Jim Wallis Video Clips

MY ENTIRE READING LIST

>Future Reading...
Engaging Scripture. Stephen Fowl
The Drama of Doctrine. Kevin Vanhoozer
Hermeneutics of Doctrine. Anthony C. Thiselton
Journal of Theological Interpretation. Volume 1, No. 1 - Spring, 2007
Journal of Theological Interpretation. Volume 1, No. 2 - Fall, 2007
Journal of Theological Interpretation. Volume 2, No. 1 - Spring, 2007
The Glory of the Lord, Theo-Drama, and Theo-Logic. (16 Volumes) Hans Urs von Balthasar

>Currently Reading...
The Glory of the Lord - A Theological Aesthetics, Seeing the Form. Hans Urs von Balthasar
The Mystery of Baptism in the Anglican Tradition - Kenneth Stevenson
The Trinity: Milestones in Catholic Theology. Karl Rahner
Confessions. Saint Augustine of Hippo

_____________________


>Completed Reading...

2008
Surprised by Hope: N.T. Wright
The Man Who Was Thursday. G.K. Chesterton
How the Irish Saved Civilization. Thomas Cahill
Glorious Companions: Five Centuries of Anglican Spirituality. Richard H. Schmidt
In the Beginning: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and Fall. Joseph Ratzinger
Christians at the Cross: Finding Hope in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. N.T. Wright
For the Life of the World (Sacraments and Orthodoxy). Alexander Schmemann
*Recovering Theological Hermeneutics. Jens Zimmermann
Matthew for Everyone: Chapter 1-15. Tom Wright
Love Alone is Credible. Hans Urs Von Balthasar
Ancient Future Time. Robert Webber

NOTE: *Thorough Overview - Does not need to be read in it's entirety to get the point.

2007
Trinitarian Doctrine for Today's Mission. Lesslie Newbigin
Reading Scripture with the Church. AKM Adam, Stephen Fowl, Kevin Vanhoozer, Francis Watson
Beyond the Bible: Moving from Scripture to Theology. I. Howard Marshall
Test Everything: Hold Fast to What is Good. Hans Urs von Balthasar
Colossians & Philemon. N.T. Wright
Between Two Horizons. Editors Joel B. Green & Max Turner
Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail. Robert Webber
The Nonviolent Atonement. J. Denny Weaver
God Crucified: Monothesism and Christology. Richard Bauckham
Bible and Mission. Richard Bauckham
The Art of Reading Scripture by Ellen F. Davis and Richard B. Hays
The Climax of the Covenant. N.T. Wright
Evangelical Futures by John G. Stackhouse Jr.
The Text that Breaths New Breath by Walter Brueggemann
(2nd Reading) Contours of Pauline Theology. Tom Holland
Who Do You Say That I Am? Edited by Donald Armstrong
Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality. Anthony De Mello
The Way of the Heart. Henri J. M. Nouwen
In the Name of Jesus. Henri J. M. Nouwen
The Myth of a Christian Nation. Gregory A. Boyd

NOTE: In January 2007 I began the pursuit of a degree in theology (Master of Theology: Scripture and Theology for Practice) through the University of Wales, Lampeter. As you can see - I've read a few less books this year than previous years - or so it seems. This list is only of those I've read in their entirety. Therefore, the many books that I've used for research and essay writing are not listed here. Those can only be found in bibliographies.

