Simon Woodman

God, Order, and Chaos

Theology

“In the Wake of heated debates surrounding the understanding of violence in various models of the atonement, Stephen Finamore offers an insightful analysis of the violent and chaotic plague sequences of the Book of Revelation. Through careful engagement with the biblical text, and creative engagement with the work of Rene Girard the enthroned 'lamb that was slaughtered' emerges as the decisive witness to the non-violent kingdom of God breaking into human history and offering an alternative to the cycles of violence which otherwise dominate human culture.”

Holy Communion in Contagious Times

Preaching & Worship

“Sometimes it takes a crisis, sometimes a new technology, to drive the church of Christ forwards. In 2020, we had both on a global scale. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the opportunities of near-universal access to the internet created a context in which congregations and their leaders had to address afresh the question of what it means to break bread and share wine in remembrance of Christ’s death. The dance between pragmatism and theology lasted eighteen months, with the lead swapping between these partners. In this book, Richard Burridge traces the developments in praxis and theory across a range of traditions, rooted in the deep question of what it means for the people of God to gather at the table of Christ. As congregations return to their buildings, and as pastors and priests resume their sacramental positions, the questions explored in this book have not disappeared, and Burridge offers some tantalizing challenges about the nature of gathering in a post-pandemic, internet-enabled age.”