defining love: a philosophical, scientific, and theological engagement – by thomas jay oord

points, but the book provides a helpful overview for readerswith some background on the subject.

Raymond J. VanArragonBethel University

TheologySPIRITUALITY AND AGING. By Robert C. Atchley. Bal-timore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2009. Pp. xiii +199. $45.00.

Integrating his scholarship and personal experience ofover thirty years, Atchley, an established expert in the fieldof aging and spirituality, makes a convincing case forexpanding our understanding of spirituality in order toappreciate it as an important aspect of human developmentand as a rich resource for people in the aging process. Whenspirituality is tied exclusively to religion, the result is a“conceptual narrowness” that obscures the fact that it is anarea of human experience. As such, spirituality relates toeveryone, independent of any religious affiliation or faithtradition. His objective is to treat spirituality “as a subject inits own right and to expand the view of spirituality to matchthe richness and complexity that it has in the everydayworlds of many middle-aged and older people.” As an emeri-tus professor of gerontology, Atchley has the credentials toargue that “our empirical, conceptual and analytical capaci-ties must be augmented by humanistic capacities such ascontemplation, rumination, imagination, and intuition.” Forhim, only a broad range of methods can encompass the pos-sibilities of spirituality and aging. With clarity and insight,he supplements a substantive, theoretical treatment of thenature of spirituality and spiritual development with well-detailed case histories and interviewee quotes. Understand-ing Atchley’s spiritual perspective on aging will benefitreaders both inside and outside of academia.

Wilkie AuLoyola Marymount University

RESHAPING ECUMENICAL THEOLOGY: THECHURCH MADE WHOLE? By Paul Avis. New York: T & TClark International, 2010. Pp. x + 209. $34.95.

Seasoned Anglican ecclesiologist and ecumenist Avisexplores the church’s future after a decade of participating inefforts toward full visible church unity across different Chris-tian traditions. Reshaping Ecumenical Theology collateshis recently delivered papers on why the Church remainsdivided, and how rethinking ecumenical theology entailsfollowing new paths in its method, and by means of “thehermeneutics of unity.” He also discusses the issues of deep-ening reception, maintaining confessions, following the epis-copacy, administering the sacraments, and facing the newchallenge of human sexual ethics, concluding with a theologi-cal treatment of a Johannine model of mystical, visible, andmissiological ecclesiology. Despite the eclectic nature of thispublication and (hence) its repetitiveness, the work contrib-

utes to ecumenical rethinking in at least three respects. First,it offers a simple and largely nontechnical review of suc-cesses, failures, and pitfalls of ecumenical work. Technicaljargon such as “reconciled diversity,” “differentiated consen-sus,” and “reception” is clearly explained. Avis shows knowl-edge of a breadth of historic and contemporary ecumenicaldocuments and bilateral dialogue reports among differenttraditions, thereby helping readers appreciate the ecumeni-cal successes to date. Second, the author delineates howecumenical work is a “pneumatological process” of discern-ing the Spirit in the spiritual, confessional, intellectual, andrelational aspects across the churches/traditions. Third,practical wisdom is offered for ecumenists, which adds toother important and existing work in the field.

Timothy Lin T. N.Regent University School of Divinity

WHO IS THIS MAN? CHRIST IN THE RENEWAL OFTHE CHURCH. Edited by Jonathan Baker and WilliamDavage. London: Continuum, 2006. Pp. 130. $34.95.

This collection of essays and reflections on the theme ofthe high priesthood of Christ was published by the Society ofthe Holy Cross as a contribution to the revitalization of theCatholic heritage of the Anglican Communion. Of particularinterest is R. Williams’s essay “To What End Are We Made?”in which Williams’s meditation on Christ as the paradig-matic worshipper of the Father is meant to draw ministersinto a more profound contemplation of their own roleas participants in Christ’s worship and performers of sacra-mental work within the community. D. Brown and A. Load-es’s lively essay “Learning from the Arts” explores howcontemporary artistic representations of the crucifixion andthe resurrection, in deviating from traditional didactic formsof expression, can disclose dimensions of theological truthto the church. Although all of the selections deal with thetitular christological theme in their own way, this volume isfundamentally about ecclesiology. Its lasting relevance willconsist therefore less in its contribution to Christology thanit will as a record of the struggles of the Anglican Commun-ion to articulate a coherent self-identity in the face of intrad-enominational polarization. The more avowedly Catholicvoices in the volume constitute an eloquent and sensitiveaccount of a theological and theo-ethical perspective oftengiven short shrift within the academy. Readers interested inengaging with the issues at stake will find this volume to bea valuable contribution to the accounting of the continuingformation of modern Anglican identity.

J.G. GholsonLoyola University Chicago

RAZING HELL: RETHINKING EVERYTHINGYOU’VE BEEN TAUGHT ABOUT GOD’S WRATHAND JUDGMENT. By Sharon L. Baker. Louisville, KY:Westminster John Knox Press, 2010. Pp. xvi + 222. $17.00.

Make no mistake: while this is one of the most accessiblebooks many of us will ever read about a theology of hell,

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divine wrath, and judgment, it will engage not only intelligentlay people, but also students and even scholars. This textcould even be used in an undergraduate and seminary intro-ductory theology course because it covers many of the majordoctrines—e.g., atonement, Christology, eschatology, and the-ology proper, not to mention engaging with hermeneutics andissues in theological method—and shows their cohesivenessvis-à-vis traditional understandings of hell. Although Bakerwrites from an evangelical context, her arguments will alsobe relevant for mainline Protestant and Catholic audiences,the latter in part because of her constructive engagementwith the idea of purgatory. In effect, the options boil down, inlight of Baker’s analysis, to unique renditions of either anni-hilationism or universalism. However, since neither of thesetwo theological notions, at least as popularly (mis)under-stood, do justice to the restorative view of hell she is advocat-ing, the depth of her critical reflections on the classical view,the care with which she reads and interprets scripture, andthe decisive clarity with which she sorts through the varioustheological alternatives at hand, critics should read RazingHell carefully before deciding either that her proposals fitthese categories or even that there is really an “or” within thescope of what is being offered for consideration. Even ifreaders ultimately disagree with Baker, reading her bookcannot but be theologically edifying.

Amos YongRegent University School of Divinity

NEVER TO LEAVE US ALONE: THE PRAYER LIFEOF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. By Lewis V. Baldwin.Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010. Pp. i + 159. $16.95.

Seeking to illuminate King’s prayer life, Baldwin ana-lyzes King’s papers, interviews, and speeches, and examinesseveral of his pastoral and personal prayers. Baldwin con-tends that King resolutely believed prayer to be a powerfulspiritual force for ethical and social transformation. Kingunremittingly affirmed his roots in the prayer tradition ofthe Black church, which conceived prayer to be communica-tion with God and a quest for meaning in life amidst exigentexistential circumstances. His exposure to theological liber-alism (Boston Personalism and the Social Gospel) furtherbolstered his belief in prayer, influencing his theological-anthropological convictions that God is “personal, intimate,and immediate,” and that humans should work with God topursue the kingdom. King’s personal and pastoral prayersindicate that he held prayer and protest to be intertwinedand that effective prayer must unite with action and viceversa. He viewed Civil Rights prayer circles as significant tothe Civil Rights Movement as the demonstrations them-selves. Baldwin deems that persons seeking a just societytoday should learn from King’s prayer life and acknowledgethe importance of prayer in social transformation. WhileBaldwin elucidates King’s prayer life remarkably well, hiswork venerates King in an overly saintly fashion and doesnot seriously challenge readers to grapple with tough,thorny issues. Are there not any flaws potentially inherent in

King’s conception of prayer? How and why might personsfrom other African American Christian traditions disagreewith King’s conception of prayer?

Jonathan ChismRice University

REDEEMING MULATTO: A THEOLOGY OF RACEAND CHRISTIAN HYBRIDITY. By Brian Bantum. Waco,TX: Baylor University Press, 2010. Pp. viii + 233. $34.95.

This book uses the Chalcedonian definition of JesusChrist as fully human and fully divine, the two naturesunited in Christ’s person, to address racial division betweenblacks and whites and identity issues of mulattos. Bantumargues that J. Cone’s black theology and J. Milbank’s radicalorthodoxy typify current theological trajectories. Cone errsby enclosing “the image of God within the lives of theoppressed.” Milbank reduces people’s bodies to their ideas.Bantum moves beyond this by arguing that white racism isreligious in outlook, leaving no place for mulattos. But Christtransgresses racial boundaries in assuming human nature.The Chalcedonian definition defines Christ as uniquelymulatto. Baptism draws believers into Christ’s “mulattic”existence, making identity located in racial purity or self-justification idolatrous. A Christian’s relationship to Godgives them a hybrid identity “of flesh and Spirit” that is livedthrough transgressing boundaries of difference to includethe excluded, dwell with the marginalized, and so be trans-formed themselves. This transformation is ongoing. Aspeople enter the body of Christ, their particularities trans-form it, and they are themselves transformed. Diversity con-tinues, but within a body in which racial purity is no longeridolized. Bantum’s reading of Cone is reductive. Nonethe-less, this book will be useful for theologians and upper-levelseminary courses dealing with racial issues. Seminarylibraries should have it.

