Though the Mountains Tremble
Biblical Reflections on Contemporary Society
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
Though the Mountains Tremble is a collection of random commentaries, from a biblical perspective, on issues and events in the contemporary world. Though most of the essays speak to specific events, they carry general observations that can provide insight into issues and events of any time. At the heart of these observations are a few basic assumptions--that God still works in history through nations and institutions, that God's purposes for the Creation are centered in Jesus Christ, that humankind was created to be God's representatives in caring for the world and all living things, that the crucial struggles in history are waged against the Powers and Principalities, and that both nations and individuals are held accountable to God for their actions. These reflections are rooted in the assumption that, although it is not an answer book or a spiritual almanac, the Bible bears testimony to the character of God and sets forth an ethos that can, if embraced, engender basic discernment in the midst of the world's chaos.
Gene L. Davenport is Professor Emeritus of Religion at Lambuth University, Jackson, Tennessee, and Theologian in Residence at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Jackson. He is the author of Into the Darkness: Discipleship According to the Sermon on the Mount, Powers and Principalities, and The Eschatology of the Book of Jubilees.
"Gene Davenport's voice is as rich in metaphor and insightful inflexion as his words are rich in wisdom. Few writers today can equal either Davenport's deftness or his humility as an articulator of the Christian faith, . . . which, of course, is why I so rejoice in the publication of this book and in the opportunity to recommend it to the consideration of others."
--Phyllis Tickle, Cathedral College of the Washington National Cathedral
"It is no exaggeration that the 'mountains are trembling' in this time of turmoil and uncertainty. In Gene Davenport we have a steady hand and a clear eye for facing these threats with prophetic hope. In these commentaries God's grace shows through, judging our greed and folly, while at the same time offering new possibilities of converted life. Davenport's reflections will ignite your devotional life."
--M. Douglas Meeks, Vanderbilt Divinity School
"There is no better reader of Scripture in our time than Gene Davenport. Accordingly, he is able to read our lives scripturally. Such readings are often painful, but that is the way we discover what is being said is true. Hopefully this book will attract the readership Davenport so richly deserves."
--Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School