Worship in the Spirit of Jesus
Theology Liturgy and Songs Without Violence
by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and Bret Hesla
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
(list after endorsements)
Worship in the Spirit of Jesus has three main goals:
- to engage adult lay Christians in discussions that examine how and why Christianity came to have so many violent images and expectations of God
- to describe the historical and modern consequences of these violent images and expectations
- to offer alternative theological understandings and worship resources that are rooted in the nonviolent spirit of Jesus
Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is Professor of Theology at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota. His many publications include Is Religion Killing Us?: Violence in the Bible and the Quran (2003).
Bret Helsa is a musician and justice activist. His songs and translations are reprinted widely in such publications as "Global Songs, Local Voices" and "Pave the Way with Branches." He lives in Rushford, Minnesota.
"The authors have set themselves a challenging task: to reclaim the image of Jesus as a prophet of peace and to reshape the church's appropriation of this Jesus in worship, prayer, and song. They succeed admirably."
-- Marjorie Proctor-Smith, LeVan Professor of Christian Worship, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.
"Here is a book that requires Christians to pay serious attention to the violent portrayals of God that pepper our scriptures and liturgies and skew our theology. The authors call for nothing less than the overhaul of our ritual life, a profound change necessary if we are going to learn to be followers of Jesus' way of peace, rather than complicit in the world's way of war."
-- Clifton F. Guthrie, Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship, Bangor Theological Seminary, Bangor, Maine
"[The authors] argue persuasively that the violence in our Bible has serious implications for our liturgical assemblies and thus for our daily living. Violence begets violence. But, they do not stop with their propositions. Instead, they provide examples of fresh, evocative liturgies, drawn from the stories and witness of Jesus and the lives of Christian communities committed to nonviolence."
-- Janet Walton, Professor of Preaching, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York