Here’s a selection of titles added to our collection in the past week.

 1517: Martin Luther and the invention of the reformation /Peter Marshall. In this engagingly-written, wide-ranging and insightful work of cultural history, leading Reformation historian Peter Marshall reviews the available evidence, and concludes that Luther’s famous theses-posting on a Wittenburg door is a myth. And yet, Marshall argues, this fact makes the incident all the more historically significant. In tracing how–and why–a non-event ended up becoming a defining episode of the modern historical imagination, Marshall compellingly explores the multiple ways in which the figure of Martin Luther, and the nature of the Reformation itself, have been remembered and used for their own purposes by subsequent generations of Protestants and others. The intention is not to ‘debunk’, or to belittle Luther’s achievement, but rather to invite renewed reflection on how the past speaks to the present–and on how, all too often, the present creates the past in its own image and likeness.

 A grammar of Makary Kotoko /by Sean Allison. TWU AUTHOR Sean Allison provides a thorough description and analysis of Makary Kotoko – a Central Chadic language of Cameroon. Working with an extensive corpus of recorded texts supplemented by interactions with native speakers of the language, the author provides the first full grammar of a Kotoko language. The detailed analysis of the phonology, morphology, syntax, and discourse features of Makary Kotoko is from a functional/typological perspective. Being based on a large number of oral texts, the analysis provides an example-rich description showing the range of variation of the constructions presented while giving insights into Kotoko culture.

Antifascism: the course of a crusade /Paul Gottfried. This book deals with the continuing appeal of antifascism as a political concept and as a tool for fighting a real or imagined fascist enemy. Antifascism has undergone significant changes in how it has understood and combatted a perceived fascist danger from the 1920s down to the present.

 Atheist overreach: what atheism can’t deliver /Christian Smith Smith takes a look at the evidence and explains why we ought to be skeptical of atheists’ claims about morality, science, and human nature.

 Christian higher education in Canada: challenges and opportunities /edited by Stanley E. Porter and Bruce G. Fawcett. This volume is a collection of the papers and plenary talks designed to share the content of the symposium with a wider audience. The papers are all written by active scholars and researchers who are connected to the member institutions of Christian Higher Education Canada (CHEC). They not only illustrate the quality of the scholarship at these institutions, but they make their own critical contribution to an ongoing discussion regarding the role and place of Christian higher education within the wider society. This volume is intended to be helpful to students, faculty, staff, board members, and supporters of Canadian and other Christian higher education institutions, as well as interested individuals and scholars.

 Counterfeit Christianity: the persistence of errors in the church /by Roger E. Olson. Olson describes the curses but also gifts that heresies bring the Church. The author describes major heresies and how the church dealt with them, the players, and what pastors can do to address these faith issues in order to educate congregations about Jesus, God, and salvation. Also included are questions for individual or group study.

Curating church: strategies for innovative worship /Jacob D. Myers. Church leaders, learn to be curators of the culture for your community.

 Dance in Scripture: how biblical dancers can revolutionize worship today /Angela M. Yarber. Yarber examines the dances of seven biblical figures: Miriam, Jephthah’s daughter, David, the Shulamite, Judith, Salome, and Jesus. She combines feminist and queer hermeneutics with dance history to highlight the nuances of the texts that often go unnoticed in biblical scholarship, while also celebrating the myriad ways the body can be affirmed in worship in creative, empowering, and subversive ways. Liberation, lamentation, abandon, passion, subversion, innocence, and community each contribute to the exciting ways embodied worship can be revolutionized. This is a book for those interested in biblical scholarship, dance, the arts, feminist and queer theory, or revolutionizing worship.

 Dyskolos: or, The man who didn’t like people/Translated into English prose by W.G. Arnott.  Arnott’s translation and presentation — notably including the detailed stage-descriptions and instructions — do make for a very clear picture of the action unfolding, and seem to (re)present Menander’s wordplay and comic turns well. It’s a fine, if pretty basic, read — certainly of some appeal and historic interest, but not particularly remarkable.

GreenFaith: mobilizing God’s people to save the earth /Fletcher Harper ; foreword by Bill McKibben. God is calling us to live differently.

 Have courage & be kind: knights in training & the great battle /by Luella Neufeld. When an invisible enemy threatens a magical kingdom, three brothers set out to defeat the new enemy: a deadly virus. Knights-in-training, they are committed to serving the kingdom, and with the help of their family, devise a strategy to beat their foe. Along the way they learn critical life lessons about courage, service, patience, love and imagination. The children learn how to stay safe during a pandemic and discover how to experience life through acts of kindness during this challenging time.

