Month: July 2017

Here is a sample of the 26 books added to the collection in the past week. Click on a title for more information, TWU log in may be required.

EDUCATION

Teaching with poverty in mind: what being poor does to kids’ brains and what schools can do about it /Eric Jensen. Veteran educator and brain expert Eric Jensen takes an unflinching look at how poverty hurts children, families, and communities across the United States and demonstrates how schools can improve the academic achievement and life readiness of economically disadvantaged students. He argues that although chronic exposure to poverty can result in detrimental changes to the brain, the brain’s very ability to adapt from experience means that poor children can also experience emotional, social, and academic success. A brain that is susceptible to adverse environmental effects is equally susceptible to the positive effects of rich, balanced learning environments and caring relationships that build students’ resilience, self-esteem, and character.

 HISTORY

The Marshall Cavendish illustrated encyclopedia of World War II /based on the original text by Eddy Bauer ; consultant editor, James L. Collins.

LITERATURE

The collected poems of Langston Hughes /Arnold  Rampersad, editor ; David Roessel, associate editor.  Spanning five decades and comprising 868 poems (nearly 300 of which have never before appeared in book form), this magnificent volume is the definitive sampling of a writer who has been called the poet laureate of African America–and perhaps our greatest popular poet since Walt Whitman.  Here, for the first time, are all the poems that Langston Hughes published during his lifetime, arranged in the general order in which he wrote them and annotated by Arnold Rampersad and David Roessel.

 RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Ages of the spiritual life /Paul Evdokimov ; original translation by Sister Gertrude ; revised translation by Michael Plekon and Alexis Vinogradov.  Evdokimov draws from the great current of Christian spiritual life in the West and in particular the Eastern tradition, revealing how modern mankind may recover the voices of silence, prayer and contemplation. Ages of the Spiritual Life presents a different view of the spiritual life. Models and teachers are the desert fathers and mothers and the monastics. Evdokimov’s gift is the idea of an “interiorized monasticism” for all.

 Beauty for ashes: the spiritual transformation of a modern Greek community /Stephen R. Lloyd-Moffett.  This story of profound spiritual transformation demonstrates how a bishop and a local monastery turned a village riddled by scandal into one of the most spiritually vibrant towns in all of Greece. The book covers the political history and religious character of the region of Nikopolis, from time of the Apostle Paul in 63 AD to the arrival of Bishop Meletios in 1980. With great sensitivity, the author deals with the issue of sexual misconduct within the church, the restoration of the local church to spiritual health, and the renewed trust between church leaders and the laity.

 Beyond words: daily readings in the ABC’s of faith /Frederick Buechner. “A word a day to keep the demons at bay.” This is how Frederick Buechner likes to describe this witty and incisive dictionary. A daily devotional from one of today’s greatest spiritual writers, Beyond Words offers 366 entries. Providing definitions of both sacred and ordinary words, as well as biblical characters, Buechner unabashedly brings his fresh perspective to words, concepts, and characters we thought we understood. This is a great introduction to Buechner’s work as well as a library staple for those already well versed in his writing. Whether readers find themselves tearful from a deeply moving insight or laughing out loud at an unexpected turn of phrase, they will always feel uplifted, illuminated, and enchanted by the wisdom of Frederick Buechner.

 The enlargement of the heart: “be ye also enlarged” (2 Corinthians 6:13) in the theology of Saint Silouan the Athonite and elder Sophrony of Essex /Archimandrite Zacharias ; edited by Christopher Veniamin.  The Enlargement of the Heart consists of a remarkable series of presentations on the nature and purpose of human existence in St. Silouan the Athonite (1866-1938) and Elder Sophrony of Essex (1896-1993), and an Appendix comprised of two lectures on Monasticism.

 Facing east: a pilgrim’s journey into the mysteries of Orthodoxy /Frederica Mathewes-Green. The Classic Story of a Family’s Pilgrimage into the Orthodox Church. Frederica Mathewes-Green discovered, it is a vital, living faith, rich in ritual beauty and steadfast in integrity. Utilizing the framework of the Orthodox calendar, Mathewes-Green chronicles a year in the life of her small Orthodox mission church, eloquently illustrating the joys and blessings an ancient faith can bring to the worshipers of today.

 Faith, life and leadership: 8 Canadian women tell their stories /General editor, Georgialee Lang ; foreword by Dr Brian Stiller. Here are 8 prominent women in leadership in Canada who are led by God’s Spirit, who have come forward to serve as mentors and models for others. As successful, godly Canadian women, each is a distinguished leader in her field, willing to share the unique stories and lessons of their journeys, communicating with utmost authenticity and integrity.

