne Conway. Read this book and rediscover what the work of philosophy and the play of wisdom is all about.""--Rev. David Breedenauthor of This Is Just To Say: Meditations on a Theme by William Carlos WilliamsSteven Schroeder is an instructor in Asian Classics and the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults at the University of Chicago Graham School and Visiting Professor in the School of Foreign Languages at Shenzhen University in the People''s Republic of China. His most recent book is Six Stops South (2009).

Reading Revelation Responsibly is for those who are confused by, afraid of, and/or preoccupied with the book of Revelation. In rescuing the Apocalypse from those who either completely misinterpret it or completely ignore it, Michael Gorman has given us both a guide to reading Revelation in a responsible way and a theological engagement with the text itself. He takes interpreting the book as a serious and sacred responsibility, believing how one reads, teaches, and preaches Revelation can have a powerful impact on one''s own--and other people''s--well-being. Gorman pays careful attention to the book''s original historical and literary contexts, its connections to the rest of Scripture, its relationship to Christian doctrine and practice, and its potential to help or harm people in their life of faith. Rather than a script for the end times, Gorman demonstrates how Revelation is a script for Christian worship, witness, and mission that runs counter to culturally embedded civil religion.""With an exceptional blend of scholarly insight and confessional grounding, this book restores Revelation to relevance for the mission of the church. Gorman joins John of Patmos to inspire us with a risky and lofty vision of following the Lamb in radical and nonviolent witness in the world. This accessible volume is a theological wellspring for preachers, teachers, and any disciples seeking a reliable alternative to the scare-mongering eschatology that clogs airwaves and bookstores.""--J. Nelson Kraybillauthor of Apocalypse and Allegiance: Worship, Politics, and Devotion in the Book of Revelation ""Sometimes I think there are only two kinds of Christians in America: those who''ve never read Revelation and those who read almost nothing else. This book can help either kind. With careful use of scholarship and an evident love for the Lamb who was slain, Michael Gorman demystifies a book that''s meant to clarify what''s at stake when we say, ''Jesus is Lord.''""--Jonathan Wilson-Hartgroveauthor of The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile CultureMichael J. Gorman is Professor of Sacred Scripture and Dean of the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary''s Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. His recent books include Reading Paul (Cascade 2008) and Inhabiting the Cruciform God (2009).

While process philosophers and theologians have written numerous essays on Buddhist-Christian dialogue, few have sought to expand the current Buddhist-Christian dialogue into a ""trilogue"" by bringing the natural sciences into the discussion as a third partner. This was the topic of Paul O. Ingram''s previous book, Buddhist-Christian Dialogue in an Age of Science. The thesis of the present work is that Buddhist-Christian dialogue in all three of its forms--conceptual, social engagement, and interior--are interdependent processes of creative transformation. Ingram appropriates the categories of Whitehead''s process metaphysics as a means of clarifying how dialogue is now mutually and creatively transforming both Buddhism and Christianity.""The Process of Buddhist-Christian Dialogue is many things: Reflections on the historical process of Buddhist-Christian dialogue, the author''s own intellectual process of evolving dialogue, and the vision of dialogue informed by a Whiteheadian view of process. The multifaceted complexity and richness of the work, however, issues from Paul Ingram''s wholehearted engagement with dialogue, not just as a scholar, but as a person. In plumbing the very depths of his own faith, he has been inexorably impelled to examine his life within the larger scope of human and cosmic diversity, to reach beyond any sort of dogmatically predefined boundaries. He is a scholar of Japanese Pure Land thought, East Asian Buddhism, and religion and science, but it is here in The Process of Buddhist-Christian Dialogue that he truly reveals the deep hues of his kaleidoscopic lifework."" --Mark Unno, University of Oregon""Ingram offers an insightful, well-structured, and panoramic view of the field of Buddhist-Christian studies, mapping out the conceptual, socially-engaged, and interior dimensions of the dialogue that continue to enrich and expand the horizons of both traditions.""--Ruben L. F. Habito, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist UniversityPaul O. Ingram is Professor of Religion Emeritus at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. He is the author of Buddhist-Christian Dialogue in an Age of Science, Wrestling with God, and Wrestling with the Ox: A Theology of Religious Experience.

Johann Christoph Blumhardt (1805-1880) was a pastoral counselor and theologian of hope. His theology and pastoral approach, shaped as they were by the awakening in his congregation and numerous incidents of faith healing, provoked earnest and lively debate, and the controversy continues today. Ising''s work mines the original sources, the product of an interaction with Blumhardt''s life and work that goes back many years. He has drawn a portrait that explores the shadows as well as its bright side. Readers are invited to enter fully into the nineteenth century, Blumhardt''s century, yet are constantly reminded that the problems of that day have lost none of their currency within the altered mental horizons of today.""This is the long expected, definitive biography of the Swabian Protestant Pastor Johann Christoph Blumhardt ... Ising shows that Blumhardt''s legacy deserves more than nostalgic remembrance. It poses a genuine challenge to the perceptions and practices of Christian counseling, which is often highly professional but no longer dares to count on God''s presence in the counseling process itself.""-Christoffer H. Grundmannauthor of Sent to Heal! Emergence and Development of Medical Missions""Blumhardt''s biography, from its earliest beginnings until his quiet death, has received magisterial treatment by Dieter Ising. The narrative is as judicious as it is vivid; this is so particularly with regard to Blumhardt''s place within the framework of Pietism and the ''surplus'' in addition to Pietism that he was able to find, the way he grew beyond his limitations.""-Paul DieterichPrelate (ret.), Lutheran Church in Wurttemberg""There is now available a wealth of biographical material which enables us, to a much greater degree than before, to illuminate Blumhardt''s place in the history of the territorial churches and in contemporary church life. This has made possible the present biography, a model of its kind, in which Dieter Ising has been able to base his account on his comprehensive edition of Blumhardt''s letters as well as on further previously unpublished materials.""-Gerhard Sauterauthor of Die Theologie des Reiches Gottes beim alteren und jungeren Blumhardt""Until recently, Blumhardt has appeared as a mysterious figure. This has now changed with Dieter Ising''s clearly-written and thorough biography . . . The result is a vivid portrayal of a man set clearly in the context of his life and times and speaking to us today in ways that challenge our own ways of thinking. This biography must not be overlooked by anyone interested in contemporary theology or pastoral care, especially with the healing message so popular in the churches of the Southern Hemisphere. I enthusiastically recommend it.""-Frank D. Macchiaauthor of Spirituality and Social Concern: The Message of the Blumhardts in the Light of Wuerttemberg PietismDieter Ising wrote his doctoral thesis at Tubingen under the supervision of Jurgen Moltmann. His field of research is Wurttemberg church history and history of theology. In the Landeskirchliches Archiv Stuttgart he has edited the correspondence of Johann Christoph Blumhardt (7 volumes, 1993-2001) and is editing the correspondence of Johann Albrecht Bengel.

