This book grows out of a decades-long immersion and grappling with the most profound insights from the most original and daring Protestant theologians of the 20th century. No one knows this tradition better than Gene Marshall. Even more, no one has done more to implement this tradition by radically reimagining what the institution and practices of the church are and can become. More than a manifesto, this book is also a how-to guide. -Dr. Jeffrey W. Robbins: Professor and Chair of Religion and Philosophy, Lebanon Valley College, Author of In Search for a Non-Dogmatic Theology

John L. Epps has written "The Theology of Surprise" as a collection of essays, articles and reflections over a life time of his own encounters with life's mysteries. Through several decades he reflects on where mystery has impinged on his life as he sees it, part and parcel of the civilizing process around him. In the Foreword to "The Theology of Surprise: Exploring Life's Mysteries" William A. Holmes, Minister Emeritus of United Methodism's National Church in Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Memorial says: "The Theology of Surprise: Exploring Life's Mysteries.."..A book of essays on different subjects by the same author can be off-putting if that's all the subjects have in common. What one soon discovers in this book is that, for all its diversity of subjects, there is a bright thread running through John Epps' essays which connects them, not only to each other, but to an all-encompassing theological perspective. Without apology, that perspective is derived from the Judeo-Christian tradition - albeit existentially contemporized for persons living in a 21st Century world.. "If you are religious because you treasure "eternal verities," if you are happy that "on solid rock I stand," this book is probably not for you. But...if you are humble enough to lay your faith down before the Mystery of Life.... If you are unfulfilled by dogmatic certainties calcified in archaic language, you will benefit greatly by Epps' observations about theological surprise." Dr. E. Maynard Moore, WesleyNexus.org. "The challenges facing the planet are known to us all. The clash amongst cultures, the persistence of hunger and disease, the apparent poverty of every political system in operation today, the overwhelming complexity of unraveling the damage that we humans have inflicted on our home, this planet: we are in an age of agonizing quandary...Here you will find theology being reinvented for now and the future. The work of this deeply grounded thinker is profoundly respectful of the entire array of religious traditions. Epps is convinced that we can invent a future that cares for all." John Patterson, Abby Gardens Community Trust. "Every Sunday I go to church and wonder why I am there. The words, hymns, creeds, and stories I learned with my mother's milk are often more of a hindrance to participation than an inspiration...I think restatement of faith is the challenge of our time, for those of us both in and out of the pew. I know John Epps to be uncommonly thoughtful, with broad life experience." Louise Singleton, MSPH, HIV/AIDS Prevention.

Drawn from the recently inaugurated archives at Wesley Tehological Seminary in Washington, DC, this book is dedicated to those who are focused on responsible societal change in the future. Thousands of NGOs, communities, and movements across all cultures, countries and traditions are looking for new avenues of collaboration in creating a better future in their countries and communities. Adememic, government, business and community leaders can benefit from this documentation of 30+ years in the evolution of effective methods of individual and group participation and processes for responsible local leadership and sustainable social change. These methods have been tested and refined and are now extensivly endorsed and utilized by multiple organizations across the world. This is Volume II in the "Bending History" series of publications drawn from the work of Dean Joseph Wesley Mathews and his colleagues at the Institute of Cultural Affairs located in 25 countries across 6 continents and now celebrating 5 decades of work and global service.