When he said “Thanks for coming, for rousing from your tryptophanic stupor” I knew it was going to be a fun night.  Rob Bell’s casual demeanor, even allowing us to chat during the sound check, and how he recalled something funny about our bookstore that he oddly remembered, further reassured me that the long drive to Pittsburgh—how noble of me to do something for the bookstore that took me out of the shop on Black Friday!—was a fine decision.  Chris, Karen and Sean were stalwart helpers, getting our display of old Bell merch, Noomas and the like, ready for the pressing crowd.  I figured we’d get to talk to a lot of folks, guide them through the best of Bell’s resources, and at least get a story to write about here at BookNotes.  A 3:00 AM, still cruising home, Eastbound on the dark Pennsylvania Turnpike, jacked up on Bell’s riveting stories, gospel truths, and no small amount of sugar and caffeine, I wrote about five versions of this piece in my head.  Shades of my over-kill on the massive BookNotes Love Wins conversation?  Oh yeah.  Back at the house, earlier that evening, my gentle fam was watching the very quiet Tree of Life.  I’m zooming through the turnpike tunnels, music blaring, wondering how I can describe how much I enjoyed hearing Bell without annoying too many faithful customers. I don’t know which is more complicated, that acclaimed film or my desire to admit I’m a Bell fan without people thinking I’m doctrinally off kilter.

Bell did say, expounding Galatians 2:20, that once we are in Christ, our desire for acclaim is crucified with him; that whole ego thing can be put to rest.  He suggests that, in Christ, we won’t be easily offended and we won’t be easily discouraged.  We’ll be like that tree in the Psalms, planted firmly by the waters, able to bend, but grounded.  Like the sturdy vessel commandeered by the Arctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, which was designed to blast through icebergs, we’ll be “ready to smash ice.”  We’ll throw ourselves into our small calling—there was a hilarious story about a oddly mellow breakdancer in a gorilla mask that the Bell family saw on Santa Monica Boulevard, which became a metaphor for us putting on the costume and going all out.  Our little efforts may be linked to a cause, some passion for social justice, or some mission welling up within us– it may be large or small, but we will, with good humor, and an ability to laugh at ourselves, pick up the move we are given, and with great joy, keep at it, bit by bit. 

He didn’t cite Bruce Cockburn’s famous line, but he could have:  in our own little way we’ll “kick at the darkness til it bleeds daylight” in our corner of God’s world.  And so, agree or not with Bell’s last book, or think I’m a lunatic for driving to Pittsburgh and back again the same night, I want you to know we felt God’s presence, had a good time, loved Rob’s upbeat talk, and met some new friends who talked about books, about reaching new folks with God’s good gospel, and about how to stay in touch across county lines.  We met Presbyterians and Nazarenes, pastors and seekers, older folks and college students–including a few that knew our store!  If it would have been possible, I’d have grabbed that gorilla mask from Rob and put the thing on myself.  This is my calling, my little role, selling books at good events, chatting with folks about resources, inviting people to read for the Kingdom.

You know there was quite a bit of debate this spring about the strengths and weaknesses of Love Wins.  In a set of BookNotes posts (here, here, here  here, here and the podcast, here) we called folks to read carefully, discuss civilly, and to understand the backstory of Bell’s vision, the contribution he has made in helping us remember that the Story of God is about God showing up in the ordinary, about restoring the creation, about Christ’s offer of grace and how we can live more freely in the world.  His consistent message that there is no sacred/secular dualism, that Christ’s Kingdom is a restoration of creation, that God is saving the world, not evacuating us while He burns it up, is the Biblical basis for his study of what happens after we die.  Not unlike the very important Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright, which offers excellent background for this particular question, the book doesn’t stand alone, but should be read in the broader context of his other work, books and films.  I may not agree with every bit of Love Wins, but I chided those who cheaply called it crass heresy, even though they hadn’t even read it, or those who insisted he didn’t cite the Bible when, in fact, he did, sometimes quite insightfully.  I suggested it is better to read, to talk, to pray, to look of the texts, to consider.  We lost some customers over it.

