By Hugh McGinlay
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As many of you know,I see up to one hundred new releases every month. Obviously, I can’t read all of them but I must confess that not only have I read Tony Campbell’s new book, The Whisper of Spirit – A Believable God Today (Eerdmans, 9780802840424, $19.95), I’m on to my second reading, such has it impressed me. He considers what might be the basis for faith in a world with God and focuses on the whisper of spirit that many feel – sensed in our experience of the world and ourselves. His reflections lead him to discuss a transcendent God and a God who cares deeply for human beings, and this prompts him to ask two questions: how do we support and nourish Christian faith in this God who loves us; what will be the shape of a future phoenix church that can nourish and sustain such belief?
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks is Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Britain and the Commonwealth and one of the foremost religious and social thinkers of our day. His new book The Home We Build Together (Continuum, 9780826480705, $45.00) is a serious reflection on multiculturalism and national identity. Although primarily concerned with UK society, his challenges to the concept of multiculturalism and its implications for the wellbeing of society are relevant to Australia and New Zealand. He warns of the dangers liberal democracies face and argues for what he calls ‘integrated diversity’ within a framework of shared political values.
Complementing Rabbi Sacks’book is Conflict and Conciliation – Faith and Politics in an Age of Global Dissonance (Columba, 9781856075770, $27.95), a series of essays that considers how religious people from different faith traditions can seek creative new pathways towards interreligious dialogue and reconciliation.
The latest in The Center for Religious Enquiry Series from Skylight Paths in the USA is Talking About God (9781594732300, $34.95) which invites us to explore the meaning of religious life with Kierkegaard, Buber, Tillich and Heschel. Author Daniel Polish uses Abraham as his “collective thread” as he considers the writings of these four major theologians and the focus of their teaching about religious life – the limits of human understanding,the language we use about God, the interpretation of religious symbols.
Mary Magdalene continues to fascinate. For informed and scholarly comment, we have The Mary Magdalene Cover Up by Esther de Boer, from the Kampen Protestant Theological University in Holland (Continuum, 9780567031822, $17.95).Subtitled ‘The sources behind the myth’, the book brings together an impressive array of texts from the first to the sixth centuries, each of which is placed in its historic context.
A recent title from St Vladimir’s Seminary Press is Sweeter than Honey – Orthodox Thinking on Dogma and Truth by Peter Bouteneff (0881413070, $24.95).The book is a general discussion about what Orthodox Christians believe and will be of interest to others wishing to understand and appreciate Orthodox doctrine, worship and life.
There was sad news about the sudden death of John O’Donohue, author of Anam Cara. His last book is now available: Benedictus – A Book of Blessings (Bantam, 978059305862, $39.95). This handsome hardback volume is testament to his poetry, grace and wisdom.
Two new titles are here from DLT in the area of spirituality. Thomas Merton – Master of Attention by Robert Waldron (9780232527148, $29.95) is basically an exploration of the famous mystic’s life of prayer.
Arrivals and Departures – The Restless World of Henri Nouwen by Michael Ford (9780232527100, $29.95) concentrates on Nouwen as ‘foreign correspondent’, tracing his many journeys throughout the world and offering new insights into the deeply spiritual yet deeply wounded personality of this well loved spiritual teacher of the last century.
Titles available at your local Christian bookstore or contact www.rainbowbooks.com.au