In troubled times of heightened global tensions and conflict, (un)Common Sounds: Songs of Peace and Reconciliation among Muslims and Christians explores the contribution of music and the performing arts to peacebuilding and interfaith dialogue in interreligious settings. It asks the simple but endlessly complex question: How is music and song used in our faiths and daily lives to foster peace and reconciliation? Focusing on the two largest world religions that together comprise more than 55% of the world''s population, the essays address the complexities of embodied, lived religious traditions by moving across and linking a range of disciplines: ethnomusicology (the intersection of music and culture), peacemaking, Islamic studies, and Christian theology. Based on research in the Middle East, North Africa, and Indonesia, context-specific case studies serve to identify and reflect on the significant roles of music and the performing arts in fostering sustainable peace. (un)Common Sounds investigates the dynamics of peacebuilding and interfaith dialogue as they relate to music''s transformative roles in conflict and post-conflict settings. Classroom tested, (un)Common Sounds also provides discussion questions and projects for each chapter, a companion Web site (www.songsforpeaceproject.org), and an available documentary film to enhance learning in the academy, nongovernmental organizations, and religious groups.""(un)Common Sounds shows how the common sounds between Muslims and Christians have intensified from the clanging of swords to the thunder of bombs. By holding consultations and concerts in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, the authors have shown that when swords are beaten into flutes on their way to becoming plowshares, people''s feelings, thinking, and behavior are changed so that they can hear the still small voice of the God of Abraham and Jesus whom their Scriptures proclaim. Then as friends they can better deal with their differences and the (un) can be removed from ''Common Sounds.''""--J. Dudley Woodberry, Dean emeritus, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CARoberta R. King, PhD, is Associate Professor of Communication and Ethnomusicology, Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies, California, USA. Her publications include Pathways in Christian Music Communication: The Case of the Senufo of Cote d''Ivoire and Music in the Life of the African Church.Sooi Ling Tan, PhD, is an Adjunct Assistant Professor, Fuller Theological Seminary and Adjunct Lecturer, Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary, Malaysia. Her publications include Transformative Among the Salakos of Sarawak, Malaysia and ""Transformative Worship in the Malaysian Context.""
I Found God in Me is the first womanist biblical hermeneutics reader. In it readers have access, in one volume, to articles on womanist interpretative theories and theology as well as cutting-edge womanist readings of biblical texts by womanist biblical scholars. This book is an excellent resource for women of color, pastors, and seminarians interested in relevant readings of the biblical text, as well as scholars and teachers teaching courses in womanist biblical hermeneutics, feminist interpretation, African American hermeneutics, and biblical courses that value diversity and dialogue as crucial to excellent pedagogy.""The seed for this wide-ranging volume in womanist biblical hermeneutics was first planted at Howard University Divinity School and has now grown into an excellent collection of essays which constitute a significant contribution to an ever-growing corpus. It provides rich and rewarding reading for those--female and male alike--who would wish to hear the Bible as a liberating word of life for our time--especially for African and African-American women. Highly recommended.""--Gosnell L. Yorke, Institute for African Renaissance Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa""Smith has brought together outstanding studies by established scholars and skilled doctoral candidates and given us a challenging and thought-provoking collection of essays. It is good reading for pastor and academician alike: for pastors to see the many implications of a growing movement for fellowship in the black church; for academicians to engage in a continuing activity that is not dissipating but growing, a movement which has significant implications for the interpretation of Scripture and the development of Christian theology and ethics in the future. The church and the academy are indebted to Smith for this significant, stimulating study.""--Thomas B. Slater, McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University, Macon, GAMitzi J. Smith, PhD, is Associate Professor of New Testament at Ashland Theological Seminary/Detroit. She is author of The Literary Construction of the Other in the Acts of the Apostles: Charismatics, the Jews, and Women (Pickwick 2011), and coeditor of Teaching All Nations: Interrogating the Matthean Great Commission (2014).
Description:Once upon a time, on grounds of both religion and common sense, people assumed that the earth was flat and that the sun literally rose and set each day. When newly developing knowledge made those beliefs untenable, giving them up was difficult. Today the belief that only one of the world''s various religions is true for all people on earth is equivalent to the belief in a flat earth. Both notions have become untenable, given contemporary knowledge about religion. Even though many people are still troubled by the existence of religious diversity today, that diversity is a fact of life. Religious diversity should be no more troubling to religious people than the fact that the earth is round and circles the sun.This provocative book, based on the author''s longtime practice of Buddhism and comparative study of religion, provides tools with which one can truly appreciate religious diversity as a gift and resource rather than as a deficiency or a problem to be overcome. After we accept diversity as inevitable and become comfortable with it, diversity always enriches life--both nature and culture.