This lively commentary encompasses four major books focusing on women in the Hebrew Bible and Apocrypha. Each section in the volume addresses the biblical text in detail, and draws connections from the world of ancient audiences to that of present-day readers. Wolfe''s research is motivated by the usual inquiries of biblical scholarship, as well as the questions raised by the many church Bible study groups she has taught. Clergy and laity, students and scholars will benefit from these contemporarily relevant reflections on Ruth, Esther, Song of Songs and Judith.Ruth: The foreign widow who sneaks onto the nighttime threshing floor to find survival for herself and her devastated mother-in-law. Esther: The Jewish orphan-turned-queen who turns Persian banqueting on its head in an effort to defend her people. Song of Songs: The proud and alluring lover who claims her sexuality as her own and joyfully shares it with her beloved. Judith: The pious and beautiful widow who lets the enemy commander''s appetite become his downfall in order to save her besieged city.This volume is an opportunity to engage these women''s suspense-filled stories, which have sustained faith communities since ancient times.""In her study of Ruth, the Moabite daughter-in-law, Esther, the Jewish queen, Ra''ayti, the young lover, and Judith, the warrior, Lisa Wolfe takes us on a journey through tales about rags-to-riches, the triumph of the underdog, romance, and a widow warrior that challenge traditional gender roles and will keep us reading for more.""-Thomas B. DozemanUnited Theological Seminary""This remarkably engaging commentary translates solid critical biblical scholarship into forthright, accessible, everyday language that persuasively ''undermines the oft-repeated falsehood that women in the Hebrew Bible had no voice, no power, and no place in society.''"" -Kathleen A. Robertson FarmerUnited Theological Seminary""Well researched, accessibly written, with a deft touch of humor, this book will serve as a fine text for college students, study groups in the church, and as a stimulating guide for pastors preaching on these uppity women.""-Tex SampleSaint Paul School of Theology""Lisa Wolfe''s readings of Ruth, Esther, Song, and Judith are lively and judicious, a rare combination in the commentary literature. The work reflects extensive experience teaching the books and an impressive command of the scholarly literature. With an engaging feminist critical approach, Wolfe skillfully exploits ambiguities and ironies in the texts, and at just the right moments, introduces a refreshing sense of humor. Accessible and critically astute, this will be an excellent textbook for undergraduate and seminary courses, as well as a fine resource for laypersons.""-Harold WashingtonSaint Paul School of TheologyLisa M. Wolfe is Associate Professor in the Endowed Chair of Hebrew Bible at Oklahoma City University, and an ordained pastor in the United Church of Christ. Her DVD Bible study series ""Uppity Women of the Bible"" (Living the Questions, 2010) is a companion to this book.

When Jesus spoke at his local synagogue he boldly proclaimed that he was the one sent to free those who were oppressed. He came to provide hope, peace, and safety to those suffering in the world. When he left this earth, his followers were left with the task of continuing this ministry.Statistics suggest that in America one in four women has experienced physical violence in an intimate relationship. Dating violence, intimate-partner violence, and child abuse rank as some of our nation''s largest problems. Men are also being abused by intimate partners, parents, or care providers at increasing rates. The statistic is even more alarming worldwide. Unfortunately, these statistics represent only reported incidents. The rates of verbal, emotional, and spiritual abuse are even higher. In addition, countless women are encouraged by clergy to return to their abusive spouses. The faith community, while called by God to free the oppressed, has been slow to respond to this sin against humanity. Few seminaries offer quality domestic-violence-prevention training for clergy. However, clergy still continue to be sought for help from the community and as advocates for victims of domestic violence. A partnership between the church and community (locally and abroad) is necessary if we wish to transform humans caught in this form of oppression. In Setting the Captives Free Ron Clark proposed a theology of addressing domestic violence and its application for clergy. Freeing the Oppressed is a book that seeks to condense Clark''s previous work into a readable form for those seeking spiritual answers concerning abuse and batterer intervention, and for helpers of those caught in the cycle of family violence. It is also designed as an outreach for those seeking help from the faith community.""Thank you Dr. Clark for writing such a thoroughly readable work. Your book sounds the clarion call that many of us working in the field of domestic violence have hoped and prayed the church would hear. It clearly states the problem and the need facing our country, our communities, and our churches. More importantly, it provides a message of hope and a way for the church to touch and be touched by their communities . . . This is a rare gem of a Christian work that I can feel comfortable giving to clergy, victims, perpetrators, or anyone wanting to know how to address family violence.""--Patricia Warford, PsyDLicensed Psychologist""Ron Clark has provided a clear, concise, spiritually-informed, well-researched argument calling Christians to speak out against domestic abuse and to respond compassionately to women, men, and children impacted by its devastating consequences. Every pastor and every seminary student should read Freeing the Oppressed. Clark interweaves his pastoral experience with biblical insights and knowledge of the growing literature in domestic violence. The result: a prophetic call to social action.""--Nancy Nason-ClarkProfessor of SociologyUniversity of New Brunswick""Freeing the Oppressed is a wonderful resource for any reader who wishes to learn more about domestic abuse and Christian communities. Beginning with a chapter outlining the dynamics of domestic abuse, Ron Clark provides a chapter-by-chapter journey toward hope and healing for victim/survivors and perpetrators alike and toward greater understanding for those who seek to assist them. Interspersing his personal experiences as pastor, counselor, and educator within each chapter helps to frame the plethora of interrelated issues in a manner that makes them clear and accessible--and interesting--to all readers.""--Barbara Fisher-TownsendCo-Editor of Beyond Abuse in the Christian Church: Raising Voices for ChangeRon Clark is the lead church planter for the Agape Church of Christ in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of Setting the Captives Free and is active in community organizations for prevention of domestic violence, sexual assault, and homelessness.