2006
God of the Oppressed. James H. Cone
The Powers That Be. Walter Wink
Bread Not Stone. Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza
The Church and Churches. Karl Barth
Theology and Feminism. Daphne Hampson
Evil and the Justice of God. N.T. Wright
Abraham's Promise. Michael Wyschogrod
After Our Likeness. Miroslav Volf
The Truce of God. Rowan Williams
Everything Belings. Richard Rohr
The Resurrection of the Son of God. (Volume 3) N.T. Wright
For the Beauty of the Earth. Steven Bouma-Prediger
Colossians Remixed. Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat
The Emotionally Healthy Church. Pete Scazzero
Free of Charge. Miroslav Volf
Contours of Pauline Theology. Tom Holland
Ultimate Prizes. Susan Hawatch
Jesus and Empire. Richard A. Horsley
The Conversion of the Imagination. Richard B. Hays
The Scriptures, the Cross, & the Power of God. Tom Wright
The Heart of Chrisianity. Marcus Borg
The Millennium Myth. N.T. Wright
Simply Christian. N.T. Wright
Missional Church. Darrel L. Guder and Lois Barrett
The Meal Jesus Gave Us. N.T. Wright
For All The Saints? N.T. Wright
Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Place. Eugene Peterson
The Contemplative Pastor. Eugene Peterson
Hamlet. William Shakespeare
As You Like It. William Shakespeare
The Merhant of Venice. William Shakespeare
Richard the Third. William Shakespeare
Paul: In Fresh Perspective. N.T. Wright

2005
Engaging God's World. Cornelius Plantanga Jr.
The Last Word. N.T. Wright
The Drama of Scripture. Bartholomew and Goheen
The Character of Thology. John R. Franke
Jesus and the Victory of God. (Volume 2) N.T. Wright
The New Testament and the People of God. (Volume 1) N.T. Wright
Glamorous Powers. Susan Howatch
Glittering Images. Susan Howatch
Velvet Elvis. Rob Bell
Harry Potter - Year 3. J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter - Year 2. J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter - Year 1. J.K. Rowling
Following Jesus. N.T. Wright
Texts Under Negotiation. Walter Brueggemann
Life Together. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A Primer on Postmodernism. Stanly Grenz
The Crown and the Fire. N.T. Wright
The Parables of the Kingdom. Robert Farrar Capon
Death of the Church. Mike Regele, Mark Schulz
Making All Things New. Henri Nouwen
The Last Word and the Word After That. Brian McLaren
The Lord and His Prayer. N.T. Wright
Renovation of the Heart. Dallas Willard
Jewish Spirituality. Intro for Christians. Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
Wild at Heart. John Eldredge
The Challenge of Jesus. N.T. Wright
Desire of the Everlasting Hills. Thomas Cahill
Reaching Out. Henri Nouwen
The Gift of the Jews. Thomas Cahill (audio)
Let Your Life Speak. Parker Palmer
God was in this place and I, I did not know. Lawrence Kushner
The Secular City. Harvey Cox
Religion in the Secular City. Harvey Cox
If Grace Is True. Gulley & Mulholland
What Saint Paul Really Said. N.T. Wright
The Foolishness of Preaching. Robert Farrar Capon

2004
The Fingerprints of God. Robert Farrar Capon
Between Noon and Three. Robert Farrar Capon
Honest to God. Walsch & Blanton
Honest to God. John A.T. Robinson
Gospel & Law. Daniel Fuller
Slaves, Women and Homosexuals. William Webb
Redemptive History and the New Testament Scriptures. Ridderbos
The Five Points of Calvinism. Steele & Thomas
Messy Spirituality. Yaconelli
For All Gods Worth. N.T. Wright
A Generous Orthodoxy. McLaren
Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality. Paul Tillich
God Here and Now. Karl Barth
The New Reformation. John A.T. Robinson
Our Father Abraham. Marvin Wilson
Yeshua. Dr. Ron Moseley
The Original Jesus. N.T. Wright
Who was Jesus? N.T. Wright
Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time. Marcus J. Borg
Hermeneutics. Henry Verkler
Every Man's Battle. Stephen Arterburn
The Search to Belong. Joseph Myers
Emerging Worship. Dan Kimball
Experiential Storytelling. Mark Miller
Ancient-Future Evangelism. Robert Webber
Uprising. Erwin McManus
Rumors of Another World. Yancy

