Creation and Recreation


Book Description

Presents a series of lectures on the theological and sociological aspects of creation doctrine.




Creation, Un-creation, Re-creation


Book Description

A new commentary volume looking at the theological and literary motivations of Genesis 1-11.




Re: Creation


Book Description




The Language of Creation


Book Description

The Language of Creation is a commentary on the primeval stories from the book of Genesis. It is often difficult to recognize the spiritual wisdom contained in these narratives because the current scientific worldview is deeply rooted in materialism. Therefore, instead of looking at these stories through the lens of modern academic disciplines, such as sociology, psychology, or the physical sciences, this commentary attempts to interpret the Bible from its own cosmological perspective.By contemplating the ancient biblical model of the universe, The Language of Creation demonstrates why these stories are foundational to western science and civilization. It rediscovers the archaic cosmic patterns of heaven, earth, time, and space, and sees them repeated at different levels of reality. These fractal-like structures are first encountered in the narrative of creation and then in the stories of the Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, and the flood. The same patterns are also revealed in the visions of Ezekiel, the book of Daniel, and the miracles of Moses. The final result of this contemplation is a vision of the cosmos centered on the role of human consciousness in creation.




What Does the Bible Say?


Book Description

This book is a collaboration between a biblical scholar (Mary Ann Beavis) and a practical theologian (HyeRan Kim-Cragg) who are concerned with the way that the Bible is portrayed and interpreted in popular culture, including but not limited to the movies. This concern points to a need for a conversation, examining what the Bible actually says, in order to uncover transformations and distortions of the biblical stories in the wider culture--including Christian culture. Our conversation is counter-cultural, not in an oppositional way, but taking an alternative posture that aims to provide different insights by drawing from and closely looking at the Bible. The chapters take a Christian canonical approach, articulating "what the Bible says" (and doesn't say) with regard to culturally pervasive themes such as sin and salvation, Christ and Antichrist, heaven and hell, in contrast to popular understandings as disseminated in (primarily) film, advertising, television, etc. We hope that together we will open up fertile academic, ecclesial, and secular space for disclosing loaded cultural and ideological views towards offering positive and intriguing insights embedded in the Bible.




The Cambridge Companion to Augustine's “Confessions”


Book Description

Presents the best scholarship on Augustine's Confessions which will facilitate a better understanding of this masterpiece.




Art Bollockese


Book Description

A critique of abstract modern art from a constructive common sense perspective.




Teaching Religion and Film


Book Description

In a culture increasingly focused on visual media, students have learned not only to embrace multimedia presentations in the classroom, but to expect them. Such expectations are perhaps more prevalent in a field as dynamic and cross-disciplinary as religious studies, but the practice nevertheless poses some difficult educational issues -- the use of movies in academic coursework has far outpaced the scholarship on teaching religion and film. What does it mean to utilize film in religious studies, and what are the best ways to do it?In Teaching Religion and Film, an interdisciplinary team of scholars thinks about the theoretical and pedagogical concerns involved with the intersection of film and religion in the classroom. They examine the use of film to teach specific religious traditions, religious theories, and perspectives on fundamental human values. Some instructors already teach some version of a film-and-religion course, and many have integrated film as an ancillary to achieving central course goals. This collection of essays helps them understand the field better and draws the sharp distinction between merely "watching movies" in the classroom and comprehending film in an informed and critical way.




Gendering Ethnicity


Book Description

Democracy, anticipated by American and other Western powers to prevent economic chaos and political conflict within and among states, is not evolving as expected. This research argues that part of the failure resides in United States democracy assistance's inadequate consideration of gender within democracy programming.




Hyperlocal Organizing


Book Description

Hyperlocal Organizing: Collaborating for Recovery Over Time explores the difficult work of post-disaster recovery. Jack L. Harris, demonstrates that after disaster, broad interorganizational landscapes are needed to unite the grassroots, neighborhoods, communities, and institutions to solve problems of recovery and bring people home. Yet all too often, government disaster policy and institutions ignore the critical role of local knowledge and organizing. Exploring the organizational landscape of the mid-Atlantic United States after Hurricane Sandy, Harris reveals how participation and collaboration open multiple pathways to recovery after disaster by building resilience and democratizing governance. Using powerful theories of communicating and organizing, this book develops a new framework—hyperlocal organizing—to address the challenge of community survivability in the twenty-first century. Achieving community survivability requires robust organizational partnerships and interorganizational collaboration to solve collective problems. The lessons Harris presents are important not just for post-disaster recovery, but for addressing grand challenges such as climate change, environmental justice, and equitable community development. Scholars of environmental communication, disaster studies, and emergency management, will find this book of particular interest.