Still, after last evening, I realize, again, why some people really do appreciate his ministry, and am glad that some are quite willing to read with an open mind even as they are willing to ask how his books and videos line up under the light of the Scriptures.  Good for them.  This is how it should go: read openly and with theological discernment. Dig deep into the full gospel story. Talk together, learn from each other, using books to help you live more faithfully in the world. 

And so, we will offer you some of the books we had last night. The crowd was, not surprisingly, considerably smaller than what the publicist and promoter predicted—there was that holiday tryptophane, and, of course, Pittsburgh hockey. So, you get make out like a bandit in a gorilla mask since we have some overstock.  One week only or while supplies last.
Sale expires December 2nd. 

Velvet Elvis  (Zondervan) hardback; usually $19.99 Sale price: $10.00  This is awesome, the original white hardcover, with some color pages inside, an aesthetic that has in many ways defined Bell’s work, and a cool look that the publisher didn’t think would work.  This hardback is much nicer than the black paperbacks, I think, and we have ’em cheaper than the paperbacks.  I’ve read this more than once; makes a great gift, especially for your younger friends who may not read much. This often works as it’s style is breezy, lots of white space, short sentences, yet nearly poetic. 

You may know that the title has to do with those who paint Elvis Presley–once radical and raw and world-changing–in a safe, velvet kitsch.  We’ve sort of done that with Jesus, and we’ve got to get back to the real King, repainting Him to be more authentic, stripping away that which has made him safe and familiar. Wow.  While supplies la
st.

Sex. God: Exploring the Endless Connections between Sexuality and Spirituality  (Zondervan) hardback; usually $19.99  Sale price:  $10.00  Oh. Yeah.  Again, the sturdy hardback, the crisp design (no paper dust jacket needed) at a price cheaper than the cheap paperbacks.  The subtitle says it all, and, again, Bells offers stories, Bible discussion, contemporary ruminations, in a provocative style.  And, we have it here at a bargain price that should make your heart all aflutter.

Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile hardback; usually $19.99  Sale price:  $15.00  This is going to go out of print in hardcover, I predict, as a paperback will be released with a new publisher next year.  But the very cool look makes it a keeper—especially next to the hardbacks of the previous two.  (And this price is most likely cheaper than the paperback will be–whoot!) I said in my essays about Love Wins that this was the one to read to understand much of Bell’s passion about justice, about new creation, about the missional perspective that sees God calling us out of exile, away from the American dream. I think this is a tremendous book, even though (like every other book by every other person) there are some lines that may not be fully to your liking. His co-author is a passionate anti-hunger leader who works for World Relief. Very important.

Drops Likes Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering  (Zondervan) $19.99 paperback  Sale price: $15.00  You may know that this first came out as a over-sized hardback, a great gift book, lots of dramatic photos, pretty much hipster art with a message about how suffering can yield great creativity.  Not everybody wanted to shell out for the $35 hardback, or lug such a large thing, so this smaller paperback is pretty great, hand-sized, still colorful, in some ways much nicer than the biggee.  I’m not just saying that, either.  Small is the new big.  When you read the book, by the way, you’ll get the beautiful image from which he draws the allusive title.  Nice.

Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived  (HarperOne) $23.95 hardback;  Sale price: $15.00  For this limited time only we will offer this nearly at cost, selling it at the marked down price of fifteen bucks.  If you don’t have it yet, you should—we’ll offer this deal while this batch lasts, no exceptions.  As I’ve said, this book is really good to consider, talk about, study, ponder, formulate what you believe about it, and why.  Get the new companion study resource, call up some friends.  Hey, as you should know, Advent is the season in the liturgical calendar to study the end times, to await, again, the coming King. Okay, so it isn’t your typical Advent event with studying the nativity.  Light some candles, get some nog and you can call it a Love Waits group.  Or Love Wins as we Wait. Or not.

The Love Wins Companion: A Study Guide For Those Who Want To Go Deeper edited by David Vanderveen  (HarperOne) $13.99 paperback Sale price: $10.00  This is a brand new compendium, a heft study resource that is a great stand alone book on its own, although it was designed to help enhance your reading of Love Wins.  This is not a simple study guide or a list of discussion questions (although there are some very good ones, chapter by chapter.)  It is a full book, a few sheets shy of 200 pages.