When a boy cries, his father trains him in the way of the ancients. He is taught to ""man up,"" and rejects anything feminine in his life. Thus he begins the process of becoming a man in the image of his culture. This transformation comes at the expense of his own calling to reflect the image of God. Men and women, however, were both created in this divine image and were meant to live in harmony rather than enmity. Recently, influential Christian writers and leaders have suggested that men have become too feminized and need to return to their calling to be ""real men."" Clark believes that this ""new masculinity"" is in reality a return to the way of the ancients. Drawing from his experiences as a minister, domestic- and sexual- violence prevention advocate, and community leader, Clark suggests that Jesus came to redefine masculinity and resist the cultural view of manhood, power, and oppression.""Are men to be strong, tough, and raging? Or compassionate, empathetic, and caring? Ron Clark takes you through biblical and cultural history, providing a thought provoking case for what real manhood is. This book will definitely challenge you to think through whatever paradigms you may have instead of simply accepting the status quo.""--Eric and Jennifer GarciaCo-founders of the Association of Marriage and Family Ministries""Ron Clark makes a strong, religious case for the strength in gentleness and humility, and adds an urgently needed voice to the call for compassion in a world that too often feels cold and distant.""--Patrick J. LemmonCo-founder and former Executive Director of Men Can Stop Rape""Ron Clark is one of the leading voices among male clergy in the struggle to end men''s violence against women and children. This book contains all of the qualities of courageous honesty, wisdom, and humility that make him such an effective educator and leader. Women and men---nside and outside of Christian communities--will find great insight and compassionate teaching in these pages.""--Jackson Katzauthor of The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can HelpRon Clark is the lead church planter for the Agape Church of Christ in Portland, Oregon where he is active in community organizations in domestic and sexual abuse, homelessness, and human trafficking. He is an adjunct faculty member at George Fox Evangelical Seminary and author of Setting the Captives Free, Freeing the Oppressed and The Better Way.

Scott Bader-SayeFrederick Christian BauerschmidtMichael Baxter Daniel M. Bell Jr.Jana Marguerite BennettMichael G. CartwrightWilliam T. CavanaughPeter DulaChris K. HuebnerKelly S. JohnsonD. Stephen LongM. Therese LysaughtDavid Matzko McCarthyJoel James ShumanJ. Alexander SiderJonathan TranPaul J. WadellTheodore Walker Jr.""Good arguments sustain good friendships, and this volume bears witness to the extraordinary friendships that Hauerwas and his students have been drawn into. Yes, there''s gratitude and devotion here, but it''s the criticisms that stand out, that make this a particularly feisty festschrift. His dependence on Yoder runs afoul of his devotion to Aristotle. He domesticates Wittgenstein''s skepticism in order to discount his own individualism. He misconstrues the church as polis, makes a mess of practical reason, and gives metaphysics short shrift. He bungles the relationship between disability and grace, misunderstands how liturgy affects the moral life, and runs rough shod over the just war tradition. He is not yet a pacifist! He is an heir of the liberalism he despises! And he''s a lousy dresser to boot! Those concerned that Hauerwas''s talk of tradition, community, and virtue encourages slavish emulation of authorities and exemplars will find little evidence of that here. Rather, what we find is appreciation mixed with complaint, confidence leavened with doubt, and loyalty expressed in conversation. That we might all have such students, such friends!""--John BowlinPrinceton Theological Seminary""Stanley Hauerwas is a public provocateur, a ravenous reader, a restless wrestler with the truth, and an eccentric devotee of baseball, murder mysteries, and liturgically-shaped discipleship. But most of all is he is a devoted, demanding, and dogged academic father to dozens of doctoral students. The breadth of his character takes a community to display. Here, more than ever before, that community of character does in public what Hauerwas and his students do best: tussle, and refine, and introduce new interlocutors, and dismiss out of hand, and rephrase more charitably, and rediscover ancient wisdom, and go back to Aquinas, and quote Barth, and dismantle platitudes, and unsentimentally face the gift and demands of Christ for church, academy, and politics today. This is a work of love turned into a call to renewal, a family reunion transformed into a symposium, a tribute in the guise of a challenge. Admirers and critics of Hauerwas will be enriched by these compelling essays, an ordered array of disagreements in love.""--Sam WellsDean of the Chapel, Duke UniversityCharles Pinches is Chair of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Scranton.

Once upon a time a group of young Anabaptist scholars took it upon themselves to convene a series of incisive conversations that addressed questions of Christian renewal. Among other topics that the CONCERN group (1955-1971) took on was the subject of how to think about higher education in the context of Christian renewal. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, ""intentional Christian communities"" are being created in the context of student leadership development programs, and a new generation of Programs for Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV) at church related colleges are providing mini-grants for students involved in the New Monasticism movement. With such endeavors in mind, these essays--by Joanne Zerger Janzen, Walter Klassen, Albert Meyer, John Howard Yoder and company--raise probing questions that remain worth engaging by Christians who are concerned about what it means to seek the renewal of Christian higher education today.Virgil Vogt was a leader for many years of Reba Place Church and Reba Place Fellowship, a Christian community in Evanston, Illinois. He continues as a member of this community but currently serves as Associate Conference Minister for the Illinois Mennonite Conference. He has written and spoken widely about economic issues and building Christian community.

Uncommon Friendships explores the often-overlooked dynamic of interreligious friendships, considering their significance for how we think about contemporary religious thought. By exploring the dynamics of three relationships between important religious thinkers--Franz Rosenzweig and Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, Emmanuel Levinas and Maurice Blanchot, and Julia Kristeva and Catherine Clement--this study demonstrates the ways such friendships enable innovation and transformation within religious traditions. For each pair of thinkers, the sustained engagement and disagreement between them becomes central to their religious and philosophical development, helping them to respond effectively and creatively to issues and problems facing their communities and societies. Through a rereading of their work, Young shows how such friendships can help us rethink religion, aesthetics, education, and politics--as well as friendship itself.""An utterly remarkable treatise on the inter-religious friendships that joined three pairs of the great thinkers of twentieth-century Europe. I know of nothing quite like this. It is rigorous scholarship that has the sharp edge of cultural criticism and yet the inspiring effect of a philosophic and spiritual poem. Its lesson is indeed uncommon: that critical reason is strengthened by love, that love is deepened by undomesticated difference, and that, in a quiet way, the name of God may have a lot to do with all of the above.""--Peter OchsUniversity of Virginia""An elegantly written and intellectually engaging study, William Young''s Uncommon Friendships offers a refreshing portrayal of the praxis of friendship and its ability to operate as a key element in the development of ideas generally and in efforts towards inter-religious dialogue in particular. Young''s lucid descriptions of the long-term intellectual engagements between Rosenstock/Rosenzweig, Levinas/Blanchot, Kristeva/Clement highlight the embodied, creative, and often unsettling affects of friendship upon the evolution of an intellectual work. Young''s book deepens our understanding of the social character of knowledge and challenges readers to consider the value of a praxis of friendship as a check upon solipsism and the drive for truth and as a tool for cultivating patient listening and an openness regarding the contingency of our beliefs."" --Randi RashkoverGeorge Mason UniversityWilliam W. Young is Associate Professor of Humanities at Endicott College. He is the author of The Politics of Praise: Naming God and Friendship in Aquinas and Derrida (2007), and has published numerous articles on Derrida, Levinas, and postmodern religious thought.

