A Day Apart: How Jews, Christians and Muslims Find Faith, Freedom and Joy on the Sabbath, by Christopher Ringwald (2007)
Christopher Ringwald has crafted a fine book that interweaves history, scripture, and personal experience (as a Christian) to illuminate Sabbath traditions among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The book concludes with 25 suggestions for keeping the Sabbath more faithfully. This would be an excellent resource for both deepening a congregation’s awareness of the importance of Sabbath-keeping and advancing understanding of the three monotheistic faiths.
Understanding Radical Islam: Medieval Ideology in the Twenty-First Century, by Brian Farmer (2007)
The late Lesslie Newbigin predicted that the greatest challenge the West would face in the twenty-first century would be its relationship with Islam. In recent years radical Islam has emerged as a major policy concern of Western governments, as evidenced not only by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that were launched in response to the 9/11 attacks, but also by the incidents of Islamist violence and terrorism in the years since 9/11. What are we to make of all this? In this book, Brian Farmer offers a very useful historical overview and sociological analysis. He is critical of the crusading mindset shown by the religious right in America following 9/11, and advocates a fresh approach.
The Doctrine of God and Theological Ethics, edited by Alan Torrance and Michael Banner (2006)
This collection of academic essays, most of which were presented at a conference at Kings College, London, in 1997, is offered by an impressive line-up of theologians and moral philosophers, including Alasdair McIntyre, Oliver O’Donovan, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Stanley Hauerwas, Miroslav Volf, John Webster and our own Murray Rae (now Associate Professor at Otago University). This book constitutes a welcome corrective to a growing tendency in both society and church for moral convictions to be expressed with little or no reference to the Christian understanding of God. It is a must-read for those wanting to do some serious thinking in this area.
Barth on the Descent into Hell: God, Atonement and the Christian Life, by David Lauber (2004)
In this lucid book, David Lauber offers a close reading and critical analysis of Karl Barth’s treatment of the Christian confession (in the Apostles’ Creed) that Jesus Christ descended into hell. Lauber places Barth alongside Hans Urs von Balthasar, Jurgen Moltmann and Alan Lewis as he considers the implications of viewing the Trinity through the lens of the descent into hell and, correspondingly, in grounding the descent into hell in the Trinitarian life of God. In his final chapter he explores the implications of all of this for our understanding of Christian discipleship.
The Christ Chaplain: The Way to a Deeper, More Effective Hospital Ministry, by Robert Pennington (2007)
This book is written for hospital chaplains who often find themselves at the limits of what they can do and endure in living out their calling. The author chooses not to offer yet another “how-to” manual, but rather to focus on who the chaplain is through the Christian mystical tradition via lectio and contemplative (or centring) prayer.
The Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Pastoral Counseling: Community and Silence, by David Welton (2006)
In this fine book, David Welton writes with the wisdom, compassion and authority of one who has struggled firsthand with bipolar disorder. The book is organized around the themes of community and silence, and is grounded in Welton’s personal faith and theological heritage, his occupation as a family therapist, and his multidisciplinary understanding of bipolar disorder. This will be an excellent resource for those who minister to, and with people suffering from bipolar disorder.
Hospitality as Holiness: Christian Witness Amid Moral Diversity, by Luke Bretherton (2006)
This book seeks to address a key question facing the church within contemporary moral debates: How should Christians relate to their neighbours when ethical disputes arise? Bretherton suggests that moral and ethical pronouncements by the church should not be developed in isolation from the life it shares with its neighbours. He says that, in its interaction with the life of its neighbours, the church will seek to establish patterns of sociality which bear witness to how a particular moral issue is transfigured by God. He concludes his book with a case study on hospice care and euthanasia, as an example of negotiating moral diversity.
Theology, Political Theory and Pluralism: Beyond Tolerance and Difference, by Kristen Deede Johnson (2007)
How can we live together in the midst of our differences? In this book, Johnson argues that it is only in the Triune God of grace that the desire for a true recognition of difference that moves beyond tolerance to celebrate both unity and diversity can be met. In so doing she draws on Augustine’s vision of a Heavenly City which relativizes all human loyalties and political systems. This book will appeal to those who want to think more deeply about the nature of tolerance and the relationship between unity and diversity.
Christian Theology in a Pluralistic Context: A Methodological and Constructive Inquiry in the Doctrine of Creation, by Steven Wiebe (2007)
We live in a pluralistic, multi-faith world. How can we take seriously this pluralistic context and still remain true to the Christian tradition. In this book, Wiebe posits a methodology for pluralistic theology, with particular reference to the doctrine of creation, in which he places Christianity in dialogue with Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. This book will be of interest to those who are interested in doing theology constructively (not reactively) in the context of religious pluralism.
Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith, by Barbara Brown Taylor (2007)
An Episcopal priest since 1984, Taylor is one of America’s most acclaimed preachers. In this personal memoir, she narrates her journey towards, in and beyond the institutional church. Although her story is intensely personal, much of it will resonate with ministers who have themselves wrestled with the tension between the liberation which the Gospel brings and its institutional captivity. If you are wrestling with vocational issues you will find much in this book that is both challenging and encouraging.
