Wayne McCown

Signs of the Times

Church Leadership & Ministry

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Talking the Walk

Theology

“Words serve as the ‘coin of the realm’ in the Information Age. As such, they sometimes get dropped in the dirt and wear out. They also get spent on the wrong things. Sometimes, considered worthless, they get thrown away. In her latest book, Talking the Walk, Marva Dawn bemoans the underuse, misuse, overuse, and abuse of theological words. In this theological wordbook, Dawn’s concern is not with abstract concepts, but the lived experiences of faith. Her considerable learning shines through, but she speaks more from her heart than her head. As one who has traveled across many geographical and denominational boundaries, she has observed frequently and firsthand the shabby treatment accorded the traditional language of the church. She recoils with pain, and pleads for the restoration of words that carry deep meaning for the Christian faith. Although I am one of her erstwhile teachers, I do not agree with all of Dawn’s answers. But I do appreciate the questions she raises about the meaning of the words we use and don’t use in the contemporary church. This is a book worth reading… and thinking about.”

Transfiguration and Hope

Theology

“Van Dussen has produced an easy-to-read but substantive book. The transfiguration of Jesus is treated as a ‘symbol of hope’ for the Christian's transformation into the likeness of Christ. While Van Dussen quotes widely from various Protestant and Catholic sources, he notes that transfiguration is ‘at the forefront’ in Eastern Orthodoxy, which he cites most frequently alongside his own Wesleyan tradition.”