Came Preaching Social Justice
937480
I read this book because I wanted to gain insight to what type of theologian Dr. Martin Luther King was. After reading this book, I came away with the impression that the author of this work, Dr. Mervyn A. Warren is not  one should learn theology from. He may be a professor of Hermeneutics, but his application of scripture are aimed toward improving society at the expense of ones life after death. His theme of this book is that King preached for social justice. This is not a surprise to anyone. It is only a problem when the gospel of Jesus Christ is excluded. No where in this book are arguments how Dr. King Jr. handled topics such as every man's need for repentance, and the acceptance of Jesus as Savior. Never is it stated that Dr. King never preached on this topic or other topics based on other theology, but he does state the pulpit should be used to mobilize social change. Dr. Mervyn A. Warren argues that Dr. King Jr. and Walter Raushenbush would agree on this statement:
  "If a  minister uses great teaching method of the pulpit sanely and wisely to open the moral importance of the social questions, he may be the utmost usefulness."

"utmost usefulness" to what is the question I ask myself. The upmost usefulness to bring on social change. yeah, I agree the pulpit should bring new direction to an individuals life. Christians being a creation should seek to do good. But if he is arguing the "utmost usefulness" for the pulpit is to bring social justice or to organize the congregation to better this world  I disagree. Dr. A. Warren strongly argues for the pulpit to be used to mobilize its listeners for social involvement. The author belittles sin and the need for men to repent to their creator. He speaks of a black theology and mocks a black Pastor who disagrees with him on this topic.
379849
This is a good down to earth look at the balance between social justice and evangelism. Every Christian should read it.
4407579
In preaching we can sometimes begin to go through the motions, but Bruce Mawhinney gives us a boost of encouragement by showing us how a preachers preaching went from being dull to fresh.
111248
Needed this book to provide clear examples of good apologetic preaching to a class of wanna be preachers.  The students responded to the samples which were introduced in class.  Most were not aware of the great names in apologetic preaching.  Now they are.
4724040
I recommend this for everyone who wants to improve their preaching. I am a seminarian and many of the points here (if not all) are valid in today's world of preaching. Prophetic in many ways and insightful in every page, so far. Easy read and flows smoothly through its argument.
4398775
We all need a good story. We need to people our exposition with the concrete. The listeners hope to hear the words "there was this man that... or I am told that ...", knowing that the preacher is using a storehouse of wisdom. Preaching is not about one's own special story, but about clearly and in an entertaining manner telling our shared experience and needs. This type of book is a must for all who preach or speak.
1467813
I don't attend church and have not for many years even though I was raised to go all the time.  Nadia's preaching and this book make me wish that I could attend and be part if her community. It is a yearning that I am not quite sure what to do with.  Thank you, Nadia, for this gift.
1162979
Who Lynched Willie Earle? approaches the problem of racism in our country from a unique point of view. William Willimon was born in the same area, at very close to the same time (1947), in which Willie Earle was killed by a white mob. The early sections of the book include a recounting of the incident and thorough coverage of a sermon bravely preached by one of the town's white pastors to an all-white congregation.

While commending Hawley Lynn for his courageous stand, Willimon then uses the sermon as a kind of analogy for how many of us in 21st century America can still miss the real action needed to end the problem of racism. The author pulls no punches: he points out weaknesses in his own life and his own denomination before excoriating--albeit gently--the all too frequent failures of all white Americans in dealing with the problem.

If you are not yet familiar with Bishop Willimon, be aware that he comes to this topic with a very Wesleyan point of view, but no "Reformed" Christian should be put off by this. At the same time, many may want to write off the book as being written by a member of a "main-line" denomination; from the beginning, however, Willimon points to the need for more, not less, focus on basics of the gospel as preached in evangelical churches around the world. He especially decries substitution of "moralism" for the full message of the Gospel, blaming this as one of the major reasons why we whites too often miss the real work that needs to be done in our own lives, our own, even "enlightened" congregations to resolve the sin that is racism. His view:

"Our limp theology has left us victims of sociologically deterined congregations mirrors of our society's ways of gathering people. Refusing to be gathered on the basis of the call of Christ, we've opted for gathering 'people like us.'  It's worse than a lack of diversity; it's a lack of faith that Jesus Christ is Lord."

While not candy-coating his message to pastors and laity alike, Willimon ends with a strong message of hope. He closes with two cogent references. The first is from Martin Luther King, "The time is always right to do right." The other quotes a Toni Morrison character facing the end of life; "I wish I could have lived longer so I could have loved more."

Reading Who Lynched Willie Earle should give each of us renewed motivation to hear the Gospel as good news to combat racism first in our own lives and then in the society around us.
4069112
`Religion kills', religion `is a form of mental illness', `religion poisons everything' - these are some of the hyperbolic slogans put forward by the popular New Atheist movement over the last decade.  However, in this meticulously researched and refreshing debut, Deena Guzder helps counter the reductionist polemic of Dawkins, Harris and Hitchens by revealing the under-reported story of progressive Christian activists in America.  For secular liberals and foreign onlookers, it can often appear that `Christian activism' comprises solely of attacking abortion clinics or rallying against gay marriage - yet the voices of the religious left are often drowned out by the louder, more confrontational right as well as ignored by progressive atheists. Nevertheless, these compassionate campaigners, motivated by their faith, have pushed for social progress throughout US history, rather than hindering it - aiding Native Americans, confronting slavery and supporting gender equality movements.