In Passing Over and Returning Paul O. Ingram describes his particular dialogue with the world's religions, illustrated by his experience of passing over into Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism, Judaism, and Islam, and by his return to his home as a Lutheran Christian. While religious diversity is not new, neither are the questions posed by religious diversity. What is new is that more and more people are actively engaged with the world's religions because more and more people are willing to be informed by insights found in religious traditions other than their own. This is particularly true among progressive Christians. But openness does not necessarily mean rejecting one's own tradition, even though persons sometimes convert to another tradition or combine their original religious identity with the identity of another tradition. Whether one returns to the home of one's own faith tradition after passing over, or assumes a dual religious identity, or converts to another tradition, all persons engaged in interreligious dialogue undergo processes of creative transformation.
The scholarship on Martin Luther King Jr. has too often cast him in the image of the Southern black preacher and the American Gandhi, while ignoring or trivializing his global connections and significance. This groundbreaking work, written by scholars, religious leaders, and activists of different backgrounds, addresses this glaring pattern of neglect in King studies. King is treated here as both a global figure and a forerunner of much of what is currently associated with contemporary globalization theory and praxis. The contributors to this volume agree that King must be understood not only as a thinker, visionary, and social change agent in his own historical context, but also in terms of his meaning for the different generations who still appeal to him as an authority, inspiration, and model of exemplary service to humanity. The task of engaging King both in context and beyond context is fulfilled in remarkable ways in this volume, without doing essential violence to this phenomenal figure.
Description:What does it mean to take the Bible seriously? This introductory book explores how Scripture itself gives us the resources to read it wisely. First, it looks at the basic questions of reading in context--historical, literary, and theological--and understanding the significance of the two-testament structure of the Christian Bible. Then it looks at how the Bible can itself contribute to shaping a wise doctrine of Scripture. Finally, it considers some of the many hermeneutical perspectives that contribute to reading the Bible wisely. New to this revised edition are chapters addressing the significance of the Old Testament, the performative function of Scripture, and how reading Scripture actually helps form the reader. The aim throughout is to explore key questions critical to the task of reading the Bible generously, constructively, and in a comprehensible way, without oversimplifying core theological issues.Endorsements:"Reading and interpreting the Bible is both necessary and challenging. Richard Briggs turns his masterly hand to this and provides an excellent introduction and guide. Writing in an engaging and reflective style, he covers a good deal of ground expertly and accessibly and makes available to the reader his own wisdom and insight. Take Richard as your wise guide in this adventure of faith!"-Ian PaulSt. John's College, Nottingham"Briggs both thinks and writes wisely. He draws deeply on scholarly resources, lucidly synthesizing crucial ideas from a variety of academic sub-disciplines, while nimbly avoiding the academic tendency to become embroiled in technical jargon and remaining alert to the experience of curious believers encountering the Bible. Readers will absorb a great deal of learning and wisdom with astonishingly little effort and will find their experience of reading the Bible transformed."-Maria Poggi JohnsonUniversity of Scranton"With wit, sophistication, and engaging prose, Briggs cuts away much of the dry rot in biblical studies that threatens to the keep the Bible from actually being useful in the church. This book takes Scripture seriously and has taught me that too often attempts to do so fall short because they rely on 'methods.' Finally, something readable to give to Christian friends and family members who ask for a good book on how to interpret the Bible."-Joel N. LohrTrinity Western University "Written with warmth, wit, and wisdom, Reading the Bible Wisely is a much-needed encouragement to let Scripture be Scripture--in reading it, thinking about it, and living it.-Antony BillingtonLondon Institute for Contemporary Christianity"Richard Briggs offers a series of test cases by which to examine the meaning of biblical texts and the issues involved in their theological interpretation. Paying close attention to the assumptions we bring to Scripture and how it transforms our understanding, Briggs writes with a perceptive eye for detail, an unostentatious but profound and rigorous scholarship, and a sparkling, evocative style. A must for anyone wanting to grow in their appreciation of God's Word today."-Richard HarveyAll Nations College, United KingdomAbout the Contributor(s):Richard S. Briggs is Lecturer in Old Testament and Director of Biblical Studies at Cranmer Hall, St. John's College, Durham University, England, where he teaches Old Testament. He is the author of Words in Action: Speech Act Theory and Biblical Interpretation (2001) and The Virtuous Reader: Old Testament Narrative and Interpretive Virtue (2010).
