In the past week, 23 print and ebook  items were added to the collection. Click on a title for more information. TWU login may be required.

The Acts of the Apostles through the centuries /Heidi J. Hornik and Mikeal C. Parsons.

 The Catholic invasion of China: remaking Chinese Christianity /D.E. Mungello.  This book provides a compelling and nuanced history of Roman Catholicism in modern China.  He argues that “invasion” accurately characterizes the dominant attitude of Catholic missionaries (especially the French Jesuits) in their attempt to introduce Western religion and culture into China during the nineteenth and early twentieth century.  Mungello corrects a major misreading of modern Chinese history by arguing that the growth of an indigenous Catholic church in the twentieth century transformed the negative aspects of the “invasion” into a positive Chinese religious force.

 Civil disobedience, and other essays /Henry David Thoreau.  This sampling includes five of his most frequently read and cited essays: “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” (1849), “Life without Principle” (1863), “Slavery in Massachusetts” (1854), “A Plea for Captain John Brown” (1869) and “Walking” (1862).

Dialectical theology and Jacques Ellul: an introductory exposition /Jacob E. Van Vleet. Argues that the work of Jacques Ellul is frequently-and deleteriously-misread on account of inattention to the theological underpinning that governs Ellul’s thought . Van Vleet provides a substantive account of the theological structure of Ellul’s work and demonstrates the determinative role that theology, especially dialectical theology, plays in a proper understanding of Ellul.

 Everyone loves sex: so why wait? (a discussion in sexual faithfulness) /Bryan Sands.

 Foundations of the earth: global ecological change and the Book of Job /H.H. Shugart.  Shugart’s extraordinary investigation uses verses from God’s speech to Job to explore the planetary system, animal domestication, sea-level rise, evolution, biodiversity, weather phenomena, and climate change.

God without religion: can it really be this simple? /Andrew Farley. Using a unique story-driven format, God without Religion dismantles common religious misconceptions.  Pulling no punches, Farley shows how the truth can liberate and unify believers as we discover how to rest in the unconditional love of God

 How good is good enough? /Andy Stanley.  Stanley reminds us that heaven is not filled with good people, but with people who have received God’s grace.

Judging Jesus: world religions’ answers to “Who do people say that I am?” /Wayne G. Johnson. The author traces answers from major world religions-Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The final chapter explores how these religions view the ultimate fate of others.

Modern political constitutions: a study of comparative government and politics with reference to the governments and politics of Great Britain, United States, China, France and Switzerland /Dinesh Chandra Bhattacharyya ; revised and updated by Pralaydeb Muykhopadhyay. 

 Music as prayer: the theology and practice of church music /Thomas H. Troeger. Troeger–a theologian, preacher, poet and flutist-traces how making and listening to music can be an act of prayer, a way of sensing the irrepressible resilience of the divine vitalities, in down-to-earth language that everyone can enjoy. The book employs a wide range of perspectives: from scientific observations about the effect of music on the brain, to the insights of early church fathers about the place of music in worship, to the compositions of great composers and their reflections.

Online mission and ministry: a theological and practical guide /Pam Smith. ‘Virtual vicar’ Pam Smith guides both new and experienced practitioners through setting up online ministries, and considers some of the questions that may arise, such as: Are relationships online as valid as those offline? Is it possible to participate in a ‘virtual’ communion service? How do you deal with ‘trolls’ in a Christian way? What is appropriate for a clergyperson to say on social media?

The role of religion in Eastern Europe today /Julia Gerlach, Jochen Töpfer (eds.) The book  deals with the (re-)emergence of religion in Eastern Europe and its impact on the economy, the society, and the state in 15 essays. The authors represent various fields of science related to human interaction.

 Science and Christianity: an introduction to the issues /J.B. Stump. Science and Christianity is an accessible, engaging introduction to topics at the intersection of science and Christian theology. Includes feature boxes highlighting quotations, biographies of major scientists and theologians, key terms, and other helpful information. Issues are presented as fairly and objectively as possible, with strengths and weaknesses of particular interpretations fully discussed.

 

The Wiley Blackwell companion to religion and ecology /edited by John Hart.