Procreative Ethics addresses questions at the beginning of life from a point of view that is alternatively philosophical and Christian. The author seeks to defend philosophically some positions taken partly on Christian grounds while also trying to make the implications of Christian convictions intelligible to those who do not necessarily share those convictions. The author positions himself neither as a ""moral friend"" nor ""moral stranger,"" preferring instead the role of ""moral acquaintance"" to his audience. From that position, the goal is to find areas of fruitful agreement while clarifying differences that may lead to truer reconciliations further on in the conversation. The book opens with an attempted natural law defense of artificial contraception; devotes four chapters to criticism of current defenses of abortion; and then takes up, in six remaining chapters, such matters as genetic enhancement of children, the justice or injustice of genetic revision, the harm conundrum or non-identity problem, designing for disability, and reproductive cloning.""Fritz Oehlschlaeger has written a remarkable book that needs to be read by everyone with a stake in moral questions at life''s beginning. Displaying theological and philosophical sophistication as well as a profound wisdom, these arguments must be taken seriously by those who agree with Oeschlaeger as well as those who do not.""--Joel James ShumanKing''s College""Writing with a modesty that betrays the depth of argument that characterizes Procreative Ethics, Fritz Oehlschlaeger has written the most important book in bioethics in recent memory. Bioethics has long suffered from a stale imagination. Oehlschlaeger, an acknowledged outsider to the field, brings to his work a fresh imagination shaped by literary texts and a profound humanity. Hopefully many will want to emulate his work in other areas of bioethics.""--Stanley HauerwasDuke University""In this new book Fritz Oehlschlaeger has made masterful and persuasive arguments about the moral challenges looming at the beginning of human life. And he does this as a highly informed non-specialist--an English professor no less!""--Robert BenneRoanoke CollegeFritz Oehlschlaeger is Professor of English at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He is co-author of Articulating the Elephant Man: Joseph Merrick and His Interpreters (1992) and Love and Good Reasons: Postliberal Approaches to Christian Ethics and Literature (2003).

On the morning after they walked for miles through freezing rain to a prayer vigil outside the White House in March 2007, a group of young war protesters listened to one last speech before heading home to Chicago. Peter Dula, who had served with the Mennonite Central Committee in Iraq, spoke honestly about the caustic combination of guilt and disempowerment the protesters were struggling with. He commended protesting and suggested resisting war taxes, then made two surprising final recommendations: ride a bike and plant a garden.Electrified by Dula''s speech, the group wanted to talk more about their disillusionment and to learn from their elders in activism and the church. So in November 2007 they hosted a conference at Reba Place Church in Evanston, Illinois, where over two hundred people gathered to learn, worship, and contemplate a more hopeful way. This volume is a collection of the major addresses from that conference.The contributors suggest a new way to live in the tension between hope that things will improve and cynicism about whether they ever will. While creating space for lament, they point toward a radical Christian faithfulness in neighborhoods and congregations that can be both hopeful and profoundly political.""Most Christians in the United States still tune their hope to the rhythm of the election cycle. For Reba Place Fellowship, Living Water Community Church and these other contributors, hope is tuned to quieter things a noisy world cannot hear--things like friendship, gardening, sitting down with enemies, and ultimately, Jesus. This collection is bracing in its timeliness.""--Jason ByasseeDirector of the Center for Theology, Writing & MediaDuke Divinity SchoolMeg E. Cox is a freelance writer and editor.

The mid-second-century apocryphal infancy gospel, the Gospel of Thomas, which deals with the childhood of Jesus from age five to age twelve, has attained only limited interest from scholars. Much research into the story has also been seriously misguided--especially study of the story''s origin, character, and setting. This book gives a fresh interpretation of the infancy gospel, not least by applying a variety of new approaches, including orality studies, narrative studies, gender studies, and social-scientific approaches.The book comes to a number of radically new conclusions: The Gospel of Thomas is dependent on oral storytelling and has far more narrative qualities than has been previously assumed. The narrative world depicted in the gospel is that of middle-class Christianity, with the social and cultural ideas and values characteristic of such a milieu.The gospel''s theology is not heretical--as has often been claimed--but mirrors mainstream thinking rooted in biblical tradition, particularly in the Johannine and Lukan traditions. Jesus is portrayed as a divine figure but also as a true-to-life child of late antiquity.The audience for the Gospel of Thomas is likely to have come from the rural population of early Christianity, a milieu that has received little attention. A main audience for the story was children among early Christians, making this--at least within Christianity--the oldest-known children''s tale.The book provides a Greek text and a translation, and several appendixes on the story, along with other early Christian infancy material. ""Although the Infancy Gospel of Thomas has long been enjoyed by readers interested in the Gospels that did not make it into the New Testament, there has been a dearth of scholarship on most of the pressing textual, historical, and theological issues it raises. Reidar Aasgaard has done the scholarly world a real service by presenting a full, interesting, and informed discussion of all these major questions. Scholars will now turn to this study before any other when they want to explore the Infancy Gospel and its traditions.""--Bart D. EhrmanJames A. Gray Professor of Religious StudiesUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill""This thorough and outstanding volume addresses a wide-range of historical, literary, and theological questions about the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and offers a fresh interpretation of this baffling text. A highly valuable resource for those interested in biblical studies, early Christianity, the history of childhood, and religious understandings of children."" --Marcia J. BungeProfessor of Humanities and TheologyValparaiso University""Informed by current research on orality and narrative structure, Aasgard not only furthers our understanding of the content of the document itself including its theology and ethics, but also breaks new ground in reconstructing its social setting and audience . . . Drawing upon his extensive expertise, Aasgard also argues that the document was intended for early Christian children and contributes substantially to the emergence of the investigation children and childhood as a key interdisciplinary subfield within early Christian studies.""--Margaret Y. MacDonaldProfessor, Religious StudiesSt. Francis Xavier UniversityReidar Aasgaard is Project Leader in the Norwegian Bible Society and has earned a doctorate in New Testament/Early Christianity. He is the author of My Beloved Brothers and Sisters (2004) and has published a study edition of the New Testament as well as Norwegian translations of Augustine.