Here is what is included.  Each chapter begins with Rob explaining what was going on as he wrote that particular chapter in Love Wins.  It serves as a nice overview, a good summary, almost like when you have a Director’s Cut of a film, with the Director talking over each scene; there is some “next step” stuff where Rob offers his vision for the conversations that might arise from this.  Then, Rob’s co-writer for this project,  David Vanderveen,  offers a good overview of that chapter, sort of suggesting what you were supposed to get out of it, why he liked it, what to look for.  Then there is an excerpt of an article or book chapter (or two) by another contemporary writer or theologian, offering another view on something akin to that particular chapter.  These are very interesting, and include pieces by N. T. Wright,  Anne Lamotte, Pope Benedict, Richard Mouw, Frederick Buechner, Oswald Chambers, David Dark, Donald Miller, Peter Rollins, Cathleen Falsani, and more.  Then, of course there are the Bible texts and discussion questions, suggestions for group experiences.  Finally, there is an appendix of quotes and excerpts from works through-out church history illustrating the variety of teachers offering views on topics similar to what Bell is wrestling with.   Huge kudos to Vanderveen, Bell, and HarperOne for making this useful resource available.  Order it today at this special price.

After seeing Rob in action for two hours last night, I’m fired up anew about his long form DVDs.  They are all well done, capturing other tours from other years, nearly performance art, a postmodern Garrison Keillor storyteller and avant garde lecturer. These are beyond TED talks, more than sermons, not quite drama, but they are quite dramatic.  The first is our favorite, although the second one gives you much to ponder, and the third one is extraordinary, certainly the most visually striking.  We offer them to you, as part of this deal, on sale, for a limited time only.  There are three of them. You will watch them more than once so I think they are a good investment.  And they make cool gifts for that hard to buy for person on your list…

live tour presentation DVD  Drops Likes Stars             regularly $19.99  now just $15.00
live tour presentation DVD The Gods Are Not Angry  regularly  $19.99  now just $15.00
live tour presentation DVD  Everything is Spiritual     regularly  $19.99  now just $15.00

And then there are the short-form nooma DVDs.  Ya gotta love the noomas.

Here is the deal, this week only.
$10 each.  Buy two at the sale price, get a third, free.

That just rocks.  There are 24 of them and I bet you don’t even have most of them yet. And you should.  l really love most of them, appreciate them all, a few not so much, but most. 

Here are my favs.  The little lines are my own. Get ’em while you can.

Trees.    Planting a tree and living between the garden and the new creation. The best.
Fire.      About sex.  He sets stuff on fire. Amazingly well done.
Dust.     Following Jesus, so the dust of his sandals covers us.  The Rabbi chooses us!
Shells.  Letting go, holding hands, caring for what matters.  Awww.  
Bullhorn.  Really Bad evangelism.  Are we any better? Great to discuss.
Rich.  We sometimes say we are blessed.  Are the poor unblessed?  What’s with that?
Kickball.  God has a better plan when God says no.  Very nice.
Rain.  This was the first one, still many people’s favorite.  God is with you even in the storm.
Corner.  Why is it that when we get what we want, we still feel empty?
Lump.  About coping with our past.  Some folks love this one; heavy.
Today.  If you are too hung about the past, you miss the sacredness of this moment.
Matthew.  About a friend of Rob’s dying of cancer.
She.  The feminine face of God. You got a problem with that, pal?
Whirlwind.  What do we do when there aren’t nice, neat answers?

We’ve got all 24 and all are on sale.  This week only. 

As always, thanks for caring, for caring about the Christian mind, and for reading and watching resources we suggest, with discernment.  Have fun.