Description:The ambitious and accessible essays collected in this volume were presented by John Howard Yoder during an extensive visit to South America in 1966. Reflecting and also subverting the acknowledged "faddish" attempt to address the revolutionary nature of Christianity, these lectures provide an illuminating snapshot of Yoder's vibrant initial encounter with Latin American Christianity. In these lectures, he thematically addresses the shape of the free church, the Christian practice of peace, and the place of the church in the midst of revolution. In a manner that betrays his confidence in the eventual triumph of faithfulness, Yoder concludes that the peace-witnessing free church is, by definition, always the community that is the soul and conscience of our revolutionary age.Endorsements:"Revolutionary Christianity will be a welcome addition to the Yoder corpus for those familiar with his work as well as those who will read him for the first time. For the latter, Revolutionary Christianity is a wonderful introduction to the major themes in his work. For the former, this book is a very helpful reminder of the interconnectedness of Yoder's thought. We are fortunate, therefore, to have yet another book by Yoder." -Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School"This volume makes a significant contribution to the important task of bringing into print all the treasures in Yoder's unpublished materials. John Howard Yoder is the greatest Mennonite theologian/ethicist in our history. Revolutionary Christianity provides further insight into his fertile, creative mind."-Ronald J. SiderProfessor of Theology, Holistic Ministry & Public PolicyPalmer Seminary at Eastern University"For those of us that heard some of these lectures in the atmosphere of social turmoil of Latin America in the 1960¿s and 1970's, it is a joy to see them gathered and published in book form. Yoder's fresh and creative way of reading both Scripture and the Anabaptist tradition is still surprising and challenging. I am amazed by the continued relevance of his theological reflection and thankful for it."-Samuel EscobarProfessor Emeritus Palmer Theological Seminary and Theological Seminary of the Spanish Baptist Union, MadridAbout the Contributor(s):John Howard Yoder taught at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary and later became a professor of theology and ethics at the University of Notre Dame and a fellow of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. He is the author of The Politics of Jesus (1972), The Priestly Kingdom (1984), For the Nations (1997), and several other books.
Description:Historically, angels have been viewed as either disconnected objects of speculative investigation, or as mystifying beings mysteriously influencing our lives. However, this is not how the Bible describes them. Scripture, in sober and straightforward terms, simply describes what angels do. It is a practical depiction, a pastoral presentation. We see messages of encouragement, revelation, and guidance; we see judgment and correction; we see strengthening; we see journeying; we see prayer and worship. The biblical focus concerning angels is on ministry to the people of God. Angels are one way that God intervenes in human affairs in response to pastoral concerns or problems. Created to minister, angels are best understood, not using speculative or detached theology, but through applied and pastoral lenses. Using only Scripture and a classic model of pastoral theology as the framework, this book shows practically how angels are employed by God to bless His church and people as His servant ministers who glorify Him alone.Endorsements:"Angels are frequently overlooked in Protestant Christianity, despite their significant place in the Scriptures. Jonathan Macy addresses that oversight with clarity and conviction in this important book. He does so by stressing the pastoral importance of angels as 'ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation' (Heb 1:14). This is theology in service of the Church that pushes back against secular pressure to minimize the heavenly realm, and opens eyes more widely to God's saving activity in the world he loves so much. I hope it will be widely read not only by Christians who are concerned to form a robustly biblical worldview, but also by others who wonder if the material world is all there is."--Justyn TerryDean and PresidentTrinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, Pennsylvania"We live at a time when not since the medieval period has there been such a keen interest in the existence and activity of angels. Much that is written, taught, and believed about angels is gnostic nonsense with disastrous consequences. Dr. Macy's significant study on angels is compellingly written, biblically grounded, pastoral theology of the highest order. It is a thrilling read and will take its place as a standard reference work on the subject."--Simon PonsonbyPastor of TheologySt. Aldates, Oxford"When modern theologians can be dismissive of the idea of angels and orthodox evangelicals be uninterested in them, outside the Church there is much post-modern fascination with them, Jonathan Macy helpfully explores the biblical material and the Church's attitude to angels through the centuries with scholarly care. He also offers his own interpretation of that material, providing a stimulus to others to reassess their beliefs in the ministry of angels."--Michael PerhamBishop of Gloucester"This book will awaken both your biblical academic knowledge and your deeper spiritual awareness to the role of angels in our lives today. Many books have been written about demons and the deliverance ministry but at last here is an in-depth study of angels and their gift to man. Enjoy!"--Rachel HicksonDirector of HEARTCRY FOR CHANGEAbout the Contributor(s):Jonathan Macy is a minister in the Church of England. His first degree was in Theological & Pastoral Studies, followed by MThs in both Early Church History and Applied Theology. He did his PhD at Kings College London, on Angels in the Anglican Tradition (1547-1662). Prior to ordination he worked for fifteen years in care homes for the disabled, and the elderly.