2003
The Great Worship Awakening. Redman
An Unstoppable Force. McManus
A New Kind of Christian. Brian D. McLaren
The Story We Find Ourselves In. McLaren
Adventures In Missing The Point. McLaren & Campolo
The Post-Evangelical. Tomlinson
The Unity of the Bible. Daniel Fuller
Ancient-Future Faith. Robert Webber
The Younger Evangelicals. Robert Webber
The Divine Conspiracy. Dallas Willard
Celebration of Discipline. Richard Foster
A is for Abductive. Sweet, McLaren, Haselmayer
The Church on the Other Side. McLaren
Finding Faith. McLaren
Orthodoxy. G.K. Chesterton
Johannes Climacus. Soren Kierkegaard
More Ready Than You Realize. McLaren
The Gospel According to Moses. Athol Dickson
Rabbi Jesus. Bruce Chilton
The Unquenchable Worshiper. Matt Redman
The Dynamics of Corporate Worship. Vernon M. Whaley
Authentic Worship in a Changing Culture. CRC Publications

NOTE: This next list is made up of random books that I remember reading before 2003. They are in no particular order. I know this sounds funny but the following are most, if not all of the books I read before 2003.

Fatherland. Robert Harris
Honor Among Thieves. Jeffery Archer
The Chamber. John Grisham
The Rainmaker. John Grisham
The Client. John Grisham
The Runaway Jury. John Grisham
The Street Lawyer. John Grisham

Scholar Ben Witherington on Rob Bell

Since my entrance into acedamia I've learned that a critical evaluation between scholars can prove helpful to each other. The one doing the critique begins to better understand the others position while the one being critiqued learns of their own weaknesses. True scholarship is open to both sides of this coin. As a friend of Rob and a congregant of Mars Hill for 5 + years, I have learned that Rob does both well. He has critically evaluated Christianity as a structure and desires for the redemption of everything good that has been lost. Ben Witherington (who I do not know personally) critiques some of Rob's exegesis, not in a way to put-down Rob but to encourage Rob's scholarship to develop. The link above gives a brief critique of Rob's exegesis. I will later critique Witherington's position in regard to what I think Rob's response might be to him. Stay Tuned...

Christians wrong about Heaven says Tom Wright (Time Magazine Article)

In Loving Memory of Ronald Jeffrey Morris

I’m reminded of an ancient Jewish custom where if a funeral procession and a wedding party met at an intersection – the wedding procession was given the right-of-way. What is the reason for this, you might ask? Within the Jewish consciousness, “life always takes precedence over death.” Even with all of the honor and respect given to the one who has departed – and to the family of the deceased, “life and joy” are to be considered with the highest regard. So that is why we are here today! We are here to honor and respect the departed and his family while not forgetting to celebrate life, the life of Ronald Jeffery Morris. I don’t think Ron would have wanted it any other way. Would you agree?

In 1992 Ron was confirmed here at Bethel Lutheran Church. The verse he chose for the day was Psalms 27:1 – The LORD is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid? I believe Ron carried this confidence with him wherever he went. Ron Morris did not live life in fear. He lived his life with pure, unadulterated joy. One thing I can say with complete certainty is that he wanted the best possible life for his family. If you knew him well, you came to realize that he even wanted the very best for YOU.

The family has been receiving emails and online posts from people all over the country who at some point crossed paths with Ron and his family. Many of them commented on Ron’s sense of humor and enjoyment for life but also commented on the joy that his life brought to others. Many considered it a privilege to have know Ron even if for only very short time.

When Ron’s family and friends remember him they think of words such as…

Father, friend, patriarch, and prankster. I’ve heard story after story of him sneaking into some family member’s back yard, in the middle of the night, standing at a window or door until someone saw him in his big, hairy mask. Usually, I might add, scaring them to the point of never wanting to be alone again or until someone peed their pants.

Or, how can we forget his ‘happy camper’ routine where he would pull his sweat pants or shorts up to his chest to walk around smiling and waving at everyone and anyone. Then at some point during the night he would eventually introduce you and those visiting the campsite to his ‘happy little friend,’ who I believe went by the name of Hairry.

