Friendship Class resources (danfeather.com)

June 20, 2004: NOTE: Steve mentioned some books in this morning's lesson, and it occurred to me that so often, when he (or someone else) has pointed us to an outside resource, I have made a note (or NOT made a note), but never retained the information long enough to actually get to the book. So I asked him if I could attempt to keep a record of such resources here. Please feel free to share this URL ('danfeather.com/friendship'), andómore importantlyólet me know if you've anything to add or comment on.

Book mentioned during lesson, Sun, December 18, 2005, ("Here am I"; "It's not YOUR birthday!"):

The Political Meaning of Christianity: An Interpretation, Glenn E. Tinder: In a highly personal exposition of Christian faith and its political relevance, political scientist Tinder urges Christians to take a "prophetic stance." This involves a questioning attitude toward all forms of established authority, plus a recognition that "Christianity in essence is not conservative." Tinder, professor at the University of Massachusetts, lambasts liberation theology as "morally naive"; and is wary of social or political reforms that aim at "equalization" while neglecting the broader ills of mass society such as the breakdown of community and pervasive alienation. Starting from the premise that humanity is a fallen race, profoundly selfish and destructive, he attempts to chart a course between passive cynicism and revolutionary idealism. His challenging inquiry will stimulate Christians and non-Christians alike. (Book Review from Publishers Weekly )
Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers (January, 2000)
ISBN: 1579104266
sources: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1579104266/
Nashville Public Library: call number: 261.7 T58p
NOTE: There is another Tinder title, very similar, which may be the one Steve referenced:: The Political Meaning of Christianity: The Prophetic Stance : An Interpretation (Harpercollins; Reprint edition (May, 1991))
ISBN: 0062508938
sources: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0062508938/

"Christian egalitarianism has deep foundations in the doctrine of God. This must be emphasized because, just as the power of God has seemed to sanction the power of human rulers...so the supremacy of God has seemed to sanction human inequality in general....

God not only became incarnate in a human being but in a man who was homeless and impoverished, friendly with marginal and dispossessed people, and finally humiliated and executed as a criminal...

The conclusion seems inescapable. Prophetic hope (the essential mode of Christian hope)is egalitarian. Maintaining the prophetic stance entails an obligation, not to pretend that obstacles to equality are slight, but to strive against those obstacles, looking constantly for way of overcoming them. Racial inequalities are illustrative..."

Excerpted from: The Political Meaning of Christianity: An Interpretation by Glenn Tinder,
Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1991.

Book mentioned during lesson, Sun, November 21, 2004, (Christ the King; The Kingdom of God):

The heart of Christianity : rediscovering a life of faith, Marcus J. Borg: Borg follows up two of his previous releases about the Bible and Jesus with a volume that could easily have played on those titles, because this highly readable book is essentially about looking at Christianity again for the first time. In that respect, it provides a valuable glimpse into the essence of Christianity for those who have left the faith because they no longer believe its doctrines and those who are trying to remain in the faith while questioning its doctrines. With those people in mind, Borg emphasizes the transformational aspect of Christianity by examining the "emerging paradigm" that is gradually replacing the belief-centered paradigm of the last several hundred years. The new paradigm, Borg writes, is about loving God and loving what God loves, rather than rigidly adhering to a specific set of beliefs. In exploring this new way of "being Christian," Borg offers a middle ground for conservative and liberal Christians, though it's unlikely conservatives will conclude, as he does, that Jesus was not really the Son of God, nor are liberals likely to begin using the term "born again," as he advocates. Still, there's much here that both sides can agree on, possibly helping to bring them a step closer to the unity that has eluded them for centuries. As always, Borg writes with clarity and precision, which should also help the ongoing conversation. (Book Review from Publishers Weekly )
Publisher: Harper, SanFrancisco, c2003
ISBN: 0060526769
sources: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060526769/
Nashville Public Library: call number: 230 b7321h

Table of Contents
Preface: What Does It Mean to Be Christian Today?
1 The Heart of Christianity in a Time of Change
2 Faith: The Way of the Heart
3 The Bible: The Heart of the Tradition
4 God: The Heart of Reality
5 Jesus: The Heart of God
6 Born Again: A New Heart
7 The Kingdom of God: The Heart of Justice
8 Thin Places: Opening the Heart
9 Sin and Salvation: Transforming the Heart
10 The Heart of the Matter: Practice
11 Heart and Home: Being Christian in an Age of Pluralism

No books for the lesson, Sun, Sept. 26, 2004, but a great "quote" and a challenge from Steve:

"The gospels are here for us to find ourselves in them."

"What are the 'winds' that keep us on the lake?" (or, in the middle, halfway across, from the other side)
[ Matthew 14: 13-33 ]

Books mentioned during lesson, Sun, Aug 1, 2004, (which I have labeled "Investing in Invisible Reality" . . . alternative suggestions welcome!):

The Divine Conspiracy: rediscovering our hidden life in God, by Dallas Willard: The divine conspiracy : rediscovering our hidden life in God
Cloth and Paperback: 428 pages
Publisher: Harper, SanFrancisco, c1998
ISBN: 0060693339 (cloth); 0060693320 (pbk.)
sources: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060693339
Nashville Public Library: call number: 248.4 W692d

Books mentioned during lesson, June 20, 2004 (which I have quickly labeled"Which Voice?" . . . alternative suggestions welcome!):

Mending the Heart, by John Claypool Paperback: 68 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.28 x 7.20 x 4.98 Publisher: Cloister Books; (March 1, 1999) ISBN: 1561011657 sources: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1561011657
Finding Our Way Home, by K. Killian Noe Publisher: Servant Leadership Press; 1st edition (2001) ISBN: 1883639050 sources: You can order this book from The Potter's House (tel: 202.232.5483 or http://www.pottershousebooks.org/HTML/bookstore.html), or with $10 donation to Samaritan House (at: http://www.samaritaninns.org/ASPMail/form.asp)
Our Many Selves, by Elizabeth O'Connor Publisher: Harpercollins (P); (June 1, 1971); ASIN: 0060663367 sources: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060663367