Alumni Publications

Summer can be a great time to kick back and relax with a book. So if your reading list is looking a bit short, a number of our alums have published books in the past year that might peak your interest.

Research and Writing in the Seminary: Practical Strategies and Tools
by Diana Capitani (G-ETS 2000 and 2002) and Melanie Baffes (G-ETS 2010)

This practical, how-to book for beginning seminary students offers step-by-step guidelines for typical writing assignments at the master's level. Chapters are included on the most basic and common types of writing in seminary: theological book reviews, exegetical papers, theological essays or summaries, reflection papers, research papers, and sermons. Practical, immediately relevant topics offer guidelines students can use as soon as they need them--as they begin the research and writing process. The content is accessible to all students, including those with no writing or theological background and second-career students who finished undergraduate study many years prior to entering seminary. Samples of each type of paper are included, with step-by-step commentary to help beginning students understand the process.

A Contemporary Theology for Ecumenical Peace
by James Will (ETS 1952)

 Humanity's long history of intermittent conflicts and contemporary violence undermines Christian's (and their Jewish and Muslim fellow believers) religious confidence in and moral commitment to world peace. The principal issue is the ambiguity of God's presence and action in the world as we experience it. In A Contemporary Theology for Ecumenical Peace, this problem is addressed by relating biblical theology to contemporary philosophical and theological perspectives to motivate and sustain the practice of love and justice in the context of civil religion.

From Despair to Faith: The Spirituality of Søren Kierkegaard
by Christopher B. Barnett (G-ETS 2004)

Søren Kierkegaard has been called many things, from brooding genius and "melancholy Dane" to the father of existentialism. Yet, rather than clarify the nature of Kierkegaard’s writings, such labels have often obscured other important aspects of his authorship. Such, indeed, is the case with Kierkegaard’s standing as a spiritual author.

In From Despair to Faith: The Spirituality of Søren Kierkegaard, Christopher B. Barnett endeavors to remedy this problem. He does so in two overarching ways. First, he orients the reader to Kierkegaard’s grounding in the Christian spiritual tradition, as well as to the Dane’s own authorial stress on themes such as upbuilding, spiritual journey, and faith. Second, Barnett maintains that Kierkegaard’s spirituality is best understood through the various "pictures" that populate his authorship. These pictures are deemed "icons of faith," since Kierkegaard consistently recommends that the reader contemplate them. In this way, they both represent and communicate what Kierkegaard sees as the fulfillment of Christian existence.

In the end, then, From Despair to Faith not only offers a new way of approaching Kierkegaard's writings, but also shows how they might serve to illuminate and to deepen one's relationship with the divine.

 

Arturo and the Navidad Birds
by Anne Broyles (G-ETS 1979)

Boxes of Navidad ornaments and a lifetime of memories form the cornerstones of this enchanting bilingual tale told in English and Spanish. Young Arturo and his grandmother Abue Rosa spend a day decorating the Christmas tree. As each ornament is lifted gently from its wrappings, Abue Rosa tells the story of how it became a part of her collection. Some ornaments represent friends who have passed away; some were precious childhood gifts from her own parents; and some are mementos of her life with Arturo's abuelo (grandfather). Each brings a glittering fragment of the past as it adorns the tree. While Abue Rosa attends to the tamales in the kitchen, Arturo plays with a delicate ornament. When disaster strikes, Arturo is heartbroken. He learns an important lesson when he takes responsibility for his actions.

Arturo and the Navidad Birds was awarded Second Place in the International Latino Book Awards for "Best Bilingual Children's Fiction Picture Book." These awards represent 18 countries and three languages (Spanish, Portuguese, English).

Untamed Devotions: Stories of a Wild God
by Shane Allen Burton (G-ETS 1995)

In an untamed world riddled with untamed hate and violence, it is powerful and comforting to know there is an Untamed Love born of the heart of an Untamed God. Through these very personal stories, you will find yourself drawn into experiences of the extravagant Love of a very Wild God. God is untamed - God never holds back. God is always with us, waiting and wanting to help us through life's untamed moments.

Reform Movements in Methodism and How They Were Treated
by Paul F. McCleary (GBI 1956)

This book examines early reform movements in American Methodism, particularly the reform movements between 1790-1830, and their impact on the governance within the denomination. A secondary purpose is to initiate a study of the ramifications of the episcopal form of government has on the vitality of a local congregation of The United Methodist Church.

What are you Reading? Part 2

In anticipation of summertime reading, we recently asked our faculty to tell us what they have been reading and the answers may surprise you! Throughout March and April we will be sharing their book recommendations on the seminary's blog.

This week's entry comes from Dwight Judy, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Formation, and Brent Waters, Stead Professor of Social Ethics and Director of the Stead Center of Ethics and Values.

Dr. Dwight Judy
Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Formation

In the midst of the present interest in Abraham Lincoln and the fine book Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, I recommend Gore Vidal’s, Lincoln: A Novel. I read Vidal’s Lincoln before slogging through Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. I think that Vidal’s “novel” holds up well in comparison with the painstaking documentation of Team of Rivals. I found Team of Rivals rather ponderous, as Goodwin weaves concurrent biographies of the key players of the time. If you’re looking for just one book, I recommend Gore Vidal’s for ease of reading about this very fascinating and important period of our nation’s history.

Dr. Brent Waters

Stead Professor of Social Ethics

Director of the Stead Center for Ethics and Values

Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe, by Robert Gellately. The subtitle says it all.

The Inklings, by Humphrey Carpenter. It recounts the informal club consisting of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and circle of Oxford friends that met, most often in the Eagle and Child (aka Bird and Baby) to discuss a range of literary, philosophical, and religious themes. Rough drafts of The Chronicles of Narnia and the Rings trilogy were circulated and discussed by this group.

The Green Knight, by Iris Murdoch. Her next to last novel that winds together rich religious symbolism in a suspenseful and humorous manner. As usual, an insightful inquiry into the roles of good and evil, love and hate, friendship and betrayal, in the shadowy existence called human life.