Announcing our Brand New, Quarterly Print Edition.

As we continue to encourage the practices of reading and theological conversation in our churches, we will, starting this Fall, be supplementing our online edition with a print edition that contains more reviews, interviews and book news of note for missional church communities. Our first issue will feature reviews by Debra Dean Murphy, Brett Foster, Ragan Sutterfield and others, and will explore the work of Seamus Heaney, Gregory Jones, Mary Oliver, William Stringfellow, Slavoj Žižek, Willie Jennings, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and more! You won’t want to miss this exciting new venture!

Be one of our first subscribers, pay $19.95 for a one year subscription (Save almost 40% off newsstand prices!) and get our very first issue free and your whole second year free (You’ll receive the ERB print edition free through the end of 2012! 9 issues in all.)

Also, after you subscribe, you can give as many gift subscriptions as you want for $16.95 each (same 9 issue deal)!
Gift subscription offer ends 30 September 2010.

And if that isn’t a sweet enough deal for you, if you subscribe on or before Monday September 13, you’ll have a chance to get your subscription for FREE! We’ll draw the name of three winners and refund the fees paid for their subscription!

[ CLICK HERE for more info and to subscribe! ]

We’re Giving Away 10 Free books from IVP !!!

Thanks to our friends at IVP Books, we are giving 10 free books in our Fall contest!!!

Invite your friends (or yourself) to a FREE email subscription to the online edition of The Englewood Review this September,
and you and any friends who activate their subscription will be entered to win two free books from IVP!

The Prize –

We will draw five winners, who each will receive a copy of these two books:

• Pilgrimage of a Soul – By Phileena Heuertz (Read our review here…)
• Walking Gently on the Earth By McMinn/Neff (Review coming soon!)

Total value: $30+

[ Go here to enter to win! ]

“Facing Death Head On”

A Review of
Art of Dying:
Living Fully into the Life to Come
By Rob Moll.

Reviewed by Jasmine Wilson.

Art of Dying: Living Fully into the Life to Come
By Rob Moll.
Paperback: IVP Books, 2010.
Buy now: [ ChristianBook.com ]

I once had a philosophy professor who started her Aquinas class on the virtues and vices by having her students write their own eulogy. Her purpose in this exercise is both to introduce students to thinking critically about life, but also to analyze where they are in terms of virtue development. What would people say about me if I were to die now? The second part of the exercise is to write the eulogy that you wish was delivered. What sort of person do I want to be when my life is complete that I perhaps am not right now?

Rob Moll’s book, The Art of Dying: Living Fully into the Life to Come, has a similar mission. Moll argues that it is only by facing death head on that we can authentically live. His book is a well-balanced mix of historical information about how Christians have practiced death, personal story-telling from his experiences with the dying from his job in hospice and the stories others have shared with him, partly a how-to manual, and partly a foundation for contemplative conversation with friends, complete with a useful discussion guide. All these elements mix incredibly well together to encourage the reader, no matter what age, to think about the best way to die in a Christian manner, and to have conversations with others about it.

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“The Fundamentally Local Nature of Theology?”

A Review of
The Other Christs:
Imitating Jesus in Ancient Christian Ideologies of Martyrdom.
By Candida Moss.

Reviewed by Chris Smith.

The Other Christs:
Imitating Jesus in Ancient Christian Ideologies of Martyrdom.
Candida Moss.
Hardback: Oxford UP, 2010.
Buy now: [ Amazon ]

For many years now, I have been intrigued by the martyrs of the Early Church era, their faith that did not waiver amidst threats of death and their significance in the life of the Church.  Thus, I was excited when I heard about Oxford University Press’s release of the new book The Other Christs: Imitating Jesus in Ancient Christian Ideologies of Martyrdom by Candida Moss, a professor of theology at Notre Dame.  This new work is a study of the “Acts of the Martyrs,” the mostly extra-canonical accounts of the deaths of the martyrs, and seeks to understand “the presentation of the martyrs in the early church, both the ways that the martyr acts interpret the person and death of Jesus and the manner in which this interpretation can inform our understanding of martyrdom in early Christianity” (vii).  Acknowledging that the act of martyrdom is generally accepted as following in the footsteps of Jesus, she notes that this sort of imitation has yet to be explored in depth, and undertakes to do so in this volume.

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“Humanizing Prayer”

A Review of
Mystically Wired: Exploring New Realms in Prayer.
By Ken Wilson.

Reviewed by Joshua Neds-Fox.

Mystically Wired: Exploring New Realms in Prayer.
Ken Wilson.
Hardback: Thomas Nelson, 2010.
Buy now: [ ChristianBook.com ]

Ken Wilson’s Mystically Wired: Exploring New Realms in Prayer is either a practical manual for mystic prayer or a mystical manual for practicing prayer, depending on whether you emphasize the ‘Wired’ or the ‘Mystically.’  Wendell Berry might argue that applying language like ‘wired’ to our biology is a bad idea, since equating human beings with electrical systems is, at the very least, dehumanizing, and probably not the best theology. But Wilson is the pastor of the Ann Arbor Vineyard, a community squarely in University of Michigan territory. For strong left-brain thinkers, mystical prayer looks a lot like a neuro/genetic coping mechanism for anxiety and stress.  It could use a bit of demystifying, and Wilson, a good pastor, is willing and able to extend grace to his community and see things through their eyes.  His message to them (and us) is that a receptivity to what we commonly think of as mystical prayer is actually strongly supported by our neurobiology.  He’s humanizing prayer—and by extension, faith—for the scientific set.