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Wisdom & Wonder: Common Grace in Science & Art  Abraham Kuyper (Christian’s Library Press) $14.99  It is finally here — the long-awaited, freshly-translated, newly-produced, collection of newspaper pieces that Dr. Kuyper wrote so many years ago.  Handsomely produced by our friends at Russell Media, published by the Christian’s Library Press, this good paperback is a gem of a book, offering insights of the Dutch statesman and reformational theologian Abraham Kuyper to contemporary readers.  This is one of the publishing events of the year, bringing this remarkable old insight to modern light.  As Nicholas Woltersdorff notes, it is “an eloquent theological antidote to the anti-intellectualist and anti-artistic impulses that infect so much of the contemporary church….Though Kuyper wrote these words more than one hundred years ago, they have lost none of their bite and relevance.”

You may know that Kuyper wrote, in the early 1900s, a major, three-volume work on what the Reformed call “common grace.” These interesting pieces were actually attached as a bit of an appendix to that theological tome (which will itself someday be translated afresh; Wisdom and Wonder is perhaps the first fruits of this translation project, what Richard Mouw has called “a large dream come true.”)  These do make an argument that God cares about daily life, and that human flourishing is a good thing (including the cultural activities of those who are not followers of Christ) and they focus specifically on how God’s good creation is formed in ways that invite sustained involvement in the arts and the sciences.

I read an advance copy of this months ago, and, in fact, wrote a blurb or two for use on their promotional website.  Given a few other irons we have in the fire here today, I just don’t have time to describe the whole book, but you should know that I could hardly be happier than to announce the availability of this historic release.  I think what might be most helpful for our BookNotes fans, now, is just to cite some of the endorsing rave reviews the book has garnered already. 

We are selling Wisdom and Wonder at 20% off, from the regular $14.99 down to just $11.99.  Just click on the link below. You know we’ll send it out with a smile, since we’ve been fans of Kuyperian thinking for quite some time.  (In fact, here and here are two previous pieces I wrote about the lovely book about Kuyper and his thought system that Richard Mouw published with Eerdmans earlier this year.  Again, we highly recommend his book, Abraham Kuyper: A Personal and Short Introduction which we also have on sale, noted at the review page.)

Here are just a few of the glowing endorsements of Wisdom and Wonder:

How do we make sense of the contributions of, say a
Steve Jobs, to human culture? How do Christians account for the rather
immeasurable amount of good achieved by those presumably uncovenanted
with God? Common grace is the answer: His mercies are over all his
works. This first-ever English translation of Abraham Kuyper’s work on
common grace hits the sweet spot for Christians seeking answers to
questions about the breadth of the gospel, their own roles in public
life, and the beneficial contributions of others, especially in science
and art. Highly needed and recommended.

David K. Naugle,  Dallas Baptist University, author of Worldview: The History of a Concept and Reordered Loves, Reordered Lives

The wisdom of Kuyper remains both relevant and necessary for our
age. Here we have a public theologian eager to embrace the high callings
of artists and scientists, while reminding them that their genius is
rooted in the glorious Creator and is meant to be directed towards the
ever-increasing revelation of His beauty. Kuyper’s ability to show how
this does not confine but instead expands these vocational pursuits is
brilliant. In Wisdom & Wonder we have a wise and
celebratory perspective rooted in the rich theology of Creation, Fall,
Redemption, and Consummation. Truth is timeless, and readers will find
the insights from this old book both fresh and refreshing in a
contemporary context that so often falls into the extremes of either
fearing or idolizing art and science.

Amy L. Sherman, senior fellow, Sagamore Institute Center on Faith in Communities,  author, Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good (forthcoming)

God’s redemption is as wide and high and deep as the
expanse of his creation. This is the central message of Abraham Kuyper
that has been heard anew by a generation of young evangelicals who have a
new appreciation for the importance of Christian culture-making. This
book is a wonderful way to meet Kuyper face-to-face and hear from him
first hand. I look forward to pointing friends and students to this
wonderful anthology. It’s just what we need.