Deep faith meets high tech here in The Renewal of Preaching in the Twenty-first Century. A communications revolution is sweeping through the churches leaving some on fire and others burned out. This work shows what makes the difference for church leaders and communities who are using new media to advance Christian preaching. Join them by recovering the great tradition and expanding it through creative use encouraged by artists and filmmakers as well as preachers and professors. This work explores ways to maximize the promise of preaching and confront the perils leading to the renewal of church and society. Beginning with review of the situation today, we proceed step by step through the preparation and presentation of the sermon leading to transformation. The sermon in the local parish is seen as the microcosm of the macrocosm that is the communication of God''s good news.""Rooted in a knowledge of and respect for traditional worship, David Randolph accurately assesses the difficulty facing mainline traditions in speaking to today''s visual culture. But he doesn''t stop there. He eloquently outlines a course of action that gives emphasis to the visual and, in particular, to the use of what he terms ''new media.'' Renewal of Preaching is a must read, not only as a text for those preparing for ministry, but also for long-time pastors seeking new ways of speaking to today''s generation.""--Joan Brix Carter, Dean of College of Art and Design, Olivet UniversityDavid James Randolph is President and Professor of Theology at Olivet University in San Francisco, California, and Professor in Residence of Communications at the Center for the Arts, Religion and Education at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. He was Senior Minister of Christ Church United Methodist in New York City and other churches. He is the author of On the Way after 9/11: New Worship and Art. He has been featured on the NBC-TV Today Show, NBC National Radio Pulpit, in the New York Times, and is internationally known for his contributions to church and society.

In Saint Joseph Leonardo Boff seeks to provide a vigorous critique and theological analysis of Saint Joseph and in so doing attempts to undo historical misconceptions, misunderstandings, and cliches that surround the figure of Joseph. The book provides a comprehensive view of the topic as it takes into account biblical references, including the apocrypha, church tradition, papal edicts, liturgical expressions, and various viewpoints proposed by theologians. Boff is also concerned with updating the figure of Saint Joseph; his first step in this direction is to provide a clear understanding of the life of Joseph as an artisan, husband, father, and educator. He then deals with the issue of the importance of Saint Joseph for current issues concerning family and fatherhood. Lastly, Boff argues that Saint Joseph helps us to understand new facets of the mystery of God, and the author does this through his argument concerning the order of hypostatic union, where, according to his argument, there is a relation between Jesus and the Son, Mary and the Holy Spirit, and Joseph and the Father. Boff seeks here to fill a gap in the theological literature, given that theologians have concentrated their efforts on Jesus and the Son and Christology, and Mary and the Holy Spirit and Mariology; but these same theologians have, by and large, given very little time to the figure of Saint Joseph and the Father and Josephology.Leonardo Boff was born in Brazil in 1938 and received a doctorate from the University of Munich in Germany in 1970. For the following 20 years he worked as Professor of Theology at the Franciscan School for Philosophy and Theology in Petropolis, Brazil. During the 1970s, he and Gustavo Gutierrez helped to define Liberation Theology. Since 1993 he has been a professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, where he is now Emeritus Professor of Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, and Ecology. He is also a member of the International Earth Charter Commission. Boff is the author of more than 70 books, including Jesus Christ Liberator: A Critical Christology for Our Time. In 2001 he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award (which is considered to be the ""alternative"" Nobel Prize) by the Swedish Parliament. Alexandre Guilherme, the translator, does research and teaches at the University of Durham, UK.

Seek the Peace of the City provides a robust engagement with the theological foundations and practices of Christian social and political criticism. Richard Bourne identifies a theological realism found in the work of John Howard Yoder. This realism bases social and political criticism in the purposes of a nonviolent, patient, and reconciling God. Bourne develops this account and shows how it is consonant with aspects of the work of a range of contemporary theologians including Stanley Hauerwas, John Milbank, Karl Barth, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In developing this theological realism, the book furnishes an account of Christian criticism capable of addressing key debates in contemporary theology and political theory. Bourne begins by arguing for the public status of theological political claims. He demonstrates that only a vigorous theological realism, grounded in the universal lordship of Christ, is capable of providing a foundation for local, particular, and ad hoc practices of critique. The book concludes by developing an account of the impact such a theological realism and practice of critique might have on contemporary political theory--with explorations of the doxological nature of social change, the changing shape of the state, governmentality and political sovereignty, and the status and role of religious communities in civil society.""Imaginatively drawing on a wide range of theological literature, social, and political theory, Bourne, in a manner unlike anyone else, helps us see how the work of John Howard Yoder provides a constructive politics for Christians in our day. Only someone completely at home in Yoder''s work could have written such a lucid and helpful book. Bourne, hopefully, has made John Howard Yoder indispensable for work in political theology.""--Stanley HauerwasDuke University""Richard Bourne won''t let you get away with detachment. This bold book pushes the question of the gospel''s particularity beyond every cowardly formalism and safe universal. Even the postmodern anxieties only reveal a fear of commitment. Bourne''s alternative for the church is like the thinkers he most admires: radical in its critique and peaceable in its politics.""--Craig HoveyAshland UniversityRichard Bourne is Senior Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at the University of Cumbria. He previously held teaching positions at Trinity and All Saints College, Leeds, and the Open Theological College.

Witherington provides a much-needed introduction to the ancient art of persuasion and its use within the various New Testament documents. More than just an exploration of the use of the ancient rhetorical tools and devices, this guide introduces the reader to all that went into convincing an audience about some subject. Witherington makes the case that rhetorical criticism is a more fruitful approach to the NT epistles than the oft-employed approaches of literary and discourse criticism. Familiarity with the art of rhetoric also helps the reader explore non-epistolary genres. In addition to the general introduction to rhetorical criticism, the book guides readers through the many and varied uses of rhetoric in most NT documents-not only telling readers about rhetoric in the NT, but showing them the way it was employed.""This brief guide book is intended to provide the reader with an entrance into understanding the rhetorical analysis of various parts of the NT, the value such studies bring for understanding what is being proclaimed and defended in the NT, and how Christ is presented in ways that would be considered persuasive in antiquity."" - from the introduction""Ben Witherington has used classical rhetorical criticism as a foundational method--writing commentaries on the entire New Testament canon. In this volume, he brings that extensive experience to the task of writing an introduction to this exegetical method. . . . This will surely become the choice resource-the ""new Kennedy""-for a main text in courses in rhetorical criticism or a supplementary text in courses on exegetical method, as well as a valuable and persuasive introduction to the method for ministry professionals interested in connecting the ongoing task of proclamation with the persuasive techniques of the New Testament."" --David A. deSilva, Trustees'' Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek, Ashland Theological Seminary""Whether one is drawn to the promise of rhetorical study of the New Testament writings or is not yet persuaded by its utility, Witherington has provided a helpful--and persuasive!--primer. His easy familiarity with the ancient sources makes this an especially user-friendly introduction to the importance of ancient rhetoric for historical study of the New Testament."" --Joel B. Green, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Fuller Theological Seminary""For those who want to add rhetorical analysis to their interpretation of the New Testament, Ben Witherington provides easy access to a not easily accessible subject. . . . Not stopping with mere description, Witherington always draws out the implications of the rhetorical nature of the biblical texts for interpretation and application."" --Duane Watson, Professor of New Testament Studies, School of Theology, Malone College""Ben Witherington has produced a sterling volume on ancient rhetoric and its applicability to New Testament studies. . . . Importantly, Witherington carefully describes how an understanding of rhetoric affects biblical interpretation and Christian preaching. Anyone who is interested in the contours of early Christian discourse or would like to be able to preach and teach as persuasively as the biblical authors will find this volume highly informative and immensely helpful. Another gem from the pen of Ben!""--Michael Bird, Tutor in New Testament at the Highland Theological College, Dingwall, ScotlandBen Witherington III (PhD, University of Durham) is Amos professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University. He is the author of numerous books, including The Living Word of God (2008), Shifting the Paradigms (forthcoming) and several socio-rhetorical commentaries.