 Holy women of Russia: the lives of five Orthodox women offer spiritual guidance for today /by Brenda Meehan ; preface by Thomas Hopko. Looking at the lives of the widow Tuchkova, hermit Anastasiia, peasant Matrona Naumova, to the aristocratic Aleksandra Shmakova and the Abbess Taisiia, this volume examines how these women created environments that combined monastic solitude with a community of like-minded women. Brenda Meehan seeks to demonstrate the sources and qualities of their holiness, and show how each woman represented a particular facet of Orthodox spirituality. The book also explores the aspects of women’s religious ideals, including community, service, and reconciliation, that marked the religious communities founded by these women.

 The knowledge of the holy: the attributes of God : their meaning in the Christian life. / Tozer, A. W. (Aiden Wilson) One of the most potent and enduring expressions of the nature of God. The Knowledge of the Holy is a bestselling classic of Christian testimony and devotion from a leading figure in the history of evangelical Christianity, Dr. A. W. Tozer. This book explores the attributes of God in words that fly straight to the heart. Each chapter begins with a prayer, then reverently and lucidly explains a divine aspect — from God’s infinity to God’s love — and relates the attribute to everyday life. Informative as well as inspirational, The Knowledge of the Holy returns the towering Christian concept of God to the center of the popular religious mind.

 The miracle of mindfulness: an introduction to the practice of meditation /Thich Nhat Hanh ; Translated by Mobi Ho. In this beautiful and lucid guide, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercise as a means of learning the skills of mindfulness–being awake and fully aware. From washing the dishes to answering the phone to peeling an orange, he reminds us that each moment holds within it an opportunity to work toward greater self-understanding and peacefulness.

 Orthodox spirituality: an outline of the Orthodox ascetical and mystical tradition /by a Monk of the Eastern Church.  This unpretentious little book – now revised and expanded – has long been recognized as a trusty guide for those wishing to explore the Orthodox ascetical and mystical tradition. As the introduction observes, the book is neither a scholarly history of Orthodox spirituality, nor a far-reaching treatise on ascetical and mystical graces, nor a description of the psychological state of Orthodox mystics. It is intended as a short and very simply introduction to the first principles of the spirituality of the Orthodox Church.

 The Pentateuch: a social-science commentary /John Van Seters. In this magisterial overview of the Pentateuch John Van Seters reviews the various historical-critical attempts to read it that arise from notions about the social evolution of Israel’s religion and culture. In dialogue with competing views, Van Seters advocates a compositional model that recognizes the social and historical diversity of the literary strata. This social-science commentary on the Pentateuch is renowned as one of the most influential volumes on this group of texts. For the new edition Van Seters has revised several sections of the text, updating and integrating new bibliographical items, and refining the text where necessary.

 The Resurrection and modern man /Ignatius IV ; translated by Stephen Bigham ; with a foreword by Olivier Clement. In this book, Patriarch Ignatius IV offers a meditation on salvation offered to man by the resurrected Christ and the Holy Spirit , in whom all things are created anew.

Secret places, hidden sanctuaries: uncovering mysterious sites, symbols, and societies /Stephen Klimczuk and  Gerald Warner of Craigenmaddie.  The doors of some of the world’s best-hidden places and most secretive organizations have now been thrown wide open! Some of the names are familiar: Area 51, Yale’s Skull and Bones, Opus Dei, the Esalen Institute. Others are more obscure, hidden by fate or purposeful deception, such as the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, the super-secure facility where Vice President Dick Cheney was secreted after the 9/11 attacks, and Germany’s Wewelsburg Castle, which was intended to become the mythological centerpiece of the Nazi Regime. Readers can take an unprecedented look deep inside the off-the-map military installations and shadowy organizations that operate in the murkiest corners of our world.

 A silent action: engagements with Thomas Merton /Rowan Williams. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams explores the mind and influence of Thomas Merton through essays on such topics as the connection Merton had with Paul Evdokimov, the Orthodox theologian, and Karl Barth, the Reformed theologian. Rowan also takes note of the impact of books on Merton’s thought, spanning from Fyodor Dostoevsky and Dietrich Bonhoeffer to St. John of the Cross. Through his essays, Williams shows that he and Merton share the regard that Christian life without a contemplative dimension is incomplete and, furthermore, that a contemplative life is accessible not only to those living in monasteries but to anyone who seeks an “interiorized” monasticism.

