https://anselmacademic.org/Images/Genesis%20Evolution%20review.pdf
James A. Cox
“There are certain individuals whose work is studied for decades to come, and Thomas Merton is one of those people. The Social Thought of Thomas Merton: The Way of Nonviolence and Peace for the Future presents the thoughts of a Catholic man who embraced the ways of peace and Zen and presented an enlightened version of Catholicism. Merton’s teachings and thoughts form . . . many Catholic leaders today, and The Social Thought of Thomas Merton is a must read for any Catholic theologian or philosopher.”
James Halstead, O.S.A.
“‘Who would Jesus kill?’ asks author Mark Allman in this introduction to Christian thought on the ideal of peace and the morality of warfare. The answer is easy: No one! The unmarried, childless, propertyless, nonpolitical Jesus of the canonical Gospels kills no one.
“Many of those baptized into the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus, however, as well as others who look to Jesus as a moral example, have engaged in warfare and killing with regularity. “Who Would Jesus Kill? presents a variety of positions, rationales, and critiques that disciples of Jesus have used throughout history to justify their personal and communal conduct that seems in such clear opposition to the words and example of Jesus.
“This book seems to be intended for college classrooms, adult education programs, and thoughtful readers. A challenging teacher, Allman presents a great deal of information but does not do all the work for the reader. In addition to the reflection questions that close every chapter, Allman leaves open to discussion why the various moral theories presented early in the book exist. Also unexplained (because it is possibly unexplainable) is why various prayerful, thoughtful, sincere Christians might hold such different positions on issues so important—the matters of killing and the destruction of lives, cultures, and property that is of the essence of warfare.
“There are places in the text where Allman leaves it to the reader to figure out the kind of pacifist, just warrior, or holy war he is discussing—but no one who reads WWJK? will ever want use the words ‘pacifism,’ ‘just war,’ or ‘holy war’ again. Allman does not allow simplistic understandings of these complicated ideas to stand without critique.
“Who Would Jesus Kill? is a useful introduction to Christian positions on the objective morality of war and peacemaking. Those forming and reforming their consciences on matters of war and peace will profit from Allman’s thought-provoking explanation.”
Donald Senior
| This book uses an unusual format to offer graduate students an introduction to an academic (as distinct from a theological or pastoral) appreciation of the New Testament. Walker, who currently serves as development director of the University of Chicago Divinity School, has fashioned seven essays on what he considers key facts about the New Testament writings, facts important for grasping the nature and context of these biblical texts. They include such affirmations as: the New Testament is a “library” (rather than a single work); it was written in Greek; it is, in fact, a written text; there are four canonical gospels, but other gospels were produced by early Christianity; the evangelists were anonymous; and Paul wrote before the gospels were composed. Study questions and a select bibliography conclude each essay. |
Donald Senior, C.P., New Testament
“This is an excellent introduction to Paul and his theology. Pascuzzi draws on her years of teaching Paul to fashion what would be a very serviceable text on Paul in seminary and graduate theology courses. Her approach is to place Paul in his context in both Judaism and the Greco-Roman world and then to explore key concepts of Paul’s theology that cut across his letters. Each chapter includes a set of discussion questions and a bibliography for further reading. Also included are a number of helpful maps, charts, and illustrations.”