Douglas John Hall

Between Cross and Resurrection

Theology

“In this splendid, lucid, and refreshingly original work Alan Lewis does for Christian scholarship and faith what Ernest Becker in The Denial of Death did for social psychology: evoking what is best in the received tradition, he makes it speak to the life-and-death realities of the human condition here and now. One feels that it is not accidental that both Becker and Lewis were conscious of writing their seminal studies in the valley of the shadow of death. Such combinations of wisdom and courage are seldom achieved elsewhere. Between Cross and Resurrection is a 'must' for all who sense in the tradition Luther named theologia cruces a viable and timely alternative both to the cynicism and one-dimensionality of contemporary worldliness and to the outmoded triumphalism of a languishing religiosity. With his imaginative use of the symbol of Easter Saturday, Lewis describes a wonderfully nuanced gospel that never asks the reader to suppress the negating aspects of creaturely existence in order to affirm the essential goodness of a world beloved of its Creator.”

Church at a Crossroads

Church Leadership & Ministry

Foreword

“Readers of Neal MacPherson's book will find both encouragement and practical help in his depiction of this remarkable congregation.”

Confessions of a Christian Humanist

Theology

“This lucid and engaging book is a much-needed testimony to the fact that true faith, Christianly understood, is about being human, not about being 'religious.' Drawing upon his own extensive experience of being a Christian teacher in a falsely but officially 'Christian' social context (Apartheid), de Gruchy presents a vision of Christian humanism that is as pertinent to our North American context as to his own – possibly even more pertinent, because the dominant forms of Christian belief among us are about being religious, and often with a vengeance!”

Contemporary Christologies

Theology

“Surveys succeed when they illuminate the character of a given historical epoch and inspire readers to explore the original works they examine. Most surveys, in my experience, fail on both counts. They fail spectacularly when they function as substitutes for their own primary sources. Professor Schweitzer's book seems to me an exception. His generalizations about the post-War period in Christological thought are well worth contemplating; and his brief, interesting introductions to the thinkers whom he has chosen to study ought certainly to send his readers to the originals.”

Crossing the Divide

Theology

“Deanna Thompson's book is a valuable contribution to the growing literature of dialogue between Luther's theologia crucis and Christian feminism. Though entirely sympathetic with feminist critiques of much cross-centered theology and piety, the author feels that feminists can find in the Luther who opposes all triumphalist religion an unexpected ally.”

Does God Always Get What God Wants?

Theology

“Made real and deeply moving by his own experience of life’s limits, Tim Reddish has written a thoughtful account of the problem of human suffering and the Christian response to it. This book is well-informed by some of the best treatments of the subject in contemporary literature. It is written in a clear and readable manner, and should serve Christian and non-Christian discussion groups admirably.”

Dorothee Soelle - Mystic and Rebel

History & Biography

“Dorothee Soelle was one of the most evocative (and provocative!) voices in the Christian theological discourse of our era. Influenced by some of the leading thinkers of the 20th century (Gogarten, Kaesemann, Buber, Heidegger and others), and shocked into action by the post-war revelations about her nation and society, Soelle realized more than most that the 'theology of the cross' is a political theology. Renate Wind's biography, in this excellent translation, is a much-needed and lucid guide to the works of this inspired and fearless Christian witness.”

Ethics in the Community of Promise

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“In this luminous and wonderfully readable discussion of Christian ethics in our complex, pluralistic, and 'post-modern' culture, James Childs combines theological sagacity and practical, moral wisdom in a unique and evocative way. Professor Childs' profound appreciation for the Protestant heritage and his engaged involvement in the struggles of the contemporary church have enabled him to produce a work that will be of immense help to congregations, pastors, and students of theology seeking ways into the future beyond today's religious conflicts and moral confusions.”

Experiences of God

Theology

“[Moltmann] writes in a rather personal way about his own pilgrimage of belief, conscious always of the world events which were and are the context of his journey.... In a society where 'true believer' variety of Christianity has come to dominate, Moltmann's reflections are a refreshing restatement of authentic biblical and Reformation faith.”

Giving to God

Work, Money & Leadership

“This is a wonderfully readable book on a subject that ought to have priority in the thinking of not only Christians but all human beings on our much-threatened planet. Mark Powell's prose is full of fascinating anecdotes and allusions, making it immediately accessible to the reader. But it is also based on a biblically and theologically informed wisdom that speaks to the most pressing challenges of church and society in our time.”

Leisure Resurrected

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Half a century ago I sat in the lectures of Josef Pieper in Munster/Westphalia. You could buy his book, Leisure: The Basis of Culture, in drugstores, yet in those heady activist days, only a handful of students attended his long, learned lectures. But maybe the worm of history has turned! Jeffrey Crittenden’s book makes one think so—and gladly!”

Remembering Faithfully Forward

Bible Studies & Devotionals

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Salvation Story

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Using the mimetic theory of Rene Girard, and basing his discussion on illuminating biblical texts, David Froemming invites us to rethink 'the salvation story' in an intriguing way that can both reveal and transform the human condition and enliven the Christian witness. It is an honor to commend his work.”

Shalom Church

Church Leadership & Ministry

“It is encouraging to those of us who have tried so hard to believe in the 'reality' of the church and work for its 'realization' that new voices have taken up that challenge today and are addressing the religious situation in North America and the world with imagination, zest, and hope. I am delighted to commend Craig Nessan's thoughtful book, and I hope that it will be read widely and attentively throughout the churches.”

Sin

Theology

“Despite its awesome reality in public and private life, sin is a misunderstood and unpopular theme in North American churches and society today. Peters's book goes a long way toward correcting that situation. He writes forcefully and with an insider's awareness of the context he addresses. He rescues sin from its captivity by sex and puts it back where it belongs — at the center of our lives and at the heart of God's redeeming grace!”

The Children of Divorce

Church Leadership & Ministry

“This fascinating study argues that the pain experienced by children of divorced parents cannot be healed by legal, psychological, 'religious,' or other techniques. An affliction that attacks the ontological foundations of the self can only be assuaged by the acquisition of new sources of being. And so Root probes how the Christian faith and community can help locate these sources. He demonstrates an unusual combination of human compassion and theological wisdom.”

The Collar

Arts & Literature

“Like every professional, the minister inherits images he or she did not create and may or may not want to project. Some of these images persist well beyond the epochs that shaped them. A few are positive, even heroic; many are negative and demeaning. Not only for those directly involved in the vocation, but for all who try to understand what the church has been and is, it is good to sort out these sometimes 'graven' images. And what better way of doing that than by considering the great stories in which clergy have some degree of prominence.”

The Neo-Orthodox Theology of W. W. Bryden

History & Biography

“Walter Bryden, whose students remember him as an inspiring teacher and provocative exponent of Christian faith at a critical time in Canadian church history, has suffered the fate of many Canadians: neglect by his own countrymen. Vissers' lucid and well-documented study of this important Protestant scholar will help greatly to re-establish Bryden's place in the evolution of Christian theology in the Canadian context.”

The Way of Peace

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“This is a comprehensive, timely, and inspired meditation on the meaning of peace in Christian belief. Professor Childs has brought to his study of the subject not only a profound grasp of theology and ethics but a lifetime of engagement in the struggles of both church and society for a peace that not only heals human alienation but provides a spiritual matrix for the attainment of meaning and mutuality. It is a splendid book!”

Waiting at the Foot of the Cross

Theology

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)