Joel James Shuman

Befriending the North Wind

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“I can think of no higher praise for Robyn Boeré's Befriending the North Wind than to say it is a lovely book, not simply because of the effortlessness with which the author writes about the stories of George McDonald, but also because of the opportunity she affords readers to change the way they see and speak about life and death, not just of children but also of themselves. By drawing on the stories of Jesus and children in the Gospels and Saint Paul's use of familial metaphors to describe the relationship of the baptized to the triune God, Boeré makes the daring claim that "childness is humanness." Recognizing the moral agency of children opens the possibility of seeing them not simply as capable of shaping their own living and dying, but as exemplars of dying well. Insofar as the goal of Christian discipleship is to live as a child of God, she concludes, "we should all die as children."”

Priest, Prophet, Pilgrim

Arts & Literature

“Wendell Berry and Cormac McCarthy are two of our most important writers. In this fine book, Todd Edmondson shows the ways in which the work of both is shaped by a careful consideration of Christian spirituality. Edmondson's development of a creation-embracing theology of spirituality, along with his thoughtful analysis of these writers' work, make Priest, Prophet, Pilgrim a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of theology and literature.”

Procreative Ethics

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Fritz Oehlschlaeger has written a remarkable book that needs to be read by everyone with a stake in moral questions at life's beginning. Displaying theological and philosophical sophistication as well as a profound wisdom, these arguments must be taken seriously by those who agree with Oeschlaeger as well as those who do not.”