Arthur J. Dewey

Being Moved by Moving Words

Philosophy

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Historical Afterlives of Jesus

History & Biography

“In this remarkable collection of essays, Historical Afterlives of Jesus challenges us to move beyond a fixed understanding of Jesus, to take up a long-range exploration through time and space, engaging with traditions and experiences far outside Christian borders. In doing so, we slowly begin to realize that Jesus is no longer embalmed in doctrinal winding sheets; he has slipped ecclesial control and continues his walkabout on this fragile planet.”

Interfaith Afterlives of Jesus

World Religions

“In this second volume of Afterlives each essay is a journey to the outback. Inviting readers to accompany them on a variety of treks into the interior, the authors dare readers to leave behind the traditional take on Jesus and to explore with them the possibilities of seeing Jesus in a variety of afterlives. Jesus indeed has leaked out and belongs to the earth. Each new encounter, delivering a telling insight into that ‘eccentric Jew,’ offers a startling vision and ethic of ecological care for our planet.”

Sound Mapping the New Testament, Second Edition

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Noting the burgeoning scholarship on sound analysis as well as the surrounding relevant critical advances, Lee and Scott double down on their compelling argument that historical criticism has been seriously flawed by its inability to detect the full resonance and texture of New Testament texts. Just as the arrival of sound utterly transformed the silent world of film, so Sound Mapping radically deepens the way biblical interpreters detect the texture of the material.”

That We May Be One

Church Leadership & Ministry

“In this frenzied and fractured time, the clamor of discontent seems to be the echo chamber of our days. Gary Agee’s That We May Be One stands resolute in offering to the churches a distinctive voice and creative alternative to the usual zero-sum battles of our culture. Agee recognizes that the church has fallen under the old imperial standard: we live at the expense of others. To seek genuine unity, to discover what Paul intimated to the early communities, to experience fellowship with those we would discount, entails the risk of asking how it is with those beyond our comfort zone. By sharing his own humbling experience of seeking unity as well as wisely providing a rich array of resources, Agee invites us to discover that the desire to be one intimately ties the depths of divine life with the entangled reality of our life together on this planet.”

The Mystery of God and Suffering

Theology

“In The Mystery of God and Suffering: Lament, Trust, and Awe, Kenneth R. Overberg delivers a triple epitome. First, he cuts to the quick, honestly confronting the experience of suffering and engaging the agonizing shocks of a sadistic God, the vertigo of abandonment, and the prospect of ultimate nothingness. Second, he opens a vein of gold, prospected by prophets and sages, a minority report of hope and solidarity, a current of life invigorating the words and deeds of Jesus, all charged with the conviction that the pulse of compassion beats deeper than despair and that trust unlocks the heart of the universe. Third, in this recapitulation of his lifelong efforts, Overberg embeds this inspiring vision in our daily lives and dilemmas. His conversation with a diversity of voices (from Job and Scotus to Johnson, Teilhard, Wink, and Rahner) offers us numerous ways in which we can face, lament, and reimagine our pain. We are left to wonder about a God who never ceases to hold us most dear.”

The Wisdom of Jesus

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Charles Hedrick's The Wisdom of Jesus presents a major advancement in the quest for the voiceprint of the historical Jesus. Resolute and focused, this study builds critically and with nuance on the monumental work of the Jesus Seminar. . . . He invites readers to realize that while a detailed biography of Jesus is no longer possible, precisely from the fragments of a complex tradition a shrewd artisan's wisdom can be encountered.”

Unmasking Biblical Faiths

Apologetics

“Charles Hedrick’s Unmasking Biblical Faiths is a refreshingly sustained journey into the interior . . . He patiently presents what many would assume to be ‘God’s truth’ coming from the pages of scripture and then discloses that there are other ways of reading that very material. Adept in rigors of biblical criticism, Hedrick demonstrates that reason, science, and modern experience must share in the interpretive discussion. Otherwise, the bible reader lapses into a mindless acceptance of traditions that may well end in isolation from and violence towards the world.”