Don SchweitzerSt. Andrew’s College, Saskatoon

POLITICAL GRACE: THE REVOLUTIONARY THE-OLOGY OF JOHN CALVIN. By Roland Boer. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010. Pp. xxvii + 148.$25.00.

Poaching Calvin back from archconservatives is nosmall task, but in Political Grace, Boer makes an admirablefirst step. The book is a thorough reconsideration of Calvin’sthought from a decidedly leftist perspective. Boer’s aim is “tofree the radical potential from Calvin’s own hesitations andqualifications, from his own innate conservatism.” Boer con-tends that Calvin’s theology has “wide-ranging politicalimplications,” and has little reticence reading Calvin in con-versation with the writings of V. I. Lenin and in the contextof Acts 4 and its call for “Christian Communism.” In Boer’sreading, Calvin “clearly comes out against tyranny andoppression.” This fresh approach to Calvin will no doubtdraw strong criticisms, but this reviewer found it refreshing,if not altogether compelling. To his credit, Boer ends the


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book with a gesture of open-ended conciliation rather thanheavy-handed pedantry and revolutionary slogans. Thisgesture may well keep the skeptical reader from fully dis-missing Boer’s claims and invite the sympathetic reader todig deeper. The most noteworthy chapter is Boer’s “Bible:The Irrepressible Book,” which offers as clear a treatment ofCalvin’s approach to Scripture in fifteen pages as can bedesired. The one drawback throughout is Boer’s excessiveinclusion of Latin and his accompanying translations, whichbecomes showy and distracting. Overall, this is a much-needed corrective to ossified readings of Calvin and willserve to scare a good many people who need, perhaps, to beshaken from their comfortable assumptions.

David DaultChristian Brothers University

TESTIMONY IN THE SPIRIT: RESCRIPTING ORDI-NARY PENTECOSTAL THEOLOGY. By Mark J. Cart-ledge. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2010. Pp. v + 219.$89.96.

Cartledge’s book is an “investigation into the contribu-tion that ordinary discourse makes in the construction of apractical-theological account of Pentecostal identity.” Hedoes a sociological study of British Assemblies of God andElim Fellowship churches (each in its own chapter), as wellas study their praxis related to common Pentecostal theo-logical distinctives: worship, healing, conversion, baptism inthe Spirit, witness, mission, and the Second Coming. Thebook’s first two chapters explain his methodology, whichattempts to examine the “ordinary theology” (cf. Jeff Astley,Ordinary Theology [2003]) of people in various Pentecostalfellowships near Birmingham, England. As Cartledgedescribes the examination process for each of the Pentecos-tal distinctives, he includes verbatim testimonies aboutexperiences unique to each distinctive. Then he analyzesthese experiences, using the latest in Pentecostal scholar-ship. These Pentecostals have “rescripted” (by their testi-mony) ordinary theology in their context. At the end, hesuggests ways his methodology might be used in other Pen-tecostal contexts throughout the world. Cartledge’s reason-ing through the resources he consults and his analyses ofwhat he has observed in these churches provide readerswindows into the mind of a theologian and social scientist.He is an observer and interpreter, both of the practices heobserves and of the writings of the Pentecostal scholars withwhich he interacts. His methodology would be beneficial topractical theologians in the academy.

Steven M. FettkeSoutheastern University

THEOLOGISCHE REALENZYKLOPÄDIE, GESA-MTREGISTER, STUDIENAUSGABE, BAND I: BIBEL-STELLEN, ORTE UND SACHEN; BAND II: NAMEN.Edited by Albrecht Döhnert, et al. New York: Walter deGruyter, 2010. Vol. I, Pp. xi + 693; vol. II, pp. xi + 772.$120.00.

These volumes signal the completion of a massive thirty-six volume theological encyclopedia, thirty years in themaking. They are comprehensive indexes of one of the mostsignificant reference works of the last century. Four separateindexes comprise the two volumes: place references, sub-jects, biblical texts (including apocryphal and deuteron-canonical literature), and personal names. The amount ofmaterial contained in each index is staggering, giving readersan indication of the encyclopedia’s depth and breadth.Perusal of the volumes reveals a European orientation, both innames and places, although the subjects also include plenti-ful references to the global South. This compact study editionis essential for optimum use of the encyclopedia itself. Everytheological library should have a copy.

David H. JensenAustin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

NEW PERSPECTIVES FOR EVANGELICAL THEOL-OGY: ENGAGING WITH GOD, SCRIPTURE, ANDTHE WORLD. Edited by Tom Greggs. New York: Routledge,2010. Pp. xv + 223. $35.95.

This collection of essays provides perspectives frommultiple contributors to outline the broad parameters ofengagement with contemporary evangelical theology. Theessays cover a range of key topics including scripture, sote-riology, the atonement, pneumatology, the Lord’s Supper,ecclesiology, eschatology, and engagement with both Islamand Israel. The collection draws from younger, mostlyBritish, scholars with a few American scholars interspersedthroughout. The stated purpose of this collection is to offer afresh engagement with evangelical thinking that is deeplyrooted in the Bible and the evangelical heritage. In addition,the authors claim a desire to respond creatively to currentchallenges. There is emphasis on the language of conversa-tion and a dialogical approach with church people, theolo-gians, and members of other faith communities. At the sametime, the authors employ existing paradigms and core theo-logical issues as defined by previous generations. The essayssimultaneously re-examine and reaffirm the central topicsfor evangelical theology. For example, the centrality of Scrip-ture is reaffirmed and the Bible is claimed as the unrivaledand unsurpassable source of rich and lively theology. At thesame time, the importance of community is incorporatedinto an evangelical theology of scripture. The major defi-ciency of this collection is the lack of diversity offered by theeditors. While British evangelicalism has much to offer, abook claiming to look toward the future trajectory of evan-gelicalism cannot ignore the performance of non-Westernevangelicalism.

Soong-Chan RahNorth Park Theological Seminary

MEETING GOD ON THE CROSS: CHRIST, THECROSS, AND THE FEMINIST CRITIQUE. By ArnfriðurGuðmundsdóttir. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.Pp. ix + 195. $65.00.


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Feminist theologians often criticize theologies thatclaim Christ’s crucifixion makes our suffering redemptivebecause they claim that such a theology causes women toendure unjust violence and suffering while ignoringthe Gospel’s depictions of Christ’s liberating and healingwork. Against theologians who argue that the cross isbeyond redemption, this book refuses to ignore the realityof Christ’s cross, or abdicate its liberative potential.Guðmundsdóttir draws on Martin Luther’s HeidelbergDisputation and feminist Christology to argue for an under-standing of the cross that is responsive to feministcritiques but also maintains the cross’ ability to speak apowerful, liberating message to the suffering and margin-alized. She rightly notes the differences between volun-tary suffering for a greater purpose, and involuntarysuffering based on dehumanizing treatment of anotherhuman being. In the end, this book argues that Christ’scross is about God in the midst of human suffering, nota command for humanity to suffer. As such, this bookrepresents an important and outstanding contribution toconstructive theology of the cross in the contemporarycontext.

Aaron KlinkDuke University

SILENCE, SOLITUDE, AND SIMPLICITY: A HER-MIT’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH A NOISY, CROWDED,AND COMPLICATED WORLD. By Sister Jeremy Hall,OSB. Foreword by Kathleen Norris. Collegeville, MN: Litur-gical Press, 2007. Pp. v + 181. Paper, $14.95.

This small book is as illuminating as its title is invit-ing. A Benedictine sister with a doctorate in theology,Sister Jeremy, now in her nineties, defines spirituality as“essentially our being-before-God and how this works outin all aspects of our lives.” She gives readers a glimpse intoher own spiritual life as she interweaves profound insightswith quotations from scripture, the Benedictine Rule, andwisdom figures, ancient and modern. Part I, “A BenedictineWay to God,” opens with reflections on desire and gratitudeand introduces time-honored Benedictine practices. Part II,“Desert Spirituality,” the centerpiece of the book, repre-sents the fruit of Sister Jeremy’s twenty years as a hermitand explores in depth the triad of silence, solitude, andsimplicity. Desert experiences, such as she describes, arenot a matter of geography but reflections of one’s innerlandscape. Part III, “God’s Questions,” is intriguing in thatit reverses the usual practice of questioning God and,instead, considers questions that God asks in the Bible.Written in response to requests for retreats, the book offersnumerous kernels for reflection and invites readers intotheir own journey with the texts and practices that havenourished Sister Jeremy.

