Exclusion and Embrace

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:42:56 -0400

“Life at the end of the twentieth century presents us with a disturbing reality. Otherness, the simple fact of being different in some way, has come to be defined as in and of itself evil. Miroslav Volf contends that if the healing word of the gospel is to be heard today, Christian theology must find ways of speaking that address the hatred of the other. Reaching back to the New Testament metaphor of salvation as reconciliation, Volf proposes the idea of embrace as a theological response to the problem of exclusion. Increasingly we see that exclusion has become the primary sin, skewing our perceptions of reality and causing us to react out of fear and anger to all those who are not within our (ever-narrowing) circle. In light of this, Christians must learn that salvation comes, not only as we are reconciled to God, and not only as we "learn to live with one another," but as we take the dangerous and costly step of opening ourselves to the other, of enfolding him or her in the same embrace with which we have been enfolded by God.”

In the Name of Jesus

Sun, 9 Aug 2009 11:30:53 -0400

“Henri Nouwen undertakes to talk about Christian leadership and provides a profile in stark contrast to worldly values. His ideal leader is a praying leader, a vulnerable leader, a trusting leader, one who voluntarily chooses a life of downward mobility.”

What is the What

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:25:30 -0400

“What Is the What is the epic novel based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng who, along with thousands of other children--the so-called Lost Boys--was forced to leave his village in Sudan at the age of seven and trek hundreds of miles by foot, pursued by militias, government bombers, and wild animals, crossing the deserts of three countries to find freedom. When he finally is resettled in the United States, he finds a life full of promise, but also heartache and myriad new challenges. Moving, suspenseful, and unexpectedly funny, What Is the What is an astonishing novel that illuminates the lives of millions through one extraordinary man.”

The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

Sun, 10 May 2009 12:38:12 -0400

“What is the Christian message in a society marked by religious pluralism, ethnic diversity, and cultural relativism? How does the prevailing climate of opinion affect, perhaps infect, Christians’ faith? Newbigin addresses such questions in this incisive analysis of contemporary culture, and he suggests how Christians can more confidently affirm their faith in such a context.”

Justice in the Burbs

Sun, 8 Mar 2009 13:27:30 -0400

“In the suburban world of nice homes, neat lawns, and new cars, it can be easy to forget about social justice issues. Life keeps us busy, and the poor and disenfranchised of our world are invisible as we go from our garage to our workplace and back again. But suburbanites can be a force for social justice in the world. In this unique book, readers will take a journey with a young couple from the 'burbs as they learn to notice and act on the issues of justice that abound no matter where you live. This engaging narrative helps readers kiss apathy and ignorance goodbye in favor of a life of concern and action in order to help our fellow human beings.”

¡Gracias! A Latin American Journal

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 13:22:32 -0500

“In this journal of his travels in Bolivia and Peru, Nouwen ponders the presence of God in the poor, the challenge of a persecuted church, the relation between faith and justice, and his own struggle to discern the path along which God is calling him. ‘Nouwen puts his inexhaustible curiosity and hunger for religious experience gladly at the service of a worldwide audience’--The Boston Globe.”

The Poisonwood Bible

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 13:00:25 -0500

“The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it -- from garden seeds to Scripture -- is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.”

Mother Teresa: Come Be My LIght

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 13:30:06 -0500

“This historic work reveals the inner spiritual life of one of the most beloved and important religious figures in history.  During her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religions; her extraordinary contributions to the care of the sick, the dying, and thousands of others nobody else was prepared to look after has been recognized and acclaimed throughout the world. Little is known, however, about her own spiritual heights or her struggles. This collection of her writing and reflections, almost all of which have never been made public before, sheds light on Mother Teresa's interior life in a way that reveals the depth and intensity of her holiness for the first time.  Compiled and presented by Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C., who knew Mother Teresa for twenty years and is the postulator for her cause for sainthood and director of the Mother Teresa Center, Mother Teresa brings together letters she wrote to her spiritual advisors over decades. A moving chronicle of her spiritual journey—including moments, indeed years, of utter desolation—these letters reveal the secrets she shared only with her closest confidants. She emerges as a classic mystic whose inner life burned with the fire of charity and whose heart was tested and purified by an intense trial of faith, a true dark night of the soul.  Published to coincide with the tenth anniversary of her death, Mother Teresa is an intimate portrait of a woman whose life and work continue to be admired by millions of people.”

Voices of Home in Bluegrass Aspendale

Sun, 9 Nov 2008 13:44:38 -0500

“Voices of Home in Bluegrass-Aspendale looks at the history of a public housing project in Lexington, Kentucky through many different kinds of voices. From former tenants to housing scholars, this book demonstrates how the concept of home means many things to different people. Situated within the East End neighborhood, a largely African-American community, Bluegrass-Aspendale represented the challenge of renewing neglected urban spaces and providing affordable housing. From its opening in 1938 as one the first public housing projects in the country, to its destruction in 2006 by way of a HOPE VI grant, the site has continuously evolved. At times espoused as model housing and others as a collector of crime and destitution, the now destroyed project illustrates the complexity of creating an ideal domestic space through a public housing program.”
(from www.lulu.com)

The Beatitudes for Today

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:38:26 -0400

“In this first volume of an exciting new series for laity, author and pastor James Howell takes us on an engaging exploration of the Beatitudes. Howell considers each of the well-known phrases in these passages from Matthew (Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .) and creatively applies Jesus' teachings to our contemporary world and Christian lives.

The For Today series will provide reliable and accessible resources for the study of important biblical texts, theological documents, and Christian practices. The series is written by experts who are committed to making the results of their studies available to those with no particular biblical or theological training. The goal is to provide an engaging means to study texts and practices that are familiar to laity in churches. The emphasis is not only on what these subjects have meant in the past but also on their value in the present-For Today. Questions for discussion are included at the end of each chapter. The books are ideal for individual study and for group study in churches. Future volumes will cover the Ten Commandments, the Psalms, the Lord's Prayer, hymns, the Apostles' Creed, Christian prayer, and parables.”