Hunter extraordinaire, master-griller, and Big Kahuna. Ron was the guy who wanted everyone else to have just as good of a time as he was having. He enjoyed life and wanted all those around him to enjoy it along with him. He not only enjoyed life but he also wanted the best for all those around him, especially his family. Ron was a FAMILY MAN. Whatever he had planned was secondary to what his wife and children were in involved in. He was a husband first, a father second, and Papa third. He and Ginny had many conversations regarding the care and love he had for his immediate and more distant family. When someone hurt he hurt with them. He was always at Brandy and RJ’s sporting events encouraging and cheering them on but of course giving the slight kick in the pants if they ever needed it. Most recently he’s been Papa to his grandchildren, especially in regard to Andra’s soccer team. Members of the team have been reflecting on how he was always able to motivate and get the boys pumped up before a game. I don’t think he ever missed a practice or a game, and was always the ready-and-willing driver for an out of state game or tournament.

He’s also been described as ‘having no faults with anyone,’ and you knew, as a child, that you’d better behave around him or things could get ugly. He’s also been described as the family ‘patriarch,’ especially during and after Ralph’s battle with cancer. Today you will see the pallbearers wearing dark shades in honor of Ralph and now in honor of Ron. He loved his music. He played drums and bongos for some pretty well known bands in his days and music was just an all around good way to get a fun conversation going with him. I know I always enjoyed those.

Well, we could go on forever in regards to Ron and his enjoyment of life and we hope that you will share stories with each other throughout the day. I want to share one brief email with you all before I close…it’s from an old friend who lives in California...“Ronnie, you were a big part of my childhood. I will always remember you as my little buddy. I love you, buddy.” I know many of you will want to tell Ron that you love him so this is how we are asking you to do so. After this ceremony closes you are invited to a meal at the Howard City VFW. There will be a microphone set up there so when a story comes to mind or you begin sharing one with those around you, please feel free to share the story with all of us. We want to celebrate Ron’s life together.

As we continue through this day of celebration please remember that it is our choice for “life to take precedence over death.” Remember that we are not here to think of our own future deaths - but we are here to surrender ourselves to a loving and caring creator and redeeming God. May we live life to its fullest, never forgetting those that have gone before us and those who remain, our friends, family, fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, grandparents and grandchildren. May the peace of God be with you all through this day.

Review - Colossians Remixed - Subverting The Empire

Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire
Brian J. Walsh and Sylvia C. Keesmaat
Reviewed by Nate Dawson


Dr. Brian Walsh and his wife, Dr. Sylvia C. Keesmaat may not be the most well known scholars in the world but they seem to be O.K. with that. At a recent seminar, Brian and Sylvia explored what it might mean for followers of Jesus to “subvert the empire” in today’s globalized and consumer oriented world. Their claim is that in order to subvert the empire, there must be an alternative reality exemplified. Throughout Colossian Remixed, Brian and Sylvia present the alternative reality of the Kingdom of God through creative imagination.

Brian’s desire to write in community has produced two very influential books that Colossians Remixed essentially builds upon. Both books were written along-side Richard Middleton and are: Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian World View (InterVarsity Press, September 1984) and Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age (InterVarsity Press, June 1995). Colossians Remixed, although written with Sylvia, began with dialogue between now longtime friend - Tom Wright - the current Bishop of Durham. In the early 80’s, the two were in Canada and Tom was beginning to write his own commentary on the book of Colossians. Brian was very influential in the way Tom’s commentary took shape and always left him with such questions as, “So what? What does that have to do with us here and now?” Even more recently, the first of Tom Wright’s Christian Origins series, The New Testament and the People of God, was dedicated to Brian for his friendship and helpful insight into the overall architecture of the book.

Sylvia subsequently completed her D.Phil. under Tom Wright on the role of Paul as Storyteller, now published as Paul and His Story: (Re) Interpreting the Exodus Tradition (Sheffield Academic Press, 1999). In her dissertation now turned book, she presents the work of Christ as the reinterpretation of the Exodus event, often know by scholars today as the new exodus. Furthermore, with her intense exegetical work of Colossians and Brian’s deep friendship with Tom during the writing of his commentary on Colossians, Brian and Sylvia are absolutely the most qualified scholars to write the first ever anti-commentary on Colossians.

On another brief note, when the reviewers of your book include N.T. Wright (Bishop of Durham and renowned New Testament Scholar), Walter Brueggemann (eminent Old Testament Scholar and author), and Marva Dawn (author, theologian, and world-wide lecturer), how can you really go wrong with reading this book?