Elizabeth Ford FriendGraduate Theological Union

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS: RE-IMAGING PRAC-TICAL THEOLOGY FOR INDEPENDENT PENTE-COSTAL CHURCHES. By Antipas L. Harris. The Study ofWorld Christian Revitalization Movements in Pentecostal/Charismatic Studies, 1. Lexington, KY: Emeth Press, 2010.Pp. i + 114. $29.64.

Fruitful conversation for renewal and practical theolo-gians, this work argues that independent Pentecostalchurches can experience renewal by using liberation, acentral biblical motif, to critically and consistently maintainthe integrity and balance of the “trilateral,” the three tenetsthat are authoritative to Pentecostals: Scripture, the experi-ence of the Holy Spirit, and culture. Using two independentPentecostal churches as case studies, Harris demonstrateshow some independent Pentecostal churches’ uncritical,contradictory uses of the trilateral have resulted in oppres-sive church doctrines and practices. He particularly high-lights teachings that restrict women from being ordained aspastors, showing how the doctrines conflict with some Pen-tecostal women’s experience of the Spirit, reflect a narrowunderstanding of culture, and often signal an uncriticalinterpretation of Scripture that is antithetical to liberation.He proffers some practical ways in which independentPentecostal churches can address trilateral inconsistenciesand reshape church practices in line with liberation. Forexample, he highlights T. Groome’s Christian education“shared praxis” method of participation, partnership, and dia-logue in which congregations and theologically trainedleaders decide upon church practices rather than leavingthem to one male senior leader, who is often not theologi-cally trained. Yet, Harris does not realistically grapple withwhether his new wine (strategies) can enter into the oldwineskins of many traditional Pentecostal leaders who maylikely seek to maintain power (Luke 5:37). Nevertheless, histrilateral paradigm insightfully exposes the roots of manyoppressive church practices.

Jonathan ChismRice University

NO ENEMY TO CONQUER: FORGIVENESS IN ANUNFORGIVING WORLD. By Michael Henderson. Waco,TX: Baylor University Press, 2009. Pp. xx + 214. $19.95.

The foreword by the Dalai Lama exemplifies Hender-son’s approach to the topic of forgiveness. The work is notan academic treatise but a collection of narratives, amassedas “dramatic evidence validating the power of forgivenessand personal reconciliation to affect national life”: a Nige-rian Pentecostal pastor and an imam transition from enemycombatants to allies via forgiveness; hotspot stories fromNorthern Ireland and South Africa illustrate the power ofreconciliation; Indians and Rwandans graduate from vic-timization to empowerment; and British and Japanese war-riors take responsibility to engender new relations. Anillustration of a safe place, the Swiss project at Caux, andexamples of listening and apologizing conclude this troveof collective wisdom. The lessons learned by those who


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forged opinions in the fires of hate and turned their storiesinto bridges to freedom are powerful narratives, which mayserve as catalysts for forgiveness and reconciliation.Although most narratives focus more on reconciliationthan forgiveness and conflate the concepts such that it isoften unclear whether forgiveness or reconciliation ismeant, they offer qualitative evidence that a mixture ofcourage and humility can infuse dialogic encounters withhope that persons of diverse ethnic and cultural back-grounds can forgive and reconcile rather than perpetuateviolence.

Geoffrey W. SuttonEvangel University

EARLY PROTESTANT SPIRITUALITY. Edited by ScottH. Hendrix. The Classics of Western Spirituality. Mahwah,NJ: Paulist Press, 2009. Pp. XIX + 338. $29.95.

This useful scholarly resource consists of 46 writingsby 25 different Protestant authors from the period 1517-1560. Hendrix’s thoughtful introduction describes andinterprets the historical, ecclesiastical, and theological con-texts of these writings. He also defines spirituality as “theway in which members of a religious community nurtureand practice their faith.” This broad definition informs andjustifies the inclusion of diverse documents. The selectionsare organized into nine sections and include letters, bibli-cal expositions, sermons, ethical exhortations, hymns,prayers, sacramental treatises, and liturgical documents.Not all of the writings are devotional in nature, but they allprovide helpful insights into the spirituality of first-generation Protestants. The major Reformers, like Luther,Calvin, and Zwingli are represented, but so are lesser-known figures, including three women, A. von Grumbach,K. Zell, and E. Cruciger. German, Swiss, and Englishauthors predominate. The volume calls attention to earlyProtestant spirituality and provides helpful examples of thediverse expressions of that spirituality in translation. Italso organizes these examples in a thoughtful manner.While this collection of sources will be particularly usefulin university and seminary classrooms, it can also be usedeffectively for adult education opportunities in the parish.Hendrix and Paulist Press should be commended forshedding further light on the Western church’s spiritualheritage.

Kurt K. HendelLutheran School of Theology at Chicago

THE GOSPEL IN HUMAN CONTEXTS: ANTHROPO-LOGICAL EXPLORATIONS FOR CONTEMPORARYMISSIONS. By Paul G. Hiebert. Grand Rapids, MI: BakerAcademic, 2009. Pp. 217. $21.99.

Hiebert was one of the towering figures in missiologyof the late twentieth century, and this book is one of twoposthumous volumes that serve as a final compendium ofhis most important teachings (the other having been Trans-forming Worldviews, published in 2008). This volume is

divided into three parts. The first part, “Theoretical Foun-dations,” is a brief overview of some of Hiebert’s keythemes, notably that of critical contextualization and theimportance of missional theology as a key element, alongwith systematic and biblical theology, of the task of doingall theology. The second, longest section, “ExegetingHumans,” is focused on introducing the reader to thehistory and practice of anthropology from a Christian per-spective. Among other important elements in this sectionare his response to postmodern thought in the context ofanthropology and his advocacy of an integrated “systemsapproach” to understanding social and cultural change. Hethen moves into an introduction to some of the basic toolsof anthropology. In his final section, “Mission as Intercul-tural Mediation,” Hiebert seeks to help the reader under-stand the importance of becoming “intercultural people”who can serve as bridges for witness in new cultural set-tings, wrapping the discussion up in the importance ofsuch witness being motivated by Christian love. This bookserves as a wonderful introduction to Hiebert’s writings,and underlines the crucial importance of doing theology ina manner that is both faithful and relevant.

Matthew FriedmanAsbury Theological Seminary

THEOLOGY, DISABLITY, AND SPIRITUAL TRANS-FORMATION: LEARNING FROM THE COMMUNI-TIES OF L’ARCHE. By Michael Hryniuk. Amherst, NY:Cambria Press, 2010. Pp. 322. $114.00.

At L’Arche communities, “able-bodied” assistants livein communion with and care for individuals with physicaland learning difficulties. Hryniuk uses the insights of the-ology and psychology to illuminate how experiences ofcommunion at L’Arche transform the lives of communitymembers. His own survey of contemporary writing onspiritual development finds that it often ignores the pow-erful impact of shame on human communion and develop-ment. To remedy that gap, Hryniuk weaves together apowerful tapestry of ethnography, theology, and his ownwork at L’Arche to show the ways in which working withindividuals who have disabilities forces assistants andthose they care for to slowly heal their psychologicalshame. In the same way, there are signs that being caredfor and loved heals shame that is evident in the lives ofdisabled members, that healing allows individuals tobecome less defended and, through the work of the spirit,become transformed. The book’s final chapter places thathealing in the context of trinitarian theology with anemphasis on the Eastern Orthodox notion of theosis. This isan outstanding work of interest to scholars in the psychol-ogy of religion, spirituality, and practical theology, as wellas an important contribution to the growing literature ontheology and disability.



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RESSOURCEMENT THOMISM: SACRED DOC-TRINE, THE SACRAMENTS, AND THE MORALLIFE: ESSAYS IN HONOR OF ROMANUS CESSA-RIO, O.P. Edited by Reinhard Huetter and Matthew Lever-ing. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press,2010. Pp. xviii + 409. $64.95.

As the subtitle indicates, the book is divided into threesections: dogmatic theology, sacramental theology, and moraltheology. Each section discusses themes dear to Cessario,explicating the paths of his Thomistic retrieval, and advisingwhat kind of Thomistic ressourcement we should pursue inlight of contemporary debates. Among so many noteworthycontributions, several essays are particularly insightful. T. J.White commends theology as sapientia for negotiating theextremes of Chenu’s historical perspectivism and Garrigou-Lagrange’s ahistorical propositionalism. Like BenedictAshley (surprisingly absent), White’s sapiential theologyoffers an assimilative, synthetic perspective that unites ulti-mate truth with historical truths derived from scientificknowledge. White rightly contends that the human mindpossesses a natural capacity for God, whereby mutable truthsare oriented toward absolute, metaphysical truth. Furtherrationale for this claim would require detailing what it meansfor human beings to be situated transcendentally, the tran-scendental structuring of the world, and the nature of divinetranscendence. Moreover, one wonders to what degree tran-scendental and suprahistorical are as synonymous as Whitepresumes. The doctrine of the transcendentals comes upagain in S. Brock’s essay, which associates the practical,common notion of the good from the Prima Secundae to thespeculative, transcendental notion of the good from the PrimaPars. Another gem among the gems is J. Koterski’s “readingguide for natural law ethics” that will nicely complementintroductory seminars on natural law. Lastly, MacIntyre’spostscript commends Cessario’s oeuvre by showing howfruitfully it speaks to questions that Cessario himself did notexplicitly consider. These brief highlights hopefully indicatethe fine quality of the articles compiled here.