James K. A. Smith, professor of philosophy, Calvin College, author of Desiring the Kingdom and Letters to a Young Calvinist

American evangelicals are deeply influenced by
Neo-Calvinist authors who stand on the shoulders of Abraham Kuyper.
Thanks to Acton Institute and Kuyper College, we are now able to drink
large gulps straight from the man himself. Wisdom & Wonder is
essential reading for all of us who aspire to live well in God’s world,
and these lectures on science and art are a particularly relevant place
to begin. Nothing is more hotly contested and confused than these two
areas of culture, and nothing stands in greater need of Kuyper’s
biblical tension between creation and fall and between common and
particular grace. Kuyper’s deft handling of these worldview themes
proves once again that sometimes the way forward begins with a glance
back.

Michael Wittmer, professor of systematic and historical theology, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and author of Heaven is a Place on Earth: Why Everything You Do Matters to God

The wisdom of Abraham Kuyper can be seen in his refusal to fragment reality into isolated domains. In Wisdom & Wonder
Kuyper holds together worship and academic reflection, art and science,
creation order and redemption, and piety and cultural engagement.
Against the forces of his age, and ours, Wisdom & Wonder
continues to give voice to the essential insight that creation’s unified
purpose is to offer praise to its Creator. Kuyper’s work remains
crucial for those struggling to be faithful in living out the cultural
mandate.”

Matt Bonzo, director of the Institute for Christianity and Cultural Engagement and professor of philosophy, Cornerstone University, author of  Wendell Berry and the Cultivation of Life

Well, you get the picture.  Folks we know and trust (and whose books we adore) all exclaim how useful and important this mature work is.  You should not take that lightly.  These days there is much talk about evangelical Christians moving beyond old limitations and moralism to embrace a missional Kingdom vision of cultural engagement, transforming the principles and practices of our broken, needy world.  We can rejoice that from all quarters we are reminded of our vocation to care for God’s world and to be salt and light in every area of life.  But how in the world do we do that?  How far will be get if we are not carefully attentive to God’s directing Word?  Once we get beyond the rhetoric of being social restorers and agents of reconciliation, what do we do?  What principles should guide us?

Abraham Kuyper, limited only a bit by his own day and age, was a wise pioneer in thinking about common grace, Christ’s Lordship, and how to engage the worlds of the arts and the sciences.  Here is real food for the journey, insights for cultural transformation, theology packed with implications for living out our vision of cultural witness, the meaty stuff we need for next steps in this day and age.  What a blessing to have these remarkable insights made so readable, to inform us in this new moment of evangelical cultural engagement.  Kuyper is often-cited in recent years but too few have actually read him. Thanks to those who published this volume, that can now be happily remedied. 

  And we can indeed celebrate this for the wonderful way the translators adapted the 19th century prose into relevant, contemporary language and packaged it with a very artful design throughout.   There is a very helpful forward by Jon Tyson and Gabe Lyon and a truly important introduction by a renowned black evangelical, Vincent Bacote, that are themselves very much a integral part of the text and will help give clues what to look for in the text.  This truly is a lovely way to introduce readers to the depth and insight of the great Dutch statesman, itself full of wisdom and of wonder.  Kudos to all involved!

While with good folks at the beloved PA State Council of Churches State Pastor’s Conference the other day, my wife zipped over to another large event in Harrisburg, the upbeat and visionary gathering of the Pennsylvania Housing Alliance.  City mayors and community development activists, policy wonks and loan officers for banks committed to working with the poor all gathered for their annual meeting. learning how to advocate for better housing policies and affordable homes, green homes, group homes for the hurting, the aging and those with special needs and the like. (Here is a very moving video made by Wells Fargo Bank awarding two tenacious leaders in our state for fighting those who would marginalize others, standing up for the voiceless to insist on fair housing policies. It’s a pretty moving clip, and an example of the kind of folks who were at the Alliance conference which we visited.)

Interestingly, this largely secularized social service movement of various coalitions and nonprofits and agencies had as one of their keynote speakers a hero of ours, the evangelical anti-poverty activist and great author Robert Lupton.  Somebody within the Alliance knew that we had interests in faith-based anti-poverty work and had sold books for the Christian Community Development Association at one point or another and so asked us to step in to help with an autographing session with Lupton after his speech.  What an honor that was!

