Kathleen D. (Kadi) Billman

Agapic Anger

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Jan Schnell's timely argument in Agapic Anger is grounded in ethical and biblical reflection, enriched by the practical wisdom of four women community organizers and written especially for those whose gendered experience can lure them to 'quail or quit' in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Schnell argues persuasively that anger arising from the cry for a more just and loving world, disciplined by specific practices of reflection and action and supported by community, can be a healing and liberating force for personal and social transformation.”

Following Jesus

Christian Living

“Following Jesus is the fruit of a faithful pastor’s life of following a Jesus who is not a ‘doctrinal abstraction’ but a living presence, who transforms human hearts and calls followers into communities to bear witness to Jesus’s liberating, loving, and justice-making work. This is both devotional reading and a manifesto for Christian action, grounded in careful biblical interpretation, years of faithful pastoral practice, and resistance to Christian hypocrisies of many kinds.”

Lay Pastoral Care

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Deeply grounded in the authors' experiences developing and nurturing lay pastoral care ministry, Lay Pastoral Care: A Narrative Approach is a must­ read book for anyone who is com­mitted to cocreating life­ giving networks of care in congrega­tions. The most profound value of this book, which is rich in practical resources and tools, is the clarity of the theological and psychological convictions that situate lay pastoral care in the mission of the church. The text is animated by the authors' down­ to­ earth descriptions of the attitudes and choices that enable diverse expressions of lay pastoral­ care networks to grow and thrive. I hope this book will be required reading for all who are responsible to equip the priesthood of all believers for ministries of care in the congregation and in the world.”

Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals

Church Leadership & Ministry

“This book conveys a mighty vision! It offers a way of conceptualizing the relationship between ritual and pastoral care that is vital and integrated, as well as concrete strategies for helping persons connect the narratives of their lives with the divine narrative. Both challenging and accessible, accessible, it could be use fruitfully in the congregation as well as in the seminary classroom.”

Songs in My Head

Counseling, Grief & Mental Health

“Because Jo Ann Post paid attention to the songs in her head, what often lies so mysteriously interlaced--anger and humor, lament and hope, letting go and holding on, death and resurrection--is narrated with clarity and grace. This is a book I will eagerly give to people who seek to sustain faith, hope, and resilience in the face of serious illness, and also to those who accompany them.”