Tell Us Our Names

'Tell Us Our Names' is a timely book, beautifully written and understandable by all. Its particular challenge lies in the folk and fairy tales that provide the text. Here are the roots of both faith and reason -- and the direct way to dump excess baggage and discover new and better questions. Scripture, Oriental wisdom, ecumenical theology: all receive calm and imaginative treatment in Song's hands."" --Joseph McLelland, McGill University, Montreal In this volume Dr. Song offers us 'golden keys to open the stonegates of religion.' Gathering together intercultural insights from the experience of people in many countries, these parables and stories usher us into the presence of Mystery. The easy flow of storytelling, smoothly mixed with sensitive interpretation, makes this volume very readable. To those who believe that theology has to do only with ideas and concepts, this volume may come as a surprise and a joyful discovery."" --S. J. Samartha, former Director, Dialogue Programme, World Council of Churches, Geneva C. S. Song explores the folk tales of the world and depicts God's answer to the thrust for the redemption of the people with 'one stroke of an Asian brush.' Here, the culture, religion, history, and suffering of the Asian people is the medium of God's redemptive revelation. Certainly, by this work he has contributed another 'transposition' of the biblical message to Asia, a monumental accomplishment in the formation of Asian theology. Reading this Theology of Folk Tales is exciting and illuminative."" --Nam-Dong Suh, Director, Institute for Mission Education, Seoul, Korea C. S. Song is Professor of Theology and Asian Cultures at Pacific School of Religion. His recent publications include 'The Believing Heart'.

Grades 1 - 5 Written by a teacher, this fun yet meaningful story was created to empower children to teach others how to pronounce their names correctly. Perfect start of the school year book, children and teachers alike will enjoy this story that promotes invaluable discussions about diversity and inclusion.

LONGLISTED FOR THE FOLIO PRIZE 2015 Two young friends join an uprising against Uganda's corrupt regime in the early 1970s. As the line blurs between idealism and violence, one of them flees for his life. In a quiet Midwestern town in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, an African student falls for the woman who helps him settle in. Prejudice overshadows their relationship, yet it is equally haunted by the past. Both men are called Isaac. But are they one and the same?

What's your name? Asian Americans know the pain of being called names that deny our humanity. We may toggle back and forth between different names as a survival strategy. But it's a challenge to discern what names reflect our true identities as Asian Americans and as Christians. In an era when Asians face ongoing discrimination and marginalization, it can be hard to live into God's calling for our lives. Asian American Christians need to hear and own our diverse stories beyond the cultural expectations of the model minority or perpetual foreigner. A team from East Asian, Southeast Asian, and South Asian backgrounds explores what it means to learn our names and be seen by God. They encourage us to know our history, telling diverse stories of the Asian diaspora in America who have been shaped and misshaped by migration, culture, and faith. As we live in the multiple tensions of being Asian American Christians, we can discover who we are and what God may have in store for us and our communities.

Lucy Hansson was ready for a perfect summer with her boyfriend, working at her childhood Bible camp on the lake and spending quality time with her parents. But when her mom's cancer reappears, Lucy falters-in her faith and in her ability to cope. When her boyfriend "pauses" their relationship and her summer job switches to a different camp-one for troubled kids-Lucy isn't sure how much more she can handle. Attempting to accept a new normal, Lucy slowly regains footing among her vibrant, diverse coworkers, Sundays with her mom, and a crush on a fellow counselor. But when long-hidden family secrets emerge, can Lucy set aside her problems and discover what grace really means? Emotionally-charged and unforgettable, Emery Lord's storytelling shines with the promise of new love and true friendship, even in the face of life's biggest challenges.

Baby-naming has become an art form with parents today, but where do parents go to find names and their meanings? The Name Book offers particular inspiration to those who want more than just a list of popular names. From Aaron to Zoe, this useful book includes the cultural origin, the literal meaning, and the spiritual significance of more than 10,000 names. An appropriate verse of Scripture accompanies each name, offering parents a special way to bless their children.

Our proper name is as much a part of us as our own skin. It travels with us like a passport, testifying to our unique presence on this earth. The articulation of our name rolls off our tongue with ease and familiarity, yet we rarely turn and examine the part our name plays in what makes us who we are. Our first name reflects the hopes and dreams of our parents and family, our culture, and our own sense of self, while our surname carries our ancestral history, a branding of both affiliation and transmission. In The Power of Names, Mavis Himes explores both the profound ambivalence that many of us feel toward our names and the conscious and unconscious impact our names have on our lives, sometimes for good and sometimes for ill. She explores such questions as: What do our names mean? How do they influence our destiny? What does it mean to lose or change our name - and what does this reveal or conceal about who we are? Himes engages readers through a skillful interweaving of reflections on her own Jewish surname, shortened by immigrant ancestors to accommodate a new life in a new world; the historical and cultural impact of a group on naming practices; the various ways different cultures celebrate the naming of infants; the power of names in myth and legend; and the impact of names on friends and patients from her practice. Readers are invited to consider their own names, the names they give others, and the names of those around them as a starting point for understanding the stories of our lives.

The Problem of Pain is a book concerned, to one degree or another, with refuting popular objections to Christianity, such as the question, "How could a good God allow pain to exist in the world?" The book addresses an important aspect of theodicy, an attempt by one Christian layman to reconcile orthodox Christian belief in a just, loving and omnipotent God with pain and suffering. Some have felt that it is useful to read it together with A Grief Observed, Lewis' reflections on his own experiences of grief and anguish upon the death of his wife. In addition to dealing with human pain, however, the book also contains a chapter entitled "Animal Pain," demonstrating not only the fact that Lewis cast his net wider than human suffering, but also a reflection on a lifelong love of animals. Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was a British novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, lay theologian and Christian apologist. He is best known for his fictional work, especially The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Space Trilogy, and for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, such as Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain.