Hearts & Minds Books

David Wells, J. Philip Newell, the Heidelberg Catechism, and Jesus Brand Spirituality

2008-05-11T01:54:10Z

We sold books for several days last week with a great gang of friends, pastors of the Penn SE Conference of the United Church of Christ and I promised them this shout-out. They are a caring group, kind to me, and fun to be with. They buy a wide variety of books and although obviously deeply rooted in the ecumenical and mainline denominational context, it is always interesting, even a bit surprising, to see what sells. The very first customer asked about the brand new release by Gordon-Conwell scholar David Wells, The Courage to be Protestant: Truth-Lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in a Postmodern World (Eerdmans; $25) which looks to be a readable finalization of his remarkable, thorough, serious and culturally-conservative series that began with No Place for Truth and moved to the stunning God in the Wasteland then Losing Our Virtue and concluded---or so we thought---with Above All Earthly Pow'rs, his important, if somber, socio-theological critique of postmodernity's influence on Christian thinking and living.

The second person, as I recall, bought the new Joyce Rupp book on prayer; the mystical Catholic nun was their speaker last year. It is simply called Prayer and is part of a new series published by Orbis ($10.) Everywhere we go, you should know, we sell books about spiritual formation, monastic practices, Sabbath and contemplative prayer.

Several folks got the brand new J. Philip Newell Christ of the Celts: The Healing of Creation (Jossey-Bass; $19.95.) We here at BookNotes, of course, love much of celtic spirituality--thank God for it's affirmation of creation and the cosmic scope of redemption--- and read Newell's stuff joyfully. I fret about his harsh critique of traditional views of the cross, though, and his quirky appreciation of Palagius, although plead ignorance on the veracity of his perspective. Some of my UCC pals my senior know much about this and I am glad for good conversations.

The biggest seller was a newly translated edition of the old Heidelberg Catechism, freshly
rendered by Lancaster Seminary theologian and all around genius, Lee Barrett III. Lee has written a very useful introduction, a long chapter explaining why even modern mainline churches ought to pay attention to the role of catechisms and confessional traditions. It is fine stuff, thoughtful and solid, and, while I'm no linguist, it is said that this is a vast improvement upon the older translations, which were based on odd German editions. Thanks to the UCCs and their Pilgrim Press for releasing this little gem...

One of the books I announced to them, that had just arrived here that very day, is a book that I've long awaited. My good friend and Nelson sales rep assured me it would be one I'd appreciate. Wordsmith, publishing whiz and spiritual genius herself, Phyllis Tickle, wrote an absolutely stunning introduction, noting that the sheer beauty of the core of this book---Jesus Himself---moved her to tears. When it finally arrived, all I could do was hold it up, babble about it and read them a quote from the back about a guy who left the Christian faith, but wondered, after having read the book, if he would have left the church if his pastor sounded anything like this.

I refer to the fabulous and generous new book by Ken Wilson, entitled Jesus Brand Spirituality (Nelson; $19.99) I was sure these mostly liberal UCC leaders would resonate with the way in which this charismatic (from the Ann Arbor Vineyard) pastor sounded out a deep fidelity to Christ and the complexities of the best of the Christian tradition, and within various sorts of Christian churches, while distancing himself from fundamentalism, the religious right, and all kinds of simplistic or sloganeering religiousity. I read them the first sentence, where Wilson declares, "Jesus wants His religion back" and told them his open-minded thoughtfulness reminded me of the sorts of ministries I gather they are about.

The book, happily, is not just another (nowadays fairly common) critique of the shallowness of evangelical certitudes or the meanness of some of the religious right or yet another call to be open and in conversation as we emerge into new ideas. It is a thoughtful and deeply engaging and mature study of the ways in which we can approach Jesus, how to make sense of life in light of His ways, about how the best of four streams within Christianity can unite to help create a passionate, faithful and yet grace-filled, life-giving spirituality. (The four dimensions are, by the way, the active, the contemplative, the Biblical and the communal.) Wilson himself is very widely read, with great and interesting footnotes (where does a Vineyard pastor buy these kinds of books, commonplace stuff here at H&M but rare in most evangelical stores?) He is obviously really smart and a clear, inspired writer. He tells good stories, some moving, some understated, gentle. I can see why Tickle--a woman with a good eye for good words if ever there was one---raved so about it.

Jesus Brand Spirituality is ideal for any mainline person who wants to make sure their liberal theology doesn't go off the tracks, who wants to stay close to Jesus and the earliest Biblical truths, even if they are not quite where the more traditionalist conservatives are. It is equally helpful for anyone committed to historic Christian orthodoxy, but who may sense that the recent cultural conflict, dogmatism, moralism and overlays of the evangelical subculture may have obscured some of the clearest elements of the faith. And---please don't miss this--it is also a fabulous read for anyone who is a skeptic or seeker; at times, it seems like it is written precisely for those who just are willing to get "one step closer to knowing."

Yes, it is a U2 song title, and Wilson wisely cites it. This book really is a beautiful invitation. Join the journey, find out more about our connectedness, to God, one another and, indeed, all created things. The book is nearly a pilgrimage, to be read and considered as we take new steps toward Christ and into Christ's Kingdom. Join this ecumenically-minded evangelical pastor (the only Vineyard pastor to have been had hands laid upon him by a bishop and assistant to Pope John Paul II) who himself has a degree in science and is passionate about how faith and the best contemporary thinking can not only co-exist, but feed each other into deeper and complimentary ways of living out vibrant, authentic and solid Christian spirituality. No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, or with what denomination or tradition you stand, I am confident this is a book that will challenge, stretch, inspire and bless you. The excellent discussion questions will be very useful for book clubs and they are obviously created with great sensitivity for the cynic, skeptic or searcher.

As Tickle puts it in the foreword,

The faith we Christians claim has been so dented and chipped and discolored by the centuries, so institutionalized and codified and doctrinalized, so written upon and then so overwritten into palimpsest, that there are few Christian who still can discern the contours of the original. There are fewer still who know, and can persuasively teach, that Christianity was only and always just the container, the wrapping paper being used in shipment through the centuries of time. It is the Jesus beyond dent or chip or discoloring that is the beauty.

For those that might wonder about the title, Wilson plays with the "brand" language a bit but is aware that it can been seen as a crass capitulation to consumerism (the very stuff David Wells rails against.) Don't be put off by it as he isn't cheesy or crass and it isn't really a substantial aspect of his thought.

In the beginning, he does write,

I realize that the word brand can be used in a negative sense, as shorthand for the crass attempt to "sell" Jesus in a consumer culture. But there are two positive senses in which Jesus is a kind of a brand. First, like a brand-name product, Jesus has a distinct as opposed to a generic identity. Jesus brand spirituality is not a generic spirituality concerned with processes that can support any number of outcomes. It's about forming certain kinds of persons, capable of certain kinds of deeds, creating a certain kind of world: persons, deeds, and a world infused by love, properly understood.

No, this isn't a feel-good, universalist call to generic spirituality; it is a call to the Biblical Christ and His church and the specific story of His redemptive plan in the world. This "love, properly understood" is the subject of one whole chapter, and it is very, very good stuff. There is so much good here, it is hard to describe in a simple post like this.
Here is an interview with him, and a video, too, which is pretty great. Here is his blog, onestepcloser.

Wilson notes that copyright infringement of brands is commonplace, and it is the duty of the real brand owner to do exercise proprietary rights. Throughout church history there have been those who have infringed upon the Jesus way, distorted it for other purposes. "We can only hope," Wilson writes, "that Jesus will continue to challenge every effort to hijack his brand, because he is, and always will be, the main attraction."

We are pleased to announce this good new book to you, a book that seems similar, yet a cut above, many that are raising these kinds of questions these days. We think it is truly useful, and truly enjoyable. Jesus Brand Spirituality is a beautiful book, and the claim is true: Jesus Wants His Religion Back. May this book help it be so.

Jesus Brand Spirituality: He Wants His Religion Back Ken Wilson (Nelson) $19.99

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Hearts & Minds on the road again: Bookselling with Brian McLaren, Ravi Zacharius, Art Lindsley

2008-05-04T23:11:05Z

Even when it entails surreal all-nighters and renting vehicles for stalwart friends who meet us at 3 am to transfer boxes of books, the demanding work of lugging boxes out to conferences and setting up displays for events remains a thrill---rewarding and usually fun, once the brain-draining prep work is done. Arranging tables, draping and taping fabric, building shelves and laying out the hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of titles is daunting, but when the customers tell us how pleased they are to find good books---stories of the dearth of thoughtful Christian literature in local bookstores and church libraries abound---it is all worth it.

As you can guess, we enjoy mixing it up, selling books at all kinds of events, and feel like it is right and good to support those groups and ministries that seek us out. In most cases, we feel so honored to play a small role in the events of folks we've come to respect and admire. For instance, this weekend, we sold books at the Everything Must Change event with Brian McLaren at the Latino Pastoral Action Center in the Bronx, New York. Raising deep questions about the shifts of perspective needed to address with Biblical fidelity the most urgent issues of the day---poverty, environmental degradation, war---is the focus of this tour, and partnering with this renowned, New York-based, Spirit-filled, politically savvy urban ministry this time was a real treat. (Here is a brief essay about Rev. Ray Rivera and amazing work.) Thanks to McLaren and the good people at the LPAC, and the Latino emergent cohort there for allowing us to serve them by selling books. Thanks to my guys Scott, Damen and Bill for manning the display with gusto, talking up Hearts & Minds, and making books available that folk might not otherwise see.

We’ve written here often about the Biblical call to do justice, to be involved in transforming institutions that are broken, about how the imaginations of church folk should be unleashed to forge social innovations; we believe that the Biblical worldview and our best theological traditions call us to this. We are thrilled that Brian and his Everything Must Change tour team are helping stoke these fires, and we hope you bookmark the EMC interactive website the tour has generated. If you haven’t picked up Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crisis and a Revolution of Hope (Nelson; $21.99) yet, you really should. It usually sells for $21.99 but we have it here for $20.

At the same time this weekend, Beth and I and some other helpers were selling books at a huge event in Falls Church VA where the C.S. Lewis Institute hosted the internationally renowned apologist and Christian thinker Ravi Zacharius. (Do check out his website. What a rich and thoughtful resource.) We’ve sold books for Ravi before and it was a true honor to be with him again. We provided oodles of his own thoughtful books and many more about apologetics, evangelism, cultural engagement, theology and serious spiritual formation (not to mention quite a bit of Lewis, books about Lewis and all things Narnia.)

In his impeccable style of oration (tinged with that charming Indian accent) Ravi told powerful stories of seekers who've come to Christ, skeptics who have become convinced of the truth of the gospel, conversations he is having with persons of various religious views, all over the world. He told of death threats he gets (from radical Muslim groups mostly) and his compassion and faith in the face of very taxing speaking settings. It was delightful to hear of his ability to hobnob with the very richest and most powerful and how he is at home, often it seems, with the very poor, with common people from Bangalore to Singapore. He shared astounding stories of his lectures in the halls of world-class, post-Christian academia (his degree from Cambridge doesn’t hurt) and to congresses and parliaments of developing countries in Africa and Asia. When the atheist leadership of Albania asked him to make a case for the truth of the Christian worldview for a group of scholars and museum directors, they offered him a special treat---white gloves to handle the gold-painted 4th century parchment of the gospel written by John Chrystostom. (It was recovered in an archeological dig there in the 900s!) He opened to the page in Matthew where a woman pours extravagant perfume over Christ and the prophecy is given that her story will be proclaimed far and wide. Indeed.

Dr. Zacharias' latest book is a cogent critique of the new atheists, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins et al., entitled The End of Reason: Responding to the New Atheists (Zondervan; $14.99.) The theme of his lectures, though, was taken from the subtitle of the recent volume of apologetic essays written by his RZM staff. That excellent book is called Beyond Opinion (Nelson; $24.94) and the subtitle is this: Living the Faith We Defend.

Living the faith we defend. In an age of increasing secularization and anti-Christian sentiment among the intellectual elites, we must know how to present the truth of the gospel in ways that are clear, compelling, and consistent with Biblical revelation. But, yes, yes, dear gentleman Ravi begged us, we must live it. The truths we teach in public must be true in our private lives as well. As he eloquently writes in his recent book The Grand Weaver (Zondervan; $18.99), God is at work weaving a coherent and deep purpose in our lives, and although we must learn to be articulate in our faith, we must first learn to see God's own hand shaping us, molding and maturing us. Our evangelism must be rooted in good doctrine and sophisticated understanding but it even more must be lived in community with authenticity and integrity.

I know Ravi and Brian would not see eye to eye on every matter of doctrine and it seems they have very different understandings of the complex blessings and curses of postmodernity. They stand together, though, I am sure, in holding up the message of Christ’s cross as an entry into the Kingdom of grace where true life and lasting social change can be found. Our books, we hope, helped both of their events carry forth their unique take on Christian ministry. It was a privilege to serve them both.

Oh, by the way. I will tell you more later, but one book we took to both events is the brand spanking new work by Hearts & Minds friend and CSLI resident scholar, Art Lindsley, a book that uses the great Francis Schaeffer line that love is the “final apologetic.” Although Art’s approach is clearly more aligned with the rigorous and conservative Dr. Z, and perhaps suspicious of any movement that shifts away from historic orthodoxy on core doctrinal matters, his basic premise is one that is consistent with the best impulses of nearly every Christian reform movement, left, right or center, namely, that our deepest call to faith and repentance must be spoken in love. “By this all will know…” Jesus said. After two important InterVarsity Press books on apologetics, True Truth ($15) and C.S. Lewis' Case for Christ ($16), Lindsley's new book underscores the theme raised in slightly different accents by both speakers this weekend, Brian and Ravi: we must live out the faith we defend, and we do that in love.

I will write more soon about the unique insights of this very thought-provoking, substantive book---not only are there few books on love, there are none that I know of that does what this one does. For now, know that we premiered it at both events this weekend, and we have it here in stock at the shop. Love: The Ultimate Apologetic, The Heart of Christian Witness (IVP) $15.

The Psalms of Lament, and other emotions

2008-05-02T04:57:42Z

One of the events we do each year, setting up a large display of books, is the conference of the Eastern region of APCE (Association of Presbyterian Church Educators.) Your denomination, if you have one, probably has a similar professional association for encouragement, training and networking of educators. If your faith tradition has church educators---heck, even if you have Sunday school teachers---you should befriend them. Judging from our experiences, and certainly at EAPCE each year, these are stellar folks, creative, caring, forward-thinking, working (hard, at too little pay) to make things happen in the churches. From training nursery care-givers to recruiting Sunday school teachers, from doing small group training to organizing service-learning and short-term mission trips, educators are truly "in the trenches." They buy books for their own spiritual formation and tons of kids books. We spent about 10 hours setting up a large display full of stuff on everything from programming for special needs kids to spiritual formation of teenagers, from intergenerational curriculum to picture books about cultural diversity and God's love for all the peoples of the Earth. These last few days were exhilarating as we talked about the most artful illustrations in children's Bibles to the theology of suffering in the Psalms.

The main speaker was Dr. Beth Tanner who teaches Old Testament at New Brunswick seminary and has been working hard with some other women Hebrew scholars on the forthcoming Psalm's volume in the prestigious NICOT commentary series for Eerdmans. It will be a while yet, but she does have a delightful, new, introductory-level book, The Psalms for Today (Westminister/John Knox; $14.95.) Very useful for small group study or adult classes.

There were good and serious conversations about the Psalms of lament. Many of these dear educators had pretty weird stories of people in the church who were not permitted to share grief or express anguish about God's seeming lack of care. My goodness, a third of the Psalms have lament and rage and I sort of thought our churches had gotten over this overblown sense of propriety and fake faith; to shame those who express doubt or pain is just wrong.

Walter Brueggemann wrote a classic reflection on the Psalms years ago, The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary (Augsburg; $18), one that Tanner drew upon and which reminds us that there is a shape to the Psalter: there are Psalms of orientation, Psalms of disorientation, and then, mostly after exile, Psalms of re-orientation. This "good--bad--better" flow naturally reminds us of the bigger theme of the entire Bible, the schema of the Story, "creation-fall-redemption." That the Psalms can take us through these realities, give voice to these emotions, frame our experience in faithful and true ways is a great benefit of spending much time in the book of Psalms. The publisher Wipf & Stock recently re-issued Walt's smaller book Praying the Psalms, too ($14.) Very nice.

I got back from APCE late last night, thinking about the Psalms of lament, the church's occasional failure to be a safe space of honest conversation and authentic sharing. Today, I heard a first hand story of a very unpleasant episode where a fella unloaded a host a Bible verses on a very hurting guy, offering discouragement and what seemed like judgment on this guy---a combat vet---who had shared his pain and frustrations. None of the verses this guy cited included the lament Psalms. So, it looks like we do need to remind God's people of the Psalms of lament, the ways in which God invites (through these holy poems) us to share our deepest stuff. It sort of reminds me of Bill Hybel's recent book title Holy Discontent.

For someone new to this notion, I have noted here before Michael Card's A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in The Lost Language of Lament (NavPress; $13.99)and his The Hidden Face of God: Finding the Missing Door to the Father Through Lament (NavPress; $12.99.) Both are fabulous examples of how lament is not only permitted in the Bible, but a way in which we can come to know the deep care of a God who can take our cries of anguish. Highly recommended! Here is a review of the CD that Card did to give voice to his own sorrow, sort of a soundtrack for the book. Let us know if you want us to ship you one.

The Cry of the Soul by Dan Allender & Tremper Longman (NavPress; $14) is another amazing book, co-authored by a psychologist and an Old Testament scholar. The subtitle reads "How Our Emotions Reveal Our Deepest Questions About God" and it a study of the various emotions of the Bible. There are chapters on "righteous anger" and "redemptive despair" and " constructive fear" (even as they are contrasted with in appropriate versions of these emotional state. I've read everything these two guys have written together and it is all good.

Sally Brown and Patrick Miller compiled an extraordinary volume on the laments of the Palms and how to used them in preaching and counseling and in daily life, simply called Lament: Reclaiming Practices in Pulpit, Pew & Public Square (Westminster/John Knox; $24.) A bit academic, rooted in the most thoughtful scholarship and long involvement in mainline church ministry.

Speaking of emotions, we just got the new book by Matthew Elliott called Feel: The Power of Listening to Your Heart (Tyndale; $13.99) Some reviewers have called it "the definitive book on the proper God-given place for emotions in our lives." This really looks good---Elliott has a PhD in New Testament from Aberdeen and works in publishing in the developing world. (You can visit his website here.)

I didn't get to share these titles with my APCE friends, although Dr. Tanner drove them to the Psalms. If we all remain rooted in the practices of reading, studying, teaching, praying and singing the Psalter, I am sure we will deepen in our emotional lives, find hope and courage in hard times. And we will "see" life in light of these grand themes of orientation/disorientation/re-orientation.

Global Peacemaking: A Brief List

2008-04-29T05:32:28Z

It is a great privilege anytime a customer taps out an inquiry on email or picks up the phone to call in an order. Best of all, we love seeing folks in the shop, although I've grown fond of some of my favorite blogger pals and mail order customers. We try to keep in homey, but this high-tech stuff has allowed us to serve folks far and wide.

Which is extra cool of course. Today, for instance, an old acquitence that has started an extraordinary NGO is a very war torn and troubled land asked for some prices on some books about international affairs, peace building, faith-based diplomacy and such. Knowing he's a bookman, I figured I could rattle off a couple others that, if not precisely what he needs, will at least remind him that there is a growing body of literature on conflict resolution, peacemaking and creating alternatives to war and violence. Heaven knows---I know heaven knows---that he needs reminded of this in his land of sorrows.

I thought some of you, too, might like to see this little list. My descriptions are pretty much off the top of my head, cribbing a bit from back covers. There are more. After some small talk and answering the questions he asked about, I sent off this list.

Forgiveness in International Politics...An Alternative Road to Peace William Bole, Drew Christiansen & Robert Hennemeyer (USCCB) $19.95 A splendid collection of essays compiled by US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which draws largely on three case studies---Northern Ireland, Bosnia and the truth commissions in South Africa. With endorsements from the likes of Mary Ann Glendon (Harvard) and scholar of diplomacy, Douglas Johnston, this should be taken seriously. What a remarkable notion--- forgiveness offers implications for diplomacy and statecraft.

At Peace and Unafraid: Public Order, Security and the Wisdom of the Cross edited by Duane Friesen & Gerald Schlabach (Herald Press) $16.99 A hefty paperback volume from the Mennonites from all over the world offering principles and practices to guide international peacemaking efforts. There are plenty of case studies, fairly scholarly studies, great stories, and very hopeful examples of field-based discourse on this whole movement. Very, very impressive.

Just Policing, Not War: An Alternative Response to World Violence Gerald Schlabach, editor (Michael Glazier) $27.95 Again, a masterful volume collecting a variety of fairly academic case studies and new notions about just policing. The contributors are from across the theological spectrum and raises lots of interesting theological/spiritual reflections (from Augustinian thought to Benedictine spirituality) and social ethics in a violent world. Those of us who are advocates against war have to think this through: on what basis are some opposed to intervention, say, in Iraq, and yet favor military involvement in the Sudan? Perhaps this exploration will help.

Transforming Violence: Linking Local and Global Peacemaking Robert & Judy Zimmerman-Herr (Herald Press) $12.99 This is a tremendous collection of case studies, including some examples of peace building in Africa, compiled by MCC workers who we knew years ago in Pittsburgh. These are dear folks, really sharp, with remarkable experience in how to link very broad global peacemaking concerns with specific episodes of local reconciliation. Very useful.

Civil Society East and West Peter Blockhuis (Dordt College Press) $18.00 What a fascinating gathering, a world-class conference which brought together scholars and leaders on civil society issues, especially around the changing cultural landscapes in Eastern Europe. Some of my neo-Calvinist Kuyperians are here, and their insight is extraordinary. Sponsored by International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education (IAPCHE) A rare find!

Globalization and Grace edited by Max Stackhouse (continuum) $34.95 This is the 4th volume in the academic and prestigious "God and Globalization" series, with papers by a stunning array of thoughtful Christian scholars. Here is a great pdf article which reviews this project and summarizes it's serious themes, written by Gabriel Fackre http://www.ctinquiry.org/publications/fackregodandglobalizationreview.pdf Not sure if this is the sort of stuff you're reading, but it sure looks meaty, eh? Any one of these would be well worth working through to enhance the big picture of our times.

Hope in Troubled Times: A New Vision for Confronting Global Crises Bob Goudzwaard, Mark Vander Vennen, and David Van Heemst (Baker) $19.99 I have blogged about this often, celebrated our tiny role in encouraging the authors, and explain to anybody that will listen that this is a profound and worthy bit of Christian thinking---wise and insightful thinking--about the nature of ideologies in the modern world. With a forward by Desmond Tutu, the "New Vision Group" (as Brian McLaren calls them in his popular Everything Must Change) this explores how to break with the engine which fuels some of the largest problems of our time. To relate international peace-building to environmental degradation and global poverty is essential, and these guys understand these dynamics deeply. Here is a very thoughtful review worth reading.

Hearts & Minds 234 East Main Street Dallastown, PA 17313 717.246.3333

Four excellent new books on spirituality: Brian McLaren, Robert Benson, Richard Foster & Leighton Ford

2008-04-24T01:56:26Z

We couldn’t be happier to tell you about four absolutely fabulous new books on spiritual formation. I will review them more thoroughly over at the monthly column---I’m reading and writing as fast as I can---but had to at least announce them now. They've each been in the shop just a few days (although I had an excerpt of one for quite a while.) I realize the goofy irony of reading books like this quickly, but that's my occupational hazard. Should you choose to buy them, you may want to rush, too, to get to 'em, but please don't. This is rich, good sapience and deserves to be read with care.

We will offer a deal: buy any two (or more) now and get a 25% discount off of both.

Firstly, I was truly touched, found great enjoyment and learned quite a bit from the brand new Brian McLaren book called Finding Our Way: The Return of the Ancient Practices (Nelson; $17.99), the first in the new “Ancient Practices” series released by Thomas Nelson publishers. Over the next few years eight books will be released----from authors as diverse as Dan Allender and Phyllis Tickle, Scot McKnight and Nora Gallagher, and I am sure they will be wise and helpful and inspiring. Each will explore a particular ancient practice, and Brian’s book is the first to set the agenda for the others. What a nicely done, conversational, insightful call to recapture true spirituality in this age of disorientation. It was the most pleasant and interesting book on spirituality I’ve read in a long time. Not as intense as some, nor as mystical, it made these grand, complex matters very attractive and placed them not only in historical context, but in ordinary 21st century life. It did just what it should as an introduction to this series. More later!

The second book in this series, the first after Brian’s overview, arrived also, and it is graciously written, a charming introduction to the practice of fixed hour prayers. Who better to share the history and benefits of this classic custom of “praying the divine office” than Robert Benson, who gives us In Constant Prayer (Nelson; $17.99.) Phyllis T writes a wonderfully little preface, and his first chapter or so has already won me over to reading about this practice that I (truth be told) I have little inclination to pursue. I will explain more of the book's charm and the significance of the "Ancient Practices" series in the full review, soon.

A very long-awaited book has finally arrived this week, a book that some of us have been awaiting for a year or so, Life With God (HarperOne; $24.95) by none other than Richard Foster. What a great book this will be, by the man who in many ways helped start the renaissance of contemplative spirituality in this generation. Here, he offers his writing on how to read the Bible for spiritual transformation. I will have more to say about this one, too, in the monthly column (soon.) For now, just now that this has the sorts of blurbs on the back that you’d expect, from across the range of the church: J.I. Packer and Walter Brueggemann, David Neff and Lauren Winner. Willimon calls is “radiant” and Publishers Weekly reminds us that it is a “deep reflective guide to spiritual rumination and growth.”

Leighton Ford is a well-respected evangelist, a Presbyterian leader and solid author. Here, though, he has turned in the book of his illustrious career, a book about the deep spiritual habit of paying attention. The Attentive Life: Discerning God’s Presence in All Things (IVP; $18) is not just about paying more attention to the voice of God—although it is---but it is a profound exploration of Benedictine spirituality, vocation, discipleship, and, yes, aging--- living into the seasons of life with grace and Godliness. Luci Shaw calls it “a primer in how to respond actively to Jesus’ challenge: Behold! Look! Listen! Take notice!” John Ortberg says he was “both pierced and healed by longing in the reading.” Here is a great little interview, with Ford sharing the way in which praying the daily offices--and using these "hours" as a metaphor for the stages of faith development--has helped him in this new phase of life. It is short, but really lovely (especially if you are a dog lover!) Check it out.

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Compassion Forum and Faithful politics

2008-04-17T23:46:01Z

A number of friends saw my daughter and I on CNN, sitting in the VIP section at the Compassion Forum hosted by Messiah College on Sunday night. As you most likely know, the Faith in Public Life folks---we know and respect nearly half their inter-faith board---were joined by the ONE campaign, Oxfam and a few other groups wanting to ask questions about faith and public policy sponsored a discussion with Senators Obama and Clinton (John McCain chose not to attend.) They each talked about their faith journey, how they’ve experienced and describe God’s presence, and how their sense of Christian social principles might guide them as they confront incredibly complex and urgent social issues such as AIDS, peacemaking, poverty, torture, creation-care and abortion. The talk was earnest, it seemed to me, and the moderators---CNN’s Campbell Brown, and Newsweek's Jon Meacham---did an admirable job asking questions in fair and candid ways. Other previously prepared questioners, representing Jews, Muslims and others, were in the audience (we were happy to see some of our acquaintances, folks like Jim Wallis of Sojourners, Lisa Sharon Harper, former IVCF staff friend, and now Director of New York Faith & Justice, the always-interesting NAE policy guy, Richard Cizik and teacher and author David Gushee.)

Marissa and I enjoyed watching how a TV show is produced, and the opening remarks, music and prayers from the generous hosts at Messiah were inspiring. Of course the conversation could have gone in other directions, and it is clear that there was a progressive bias to most of the questioning. (Family Research Council leader Tony Perkins was invited and never replied; he later complained that he wasn't involved.) I enjoyed meeting new folks, authors, think-tank wonks, and policy activists, Republicans, Democrats, people from various faith traditions. Next to me was a sharp staffer from a Washington agency that is working on “third way” common ground strategies---just hearing about these different groups as projects made being there a delight.

I kept thinking of the writing I’ve done this season on books like Ron Sider’s Scandal of Evangelical Politics (Baker; $15.99)—I hope you read my review in February's website column---and how important it is to have this kind of consistent and comprehensive Christian framework for thinking coherently about a “faith-based” orientation to our citizenship duties and the role government. The candidates are good and thoughtful people, I think, and they each have had church involvement over the years, but I suggest that if you read a few popular level books of the sort I’ve described in that column, you may have a more integrated and wise perspective than half the folks who showed up for the Forum. It is easy these days to critique the hard Christian right; the last year or two saw way too many repetitive and often mean-spirited left-leaning diatribes against conservatives, books that too often trafficked in the same sorts of one-sidedness and glib overstatement that they criticized on the other side. Yuck.

We hope to promote books that will engender deeper conversations among faith-driven citizens, who are seeking a true alternative to left and right, rooted in a radical Christian worldview. It is the sort of perspective documented in David Gushee's great new book, The Future of Faith in American Politics: The Public Witness of the Evangelical Center (Baylor University Press; $I24.95.) I’ve often mentioned David Koyzis smart work, Political Visions & Illusions: A Survey and Christian Critique of Contemporary Ideologies (IVP: $20) and it would be well worth working through this balanced and perceptive history of the ideologies that have shaped American political discourse in this season of election-mania. Do we even know what words like “liberal” or “conservative” or “progressive” mean, or where they’ve come from? I know that political philosophy isn’t for everyone, but for anyone who is feeling called to enter serious civic discussions or be involved in campaign work, I couldn’t recommend a serious book more urgently.

* * *

And, enjoy this: I often appreciate the great reviews over at The Discerning Reader and their interview, here, with Os Guinness, around the themes of his new book, The Case for Civility and Why Our Future Depends on It (HarperOne; $23.95) is stellar. Congratulations to Tim Challis for asking good questions and to Os for once again speaking clearly and significantly into the issues of the day. I really hope you read the interview.

At the Compassion Forum, I spoke to a few activists, journalists, and scholars and I had the opportunity to bring up Dr. Guinness’ urgently needed book in no less than three different conversations. Clearly nonpartisan, The Case for Civility is what I sometimes call a foundational text. That is, he is framing conversation in ways that are basic, reflecting on “first things.” I hope you print out this interview and, if you know anyone who finds it helpful, that they will spread the word about this profound, foundational study. We explained our appreciation for it in that same monthly column where I reviewed Sider’s book, by the way, making us one of the first sites to comment upon it--although Challis's Discerning Reader review is much better. I wish we could sell a bunch, helping not only make the case for civility, but shaping a movement of those who care as deeply about American survival as does her generous critic, Dr. G

Watch CNN archieved video of the Compassion Forum here and various questioners from the Faith in Public Life website, here. You can read transcripts of the event here. Messiah College has a great slideshow, from several days before up through the big evening, here.

Selling books at "The Global Schoolhouse" conference in Lexington MA

2008-04-15T01:51:56Z

Although it wasn't my main reason for driving to New England, I did enjoy spending some leisurely time walking through Gloucester MA with old CCO alum and good friends Scott & Denise Frame-Harlan and their two lovely kiddos. They took me to a house once lived in by T.S. Eliot and we looked for the famous rocks of The Dry Salvages, of Four Quartets, but it was, alas, too foggy to see, which for some reason seemed right. They showed me the colorful Catholic church where Thomas Howard, a famous and flamboyant former evangelical writer, was converted to Rome---we have plenty of all of his books, and love several of them, like the exquisite Christ the Tiger, The Splendor of the Ordinary, and Why Evangelical is Not Enough and his books on Tolkien, Lewis or Eliot. They showed me the very beach where Sebastian Junger, the guy who wrote The Perfect Storm wrote The Perfect Storm. Nearly every time we turned a corner, or, later, as I drove home, I saw signs of this famous writer or that----Louis May Alcott, Walden Pond, of course, the real house with seven gables. I passed near Ipswich (think Updike) and reflected upon the legacy of the first Great Awakening as I neared towns of Edwards. And had some killer clams and chowder, right from the bay, back in Gloucester, America's first commercial seaport.

Hearts & Minds was in the great state of Mass, as they call it, working for the excellent in-service conference for Christian school teachers, an event sponsored by Lexington Christian Academy, an excellent, alternative Christian school in that famed revolutionary town.

Getting to jaw with James Sire (a truly charming and clever gentleman besides being a worldview guru and one of our favorite authors, whose many books we stock) and to hear philosopher Peter Kreeft (a prolific apologist, cultural critic and Catholic scholar whose many books we routinely carry), were among the obvious highlights of this year's event for me. Nothing can explain the rewards, though, of the biggest thrill---that of of offering good books to thoughtful teachers, knowing that to shape their reading habits is to surely effect a generation of emerging Christian students. The teachers from all over were eager to talk books, and some told me about innovative and important programs they run in their respective schools. God bless 'em for breaking the mold of what some think Christian schools are about, and illustrating a wide-as-life view of redemption and a caring commitment to helping students become life-long learners, servants and robust disciples of the Master in our multi-cultural world.

As you might guess, I really promoted The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness: A Guide for Students by our good friends Don Opitz & Derek Melleby (Brazos; $13.99) as a key book to supplement their work with high school students. Telling you about that now gives me an excuse to bring it up again---it is the best gift for high school seniors going off to college, you know, and I hope you remember to order some, soon. (Tell your church, if you can, to consider this is a way to honor your students who are in that college transition year.) It playfully and smartly writes about worldview and life, about college and classrooms, about learning and living for God, Biblically and with humility and thoughtfulness. What a great hope for all of our young people!

At the Lexington conference we heard lectures on science, on inter-faith experiences, on standing for justice in the two-thirds world----all in open-minded spirit of conviviality, with little controversy or tension. From Calvin College scholar Joel Carpenter, who has co-edited with Gambian scholar Lamin Sanneh the serious and important The Changing Face of Christianity: Africa, the West, and the World (Oxford University Press; $21.99.) we heard about Christians in the global South.(We featured the important work of Philip Jenkins, too, of course.) Dordt College's Pro Rege editor, English prof Mary Dengler spoke passionately about the nature of uniquely Christian thinking---she even dared to cite Dutch philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd to remind us of the multi-faceted nature of reality, and the subsequent need for multi-dimensional and interdisciplinary teaching and learning. I especially enjoyed meeting a fellow central PA new friend--we had not heard of each other, oddly---Michael Evans, a vibrant and young African American speaker who argued for schools to equip their young students to learn to become Kingdom leaders of culture, engaged in the Godly vision of transforming the world through investing in various careers and professional arenas, especially around issues of urban poverty and racial justice. It sounded like a Jubilee conference talk to me! Way to go Mike!

There were numerous other authors speaking at the LCA Cultivating Inquiry conference. Former Time magazine journalist David Aikman spoke both about China---you should know his highly regarded and very interesting book Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is Transforming China and Changing the Global Balance of Power which is now out in an impressive paperback (Regnery; $16.95) and offered a thoughtful response to the new athists (Dawkins, Harris, et al) which is the theme of his brand new book,The Delusion of Disbelief: Why the New Atheism is a Threat to Your Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness (Tyndale; $16.99.)

Marvin R. Wilson was there, pouring out his heart for Jewish-Christian dialogue (and, yes, Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations.) Wilson has taught at Gordon College for years, helping his students get involved in the Jewish community, and his book, Our Father Abraham: The Jewish Roots of Christian Faith (Eerdmans; $22.00) is considered by many to be the standard Christian study of the subject. We now stock his DVD (Jews & Christians: A Journey of Faith) that was on PBS, a fine and useful study for adult groups. We sell it for $29.99.

Thanks to the hosts at LCA for going to the immense effort of hosting this excellent teaching event---and for hosting me as bookseller. Thanks to Tim Bogertman for helping out, a man who, if he wasn't in church work, could easily be a bookseller any day. And thanks to Hearts & Minds staff, for helping me go on the road, taking our wares to places such as Lexington Christian Academy, in the heart of literary New England. I couldn't do any of this without each of them. May God be honored, and the Kingdom advanced, book by book by book. Ordering from us, helps all of this happen, too, so I hope you, too, feel a part of it all.

BLOG SPECIAL
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of the above mentioned titles or authors
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Hearts & Minds 234 East Main Street Dallastown, PA 17313 717.246.3333

Karl Barth's Fifty Prayers

2008-04-08T05:20:04Z

I wanted to type this on Sunday, as I was using this new book in some sabbath reading, but just didn't get to it. Even though it is a day late, now, I'd like to share that we now have this book of prayers written by Karl Barth, prayers never before translated into English. It is a very sweet and thoughtful little paperback simply called Fifty Prayers (Westminster/John Knox; $12.95.)

After noting that a colleague gave him an A in preaching and a D in liturgy, the famous theologian wrote this in the preface in 1962:

For a long time I never felt good when before and after my sermons I thought I should, or was allowed, to keep to the order of the usual liturgical books...I was disturbed by the lack of functional relationship, but also by the inorganic relationship between the archaic or even the modern language of these prayers and the language of my sermons. For a while, I sought help by replacing the petitions of the order of liturgy not with extemporaneous prayers ( I have never dared to risk such a thing), but with freely bringing together biblical passages from the Psalms. Only in more recent years did I begin to set forth such texts, first for the end and later for the beginning of the main part of the worship service, within the context of preparing for the sermons themselves.

Isn't it interesting that in just a few generations we have even one of the century's foremost preachers and theologians uncomfortable with conversational prayer in worship, to a time when liturgy in many Protestant churches has been so thoroughly contextualized to the commonplace and extemp, where nearly anyone can utter nearly anything? I am not overly fastidious about liturgical purity (even though some of my friends in our church's contemporary service think I'm fussy) but it is evident that Barth has a certain gravity and thoughtfulness that is striking.

He continues, naming the considerations that guided him in writing these prayers.

The worship service, the center of the entire life of the community, must be presented as a whole, a whole of calling on the gracious God. Following the greeting of the community as the people of this God, the worship begins with the common singing, which I think is not seen as being as important as it truly is. It continues with the pronouncement of the community's thanks, its penance, and its special petition for God's presence and support in the special act of gathering for worship, by the member of the community who service as the leader of the action. It ascends to the sermon, in which the call to explanation and application of the Scripture passage (better short than long!) is spoken and proclaimed. From here, it descends to the final prayer, in which the proclamation of the sermon is briefly summarized (with a direct call to God), but in which the worship service is possibly opened, above all, as an outstretched petition to the outside, to all other people, to the rest of the church and the world (is this too often neglected?)

It doesn't matter much to me whether you or I agree with his description or vocabulary here. I quote it because it shows his deep awareness of the flow, of the wholeness, of worship, and his description of the sermon being the highpoint reminds us of his regard for the Bible. He explains a few more elements of the service, including more singing and a final dismissal (apparently by a layperson) of blessing---again, this is for us as we serve the world. (His parenthetical question hangs still, over the decades, does it not?) This brief description calls us to that which constitutes meaningful worship. (He mentioned communion only in passing, but gives attention to the liturgical year.)

Anyway, these prayers were first written in the context of a whole worship service, and are tied to the sermons that the great man preached. (By the way, Regent College Press recently published two previously untranslated sermons of Barth's, one on the 1912 sinking of the Titanic, under the title The Word in the World. ) At the conclusion of the forward to Fifty Prayers, Barth says he hopes that the prayers (each about a page long) may be useful for personal and private devotion, but also to inspire "consideration" among other worship leaders. It is an understated recommendation, fitting from a humble saint who understood God's redemptive work in Christ in exceptional and awesome tones.

These stunning pastoral prayers mostly follow the liturgical calendar, but the rest are arranged thematically. They give us a glimpse of how the Swiss theologian practiced this huge Christian discipline and his rich words and cadences and theological depth can only help us, these days. Kudos to the publisher for making them freshly available to us.

Scandal of Evangelical Politics

2008-04-01T02:22:35Z

We just got back from selling books at Palmer Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. We were at the conference organized by Evangelicals for Social Action, a gathering convened to study themes raised by Ron Sider’s new book, The Scandal of Evangelical Politics (Baker; $15.99.) I reviewed this book in our monthly website column in February and I hope you saw it; it is very, very important. One of the opening speakers at the conference was Dr. David Gushee, whose excellent new book, The Future of Faith in American Politics: The Public Witness of the Evangelical Center (Baylor University Press $24.94) makes a very strong case for what he calls a “centrist” evangelical witness. Gushee has been a friend and colleague of Sider and ESA for years and it was fabulous to be with him, again; the book is very good, and he has been in high-level conversations with evangelical leaders around these themes and has an insightful grasp of the movements, inclinations and future of the faith and politics debates. Like these books by Sider and Gushee, the conference advanced the notion that although a “third way” and radically centrist alternative to the Christian right has been being researched and written about for years, the recent demise of the fundamentalist right really has created a new opportunity for responsible, Biblically-balanced perspectives to become better known. Scholar/activists like Stanley Carlson-Thies and John DiIllo (both who have served in the White House in the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives) and serious political science scholar Jim Skillen (of the Center for Public Justice) were presenters, and both Sider and Gushee tipped their hat to the solid work Skillen has done for many, many years in helping us “think Christianly” about politics, citizenship and statecraft.

Also, there were strong voices from outside the mainstream, white evangelical culture---ethnic minority leaders like the vibrant and forthright Louis Cortes (Esperanza) and Al Tizon (a young, Asian-American Prof. at Palmer who I was tickled to finally meet) and racial diversity trainer, author (and Hearts & Minds booster) Brenda Salter-McNeil. Buster Soares preached up a storm in classic African American style on Sunday morning---showing how Jeremiah Wright could be best understood after spending time with Jeremiah the prophet, who, naturally, leads us to Jesus and his radical reorientation announced in Luke 4. I’ve not been so challenged and moved by a sermon in years! Testify, indeed!

There were workshops on how to advance a consistently pro-life ethic in the public square, ways to help conservatives and liberals work together, especially on matters of common concern like religious liberty and overcoming poverty, and good stuff on creation-care. It was a working conference, with panels and workshops and non-stop conversations. We met some new folks, got re-connected with long-standing H&M customers, and hopefully added value to the event by offering resources, book-buying advise, and a general reminder that to make a difference as thoughtful Christians in the public square we simply have to read, study, learn, and reflect. Selling books at events like the ESA conference is a large part of our calling, it seems, and we are glad to be able to tell you about it.

The “Scandal” event didn't attract a huge crowd, but it generated the same hope and zeal that we are hearing about from the current Jim Wallis/Sojourners book tour (The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right America) and the radical commitments to find real answers to societal crises such as thoseexplored by Brian McLaren in his stunning Deepshift/Everything Must Change tour, based on his book, Everything Must Change: Jesus, The Global Crises and a Revolution of Hope. We sold some copies of Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne, of course, and, he, too, is soon to go out on a conference/book tour (although nobody else’s will have juggling, "Amish for Homeland Security" tee shirts, or a service component the way Shane’s surely will.)

These are good times to be courageous "third way-ers", to be something other than the secular left or the Christian right. Why even conservative blogger extraordinaire, Joe Carter, over at The Evangelical Outpost has issued an open letter to his colleagues on the Christian right, advising more balance and less right-wing venom. Hat tip to Dick Cleary at Viewpoint for linking us with that.

If you’ve never read Ron Sider’s Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, you really should. Christianity Today listed it as one of the top 100 books of the 20th century, and we have re-read every edition since its much-heralded 1976 release. What he did for global poverty in that book, he did for domestic poverty in Just Generosity: A New Vision for Overcoming Poverty in America; it was given great forwards by Catholic Democrat John DiIllio and evangelical Republican, Chuck Colson. That in itself says something, eh?

Sider’s latest, The Scandal of Evangelical Politics, may be his most thoughtful and sophisticated yet, a systematic call to a conscientious and consistent Christian public philosophy—rooted in the Biblical story and a subsequent Christian worldview---coupled with non-partisan, interdisciplinary social analysis. I know we’ve been saying this kind of "framework & foundations" stuff for years, so it is great to have an eminent Christian leader like Sider insist not only that we take the Bible seriously,(as he has prophetically called us to on issues of war, violence, poverty, materialism, creation-care, sexual ethics and such) but to develop a distinctively Christian set of theories about the state, about society, about the norms which should guide the unfolding of institutions, who should do what, and so forth. We need more than rhetoric---even more than calling for Jesus to be President---and Sider delivers in this great new book.

You may not know of his brand new I Am Not A Social Activist: Making Jesus the Agenda (Herald Press; $16.99) This is a collection of his short pieces from Prism magazine. I have cried at some of these, photocopied many, saved them for future use. I know I am not the only one to read Sider’s back-page column first in Prism, and it is fabulous to have them in one convenient volume. Here you have Sider calling for a wholistic vision, for integrating faith and life, for doing evangelism and social action, for uniting prayer and politics. Here is his piece on Paul Marshal’s Heaven Is Not My Home, and here are several of his best columns on the nature of the Kingdom of God. Several are quite tender, all notably full of piety and faith. From love of creation, to love of his beloved wife, from his rage against the Bush tax cuts to his proposals for evangelicals to get involved in the global warming debate, these are some of the best short polemics you will find. If you care about the world in which we live, and want some guidance in offering a balanced, Biblical view to the issues of the day, pick it up and start on any page. It will draw you closer to Christ. It will give you something clear and important to talk about with those who don't quite do this kind of reading. It will help you help our sad, needy, world. And that is something to which we are all called.

Stone Crossings

2008-03-25T00:29:04Z

I’m wondering what to write about, the day after Easter, and it seems only natural to cite N.T. Wright’s spectacular recent book Surprised by Hope (Harper; $24.95.) You surely know, if you’ve read BookNotes for long, that we despise the unbiblical dualism that sets the so-called secular against the sacred; those ideas of Plato that wiggled their pernicious way into the church so that true spirituality was segregated from ordinary life, where Christ’s teachings were seen to be relevant not for here and now, but for another place, or just for the super-spiritual. God's intention is seen not as the promised restoration of all things, a new creation created out of the shell of the old (to paraphrase Dorothy Day) but as an ethereal pie in the sky. Wright has stood against this unhelpful way of thinking with wisdom and Biblical balance for years. He stands strong on the doctrine of creation and the way in which Christ’s reign is proclaimed here, “on Earth as it is in Heaven" given his insightful appreciation for Jesus' Jewish messiahship. His serious work on resurrection has explored that deeply, and in this new one, he ponders the various meanings and true hope we have in resurrection. It is perfect to help us realize just how momentous yesterday’s celebration was.

Still, I want to write about something else, one of the best books I’ve read in a while. A writer who posts here from time to time, and whose blog I’ve commended, (Seedlings in Stone), L.L. Barkat, just released her collection of Bible reflections, based not only on her solid and sane reading, her immense and articulate understand of the Bible, but on her own troubled life. Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places (IVP; $15) is much more than a typical “basic Christian growth” book of insight into discipleship---she tells with an artist's eye the keen memories of her difficult childhood, her coming of age, her college and young adult years. The second half of the book unfolds insights from her marriage and relationship with her multitude of stepparents and stepsiblings, narrating in gorgeous prose snapshots from her life, memories of her past as they come into God's healing light, and moments of her on-going steps toward a sane lifestyle and faithful discipleship.

This glorious book is thoughtful without being laborious, literate without being self-conscious. She has a great eye for details, and a luminous style that revels in God’s presence in the day-to-day. She is drawing lessons from life, and is candid about her ups and downs. And, boy, has she has some. Yet, God’s great grace in her life has kept her from bitterness and she has emerged as an obviously mature, wise, and articulate citizen of God’s healing land. I had to fight back tears on Good Friday and Holy Saturday as I sat with this, dropping the book to my knees as I looked to the heavens to whisper a thanks to God for her fine work, and Christ’s reign over the caste of characters on this stony road.

Yes, stones are the main metaphor here, as she steps on stones in the rivers of her youth, picks up smooth ones to cherish, visits caves and walls and works and reworks writerly memes and theological themes that have to do with the rocks, stones and stonewalls. I really enjoyed her deft handling of these images, and, more importantly, learned much, and was reminded of even more, of how God’s grace works to bring healing and hope to a rough-hewn life.

Ms Barkat loves Annie Dillard, and quotes other creative types (from Make Fujumaro’s essay in Comment or Toni Morrison to a particularly powerful story from a Salvador Dali biography or the John Donne stuff in Wit.) She is delightfully fluent in solid Biblical scholarship, too, citing good guys, Lyland Ryken to Tremper Longman to Iain Provane. It isn’t too far off when Scot McKnight (on the back cover) likens her to Eugene Peterson.

Each of the 20 chapters of memoir/Bible study/story unfolds a particular theme----forgiveness, inclusion, doubt, humility, baptism, gratitude, to name a few. They unfold increasingly, showing her growth and maturity, even though the book is technically not a biography. Still, as she tells her story, opens up Scriptural insight, we come to see not only a life touched and graced by the Resurrected Christ, but we see just how tangible----solid as a stone---God’s grace can be.

This is a perfect book for Eastertide; it is real, hard, and yet, gently triumphant. God is at work among His people, slowly, but surely. Stone Crossings chronicles this joyful, good, truth graciously and helpfully, and we are happy to commend it to you. There are discussion questions, too, making it ideal for a book club or small group. And, she now has a stonecrossings website dedicated to the book, for readers to join a virtual community. There, you can read an interview with Barkat, see some PR stuff, and listen to some chapter's being read. Check it out, and return to our website and place an order. You won't regret it.

Exile: A Good Friday prayer, it seems...

2008-03-21T17:31:06Z

EXILE
on reading 1 & 2 Kings

Like the ancients, we know about ashes,
    and smoldering ruins,
    and collapse of dreams,
    and loss of treasure,
    and failed faith,
    and dislocation,
    and anxiety, and anger, and self-pity.

For we have watched the certitudes and
entitlements
of our world evaporate.

Like the ancients, we are a
mix perpetrators,
   knowing that we have brought this on
         ourselves, and a
         mix of victims,
                  assaulted by others who rage against us.

Like the ancients, we weep in honesty                                                                                                                 at a world lost
    and the dread silence of your absence.
    We know and keep busy in denial,
    but we know.

Like the ancients, we refuse the ashes,
    and watch for newness.
    Like them, we ask,
    "Can these bones live?"

Like the ancients, we ask,
    "Is the hand of the Lord shortened,
       that the Lord cannot save?"

Like the ancients, we ask,
    "Will you at this time restore what was?"

And then we wait:
    We wait through the crackling of fire,
                and the smash of buildings
                and the mounting body counts,
                and the failed fabric of
                   medicine and justice and education.

We wait in a land of strangeness,
    but there we sing, songs of sadness
                songs of absence,
                belatedly songs of praise,
                acts of hope
                gestures of Easter,
                gifts you have yet to give.
                                                          Walter Brueggemann
                                                          Prayers for a Privileged People
                                                          Abingdon Press (2008)   $19.00

Race, Racism, Reconciliation and Justice--And a Free Book Offer

2008-03-19T21:12:54Z

Lots of people are talking about Obama’s speech about race, his relationship to his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and other ways in which race (and gender) have shaped the Democratic primary and, by extension, the civic discourse over recent weeks. I, too, have been emailing friends and talking—for hours and hours over the several days---sharing my own interests and concerns and opinions about racial justice, Martin Luther King, and the charges against Rev. Wright. It has reminded me of much that I hold dear, and I feel very raw about it all. I have been through a little bit on this stuff, from the late 60s onward, but have no special insight, really, although [geek alert:] I have read more than your average person on this matter. And so, it is only natural that I share a few titles with you now, my contribution to the on-going conversations about race, multi-culturalism, ethnicity and the legacy of American’s original sin.

I’ve compiled other similar bibliographies, other times at the website, and we have a very large selection of books on racism and multi-ethnic ministry here at the shop. Few churches, sadly, are truly working on this, so there they sit.

Still, great books keep coming out; IVP is particularly to be commended for doing some of the best, and consistently good, faith-based resources. God bless ‘em.

A Credible Witness: Reflections on Power, Evangelism and Race Brenda Salter McNeil (IVP) $13 Brand new, this is by one of our favorite speakers, a passionate and charming communicator, a woman who has walked through much of the turmoil of working for racial justice. As a Black woman, she is able to introduce us to important insights from her experience, and offer new insights on Biblical stories--- Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, say. Interestingly, this is also about evangelism, and how racial reconciliation offers a glimpse of the Kingdom in a way that makes our witness credible. See also her co-authored The Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change (IVP; $13.)

Free to Be Bound: Church Beyond the Color Line Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (Navpress) $12.99 Wilson-Hartgrove has been a friend and partner-in-crime with Shane Claiborne and has been instrumental in calling together folk to live in community, in service to the poor. Such “new monasticism” has lead him to the rural south, and the insights of this provocative, powerful call to rediscover the role of faith in crossing into the social spaces of others. Chris Rice, codirector of the Center for Reconciliation at Duke Divinity School (and himself the author of a moving memoir about his work with John Perkins and his late son) says that this “marks Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove as one of the freshest and most important new voices in an American church still deeply divided and confused by the color line.”

Beyond Rhetoric: Reconciliation as a Way of Life Samuel George Hines & Curtiss Paul Deyoung (Judson Press) $14 Both of these men are renowned church activists, doing mature and thoughtful ministry out of the historic black church.   Heavy with insight, and life-transforming spirituality, this is the real deal, motivating and practical.

Living in Color: Embracing God’s Passion for Ethnic Diversity Randy Woodley (IVP) $16 Woodley is a Cherokee leader, and this lovely book is a call not just to reconciliation between blacks and whites, but a beautiful call to truly celebrate the diversity God has given us. “We would never give Picasso a paintbrush and only one color of paint, and expect a masterpiece” he writes. A very good study guide is enclosed, making this a fine introduction for churches of all sorts.

Beyond Racial Gridlock: Embracing Mutual Responsibility George Yancey (IVP) $15 I am inspired reading so many of these books, some of which cause deep sadness in my soul, reminding me of older hurts I have witnessed or read about, and the anguish of our society of “deferred dreams.” I commend reading books about race, at least for white folks who often have large blind spots on this issue, regularly, to remain educated and alive to this struggle. This book, though, takes the conversation to new levels, offering a taxonomy of how different ethnic groups tend to react to the call for racial reconciliation, and with unflinching nerve, lays blame across the board, and offers guides to the unique responsibilities each party has. His survey of the range of approaches that have been used, and their respective weaknesses makes this a major contribution of distinctively Christian thinking.    Mark McMinn, writes, “I am so drawn to this book. It gets me beyond my guilt, denial, and defensiveness. Yancey, as a black man, is coming along beside me, a white man, and acknowledging that this is our mutual task to figure out how to treat one another well. I don’t feel condemned; I feel welcomed into a conversation."

Understanding & Dismantling Racism: The Twenty First Century Challenge to White America Joseph Barndt (Fortress) $17 Barndt is a legendary educator and workshop leader within mainline church settings, mostly, and this revised version of his classic book is a work of analytical brillance, challenging and deep.

Subverting the Power of Prejudice: Resources for Individual and Social Change Sandra L. Barnes (IVP) $16 Dr. Barnes is a serious sociological scholar, here translating the data and language of her field into theological insights, helping anyone, but especially Christians, understand the prevalence of prejudice in our society and what to do about it. Very thoughtful, very important.

White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era Shelby Steele (Harper) $16 No list would be complete without an iconoclast who breaks with the typical discourse and offers an alternative reading of the problem at hand. Known for his very eloquent call to stop talking about race in The Content of our Character, he has generated a degree of controversy with his critique of Mr. Obama in his brand new, brief A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can’t Win (The Free Press; $22.) Here is his piece in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, a piece that struck me as somewhat insightful at points, and infuriating at others.   I am not convinced he's correct---in fact, I was once told that it was his wrong-headedness that inspired Cornel West to pen his still vital Race Matters (Vintage; $12.95.) Still, Steele's peculiar views are a viable part of the conversation, and we invite you to read widely, seek discernment, to think, talk, share. Drop us a posted comment, too, if any of this strikes you as helpful or unhelpful. Thanks for being a part of our feeble efforts.

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My new monthly review column explains why I'm interested in the emergent conversation

2008-03-14T04:17:15Z

I've posted one of my long columns at the website's "review articles" page, the one for March. It starts with a link to a fun and helpful little piece in Publisher's Weekly where the writer wonders if Christian publishers, in their desire to jump on the emergent bandwagon, will so over-use the term that it will become meaningless, co-opted. You can visit that good essay here.

My column, though, goes on for pages sharing my interest in theological dialog and cultural reformation, telling how the North American students of Dutch Calvinist philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd---a behind the scenes influence upon Francis Schaeffer, actually---taught many of us in the 70s to deconstruct the Enlightenment project and the alleged autonomy of Reason long before anyone heard of postmodernism, let alone the emerging theologies.

Ironically, being schooled in this conservative Protestant tradition which critiqued secularized rationalism, and which honored honest questions, and which insisted upon robust, Biblically-guided cultural involvement, has made me more open to the emergent questions, not less. I know some of our readers and friends worry about this, so I make my case, sharing how we've come to appreciate their basic impulse and publishing agenda. I tell about some of my favorite books that set me up for this recent firestorm of new authors, hip book imprints, e-zines, clever ministries and the missional call to reinvent faith in ways that are different than middle American Christianity as we know it.

I hope my column explains our eagerness and concerns for the emergent conversation, lets you in on more of our past journey, and alerts you to some of the recent history of the emergent movement by highlighting some of the most important books in this field over the past five years or so. The best new book that tells the story of the leaders of the new movement is doubtlessly the page-turning delight The New Christians: Dispatches From the Emergent Frontier by Tony Jones (Jossey-Bass; $22.95.) Jones is doubtlessly the one to tell this story, currently the coordinator for the Emergent Village. It has garnered rave, rave reviews from everybody from McLaren to Phyllis Tickle to Mark Oestreicher. If my rambling whets your appetite, read Jones next, and then some of the other books I cite. If my rambling turns you off, forget it, and read Jones. And, wherever you are, join the conversation!

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