Congregations today face both old and often new, unprecedented challenges--spiritual, moral, technological, and economic--for which there are no easy solutions. Facing such challenges calls for pastors able to lead with authority in ways at the same time faithful to the gospel and appropriate to the congregation's setting and the issues at hand. Yet many pastors are unsure of their authority, often experiencing conflict as they attempt to lead. Others have abused their authority and brought mistrust and suspicion to ordained ministry, making it difficult for other clergy to lead. In this book, a new and revised edition of his earlier, highly regarded work on pastoral authority and leadership, Jackson Carroll brings together theological and sociological perspectives to provide an interpretation of pastoral authority as reflective leadership, a style of leadership that involves vision and discernment, and that is appropriate for the many roles in which pastors engage--preaching, worship leadership, teaching, counseling, and shaping the congregation's corporate life. In this new edition Carroll draws on what he has learned from many conversations with pastors and lay leaders since the book's initial publication as well as insights from others. He also introduces helpful new case material from practicing pastors and incorporates the perspectives of several recent leadership theorists and practitioners to deepen and enhance the discussion of pastoral authority as reflective leadership.
From the first episode to the latest feature film, two main symbols provide the driving force for the iconic television series The X-Files: Fox Mulder's ""I Want to Believe"" poster and Dana Scully's cross necklace. Mulder's poster may feature a flying saucer, but the phrase ""I want to believe"" refers to more than simply the quest for the truth about aliens. The search for extraterrestrial life, the truth that is out there, is a metaphor for the search for God. The desire to believe in something greater than ourselves is part of human nature: we want to believe. Scully's cross represents this desire to believe, as well as the internal struggle between faith and what we can see and prove. The X-Files depicts this struggle by posing questions and exploring possible answers, both natural and supernatural. Why would God let the innocent suffer? Can God forgive even the most heinous criminal? What if God is giving us signs to point the way to the truth, but we're not paying attention? These are some of the questions raised by The X-Files. In the spirit of the show, this book uses the symbols and images presented throughout the series to pose such questions and explore some of the answers, particularly in the Christian tradition. With a focus on key themes of the series--faith, hope, love, and truth--along the way, this book journeys from the desire to believe to the message of the cross.
Description:This volume addresses the promise and peril of post-9/11 interfaith trialogue. In fifteen clearly written and insightful essays, distinguished scholars of different faiths and divergent world views guide readers toward an informed understanding of the role of religion and the basic teachings of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks on the United States. Acknowledging commonalities, these essays also shed light on the essential differences among the teachings of the Abrahamic traditions and raise pivotal questions regarding humanity's future: What prompted the carnage? What has changed since then? What remains to be achieved? Dispelling ignorance about the religious other is a necessary but only a first step toward achieving a durable and effective trialogue. In an increasingly perilous and interconnected world where the effects of globalization are yet to be fully recognized, interfaith trialogue holds out the hope of genuine movement toward a more peaceful coexistence.Endorsements:"Alan Berger's astute editorial direction brings together a seasoned group of scholars from the Abrahamic traditions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--to provide a stellar example of interreligious cooperation that is so needed in today's world. Timely, incisive, challenging--these words summarize and highlight the importance of Trialogue and Terror." --John K. Roth, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Claremont McKenna College"As a prominent scholar of interfaith relations, Alan Berger provides us with essential reflections on the connection between religion, violence, and terror. No topic on religion is more urgent for us today. The book has a stellar line-up of thinkers whose . . . contributions give us a robust picture of how religions can better understand each other to foster coexistence and build a more hopeful future for the entire human family." --Rabbi Eugene Korn, Codirector, Institute for Theological Inquiry"The essays collected here focus on very different kinds of issues, sometimes going deep into theological problems, such as Catholic understanding of Judaism's ongoing validity, and other times attending to chronic political challenges, such as how the State of Israel complicates Muslim-Jewish relations. The book is an important contribution to a vitally significant conversation in our time."--David P. Gushee, Distinguished Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer University"Kudos to the contributors of Trialogue and Terror for an unflinchingly sober and honest analysis of the necessity and possibility of trilateral engagement among the Abrahamic faiths. Courageously self-critical, the authors mine the resources of their traditions to provide hope and constructive pathways for the extensive interreligious dialogues so sorely needed in the post-9/11 world."--Elena Procario-Foley, Professor of Jewish-Catholic Studies, Iona CollegeAbout the Contributor(s):Alan L. Berger is the Raddock Family Eminent Scholar Chair of Holocaust Studies at Florida Atlantic University. Among the books he has written, coauthored, and edited are Children of Job, Second Generation Voices, and Jewish-Christian Dialogue.
