Fall 2022 List of Books & Resources

Theology, Spirituality

Anabaptist Political Theology after Marpeck. Weaver, J. Denny, Gerald J. Mast and Trevor Bechtel, eds. Cascadia Publishing House, 2022, 262 pages.
This collection of essays explores the life and ideas of Pilgram Marpeck of the 16th century and reflects on Marpeck’s significance for the church today.

Anabaptist ReMix: Varieties of Cultural Engagement in North America. Lauren Friesen and Dennis R. Koehn, eds. Peter Lang. 2022, 478 pages.
This academic book is a collection of essays that examine how Mennonites have adapted to the modern world from a variety of perspectives. It explores several themes, including ethics, community, faith and culture.

Bridgefolk: An Anthology of the Mennonite-Catholic Theological Colloquium (Bridgefolk Series). Gerald W. Schlabach, ed. Pandora Press, 2022, 570 pages.
This collection brings together four previously published Bridgefolk booklets surveying dialogues on martyrdom, peace-making, baptism and policing.

Expecting Emmanuel: Eight Women Who Prepared the Way. Joanna Harader. Herald Press, 2022, 130 pages.
The daily devotions in this book are designed to be used during the Advent and Christmas season. They are based primarily on five women from Jesus’ genealogy: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. There are also resources for worship and small groups, and original artwork by Michelle Burkholder.

A Field Guide to Christian Nonviolence: Key Thinkers, Activists and Movements for the Gospel of Peace. David C. Cramer and Myles Werntz. Baker Academic, 2022, 188 pages.
This book takes a fresh look at what has been said about nonviolence, and each of the eight chapters identifies a different stream of Christian nonviolence. Cramer is a Mennonite pastor who also teaches at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind.

Intercessory Prayer and the Communion of Saints: Mennonite and Catholic Perspectives. Darrin W. Snyder Belousek and Margaret R. Pfeil, eds. Pandora Press, 2022, 240 pages.
This book is a collection of presentations at conferences in 2015 and 2016 sponsored by Bridgefolk, a Mennonite-Catholic ecumenical organization that explored the practice of intercessory prayer and the doctrine of the communion of saints.

Jesus Takes a Side: Embracing the Political Demands of the Gospel. Jonny Rashid. Herald Press, 2022, 175 pages.
Anchoring his arguments in Scripture, the author states that it is the responsibility of faithful Christians to get involved in assisting those who are oppressed in our society. He identifies neoliberalism, whiteness and violence as things that need to be challenged.

Joel, Obadiah, Micah: Believers Church Bible Commentary. Daniel Epp-Tiessen. Herald Press, 2022, 208 pages.
This Bible commentary from an Anabaptist perspective is the 35th volume of the series. Epp-Tiessen examines these minor prophets in light of the larger biblical story. He has been teaching at Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, since 1998.

Making Wars Cease: A Survey of the MCC Peace Section 1940-1990. Urbane Peachey. Pandora Press, 2022, 320 pages.
Peachey was the executive secretary of the MCC Peace Section binational from 1975 to 1986. This book tells the story of the witness of MCC’s Peace Section, which worked with governments on issues of conscription and peacemaking.

On Holy Ground: Stories by and about women in ministry leadership in the Mennonite Brethren Church. Dora Dueck, ed. Kindred Productions, 2022, 201 pages.
In this collection of essays, commis- sioned by the Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission, 16 women tell their personal stories about ministry leadership in the Mennonite Brethren Church.

Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and a Faith. Daniel Silliman. Eerdmans, 2021, 286 pages.
To explore what it means to be evangelical in North America, the author examines five novels published between 1979 and 2008 that each sold more than one million copies. The authors are Janette Oke, Frank Peretti, Tim LaHaye, Beverley Lewis and William Paul Young.

Resistance: Confronting Violence, Power, and Abuse within Peace Churches. Cameron Altaras and Carol Penner, eds. AMBS Institute of Mennonite Studies, 2022, 480 pages.
The editors have collected a wide variety of stories from those who have experienced abuse in Anabaptist denominations. They suggest that teaching nonresistance can make the abuse of power extra damaging.