The scene is set. Brian and Sylvia are sitting with their young friend William at a local pub. In the first part of the book, Brian and Sylvia place their readers into the context of globalization, post-modernity, North American consumerism, and the particular region of Colossae. As their conversation continues they begin to realize that William’s “knowing,” or epistemology, comes from a particular context that has informed his own understandings. William reads a text, or for that matter critiques any situation with a “hermeneutic of suspicion.” As Brian and Sylvia state, “Rather then being concerned with rational justification, the stance of a postmodern culture is ‘show me.’” Therefore, Brian and Sylvia “show us” a way to view the biblical text in light of our globalized and consumerist world. By showing us how they believe Paul would approach us today, they charge both the exegete and the church to get back to the mission of putting on display the resurrected Jesus for all the world to see.

It should be stated that William grew up in an age where scripture was used for all the wrong reasons, which I’m sure many reading this review can adequately understand. Now, the only thing he knows for sure is that there is nothing he can know with any certainty. Through intense dialogue with William, Brian and Sylvia succinctly engage the reader into their conversation without forgetting to give the needed back-story to particular stories and insights.

The main experiment throughout the book is to re-write Colossians as if Paul were addressing our current globalized and consumer situation. In times past, rabbis would translate their reading of the Hebrew texts into Targums. These extended paraphrases were done so that a listener from the Diaspora could better understand the biblical text. Paraphrases would clarify the possible confusion of particular idioms that hearers my not be familiar with. Writing a targum of Colossians allows today’s reader to experience something similar to what the people of Colosse would have experienced when hearing Paul’s letter being read to them. In re-writing the book of Colossians globalized consumerism is considered part of the empire. Where-as Paul wrote to those being oppressed by the Roman Empire, Brian and Sylvia suggest that as followers of Jesus, we must “subvert the empire” of our day by joining with those who find themselves oppressed by North American consumerism.

Brian and Sylvia claim that Paul the Apostle believed there was an alternative reality to the Roman imperial cult. The alternative reality presented by Paul was “the kingdom of God.” Jesus’ inauguration of this kingdom – through his death and resurrection – has allowed for the breaking-in of God’s new creation. Paul’s letter to the church of Colossae now, just as then, becomes a tool for imagining an alternative – kingdom – reality. Theologians may call this sort of imaginative tool, contextualization; a much-used method of study by those open to the vagaries of post-modernity.

In the second part of the book Colossians 1.15-20, often known as the Colossian Hymn, is re-written as a beautiful poetic Targum. If you read anything out of this book, even if you are just visiting a bookshop and only read a few pages, be sure to read pages 82-89. The following is a partial quote of that targum,

In an image saturated world, a world of ubiquitous corporate logos permeating you consciousness…Christ is the image of God – a flesh and blood, here and now, in time and history, with joys and sorrow, image of who God is…He is the source of the liberated imagination, a subversion of the empire because it all starts with him…everything, all things…it all happened in embrace of pain, for the sake of others…this is the image of the invisible God, this is the body of Christ.

Although this is only their targum in brief, it adequately informs and compels the reader to wonder what Brian and Sylvia are up to throughout the rest of this book. The second part specifically expounds on truth and worldview as might be understood in our post-modern context. Moving through fresh insights on truth and worldview, as done briefly in the books noted above, the reader can begin to understand that Colossians was meant to be used as a guide in understanding this new way of being in the world under Christ Jesus. Paul’s desire was for the people of Colossae to “subvert” the imperial systems of their day by living the way of the kingdom of God.

In order to better understand this guidebook called Colossians, Brian and Sylvia borrow from N.T. Wright’s narrative hermeneutics. Wright describes God’s redemptive story as a five-act play. The fifth act being where we find ourselves today as followers of Jesus, called to be the incarnation of Him in and for the world (Wright’s narrative hermeneutic can be found throughout many of his books but the simplest form is found in a book called “The Drama of Scripture” by Bartholomew and Goheen). We are therefore to care for the oppressed and marginalized in particular, not forgetting that creation itself will be restored and we must care for it as well.