 Solitude: seeking wisdom in extremes : a year alone in the Patagonia wilderness /Robert Kull.  Kull traveled to a remote island in Patagonia’s coastal wilderness with equipment and supplies to live alone for a year. He sought to explore the effects of deep solitude on the body and mind and to find the spiritual answers he’d been seeking all his life. With only a cat and his thoughts as companions, he wrestled with inner storms while the wild forces of nature raged around him. Solitude is the diary of Kull’s tumultuous year. Chronicling a life distilled to its essence,it is also a philosophical meditation on the tensions between nature and technology, isolation and society. He describes the enormous Patagonia wilderness with poetic attention, transporting the reader directly into both his inner and outer experiences.

 Theology of wonder /by Seraphim Sigrist.  This book features chapters on topics ranging from holy folly to deification, from community to silence and spiritual reflections “give a rare inspired glimpse into the things of everyday life…making accessible the presence and love of God.” It is recommended for all that desire a book that helps us see a wonderful theology which can change lives.

SCIENCES

The new neotropical companion /John Kricher. The acclaimed guide to the ecology and natural history of the American tropics–now fully updated and expanded, The New Neotropical Companion  book that has helped thousands of people to understand the complex ecology and natural history of the most species-rich area on Earth, the American tropics. Featuring stunning color photos throughout, it is a sweeping and cutting-edge account of tropical ecology that includes not only tropical rain forests but also other ecosystems such as cloud forests, rivers, savannas, and mountains. Here, you will learn how to recognize distinctive ecological patterns of rain forests and other habitats and to interpret how these remarkable ecosystems function–everything is explained in clear and engaging prose free of jargon. You will also be introduced to the region’s astonishing plant and animal life. Informative and entertaining, The New Neotropical Companion is a pleasurable escape for armchair naturalists, and visitors to the American tropics will want to refer to this book before, during, and after their trip.

 THEATRE

Faith on stage /Christians in Theatre Arts. A collection of five faith-based plays by five esteemed playwrights, this unique anthology offers an extraordinary variety of plays perfect for the stage, classroom discussion and every theatre aficionado’s library.

Here is a sample of the 58 books added to the collection this week. Click on a title for more information, or to place a hold. TWU login may be required to access eResources

EDUCATION

Data literacy for educators: making it count in teacher preparation and practice /Ellen B. Mandinach, Edith S. Gummer ; foreword by Barbara Schneider. This groundbreaking resource describes data literacy for teaching, emphasizing the important relationship between data knowledge and skills and disciplinary and pedagogical content knowledge. Case studies of emerging programs in schools of education are used to illustrate the key components needed to integrate data-driven decisionmaking into the teaching curricula. The book offers a clear path for change while also addressing the inherent complexities associated with change.

 HISTORY

The race for paradise: an Islamic history of the crusades /Paul M. Cobb.  Cobb offers an accurate and accessible representation of the Islamic experience of the Crusades during the Middle Ages. He stresses that, for medieval Muslims, the contemporaneous Latin Christian expansion throughout the Mediterranean was seen as closely linked to events in the Levant. As a consequence of this expanded geographical range, the book takes a broader chronological range to encompass the campaigns of Spanish kings north of the Ebro and the Norman conquest of Sicily (beginning in 1060), well before Pope Urban II’s famous call to the First Crusade in 1095.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

The Apostle Paul: his life, thought, and letters /Stanley E. Porter.  In this comprehensive introduction to the apostle Paul, Stanley Porter devotes serious consideration both to the background and major contours of Paul’s thought and to the unique contributions of each of his letters.

Bad faith: when religious belief undermines modern medicine /Paul A. Offit.  Acclaimed physician and author Paul Offit gives readers a never-before-seen look into the minds of those who choose to medically martyr themselves, or their children, in the name of religion. Never afraid of controversy, Offit takes a stark and disturbing look at our surprising capacity to risk the health and safety of children in service of our beliefs.

Changing your mind: the Bible, the brain, and spiritual growth /Victor Copan.  What is unique about Victor Copan’s approach to spiritual growth is that he explores recent findings of brain research as well as scientific research on habit formation and brings them into conversation with the process of spiritual formation.

The cross before Constantine: the early life of a Christian symbol /Bruce W. Longenecker.  Upending a longstanding consensus, Bruce W.   Longenecker presents a wide variety of material artifacts to illustrate that Christians made use of the cross as a visual symbol of their faith long before Constantine appropriated it to consolidate his power in the fourth century.