Raising Spirits: Stories of Suffering and Comfort at Death''s Door springs from Michael Goldberg''s experiences serving dying patients as a hospital and hospice chaplain. Previously, he had held positions as a management consultant, a chaired university professor, and a congregational rabbi. Although each of those careers fulfilled some of his professional aspirations, none filled his spiritual hunger to find purpose in his life. In turning to chaplaincy and helping the gravely ill satisfy their craving for meaning at the end of their lives, Goldberg discovered spiritual sustenance in his.Raising Spirits is the first book to explore care giving at the end of life from a spiritual as well as clinical perspective. It tells the stories of Michael Goldberg''s journeys with patients, their families, and loved ones as they try to face the challenges awaiting them at life''s edges. In the process, Goldberg himself is tested as a committed Jew who, working largely among non-Jews, must continually reassess his identity and convictions. He comes to see that ""spirituality"" need not refer to things occult or otherworldly, but as Raising Spirits makes clear, to things in this world that can at least start to lift our spirits and revive them. The reciprocal process of gaining insight into patients and into oneself is possible, indeed crucial, for all who care for the sick, both lay and professional alike.""In this gem of a collection of stories about care at the end of life, Rabbi and Chaplain Michael Goldberg restores the spirits of his patients (and readers) as he deftly navigates from the intensive care unit to the nursing home, from a patient''s home to their funeral. Across cultures and religious traditions, with steady doses of humility, wisdom, compassion, and humor, Goldberg''s words are a healing balm to the often spiritually uncomfortable journey of dying.""--Nassim AssefiInternist and global women''s health specialist, author of Aria ""With rare honesty and humility, Rabbi Goldberg welcomes the reader to accompany him into the pain-filled world of patients and families at the edge of life. He overcomes the real world challenges of the hospital or hospice stay to bring a measure of compassion and comfort to those who suffer. Proverbs teaches that, ""The heart alone knows its bitterness."" In truth, Goldberg is that rare individual who understands the pain of another''s heart and has the ability to ease that pain.""--Rabbi Sheldon PennesDirector of Spiritual Life at the Los Angeles Jewish Home""This book is not smarmy! The stories are so gripping that you won''t want to put them down. Essential reading for all who care for the dying, including their families.""--Nancey MurphyProfessor of Christian PhilosophyFuller Seminaryauthor of Bodies and Souls, or Spirited Bodies?""These remarkable stories not only reflect the experience of many dying patients, but allow readers to accompany Rabbi Goldberg in his journey of becoming a Chaplain. He reveals his own search through openly sharing his thoughts and feelings. Any Chaplain, caregiver for the dying, or simply a human being on a quest to understand what this life is all about will benefit from reading this book.""--Judith Eighmy, RN, BSN, CHPNHospice ConsultantPacific Healthcare Consultants""Raising Spirits is a gift to anyone who has been deeply affected by experiences in healthcare. All will irresistibly be reminded of the powerfully clarifying and confusing nature of suffering and death. Michael''s pathway from thinker to caregiver might be unremarkable, but for his gift of truth-telling--how many of us receive hope and comfort, even though all too often, we simply can''t help or understand. That is Grace.""--Richard VanceChrysalis Ventures""Poignant and brilliant . . . Raising Spirits is an uncommon resource for practical and pastoral theology and religious education. Be prepared to venture into unfamiliar territory! Rabbi Michael Goldberg, a systematic theologian

As a historical inquiry and synthesis, this intellectual history is the first study to apply the ideal-type or model-building methodology of Otto Hintze (1861-1940) to Western historical thought or to what R. G. Collingwood called ""The Idea of History,"" for it contains succinct and useful models for seeing and teaching classical, Christian, and modern professional historiography.Religion and the Rise of History is also the first work to suggest that, in addition to his well-known paradoxical, simul, and/or ""at-the-same-time"" way of thinking and viewing life, Martin Luther also held to a way that was deeply incarnational, dynamic, and/or ""in-with-and-under."" This dual vision and ""a Lutheran ethos"" strongly influenced Leibniz, Hamann, and Herder, and was therefore a matter of considerable significance for the rise of a distinctly modern form of historical consciousness (commonly called ""historicism"") in Protestant Germany.Smith''s essay suggests a new time period for the formative age of modern German thought, culture, and education: ""The Cultural Revolution in Germany."" This age began in the early 1760s and culminated in 1810 with the founding of the University of Berlin, the first fully ""modern"" and ""modernizing"" university. This university first became the recognized center for the study of history, however, through the work of Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886). Here the story shows how a young Ranke derived his individualizing way of thinking and viewing life mainly from Luther, how his life-work is the best example in Western literature of the rise of history from a calling to a profession, and how the three-way discussion between Troeltsch, Meinecke, and Hintze concerning the nature of modern historical thought was of central importance for the reorientation of Western social-historical thought in the twentieth century.""Leonard Smith''s book is, in its origins and goals, a deeply pedagogical work. He addresses a central problem in the history of eighteenth-century German and European thought, the emergence of a new, evolutionary view of history called ""historicism."" Enabled by Luther''s incarnational theology, historicism received its first formulation, Smith argues, from Leibniz and his successors and achieved its public place in the new University of Berlin (est. 1810). This book is a splendid marriage of classical themes with new and original insights. Everyone interested in the evolution of European historical thought should read it.""--Thomas A. Brady Jr., University of California, Berkeley""This book breaks new ground in showing how Martin Luther shaped the philosophical pioneers of a new worldview based upon the study of history. A textbook for minds curious about a philosophy of history."" --The Rev. Eric W. Gritsch, Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary""A wide-ranging intellectual history of the emergence in Germany of a modern historical consciousness. Smith argues that a Lutheran ethos was especially conducive to this development, as it was transmitted through the use of Luther''s Small Catechism and generations of pastors and teachers. Key figures in this transmission include Leibniz and Hamann, leading to its flowering in Ranke and further elaboration by Hintze and Meinecke in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Provocative and engaging.""--Dale A. Johnson, Buffington Professor of Church History, Emeritus, Vanderbilt UniversityLeonard S. Smith is Emeritus Professor of History at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, California.