Nathan R. StrunkBoston University

THE CHRISTIAN IMAGINATION: THEOLOGY ANDTHE ORIGINS OF RACE. By Willie James Jennings. NewHaven, CT: Yale University Press, 2010. Pp. 384. $35.00.

Philosopher Michel Foucault characterized “genealo-gies” as “histories of the present,” an idea that comes totheological maturity in Jennings’s The Christian Imagination.At the heart of this astounding book, Jennings asks, “How isit possible for Christians and Christian communities to natu-ralize cultural fragmentation and operationalize racial visionfrom within the social logic and theological imagination ofChristianity itself?” However those possibilities are to bepursued, Jennings shows they cannot be pursued “outsideIsrael, outside the conversation between biblical Israel andits God, outside the continuing conversations living Israelhas with the same God” without disastrous (not to mention

heretical) consequence. The Christian Imagination is largelycomposed of historical studies of those consequences, whichreveal a death-dealing but unshakable universality threaten-ing the best-intentioned Christian endeavors. While Jen-nings’s genius carries through his much-involvedgenealogies, the book’s most impressive quality is the wayits content constitutes the very form of its argument. Here isa book that travels through voice, sight, place, and, mostsignificantly, suffering bodies to demonstrate what exactlyis at stake in the Christian imagination, its articulations,visions, contexts, and embodiments. This quality results in ahighly textured instance of theology at its best, with thesubtle but clearly intentional effect of not only attending tothe awful violence bad Christian theology historically pro-duced, but, perhaps as significantly, offering a clarionwarning to many of today’s self-declared orthodoxies.

Jonathan TranBaylor University

MAKING CONFESSION, HEARING CONFESSION: AHISTORY OF THE CURE OF SOULS. By Annemarie S.Kidder. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2010. Pp. xv +349. $34.95.

The practice of confession, of a penitent Christian pri-vately admitting sins to a cleric, has arguably been in declinesince the Reformation in Europe. However, as the author ofthis new book on confession notes, the practice has steeplydeteriorated in the past fifty years. The author bemoans thisstatistic as she cites anecdotal evidence that suggests thatthe contemporary laity strongly desire some type of activelistening that auricular confession satisfied. Kidder has pro-duced a work that explores the antecedents of the practice ofconfession, describes its regression, and attempts to con-struct ways to reappropriate confession in both Catholic andProtestant traditions. The early chapters of the book summa-rize the history of the rite of confession. These sections offera fairly superficial treatment of the development of confes-sion. The material is noticeably weak on the role of publicpenance in the early church and the transition to tariffedpenance in the early middle ages, and there is a conspicuousoversight on the significant role of pilgrimage. Kidder is notinterested in writing church history, thus the strength of herbook is on the contemporary relevance of the practice ofconfession. She provides theological support for the contem-porary significance of confession and offers some persuasivepractical suggestions for the implementation of confessiontoday. She goes so far as to describe how a successful “con-fession” would really appear, and why it matters in ourcontemporary world. This book is written for the clergy andinterested lay people on the pastoral nature of confession. Itis not a recommended book for liturgical scholars or forthose searching for a deeper discussion of the roots of peni-tential practice, but it certainly belongs on the shelf of thoseinvolved in pastoral care.

Lee M. JeffersonCentre College


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BEYOND EVANGELICALISM: THE THEOLOGICALMETHODOLOGY OF STANLEY GRENZ. By StevenKnowles. Ashgate New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theol-ogy and Biblical Studies. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2010.Pp. x + 214. $99.95.

This volume, which is a revision of the author’s PhDthesis, is the first book-length treatment of the work ofStanley Grenz. The volume unfolds in five chapters: the firstthree are devoted to various aspects of postmodern thoughtthat provide a backdrop for understanding the theologicalmethod of Grenz; the fourth, and by far the longest, considersGrenz’s methodology in detail; and the fifth draws on theprevious material to offer some constructive commentary onthe shape of a postmodern evangelical theology. The threeopening chapters are lucid but provide no new insights, whilethe major concern of the book, Grenz’s theological methodand its relation to evangelicalism, suffers from a fairly limitedengagement with the Grenz corpus and a general failure toestablish the thesis that his method is beyond the boundariesof evangelical theology. As one of the first evangelical theolo-gians in North America to engage constructively with thepostmodern situation, Grenz’s work merits attention and willundoubtedly be the subject of future studies. This work,however, while providing a general overview of the majorissues and conversation points, will not be among the mosthelpful in assisting others to understand or assess his contri-bution to evangelical or postmodern theology.

John R. FrankeBiblical Seminary

LOVE, VIOLENCE, AND THE CROSS: HOW THENONVIOLENT GOD SAVES US THROUGH THECROSS OF CHRIST. By Gregory Anderson Love. Eugene,OR: Cascade Publishers, 2010. Pp. x + 304. $35.00.

Taking cues from critiques of traditional understand-ings of the cross by feminist, womanist, and other liberationtheologians, Love is aware of the theological problems ofother contemporary atonement theories and avoids their pit-falls. For Love, “penal substitutionary models” of atonement,holding that God required Christ to make a perfect sacrificeto atone for human error, portrays a double-minded Godwho, despite being named as loving, is so desirous of justicethat God allows God’s own son to be violently crucified. Thebook’s theological anthropology roots sin in social andpolitical forces, blocking human flourishing and liberation,allowing the development of a particular sort of Christologi-cal salvation. This book’s account of salvation focuses onChrist’s hospitality and reorienting grace. By drawingexamples from popular novels and films, Love makes hisargument vivid and accessible to Christians unschooled inacademic theological jargon. This is a creative, insightful,and pastorally fruitful work of constructive theology forthose interested in finding a new way of understanding thecross.


FIFTEEN DAYS OF PRAYER WITH SAINT FRANCISOF ASSISI. By Thaddée Matura. Hyde Park, NY: New CityPress, 2009. Pp. 171. Paper, $12.95.

A specialist in Franciscan spirituality, Matura haswritten over a dozen books on St. Francis of Assisi’s spiritu-ality. Composed for the novice, Matura encourages each par-ticipant to be accompanied by a spiritual companion duringthe fifteen-day prayer periods. Although written as a com-mentary to the writings of St. Francis, the aim of the book isnot to forge a unique relationship with St. Francis but,rather, to create a place of disciplined prayer in which theinnermost self recognizes God’s voice. The book is a compi-lation of literary genres (poems, rules, letters, prayers), andMatura is skillful in his organization of each prayer period toinclude:1) a focus point; 2) writings of St. Francis; 3) inter-action between Matura and the writings of Francis; and,finally, 4) reflection questions. The selection of writings iseasily situated within a contemporary spirituality, address-ing such central themes as the paradox of humanity assimultaneously imago Dei yet sinner loved by God. Althoughthe text is structurally cohesive, the very traditional lan-guage seems more appropriate for a pre-Vatican II audience.Additionally, the use of hierarchical, exclusive languagemay be a hindrance to readers as well. Nevertheless, thistext deftly introduces the important and meaningful writ-ings and ideas of St. Francis to the modern spiritual voyager.

Cynthia BondClaremont Graduate University

THEOLOGY AS CONVERSATION: THE SIGNIFI-CANCE OF DIALOGUE IN HISTORICAL ANDCONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY. Edited by Bruce L.McCormack and Kimlyn Bender. Grand Rapids, MI: WilliamB. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009. Pp. xii + 362.$50.00.

This Festschrift is a fitting tribute to Princeton theolo-gian D. Migliore that addresses two key themes of his career:dogmatics and politics. The essays conceive theology as dia-logue and include contributions from some prominent con-temporary theologians. Three broad conversations frame thevolume: dialogue with K. Barth, engagements with tradi-tional theological loci, and theology in dialogue with societyand culture. Two essays stand as representatives of this finecollection. The first, by C. Rigby, explores play in light ofBarth and Moltmann’s theology. Constructing an imagineddialogue between these two Reformed voices, Rigby con-ceives human work as “serious play” before the Creator thatfrees us from tense work and allows us to imagine theKingdom that God ushers to fruition. God creates so that “weare fully included” in God’s work as creative participants inplay that is beautiful, delightful, and liberating. D. Fergussonoffers an intriguing essay that critiques some of the assump-tions of political liberalism, while it argues that theologicaldiscourse can be helpful to democratic politics. He suggeststhat the church “has the task of making a distinctive publiccontribution without aspiring to a position of social control


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or dominance,” and that the present pluralistic contextmeans that religious voices need to articulate their positionsin ways that are intelligible to others. Each essay in thecollection is worthy of further study. As a whole, they standas testament to the growing discourse of public theology.