The folks at this high-profile, sophisticated and very exciting conference—they want to change the world, after all, so you could feel the hopeful energy!—seemed, though, to not know much about faith-based community development and had little idea who Lupton was.  Kudos to whoever booked him, for wanting to build that bridge between serious social change advocates and evangelical workers and kudos to our Pittsburgh friend Joanna who got us in on it.  What a morning it was!

Lupton wisely built a bridge with his listeners by doing top rate social analysis, telling lots of stories of his own years of hard work in social change amongst and with the poor, and, as one listener put it, “earned the right to be heard.”   One of the strengths of his books is the way he brings balanced, prophetic insight and lots of moving examples and real stories. He finally called on the housing scholars and activists to discover sustaining faith, and to consider working more closely with church folk, often a solid asset in the neighborhoods.  Lupton knows what he is doing, has written very important, lively books on the subject, and we think he did a stellar job in a pretty different setting than most Christian conferences he might attend.

In this particular crowd, on this particular day, the book sales did not go well.  Alas, it is to your benefit, as we have to get rid of some of these. Quickly.  We need the cash and don’t want to pay hefty shipping charges to send ’em all back.  Why not build your library about God’s care for the poor and wise work in the city?  Why not study this topic yourself, start a book club, or propose an adult reading group in your fellowship or parish?  Maybe you have friends who live in the inner city who would appreciate these or know college students majoring in urban sociology–they sure appreciate these, I’m sure.  Maybe you have read Lupton’s big seller Theirs Is the Kingdom and loved it, and now are ready to dig a bit deeper.  Maybe you realize that he has, indeed, earned the right to be heard, to be read, and want to hear him out on his brand new one, Toxic Charity.  Perhaps his Bible study on Nehemiah would inspire you or your group. We have a great deal going on here, for one week only, while supplies last.  You don’t want to miss this.

SPECIAL OFFER  30% OFF AND A FREE BOOK, TOO. 
Order any of the first three Lupton books listed below at 30% off and when you order two we will throw in a copy of his Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life for absolutely free.  In addition to the deep discount, this bonus book is a gift from us, a $12 value.  Going to the Housing Alliance conference was a bit of a risk, but we piled up his books deep and wide, hoping just being there was a witness about Christ, and a testimony of good work done by a solid brother who has paid his dues doing this complex work over a lifetime.  Whether they sold or not, it was a blessing to represent Christian publishing in a less than religious environment.  Now, you get to reap some benefit, too.  Great books, cheap price, free gift. 

This week only, the offer expires Friday, November 25th.  Use our website order form page.
(If you do not want to buy two in order to qualify for the free one, you can still get the 30% discount on any of those listed.)

Theirs is the Kingdom: Celebrating the Gospel in Urban America  (HarperOne) $13.99  30% OFF SALE PRICE $9.79  This was his first  book and it a fabulous collection of great stories, moving insight, challenging teaching, hard-hitting, yet positive that the gospel can make a real difference in the lives of others.  It was just given a new cover, but it has been out since 1989 and is still a classic intro book on the topic.  How about this Yancey blurb:  “When Bob Lupton speaks of the inner city, the rest of us ought to sit up and take notice.”  Indeed. 

Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How To Reverse It.)
(HarperOne) $22.99 30% OFF SALE PRICE: $16.09  Here is the
long-awaited, new, resource by Lupton,
developing his ideas after decades of serious, wholistic
ministry in the city.  This is important, even if you aren’t an
urban activist: if you follow the debate about justice vs
charity, about helping vs transformation, about how to balance
governmental, private sector and individual responsibilities, this
book ruminates on the many sides of how to bring lasting,
wise change to persons, communities, and institutions.  It looks at
the “problem of good intentions”, “the problem of giving” and a host
of often-unaddressed problems for those longing for
substantial and helpful change.  I cannot overstate how important
I think this is, and how interesting it is, challenging the
sacred cows of the left and the right, the big picture structural change
advocates and the personalist views of those who minister one by one. 
We all need this big picture, and this hard hitting clarity about how to
move forward.  Interested in any sort of social change?  In missionary
endeavors?  Read this book!

Renewing the City: Reflections on Community Development and Urban Renewal  (IVP) $16.00  30% OFF SALE PRICE $11.20 The copy on the back cover says “when an expatriate bureaucrat toured a devastated city, he saw more than ashes and ruin.”  As you may guess, this book starts with a study of Nehemiah, and offers that as a role model for urban community transformation.  It isn’t every author who can weave together incisive Biblical insight, thoughtful proposals about structural change in city neighborhoods, and tell fabulous stories about his own fight for justice.  As Walter Brueggemann puts it, “The book lives precisely at the interface between ancient text and current urban transformation.  It’s powerful testimony will provide guidance and courage for those who read.”  There is a good preface by Raymond Bakke, himself an long-standing urban minister and important theologian of the city.
Lupton loves kids, by the way, but don’t let the sweet cover lull you into thinking this isn’t a mature, important work; it surely is.

Compassion, Justice, and the Christian Life: Rethinking Ministry to the Poor  (Regal) $11.99 30% OFF SALE PRICE $8.39 OR  FREE with purchase of any other two, while supplies last  This little volume is a jam-packed powerhouse of a book, drawing on his years of experience in a changing urban landscape.  Shane Claiborne says “he’s one of the most cutting-edge thinkers on economic development on the planet, yet he’s stubborn enough to keep his feet on the ground where struggle still has names.”   Lupton has done housing work, he has organized neighborhoods, done zoning battles, fought the NIMBY attitude, and sometimes even opposed church work that is less than helpful for the moral fiber of the sustainable community. The intro alone is inspiring as he explains his passion and experience.  This is tremendous, gusty stuff.  It is co-published officially by CCDA.  And we have some which we are willing to give away free, with the purchase of any other Lupton book.  This is fabulous stuff, with a glowing forward by none other than John Perkins.

As you may have heard, we had the great opportunity last night to sell books for the world-famous theologian from Yale Divinity School, Dr. Miroslov Volf.  We have read much of his work, and carry all his titles, so we were thrilled and honored when the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore asked us to serve them by setting up books.  We were with Volf at an important working seminar in the afternoon, exploring questions about the common good from his latest book A Public Faith and heard him do a prestigious lecture series in the evening.  I must say that all that we have heard about how personable he is was true.  And the bit about him being a so smart, sharp and clear, it’s true, too.  What an engaging lecture he gave, and what grace he showed to hang out with us a bit.  We loved his Croatian accent, the stories he told, and his generous attitude about world religions and public justice.  Mostly, though, we were glad that in this very ecumenical setting–kudos to the E.I for this amazing ability to draw such a diverse crowd for such good work—he gave testimony to Jesus Christ, expressed in utterly classic, historic clarity, without equivocation.  It was a good, good, day for us; hard work, but rewarding.

We now have some EXTRA BOOKS left over and, to be perfectly honest, it is better for us to sell ’em really cheaply than to pay to send back.  Why not make it a win/win situation and buy some of these are great, deep discounts?  The following titles are all 35% OFF discounted while supplies last, THIS WEEK ONLY.  THIS OFFER EXPIRES NOVEMBER 18TH.  Prices shown, as always, are the regular retail prices, and we will deduct the discount for you.

Just use the link to our webpage order form offered below.  Tell us what you want and we’ll send ’em off with a smile.

A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good 
(Brazos Press) $21.99  I have written about this elsewhere and suggest
it is one of the best and most important books of the year. (Publisher’s Weekly has agreed, by the way.)  It gives excellent insights about how we can work for human flourishing, navigate pluralism, and offer uniquely Christian insights about the common good.  This is the sorts of stuff that BookNotes fans love, I’m sure, and a helpful bit of bread for our journey towards this Kingdom vision.  Rave
reviews from the likes of Nicholas Wolterstorff and Richard Mouw give a
hint of how insightful it is.  This really is a must-read!  Why not start a book group around this, or buy some to give to people who need to be reminded of the relationship between personal faith and public discourse?

