THEOLOGY
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Why there almost certainly is a God: Doubting Dawkins, by Keith Ward. Lion, 2008. £7.99. In this lucid and witty book, Professor Ward demonstrates most effectively the rational visibility of belief in God. Atheist assertions are countered by careful theistic arguments in a manner that should proved persuasive to may and illuminating to all. (John Polkinghorne) |
The Tenderness of Conscience:African Renaissance and the Spirituality of Politics, Allan Boesak. Wild Goose,12.99. With this book theologian and political observer Allan Boesak once again displays the strengths of his writings that were evident in the seventies and eighties, bringing Christian theology to bear on the political and socio-economic realities of our world. This time the emphasis falls on President Thabo Mbeki’s idea and ideal of an African Renaissance and its interaction with globalization, continental politics and the political dynamics in South Africa as they pertain to the burning issues of our time: reconciliation, the role of the church in post-apartheid South Africa, the centrality of religious faith in the struggle for freedom, and Allan Boesak’s assertion that “just as we had a spirituality of struggle, so South Africa needs a spirituality of politics”. |
The Fat Jesus: Christianity and Body Image, Lisa Isherwood. Darton Longman and Todd, 2008. We are living in a food and body image obsessed culture. We are encouraged to overconsume by the marketing tactics of big corporations, and are then berated by government and the medical profession for doing so. At the same time, we are bombarded with media images of unnaturally thin celebrities who go to enormous lengths to retain an unrealistic body image, either by extremes of dieting or through plastic surgery or both. The spiritual realm is not immune from these pressures, as can be seen in the flourishing of weight loss programmes such as 'Slim for Him', that encourage women to lose weight and gain spiritually. Isherwood examines these phenomena in light of the Christian tradition, which has often had a difficult relationship with sexuality and embodiment and which has promoted ideals of restraint and asceticism. She argues powerfully that, despite this, there are resources within Christianity that can free us from this thinking, and lead us towards a more holistic, incarnational view of what it is to be human. |
| Arius, Rowan Williams (2 ed.) SCM, 2001, £25.00. Considered Williams' magnum opus, Arius is re-issued in a form attractive to non-specialists and scholars alike. Arianism's denial of the divine status of Christ has been considered the archetypal heresy. Williams argues that Arius was a theological conservative whose concern was to defend the free and personal character of the Christian God. His 'heresy' grew out of the attempt to united traditonal biblical language with radical philospghical ideas, and was involved with issues of authority in the church. The crisis was not only about the doctrine of God, but also about the relations between emperors, bishops and charismatic teachers in the church's decision-making. Williams raises the vital wider questions of how heresy is defined and how certain kinds of traditionalism transform themselves into heresy. With a fresh conclusion in which the author reflects on how his views have changed or remained the same, this book will be mandatory reading for students of patristics, doctrine, and church history as well as beyond. |
| The New Puritanism: The rise of fundamentalism in the Anglican Church, Muriel Porter. Melbourne University Press, 2006. In The New Puritanism, Muriel Porter explains how the mainstream Anglican Church in Australia is influenced by the ideological agendas of its largest and richest diocese, Sydney. Over the past few decades, Sydney Anglicans have increasingly modelled themselves on the sixteenth-century English Puritans. They have radically altered church services, relentlessly opposed all attempts to extend full equality to women in the Church, and joined forces with conservative Anglicans worldwide to prevent the blessing of same-sex partnerships and the ordination of gay people. Under leadership of the charismatic Jensen brothers - Peter, the Archbishop of Sydney, and his brother Philip the Dean - they diocese poses a growing threat to mainstream Anglicanism. The New Puritanism explores the impact of Sydney Anglicans on the Church in Australia and internationally. |
| Christianity's dangerous idea: The Protestant Revolution, a history fromt he sixteenth century to the twenty-first, Alister McGrath. SPCK, 2007, £14.99. McGrath explores the inner identity of the Protestant movement and its implications for ther religious future of humanity. The 'dangerous idea' lying at the heart of Protestantism is that every individual has the right and responsibility to interpret the Bible. With no overarching authority to rein in 'wayward' thought, opposing sides on controversial issues appeal to the same text, yet interpret it in different ways. The spread of this principle had led to five hundred years of remarkable innovation and adaptability - but also to cultural incoherence and instability. In three major sections this book explores the history of the movement, engages with the distinctive features of Protestant belief and practice, and offers a provocative assessment of Protestantism's glorious future. |
CHURCHES TOGETHER BOOKSHOP/Siop Lyfrau Eglwysi Ynghyd Telephone: (029) 20227736 Fax: (029) 20225190 Email: admin@ctbooks.org.uk