RE-IMAGING ELECTION: DIVINE ELECTION ASREPRESENTING GOD TO OTHERS AND OTHERSTO GOD. By Suzanne McDonald. Grand Rapids, MI: WilliamB. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010. Pp. xx + 213.$26.00.

McDonald’s point of entry into the Reformed doctrine ofelection is to note how Puritan theologian J. Owen’s pneuma-tological soteriology led inexorably toward the doctrine ofdouble predestination and how while the early Barth charteda similar pneumatological course, the later Barth’s resolutelychristocentric doctrine of election left little room for theSpirit’s saving work and tended toward universalism.McDonald’s response is to affirm that Christ is the elected one(following Barth), and the Spirit is the electing one (paceOwen), and to consider election’s purposes away from itstraditionally other-worldly and individualistic focus toward amore historically oriented perspective that sees Israel and thechurch as elected in Christ by the Spirit to image and repre-sent God to others and others to God. This representationalistontology and theology, developed in dialogue with a widerange of biblical scholars from C. Seitz to N. T. Wright, meansthat election is about the fulfillment of God’s intentions tobless and redeem the world, and to restore the full image andlikeness of God to a sinful humanity, through the believingcommunity, even as the believing community’s representingwork holds provisionally those who are outside that commu-nity within the sphere of divine blessing and redemption. Theresult is a book that should be of interest not only to Reformedtheologians but also to ecclesiologists, missiologists, andpneumatological and trinitarian theologians, among others.Re-Imaging Election suggests that we will be hearing muchfrom this young theologian at Calvin College in the future.


THE ANALOGY OF GRACE: KARL BARTH’SMORAL THEOLOGY. By Gerald McKenny. New York:Oxford University Press, 2009. Pp. xii + 301. $120.00.

Karl Barth’s massive theological corpus challenges evenskilled readers’ attempts to trace themes and contractionsrunning through his work. Through careful readings ofBarth’s Church Dogmatics, commentaries on Romans, andother lectures, McKenny identifies and traces both chrono-logically and thematically Barth’s major emphases, arguingfor what he sees as Barth’s central moral teaching, which inhighly abbreviated form can be stated as seeing humanaction as an “analogy of grace” where humans act out of andin concert with God’s decision in Christ for human agents.

McKenny contextualizes Barth’s use of sources, exploringBarth’s appropriation and critique of contemporary and his-torical, philosophical, and theological traditions. Specialistsand linguistically adept readers should be thankful that theauthor gives the German for certain key terms, makingcrucial passages clearer. This book will quickly become stan-dard reading for those interested in Barth’s theology and forthose who seek a careful presentation of key themes andthreads, as well as unresolved tensions, running throughBarth’s influential works.


SHALOM CHURCH: THE BODY OF CHRIST ASMINISTERING COMMUNITY. By Craig L. Nessan. Min-neapolis: Fortress Press, 2010. Pp. viii + 232. $18.00.

“The church of Jesus Christ is simultaneously a shalomchurch or no church at all.” Nessan takes his cue from theNicene Creed concerning “one, holy, catholic, and apostolicchurch” and builds a solid case for convergence of theseattributes with a social/peace ethic. Structurally smooth andsystematic, Nessan uses the four attributes of the church toidentify twenty virtues of the shalom church (five perattribute), twelve respective representatives (three perattribute), and twenty core practices (five per attribute). The“one” church must declare the original vision of Jesus byway of her unity and thus value God’s mission to all humanbeings, creatures, and the world. The “holy” church as recipi-ent of Christ’s saving work proclaims and models forgive-ness and reconciliation for a broken world. The church“Catholic” situates local congregations in continuity with atwo thousand-year history and a global community. Finally,the “apostolic church” must utilize God-given spiritual giftsfor the common good. It follows that ecclesial communitiesmust prepare followers for vocational practices in the family,the workplace, nonprofit organizations, and for serviceas citizens. Shalom Church should prove an excellent textfor courses on ecclesiology, contemporary Christianity, orsocial justice/ethics. Nessan provides engaging narratives ofnumerous exemplars (such as King, Day, St. Francis, Berry,Tutu, Romero) and concludes with an easy-access appendixand study guide for personal reflection and/or confessionalgroup discussion. Anyone interested in the state and pur-poses of the church would do well to consult this work.

Martin W. MittelstadtEvangel University

JOHN OF THE CROSS’S LIVING FLAME OF LOVE:FOR EVERYONE. By Elizabeth Ruth Obbard. Classics forEveryone Series. Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 2007.Pp. 72. $8.95.

THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING: FOR EVERYONE. ByElizabeth Ruth Obbard. Classics for Everyone Series. HydePark, NY: New City Press, 2008. Pp. 64. $8.95.


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Rather than evaluate these classics themselves, whichmay be unnecessary for many readers and would be pre-sumptuous as well, this review focuses on distinctive quali-ties of Obbard’s work. The books are part of a series thataims to make spiritual classics more accessible. Written in asimple, conversational style, these volumes achieve thatgoal. Excluding front matter and blank pages, each book iscomposed of a seven-page introduction and about forty pagesof the classic’s retelling. The introductions are helpful andengaging. The first provides information about John’s lifeand theology. The second focuses on religious and historicalcontext. Although the retellings achieve the goal of readabil-ity, this effort perhaps goes too far. Something is lost by“translating” the advice given in The Cloud of Unknowing tosuggestions like: “don’t get all uptight about makingprogress;” judging others is “very dicey;” or “enjoy a littlehide-and-seek with God.” This certainly sounds conversa-tional, but it is probably not a conversation appealing tocollege students. Perhaps, they are better suited for olderChristians interested in learning about these mystics but notinterested enough to struggle with the full texts. Hopefully,these concise texts will inspire some to read the classicsthemselves. The greatest problem here is that the languageof these classic works conveys something of the spiritualrichness of the theologians that their ideas alone cannot, andthat is lost in retelling. Indeed, the reading of such works canthemselves sometimes inspire a kind of mystical experiencethat a summary cannot.

J. Burton FulmerChristian Brothers University

CREATION MADE FREE: OPEN THEOLOGYENGAGING SCIENCE. Edited by Thomas Jay Oord.Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2009. Pp. 272. $31.00.

Oord should be no stranger to readers of ReligiousStudies Review. A professor of theology at Northwest Naza-rene University, he has here collected and edited thirteenessays that address Open Theology’s budding interactionwith the natural and human sciences, which is a heretoforeneglected area. No more is that the case. In contradistinc-tion to classic, conventional, theology/ies, Open Theologyhas its basis in the theology of John Wesley, highlightingGod’s love and the genuine contingency of the future. Prob-ably the most important critique of classical theology, high-lighted by this volume, concerns the doctrine of God:principally, it rethinks divine presence and activity inworld processes. It rejects interventionism, offering insteada panentheistic analogy for God’s relation to the world. Itaffirms Peacocke’s insight that God is “in, with, and under”all creative processes, accompanying the perpetuallyendowed creativity of the world in its advance into higherlevels of complexity. As such, God is necessarily goingbefore the creation, leading it, luring it, and persuading it.Also highlighted is the effect(s) of Darwin upon evangelicaltheology, noting that a general theory of evolution poses nothreat to it. There are many other important insights from

this title, and each chapter is a profitable read. One woulddo well in contemplating its entailments.

Bradford McCallRegent University

DEFINING LOVE: A PHILOSOPHICAL, SCIENTIFIC,AND THEOLOGICAL ENGAGEMENT. By Thomas JayOord. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2010. Pp. xiii + 240.$29.99.

Oord sets out to define human love by integratingscience, theology, and philosophy. He states, “To love is toact intentionally, in sympathetic response to others (includ-ing God), to promote overall well-being.” Each chapter of thebook then sets out to unpack that definition through the lensof the various disciplines. On one level, Oord succeeds indemonstrating that this articulation holds together throughan engagement with current trends in various disciplines. Infact, this book provides a helpful resource for cataloguingrecent studies researching the existence of altruism inhumans. Thus, his view of love is simultaneously testableand nonreductionistic. On another level, the author’s defini-tion may, for some at least, be overly skewed toward thecognitive/rational facet of human nature. While Oordcertainly does not ignore the role of emotion in love, hisformulation tends toward a description of love that isutilitarian in nature since he describes love’s primarygoal as the promotion of overall well-being. He situates lovein God’s unlimited perspective communicated to and dis-played through limited creatures. The author is convinced,however, that this transference is possible and has foundsome evidence in the aforementioned studies. There is muchto commend in Oord’s work. He demonstrates that theologyand science are compatible dialogue partners. He also dem-onstrates that finding satisfactory language for both sides isa challenging task.

