Books

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "The Book of Revolutions: The Battles of Priests, Prophets, and Kings That Birthed the Torah" by Edward Feld. This book provides us with an intriguing picture of early Judaism by focusing not on historical narrative but on the development of the legal codes.

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "Choosing Hope: The Heritage of Judaism" by David Arnow. This book asserts that hope stands at the center of Jewish theology. That’s understandable since Judaism, historically, has had to navigate tremendous challenges when it comes to its survival. Unfortunately, one of the biggest impediments to the survival of the Jewish community has been people who claim to be Christian.

Here at A Public Witness, it’s an annual tradition to share the best books we’ve read during the last calendar year. The table of contents is as follows: 1. Five books featured on our podcast Dangerous Dogma, 2. Five books recommended by Brian (that haven’t yet led to Dangerous Dogma episodes), 3. Five books recommended by Beau, and 4. A heartwarming conclusion.

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "You Never Step into the Same Pulpit Twice: Preaching from a Perspective of Process Theology" by Ronald J. Allen. This book seeks to offer guidance to preachers who approach questions from a particular vantage point: Process Theology. Over the past century, this perspective has found a home within Mainline Protestantism. The question is, how might this influence how one preaches?

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "Buried Seeds: Learning from the Vibrant Resilience of Marginalized Christian Communities" by Alexia Salvatierra and Brandon Wrencher. This book explores the fact that many marginalized Christian communities live without the traditional trappings of institutional religion. Nevertheless, they often thrive – so, perhaps there is much to learn from them.

Our democracy is in trouble and we need to elect pro-democracy candidates. But what if that isn’t sufficient? That’s why Christopher Beem wrote "The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy." A political scientist with a background in religious ethics, Beem brings the best of both traditions to bear on one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "Church on the Move: A Practical Guide for Ministry in the Community" by G. Travis Norvell. Churches can easily become insulated from the surrounding world. They create silos by turning turn inward, seeking to protect whatever space they have accumulated over the years. This book challenges us to examine our context and consider how the church can be present in the broader community.

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "How to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now" by James K. A. Smith. This book explores how we experience time and with past and future framing our life experience, the question we face concerns how we might live faithfully in the present. Smith argues that divine grace allows us to overcome the realities of the past even if we can’t erase that past.

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "The Messiah Confrontation: Pharisees Versus Sadducees and the Death of Jesus" by Israel Knohl translated by David Maisel. This book makes the case that the trial of Jesus should not be a point of contention between Jews and Christians because his death reflects an inter-Jewish debate over whether or not a messiah should be expected and whether Jesus fits the expectation.

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "Strength for the Fight: The Life and Faith of Jackie Robinson" by Gary Scott Smith. The book not only serves to demonstrate the importance of religion in this story but also comes at the right moment, at a moment that many in the United States have forgotten how difficult it has been, and in many ways still is, for people of color to navigate a nation that has been defined by people of European descent.