What might the story of Jesus of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene look like if Jesus and Mary are given the places in the gospel story that they occupy in such recently discovered texts as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, and the Gospel of Philip? Butcher's answer to this question is provided in the present book, Sacred Partnership, a narrative volume that most resembles a modern-day gospel. Written in the present tense, the volume narrates a powerful story of ancient wisdom, holy mystery, and sacred partnership, with disarmingly contemporary overtones. John Butcher is well prepared to formulate this dramatic retelling of the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene in Sacred Partnership. -Marvin Meyer, Griset Professor of Religious Studies, Chapman University; Editor, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures, HarperOne, 2007.

Revolving around the Celtic calendar, The Tao of Jesus is a lively book of 365 daily meditations (plus texts for moveable feast days and seasons) that integrate the spirit of Jesus into a creation-centered spirituality. Drawn from Christian, Taoist, Jewish, and aboriginal sources, it celebrates our connection to the Earth, the eternal Tao, and to one another. Culminating with chants, songs, rituals, and liturgies, The Tao of Jesus offers a delightful alternative to conventional church year readings and a practical, innovative guide that "helps us all celebrate the sacred in life" (Tolbert McCarroll).

For the first time ever, the revolutionary Uncommon Lectionary provides readings from gospels outside the New Testament Thomas, Peter, Mary (Magdalene), the Sayings Gospel Q and from other early church documents such as the Didache, the Secret Book of James, and the Odes of Solomon. Designed to complement and supplement common lectionaries, it will help priests, pastors, and liturgical leaders introduce modern listeners to the message of Jesus as it was understood and experienced in all its variety by his earliest followers.In addition to the full texts of readings, An Uncommon Lectionary includes an Introduction, notes and commentary, a table of moveable days, a chart of readings, and extended glossary of texts and terms, and an index of scripture

Not long after Jesus' death, some of his followers began to report that they had seen Jesus, that he had been raised from the dead. Are these stories pious hoaxes? Do they represent living reality? Are they theological fantasies, concocted by the early Christian church as a means to distinguish itself from its religious and political context? With all the books that have been written about this subject, it seems that some kind of consensus might have arisen. Yet, in the late twentieth century previously unknown Gospels and other scriptures were discovered that expand and clarify the New Testament records. In Telling the Untold Stories, John Beverly Butcher explores the canonical and non-canonical Resurrection stories helping readers discover the enormous variety of experiences Jesus friends, family, and followers had of the Risen Christ. At the same time, Butcher's book invites readers to reflect on these first-century stories to discover what the Resurrection means in their own lives. John Beverley Butcher is a priest of the Episcopal Diocese of California and is the author of The Tao of Jesus. For: General audiences; pastors; seminarians; undergraduates>