Stephen MillsRegent University School of Divinity

THE FAITHFUL: A HISTORY OF CATHOLICS INAMERICA. By James M. O’Toole. Cambridge, MA: HarvardUniversity Press, 2008. Pp. viii + 376. Paper, $17.95.

Well-balanced, thoroughly researched, and engaginglywritten, O’Toole’s book is an important contribution to thescholarship on American Catholics, especially as it high-lights the “people in the pews” rather than the churchleaders. Each of the its six chapters has a particular histori-cal focus: 1) The Priestless Church; 2) The Church in theDemocratic Republic; 3) The Immigrant Church; 4) TheChurch of Catholic Action; 5) The Church of Vatican II; and6) The Church in the Twenty-first Century. For each era,O’Toole describes the size and structure of the US Catholicpopulation, its religious and devotional practices, its rela-tionship with the papacy, its role in public life, and percep-tions of the church and its faithful by the broader Americancitizenry. Particularly astute is his ability to make connec-tions between trends and tensions evidenced within the first


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five eras and events within the present church. Demonstrat-ing that religious change is inevitable, O’Toole contends thatpaying attention to these connections is helpful for providingsome sense of “the range of possibilities for the future.”Thus, this book is not only a welcome addition to under-graduate and graduate courses in Church History, Sociologyof Religion, and Religious Studies; it also merits a widerreadership among those—both laity and clergy alike—mostconcerned about how this future will unfold.

Jerome P. BaggettJesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University

GLOBALIZATION AND THEOLOGY. By Joerg Rieger.Horizons in Theology. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2010.Pp. i + 70. $11.00.

This clear and concise work underlines the most press-ing issues facing Christian theology in terms of the socioeco-nomic globalization of the planet. The basic premise is thattheology does not fully understand how it is affected byglobalization. Furthermore, it is posited, in order to trulycomprehend globalization, we must be aware of the influ-ence theology has on its conception of power. Globalizationis not a uniform phenomenon, albeit presently dominated bya system that works from the top down. Alternative forms ofglobalization tend to move from the bottom up. Although thebook gives the adumbrated versions of dominant forms ofglobalization, it is the marginal movements—those whichresist domination—that are of greatest interest in the book. Itmust be noted that Rieger does not gloss over the hegemonichistory of theology and globalization. Rather, he understandsthat in order to truly apprehend the strategies of those on theunderside of history, the narrative of the powerful must begrasped. If theologians can take into account the effect the-ology has on the way power is used by globalization, it canchange “human well-being and the well-being of the world.”While this book does not go into as much detail as Rieger’sother works, it is a great way for seminarians and graduatestudents to introduce themselves to his ideas. It will also beof interest to anyone concerned with the connection betweentheology and power.

Andrew EubanksDrew University

GOD’S ADVOCATES: CHRISTIAN THINKERS INCONVERSATION. By Rupert Shortt. Grand Rapids, MI:William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005. Pp. xii +284. $20.00.

This book resurrects a genre that has fallen into com-parative disuse in public discourse: the intellectual inter-view. By asking provocative questions of some of the mostprominent theologians in the Anglophone world, journalistShortt introduces major contemporary schools of theologyto a broad audience. The book thus can serve as an intro-ductory text for courses in modern theology or a referencework for theological libraries. Because the theologiansdiscuss their work in their own voices, readers glimpse

their thought processes, intellectual influences, engage-ment of social issues, and critiques of other theologicalmovements. Because each interview covers approximatelytwenty pages, readers also get a distillation of essentialthemes in each theologian’s work. R. Williams begins thecollection by offering an overview of modern theology andthe emergence of post-liberal voices. The remaining thir-teen chapters cover a staggering array of movements,including radical orthodoxy, feminist theology, and philoso-phies of religion. The interview with J. Kameron Carter isparticularly illuminating, as it offers a vision of black the-ology that avoids nationalism, supercessionism, and essen-tialist discussions of race. One avenue in this direction,Carter claims, is for theology to remember its link to Israeland its calling as “a non-nationalistic nation.” Shortt’s inter-views neglect some prominent theological movements, suchas Latin American liberation theology and neoliberal theol-ogy, but the figures he covers give the introductory readera sense of the vitality and diversity of theology in NorthAmerica and Great Britain.


PENTECOSTAL POWER: EXPRESSIONS, IMPACTAND FAITH OF LATIN AMERICAN PENTECOSTAL-ISM. Edited by Calvin L. Smith. Global Pentecostal andCharismatic Studies Series 6. Leiden: Brill, 2011. Pp. vii +284. $146.00.

The ten contributions to this volume are from an inter-national and interdisciplinary group of interpreters, someof whom are themselves Pentecostal or Charismatic.Although the essays are thematically arranged according tohistory, theoretical analysis, social and political impact,and theology, their range is wide: from J. Sepulveda’s argu-ment that Latin American Pentecostalism owes as much toChilean origins as it does to the Azusa street revival, to M.Lindhardt’s probing analysis of the function of demonologyin Pentecostal world views, to E. Wilson’s discussion of thegrass roots nature of Pentecostal development and conse-quent social impact. Especially important is B. Martin’stwo-chapter history of the ideological conflicts that haveplayed out in interpretations of Latin American Pentecos-talism. Taken together, these essays reinforce the emergentscholarly conclusion that despite “family resemblances,”Pentecostalism in Latin America remains a paradoxical andmutating religious hybrid. It is inherently individualisticand at times, even paternalistic. Nevertheless, it is alsoinfused with values that lead to gender equality, strongerfamilies, care for neighbors, and democratic civic notions.It has tendencies that recapture primitive Christianity’sworld negation in expectation of the return of Christ, but asa large, transnational religious network, it is also increas-ingly engaged with the world. Despite a failure to includean essay that highlights the Catholic Charismatic move-ment, this anthology admirably portrays a movement well


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suited to the postmodern plurality that characterizes LatinAmerica.

Timothy WadkinsCanisius College

THINKING IN TONGUES: PENTECOSTAL CONTRI-BUTIONS TO CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY. By James K.A. Smith. Pentecostal Manifestos. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerd-mans, 2010. Pp. xxv + 155. $19.00.

In the first volume of the Pentecostal Manifestos series,Smith proposes a distinctly pentecostal contribution toChristian philosophy (especially in the areas of epistemol-ogy, ontology, philosophy of religion, and philosophy oflanguage), engaging Clayton, Marcuse, Husserl, Heidegger,and other prominent philosophers as interlocutors. In orderto account for the diverse contexts of charismatic spiritual-ity, Smith defines “pentecostal” inclusively and elaboratesits central features in terms of a “worldview” rather than acollection of doctrines. This pentecostal worldview is drivenby a hermeneutical boldness that offers a “counter interpre-tation” of the world, challenging the assumptions of academyand culture. Smith’s focus on holistic/embodied spirituality,narrative theology, openness to the Spirit, and eschatologicalhope leads to several surprising observations, such as hisargument for the affinity between pentecostal spiritualityand filmmaking, both of which strive to “imagine the worldotherwise” (and one might compare this with Cox’s claim forthe affinity between Pentecostal worship and jazz improvi-sation). Rather than eschewing the subject of glossolalia,Smith deftly places tongues-speech in fruitful conversation(pun unintentional) with philosophy of language. Glossolaliais depicted as a dialect of the eschatological imagination, a“language of the dispossessed,” empowering the communityto challenge the social and economic injustice that pervadesa world driven by capitalist logic. Smith’s style and argu-mentation are bold and engaging (as always) and this latestbook will be of interest to those engaged not only inPentecostal-Charismatic studies but also in philosophy ofreligion, religion and science, and theology of culture.

Jessica DeCouUniversity of Chicago

TAKING YOUR SOUL TO WORK: OVERCOMINGTHE NINE DEADLY SINS OF THE WORKPLACE. ByR. Paul Stevens and Alvin Ung. Grand Rapids, MI: William B.Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010. Pp. x + 200. $14.99.

