Ralph C. Wood

A Chorus of Faith

History & Biography

“These fourteen essays honoring Vigen Guroian show how his re-invigoration of Orthodox faith and life exceeds that of any other American theologian than Alexander Schmemann. They cover the full extent of his work—from ecology and gardening to children’s books and liturgics, as well as personal friendships. The chapters devoted to Guroian’s treatment of marriage and sexuality are especially strong. There is no better place to encounter afresh the life and work of this remarkable man.”

A Fellowship of Baptism

Theology

“Even the most vigorous of Karl Barth enthusiasts often remain perplexed at his late turn concerning baptism, as he rejected infant baptism in favor of believers' baptism. In this masterly study of Barth on baptism, Tracey Stout demonstrates that Barth's drastic shift was not made in opposition to Christian sacramentalism so much as for the sake of Christian freedom, most especially for the liberty of the church. For Barth, it is only when the entire Body of Christ makes its intentional witness to the world that it can become God's truly confessional community. Stout's treatment of this crucial matter will thus garner the interest of students and professors, of pastors and laypeople alike.”

Baylor at the Crossroads

History & Biography

“As its chief academic officer, Donald Schmeltekopf presided over the transformation of Baylor University from a regional school known chiefly for its undergraduate teaching into an international research university known also for its integration of firm Christian faith with rigorous academic research. Schmeltekopf's memoirs of his years as the Baylor provost provide excellent insight into this revolutionary event.”

Colin Gunton and the Failure of Augustine

Theology

“"Brad Green set out to vindicate Colin Gunton's revolutionary critique of Augustine-namely, that he is a proto-Unitarian who imports the ancient Greek emphasis on the One into his own doctrine of the Trinity. Instead Green came to see, in ways that others have not, that Gunton is quite wrongheaded in tracing our modern and post-modern ills to an alleged monergism in Augustine. Far from failing to emphasize the communal character of the Trinity--allegedly denying the insights of the Cappadocians in this matter--Augustine has a robust doctrine of the three Persons as dwelling in utterly self-offering community. In his carefully argued and lucidly written dissertation, Green shows that Augustine's Trinitarian communalism--especially as it engaged ancient pagan culture--offers the real antidote to the perilous individualism that is the chief legacy of the Enlightenment.”

Flannery O’Connor and Stylistic Asceticism

Arts & Literature

“Rachel Toombs’s splendid new book constitutes a veritable breakthrough in our understanding of Flannery O’Connor’s fiction. Until now, no one has discerned why O’Connor’s flat, declarative sentences are as plain and direct as pistol shots. As in the Jacob narratives of the Old Testament, such stylistic asceticism at once startles and entices. It confronts readers with the drastic character of divine action, healing even as it wounds. Toombs’s achievement is remarkable indeed.”

Jean Danielou’s Doxological Humanism

Theology

“Marc Nicholas's superb study of Jean Danielou demonstrates that our modern, cultural melancholy derives largely from our saintlessness. Yet a surpassing joy awaits all who are willing to embrace the saintly life of prayer and contemplation as Danielou envisions it. Far from being escapist and otherworldly, Nicholas reveals that a liturgical existence is profoundly political. Christian saints humanize the city of man, he shows, by building the city of God in our midst.”

Prisoner of Conscience

Theology

“Against the standard reading of Bunyan as a modern subjectivist, Galen Johnson shows that the great Dissenter constantly resorted to ancient Christian tradition, to both biblical and doctrinal objectivity, to a strict privileging of the Christian community over solitary faith, even to the sacraments. In sum, a revolutionary book for Bunyan studies and the contemporary church alike.”

Recovering Consolation

Arts & Literature

“In exalting Sam Gamgee as the true hero of The Lord of the Rings—after all, Frodo finally fails to destroy the Sauronic ring of coercive power—Greg Maillet has produced a refreshing new study of what may one day be regarded as the twentieth century’s most important book. It is no small praise to say of Recovering Consolation that it should be read as it is written—devotionally.”

The Battle for Middle-earth

Arts & Literature

“Fleming Rutledge writes about the moral and theological life of The Lord of the Rings with immense verve and insight. She inhabits the world of Middle-earth from the inside, linking the characters who play out its cosmic drama with the narrative world of Scripture, showing how they have the power both to illuminate our times and to transform our lives.”

The Forgotten Faith

Theology

“This fine primer on the moral and spiritual life is no venture in ecumenical neutrality. Simply, clearly, personally, but never polemically, LeMasters lays out the basic doctrines and practices of the Orthodox East. Thus does he demonstrate why, especially here in the West, it should not become a forgotten [form] but a vital form of Christian faith.”

The Way into Narnia

Arts & Literature

“In his clear book-by-book analysis of the Narnia Chronicles, Peter Schakel interprets them not as heavy-handed allegories but as sprightly fairy tales. . . Schakel also offers more than forty pages of immensely helpful annotations that illuminate obscure terms and historical allusions; this added blessing is itself worth the price of the book.”

Why, God?

Christian Living

“This book is for those who are appalled by easy answers to the problem of senseless pain: 'God wills it. You will benefit from it. Everything happens for a reason.' Maggie Cupit and her grandfather Ed Henderson--college student and college professor--reject such banalities. Instead, they confront the God whose creation entails chance and accident, whose crucified Son invites interrogation, whose sustaining presence bears them and everyone else through the dark night of divine absence.”

Working with Words

Theology

“They range wide and deep, offering both priestly affirmation and prophetic critique. Writing as always in his distinctively Christian voice, Hauerwas helps his audience to cease mumbling and fumbling about the Gospel and the Church. Indeed, he leaves us without excuse for speaking anything other than Christian.”