Kay Pranis, The Little Book of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking (New York: Good Books, 2005). A title in The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series.
“Our ancestors gathered around a fire in a circle, families gather around their kitchen tables in circles, and now we are gathering in circles as communities to solve problems. This practice draws on the ancient Native American tradition of a talking piece and combines that with concepts of democracy and inclusivity.
“Peacemaking Circles are used in neighborhoods to provide support for those harmed by crime and to decide sentences for those who commit crime, in schools to create positive classroom climates and resolve
behavior problems, in the workplace to deal with conflict, and in social services to develop more organic support systems for people struggling to get their lives together.
“The circle process hinges on storytelling.
“It is an effort bringing astonishing results around the country.” (The Little Book of Circle Processes, back cover)
Walter Wink, The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man (Augsburg Books, 2001).
A thorny historical issue handled with artistry and imagination The epithet “the son of the man” (or “the Human Being”) in the Gospels has been a highly debated topic. Wink uses this phrase to explore not only early Christology but the anthropology articulated in the Gospels. Jesus apparently avoided designations such as Messiah, Son of God, or God, though these titles were given by his disciples after his death and resurrection. But Jesus is repeatedly depicted as using the obscure expression “the Human Being” as virtually his only form of self- reference. Wink explores how Jesus’ self-referential phrase came to be universalized as the “Human Being” or “Truly Human One.” The Human Being is a catalytic agent for transformation, providing the form and lure and hunger to become who we were meant to be, or more properly perhaps, to become who we truly are. (Amazon Description)
The Practice of the Presence of God: Theology as a Way of Life, ed. by Martin Laird and Sheelah Treflé Hidden, (Routledge, 2016).
Exploring the unity of the practice of prayer and the practice of theology, this book draws together insights from world-class theologians including Rowan Williams, Andrew Louth, Frances Young, Margaret R. Miles, Sebastian Brock, and Nicholaï Sakharov. Offering glimpses of the prayer-life and witness that undergirds theological endeavour, some authors approach the topic in a deeply personal way while others express the unity of prayer and the theologian in a traditionally scholarly manner. No matter what the denomination of the Christian theologian – Greek or Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist – authors demonstrate that the discipline of theology cannot properly be practiced apart from the prayer life of the theologian. The prayer of the theologian shapes her or his approach to theology. Whether it be preaching, teaching, writing or research, the deep soundings of prayer inform and embrace all. (Amazon Description)
EXPLORING MIMETIC THEORY, BIBLICAL THEOLOGY, & BELOVED COMMUNITY 