Paradox and surprise face those who pursue deeper spiritual practice, theological wisdom, and even a religious calling ""into the ministry."" Unbeknownst to incoming students, the pursuit of theological education in established institutions today furthers a faith that is recognizable in delight and compassion, even as it may just as easily deform it into a moral duty and autonomous professionalism so divisive in today''s religious ecology. How may those drawn into ministry formation today receive its deep theological treasures and sustain a vibrant faith with a theologically expressive delight able to companion the suffering of self and others? Artisanal Theology explores the paradoxes and surprises that await those walking in the worlds of theological education--the local congregation, the academy, the tradition/denomination. Part handbook, part witness, it offers guidance for the path of intentional formation within contemporary institutions of theological education, whose riches may be mined in a disciplined spiritual stewardship and grounded in radically covenantal companionship. Just like artisanal bread blends the classical methods of bread-baking with modern conveniences, so an artisanal theology relies upon the personal and communal touch of human relationship amidst the contemporary forms of programmatic theological education. An artisanal theology offers an articulate and traditionally-rooted faith perspective grounded in covenantal companionships sustained in contexts of church, tradition, and, most importantly, practice. Ultimately, an artisanal theology witnesses beyond the anticipated political divides to the Triune God-among-us, known in a theologically expressive delight, able to companion the suffering of self and others.""A conundrum faced by many undertaking theological education is that the development of contextual spiritual formation is somehow assumed--as if it were some by-product of years of rigorous study. The truth, however, is that this is almost never the case, a truth to which growing numbers of former clergy stand in testament. In Artisanal Theology Lisa Hess explores the practice of this formation: its richness, its nourishment, and its value for both the outward and inward orientations of God''s gifts in ministry.""--Dennis H. Piermont, Executive Presbyter, Presbytery of the Miami Valley ""Lisa Hess is a fresh and wonderfully home-grown voice in the world of theological education. Reading Artisanal Theology is an experience of what Hess calls ''expressive theological delight.'' Anyone aspiring to be a faithful Christian in the seminary context--students and teachers alike--will appreciate the deep wisdom in this book.""--Arthur Holder, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley""Those who teach and write in the areas of Christian education, spiritual formation, practical theology, and theological education often suffer from the dual problem of articulating a clear intellectual identity and a clear theological voice. Not only does Hess not suffer from either of these problems, her work is a powerful antidote for them. Clear, insightful, and creatively orthodox, this treatment of theological formation announces a powerful step forward for those laboring in those disciplines within a sometimes unresponsive theological academy. Lisa Hess must be heard!""--Willie Jennings, Duke Divinity School""This is the book I was looking for last year when I taught a contextual education discussion section! Lisa Hess''s focus on the sharing of craft and wisdom is a poetic and helpful guide for groups, communities, and institutions seeking intentional yet also unpredictable formation. Artisanal theology joins practical theology, systematic theology, and historical theology as another important form of theological wisdom.""--Carol Lakey Hess, Emory UniversityLisa M. Hess is Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Contextual Ministries at United Theological Seminary. She is Word & Sacrament minister in

The story of the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew is told in eight verses. Embedded in this short narrative is ""Joseph''s dilemma."" Listeners are told that, ""When Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit"" (1:18). What happens next has long been debated. We are made to assume that Joseph discovers that Mary is pregnant, but that he does not know that she is with child from the Holy Spirit. This information is made known to Joseph later by an angel of the Lord who appeared to him in a dream. In the meantime, Joseph must decide what he will do with Mary.We are told, ""Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly"" (1:19). The discussion of this verse generally focuses on two questions. First, did Joseph suspect Mary of adultery? Second, if he did suspect Mary of adultery, what were his options? While there is some diversity in the way that these questions are answered, the majority of modern interpreters envision only one option--that of divorce. The dilemma, then, is whether Joseph will divorce Mary ""publicly"" or ""privately.""While these questions are important, neither adequately addresses Joseph''s dilemma. In this book, Matthew J. Marohl argues that early Christ-followers understood Joseph''s dilemma to involve an assumption of adultery and the subsequent possibility of the killing of Mary. Worded differently, Joseph''s dilemma involves the possibility of an honor killing. If Joseph reveals that Mary is pregnant she will be killed. If Joseph conceals Mary''s pregnancy, he will be opposing the law of the Lord. What is a ""righteous"" man to do?""Books that bring a new slant to bear on old disputed texts and unresolved issues are always welcomed. Matthew Marohl''s study of the heated debate concerning the circumstances surrounding Jesus''s conception and birth is such a new slant on a highly controverted story. It is sure to broaden our cultural vista, shed light on an overlooked aspect of Joseph''s dilemma, and rustle not a few feathers along the way.""--John H. Elliott, Professor Emeritus, University of San Francisco""Marohl''s study of honor killings, be they modern or ancient, opens up new avenues of interpretation for the Gospel of Matthew''s infancy narrative. Taking into consideration that honor and shame were pivotal values of the social world in question, this study demonstrates that Mary''s pregnancy, as well as Joseph''s initial reaction to it, originally invoked the familiar social dimensions of damaging and protecting family honor, something now lost to modern readers.""--Markus Cromhout, Department of New Testament Studies, University of Pretoria. ""Marohl''s systematic analysis of the cultural presuppositions of Matthew''s presentation of Mary''s shameful pregnancy leads him to conclude that Joseph contemplated killing Mary which, while shocking, reveals a narrative pattern that is evident throughout the gospel--''from unexpected death comes unexpected, new life.'' It is a pattern that is to be replicated in the lives of the Jesus followers. Marohl''s unique combination of cultural anthropology and honor killings casts new light on the Gospel''s meaning and intended outcome.""--Dietmar Neufeld, Professor of Christian Origins, University of British ColumbiaMatthew J. Marohl teaches New Testament at Augustana College, Rock Island, IL. He holds a PhD in New Testament from the University of St. Andrews and is the author of Faithfulness and the Purpose of Hebrews: A Social Identity Approach (Pickwick, 2008).