 How to preach a dangerous sermon: preaching and moral imagination /Frank A. Thomas. Learn to use four characteristics of preaching with moral imagination to proclaim freedom for all. The author describes the four characteristics using examples like Robert F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,  along with musicians and other artists of today. This book equips and empowers preachers to transcend their basic skills and techniques, so that their proclamation of the Word causes actual turnaround in the hearts and lives of their hearers, and in their communities.

 Is a good God logically possible? /James P. Sterba. Using yet untapped resources from moral and political philosophy, this book seeks to answer the question of whether an all good God who is presumed to be all powerful is logically compatible with the degree and amount of moral and natural evil that exists in our world. Sterba focuses on the  question of whether God is logically compatible with the degree and amount of moral and natural evil that exists in our world. The negative answer he provides marks a new stage in the age-old debate about God’s existence.

 Jacob Arminius: the man from Oudewater /Rustine E. Brian. Brian outlines the life and theology of Arminius, shedding fresh light on his life, theology, and writings. In hopes of better understanding Arminian theology and Arminianism, Brian concludes with a constructive comparison and contrast of Arminius and several prominent theological figures: Pelagius, John Wesley, and Karl Barth.

 Jesus Christ as ancestor: a theological study of major African Ancestor christologies in conversation with the Patristic christologies of Tertullian and Athanasius /Reuben Turbi Luka. Turbi Luka uses historical-theological methodology to engage in detail with Christologies of key African theologians and conventional theological sources for Christology, including the church fathers Tertullian and Athanasius as well as modern theologians. Turbi argues that existing African Christologies, specifically ancestor Christologies, are inadequate in expressing the person of Christ as Messiah and saviour, the fulfilment of Old Testament prophesies. Providing a new approach, Turbi proposes an African Linguistic Affinity Christology that explicitly portrays Jesus as Christ in a contextually relevant way for Africans in everyday life. This crucial study highlights the need for biblically rooted Christology and for sound theological understanding and naming of Jesus at every level.

 Learning the way: reclaiming wisdom from the earliest Christian communities /Cassandra D. Carkuff Williams.. Williams advocates that the church should and must recover and reclaim our foundations and reinterpret them in light of present-day realities.

 My grandmother’s hands: racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies /Resmaa Menakem. In this groundbreaking work, therapist Menakem examines the damage caused by racism in America from the perspective of body-centered psychology. He argues this destruction will continue until Americans learn to heal the generational anguish of white supremacy, which is deeply embedded in all our bodies. My Grandmother’s Hands is a call to action for all of us to recognize that racism is not about the head, but about the body, and introduces an alternative view of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched racialized divide.

 Not safe for church: ten commandments for reaching new generations /F. Douglas Powe Jr. and Jasmine Rose Smothers. Reaching a new generation requires a new conversation.

Quirky leadership: permission granted /John Voelz.  Quirky Leadership raises the bar for ministry—not by jumping through more hoops or focusing on gift deficits but rather by identifying, communicating, and celebrating the individual truths about identities and for ministry environments. John Voelz is quickly becoming a source for practical leadership perspective as a voice that questions the status quo, calls out mediocrity, and gives permission to view things differently and watch crazy ideas come to fruition for the sake of God’s kingdom.

 Reforming the monastery: Protestant theologies of the religious life /Greg Peters. his volume is an examination of Protestant theologies of monasticism, examining the thought of select Protestant authors who have argued for the existence of monasticism in the Reformation churches, beginning with Martin Luther and John Calvin and including Conrad Hoyer, John Henry Newman, Karl Barth, and Donald Bloesch. Looking at the contemporary church, the current movement known as the’New Monasticism’is discussed and evaluated in light of Protestant monastic history.

 Resenting God: escape the downward spiral of blame /John I. Snyder. Find freedom from the bondage of hatred and resentment.

Sanctified sexuality: valuing sex in an oversexed world /Sandra L. Glahn & C. Gary Barnes, editors. Bringing together twenty-five expert contributors in relevant fields of study, Barnes and Glahn address the most important and controversial areas of sexuality that Christians face today. An ideal handbook for pastors, counselors, instructors, and students, Sanctified Sexuality provides solid answers and prudent advice for the many questions Christians encounter on a daily basis.