Wilson takes the ‘wired’ metaphor seriously: he places prayer in the Trinitarian reality, which he characterizes as a network of love:

“God is a connected and connecting Being. When we are brought into relationship with God through Jesus, we are, as Jesus said, grafted into a vine as branches are—an early network metaphor to describe the kingdom of heaven (John 15:1-17)… Prayer is a powerful way to put us in touch with the reality that we are profoundly connected, that to be alive is to be embedded in a network of connections.” (70, 82)

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“Fighting Words: On War and Language”

A Review of
War No More: The Antiwar Impulse in American Literature, 1861-1914
By Cynthia Wachtell

Reviewed by Greg Schreur.

War No More:
The Antiwar Impulse in American Literature, 1861-1914
By Cynthia Wachtell.
Hardback: LSU Press, 2010.
Buy now: [ Amazon ]

Robert E. Lee is credited with saying, “It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.” Lee recognized that in battle there is just enough heroism, valor, drama, and occasional righteous purpose that can lead some to whitewash over the horrible truth about war. Nearly everyone has their own beliefs on the morality of war even if we have never experienced battle ourselves, yet for most of us, our views rely not on firsthand experience but on the versions that are presented to us through news reports, books, and movies. It is important, then, that these reports not mislead us or ensconce us in blissful ignorance; on the other hand, what damage can be done when people’s opinions are swayed negatively by some of war’s more disturbing truths?

By now anti-war movements and portrayals have become nearly ubiquitous and have existed long enough to develop their own stereotypes and clichés: the alcoholic Vietnam vet and the disillusioned soldier returning home, to name a pair. The history of the Vietnam War era is equal parts military and civil demonstration, soldier and protester. As Cynthia Wachtell demonstrates in War No More, that period was the diametric opposite of the years leading up to the Civil War, when war was still being grossly romanticized, blinding citizens and politicians and erstwhile recruits to the true horror of war, especially war in the post-industrial age.

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Our friends Kevin Rains and Aaron Klinefelter are coordinating an effort in Cincinnati to explore what a “Curriculum for Christlikeness” might look like. Over the next 10 months, they will host a monthly topical gathering for conversation and learning.

The first session will be on “SoulKeeping” and will be led by Dave Nixon.
Saturday, September 4: 10AM-12PM
St. Elizabeth’s – 1757 Mills Ave. – Cincinnati

This promises to be an exciting course!
If you are in the general vicinity of Cincinnati, you won’t want to miss it!

More info: http://formed.cc/

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In our continuing effort to fund the publication and free distribution of The Englewood Review, we are going to be collaborating more intentionally with Christian Book Distributors. Primarily, we will be offering you the opportunity to buy bargain books from CBD that we think of are interest. Buying books this way is a win / win / win proposition. You get great books for a great price, CBD gets the sale and we get an excellent referral fee from CBD.

This week’s Bargains:

	Church Dogmatics, 14 Volumes By Karl Barth / Hendrickson Publishers $99.99 – Save 90% Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics is, arguably, the most important theological publication of the 20th Century. Reacting against a prevailing Enlightenment project (German Idealism), Barth sought to articulate an expression of Christian belief that nevertheless took seriously, and yet overcame the critique of Christian doctrine brought forth by 19th Century Protestant Liberalism, and the unsatisfactory re-construal of Christianity by rationalism’s close relative, “Natural Theology”. Most believe he succeeded wildly, and in doing so re-established Theology’s ability to speak positively and confidently about faith, reason, and God in Jesus Christ.Since its publication in the United States the Dogmatics has remained relatively inaccessible to pastors, students, and even many professors due to its cost. Hendrickson Publishers, with its publication of the 14-volume set of the Church Dogmatics, has overcome this obstacle. Hendrickson is reproducing the original 14-volume set edited by T.F. Torrance and G.W. Bromiley first published more than forty years ago by T&T Clark. The Hendrickson edition will contain the entire 14-volume set and all its contents, or the entire Church Dogmatics as it was originally published by T&T Clark. This set is ideal for pastors, students, and scholars who have wanted to read Barth, but have been heretofore limited by the cost of such an endeavor. It is also an excellent opportunity for those who have had little exposure to Barth to become more familiar with a theologian who is increasingly influencing our understanding of the Trinity, Christology, Creation, Ecclesiology, the Christian life, ethics, biblical interpretation, and Christian interaction with culture and politics. In short, it is must reading for all students of theology and Scripture no matter their background or theological perspective.
	Westminster Dictionary of Early Christian Literature By David E. Aune, ed. / Westminster John Knox Press $12.99 – Save 74% This book details the variety of literary and rhetorical forms found in the New Testament and in the literature of the early Christian church. This authoritative reference source is a treasurey for understanding the methods employed by New Testament and early Christian writers. This encyclopedia will illuminate the ways words shaped the consciousness of those who encountered Christiam teaching.
	Paul and the Stoics By Troels Engberg-Pedersen / Westminster John Knox Press $4.99 – Save 88%!!! The most in-depth treatment of this topic ever done! Going through Paul’s major epistles, Engberg-Pedersen makes clear how much Paul was indebted to Stoic philosophy both for his theology and his ethics. The bold, original research has all the markings of a landmark publication.
	Jesus of Nazareth By Dorothee Soelle / Westminster John Knox Press $2.99 – Save 85%!!! In this popular yet academically grounded look at Jesus, liberation theologians Dorothee Soelle and Luise Schottroff offer a corrective to the “Jesus of history” research recently made popular through the works of the Jesus Seminar. By situating Jesus within this community of friends–who played a large part in his life, ministry, and movement–the authors show that the story of Jesus has not come to a close. Rather, this book demonstrates how his works, words, and inspired community pose timeless challenges for contemporary life. Includes sixty-seven color illustrations, a glossary, chronological table, map, and brief annotated bibliography.
	The Heavenly Trumpet: John Chrysostom and the Art of Pauline Interpretation By Margaret M. Mitchell / Westminster John Knox Press $4.99 – Save 89%!!! Arguing that all Pauline interpretation depends significantly upon the ways in which readers formulate their own images of the apostle, Margaret M. Mitchell posits that John Chrysostom, the most profilic interpreter of the Pauline epistles in the early church, exemplifies this phenomenon. Mitchell brings together Chrysostom’s copious portraits of Paul – of his body, his soul, and his life circumstances – and for the first time analyzes them as complex rhetorical compositions built open well-known conventions of Greco-Roman rhetoric. Two appendixes offer a fresh translation of Chrysostom’s seven homilies de laudibus sancti Pauli and a catalog of color plates of artistic representation that graphically represent the author/exegete dynamic this study explores.

A Brief Review of Against the Tide: Love in a Time of Petty Dreams and Persisting Enmities By Miroslav Volf. Paperback: Eerdmans, 2010. Buy now: [ ChristianBook.com ] Reviewed by Stephen Lawson.

Since the publication of Exclusion and Embrace in 1996, Miroslav Volf has been one of the most influential theologians in America. Originally from Croatia, Volf is now professor of theology at Yale. His influence can be seen in both the academy (where After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of the Trinity was hailed as one of the most rigorous theological defenses of “free church ecclesiology” to date) and the church (where his more accessible books such as The End of Memory and Free of Charge have received a wide readership). Despite the undeniable distinction between his work for the academy and his work for the wider church, there is a remarkable consistency in the themes he explores. He is committed to a theology that both speaks the truth and calls for total reconciliation between enemies.

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A Brief Review of Putting Away Childish Things: A Tale of Modern Faith. By Marcus J. Borg. Hardback: HarperOne, 2010. Buy now: [ ChristianBook.com ] Reviewed By William Mills.

If you are interested in progressive Christianity and a how to live a life of faith in Jesus that is authentic and modern then look no farther than Putting Away Childish Things by Marcus Borg. Borg is professor emeritus in the department of philosophy at Oregon State University where he held the Hundere Chair in Religion and Culture. In addition to his teaching career, Borg is a prolific author and has published seventeen books, most recently Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, The Heart of Christianity, and The Last Week of Jesus.  While Borg is most known for his academic and scholarly work on the historical Jesus and early Christian studies, Putting Away Childish Things is his first book of fiction. As Borg says in the preface, Putting Away Childish Things is the result of a life-long search for an authentic faith in Jesus that is free from false piety and religion and is the culmination of his thirty years teaching, preaching and writing.

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A Brief Review of Introducing Catholic Social Thought. J. Milburn Thompson. Paperback: Orbis Books, 2010. Buy now: [ Amazon ] Reviewed by Bill van Loon.

Though many in the evangelical world are newly discovering the importance of social engagement, our Catholic brothers and sisters have a long history worth exploring. In the new book Introducing Catholic Social Thought, part of a series directed toward both college students and general readers, J. Millburn Thompson guides us through this rich history.

The content of the book is presented in a way that is intended to make the topic of Catholic social thought approachable and easy to digest. Thompson begins by distinguishing between teaching and thought. Teaching focuses on the explanation of the major documents of the Roman Catholic Church that were written by popes and bishops. Thought takes into consideration the teaching and applies it to the social context.

Thompson says the Catholic social tradition brings the Christian faith to bear on relevant social issues. He says the book focuses on the spirit of Catholic social teaching rather than the letter. Thompson gives a lot of attention to the “social question” and response of the faith with the history and  content of Catholic social teaching used as foundational elements to the discussion. The primary way he does this is by including the stories of people and organizations who he believes incarnated Catholic social teaching.

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