Here are some recently published books which are relevant to the questions raised within and around Inclusive Church.   The list is not exhaustive!  If you have other suggestions,  please "Contact Us".  

 

These books can all be purchased,  postage and packing free,  by contacting the London Centre for Spirituality Bookshop.    Please mention Inclusive Church if you contact them.  

 

Giles Goddard; Canterbury Press :

Like so many others, the church of which Giles Goddard is rector was, fifty years ago, almost exclusively white, middle class and male-led. As the local community became more diverse, change was inevitable. Theology has followed rather than led this change and this book reflects on what inclusive theology is starting to look like in practice. Including stories of people who have either been instrumental in this change or who have stayed faithful through its various stages, it explores key questions for every local church:

• embracing the evangelical, orthodox and liberal and seeing beyond labels

• treating everyone as equal before God

• sharing leadership and responsibility

• recognising that freedom needs limits

• drawing people from the margins to the centre

• managing change

978 18511 916 3 paperback 144pp £12.99 October 2008

The publishers will donate £1 to Inclusive Church for each book sold via this flyer, so please remember to quote INC08E when ordering

www.canterburypress.co.uk

Collects for Sundays Years A, B & C, for Festivals and Seasonal Prayers

Steven Shakespeare

This collection, which is designed to be used with Common Worship, includes:

• a collect for every Sunday in the three year cycle, plus key festivals

And for each season:

• a form of confession

• an introduction to the peace

• a eucharistic prayer

• postcommunion prayers

• final blessings

This collection draws on the rich biblical imagery of the lectionary readings to create prayers with poetic immediacy, depth and striking beauty.

0978 185311 915 6 hardback 224pp £16.99 October 2008

 

Space_for_Grace_-_Incl_Church_2.pdf

This book offers the reader a landscape of hope for open-minded engagement with the Christian church today. The essays provide much needed inspiration and are coupled with questions for reflection and discussion. Contributors include Marcus Borg, Christina Rees, Clare Herbert, Jim Cotter, John Dominic Crossan ... for further details click on the link below.

To order "Together in Hope"  email info@stmarkscrc.co.uk, ring 0845 6434694 or write to St Marks CRC Office, 4 St Marks Crescent, Sheffield S10 2SG. The cost is £5.60 which includes 61p for p and p. Special terms for bulk orders and bookshops.

Together_in_Hope.pdf

This major new study of New Testament ethics will be of considerable interest to those whose vision of the Church is an inclusive one. Richard Burridge is explicitly concerned with the way in which the New Testament's ethical vision can be appropriated today, and uses the experiences of the churches in South Africa as a 'test case' from which to learn... to read more of David Horrell's article,  click here

 

The Thoughtful Guide series is for serious spiritual seekers looking to deepen their knowledge of a particular religion. The books are very accessible overviews of the history and the benefits that a particular religious practice can bring to the reader, well-researched and well balanced. The authors eschew fundamentalism and excessive simplifications, mapping out paths that can be followed with the mind as well as the heart. O Books, 2005; £9.99

Too often, Christian churches' recent debates and traumas are presented as battles between traditional upholders of Christian truth on the one hand, and trendy liberals on the other. The Inclusive God breaks through these stereotypes. It shows how and why the move to make the church more inclusive - of women, gays, people of different races and cultures - is rooted in the mainstream of Christian belief. Including people of all kinds in the full life of the Church is not 'trendy' but the authentic expression of Christian truth.

SCM - 2006 - £12.99

"It is stating the obvious to say that we confront enormous challenges today. Poverty, hunger and disease affect two thirds of the world on a daily basis. Climate change, war, fragmentation in society ... what can churches do to respond? Andrew Bradstock offers inspiring stories of how faith communities are working together."

DLT - £10.95

"The long-awaited new book by one of the most exciting and original writers on religion and violence, on gay/straight issues, and the recovery of an authentically Catholic version of life, James Alison challenges readers inside and outside the churches to transform their understanding of Christianity and of human desire"

DLT - £12.95

"What do you do when your religion has failed your beliefs? When your life experience exceeds that of your clergy? When the learning that life forced on challenges your religious beliefs? Catholic priest Daniel A Helminiak raises these questions and then interprets for anyone who feels like an outcast in his or her own church."

Alyson Books (USA) - 2007 - £11.95

"How desire became corrupted - and how we can reclaim it. This book, a great read and source of much inspiration, shows how desire has been thoroughly corrupted and must be reappropriated in its cosmic, planetary and transpersonal dimensions"

DLT - 2007 - £12.95

"We are crying out for a new vision, a new way of ordering our world. Actually we have a very relevant one, but its appropriateness for our times has not been appreciated. It's that of Jesus of Nazareth. We can apply this 2000 year old vision to our situation today, because we possess the unique quality of being creative"

O Books - 2006 - £11.99

"Camila's work with chidlren who have suggered abuse, trauma and emotional deprivation is outstanding. To hear her reflect on their experience is always to have mind and heart expanded, and it is wonderful that we now have such reflection available in this book for a wider public -" Rowan Williams

Jessica Kingsley Publishers - 2006 - £11.99

A resource for those with no understanding about trafficking for sexual exploitation as well as those who have a great deal of knowledge. Drawing together a wide range of voices from the poet to the survivor to the theologian to the police practitioner... love is not for sale and this book will help you to understand why

Inspire - 2007 - £12.99

"Despite scientific evidence and pressure from grassfroots movements, the threat of an ecological crisis for a long time failed to achieve prominence in church or political circles. Northcott examines theological attitudes to climate change, from the complacent to the comprehensive. Essential reading for anyone truly concerned about the greatest threat to our wellbeing and the very lives of our children and grandchildren."

DLT - 2007 - £12.95

"Our current habits of consumption and production in the West cannot be maintained. The way we live, in particular the way we generate and use energy, is no longer sustainable... This book represents the first serious Christian engagement with the emerging issue of sustainable consumption and production."

SPCK - 2007 - £9.99

"Bishop Spong's luminous interpretation of Jesus' humanity provides his readers, whether religious or non-religious, with an intellectually energising and pioneering perspective on what we may then identify with the idea of his divinity." - Rabbi Dr. Jack Spiro

Harper San Francisco - 2007 - £15.99

"A striking and original book which recognises that though the institutional church may be collapsing, the Christian story has a richness and depth that we would be foolish to ignore in our search for wholeness and integrity."

Canterbury Press - 2007 - £8.99