Senses of the Soul explores the way art and visual elements are incorporated into Christian worship. It incorporates research conducted in Los Angeles congregations. Through extensive interviews in a sample of Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox congregations it looks into the way visual elements actually become part of the experience of worship. By looking at attitudes and experiences of beauty, art, and memories, it suggests that believers appropriate images and aesthetic encounters in terms of imaginative structures that have been formed through worship practices over time. By comparing responses across denominations, the book proposes that people receive visual elements in ways that have been shaped by long traditions and specific background beliefs. In addition to discussions of the differences between the major Christian traditions, the book also examines the relation of art and beauty to worship, the role of memories and everyday life, and the power of images in spirituality and worship.By its focus on the worshiper, the book seeks to make a contribution to the growing conversation between the arts and Christian worship and to the process of worship renewal.""Senses of the Soul is an invaluable grass-roots study of how people actually use and engage the visual aspects of Christian worship. Rather than emphasizing what theology and liturgy think the arts should contribute (or not) to worship, Dyrness breaks new ground by listening to ordinary Christians'' talk about what the arts actually do contribute. In so doing, he re-draws the boundaries of art and points to the power of our religious imaginations to direct our engagement with the visual and physical dimensions of Christian worship. I am very much looking forward to using this book in my own teaching and research.""--Lisa DeBoerArt Historian, Westmont College""William Dyrness offers us here a very timely and strategic contribution to the growing conversation about how the arts can contribute to worship and the life of faith. By listening to so many varied voices of worshipers in actual congregations, Dyrness offers many illuminating insights that promise to sharpen not only the work of artists in many media, but also the faith life of pastors, theologians, worship leaders, and all thoughtful Christians who long for a multi-sensory life of prayer.""--John D. WitvlietDirector, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Professor of Worship, Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary""Senses of the Soul is a pioneering contribution to the ways in which Christians appropriate visual images in worship. Based on eighty interviews with individuals from Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic congregations in Southern California, this book creatively blends empirical research with theological and social-scientific insight. The book is richly illustrated with photos of religious images from the sites where William Dyrness did his research. This book opens a fresh chapter in our understanding of the embodiment of religious experience in artistic expression.""--Donald E. MillerExecutive Director, Center for Religion and Civic CultureUniversity of Southern CaliforniaWilliam A. Dyrness is Professor of Theology and Culture in the School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author most recently of Reformed Theology and Visual Culture (2004) and Visual Faith (2001).

This work includes essays in preaching method and a series of sermons on Romans 10, a mini-treatise on preaching. It reflects on the tasks of preaching and teaching preaching as a form of communication that is critical to the life of the church. Despite the numerous existing volumes, useful texts are still needed. The quest is for methods of preparation that can be applied with consistency, and that suggest habits for labor, which can be tedious or cause tasteless outcomes. The volume is intended as a contribution to replenishing voices that already have spoken ably and eloquently. It is located in the praxis of one who preaches with weekly regularity, while at the same time teaching homiletics. It aims at absorbing and synthesizing proven methods, while relating them to a generation that lives in the tensions of faithfulness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the decline of a Christian consensus in the culture, the rise of secularism, and competition from other religions. Added to that is the challenge of vying for space in the public sphere with countless social prophets, such as talk show hosts, radio commentators, screen writers, and entertainers with various agendas.What one finds in the following pages is a venture of service to the newly called, the fledgling preachers, the veterans, as well as those who teach. It dares to challenge proverbs like, ""It is better caught than taught,"" or ""Those who know don''t tell, and those who tell don''t know."" It risks a word in an attempt to speak reflectively about a task that is daunting to the novice and as near to a veteran as a second skin. It is a brazen attempt to step out of ""comfortable skin"" to tell another how it feels from the inside. It hazards a gesture to say how to do the work with confidence without becoming arrogant. How do you scratch the pad or go to a blank computer screen from week to week? By what means does one glean and give a fresh word before the exhaustion of delivering the last word has abated? Web sites that supply sermons are in the public domain and can easily be discovered. The challenge for those who mount the pulpit from week to week does not relent.The labor reflected in these pages is born of the bias that all preaching can be improved with study, reflection, and critical assistance.William Clair Turner Jr. is Associate Professor of the Practice of Homiletics at Duke University Divinity School and Pastor of Mt. Level Missionary Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of A Journey Through the Covenant: Discipleship for African American Christians and The United Holy Church of America: A Study in Black Holiness Pentecostalism.

Writing with the pastor and student in mind, Walter Brueggemann provides guidance for interpreting Old Testament texts. He offers both advice for the interpreter as well as examples of working with different sorts of passages: from narratives, prophecies, and Psalms. He also demonstrates how to work thematically, drawing together threads from different traditions. His goal is to work through the rhetoric of these passages to reach toward theological interpretation. These investigations indicate Brueggemann''s conviction that the process of moving from text to interpretive outcome is an artistic enterprise that can be learned and practiced.""One of the best and most esteemed interpreters of Scripture shows here how he does it. A ''how-to'' book with wonderful examples, it is vintage Brueggemann: incisive, penetrating, provocative, and always seeking to uncover the cutting edge of the text. He cares as much about pastoral responsibility as interpretive method. In fact, he doesn''t think you can separate them-one of the many gifts of this compelling and practical book."" -Patrick D. Miller, author of The Religion of Ancient Israel""We have become accustomed to the insightful reflections and the critical theological thinking of many contemporary biblical scholars. However, seldom has an author taken us step-by-step through the actual progression of that thought. This is precisely what Walter Brueggemann does in this book. Insisting that all believers, not merely scholars, should be able to critically read the Bible, he offers a modified, though still critical interpretive approach, that shows us how we might do it ourselves.""-Dianne Bergant, CSA author of Scripture: History and Interpretation""This is the book that those of us who have studied with Walter Brueggemann have been waiting for. Here is the teacher we have known in class: telling us how he has come to read scripture as he does and showing us how he does it. I have been using this method of interpreting scripture with my congregation for the past decade. Together we have found that Brueggemann''s three-step interpretive strategy opens us up to the biblical texts so that they speak to us in powerful new ways. What a wonderful gift this book is to the church.""-Edwin Searcy, University Hill Congregation, Vancouver, BCWalter Brueggemann is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He is the author of numerous works, including Praying the Psalms (2nd ed., Cascade Books, 2007), Theology of the Old Testament, and Prophetic Imagination.