We are delighted to present some reviews from Reviews in Religion and Theology, who have been kind enough to highlight some of our thought-provoking books in their January issue. If any of these titles intrigue you, feel free to check out the links for more information and to make your order.
Pope Francis: His Life and Thought
By Mario I. Aguilar
‘In this well-written, well-documented, and quite revealing book, biographer Mario Aguilar provides an analysis of Jorge Bergoglio … before becoming pope in 2013…. The author masterfully weaves together [his childhood and professional] influences so that the reader comes to understand Pope Francis in light of this theological and historical framework…. Pope Francis: His Life and Thought is highly recommended.’ – Clifford Chalmers Cain
Still Growing: The Creative Self in Older Adulthood
By Donald Capps
‘Donald Capps (1939-2015) was one of the premier spokespersons for the fields of pastoral counseling and psychology of religion…. Capps closes with Weldon Johnson’s poem on ‘The Creation’ telling us that God still felt lonely…. [The author] suggests that perhaps this means that we inhabit is, for us, the underlying inspiration for our own creativity. And maybe it is the older adult who is especially aware that this is so.’ – Wayne Rollins
Radical Grace: Justice for the Poor and Marginalized – Charles Wesley’s Views For the Twenty-First Century
By S.T. Kimbrough Jr
‘Radical Grace is a helpful addition to the field of Wesley Studies. It takes seriously the breadth of theological material available, not limiting the scope of sources to a particular form. It also expands upon contemporary scholarship concerning Charles Wesley’s unique contributions to early Methodist theology and practice, as well as supplementing the growing body of research on Charles Wesley as theologian in his own right.’ – Isaac N. Hopper
Recognizing Other Subjects: Feminist Pastoral Theology and the Challenge of Identity
By Katharine E. Lassiter
‘It is a thoroughly engaging discussion…. [S]he provides exactly the right level of concise summary, information-giving, and critical response. I will certainly be using this book in my third-year undergraduate classes and Masters students, but a lay readership could also readily engage with this text.’ – Deryn Gues
A Jubilee for All Time: The Copernican Revolution in Jewish-Christian
Edited by Gilbert S. Rosenthal
‘The collection brings out well (should any reader need convinced on the point) the truly epochal significance of that document, and the sea-change it has enabled in Jewish-Christian (and not just Jewish-Catholic) relations…. It is a collection full of joy and relief.’ – Peter Waddell
Text Message: Passion for God in Times of Unbelief
By Maria Clara Bingemer
‘[T]his collection of essays is unique and valuable…. [Text Message] will prove to be at least thought-provoking, if not also practice-altering. Its style is accessible and many of its suggestions are immediately practical. It is recommended, then, to all preachers who share this conviction. Scholars of preaching will also find much to respond to within it. Further, the volume as a whole, or selected essays within it, could be used in a course on expository preaching.’ – William J. Brennan III
Importing Faith: The Effect of American ‘Word of Faith’ Culture on Contemporary English Evangelical Revivalism
By Glyn J. Ackerley
‘ [W]ell presented and written…. [T]he book is undoubtedly of interest to those studying cross-culture (American-English) influence of religious ideas…. [It’s] readability makes it also a great source of information for a lay reader.’ – Stefan Bosman
Illusions of Freedom: Thomas Merton and Jacques Ellul on Technology and the Human Condition
By Jeffrey M. Shaw
‘Its impressive scholarship, clarity of exposition, and, above all, its contemporary resonance should secure for this text a readship not just among theologians and sociologists but also among a general public beginning to question a thaumaturgical technology, which exacts a high price for its equivocal boons. I recommended it highly.’ – James M. Carr
Echoes of a Voice: We are not alone
By James W. Sire
‘What makes this book worth reading is… [H]is engagement with such a wide variety of poetry and literature. He gives a fascinating analysis of Pascal’s poem, Memorial, for instance…. I hope Sire’s work will inspire more Christian theologians and philosophers to write on question like why we find storie and poetic language so powerful? What is the trascendent power of fiction art?…. I think questions like these should also pique the interest of non-believers and skeptics as well.’ – Ben Thompson
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