The disciples’ prayer: the prayer Jesus taught in its historical setting /Jeffrey B. Gibson.  Gibson disputes the view that Jesus’ prayer was derived from Jewish synagogal prayers. Understanding its intent requires understanding Jesus’ purpose in calling disciples as witnesses against ‘this generation.’ In context, the prayer was not eschatological and was not aimed at ‘calling down’ into the present the realities of the ‘age to come.’ Rather, it was meant to protect disciples from the temptations of their age.

Evangelical versus liturgical?: defying a dichotomy /Melanie C. Ross.  Ross draws on historical analysis, systematic theology, and the worship life of two vibrant congregations to argue that the common ground shared by evangelical and liturgical churches is much more important than the differences than divide them. Evangelical versus Liturgical? is an important addition to the scant literature explaining nondenominational worship practices to those from more historically established liturgical traditions.

 God: a very short introduction /John Bowker.  Exploring  how the major religions interpret the  idea of God, and have  established their own distinctive beliefs about God’s existence, Bowker shows how and why our understanding of God continues to evolve.

 God cannot do without America: Matthew Simpson and the apotheosis of Protestant Nationalism /by Darius Salter.  The argument of this book is that Matthew Simpson, the most prominent bishop in USA’s largest denomination, was a decisive force in both the political and religious life of the American civil war According to his contemporaries, Simpson was the most influential clergyman in the life of Abraham Lincoln.

Heavenly participation: the weaving of a sacramental tapestry /Hans Boersma. TWU  Author  Surveying the barriers that contemporary thinking has erected between the natural and the supernatural, between earth and heaven, Hans Boersma issues a wake-up call for Western Christianity. Both Catholics and evangelicals, he says, have moved too far away from a sacramental mindset, focusing more on the “here-and-now” than on the “then-and-there.” Yet, as Boersma points out, the teaching of Jesus, Paul, and St. Augustine — indeed, of most of Scripture and the church fathers — is profoundly otherworldly, much more concerned with heavenly participation than with earthly enjoyment. Boersma draws on the wisdom of great Christian minds ancient and modern — Irenaeus, Gregory of Nyssa, C. S. Lewis, Henri de Lubac, John Milbank, and many others. He urges Catholics and evangelicals alike to retrieve a sacramental worldview, to cultivate a greater awareness of eternal mysteries, to partake eagerly of the divine life that transcends and transforms all earthly realities.

  A history of the floating societies of the Christian Endeavor /Robert A. Danielson.  The first Floating Christian Endeavor Society was established in Boston sometime in 1890. to preach and minister to the unique needs of sailors. In a short span of eleven years, the work had grown tremendously, not due to the work of traditional missionaries or an ordained chaplaincy. It grew because of the flexibility of a lay-led movement accompanied by the transient nature of the mission field and a genuine passion for Christ in its members. The movement quickly spread internationally as well, with Floating Christian Endeavor Societies on British and Japanese vessels.

 In defense of doctrine: Evangelicalism, theology, and scripture /Rhyne R. Putman.  An apologetic for the ongoing, constructive theological task in Protestant and Evangelical traditions, it suggests that doctrinal development can be explained as a hermeneutical phenomenon and that insights from hermeneutical philosophy and the philosophy of language can aid theologians in constructing explanatory theses for particular theological problems associated with the facts of doctrinal development, namely, questions related to textual authority, reality depiction, and theological identity. Joining the recent call to theological interpretation of Scripture, Putman provides a constructive model that forwards a descriptive and normative pattern for reading Scripture and theological tradition together.

 In the school of prophets: the formation of Thomas Merton’s prophetic spirituality /Ephrem Arcement, O.S.B.  A fresh examination of the works Merton read, responded to, and celebrated, In the School of Prophets examines the final decade of Merton’s life, mainly through the lens of his journals and letters, and helps to fill a gap in contemporary Merton studies.

 Jesus without borders: Christology in the majority world /edited by  Gene L. Green, Stephen T. Pardue, and K. K. Yeo.  Offering an excellent glimpse of contemporary global, evangelical dialogue on the person and work of Jesus, this volume epitomizes the best Christian thinking from the Majority World in relation to Western Christian tradition and Scripture. The contributors engage throughout with historic Christian confessions — especially the Creed of Chalcedon — and unpack their continuing relevance for Christian teaching about Jesus today.

 Journal of creation [electronic resource].  Journal of Creation brings in-depth, peer-reviewed comment, reviews and the latest research findings that relate to origins and the biblical account of Creation, the Flood and the Fall. The journal covers a wide spectrum of studies, not just science. Powerful articles have appeared on topics such as philosophy, theology, history, archaeology, social sciences and many more.

