Joel Lawrence – författare

Joel Lawrence offers a new methodology and a fresh perspective in this book, making it a concise guide to one of the most remarkable martyrs and theologians of the 20th century.

This is a concise guide to one of the most remarkable martyrs and theologians of the twentieth century. There is little doubt that the nature of Bonhoeffer's unfinished final theological ruminations have made him a thinker whose influence has grown as theologians and pastors have tried to make sense of Bonhoeffer's vision. In writing a guide for the perplexed, the best way to approach his thought is to use the 'perplexing' themes of the prison letters as guides for engaging Bonhoeffer's larger theological project. In this guide, Lawrence uses five key themes from the prison letters as ways into the movements of Bonhoeffer's theology. In doing so, he engages specifically with the difficult concepts in the Bonhoefferian corpus, using these to address the larger field of Bonhoeffer's theology. This approach aims at the readers who would be approaching Bonhoeffer for the first time as those who are struggling with his thought. Many would be familiar with the content of the prison letters, but would have failed to grasp the context of those letters in which their difficulty is best alleviated.Continuum's "Guides for the Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

Joel Lawrence offers a new methodology and a fresh perspective in this book, making it a concise guide to one of the most remarkable martyrs and theologians of the 20th century.

Over the past few years, Evangelicalism has been marked by a deconstructionist movement in which many, especially younger Evangelicals, have been leaving the Evangelical tradition. Some have left the Christian faith altogether due to what they perceive to be deep inconsistencies, inadequacies, and hypocrisies. But is deconstruction the right response to these problems, or is there a better way? Rather than tearing down the structures and institutions they inhabit, Evangelicals can, trusting in the promise that Christ will build his church, commit themselves to the project of reconstruction. With every challenge comes an opportunity to press deep below the surface, assess weak foundations, and build stronger, healthier Evangelicalisms than those inherited. Reconstructing Evangelicalism explores these very challenges and opportunities to aid the church in the rebuilding project necessary in the present age.

One of the greatest crises facing the church is the crisis of racial injustice that has so long marred the body of Christ in America. Evangelicals have traditionally had a set of biblical, theological, and cultural tools we have used for dealing with questions about race: the necessity of personal responsibility, the possibility of heart renewal through faith in Jesus, the transformative impact of interpersonal relationships, and the bedrock conviction that every human being is made in the image of God and is thus of equal worth and dignity. But in the world after 2020, the evangelical church must now recognize that our theological playbook has been ineffective in rooting out racism from the church and in confronting our own complicity in racial injustice. We must now ask: What other theological convictions are required of us as we consider the image-bearing humanity of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others? Confronting Racial Injustice explores theological vistas to aid the church in our pursuit of racial justice.