D. Stephen Long

The Apathetic God

Theology

“The doctrine of God's apatheia may be one of the most misunderstood and wrongly castigated doctrines among contemporary theologians. Theology needs some sober reflection upon it. Castelo charts well why we have so misunderstood the doctrine and then draws on biblical and patristic sources to help counter modern misunderstandings. All this is an important contribution in itself, but what makes this work truly significant is the final chapter where he shows why impassibility matters for a robust pneumatology that leads to faithful Christian discipleship. Far from producing a static, supposedly Hellenized deity, Castelo convincingly argues that the doctrine of impassibility is necessary for God's action in the world and our participation in it. This is an important work.”

The Fall of Interpretation

Theology

“In the hands of the unskilled or unwise, hermeneutics can be dangerous, fueling a blaze of apocalyptic fire where interpretation dissolves creaturely goodness into a relativistic morass. Nonetheless, as Smith persuasively argues, interpretation is inevitable. To reject it for 'immediacy' is to close one's eyes to the obvious. Smith shows how hermeneutics emerges not from our sinfulness but from our creaturely goodness. This second edition guides the reader along Smith's own path, resisting the 'emergent' temptation in favor of 'catholic' substance.”

The Good Life

Christian Living

“A splendid theological analysis of everyday life for people who live ordinary, middle-class realities. McCarthy illumines everyday life with beautiful interpretations of scripture and the creed. He is clearly the best theologian today writing on the vocation of parenting and neighborly existence.”

The Limits of Liberal Democracy

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“This is a timely and well-crafted book that should be read by anyone concerned with the church or U. S. politics. Neoconservatism is in disarray. Progressive liberalism is increasingly strident and reactionary. The denizens of both parties in the 'culture' wars look and sound increasingly similar. In such a climate, Moore gives us something fresh. By drawing on the work of Richard Neuhaus and Michael Baxter, he invites us into a 'new typology' that could move the church beyond the routinizedcategories that led to the opposition to First Thing's End of Democracy symposium and Baxter's appointment to the theology department at Notre Dame. He exposes the 'limits of liberal democracy' in the nation, the university and the church. Along the way he offers excellent insights into marriage, abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia and homosexuality, and then invites us to consider an 'extraordinary politics' grounded in hospitality where 'liberal' is a virtue of openness groundedin the good rather than a procedure to police thought. Anyone genuinely interested in a truthful relation between theology and politics must read this book.”

The Son Who Learned Obedience

Theology

“How shall we read Scripture well when it proclaims that the Son learned obedience? Some answers to that question take Christianity in new and misguided directions both in doctrine and ethics. Butner’s rejoinder to the modern doctrine of eternal functional subordination is a biblically sound and doctrinally rich guide that shows the direction to a more faithful answer. . . . Anyone tempted by, or interested in, the theological and ethical implications of this new teaching should take this book to heart and digest it carefully.”

Work Out Your Salvation

Theology

“Butner's theology of the market is a risky endeavor. Previous attempts fall into serious theological error by sacralizing the market, instrumentalizing the Trinity, or invoking "common grace" to justify existing social relations. With judicious insight, Butner avoids these errors and produces a remarkable achievement--a theology of the market that helps us reconsider its place in the divine economy. Combining in-depth knowledge of economics and theology, this work is a must-read for anyone who works in the intersection of faith and business.”