New Books by Candler Faculty

This landmark publication is a multi-faceted worship tool for designing traditional or contemporary services, featuring 569 songs in all styles (hymns, spirituals, historic and modern gospel, and praise and worship music); 52 responsive readings; 46 litanies designed for special days throughout the year, such as church anniversaries, Advent, singles ministry, etc; and supporting resources including the church covenant and articles of faith.

Jennifer R. Ayres, Assistant Professor of Religious Education and Director of the Religious Education Program
Waiting For a Glacier to Move, Pickwick Publications, 2011

When asked about his work for social change, one Presbyterian elder and activist sighed, “You always have the feeling that you're attacking an iceberg with an ice pick. . . . But still, some people do listen, and it does some good. As they say, even glaciers move every now and then.” The work for social change is long, arduous, and yields only the smallest of results. What sustains religious social activists while they chip away at social change? This book examines the practice of social activism from the inside out, exploring how activists are affected by their participation in the public sphere.

Anthony Briggman, Assistant Professor of the History of Early Christianity
Irenaeus of Lyons and the Theology of the Holy Spirit, Oxford University Press, 2012

Irenaeus’ theology of the Holy Spirit is often highly regarded among theologians today, but that regard is not universal, nor has an adequate volume of literature supported it. This study provides a detailed examination of certain principal, often distinctive, aspects of Irenaeus’ pneumatology. In contrast to those who have suggested Irenaeus held a weak conception of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, Briggman demonstrates that Irenaeus combined Second Temple Jewish traditions of the spirit with New Testament theology to produce the most complex Jewish-Christian pneumatology of the early church.

Timothy P. Jackson, Professor of Christian Ethics
Editor, The Best Love of the Child: Being Loved and Being Taught to Love as the First Human Right, Eerdmans, 2011

Much has been written about the rights owed to children: the right to live, the right to be nurtured and cared for, the right to an ample measure of health and happiness—and, especially, the right to be loved. In this volume, twenty scholars from across sociological, psychological, historical, philosophical, theological, and legal disciplines argue that the right of children to be loved can best be fulfilled by teaching them how to love others.

Thomas G. Long, Bandy Professor of Preaching and Director of the Initiative in Religious Practices and Practical Theology
What Shall We Say? Evil, Suffering, and the Crisis of Faith, Eerdmans, 2011

Tsunamis, earthquakes, famines, diseases, wars—these and other devastating catastrophes lead Christians to ask painful questions. Is God all-powerful? Is God good? If so, how can God allow so much human suffering? These questions, taken together, have been called the “theodicy problem,” and Long explores what preachers can and should say in response. He reviews the origins and history of the theodicy problem and engages the work of other thinkers who have posed solutions to it. Cautioning pastors not to ignore urgent theodicy-related questions arising from their parishioners, he offers biblically based approaches to preaching on theodicy.

Rex D. Matthews, Associate Professor in the Practice of Historical Theology
Editor, The Renewal of United Methodism: Mission, Ministry and Connectionalism: Essays in Honor of Russell E. Richey, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, UMC 2012

A distinguished group of United Methodist seminary professors celebrates the life and work of Russell E. Richey in this book of essays highlighting important themes around which much of Richey’s scholarly research and writing have focused: ministry and mission; denominationalism and connectionalism; ecclesiology and evangelism; and doctrine and theology. Contributors to this volume share the conviction that the genuine renewal of United Methodism is more likely to result from careful attention to and serious engagement with the work of the church’s scholars and teachers, exemplified by Russ Richey, than from the proposals of organizational consultants and management experts from the business world.

Ian McFarland, Professor of Systematic Theology
Editor, The Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology, Cambridge University Press, 2011

Sixteen Candler faculty contributed to this 572-page volume, which contains more than 550 entries from “Abba” to “Zwingli.” McFarland served as one of four editors, responsible for drafting the initial proposal for Cambridge and managing all correspondence with the contributors. He also wrote 150 entries himself.  Other Candler contributors were Noel Erskine, Timothy Jackson, Steven Kraftchick, Emmanuel Lartey, Thomas Long, Walter Lowe, Jan Love, Rex Matthews, Joy McDougall, Don Saliers, Luther Smith, Jr., John Snarey, Brent Strawn, Jonathan Strom, and M. Thomas Thangaraj.

David L. Petersen, Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs and Franklin N. Parker Professor of Old Testament
Co-editor, The Book of Genesis:Composition, Reception, and Interpretation, Brill, 2012

Written by leading experts in the field, The Book of Genesis offers a wide-ranging treatment of the main aspects of Genesis study. Its 29 essays fall under four main sections. The first section contains studies of a more general nature, including the history of Genesis in critical study, Genesis in literary and historical study, as well as the function of Genesis in the Pentateuch. The second section contains commentary on or interpretation of specific passages of Genesis, as well as essays on its formation, genres, and themes. The third section contains essays on the textual history and reception of Genesis in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The final section explores the theologies of the book of Genesis, including essays on Genesis and ecology and Genesis in the context of Jewish thought.

Brent A. Strawn, Associate Professor of Old Testament
Editor, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Books of the Bible, ACTS–LXX and MACC-ZEPH, Oxford University Press, 2011

Strawn serves on the five-person editorial board for the two-volume, 1,056-page OEBB, which offers a comprehensive look at the books of the Bible, including not only the canonical books, but the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and a variety of genres that were popular at the time the books were written. One unique feature of this resource is a set of comparison charts of biblical canons, outlining the similarities and differences among six groups: Jewish, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Slavonic (Russian Orthodox), and Ethiopian Orthodox.

David L. Petersen and Brent A. Strawn
Common English Bible, Common English Bible Committee, 2011

The Common English Bible is a bold new translation for the 21st century, balancing academic accuracy with modern readability. It was translated and edited by 120 biblical scholars from 24 denominations. Petersen was convener of the translation board as well as Old Testament editor; Strawn served as Hebrew associate editor. Between the two of them, they edited 33 of 39 Old Testament books. Strawn also served as first translator for the book of Deuteronomy. Other Candler faculty serving as translators include Luke Timothy Johnson, Walter Wilson, and Jacob Wright.