Abstract
Series: Global Voices from Latin America
ISBN: 9781912343928
Ginia Cesar Bontempo
There are few Latin American scholars who have been more involved in the churches’ mission for so many years and in so many parts of the continent as the author of this book. Samuel Escobar's knowledge of its history, theological thinking, ecclesial diversity, and practical outworking is second to none. The scope of his reading is impressive. His ability to analyse and provoke further thought is outstanding. This is a genuine handbook of Latin American missiological thought and missionary engagement that covers all the different Christian traditions. I highly recommend it as an invaluable source for understanding the ways in which Christian mission has been undertaken through the years in this great Continent.
Series: Mini Book
ISBN: 9781914454288
Stephanie Goins
During the ten years’ civil war in Sierra Leone, children were both victims and perpetrators of horrendous crimes. Many of these former child soldiers sought reunification with their families and communities, whose openness to this was essential. Yet it was not just reunification, it was reintegration they were after. The inherent complexities of this beg the question: Can practices of forgiveness serve the reintegration process? This mini-book, a summation of a larger body of work, explores the transformative possibilities of forgiveness and its power to reshape individuals and communities as they seek new futures together.
A stunning account of forgiveness as more than a mere theological abstraction and more than just an interpersonal practice. This is forgiveness as repair of the social fabric torn asunder by the horrors of war. The stories are heart breaking, but the hope is powerful—hope not just for repair but for embrace and a return to the communal home and, ultimately, to flourishing life.
Matthew Croasmun, Associate Research Scholar, Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School, author of For the Life of the World: Theology that Makes a Difference and The Emergence of Sin: The Cosmic Tyrant in Romans.
Series: Practitioner
ISBN: 9781914454837
Andrew Lane
Jephthah – one of the most baffling figures in the Bible. Ultimately, it is a story of child sacrifice. Nothing to do with contemporary Christian life, then, you might think. But you would be wrong, because the Jephthah Inheritance lives on in the missions and church organisations of today. For, just as Jephthah made God a promise that had never been required of him, sacrificing his daughter's life, many missionaries, pastors and full-time Christian workers did the same, sacrificing their children on the altar of evangelism. Herein lie the tragic stories of childhood trauma and abandonment that have resulted in many children of godly parents suffering serious mental health issues and being unable to share the faith of their parents. So, who is to blame? Is such damage avoidable? Can it be healed? Andrew Lane looks into the root causes, the justifications, the bad theology and the self-protecting policies that led to so much pain and tragedy. But he also offers hope for healing and a new way forward in Christian service. This is a book for anyone involved in or preparing for Christian leadership as well as for those now adult children who became unwilling heirs to The Jephthah Inheritance.