Making Believe responds to a remarkable flowering of art by Mennonites in Canada. After the publication of his first novel in 1962, Rudy Wiebe was the only identifiable Mennonite literary writer in the country. Beginning in the 1970s, the numbers grew rapidly and now include writers Patrick Friesen, Sandra Birdsell, Di Brandt, Sarah Klassen, Armin Wiebe, David Bergen, Miriam Toews, Carrie Snyder, Casey Plett, and many more. A similar renaissance is evident in the visual arts (including artists Gathie Falk, Wanda Koop, and Aganetha Dyck) and in music (including composers Randolph Peters, Carol Ann Weaver, and Stephanie Martin). Confronted with an embarrassment of riches that resist survey, Magdalene Redekop opts for the use of case studies to raise questions about Mennonites and art. Part criticism, part memoir, Making Believe argues that there is no such thing as Mennonite art. At the same time, her close engagement with individual works of art paradoxically leads Redekop to identify a Mennonite sensibility at play in the space where artists from many cultures interact. Constant questioning and commitment to community are part of the Mennonite dissenting tradition. Although these values come up against the legacy of radical Anabaptist hostility to art, Redekop argues that the Early Modern roots of a contemporary crisis of representation are shared by all artists. Making Believe posits a Spielraum or play space in which all artists are dissembling tricksters, but differences in how we play are inflected by where we come from. The close readings in this book insist on respect for difference at the same time as they invite readers to find common ground while making believe across cultures.

Get the facts on temples, tithing, missions, and caffeine
Mormon doctrines, rituals, and history, demystified at last
Mormonism, or the LDS Church, is one of the world's fastest growing religions. But unless you were raised a Mormon, you probably don't have a clear picture of LDS beliefs and practices. Covering everything from Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon to tithing and family home evening, this friendly guide will get you up to speed in no time.
Discover:
* How the LDS Church differs from other Christian churches
* What Mormons believe
* What happens in Mormon temples and meetinghouses
* The history of the LDS Church
* LDS debates on race, women, and polygamy

"Each true story in this series by outstanding authors Janet and Geoff Benge is loved by adults and children alike. More Christian Heroes: Then & Now biographies and unit study curriculum guides are coming soon. Fifty-five books are planned, and thousands of families have started their collections! Horrified by the poverty and human misery in industrial England, General William Booth and his Salvation Army brought the gospel and life-changing social services to the outcasts of society (1829-1912).

CHRIST FOR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS is an engaging and thoughtful inquiry into Christianity for Unitarian Universalists and other spiritual seekers - including sceptics, non-religious people, liberal Christians and those who consider themselves "spiritual but not religious." The book has several purposes. The first is to present Christ in an understandable and compelling way to the increasing number of people who do not consider themselves Christian. The second is to present liberal and progressive Christians with the non-dogmatic way that Unitarian Universalists have viewed Christ through the Bible and personal experience. And the third is to promote active dialogue between non-Christians and the nearly 80% of Americans who identify themselves as Christian. CHRIST FOR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS addresses frank questions with integrity and intellectual honesty, yet, also, presents a sincere and genuine sense of love as embodied in Jesus that is so heartfelt, so unconditional and so revolutionary that it will take your breath away.

In a time when the Pauline dictum decreed that women be silent in matters of the Church, Johanna Eleonora Petersen (1644-1724) was a pioneering author of religious books, insisting on her right to speak out as a believer above her male counterparts. Publishing her readings of the Gospels and the Book of Revelation as well as her thoughts on theology in general, Petersen and her writings created controversy, especially in orthodox circles, and she became a voice for the radical Pietists--those most at odds with Lutheran ministers and their teachings. But she defended her lay religious calling and ultimately printed fourteen original works, including her autobiography, the first of its kind written by a woman in Germany--all in an age in which most women were unable to read or write.
Collected in "The Life of Lady Johanna Eleonora Petersen" are Petersen's autobiography and two shorter tracts that would become models of Pietistic devotional writing. A record of the status and contribution of women in the early Protestant church, this collection will be indispensable reading for scholars of seventeenth-century German religious and social history.

Did Ellen White change her concept of the Godhead or her understanding of Christ's nature during her ministry as some have suggested? In Ellen White and the Trinity, Pastor Jan Voerman faithfully addresses this topic by interpreting Ellen White's statements on the subject of the Godhead in their chronological and literary context. Those who assume that Ellen White taught different views of Christ's nature over the years will find this book very insightful. Writing for the scholar and non-scholar alike, Pastor Voerman confirms the consistency of Ellen White's statements on the Trinity and affirms God's guidance in equipping the Seventh-day Adventist Church for its mission of sharing the good news of His love with the world.