Guzder profiles ten more recent individuals who, instead of proselytising,  "hope to serve as God's hands and feet rather than as his mouthpiece" and who "bear no resemblance to parochial, hierarchical and exclusionary fundamentalists obsessed with determining who descends to hell." From those who achieved their vision, such as Jim Zwerg and SueZann Bosler, to those who are continuing their struggle, such as John Dear and Charlotte Keys - the famous and less well known examples selected by Guzder embody their religious convictions, disavow violence and remain inspiring examples of humility, commitment and sacrifice.

These stimulating stories have helped me to mature beyond the black-and-white rhetoric of the somewhat combative form of atheism I once held. By highlighting the common ground between both religious and secular leftists, this well-timed book will appeal to readers of both persuasions and hopefully help encourage them to unite against inequality, militarism, discrimination and join together in favour of social justice and a better future for all.
2512921
The Just Church is just what the church today needs.  Jim Martin does an excellent job revealing the injustices of this world but without leaving people paralyzed by despair.  He does this by infusing what he calls "nine parts hope to every one part dark reality."

Unfortunately, justice is an issue that is heavily discussed in the Bible but is largely ignored in churches today.  Often times this is not due to insensitivity, but rather due to lack of knowledge of how to help.  Martin seeks to rectify this in his new book from International Justice Mission, written to churches, or people within churches, who want to bring injustice to the forefront and make pursuing justice a focal point in their ministry.  In the first part of this book Martin demonstrates how God truly cares about injustice and helps readers to understand just what biblical justice is, and what it looks like to pursue it.  Furthermore, he ignites a passion within us to do something, anything, to fix this.  Fortunately, Martin doesn't leave us empty handed like many discussions on justice do, but proceeds to give tangible ways we can help.

The second part of the book walks you through the steps necessary to get your church involved in seeking justice.  I especially appreciated this step, as Martin doesn't leave you paralyzed by injustice, but rather leads you to take the next step.  His call to action gives step-by-step instructions for leading your church through the three phases of building up a justice ministry:  Encounter, Explore, and Engage.  The Encounter phrase involves learning about various injustices, the Explore phase involves learning where your church's talent, community's need, and call intersect, and the Engage is actually taking the steps and seeking to right injustice.

At the conclusion of the book, Martin provides excellent resources that are worth their weight in gold.  He gives a multi-page list of Scriptural references to justice, various justice materials on justice and human rights (books, videos, websites, government resources), a community assessment tool, and a sample encounter strategy.

This book is geared towards church members who are looking to get their churches involved in seeking justice and are seeking the steps to put a Justice Task Force in place.  However, I would recommend this book to everyone as it really serves to wet the appetite for a long ignore passion of God's:  seeking justice.

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, Tyndale House Publishers, in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own and all excerpts are taken from the reviewed book except where noted otherwise.
2688629
Frank Thomas presents a thorough description of the process of preaching in the African-American tradition.  In doing so, he makes the case that his "Sermonic Plot" for planning sermons can be adapted by preachers of any tradition to help not only plan the structure of the sermon, but also build in an assurance of grace for the hearers of the sermon.
1954457
Though geared for educators, social workers, or student affairs personnel, this book is something that should be used by anyone. Social justice and combating privilege and oppression are shared responsibilities, which is highlighted by this work. Promoting Diversity and Social Justice provides a solid framework, grounded in theories, in order to work with any group to discuss privilege and oppression, and the negative impacts that these constructs have on people and on society.
200299
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in social justice and the environment. Very easy to read this book.
4021922
This book addressed many of the current social problems going on in our world today. It gives you advice that lines with Scripture and is a great teaching tool! I highly recommend this book.
193586
Crossway has published this series of sermons by dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones based on Chapter 3 of the Gospel of John were preached in 1966 at Westmisnter Chapel. Lloyd-Jones as one of the most notable preachers of the twentieth century left this series of sermons that had not been published before, providing us with a nice uplifting and challenging material considering the ability to explain in a practical way the truths of the Word this great preacher has. Throughout his ministry, "the Doctor" preached 28 sermons on this chapter, but had remained unpublished. The content will be helpful for believers but also for unbelievers. It can be used as introductory material for new believers. Or for someone looking for an explanation of what Christianity is. The preaching of Lloyd-Jones crosses the barrier of time and his message is always fresh and applicable. Thank God for the editor of providing us this excellent publication that will certainly benefit the christian community.
928357
Everybody loves to hear a story, probably because we all have a story. Or stories. Family, community, jobs, military service, divine encounters. We especially like stories when they are well told, and we haven't already heard them a myriad of time. Good preaching incorporates good stories; and good stories can certainly be used to incorporate preaching. So Im hard pressed to decide if Pastor/Storyteller Rich Prez is preaching or telling a story in his book Mi Casa Uptpwn, (B&H Publishing, 2017).
  This is a story about growing up as an immigrant family from the Dominican Republic settling in New York.  Its a story about family and community. Its a sermon about love.
 Prez loves his family, and his community, and that love comes through on every page of this engaging work. Somehow he manages to paint a picture of community and family and how they are intertwined, especially in immigrant communities. The barrio, the neighborhood where people settle because they have something in common with the other people who live there. And that commonality makes them stronger.
 Rich takes us to a day when we knew and talked to and with our neighbors, when the neighborhood bodega was the place to be (and the sense of loss when Big Box stores took over the Mom and Pop stores.
 And this book is also a reminder of grief, of loss, but more importantly hope.
 I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.

 5/5
3503540
I have several books on social justice. Some of them have changed my mind and my thinking. Some of them are dull and banal. Ken Wystema has put together a tour de force on Biblical justice. Throughout the book he lifts up the Biblical standard for justice, and then continually brings the biblical concepts into everyday life through sharing his experiences and the experiences of others. He tackles the subject of doing justice from nearly every angle, and he does so with obvious passion. A must read for Christians that long to express God's compassion to a hurting world.