Spiritual Caregivers in the Hospital: Windows to Competent Practice. Third Edition. Leah D. Bueckert and Daniel S. Schipani, eds. Pandora Press, 2022, 348 pages.
First published in 2006, this resource for healthcare chaplains has been re-issued.

Theology at the Border: Community Peacemaker Teams and the Refugee Crisis in Europe. Hadje Cresencio Sadje. Pandora Press, 2022, 109 pages.
Using the concrete reality of the refugee crisis in Europe, this book develops a theology for Community Peacemaker Teams.

These Songs We Sing: Reflections on the Hymns We Have Loved. Carla Klassen. Pandora Press, 2022, 214 pages.
A few years ago, the author began a blog reflecting on a familiar hymn each week as well as providing a musical arrangement. This book is an expansion of the project to include broader reflections on 52 hymns.

Upside Down Apocalypse: Grounding Revelation in the Gospel of Peace. Jeremy Duncan. Herald Press, 2022, 208 pages.
The author argues that the pop theology of the Left Behind series has misinterpreted the images found in the Book of Revelation. It is actually a message of peace and encouragement to the early church.

When We Belong: Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins. Rohadi Nagassar. Herald Press, 2022, 215 pages.
A pastor and church planter, this author from Calgary reflects on his negative experiences with a Christian church overly influenced by white patriarchs. He explores ideas for improving the church experience for people on the margins.

A World of Faith & Spirituality: Yours, Mine, Theirs & Ours, Diversity in Manitoba. Ray Dirks and Manju Lodha. Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery, 2022, 216 pages.
For 10 years the authors led workshops together where students created artworks expressing their faith. With more than 800 colour photos, this book highlights Indigenous spirituality, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and many other faith traditions present in Manitoba.

History

Justa’s Escape: A Journey From WWII Ukraine. Justina Neufeld. Wipf and Stock, 2022, 186 pages.
This story about a Mennonite family’s escape to North America during the tumultuous years of the Second World War is told from the viewpoint of a young girl. It is designed for young adult readers and is a retelling of Justina Neufeld’s A Family Torn Apart.

Memoir of an Unimagined Career: 43 Years Inside Mennonite Media. Melodie M. Davis. Masthof Press, 2022, 212 pages.
In telling her personal story, Davis’s 43 years of working in Mennonite media also provides a history of the founding organizations of today’s MennoMedia. She saw vast changes during her career from print and radio to video and web-based ministries.

A Mennonite Draft Dodger in Canada: A Memoir. Samuel Steiner. Privately published with Amazon, 2022, 155 pages.
With honesty and humility, Sam Steiner tells the story of how the son of generations of Mennonite church leaders became a draft dodger. Also included is historical information on the Mennonite Archives of Ontario, the creation of Mennonite Church Canada and the challenge of early female pastors.

Mennonite in Motion: The Life and Times of John H. Redekop. Fraser River Books, 2022, 400 pages.
John Redekop taught political science at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont., for many years and then also at Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C. He spent many years in leadership in the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches as well as other organizations.

Simply Sacred: Stories from School. Joanne Wiens. Privately published with Word Alive Press, 2022.
The stories from this collection are reflections on the experiences of a former principal of Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary.

This Very Ground, This Crooked Affair: A Mennonite Homestead on Lenape Land. John L. Ruth. Cascadia Publishing House, 2021, 396 pages.
John L. Ruth, a Mennonite historian, examines the story of how his ancestors took over the homeland of the Indigenous people of the Delaware Valley. He recognizes that his previous histories of Mennonites in Pennsylvania did not properly acknowledge this displacement.

Walking Together: Intercultural Stories of Love and Acceptance. Edith von Gunten and Neill von Gunten, Mennonite Church Canada, 2022, 234 pages.
The stories in this collection come from the long ministry of Edith and Neill von Gunten, who worked in Black and Indig- enous neighbourhoods. As well as telling stories, it explores issues of injustice and racism.

Other books

Because of Perry. Melody Steinman. Privately published with Volumes, 2022.
Although Perry Steinman was born with Down Syndrome, he made a signif- icant impact on the lives of others. His hope and enthusiasm were gifts for his faith community. The book is available at volumesdirect.com.

Bridges Over Fences: Culture to Culture. Gordon Lobe. Privately published, 2021, 285 pages.
Gordon Lobe has collected a variety of stories about interactions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Saskatchewan. The appendices provide information about the Indian Act and its impact.

