Bücher der Reihe Peaceable Kingdom

""Care for creation has become marginalized in conversations concerning the quest for justice; nevertheless, our very lives depend on . . . respecting the earth. It is no accident that those most likely to be disenfranchised are those who depend the most on the earth for its survival. Hence, A Faith Encompassing All Creation is a crucial addition to the justice discourse. By gathering diverse voices, the reader is led to explore this crucial issue. Our only hope is that such elucidation leads to praxis.""--Miguel de la Torre, Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado""This book gets our attention. It is prophetic. For those of us who have been soothed into ''let''s be nice to creation'' this is an altar call to conversion to a radical and responsible life. We must repent, not simply because all creation calls out to us but because God calls.""--Kyle Childress, Austin Heights Baptist Church, Nacogdoches, Texas""What could be more important for Christians today than to read A Faith Encompassing All Creation? We are in desperate need of a vision of Christian faith that can inspire commitment and action to save the biodiversity of our planet. This book brings together a vibrant diversity of voices, men and women, young and old, from various Christian traditions, all committed to love for the Earth and all its creatures as God''s good creation.""--Denis Edwards, Australian Catholic UniversityTripp York teaches in the Department of Religion at Virginia Wesleyan College. He is the author or editor of more than half a dozen books, including Third Way Allegiance, Living on Hope While Living in Babylon, and The Devil Wears Nada.Andy Alexis-Baker is a PhD candidate in Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics at Marquette University. He is coeditor of Theology of Missions, by John Howard Yoder.

In A Faith Not Worth Fighting For, editors Justin Bronson Barringer and Tripp York have assembled a number of essays by pastors, activists, and scholars in order to address the common questions and objections leveled against the Christian practice of nonviolence. Assuming that the command to love one''s enemies is at the heart of the Gospel, these writers carefully, faithfully--and no doubt provocatively--attempt to explain why the nonviolent path of Jesus is an integral aspect of Christian discipleship. By addressing misconceptions about Christian pacifism, as well as real-life violent situations, this book will surely challenge the reader''s basic understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.In this anthology of new essays, theologians reply to such challenges to Christian pacifism as what would you do if someone were attacking a loved one, what about Hitler, and didn''t Jesus chase people from the temple with a whip? By countering common objections to the Christian peace witness, the book endeavors to help both pacifists and nonpacifists alike gain a deeper understanding of how a Christian commitment to nonviolence can be enacted and supported. Especially strong essays include ""What About War and Violence in the Old Testament?"" by Ingrid Lilly (Western Kentucky University) and ""Didn''t Jesus Say He Came Not to Bring Peace, but a Sword?"" by Samuel Wells (Be Not Afraid), which combines a close reading of the biblical text with a contemporary illustration of the difference between appeasement and a principled peace stance. The essays are, on the whole, varied, lively, and thought provoking. The book includes an introduction by Stanley Hauerwas (War and the American Difference) and an afterword by Shane Claiborne (Irresistible Revolution).--Publishers Weekly""Addressing oft-heard questions posed to Christians who refuse to kill, this is a must-read book for all Christians occupying church pews or sitting behind desks in college classrooms. . . . Even if one does not agree with everything written here (and I don''t), A Faith Not Worth Fighting For helpfully clarifies the theology of Christian nonviolence so as to foster further--and hopefully fruitful--conversation.""--Tobias WinrightAssociate Professor of Theological Ethics, Saint Louis University""This book addresses the predictable questions posed to pacifists. Having spoken publicly hundreds of times and in varied contexts on pacifism, I know this. However, having read widely on the subject of the Christian faith and violence, I also know that this book is a rare treat. For it offers mature, carefully considered reflections on this standard set of issues. This is almost unheard of; this book is a valuable resource.""--Mark Thiessen NationProfessor of Theology, Eastern Mennonite University""A Faith Worth Fighting For is much needed. Its essays provide readers with clear thinking and moral seriousness that challenge all followers of Jesus to journey with him in the ways of peace. Just about any possible objection to Christian pacifism is considered--and overcome.""--Ted Grimsrud, Professor of Theology and Peace Studies, Eastern Mennonite UniversityTripp York teaches in the Religious Studies Department at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, VA. He is the author and editor of numerous books including Third Way Allegiance, Living on Hope While Living in Babylon, and The Devil Wears Nada.Justin Bronson Barringer is a graduate student at Asbury Theological Seminary where he also works for the Office of Global Community Formation. He has been a missionary in China and Greece, worked extensivelyamong homeless people in Nashville, and served at mercy and justice organizations like The Dream Center and Sojourners.

What is the purpose of animals? Didn''t God give humans dominion over other creatures? Didn''t Jesus eat lamb? These are the kinds of questions that Christians who advocate compassion toward other animals regularly face. Yet Christians who have a faith-based commitment to care for other animals through what they eat, what they wear, and how they live with other creatures are often unsure how to address these biblically and theologically based challenges. In A Faith Embracing All Creatures, authors from various denominational, national, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds wrestle with the text, theology, and tradition to explain the roots of their desire to live peaceably with their nonhuman kin. Together, they show that there are no easy answers on ""what the Bible says about animals."" Instead, there are nuances and complexities, which even those asking these questions may be unaware of. Editors Andy Alexis-Baker and Tripp York have gathered a collection of essays that wrestle with these nuances and tensions in Scripture around nonhuman animals. In so doing, they expand the discussion of nonviolence, peacemaking, and reconciliation to include the oft-forgotten other members of God''s good creation.""Far too often, serious concern for nonhuman animals is dismissed by well-meaning Christians--who otherwise might share such concerns--because of some remarkably consistent (and understandable) hesitations. For some decades now we have needed a resource that brought together experts to respectfully answer these concerns, and with this book we finally have this invaluable resource.""--Charles C. Camosy Assistant Professor of Christian EthicsFordham University, Duane Library ""Many good books deserve an enthusiastic recommendation. But only a few merit the stockpiling of a stash of copies to give to anyone and everyone who crosses one''s path. A Faith Embracing All Creatures will be greeted as this latter sort of book by anyone with a heart for creation care. . . . Christians of all varieties will find accessible, creative, and challenging perspectives on a crucial but oft-neglected aspect of their daily discipleship. Animal advocates, Christian or otherwise, will find an indispensable resource for engaging religious audiences. And everyone will find a prophetic call to compassion and justice for all of God''s creatures issued from some of the most influential voices in animal ethics and theology as well as from some of the field''s most provocative newcomers.""--Matthew C. HaltemanAssociate Professor of Philosophy, Calvin College""Other recent books have made the case that our contemporary treatment of animals is both inhumane and unchristian; A Faith Embracing All Creatures does so in a refreshingly light-handed way. Its arguments are both morally serious and deeply theological, particularly because its authors pore carefully over important sections of biblical text. But the book is also extremely inviting as it opens to questions people are genuinely asking about how a commitment to moral vegetarianism (or related commitments) can make theological sense. . . . Furthermore, the concerns about the welfare of animals that the authors highlight in their theologizing turn out to be immensely fruitful. As they free us from customary presumptions, they teach us how to read and appreciate the biblical material in new ways.""--Dr. Charles R. PinchesProfessor and Chair, Department of Theology/Religious Studies, University of Scranton""This collection of essays serves as an excellent introduction to issues concerning Christian attitudes toward, and treatment of, nonhuman animals. The essays draw on a wide range of sources in the tradition, so readers can easily find further avenues to explore. . . . A Faith Embracing All Creatures is an excellent resource for laypeople, church study groups, and even seminarians or college students who want an introduction to the variety of questions and responses Christians can pose about nonhuman ani