Stevens, renowned for his scholarship on theology ofvocation, teams up with Ung, a Malaysian investment agent,to identify nine deadly workplace sins (namely, the “sevendeadly sins” along with restlessness and boredom, two preva-lent symptoms for contemporary workers). They counter witha ninefold response for vocational transformation based uponfruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). In order to combat thesedeadly “soul sapping struggles at work,” Christians mustcultivate the Spirit, thereby replacing lust with love, gluttonywith self control, anger with gentleness, restlessness with

patience, and boredom with peace. After eighteen chapters ondeadly causes and respective counteractive fruits, theauthors suggest nine daily practices such as prayer, grati-tude, and life-giving rhythms in order to posture workers forspiritual and vocational transformation. Given ongoing proc-lamation within certain ecclesial (even academic) contexts torelegate “ministry” to professional religion-related vocations,this volume provides a vital alternative as an egalitarianworldview for the equality of the call. Work serves as morethan a “mere” means of paying the bills or “just” doing time,but a place for spiritual formation and witness; when market-place Christians recognize God as the consummate worker,they find themselves working on his behalf. This piece shouldprove valuable not only as an undergraduate textbook forconfessionally affiliated liberal arts courses in spiritual for-mation, business, and ethics, but also as a practical resourcefor church-based studies. Finally, in either context, educatorsand ministers should mine this work for a course or study ofGalatians.

Martin William MittelstadtEvangel University

WHY JESUS MATTERS. By George Stroup. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011. Pp. viii + 152.$15.00.

This book attempts to explain to lay readers the impor-tance of Jesus Christ and why theologians continue to writeabout him. Concisely and accessibly written from an Ameri-can Reformed perspective, it succeeds admirably. Chapter 1outlines the centrality of Jesus Christ for Christian faith.Chapter 2 discusses how the identity of Jesus Christ is pre-sented in the NT. Chapter 3 discusses Jesus’ saving signifi-cance under the organizing rubrics of Calvin’s threefoldtypology of prophet, priest, and king; G. Aulén’s typology ofChristus Victor; and satisfaction and moral-influence theo-ries of atonement. Chapter 4 examines the developmentsleading to the creedal statements of Nicaea and Chalcedonand their relevance for the present. Chapter 5 outlines fivetypes of modern Christology, beginning with Schleiermacherand liberal theology, moving through liberation, eschatologi-cal, African American and feminist Christologies, and endingwith the approach of narrative Christologies, which Stroupfavors and employs in the preceding chapters. Chapter 6examines the challenges of religious and cultural pluralism toChristology. Through it all, Stroup presents succinct discus-sions of different Christologies and his own understanding ofJesus Christ, which seeks to be faithful to the biblical witnessand engaged with the present. This book will be useful for laystudy groups and introductory courses in Christology. Con-gregational and seminary libraries should have a copy.

Don SchweitzerSt. Andrew’s College, Saskatoon

LITERARY THEOLOGY BY WOMEN WRITERS OFTHE NINETEENTH CENTURY. By Rebecca Styler. TheNineteenth Century, 4. Burlington VT: Ashgate, 2010.Pp. ix + 180; illustrations. $99.95.


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This innovative book examines different literary genresutilized by mainly British women writers within Anglican,Methodist, and Unitarian churches to construct Christiantheology that more adequately addressed salient issues ofethics, sociopolitical analysis and activism, and gender iden-tity in the latter nineteenth century. Styler explores novels,poetry, biographies, essays, and speeches through whichwomen developed trailblazing theological views about thedivine, divine-human relations, sin and salvation, and othertopics at the crossroads of inherited Christian traditions andexistential human realities. After an introductory chapterthat elaborates the sociocultural, intellectual, and historicalcontexts of nineteenth-century women’s theological writ-ings, Styler devotes subsequent chapters to the novels andbiographies of E. Worboise that focused on religion, gender,and public life to deprivatize both women and religion; thepoetry of A. Brontë that reflected modern debates betweenrationality, existentialism, and affectivity in (re)articulatingclaims about God; the collective biographies of biblicalwomen by multiple writers that paralleled twentieth-centuryfeminist hermeneutics; and the religio-political writings ofH. Martineau and J. Butler that forged a theological basis foran enlightened, responsible, and politically engaged citi-zenry and thus presaged, in Styler’s balanced (and not at allanachronistic) view, twentieth-century liberation theologies.Resembling contemporary feminist theologians who circum-vent exclusion from ecclesiastical structures to do theology,these women wrote as a religious vocation, as an alternativemeans to shape Christian theological discourse and practice.This book will fit well within graduate-level courses regard-ing nineteenth-century European theology and literature,comparative theological method, and theology and genre.

Rosemary P. CarbineWhittier College

FIELD NOTES FROM ELSEWHERE: REFLECTIONSON DYING AND LIVING. By Mark C. Taylor. New York:Columbia University Press, 2009. Pp. i + 292. $26.95.

In this fascinating book, the reader is taken on a journeythrough the life of the author. What prompted Taylor to writethis book was a near-death experience. This event compelledhim to begin the work, which he had contemplated doing forsome time, but the right moment continued to elude him.After coming back from the border of life, he decided that themoment had arrived to share the experiences, the people,and philosophical and theological thoughts that have madehim who he is. The book is comprised of short chaptersdealing with all aspects of his life. As the book begins withhis feelings and those of others around him concerning hispossible life-ending ordeal, the reader is immediatelyabsorbed into the story. The following chapters begin toresemble how time comes to a standstill as the subject expe-riences the highlights and lowlights of his life in an instan-taneous flash—which seems to last a lifetime—while in thethroes of physical or psychological shock. The chaptersbeing divided in A.M and P.M. only add to this feeling. Along

the way, we come to a deeper appreciation not only of theauthor but his philosophical and theological insights as well.This is an accessible book, and anyone interested in Taylor’swork will appreciate the novel way it sheds light on the lifeexperiences that led him to develop his “field notes fromelsewhere.”

Andrew EubanksDrew University

THE THEOLOGICAL AND THE POLITICAL: ON THEWEIGHT OF THE WORLD. By Mark Lewis Taylor. Min-neapolis: Fortress Press, 2011. Pp. ix + 236. $29.99.

Taylor’s latest book is an engaging, impassioned argu-ment for a reimagining of “the theological” as an instru-ment for political liberation. Taylor draws a line between“Theology” and “the theological.” The former is the study ofdoctrinal systems that reference a transcendent Other,whereas the latter is “liminal state of dread, fear, ecstasyand hope” that expresses itself in creative and artisticexpression. Taylor believes that Theology, with its empha-sis on a higher, transcendent power is no longer a usefulinstrument for political liberation (indeed, Theology moreoften capitulates and endorses political atrocity than cri-tiques it). Rather than Theology’s “higher power,” Taylorinvokes “the greater power” of “the theological”—the reflec-tive, existential knowledge (what he labels the “transimma-nental”) of one’s particular life situation. The theological isthe motivating power of an art that is truly existential (or,as Taylor says, “ek-sistant”) and may therefore be subver-sive of oppressive political regimes. The art of the Guan-tanamo poets, he claims, is nourished by the theological(that is, the existential import of one’s “ultimate concern”)and therefore becomes a subversive critique of the politicsof imprisonment and torture. Thus, the heart of Taylor’sproject is to develop a theoretical account of the way thetheological arises from and critiques, through artisticexpression, the agonistic politics of our world. Taylor’s bookis rigorous and impassioned. His argument is clear and wellorganized. His task and his critique are important. But theproblem of Taylor’s book is that the political functions as anontological totality. Everything, including the theological, isan aspect of the political. If there can be no disruption of theagonistic political from outside of its realm, indeed, therecan be no eschaton. Given this lack of an eschaton, Taylorassumes the eternality of agonistic politics and the perpe-tuity of oppression. This leaves theological discourse in theunhappy situation of an endless cycle of subversive cri-tique. Yet for all of Taylor’s talk of subversion, there isnothing that the cycle of political violence is being sub-verted for. There is nothing beyond agonistic politics: oneregime is subverted and replaced by another oppressiveregime. In the end, Taylor simply leaves his readers with anunending cycle of subversion with no hope of a true andlasting eschatological peace.

Matt MoserBaylor University


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LIVING HOLINESS: STANLEY HAUERWAS ANDTHE CHURCH. By John B. Thompson. Peterborough, UK:Epworth, 2009. Pp. 250. £13.99.

This short, accessible book by priest and scholar Thomp-son does two important things. First, it gives a helpful andaccessible overview of the themes running through the workof influential theologian Stanley Hauerwas. How thesevarious themes work together might elude readers not famil-iar with wide portions of Hauerwas’s vast but episodiccorpus. Secondly, the book explores how Hauerwas’s themesand demands might inform and challenge congregationalpractices and programs for “congregational growth” thatborrow nontheological methods and techniques. Then thebook takes a practical turn, narrating the story of Thomp-son’s experience of bringing an urban Anglican congrega-tion in Sheffield back to life. Church groups and adulteducation classes would find this book useful for thinkingabout “how to be church,” something Hauerwas’s friendsand critics agree is a topic about which he has much pro-vocative and fruitful to say.


CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY. By Ross Thompson withGareth Williams. London: SCM Press, 2008. Pp. v + 253.$29.99.