Allah: A Christian Response  (HarperOne)  $25.99  A masterful and methodological argument on how we can know if anyone worships the same God, what various faith communities claim about right worship, and why seeing common concerns with Muslims and Christians might help us live in our globalized, shrinking world.  Very, very interesting, looking at not just interfaith conversations, but fascinating concerns of Muslims about (what end up being wrongheaded) views of the Trinity.  Agree or not with all of his conclusions (and I am not sure I do) this is very important and a good example of rigorous theological thinking.  Fascinating.

Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace (Zondervan) $12.99  If you haven’t read Volf, you could easily start here: a personal favorite, readable, clear, inspiring and very helpful.  How can we be gracious in a world were people are “voted off the island” and we all talk about “rights” and we are told we must all “pay our own way.”  This truly is gospel stuff, liberating and radical, written in a reflective, quiet tone. Very highly recommended—one of his best.  Forward by Rowan Williams, and an endorsing blurb on the cover by the popular John Ortberg. 

Exclusion & Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness and Reconciliation (Abingdon Press) $28.00  This is the one that catapulted Dr. Volf to fame, a book that is a serious, heavy study of “otherness” and pushes us towards God’s vision of ethnic reconciliation. That it has in its shadow the background of genocide in his former homeland of Yugoslavia gives it credibility and considerable anguish.  For anyone concerned about justice, global witness, and the hard work of peace-building, this is a seminal book, one-of-a-kind, and very, very significant, which many of taken as a great sign of faithfulness and hope.  Award-winning and still his most well known.

Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection (Eerdmans) $18.00  The subtitle says it all.  This includes incisive Biblical study, but is mostly about how we approach the Bible, how to use it, how to apply it for our contemporary formation.  Many folks wonder how theologians use the Bible, and many wonder if there are reasonable insights about how to wisely plumb the Biblical narrative for our daily living in ways that aren’t simplistic or cheesy or forced.  This is a noteworthy model of how a working thinker engages the Scriptures and a helpful pointer to us on our submission to the Biblical text.  Nice to know this high regard for Scripture is known at places like Yale! 

After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of the Trinity  (Eerdmans) $27.00  One might think this hefty doctrinal study in a big paperback volume is his hardest  — and you would be wrong, I think.  This is meaty, thorough, serious, but quite accessible, on a topic which every Christian should read about from time to time.  The doctrine of the trinity is itself a mind-blowing subject, and this not only explores it well, but shows its relevance for our life together.  This is a very good example of how theology can serve the church, serious thinking for the people of God.  Kudos!

The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World  (Eerdmans) $22.00  Beth and I found the first part of this great fodder for good conversation, and it stands at once as both a book about forgiveness, and also a profound meditation on memory, naming, justice, and so much more.  As many truly great books are, it is a bit difficult to describe simply but it is rich, multi-faceted and generously reflective about faith and reconciliation and God’s call for us to be realistic, honest, real, and taken by the forgiveness of God in Christ Jesus.  A very handsome hardback, highly recommended.

Against the Tide: Love in a Time of Petty Dreams and Persisting Enmities (Eerdmans) $18.00  Besides the splendid title, I told a few people last night that they should get this if they were unfamiliar with him.  These are all very short pieces—most just two or three pages–and allows him to colorfully ruminate on all manner of topics.  Sort of a “greatest hits” it is almost like a Volf devotional.  Lovely, inspiring, useful, wide-ranging on a vast array of topics and areas of life, from work to church, exploring how love makes a difference.  This would make a lovely bedside book, a fine one to discuss together, section by section, or a nice gift that isn’t too demanding of time.  Is there a name for this kind of book that you can dip in to so easily? Nice.

Work in the Spirit: Toward a Theology of Work (Wipf & Stock)  $27.00 This is a major, scholarly contribution to the conversations about  a Christian view of work, one in which he takes exception to more typically Reformed views of our human callings to particular vocations, based on our mandate to be “culture makers” in various spheres of creation.  Rather, Volf here brings to the conversation a serious, sustained study of the role of the Holy Spirit in gifting us to serve the common good.  That his father was a Pentecostal pastor maybe influenced him a bit, and this “pneumonology” of work is years later still a book that serious thinkers often cite on this topic.