Brian and Sylvia than go on to the third part of the book, which centers itself on the actual practice or ethic of living out the so-called fifth act. The entire book hinges on the five-act hermeneutic, the first half grounding us in the context and the second half showing us how to imagine and play out God’s restoration actively. The subtitle of the third part of their book is called, “Subversive Ethics,” which essentially delves into three areas. 1) Succession – again a very contextual part that explores what an ethic needs to be in our post-modern world. 2) Community – an essential element needed more by post-modern than their modern predecessors. 3) Liberation – which not only concern itself with the liberation of God’s new exodus people, the poor and marginalized, but also with the liberation of creation itself i.e creation / new creation. 4) Suffering - if the church is the incarnation of Jesus in the world then we are to suffer with him just as he suffers toward the reconciliation of our broken world.

It is obvious that whether in writing, lecturing, or befriending – Brian and Sylvia live with deep compassion for both the Creator and His creation.

The Outline:
Part 1 – Context Remixed: Colossians and Empire
1. Placing Ourselves: Globalization and Post-modernity
2. Colossians and Disquieted Globalization
3. Placing Colossians: Discerning Empire
4. Contested Fruitfulness in the Shadow of Empire

Part 2 – Truth Remixed: Contested Imaginations
5. Subversive Poetry and Contested Imagination
6. Regimes of Truth and the Word of Truth
7. What is Truth?
8. Faithful Improvisation and Idolatrous Lies

Part 3 – Praxis Remixed: Subversive Ethics
9. An Ethic of Secession
10. An Ethic of Community
11. An Ethic of Liberation
12. A Suffering Ethic

Richard B. Hays from The Art of Reading Scripture

We interpret Scripture rightly only when we read it in light of the resurrection, and we begin to comprehend the resurrection only when we see it as the climax of the scriptural story of God's gracious deliverance of Israel.

Sub-Urban.Org

This amazing family will soon be uprooting themselves from Grand Rapids, Michigan and moving to South West Atlanta. The move is a futhering of the calling they believe God has upon their lives. Their committment to Jesus, Family, and Neighboring is a profound act of humility and love for the Creator God and all those they come into contact with. Please support the Ledbetter's in any capicity possible and find out more information about them at www.sub-urban.org - click on above link.

MTh - Master of Theology

...click on the above link...

This degree is granted by the University of Wales, Lampeter which today has the largest religion department in the UK.

BD - Bachelor of Divinity

...click on the link above...

This degree is granted by HEYTHROP COLLEGE, which specializes in Philosophy and Theology. The College is part of the
University of London.

Theology and Religious Studies at Lampeter

We offer undergraduate degree courses in Religious Studies, Theology, Islamic Studies, Religious History, Church History, Religion, Ethics & Society and Divinity, leading to BA and BD degrees, and these are also available at Certificate and Diploma level. All our schemes are modular, so students can enjoy considerable choice and flexibility in selecting their options. Postgraduate research degrees (MPhil and PhD) are available across the broad range of areas in which our staff have specialist expertise. We offer various taught Masters degree programmes in several areas including Celtic Christianity, Religion, Politics and International Relations, Islamic Studies, Theology and Indic Spiritual Traditions.

The University is the smallest in Europe but the Department of Theology and Religious Studies is one of the largest. The St David’s Building, still in use today, was built in 1822, and Theology was taught there from 1827. Today, the Department at Lampeter offers courses in all the world's major faiths and in innovative related areas, in both religious studies and theology, and continues to grow. The Department moved to a purpose-built building in 1998 and has recently expanded into the adjacent Rowland Williams Research Centre. Students who come here enjoy a stimulating mix of old and new, large and small, traditional and modern. Professor Ninian Smart, who was one of the greatest modern authorities on the study of religion, described Lampeter as having

"...a rich and vigorous programme devoted to the study of religions. You cannot do better in Britain in the field than here. Strong in Islamic Studies, in Judaism, in Christianity, it also shines in Buddhism, the Hindu and the Chinese traditions. People from the whole world meet in the heart of Wales".

In recent years, we have developed a distinctive vision which focuses on research excellence and provision for students taught through an extensive partnership network, together with an active hub in Lampeter.