Ten Theology Books to Watch For – August 2017

[easyazon_link identifier=”0802874851″ locale=”US” tag=”douloschristo-20″]Incarnational Ministry: Being with the Church[/easyazon_link]

Samuel Wells

Eerdmans

On the implications of “being with” for the ministry of the church

“With,” says Samuel Wells, “is the most important word in the Christian faith.”

In the Trinity, we see the eternal persons of the Godhead being with each other. In the Gospels, we see Jesus being with the people he encounters, mediating God’s grace to them with his own incarnational presence. Those in ministry, as Wells shows in this book, are also called to the task of being with: with God, with the church, and with the created world and those who dwell in it.

Wells elaborates on the concept of being with in eight dimensions: presence, attention, mystery, delight, participation, partnership, enjoyment, and glory. His vivid narratives and wise reflections challenge readers to deeper discipleship and more vital ministry as they explore what it means to be with the troubled, the hurt, the afflicted, the challenged, the dying—and all who are embraced by the church’s incarnational ministry.

 [easyazon_image align=”center” height=”500″ identifier=”0802875106″ locale=”US” src=”https://englewoodreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/41apLNdGpL.jpg” tag=”douloschristo-20″ width=”333″]

[easyazon_link identifier=”0802875106″ locale=”US” tag=”douloschristo-20″]Forbearance: A Theological Ethic for a Disagreeable Church[/easyazon_link]

James Calvin Davis

Eerdmans

Offers a faithful, constructive way to deal with dissent

What happens when we approach disagreement not as a problem to solve but as an opportunity to practice Christian virtue?

In this book James Calvin Davis reclaims the biblical concept of forbearance to develop a theological ethic for faithful disagreement. Pointing to Ephesians and Colossians, in which Paul challenged his readers to “bear with each other” in spite of differences, Davis draws out a theologically grounded practice in which Christians work hard to maintain unity while still taking seriously matters on which they disagree.

The practice of forbearance, Davis argues, offers Christians a dignified, graceful, and constructive way to deal with conflict. Forbearance can also strengthen the church’s public witness, offering an antidote to the pervasive divisiveness present in contemporary culture.

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