Thompson presents a compact, comprehensive, andaccessible introduction to Christian spirituality in thiscarefully constructed study guide. The book is organizedinto two sections: the first takes a historical approach,while the second adopts a thematic approach. In the his-torical section, Thompson traces shifts over time from thebiblical through postenlightenment periods, introducingseminal figures and anchoring each chapter in a discussionof how changes and challenges shaped spirituality. Themesexplored in the second section include experience, science,body, ethics, and “human difference,” with particularlyinsightful discussions of experience and science. Theauthor concedes that space does not allow him to delve intoother topics, such as spirituality and the arts, a regrettableomission. Even so, the text synthesizes an impressive arrayof movements, models, historical and contemporary think-ers, and interdisciplinary approaches, engaging currentdebates and providing a broad framework for studyingChristian spirituality. Chapters conclude with questions forreflection and discussion, and resources for further study.These resources will provide context for the novice as somereferences are overly succinct and call for elaboration.Intended as an introductory study guide, this volume is avaluable resource for those seeking a structure withinwhich to frame the study of spirituality and an orientationto key concepts and figures.

Elizabeth Ford FriendGraduate Theological Union

AGAINST THE TIDE: LOVE IN A TIME OF PETTYDREAMS AND PERSISTING ENMITIES. By MiroslavVolf. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans PublishingCompany, 2010. Pp. vii + 211. $18.00.

In this moving and readable collection, Yale theologianVolf offers a series of brief meditations on both divine andhuman love. These meditations, none longer than a fewpages, reclaim the central, indeed transformative, role thatlove plays in the theology and ethics of Christianity. This isthe project of the book: to meditate on the nature of God aslove and to draw out the implications of this belief forChristian practice in the world. To this end, Volf meditateson a variety of topics: the relationship between God andself, the reality of evil, and the role of love in the family,the church and politics. Most centrally, Volf meditates onthe way in which practicing Christian love creates aculture of forgiveness and reconciliation. His meditationsdo not hide in the shadows of abstraction, but directly con-front the difficulties of love with particular cases: forgivingterrorists, loving rebellious children, and engaging in ecu-menical dialogue. Volf covers a host of topics precisely inorder to show that the confession “God is love” addresseseach and every aspect of our lives. Volf’s book is thoughtfuland engaging, and is full of thought-provoking and movingessays. What it lacks, however, is a clear audience. Themeditations are not academic essays by any means, buttheir references to Kantian philosophy and Germanmystical writings may alienate those readers withoutformal theological training. But for educated and thoughtfulreaders who are looking for spiritual and ethicalmeditations on Christian love, Volf’s text comes highlyrecommended.

Matthew A. MoserBaylor University

BEYOND PENTECOSTALISM: THE CRISIS OFGLOBAL CRISTIANITY AND THE RENEWAL OFTHE THEOLOGICAL AGENDA. By Wolfgang Vondey.Pentecostal Manifestos 3. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eer-dmans Publishing Company, 2010. Pp xiii + 267. $32.00.

A “playful” interdisciplinary invitation toward therenewal of the present theological configuration, this bookis an in-depth analysis of the various crises faced by globalChristianity: imagination, revelation, creeds, liturgy,ecclesiology, and orthodoxy, which manifest themselveseven in the classical Pentecostal movement. It outlines aprogrammatic rubric for addressing the present crises andproposes play as key theological metaphor for revisioning“established social, cultural, and religious forms of thoughtand praxis.” The author resituates Pentecostalism withinthe Christian theological tradition, dispels commonly heldideas of sectarianism, and demonstrates that global Chris-tianity no longer can ignore the contributions of thePentecostal tradition. The author envisions the futurearticulation of theology opened to the Pentecostal elementsof prophecies, sermons, visions, testimonies, songs, poems,


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prayers, and charismatic speech. These go beyond “scriptedperformance” and into a pneumatological reimagining ofthe place of divine disclosure, the nature of Scripture, andthe role of community. His proposed paradigmatic shiftrevisits dominant parameters of theology and begins toopen the door for the incorporation of ethnocultural voicesfrom the theological global South. This means also toreframe “Pentecostalism” as encompassing multiplecultural forms and expressions centered on the idea ofrenewal by the Holy Spirit. His operating assumptionthat present European and Anglo–US crises of modernityand postmodernity are global in nature is left unchal-lenged. His primary interlocutors are European andAnglo–US theologians displaying a Eurocentric intellectualorientation and undermining his intended multiethnicrenewal of theology. These colonizing implications deservegreater attention.

Nestor MedinaToronto School of Theology

WHY JESUS? By William H. Willimon. Nashville, TN:Abingdon Press, 2010. Pp. xiv + 138. $13.00.

Why Jesus? With this question, Willimon insinuates adouble entendre, suggesting both an apologetic aim and asearch for understanding. He is quick to admit the diffi-culty in answering his posed question, noting that hisefforts do not follow the standard fare of evidentiary apolo-getics but take shape in the form of stories. After all, Willi-mon says, “I’ve never been told a life-changing truth exceptby poets, novelists, and preachers.” So his renditions ofJesus are not empirically verifiable but are verifiable his-torically through the testimonies of his followers found inthe Gospels. His vivid anecdotes in twelve chapters providethe reader with a variety of vistas, rendering unexpectedand often captivating portraits. For example, in the chapterentitled “Home Wrecker,” Willimon contrasts Jesus’ambivalence toward human sexuality with contemporaryculture’s insatiable desire for it, emphatically stating, “Wesimply cannot imagine any fully human being who is notdriven by genitalia.” Such striking word pictures drive usto Willimon’s point: Jesus is working with a completely dif-ferent understanding of human being. These word picturesare the hallmark of his writing. It is interesting, though,that Willimon calls attention, in varying ways throughoutthe book, to the word aspect of these pictures, stating thatChristianity is an “auditory phenomenon.” Such emphasison the auditory, though, seems overly reductionistic to theesthetic elements of vision. Perhaps, these elements are themost captivating and convincing aspects of the Christianfaith that draw people to be “discombobulated, comman-deered, and befriended by the most interesting person inthe world.”

Stephen M. GarrettVilnius Pedagogical University, Lithuania

PNEUMATOLOGY AND THEOLOGY OF THE CROSSIN THE PREACHING OF CHRISTOPH FRIEDRICHBLUMHARDT: THE HOLY SPIRIT BETWEEN WIT-TENBERG AND AZUSA STREET. By Simeon Zahl. T & TClark Studies in Systematic Theology. London and NewYork: T & T Clark, 2010. Pp. x + 206. $120.00.

Zahl’s University of Cambridge dissertation asks if thereis any dialogue possible between Luther’s subordination(because of his concerns about the Schwärmerei) of the Spiritto the Word and contemporary Pentecostalism’s emphasison the experience of the Spirit. His answer is that the pessi-mistic anthropology that was nevertheless open to unmedi-ated charismatic encounters with the Spirit proffered by theyounger Blumhardt provides just such a bridge. On the onehand, Blumhardt’s low view of human nature contests Pen-tecostalism’s theology of glory, but it also cautions, againstthe Reformation’s sola Scriptura principle, that fallen humanbeings can be sure of their biblical understandings; on theother hand, while anticipating Pentecostalism’s emphasis onthe in-breaking of the Spirit into history, Blumhardt insistedon an underrealized view of the Spirit’s presence so thatthe more reliable signs of the Spirit were the negativeexperiences of the Christian life—of suffering, judgment,weakness, powerlessness, etc.—rather than the miraculouswonders often emphasized by the global renewal movement.Besides this attempt to mediate a conversation between twootherwise disparate strands of the Reformation tradition,this volume also makes a contribution to Blumhardt studiesby focusing (over the three chapters that are at the heart ofthe argument) on the emergence of the theology of the crossin Blumhardt’s thinking during the years 1888-1896. Blum-hardt scholars will continue to debate interpretations of theWürttemberg pietists, while those on either side of theLutheran–Pentecostal dialogue will want to expand on thehelpful but yet preliminary reflections here.


Arts, Literature, Culture,and ReligionSHOUTS AND WHISPERS: TWENTY-ONE WRITERSSPEAK ABOUT THEIR WRITING AND THEIRFAITH. Edited by Jennifer L. Holdberg. Grand Rapids,MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006.Pp. vii + 257. $16.00.

An associate professor of English at Calvin College,where these published reflections first originated as talks orinterviews given at the college’s annual Festival of Faith andWriting, Holdberg has assembled an informative as well asdiverse anthology, one that explores what happens at theintersections of literature and faith. Featured writers includeD. Betts, F. Beuchner, W. Campbell, B. S. Carter, E. Dew-berry, D. J. Duncan, R. Hansen, S, House, J. Karon, J. Kogawa,A, Lamott, M. L’Engle, B. Lott, T. Lynch, K. Norris, K.


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defining love: a philosophical, scientific, and theological engagement – by thomas jay oord

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