The Burden of Light. Michael Buhler. Privately published with FriesenPress, 2021, 132 pages.
This collection of eight short stories explores questions of spirituality for those living on the edge of society and ways they can encounter the divine light.

A Cheesy Christmas. Barry Bergen. Privately published with Blurb Books, 2022, 100 pages.
When Ricotta Stilton, a beautiful small-town cheesemaker, is invited to compete in the International Cheese Festival, she doesn’t expect to meet the dashing Prince Emmental. Will romance blossom in the cheesiest of circumstances?

Flyway. Sarah Ens. Turnstone Press, 2022, 120 pages.
This is Sarah Ens’s second book of poetry. She explores the interconnectedness of the world, wondering how the birds and prairie grass of Manitoba have been affected by her Mennonite family’s migration from Ukraine.

Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness. Kevin Nye. Herald Press, 2022, 208 pages.
The author lives in Los Angeles, where he works to reduce homelessness. He uses his own experiences and anecdotes to explain the issues around insufficient housing and calls for Christians to be respectful and to extend grace to those who have no homes.

Menno in Athens: A Novel. Ronald Tiessen. Pandora Press, 2022, 200 pages.
The narrator undertakes a pilgrimage to Greece, where he visits various historic sites and reflects on his Anabaptist heritage.

The Power of Change: A Mennonite Girl’s Footprints in Asia. Marcy (Weber) Ninomiya. Privately published with FriesenPress, 2022, 400 pages.
In the 1960s, Marcy Weber left rural Ontario to work with Mennonite Central Committee as a nurse in Vietnam. Concerned about helping others, she and her husband worked in Asia for more than 50 years. She describes her varied and interesting experiences with warmth and humour.

Return Stroke: Essays & Memoir. Dora Dueck. CMU Press, 2022, 232 pages.
As well as several personal essays, this book includes Dueck’s memoir, beginning with her several years living in the Paraguayan Chaco. An award winner, Dueck has also written four books of fiction.

The White Mosque: A Memoir. Sofia Samatar. Catapult Publishing, 2022, 336 pages.
While writing about a group of Mennonites who travelled from Russia to central Asia in the late 19th century, the author also reflects on her own experience as a Mennonite of colour growing up in the United States with parents from different cultural and religious backgrounds.

Wild Ride: A Journey of Transformation. Sherill Hostetter. Resource Publications, Wipf and Stock, 2022, 166 pages.
Sherill Hostetter writes with deep emotion about her life and search for God in the midst of trauma and questions about ministry.

Resources

Accessible Communications Webinar, Parts I and II. 2022, 60 minutes each. Available at Anabaptist Disabilities Network website under “Resources” and “Webinars.”
These recent webinars give information on how faith-based print and digital communications can provide meaningful access for individuals with disabilities.

A Creative God: The Visual Arts in Worship. Prepared by Together in Worship. 2022, 45-minute video.
This video documentary is a free resource about using visuals in worship. Produced by Rebecca Slough (AMBS) and Jerry Holsopple (EMU), it is available at togetherinworship.net. A discussion guide is included.

Mennonite Quarterly Review. April 2022, published by Goshen College, the Mennonite Historical Society and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 190 pages.
Six essays in this issue examine the role of Mennonite Central Committee and Mennonite collaboration with Nazism in the 1930s and 40s. Individuals such as Benjamin Unruh and Jacob Luitjens are closely investigated. The July 2022 issue also has an article by Aileen Friesen.

Mennonite World Conference Assembly 2022 videos. https://mwc-cmm.org /stories/watch-it.
The Mennonite World Conference YouTube channel has a variety of videos, long and short, of singing, workshops and worship services from the July 2022 assembly in Indonesia.

Many of the featured titles on the book list are available for purchase or to borrow from CommonWord Book Store and Resource Centre in Winnipeg. For more information, visit commonword.ca or call 204-594-0527 or 1-877-846-1593.

—Corrected Nov. 16, 2022. This article originally misspelled the title of the book ‘Flyway.’

Previous resource lists:
Spring 2022 List of Books & Resources
Fall 2021 List of Books & Resources
Spring 2021 List of Books & Resources
Fall 2020 List of Books & Resources