Church on the Edge of Somewhere: Ministry, Marginality & the Future, by George Thompson, Jr. (2007)
Churches always stand in relationship with their identity and environment. In this book, Thompson develops a “Contextual Posture Grid” around the internal identity and external environment postures of congregations. Does a congregation focus primarily on those inside the church, or does it focus on those beyond the congregation? Is it at ease with the surrounding environment or does it see itself as different from the dominant external context? Where churches stand in relationship to their identity and environment places them in various quadrants of Thompson’s grid, with corresponding implications for the shape of their ministry and their leadership opportunities and constraints. This is a useful tool for analysing congregational dynamics and thinking about new possibilities.
When Moses Meets Aaron: Staffing and Supervision in Large Congregations, by Gil Rendle & Susan Beaumont (2007)
This book of resources for senior clergy leading staff is a welcome contribution to the task of developing leadership models and tools for large congregations. By applying human resource principles to the congregational context, the authors provide a useful manual for supervising, motivating and coordinating staff teams. While the book is written for an American context, many of its principles and suggestions can be appropriated for our New Zealand context.
Spirited Leadership: Empowering People to Do What Matters, by Thomas G. Bandy (2007)
Thomas Bandy describes himself as an organizational coach and consultant. In this, his latest book, he talks about a servant-empowering model for organizations, including churches. The rebuilding of organizational life, he suggests, does not start with restructuring; it starts will rebuilding personal attitudes, reshaping lifestyles and realigning personal and public goals. It requires spirited leadership. Readers already familiar with Thomas Bandy will find more food for thought in this book.
Healthy Disclosure: Solving Communication Quandaries in Congregations, by Kibbie Simmons Ruth & Karen McClintock (2007)
Information management is both a technical process and a spiritual undertaking. This book helps the congregational leader explore in times of inappropriate behaviour and crisis such questions as: What is meant by confidential? When should there be limited sharing with others? Who are the others that should be in on the information, and what do they need to know? When should there be a broader sharing with the congregation, and what are the limits of that sharing? This book has an abundance of useful insights and strategies.
Religion & Violence, edited by Jonathan Inkpin (2007)
This is a collection of six essays which not only describe the relationship between religion and violence but also place these realities within the larger biblical and theological themes of truth, justice, atonement and reconciliation. The leader of the Iona Community, Kathy Galloway talks about issues of identity and belonging, and how we might live with difference. James Haire, a former President of the Uniting Church in Australia, talks about the possibility of building communities of peace in the midst of violence. Jonathan Inkpin, who is General Secretary of the New South Wales Ecumenical Council, resurrects Hans Kung’s concept of a global peace ethic.
Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations
This is an emerging series of books being published by the Alban Institute in cooperation with the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. The series is designed to reflect the kind of vibrant, creative energy and patient reflection that will promote worship which is both relevant and profound. The following three books on preaching form part of the series:
1. Preaching Ethically: Being True to the Gospel, Your Congregation & Yourself, by Ronald Sisk (2008)
How do clergy preach to meet the legitimate needs of their congregation and live up to standards of professionalism and personal integrity? How should you preach about controversial issues? How do you draw from resources found on the Internet and elsewhere without plagiarizing or misleading listeners about the source of the materials? How do you write a sermon when you know very little about a subject? This book offers guidelines for preaching in light of a range of factors which might tempt a preacher to misuse the pulpit.
2. Choosing the Kingdom: Missional Preaching for the Household of God, by John Addison Dally (2008)
As a post-Christendom church reorients itself toward the mission of God, what might preaching look like? In this book, Dally engages the growing literature on missional ecclesiology and probes its significance for the act of preaching.
3. When God Speaks Through You: How Faith Convictions Shape Preaching & Mission, by Craig Satterlee (2008)
This book encourages us to resist thinking of the sermon as the act of a single person, but rather as a communal action. The lynchpin to this new understanding is the act of listening – or “holy and active listening” as Saterlee calls it. It involves preachers and worshipers cultivating deeper modes of listening to one another and rethinking the nature and purpose of preaching.
A Broken Beauty, edited by Theodore Prescott (2005)
This book arose out of an art exhibition by fifteen North American artists who were asked to depict the human image. Of this book, William Dyrness comments: “A Broken Beauty represents a milestone in the discussion of Christian art. The writers in this collection and the artists in the exhibition they discuss – so wonderfully reproduced – provide an entirely new level of discussion of art and faith. Beyond the academic issues it raises, in pointing to our own brokenness amidst fragments of beauty, this book may help us recover our own humanity.”
The Dwelling of the Light: Praying with Icons of Christ, by Rowan Williams (2003)
Rowan Williams is not only the Archbishop of Canterbury; he is also a very able theologian. In this book, which constitutes an exercise in devotional theology, he reflects theologically on four classical icons: The transfiguration; the resurrection; Rublev’s Trinity, otherwise known as the Hospitality of Abraham; and Christ as Pantocrator, or judge of the world and ruler of all.
The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, by Henri Nouwen (1994)
A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son, inspired the late Henri Nouwen to use the painting as a catalyst for theological reflection. In this book he probes the several movements of the parable: the younger son’s return, the father’s restoration of sonship, the elder son’s vengefulness, and the father’s compassion. This book would be a very good resource for a short series of sermons and/or studies on the famous parable.