From Hugh McGinlay
One of the gems that comes from Paulist Press in the USA is their series called Classics of Western Spirituality, which is quite simply a library of the great spiritual writers throughout the ages. The latest to reach us is Luther’s Spirituality, edited and translated by Philip Krey (0809139499, $47.95) and it contains much of Luther’s thoughts on how we believe and behave as Christians.The collection has most of Luther’s best known writings on spirituality but also includes some previously neglected gems, including some of his writing while he was still an Augustinian monk. Highly recommended for people looking for new insights into the life and thinking of the great reformer.
Also from Paulist is Maureen Sullivan’s The Road to Vatican II (0809142775, $29.95). This highly readable book traces the story behind the Second Vatican Council, reminding us how the Roman Catholic Church moved from the rigid hierarchical model espoused by Pope Pius IX at Vatican I (1869-1870) to the collegial model that emerged under Pope John XXIII. She tells of the events and trends that lead up to the Council in a way that helps us understand this watershed in the history of the Church.
Unexpected Grace – stories of faith, science and altruism, by Bill Kramer, is a new title from Templeton Foundation Press (01599471124, $34.95).This is a surprising book,in many ways. Most conferences tend to be in-bred affairs, but at their meeting, the contributors to this series – scientists and theologians – were deliberately trying to blur the traditional boundaries, looking for bridges and stories to cross academic disciplines, to break down perceived barriers between science and religion. The result is a collection of fascinating and compelling stories of people trying to make sense of complex issues, from the tragedy of the World Trade Center to the nature of racism, to the experience of forgiveness.These are captivating stories, reminding us that our common humanity is the fertile context of love in its various theological and scientific aspects.
I have read (twice!) John Carroll’s new book The Existential Jesus from Scribe Publications
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New Testament who resist patriarchal expectations and ideals. This is a very fine and scholarly book, all the more welcome because it comes from an Australian biblical scholar.The story of women’s ministry is also told in This is our Story by Janet Wootton (9780716206064, $59.95, Epworth Press). It tells of the ministry of women in the Free Churches in the UK and probably reflects reality within those churches in Australia.
Hans Kung has a new book Islam – Past,Present and Future (9781851683772, $79.95, Oneworld). In it, he examines Islam’s fundamental beliefs and practices, outlines major schools of thought, and considers the positions of Islam on the urgent questions of our time.This is a significant contribution to our understanding of Islam from a renowned Christian scholar.
About a year ago, there was great excitement about a new publication called Biblica: The Bible Atlas – a social and historical journey through the lands of the Bible.Written by a team of international writers and distinguished academics and Bible scholars, and illustrated with more than 550 full-colour images from leading art galleries, museums, and collections from across the globe, it is the most authoritative and up-to-the-moment atlas of the Bible available in the world today.
Included among the team of international writers were four Australians – Margaret Beirne, Anna Grant-Henderson,Janet Healey and Mark O’Brien. The magnificent book had a sad history after publication when a dispute arose over an alleged flaw on the cover. Rainbow has managed to obtain around a hundred copies and it is highly unlikely that the book will ever be reprinted due to the enormous costs involved. The book (9780670029860) retails at $120 and if you want a copy, I strongly advise that you get in fast!
SCM/Canterbury Press continues to impress with their SCM Studyguide series. The latest to reach us is Christian Mission by Stephen Spencer (9780334041085, $49.95). The book explores the nature of Christian mission in contemporary post-modern society and is an excellent addition to the range of new books in an area of growing concern among all the churches.
Among DLT’s recent releases, Jeremy Young’s The Violence of God and the War on Terror (9780232526660, $39.95) examines the uncomfortable connection between violence and religion,
In a similar way, the book seems not to notice that, long before Mark and John were written, the Christian community and its faith had already been shaped by their experience of the risen Christ, the teachings of Paul, the entire Old Testament, the presence of the Spirit.This is an entirely secular approach to the Jesus story – in my view, the story makes little sense outside a faith context.
Sections of the book are helpful and fascinating. The author knows his Greek and suggests new ways of translating the text to support his ideas. But often we are in areas of fantasy that pay little attention to contemporary biblical scholarship. Rudolf Bultmann’s commentary on Mark is dismissed as “bewilderingly implausible”
(p.17) and at one place (p.228) a suggestion by Raymond Brown is dismissed as “sheer guesswork” – a comment that for me sums up most of this book.
Yet I commend it for lots of reasons, not least that it is being read widely around Australia and theologians and biblical scholars need to be aware of its strengths as well as its shortcomings before making critical judgments about its message.
In August in Ballarat, we celebrated the publication of Taking Away the Pound by Elizabeth Dowling who lectures in the School of Theology at the Australian Catholic University’s Aquinas Campus. The book from Continuum (9780567043641, $195) is subtitled ‘Women, theology and the parable of the pounds in the Gospel of Luke’. As the subtitle suggests, the book proposes that the parable of the pounds in Luke 19:11-28 is not simply another version of Matthew’s parable of the talents (Matthew 25:1430) but is a paradigm for other Lukan characters who ‘lose their pound’ when they challenge unjust oppressors.The author has a special interest in connecting this situation to women in the
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suggesting that cycles of violence and violent behaviour are formative of both Christian theology and contemporary politics. The book makes for uncomfortable reading for us Christians in the context of perceived terrorist threats.Australian author Denis McLaughlin from Australian Catholic University in Brisbane has a new title Price of Freedom (1863551204, $45.00). This is a highly readable account of the life and contribution of Edmund Rice, Founder of the Christian Brothers, whose influence in education in Australia has been outstanding. The specific focus of the book is Rice’s contribution as an educational leader and how that contribution was lost or ignored until recent times.The book will be of special interest to all who work in Christian education.
Two new books from Australian authors have recently reached us - both from Perth. Bill Loader’s The New Testament with Imagination is subtitled ‘A fresh approach to its writings and themes’.This really exciting book combines deep biblical scholarship with a concern for pastoral ministry that marks so much of the writing of this fine author.
Written for the non-specialist, he asks us to imagine the contexts of the chosen passages, a technique that works wonderfully well and, in the hands of this skilled author, is an excellent way of introducing the background and meaning of the texts. The book retails at $27.95 (Eerdmans, 9780802827463) and is highly recommended.
The other Western Australian author is Alexander Jensen, a colleague of Bill Loader’s at Murdoch University. His new book Theological Hermeneutics (SCM, 97803344029014, $59.95) covers an area that is of increasingly critical importance in theology. What is the meaning of hermeneutics; what principles govern our interpretation of texts; how does culture affect interpretation; wherein lies any kind of ‘authority’ in how texts are interpreted? The book opens up the whole question of language – how it is used, how it changes over time, the danger of its being ‘canonised’ in the tradition. The author writes with authority but the book is also lively and approachable, covering the history of hermeneutics and the key schools that have influenced our approach to the topic. I found the book very satisfying.
Further details of the titles are on our website or you can consult your local Christian bookshop. www.rainbowbooks.com.au