New York Amish : life in the plain communities of the Empire State

  by Karen Johnson-Weiner.  Amish settlements in New York have grown to some 25 since these German-speaking Anabaptist immigrants first came to the state in the early 19th century and are less well-known than Amish communities in other states, notes Johnson-Weiner (anthropology, State U. of New York, Potsdam). She traces their history, traditions, intragroup differences (e.g., between the Swartzentruber Amish and the Swiss Amish), and relations with non-Amish. The book includes maps and photos, even some of a people who regard such as forbidden graven images. Appendices list existing and extinct Old Order Amish settlements in New York. --Summary (Check catalog)

The global Luther : a theologian for modern times

 The Global Luther is one of those rare finds among edited volumes: a work that across 17 chapters shows remarkable coherence and thematic unity. Its editor, Helmer, guided with great acuity the like-titled conference held at Northwestern in 2008. Helmer has brought together an excellent collection of scholars to assess the continuing impact of Martin Luther on the 21st-century world. Though the roster includes a few long-established scholars, the contributors are largely of a new and emerging generation. Sharing their scholarship with the wider academic community makes this volume important on that point alone. The book begins by examining Luther's impact on Western civilization and the global community. The next two sections look at Luther's understanding of the human being coram deo (before God) and coram hominibus (before humanity). The fourth section places justification by faith into broader conversation with ethics and interreligious dialogue. Finally, the book examines, with appreciated nuance, Luther's approach to politics and the use of coercive power. --Choice (Check Catalog)

Every moment matters : savoring the stuff of life

 by John St. Augustine. In his latest, self-help author St. Augustine (Living an Uncommon Life: Essential Lessons from 12 Extraordinary People) examines the individual instances that have meant much to him, encouraging readers to do the same for themselves: "while the journey has been one of discipline and self-examination my life (and I suspect yours, too) is filled with moments that. taught me something, made me stop alive in my tracks, had me catch my breath." These moments are universal but predictable; one of St. Augustine's first examples is the death of his beloved dog Jake, a time of deep sadness that nevertheless made him realize the value of the companionship, unconditional love, fun, and adventure his pet provided. Another section finds him recalling a decades-old Colorado hiking trip with his friend David, on which he learned that "there is more than one way to reach the top, that it's good to have a buddy along for support, [and] that those who have gone before you often . make the climb a bit more manageable." Though his ruminations tend top be wordy (bordering on mundane self-absorption), St. Augustine makes an eager guide to the importance of reflection and mindfulness. --Publishers Weekly (Check Catalog)

Mencius

 by Mencius. This translation of the Mengzi (391-308 BCE), or as he is know to westerners, Mencius, is a tremendous accomplishment that crowns Bloom's exemplary career as a sinologist. Felicitous and insightful, accurate and challenging, the text is presented in a clearer light than ever before. Ivanhoe's sensitive introduction and editing add to the strength of the work. His introduction focuses on the political, religious, ethical, and cultural views of Mencius. Mencius is concerned primarily with the concept of ren or humaneness, the motivation of human actors of all stations and their mutual respect. This translation shows the depth of his arguments and highlights their impact on generations of Chinese beliefs. The Columbia translations of all Asian texts have been recognized for decades as the best in the field. William Theodore de Bary's assembled scholar/translators have provided generations of teachers, students, and researchers with solid English texts of the classics. This translation should be taken as a model to sinologists and translators throughout their studies. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. --Choice (Check Catalog)

The new shape of world Christianity : how American experience reflects global faith

 by Mark A. Knoll. Given the dramatic shift in world Christianity in the 20th century away from domination by Europe and North America, Noll (history, Univ. of Notre Dame) argues for a new historical perspective. Whereas in 1900 over 70 percent of Christians were white Europeans, the typical Christian today is African or Latin American. Noll, an evangelical Protestant, focuses on the relationships between American and global Christianity. With convincing interpretations of recent scholarship, he argues that the "template" of American Christianity rather than its direct influence has been the main American contribution to world Christianity, especially in its evangelical and Pentecostal forms. The American model of church growth includes voluntarism (rather than state churches), pragmatism, lay participation, and entrepreneurial initiatives. Voluntary societies, for example, successfully recruited and sent missionaries worldwide. Although scholars often have critiqued missions as serving American interests abroad, they usually have not asked why Christianity flourished. Noll answers that economic globalization has made large parts of the world look "more like America." Christianity has grown not from American imposition but because "parallel historical circumstances" have drawn converts to "the best means of explaining the world around them." --Choice. (Check Catalog)