This reference work contains the life and work of early Christian writers to the eighth century, and analyzes their legacy upon church history. The entries range from single paragraphs to several pages. The value of this collection is for
understanding the influence of early Christian literature upon contemporary theological development.
This collection of l2 essays, edited by the founder and chairman of the American Interfaith Institute, presents (from a Christian perspective) recent developments in Jewish-Christian understanding. A particular concern of the book is Bible translation: Norman Beck and Barclay Newman both offer essays which explore how parts of the NT (the Fourth Gospel especially) may be responsibly translated. Norman Beck also argues against explaining away parts of the NT as intra-Jewish polemic and insists that lectionaries should best avoid certain sections of the NT. Essays by Cardinal Cassidy and Eugene Fisher chart recent developments in Roman Catholic and Jewish relations. Mary Boys surveys the church`s long history of contempt for Judaism, and holds that the relationship between anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism is closer than some Christians would care to believe. There is a reprint of D. Moody Smith‘s article (with a short postscript), ‘The Gospel of John as a Threat to Jewish-Christian Relations`, in which he positions the Fourth Gospel in a plausible historical context and cautiously places John within a context of contemporary Jewish-Christian dialogue. William Willimon
Robert Randall has argued that the most important reasons people go to church are to belong, to hope, to be understood, and to understand (Why People Go to Church, Abingdon Press, 1995). So where do people turn when this deceptively simple formula gives way to abuse, disenchantment, cruelty, and disapproval” What can you do (or say) when your preacher rails against gay people and your sister is it lesbian: when your divorce is finalized and you hear divorce condemned from the pulpit; when your belong to a church that violates some of the things you hold most dear; when your ministry has been devalued by those who have little understanding of or interest in it; when you’ve been exiled from your parish for something that never happened? It’s one thing to invite God to hatter your heart, but quite another when pressed to the margins by the people with whom you Pray.
In Dancing in the Margins, Kathy Coffey calls us to the divine dance of the spiritual life because God is good, the world is beautiful even when it’s crazy, and because even in pain we can join hands and dance. Realizing that not everyone likes to dance, and that some are too hurt to dance just yet, she also provides other options for our journey. Meditation both enables us to access the clear water beneath the murky stream of life, and provides the knowledge that we cannot feed others if we do not feed ourselves. Coffey also instills in us a new appreciation for life on the margins, showing that not only is the margin where we encounter Christ, but that some of our must fruitful work can be done there, as was his.
Many people, both biblical and contemporary, inhabit Dancing in the Margins, and they will speak to you in new ways. The Canaanite woman is held up as the one who causes Jesus to expand the margins and broaden his ministry. Thomas is admirable in “his willingness to voice the questions that knot his stomach and clog his throat” (p. 39). The story of the woman healed on the Sabbath is used to show us that just because “no good deed goes unpunished” is no reason to cease healing. Women in Zaire are not allowed to play drums, so they play their rhythms on the rivers. A death-row inmate’s last meal arrives at the same time as his stay of execution.
Dancing in the Margins is a rare gift: a biblically grounded book of deep meditations containing real-life narratives from) those gracious enough to show us their wounds and the balm they’ve used to begin the healing process. “There is nothing else like it, and 1 can’t imagine anyone that doesn’t know someone for whom this book will bring new hope.”
Paulist Fr. Richard c. Sparks is a compelling speaker and a deep thinker. Having heard him some years ago, I was glad to see his Contemporary Christian Morality: Real Questions, Candid Responses.
Sparks asks and answers 100 questions for those who would have the abundant life promised by Jesus. He asserts that Christian morality is not just about an individual facing life’s fundamental choices, but about the community called church living, loving and keeping commitments.
I especially appreciated the answer to Question 96 about the unforgivable sin. The pastoral Sparks responds that anyone who would worry about having committed such a sin has obviously not done so. That person’s care is, ultimately, the sign of abiding faith.