 Rudolf Bultmann: a companion to his theology /David W. Congdon.  In this introduction to Bultmann’s theology–the first of its kind in more than twenty years– Congdon guides readers through ten central themes in Bultmann’s theology, ranging from eschatology and dialectic to freedom and advent. By gaining an understanding of these themes, students of Bultmann will have the necessary tools to understand and profit from his writings. The result is not only an accessible guide for those encountering Bultmann for the first time but also a cohesive, systematic presentation of his thought for those wondering how his work might speak to our current context.

 Saint Bernard’s three-course banquet: humility, charity, and contemplation in the De gradibus /by Bernard Bonowitz.  Bonowitz makes the teaching of both Bernard and Benedict accessible to modern readers in a set of conferences originally conceived for and delivered to a group of Cistercians.

Sex difference in Christian theology: male, female, and intersex in the image of God /Megan K. DeFranza.  DeFranza argues, from a conservative theological standpoint, that all people are made in the image of God — male, female, and intersex — and that we must listen to and learn from the voices of the intersexed among us.

 The Trinity: how not to be a heretic /Stephen Bullivant.  The central idea of this book is that, contrary to popular assumption, the Trinity is a very simple doctrine. The Trinity: How Not to Be a Heretic explains how the earliest Christians came to be convinced of the doctrine, why it matters, and how slowly, over a period of several centuries it found a concise way of being expressed.

 Turning east: contemporary philosophers and the ancient Christian faith /edited by Rico Vitz, Department of Philosophy, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California, U.S.A.  Turning East is a collection of autobiographical essays in which sixteen philosophers describe their personal journeys to the Orthodox Church, explain their reasons for becoming Orthodox Christians, and offer a sense of how their conversions have changed their lives.

  Way below the angels: the pretty clearly troubled but not even close to tragic confessions of a real live Mormon missionary /Craig Harline.  Part religious history, part coming-of-age story, part witty spiritual memoir, this book takes readers beyond the stereotypical white shirts and name tags to reveal just how unpredictable, funny, and poignant the missionary life can be.

 Whiteman’s gospel: a Native American examines the Christian church and its ministry among Native Americans / Smith, Craig Stephen

 SOCIAL SCIENCES

A beginner’s guide to language and gender /Allyson Jule. TWU Author.  In this revised and updated 2nd edition of her pioneering textbook, Jule offers fresh insights into the study of language and gender for those new to the subject. Students will gain a thorough grounding in theoretical and practical perspectives on gender and language in the workplace, media, school, religion and domestic settings. Updates to the 2nd edition include discussion of: language and rape culture; LGBTQ terminology; language and social media; gaming; eco-feminism; and language, gender and Islam. The book is an ideal introductory text for courses specifically focused on language and gender, as well as those where an understanding of these issues would be helpful. Written in an engaging and reader-friendly style, with study questions, suggestions for further reading and a glossary, this book is the ideal starting point for students wishing to understand how language and gender interact in the modern world.

 Microaggressions in everyday life: race, gender, and sexual orientation /Derald Wing Sue.  A first-of-its-kind guide on the subject of microaggressions. This book insightfully looks at the various kinds of microaggressions and their psychological effects on both perpetrators and their targets. Thought provoking and timely, Dr. Sue suggests realistic and optimistic guidance for combating-and ending-microaggressions in our society.

 On being raped /Raymond M. Douglas.   A personal and moral inquiry into the crime we do our best to ignore: the rape of adult men. Douglas recounts his own experience as a victim of rape and his later attempts to seek help to lay bare the physical and psychological trauma. With eloquence and passion, he examines the requirements society implicitly places upon men who are victims of rape, examines the reasons for our resounding silence around this issue, and reveals how alarmingly prevalent this kind of sexual violence truly is. An insightful and sensitive analysis On Being Raped promises to open an important dialogue about male rape and what needs to be done to provide adequate services and support for victims.

 What is Africa’s problem? /Yoweri K. Museveni ; edited by Elizabeth Kanyogonya ; foreword by Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere.  This collection of Museveni’s writings and speeches lays out the possibilities for social change in Africa. Working with a broad historical understanding and an intimate knowledge of the problems at hand, Museveni describes how movements can be formed to foster democracy, how class consciousness can transcend tribal differences in the development of democratic institutions, and how the politics of identity operate in postcolonial Africa.