Theology, Spirituality
Christian, Muslim, Friend: Twelve Paths to Real Relationship. David W. Shenk. Herald Press, 2014, 187 pages.
Using many examples from his own experience, Shenk gives advice on developing friendships with Muslims. He describes some of the teachings of Islam so that Christians can be respectful as they talk about the gospel. Each of the 12 chapters includes questions for discussion.
Discovering Forgiveness: Pathways Through Injury, Apology and Healing. Larry A. Dunn. Cascadia Publishing House, 2014, 122 pages.
This book explores various aspects of forgiveness from an Anabaptist perspective. The author is an experienced mediator and trainer in the field of conflict resolution and teaches at Fresno Pacific University. In the late 1990s he worked with Mennonite Central Committee in Labrador.
If Not Empire, What? A Survey of the Bible. Berry Friesen and John K. Stoner. Privately published, 2014, 348 pages.
Friesen and Stoner provide historical context for the biblical story and a concise analysis of each book of the Bible. Through it all they point out that political power is not what God’s people are about. The book is available through amazon.ca and a free pdf version is available at www.bible-and-empire.net.
John Howard Yoder: Radical Theologian. J. Denny Weaver, ed. Cascade Books, 2014, 420 pages.
The essays in this collection, written by J. Denny Weaver, Earl Zimmerman, Zachary Walton, Gerald Mast, Ted Grimsrud and Glen Stassen, explore various aspects of Yoder’s theology. They discuss Yoder’s ideas in a broader context. The concluding chapters also ask the question of how to interpret Yoder given his sexual misconduct.
Lamentations, Song of Songs: Believers Church Bible Commentary. Wilma Ann Bailey and Christian Bucher. Herald Press, 2015, 303 pages.
This commentary series is designed for basic Bible study. The commentary on Lamentations was written by Wilma Ann Bailey, a Mennonite and a professor of Hebrew. The Song of Songs commentary was written by Christina Bucher from the Church of the Brethren.
Meditations for New Parents, Revised Edition. Gerald Shenk and Sara Wenger Shenk. Herald Press, 2014, 140 pages.
This 30-day collection of short meditations, prayers and quotations is designed to help new parents chart a course through the challenging and wonderful experience of welcoming a baby into the family. It was first published in 1996. Available in paperback or electronic version.
Mediations for the Expectant Mother, New Edition and Meditations for the New Mother, New Edition. Helen Good Brenneman. Herald Press, 2015.
These books have updated covers, but the meditations are similar to the original versions. They are available in paperback or electronic version.
Reading the Bible as if Jesus Mattered. Duane Beachey. Cascadia Publishing House, 2014, 165 pages.
Beachey, a Mennonite pastor serving in Kentucky, compares the simple message of Jesus to what the church is teaching. He raises serious questions about fundamentalism, creationism and the idea that modern Israel is the fulfillment of prophecy.
Toward an Anabaptist Political Theology: Law, Order and Civil Society. A. James Reimer. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2014, 194 pages.
A. James Reimer believed that theology has political ramifications and did some writing about his perspective of political theology before his death in 2010. Paul G. Doerksen has edited some of these writings and brought them together in this collection.
History
California Mennonites. Brian Froese. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015, 335 pages.
Mennonites moved to California looking primarily for economic opportunity, says Brian Froese, associate professor of history at Canadian Mennonite University. Among the topics he examines are labour tensions, assimilation, the role of women and Mennonite identity. This hardcover book is part of the Young Center Books in Anabaptist and Pietist Studies series.
Butch Martin: From the Dam to the World Stage. Del Gingrich. Self-published, 2014, 328 pages.
Butch Martin learned to play hockey on the dam (mill pond) in Floradale, Ont. This is the story of how he came to be the first Mennonite to play hockey for Canada in the Olympics in 1956 and 1960. He could have pursued a career in the NHL, but chose not to. The book can be ordered at mennonitestory@stjacobs.com.
In Search of Promised Lands: A Religious History of Mennonites in Ontario. Samuel J. Steiner. Herald Press, 2015, 877 pages.
Sam Steiner has produced a thorough study of Mennonite groups in Ontario over the past 200 years. The large bibliography and extensive notes show the depth of the research, which allows Steiner to present some new and interesting interpretations of past events. He includes some valuable comparisons and contrasts among the various present-day Mennonite groups.
Mennonite Memories of Puerto Rico. Rafael Falcon and Tim Lehman, eds. Independently published, 2014, 216 pages.
Mennonites first arrived in Puerto Rico in 1943, serving as volunteers and conscientious objectors. They built schools, hospitals and churches. This book is a collection of essays and stories from 19 Mennonites. It is available through amazon.ca.
Other books
Called to be Amish: My Journey from Head Majorette to the Old Order. Marlene C. Miller. Herald Press, 2015, 255 pages.
Marlene Miller is one of the few people who have chosen to join an Amish community. She describes how she got involved with an Amish boy many years ago and her journey in becoming part of his family’s horse-and-buggy group. This book is part of the Plainspoken Series.
Legacy of Worship: Sacred Places in Rural Saskatchewan. Margaret Hryniuk, Frank Korvemaker and Larry Easton. Coteau Books, 2014, 252 pages.
This coffee table book is full of colour photos and descriptions of churches in rural Saskatchewan. Among the Mennonite churches featured are Pleasant Point and Horse Lake, with historic photos of Laird, Tiefengrund Rosenort and Eigenheim. More than 60 churches representing 15 denominations are profiled.
Mennonite Community Cookbook: Favorite Family Recipes, 65th Anniversary Edition. Mary Emma Showalter. Herald Press, 2015, 506 pages.
This popular cookbook has gone through 52 printings in 65 years. The recipes were collected from a variety of Mennonite communities across North America in the 1940s in an attempt to preserve old recipes. The only change from the original version is the addition of some colour photos and a few pages at the end explaining the story behind the cookbook.
True Confessions of a God Killer: A Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress. Emily Hedrick. Cascadia Publishing, 2014, 155 pages.
This second volume of the DreamSeeker Fiction Series is an allegory of a young woman’s spiritual journey. In order to find truth, reality and wholeness, she needed to recognize and get rid of her shallow view of God. The author is a member of Souderton (Pa.) Mennonite Church.
Resources
Mennonite Quarterly Review. Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Goshen College and the Mennonite Historical Society, January, 2015.
This journal carries the story of how the Mennonite church has tried to deal with sexual abuse. It includes Rachel Waltner Goossen’s article “Defanging the beast: Mennonite responses to John Howard Yoder’s sexual abuse.” It is available as an e-book from MennoMedia.
—Compiled by Barb Draper, Books & Resources Editor
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Listening to the characters' voices
Further east of Edensville
Cookbook reflects old-style Menno cooking
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