--What is Anglicanism and how is it distinctive?--Where did it come from and where is it ?--Which beliefs, values, and practices stand at the heart of this important, global Communion?--How can its rich heritage help it move into the future?This book is an essential guide to the Anglican tradition for anyone who has ever wondered what Anglicanism-the largest Protestant denomination in the world-is all about. Now fully updated and significantly revised, this second edition of Our Anglican Heritage gives voice to the strong and vibrant evangelical roots of Anglican Christianity. Events at the start of the twenty-first century have threatened to tear the Communion apart. The authors of this book, both Episcopal clergy, each responded to the crisis in different ways. One, a bishop, chose to stay in the Episcopal Church. The other chose to lead his congregation out of the Episcopal Church and into another Anglican Province. This book is a reflection of the strong faith and heritage they still share, and a recommitment to the biblical principles that still undergird and enliven Anglicanism.
Description:"If this book moves, I hope it moves in the way pop songs do. There will be a lot of talk about songs, but inasmuch as this is a book about listening to music, it's also about how listening to music makes us who we are, or at least about how it makes me who I am, and so it is an exploration, an idiosyncratic and opinionated and particular one, of a self shaped by the oddly intersecting forces of the American evangelical Protestant church and the American popular music scene. I don't mean for that to sound hoity-toity--if this were fifteen years ago, I would say that this book was about Christian music, and I would know exactly what I meant. My purpose now is not only to talk about "Christian music." I am not here to explicate Christian music, to explain why it exists and whether it is any good. Instead, think of what you're about to read as like an iPod playlist, a collection of essays and thoughts on listening to music and having faith and how they have made me, and a lot of people like me, and maybe you. Also, there will be some jokes about Stryper."Endorsements:"If you can name the exact musical connection between Michael W. Smith and Sufjan Stevens, then you don't need to read this book. But you can't do that, can you? None of us can. But Joel Hartse can, and he does that kind of s#*! on Every. Single. Page. I'm pretty sure he knows everything. Plus, he's witty and wise. I can't imagine a better book on the weird world of Christian rock."--Patton Doddauthor of My Faith So Far: A Story of Conversion and Confusion"Part personal narrative and part cultural history, Joel Heng Hartse's musical memoir is a lovingly written ode to all that is weird and wonderful, disturbing and divine about the world of Christian rock. Conversant in everything from White Town to Rebecca St James, Radiohead to Michael W. Smith, Hartse provides a richly observant, nostalgic document of the shaping artifacts and sonic ephemera of his evangelical youth. His book paints a picture of the recent past that will be funny, poignant, and therapeutic for anyone who grew up in a similar milieu."--Brett McCracken author of Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide"Joel Heng Hartse grew up during an era when Christian rock was actually kind of decent, but he was never shy about exploring all music. He emerged equal parts Jesus freak and music geek. His memoir is utterly charming . . . but seriously, dude, Genesis? --Andrew Beaujonauthor of Body Piercing Saved My Life"Joel Heng Hartse's travels--and travails--through the world of rock and roll (spiritual, secular, and all those artists who aim to land somewhere in between) add up to something like a lesson in music history. But mostly, it's a warm, witty, and downright entertaining trek down one man's memory lane, a lane lined with insight, humor, and, of course, just enough love and sects to keep the pages turning. Joel knows music, and after reading this book, you'll feel like you know Joel--and that's a good thing."--Mark MoringPop Culture Editor, Christianity Today"There's so much to love here: nostalgia tempered by wry humor; a slice of rock and roll history rich in detail yet anchored in emotions we all share; a series of tart but ultimately generous insights into the foibles of a religious subculture. Joel Hartse's memoir is a postmodern 'pilgrim's progress,' the story of a young man in search of truth and beauty, rendered in a voice that is at once self-deprecating and heartfelt.--Gregory WolfeEditor, IMAGE"I basically stopped paying attention to Christian rock music right around the time Joel was getting into it. But even though I recognized only a handful of the bands he cites here, I still found his account of growing up with church and pop music easy to relate to, and fun to read. In an accessible, opinionated, and humorous way, he gets at what the music means--and how that meaning has changed, for him personally and for the culture
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