Fall list of books & resources
Theology, Spirituality The Beginning of the Story: Understanding the Old Testament in the Story of Scripture. Timothy J. Geddert. Herald Press, 2023, 208 pages. The Old Testament has great value because it is the grand narrative of God’s relationship with humans. The author says we should interpret the stories in light of the teachings…
Mennonite leader offers approaches to polarization
J. Nelson Kraybill bluntly states that his book has no special formula that will save the church or the world from destructive polarization. Instead, it offers guidance on how individuals and congregations can navigate in the midst of conflict, using Jesus as the prime example. Kraybill is a highly respected leader in the Mennonite church.…
Experiences of violence to be overtly named and resisted
Over the past several decades, a particularly painful and dissonant question has arisen within the Mennonite church: What is a faithful response to violence perpetrated by the church, especially one that professes to be a peace church? This diverse collection of essays, poetry and personal reflections helpfully grapples with this question from multiple angles and…
Spring 2023 List of Books & Resources
Theology, Spirituality All Our Griefs to Bear: Responding with Resilience After Collective Trauma. Joni Sancken. Herald Press, 2022, 200 pages. In a world traumatized by a pandemic, racial trauma and economic uncertainty, Sancken explores how churches can respond. After considering the meaning of collective trauma, she suggests ways to lament, tell stories and find…
‘Our blood can change things in your country’
MJ Sharp, a young Mennonite peacemaker from the United States, was killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo five years ago. This book by Marshall King explains not only how and why he died, but it also tells the story of his remarkable life. Although Sharp was not working for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)…
Not just a book of big ideas
Four panels on page 108 of Jonathan Dyck’s graphic novel Shelterbelts are stuck in my mind. I’ve studied these black-and-white images so closely that they appear something like a photo negative when I close my eyes. The first is a wide shot of poplar trees in a field of grass; the second is a medium…
Overcoming the fear of not being believed
Five years ago, a congregant of First Mennonite Church in Winnipeg asked David Driedger about church policy addressing sexual abuse and harassment between members of a congregation, following an incident with another congregant. Driedger, leading minister of First Mennonite, began searching for resources, but “quickly found out this was a gap.” He could not find…
A peacemaker’s guide to Revelation
Menno Media: Jeremy, your book Upside-Down Apocalypse is being referred to as a peacemaker’s guide to the Book of Revelation. What prompted you to write about Revelation? Jeremy Duncan: I have always been drawn to the nonviolence of Jesus. The way that he is able to address complex and volatile situations without capitulating to the…
Laughs at book launch
After several years of pandemic-induced Zoom book launches in B.C., satirist Andrew Unger winged his way to Abbotsford to face a living, breathing audience at the Mennonite Heritage Museum on April 2. Unger is the writer of The Daily Bonnet, an immensely popular online column that has spawned a print book, The Best of the…
‘I wanted to know more about it’
When Marion Roes began researching her family history, she came across some surprises connected to her family’s business. Intrigued, she tried to find out more about local undertakers, but there was almost no material available. So she began collecting information and doing interviews. Her book, Death as Life’s Work: Waterloo Region Undertakers and Funeral Businesses…
