Synopses & Reviews
In the nascent United States, religion often functioned as a justifier of oppression. Yet while religious discourse buttressed such oppressive activities as slavery and the destruction of native populations, oppressed communities have also made use of religion to critique and challenge this abuse. As
Liberation Theologies in the United States demonstrates, this critical use of religion has often taken the form of liberation theologies, which use primarily Christian principles to address questions of social justice, including racism, poverty, and other types of oppression.
Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas and Anthony B. Pinn have brought together a stellar group of liberation theology scholars to provide a synthetic introduction to the historical development, context, theory, and goals of a range of U.S.-born liberation theologies. Chapters cover Black Theology, Womanist Theology, Latino/Hispanic Theology, Latina Theology, Asian American Theology, Asian American Feminist Theology, Native American Theology, Native Feminist Theology, Gay and Lesbian Theology, and Feminist Theology.
Contributors: Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Mary McClintock Fulkerson, Nancy Pineda-Madrid, Robert Shore-Goss, Andrea Smith, Andrew Sung Park, George (Tink) Tinker, and Benjamin Valentin.
Review
“An extraordinary resource for understanding the vitality of liberation theologies and their relation to social transformation in the changing U.S. context. Written in an accessible and engaged way, this powerful and informative text will inspire beginners and scholars alike. I highly recommend it.”
-Kwok Pui-lan,author of Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology
Review
"This present book is inspired by this older liberation theology, but it is focused on the liberation theologies concerning the oppressed of America... and chiefly the oppressed groups previously overlooked... Each essay provides ample evidence that its group has long been oppressed and deserves its own liberation theology."
“An extraordinary resource for understanding the vitality of liberation theologies and their relation to social transformation in the changing U.S. context. Written in an accessible and engaged way, this powerful and informative text will inspire beginners and scholars alike. I highly recommend it.”
“To acknowledge the limits and gifts of our theological past, to mourn and rage the depth of oppression, to gratefully accept our place in a lineage of struggle and hope, such is the blessing provided by the authors of Liberation Theologies in the United States. May their work be a catalyst for further acts of daring, compassion, and insight.”
Review
“Church historian Herring's newest book can be seen as a textbook and probably will be used as such. But to view it only as that would be a mistake because it is also an accessible account of the high-points of Christianity divided into three 200-year periods—‘Christ and Caesar, Christianity Circa 300-500, ‘Expansion and Order, Latin Christendom, Circa 1050-1250, and ‘Grace and Authority, Western Christianity, Circa 1450-1650. The lives of such important Christians as St. Augustine, Martin Luther, and Eramus are also touched upon. Most interesting perhaps is the authors admitting to writing about the parts of Christian history that are of ‘particular interest to him. His excitement, curiosity, and attention to these areas are readily apparent. With the help of maps, illustrations, and skilled writing, his pet subjects soon become the readers. This well-researched and enjoyable labor of love is highly recommended for all libraries.”
-Library Journal,
Review
“Written with passion and commitment.”
-Catholic Historical Review,
Review
“Packed with historical knowledge, arranged with an impressive capacity for theological explication, and written in a flowing manner that belies its textbook quality, G. Herring has produced a volume that will be useful to a large audience with various degrees of exposure to its topic.”
-Religious Studies Review,
Review
"This book is a delight to read...[and] an exemplary account of the genre of liberation theologies."-Garth Kasimu Baker-Fletcher,Religious Studies Review
Review
“An extraordinary resource for understanding the vitality of liberation theologies and their relation to social transformation in the changing U.S. context. Written in an accessible and engaged way, this powerful and informative text will inspire beginners and scholars alike. I highly recommend it.”
-Kwok Pui-lan,author of Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology
Review
“To acknowledge the limits and gifts of our theological past, to mourn and rage the depth of oppression, to gratefully accept our place in a lineage of struggle and hope, such is the blessing provided by the authors of Liberation Theologies in the United States. May their work be a catalyst for further acts of daring, compassion, and insight.”
-Sharon D. Welch,Provost and Professor of Religion and Society, Meadville, Lombard Theological School
Synopsis
Demonstrates the critical use of religion to challenge oppression in the U.S.
In the nascent United States, religion often functioned as a justifier of oppression. Yet while religious discourse buttressed such oppressive activities as slavery and the destruction of native populations, oppressed communities have also made use of religion to critique and challenge this abuse. As Liberation Theologies in the United States demonstrates, this critical use of religion has often taken the form of liberation theologies, which use primarily Christian principles to address questions of social justice, including racism, poverty, and other types of oppression.
Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas and Anthony B. Pinn have brought together a stellar group of liberation theology scholars to provide a synthetic introduction to the historical development, context, theory, and goals of a range of U.S.-born liberation theologies. Chapters cover Black Theology, Womanist Theology, Latino/Hispanic Theology, Latina Theology, Asian American Theology, Asian American Feminist Theology, Native American Theology, Native Feminist Theology, Gay and Lesbian Theology, and Feminist Theology.
Contributors: Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Mary McClintock Fulkerson, Nancy Pineda-Madrid, Robert Shore-Goss, Andrea Smith, Andrew Sung Park, George (Tink) Tinker, and Benjamin Valentin.
Synopsis
Christianity is the world's largest religion, and has had a profound impact on the course of civilization.
Introduction to the History of Christianity is a beautifully crafted and clearly written introduction to Christianity over its 2000 year history.
The broad underlying theme of the book is the interaction between Christianity and the secular world, exploring how one has shaped and been shaped by the other. The volume does not attempt to cover the whole of Christian history in detail. It focuses on three key chronological periods pivotal in the development of Christianity: Christ and Caesar, Christianity circa 300-500; Expansion and Order, Latin Christendom, circa 1050-1250; and Grace and Authority, Western Christianity, circa 1450-1650, as well as a concluding section on Christianity in the modern world, providing illustrative snapshots of the tradition over the course of its long development. In addition, the volume includes maps, timelines, quotations from primary source material, a glossary, and a further reading section.
No staid, laborious introduction to its subject, Introduction to the History of Christianity offers an inviting and informative overview of this rich religious tradition.
About the Author
Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas is associate professor of ethics and society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. Her books include
Mining the Motherlode: Methods in Womanist Ethics, Black Church Studies: An Introduction and
Deeper Shades of Purple: Womanism in Religion and Society (NYU Press, 2007).
Anthony B. Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and Professor of Religious Studies at Rice University, where he also serves as the executive director of the Society for the Study of Black Religion. His books include Varieties of African-American Religious Experience, Why Lord?: Suffering and Evil in Black Theology, and By These Hands: A Documentary History of African-American Humanism (NYU Press, 2001).