Brian D. McLaren

Bible, Gender, Sexuality

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Jim Brownson has written what I believe is a 'game-changing' book on the hotly disputed topic of same-sex orientation and relationships in light of the Bible. He approaches the biblical texts with no less care and respect than the most conservative or traditional scholars, but he makes overt and clear what many seem unconscious of — the moral logic that operates in a text. By surfacing and grappling with that moral logic, Brownson can explore the why behind the what of biblical prohibitions. In so doing, he provides not only a masterful work on human sexuality in light of Scripture, but also a model for the kind of robust and faithful biblical hermeneutic that our churches desperately need at this point in our history.”

Bitten by a Camel

Christian Living

“This is a beautiful, honest, wise and liberating book that reflects the soul of its author. Anyone would enjoy Bitten by a Camel for its pitch-perfect prose and humane honesty, but people from the Evangelical background Kent and I share will find it more than enjoyable. For them, it will feel like a lifeboat after a shipwreck, a cure for a chronic disease, or a path through a forest where you've been lost for a long time.”

Border Dance

Christian Living

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Branded Faith

Evangelism & Missions

Foreword

“Kumar Dixit loves the church, and he's in it up to his elbows-pastoring, leading, studying, thinking. He has correctly identified one of the truly pivotal issues the church must face this century, and he writes with clarity and passion to help Christians, church leaders, and denominational leaders move wisely into action.”

Brief Christian Histories

History & Biography

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Building Bridges

History & Biography

“Many think of Letha Dawson Scanzoni above all as a feminist, and that is no doubt legitimate. But I think of her first and foremost as a courageous biblical interpreter, because when I was a young evangelical, I watched her take the same biblical texts that the (white male) evangelical gatekeepers used to oppress others and instead use them to liberate. I admired her courage to differ from the gatekeepers, having no idea that I would eventually walk that same path. This book tells Letha's story and celebrates her impact. I highly recommend it.”

Catching Hope

Christian Living

“Like every good fisherman, Pete Nunnally is a great storyteller, and each chapter of this book is full of adventurous, humorous, and delightful stories. That would be a good enough reason to read Catching Hope, but Nunnally always adds some deeper insight into why we're here, what we're searching for--and that deeper insight makes this book an unforgettable catch. Highly recommended!”

Challenging the Church Monster

Church Leadership & Ministry

“If Bixby is right, when people complain about 'organized religion,' they're really complaining about 'over organized' or 'poorly organized' religion. If that diagnosis rings true, savor the wise and practical insights offered in this helpful, needed, concise, and well-written book.”

Chasing the Wind

Philosophy

“Neil Williams believes something well worth believing: that the Christian faith can change for the better, to help us live lives worth living. He explores the importance of disruption, the nature of games, and how stories, people, and religions can evolve. We need insightful and courageous writers like Neil at this critical moment. I highly recommend Chasing the Wind.”

Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus

Church Leadership & Ministry

“With all the creative planning, programming, theologizing and dreaming that's been happening for youth and adults, there has been too little fresh thinking about ministry with children. Thankfully, that's changing--and this book is prime evidence of that good news. If you're ready to venture into new horizons in children's ministry, start reading. You'll find well-written chapters full of wise insight--and you'll be inspired to be part of a new era in the spiritual formation of children.”

Children’s Ministry That Fits

Children & Youth

Afterword

(wrote the afterword)

Christianity for the Rest of Us

Church Leadership & Ministry

“What a delightful, encouraging, and informative book! This book not only presents ten characteristics shared by vital progressive congregations, it also situates these characteristics in the context of recent American religious history. As a result, the book provides a rare combination - both practical guidance for church leaders and a thoughtful rationale for why those guidelines matter. Highly recommended!”

Church Camp

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“If I could trade attending church fifty-two times a year and attending church camp for one week per year, I'm pretty sure I'd pick camp. That's how powerful camp experience was in my spiritual and human upbringing. But it would not be the kind of camp I grew up with. It would be the kind of camp Cara Meredith points to in her book Church Camp. This book tells the truth about what's wrong with conventional Christian camps while celebrating the undiscovered promise camping holds for those who dare to seize it.”

Colossians Remixed

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Colossians Remixed is a book I've been waiting for eagerly; it's a tasty sample of postmodern engagement with a biblical text. It will provide a fascinating and readable entry into Colossians--and deeper into the essential message of Jesus and Paul. And in the process, it will expose readers to evocative and challenging new ways of reading and interpreting both Scripture and our culture.”

Confronting Religious Denial of Gay Marriage

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Catherine Wallace is a force of nature. She is brilliant, persuasive, compassionate, and wise. Her new book in the Confronting Fundamentalism series addresses the issue of gay marriage. She does so with such clarity, directness, and zest that it's hard to imagine anyone reading this book without being challenged to understand LGBTQ identity--and marriage--afresh and anew.”

Cracking the Pot

Christian Living

“Honest doubt and disillusionment are commonplace. Dishonest faith and untested hope are widespread. But honest faith and tested hope--they are rare and precious indeed, and you will find them in this new book by Christine Berghoef. She represents a new generation of emerging Christian leaders who lead with transparency and inspire by authenticity. Highly recommended!”

Crisis and Care

Work, Money & Leadership

“In times of crisis, some people clench fists. Others open hands and arms and hearts. In this collection of warm, insightful, and engaging essays on Christian philanthropy, leaders at the intersection of crisis and care offer analysis and imagination, a powerful combination. We need to analyze what's working well and what's not, and we need to imagine how our philanthropy can be not only responsive to present needs but also transformative to build a better future. Thanks to the authors and editors for this important collection.”

Cross Vision

Theology

“Many people are leaving religion entirely because they keep hearing God’s name used to justify mass killing, torture, and other forms of violence. The only ethical option, they feel, is to reject the whole God project because, like a radioactive substance, 'God' is too easily weaponized. In Cross Vision, Gregory A. Boyd demonstrates how Christians who use a conservative approach to biblical interpretation can detoxify their understanding of God and rediscover God as most fully and beautifully imaged in a nonviolent man who loved all, hated none, and brought healing rather than harm wherever he went.”

Crossing Boundaries, Redefining Faith

“If you want to understand the phenomenon called 'Emerging Church' in North America, I can't recommend a better place to start than Crossing Boundaries, Redefining Faith. It offers a variety of perspectives from a variety of disciplines, and it draws from a solid bank of observation and interaction with a wide variety of sample congregations. As an added bonus, Crossing Boundaries, Redefining Faith will introduce you to some gifted younger scholars and writers whose work you will want to follow in the future.”

Dangerous Songs

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Richard Bruxvoort Colligan has lived with the Psalms his whole life, and he has wrestled with them on many levels (like Jacob wrestling the angel)--as a Christian, a musician, a leader, a human being. In Dangerous Songs, you'll be invited into what the Psalms have taught him, why they matter, how they work, and how they can guide you into a life of thriving, even in grief, despair, fury, and bewilderment.”