A Divine Wink When Love And Religion Become Rivals

Adeelah El-Sayed meets Martin Webster, a Christian-a dangerous liaison for a Muslim woman that leads to a private war. The first battle comes from within. Adeelah knows her relationship with a non-Muslim man is unacceptable in her Islamic world. But she loses this battle. She cannot overcome the forbidden love that invades her soul, and she hopelessly surrenders. Together Martin and Adeelah face more attacks from mosque, church, and their two families, all because they dare to love each other. Then two more unexpected attacks: A kidnapping attempt to force Adeelah into a marriage with a Muslim man and a white supremacist attack. In the Christian New Testament, God winked at the ignorance of Greek philosophers on Mars Hill who worshipped an unknown god. Martin and Adeelah find that God still winks today-a Divine wink at the ignorance that separates two, God-fearing people who take their faith in God seriously-an ignorance that conspires to keep them apart. "And the times of this ignorance God winked at."

At a time when so many insist on countering violence with violence, this exploration of the life of Jesus and the (often misunderstood) teachings of Gandhi puts nonviolent action at the very heart of Christian salvation.

First Published in 2015. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor &; Francis, an informa company.

Walter Wink's writing has been described as brilliant, provocative, passionate, and innovative. His skills in critical scholarship were matched by an engaging and honest style that make his work a must read for twenty-first century theologians and all who seek deeper understanding at the intersection of Bible, theology, social ethics, and more.

The American invasion of Iraq was largely governed by faith-based policy. The "shock and Awe" strategy, alongside a grossly mismanaged occupation, led to the loss of American lives. Faith-Based War presents an analysis of the imperialist Christian militarism behind the Bush Administration. America’s self-perception as God’s Chosen is examined and its catastrophic results detailed. The book offers an ethical, political and theological perspective on the perversion of Christian teaching behind the war in Iraq and the moral culpability of the American empire.

This bold new statement on the nonviolence of God challenges long-standing assumptions of divine violence in theology, the violent God pictured in the Old Testament, and the supposed violence of God in Revelation. In The Nonviolent God J. Denny Weaver argues that since God is revealed in Jesus, the nonviolence of Jesus most truly reflects the character of God. According to Weaver, the way Christians live -- Christian ethics -- is an ongoing expression of theology. Consequently, he suggests positive images of the reign of God made visible in the narrative of Jesus -- nonviolent practice, forgiveness and restorative justice, issues of racism and sexism, and more -- in order that Christians might live more peacefully.

What is a Love Feast? How did the early church celebrate the Love Feast? How might Christians today celebrate the Love Feast? In Recovering the Love Feast, Paul Stutzman addresses these questions, offering a unique blend of liturgical history and practical theology. Part I outlines the history of the Love Feast, noting its prevalence in early church worship, its gradual decline, and its reemergence in the practices of several Pietist groups (e.g., the Moravians, Methodists, and Brethren). Particular focus is given to five elements of the celebration, that is: eucharistic preparation, feetwashing, the fellowship meal, the holy kiss, and the Eucharist proper. In Part II, Stutzman argues that the Love Feast is a valuable Christian practice and a celebration worth recovering in those traditions that may have forgotten the feast. Rather than prescribing a specific method for celebrating the Love Feast, Stutzman proposes that there are five key disciplines that today's Love Feasts should embody: submission, love, confession, reconciliation, and thanksgiving. This book encourages Christians from a range of traditions to experiment with reclaiming the Love Feast, with the hope that each celebration serves as an act of worship to God and an authentic expression of Christian discipleship.