 Science, scripture, and same-sex love /Michael B. Regele. What science and the Bible say about same-sex love. Regele explores current scientific findings in biological brain research, psychology, and sociology, which he compares with scriptural teaching from the Bible, to show that a faithful reading of the Scriptures is consistent with Christian teaching that affirms same-sex love leading to same-sex marriage and full participation of LGBT people in church leadership. Regele offers compelling research and well-supported answers to common-place questions.

 The Bible and Bob Marley: half the story has never been told /Dean MacNeil ; foreword by Stephen C.A. Jennings. This is the first book written on  Marley as biblical interpreter. It answers the question, What light does biblical scholarship shed on Marley’s interpretation, and what can Marley teach biblical scholars? Focusing on the parts of the Bible that Marley quotes most often in his lyrics, MacNeil provides a close analysis of Marley’s interpretation. For students of Marley, this affords a deeper appreciation and understanding of his thought and his art. For students of scripture, it demonstrates the nature of Marley’s unique contribution to the field of biblical interpretation, which can be appreciated as an excellent example of what R. S. Sugirtharajah calls’vernacular interpretation’of scripture.

 The book of the Torah /Mann, Thomas W. In this revised and expanded version of his popular book, Mann engages literary criticism and theology in attending both to the composite nature of the Torah (or Pentateuch) and to its final, canonical shape. Mann’s study provides a lucid introduction to the heart of the Hebrew Bible, suitable for students and general readers, but also of interest to biblical scholars.

 The Cambridge companion to film music /edited by Mervyn Cooke and Fiona Ford. This wide-ranging and thought-provoking collection of specially-commissioned essays provides a uniquely comprehensive overview of the many and various ways in which music functions in film soundtracks. Citing examples from a variety of historical periods, genres and international film, the book’s contributors are all leading scholars and practitioners in the field. They engage, sometimes provocatively, with numerous stimulating aspects of the history, theory and practice of film music in a series of lively discussions which will appeal as much to newcomers to this fascinating subject as to seasoned film music aficionados.

 The Cambridge companion to percussion /edited by Russell Hartenberger. This Companion explores percussion and rhythm from the perspectives of performers, composers, conductors, instrument builders, scholars, and cognitive scientists. This book will be a valuable resource for students, percussionists, and all those who want a deeper understanding of percussion music and rhythm.

 The Cambridge companion to rhythm /edited by Russell Hartenberger, Ryan McClelland. This Companion explores the richness of musical time through a variety of perspectives, surveying influential writings on the topic, incorporating the perspectives of listeners, analysts, composers, and performers, and considering the subject across a range of genres and cultures. It includes chapters on music perception, visualizing rhythmic notation, composers’ writings on rhythm, rhythm in jazz, rock, and hip-hop. Taking a global approach, chapters also explore rhythmic styles in the music of India, Africa, Bali, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Indigenous music of North and South America.

 The Cambridge companion to the drum kit /edited by Matt Brennan, Joseph Michael Pignato, Daniel Akira Stadnicki. This Cambridge Companion highlights emerging scholarship on the drum kit, drummers, and key debates related to the instrument and its players. Interdisciplinary in scope, this volume showcases research from across the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, all of which interrogates the drum kit, a relatively recent historical phenomenon, as a site worthy of analysis, critique, and reflection. It will be a valuable resource for students, drum kit studies scholars, and all those who want a deeper understanding of the drum kit, drummers, and drumming.

 The Cambridge companion to the Rolling Stones /edited by Victor Coelho, John Covach. This groundbreaking, specifically commissioned collection of essays provides the first dedicated academic overview of the music, career, influences, history, and cultural impact of the Rolling Stones. Shining a light on the many communities and sources of knowledge about the group, this Companion brings together essays by musicologists, ethnomusicologists, players, film scholars, and filmmakers into a single volume intended to stimulate fresh thinking about the group as they vault well over the mid-century of their career. Threaded throughout these essays are album- and song-oriented discussions of the landmark recordings of the group and their influence. Exploring new issues about sound, culture, media representation, the influence of world music, fan communities, group personnel, and the importance of their revival post-1989, this collection greatly expands our understanding of their music.

