Tom Beaudoin

Clothing: Compass: Christian Explorations of Daily Living

Christian Living

“Michele Saracino has written a unique 'spirituality of dress,' one that is lively, inventive, and humorous. It is also well connected to the psychological, spiritual, and ethical difficulties that many people find themselves in today regarding 'what to wear.' In her focus on vulnerability, she shows how theology can contribute rich and practical ideas to the larger cultural conversation. It is a high compliment to say that Saracino is a most helpful fashion guide for Christians and other seekers.”

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Theology

“This is practical theology for the U.S. Catholic context, where the margins are an increasingly crowded and--as this book shows--theologically rich place.”

Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Joyce Ann Mercer, Horace Bushnell Professor of Christian Nurture Yale Divinity School “For two decades, this book has been a must-read in theological education, and it remains so. Anderson and Foley open a discerning, accessible door into narrative and ritual that remains as welcoming as ever to a new generation of students who care about the way communities creatively sustain a faith heritage that is genuinely responsive to life events, so that everyone’s story has a place.”

Nurturing Different Dreams

Children & Youth

“The dominant ministerial and educational networks of American religion are just beginning to come to terms with the ways 'whiteness' structures what is thinkable and doable. This frank and readable book marks a robustly creative and theologically important turn in the conversation and should be read by white pastoral workers in and beyond the mainline denominations.”

Out on Waters

“Many teachers of religious traditions are caught between wanting to retain young adults as active members, and encouraging them to decide for themselves, even if that means distancing from an inherited religious heritage. James Nagle’s fresh and inventive approach to religious education shows what it’s like to commit to working from the inside of young adults’ accounts of their waymaking, and makes an important case for the power of teacher-student interactions as younger generations manage religious identities in a world where old assumptions about religious affiliation no longer hold. This book asks religious educators to check assumptions about affiliation—and to be open to new ways of imagining belonging and not belonging.”

Playful, Glad, and Free

Theology

“Eberhard Jüngel once described Karl Barth as the happiest theologian of our age. But the playfulness of Barth's theology has never fully been explored—until now. In this wonderfully alert and exuberant study, Jessica DeCou develops a full-blown Barthian theology of popular culture. Drawing on Barth's understanding of work and play, she argues that the theologian's job is to play with popular culture in a way that respects the proper freedom and limits of cultural production. This is not only a creative and exciting new reading of Barth, but also an invitation to a more rigorous and more generous engagement with the everyday materials of popular culture.” —Benjamin Myers Charles Sturt University, Sydney, Australia “Jessica DeCou's work is a rare combination of sustained theological ingenuity, a discerning eye for pop culture illustration, and an engaging appreciation for comedy. Serious yet highly readable, for scholars and for students.”

Stepping Stones to a Higher Vision

“To read Joseph Schultz is to hear the voice of a wise teacher. Decades of bringing Jewish spirituality into dialogue with other forms of life have made Schultz a compelling guide to what Judaism’s mystical traditions offer a diverse world. I hear and admire the voice of my former professor—as vibrant as ever—in this book. He reads the Jewish past with heart and insight for a humane way of life today.”