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In a series of six novels, author Ken R. Abell weaves an imaginative and interesting tale set in the post-Civil War west with an ensemble cast of characters lead by Deacon Coburn. Deacon (his name, not his title) begins his life in Lancaster, Pennsylvania among the River Brethren. His quest...read more
AUGUST H. KONKEL. 1 & 2 Chronicles. Believers Church Bible Commentary. Harrisonburg, Virginia and Kitchener, Ontario: Herald Press, 2016. Pp. 517 $29.99 (USD) August H. Konkel’s 1 & 2 Chronicles, in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series, begins with an introduction describing Chronicles as an approach to historiography, and the...read more
DAVID L. WEAVER-ZERCHER. Martyrs Mirror: A Social History. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 2016. Pp. 440. $49.95 (U.S.) David Weaver-Zercher completed an impressive undertaking in writing Martyrs Mirror: A Social History: a three-part book detailing Anabaptist history and the significance of a book dedicated to describing the stories of martyrs...read more
MARY ANN LOEWEN. Sons and Mothers: Stories from Mennonite Men. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. University of Regina Press, 2015. pp. 144. $17.61 (CDN.) Sons and Mothers: Stories from Mennonite Men is a compilation of written reflections by 13 academic and artistic Canadian men about their mothers. The editor, Mary Ann Loewen,...read more
GREGORY A. BOYD. The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church. Zondervan, 2007. 224 pages. $12.57 (U.S.) In addition to being a pastor, I am a politician and elected official. I consider my first and highest calling to be my spiritual calling...read more
E. MORRIS SIDER. Living Simply, Giving Generously: A Biography of David and Jeannie Byer. Grantham, PA: Brethren in Christ Historical Society, 2015. Pp. 208. $15.00 (U.S.) Unusual enough for the Historical Society, the subjects of this biography are not Brethren in Christ—officially, that is; but by background, principles, engagement, and...read more
MOLLY WORTHEN. Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Pp. 352. $27.95 (US) Molly Worthen has written a wide ranging intellectual history of American evangelicalism that covers the last 70 years. She suggests that her goal is to create a “....read more
BERRY FRIESEN AND JOHN K. STONER. If Not Empire, What? A Survey of the Bible. N.P.: Create Space, DBA On-Demand Publishing, LLC, 2014. US$ 17. John K. Stoner has been a prophet among the Brethren in Christ and the broader ecumenical community for more than four decades—advocating for peace and...read more
SUSAN L. TROLLINGER. Selling the Amish: The Tourism of Nostalgia. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 2012. Pp 193. $US 50. For many years, one of the many shops along Lincoln Highway as it cuts across Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, proudly declared its wares: “Not Just Stuff, Amish Stuff!” Trollinger promises us...read more
SAMUEL J. STEINER. In Search of Promised Lands: A Religious History of Mennonites in Ontario. Harrisonburg, Virginia and Kitchener, Ontario: Herald Press, 2015. Pp. 877. US$70. Faith is passed on through story—from generation to generation. In these fast-changing times the old adage has never been more true: How can...read more
NICHOLAS BERRY. Almighty Matters: God’s Hidden Politics in the Bible, Wipf and Stock Publishers: Eugene, Oregon; 2015, Pp. 135, $21.00 (U.S.) Almighty Matters: God’s Hidden Politics in the Bible is written from the Constantinian perspective that God’s political agenda for his people today is best accomplished by uniting church and...read more
CHRISTOPHER GEHRZ, ed. The Pietist Vision of Christian Higher Education: Forming Whole and Holy Persons. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2015, Pp. 236. $26.00 (U.S.) Is there something distinctive about an approach to Christian higher education rooted in Pietist movement and ethos? This is the central query for Christopher Gehrz...read more
HAROLD HEIE. A Future for American Evangelicalism: Commitment, Openness, and Conversation. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2015. Xvii + 156 pp. Harold Heie, a retired college administrator (Gordon College, Messiah College, Northwestern College), has embarked on a second career as the coordinator of a series of impressive conversations among evangelical...read more
STEVICK, RICHARD A. Growing Up Amish: The Rumspringa Years. 2nd edition. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014. Pp. ix-371. $24.95 (U.S) According to Richard A. Stevick, rapidly-growing technology use among Amish young people compelled him to write and publish a revision to the first edition only seven years later....read more
GEORDAN HAMMOND. John Wesley in America: Restoring Primitive Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Pp. 238. $29.95 (U.S.) In this book based on his doctoral dissertation, Hammond focuses attention on the brief but formative period of Wesley’s missionary service in the nascent colony of Georgia (1735-1737). His thesis revolves...read more