 The Cambridge companion to the singer-songwriter /edited by Katherine Williams and Justin A. Williams. This Companion explains the historical contexts, musical analyses, and theoretical frameworks of the singer-songwriter tradition. Divided into five parts, the book explores the tradition in the context of issues including authenticity, gender, queer studies, musical analysis, and performance. The contributors reveal how the tradition has been expressed around the world and throughout its history to the present day. Essential reading for enthusiasts, practitioners, students, and scholars, this book features case studies of a wide range of both well and lesser-known singer-songwriters, from Thomas d’Urfey through to Carole King and Kanye West.

  The Cambridge companion to video game music /edited by Melanie Fritsch and Tim Summers. This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date survey of video game music by a diverse group of scholars and industry professionals. Many popular games are analysed, including Super Mario Galaxy, Bastion, The Last of Us, Kentucky Route Zero and the Katamari, Gran Turismo and Tales series. Topics include chiptunes, compositional processes, localization, history and game music concerts. The book also engages with other disciplines such as psychology, music analysis, business strategy and critical theory.

 The Christ letter: a Christological approach to preaching & practicing Ephesians /Douglas D. Webster. The Christ Letter is a conversation partner for pastors and students of the Bible who want to wrestle with the meaning of the biblical text for Christian living today.  Webster weaves together deep biblical insights, penetrating cultural perspectives, and stories of transformation into a pastoral commentary that promises to release the powerful message of Ephesians. This commentary offers lines of thought, illustrations, and applications that carry the gospel into the present situation.

 The darkening age: the Christian destruction of the classical world /Catherine Nixey. A bold new history of the rise of Christianity, showing how its radical followers ravaged vast swathes of classical culture, plunging the world into an era of dogma and intellectual darkness.

The healing myth: a critique of the modern healing movement /J. Keir Howard.  It is the purpose of this book to examine seriously the dubious claims and teaching of the modern healing movement, as well to expose its very real dangers, in order to encourage Christian people, both ordained and lay, to exercise a more critical approach to the healing movement. The book concludes by outlining a framework for a return to a more biblical emphasis on proper pastoral care in the church’s ministry to the sick.

 The mentoring church: how pastors and congregations cultivate leaders /Phil A. Newton. The solid, practical solutions in The Mentoring Church offer churches of any size both the vision for mentoring future leaders and a workable template to follow. With insightful consideration of theological, historical, and contemporary training models for pastor/church partnerships, Newton is a reliable guide to developing a church culture that equips fully prepared leaders.

 The new leadership challenge: creating the future of nursing / Ebook /Sheila C. Grossman, Theresa M. Terry Valiga. This has been written as a reference book and textbook for undergraduate students in nursing, as well as for nurses in any practice role. The book also is helpful for nurses pursuing graduate study, including those preparing as clinical nurse leaders, nurse educators, or those pursuing doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degrees. It provides an overview of major ideas related to the multidimensional concept of leadership and explores the relevance of those ideas at various points throughout one’s career development: beginning, intermediate, and advanced.

 The soul of the American university revisited: from Protestant to postsecular /George M. Marsden. A classic and much discussed account of the changing roles of Christianity in shaping American higher education, presented here in a newly revised edition to offer insights for a modern era.

 The undiscovered C. S. Lewis: essays in memory of Christopher W. Mitchell /edited by Bruce R. Johnson. TWU CONTENT These fascinating essays not only include many new discoveries and fresh insights into Lewis’ life and work, but also map out a trajectory for future studies. These eighteen essays by friends of Chris Mitchell are themselves a testament to how much his friendship and influence augmented their insights into Lewis. Now happily, the fruits of that fine combination of scholarship and friendship are available to augment our understanding too.” Includes Holy Grief: The Pilgrim’s Path to Consolation by TWU’s Monika B. Hilder

 The unreformed Martin Luther: a serious (and not so serious) look at the man behind the myths /Andreas Malessa ; foreward by Paul L. Maier. German radio and television journalist Andreas Malessa looks at the actual history of Luther and concludes that many of the tales we know best are nothing but nonsense.Diving gleefully into the research, Malessa investigates many of the falsehoods and fallacies surrounding the reformer, rejecting them in favor of equally incredible facts. Full of humor and irony, this book educates and entertains while demonstrating a profound respect for Luther’s life and mission.If you’re looking for the truth of the man behind the theses, come discover his faith and influence–with the myths stripped away.

 The vile practices of church leadership: finance and administration /Nate Berneking. A primer for every pastor and senior church leader on finance and administration.

Thriving in the second chair: ten practices for robust ministry (when you’re not in charge) /Mike Bonem. Identifies and explores ten key factors to thrive in ministry.