August 2023 MBR The Christian Studies Shelf

The Christian Studies Shelf

Racism and Structural Sin
Conor M. Kelly
The Liturgical Press
2950 Saint John's Road, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
9780814667835, $16.95, PB, 128pp

https://www.amazon.com/Racism-Structural-Sin-Confronting-Injustice/dp/081466783X

Synopsis: As a people of faith inspired by the belief that every human person is created in the image and likeness of God, Catholics have a responsibility to be champions for racial justice.

With the publication of "Racism and Structural Sin: Confronting Injustice with the Eyes of Faith", theologian and academician Conor M. Kelly invites his readers to not only confront racism on a personal level but also to examine the root causes and perpetuated structures of this sin.

Grounded in church teaching and pastoral practice, "Racism and Structural Sin" is a timely resource for Catholics (especially White Catholics) looking to wrestle with the challenges of race in the United States today through the eyes of their faith.

Critique: Given the current rise in racism violence by white supremacists and the rollback of governmental anti-racism policies driven by the political polarization of of the American public, "Racism and Structural Sin: Confronting Injustice with the Eyes of Faith" is especially recommended for personal, community, church, seminary, college, and university library Christian Social Issues collections. It should be noted for seminary students, racial justice advocates, clergy, and all members of the Catholic community that "Racism and Structural Sin: Confronting Injustice with the Eyes of Faith" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).

Editorial Note: Conor M. Kelly (https://www.marquette.edu/theology/directory/conor-kelly.php) is an associate professor in the department of theology at Marquette University. He completed his theological training at the University of Notre Dame (BA and MTS) and Boston College (PhD). His research and teaching examine the implications of Catholic ethics for ordinary life. He and his family are parishioners at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Shaping the Past to Define the Present
Gregory E. Sterling
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
4035 Park East Court SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
www.eerdmans.com
9780802848734, $44.00, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Shaping-Past-Define-Present-Historiography/dp/0802848737

Synopsis: Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians have studied that topic by using particular sources, techniques, and theoretical approaches. Scholars discuss historiography by topic and different approaches and genres, such as political history and social history. Beginning in the nineteenth century, with the development of academic history, there developed a body of historiographic literature. (Wikipedia)

"Shaping the Past to Define the Present: Luke-Acts and Apologetic Historiography" is comprised of both new and revised essays by the esteemed New Testament scholar Gregory E. Sterling on Jewish and early Christian historiography. A sequel to his seminal work, Historiography and Self-Definition, this volume expands on Sterling's reading of Luke-Acts in the context of contemporary Jewish and Greek historiography.

These systematically arranged essays comprise Professor Sterling's new and revised contributions to the field of biblical studies, exploring: The genre of apologetic historiography exemplified by Josephus and Eusebius; The context of Josephus's work within a larger tradition of Eastern historiography; The initial composition and circulation of Luke and Acts; The relationship of Luke-Acts to the Septuagint; The interpretation of the Diaspora in Luke-Acts; The structure of salvation history as it is manifested in Luke-Acts; Socratic influences on Luke's portrayal of Jesus's death; The early Jerusalem Christian community as depicted in Acts compared with other Hellenized Eastern traditions such as Egyptian priests and Indian sages; The establishment of Christianity's "socially respectability" as a guiding purpose in Luke-Acts.

Engaging with current critical frameworks, Professor Sterling offers his readers a comprehensive analysis of early Christian self-definition through Judeo-Christian historiography.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a thirty page Bibliography, a six page Index of Authors, a four page Index of Subjects, and a six page Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Sources, "Shaping the Past to Define the Present: Luke-Acts and Apologetic Historiography" is a masterpiece of Biblical scholarship, as well as a highly acclaimed and recommended addition to personal, professional, community, seminary, college, and university library New Testament Criticism & Historiography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of seminary students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Shaping the Past to Define the Present: Luke-Acts and Apologetic Historiography" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.83).

Editorial Note: Gregory E. Sterling (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Sterling) is the Rev. Henry L. Slack Dean and the Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament at Yale Divinity School. A specialist in Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity, he is also the author or co-editor of eight books and more than 100 articles in learned journals or scholarly collections. Sterling also serves on the editorial boards of multiple book series and preeminent journals within the field of Judaism and early Christianity. He is perhaps best known for his monograph Historiography and Self-Definition (Brill, 1992; Society of Biblical Literature, 2006).

There's Beauty in Your Brokenness
Brittany Maher, author
Cassandra Speer, author
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.thomasnelson.com
9781400231195, $19.99, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Theres-Beauty-Your-Brokenness-Unburdened/dp/1400231191

Synopsis: No matter how much we strive or work, it can still seem like it's never enough. But that's okay! Our "enough" ultimately has nothing to do with our actions. Our identity as Christian women is found in God -- and Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer don't toss that phrase around lightly. As the 90 devotions comprising "There's Beauty in Your Brokenness: 90 Devotions to Surrender Striving, Live Unburdened, and Find Your Worth in Christ" collectively reveal, realizing your inestimable value in God alone is a life-altering, soul-anchoring truth that will change everything about your life -- how you feel about yourself, how you spend your time, and how you treat others.

As you walk through the pages of this beautiful devotional, Brittany and Cassandra will kindly guide you back to what God intended for your life, showing you through Scripture, meditations, and reflective questions how sin corrupted God's plan, how Christ redeemed it, and how we can live securely in that redemption today.

Each entry speaks the truth that you are: Safe, seen, and loved; Already enough because of your value in Christ; Part of a community of women who understand your longing for soul renewal; Whole and complete in Christ, even when you feel fragile or overwhelmed.

In a world filled with countless counterfeit identities, it's easy to get caught up chasing the wrong things. These devotions feel like sitting down to coffee with a close friend and sharing both the hard and good of what it means to be a woman following Christ, learning together how to grow and rest in the peace and security Jesus offers. These vulnerable invitations for reflection will help you confidently live out your true worth secure in His promises for you.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "There's Beauty in Your Brokenness: 90 Devotions to Surrender Striving, Live Unburdened, and Find Your Worth in Christ" is unreservedly recommended reading for all female members of the Christian community regardless of age or denominational affiliation. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "There's Beauty in Your Brokenness: 90 Devotions to Surrender Striving, Live Unburdened, and Find Your Worth in Christ" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note #1: Brittany Maher is compelled by love to empower women to simplify their identity based on one thing alone: Jesus. She is the founder of Her True Worth, a large and growing online community (https://hertrueworth.com/home) designed to liberate an entire generation of faith-filled women with the freedom found in discovering their true worth in Christ. She is also an evangelist with a burning heart for the broken and the lost. She and her husband Ryan invest most of their time in equipping and empowering God's people for digital evangelism across the globe. They believe in the importance of using every tool they can to help bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Brittany is resides in Michigan with her husband, Ryan, and their daughter, Ariana.

Editorial Note #2: Cassandra Speer (https://cassandraspeer.com) is a popular Christian blogger whose heart is driven by the desire to see women discover the depth of God's love in a superficial world through the power of His Word. She is vice president of Her True Worth, a ministry created to encourage wounded and wandering women to find their identity and validation in Christ alone. Cassandra is passionate about sharing her faith and tackling the raw and messy moments of life with a little bit of humor -- and a whole lot of Jesus! She is also the proud wife of an Air Force veteran. Cassandra and her husband are planted in Oklahoma City where they live with their three children.

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