Synopsis: Shame has many faces. From the pressing need to avoid "losing face" to the urge to scapegoat and blame, from the desire to exclude those who are different to the horrors of ethnic cleansing, from the obsession with body image to the abiding terrors of the abused, shame is a universal phenomenon. It transcends boundaries of time and is evident in diverse cultures across the world. It is, furthermore, found throughout the pages of Scripture, yet in modern theology shame is conspicuous by its absence. This book attempts to redress the balance by exploring the theology of shame, from its inception in the garden of Eden, to the final triumph over shame on the cross. Restoring the Shamed will offer readers the opportunity to think theologically about one of the most urgent, yet strangely secret, issues of contemporary society. Endorsements: "Robin Stockitt's Restoring the Shamed is a rediscovery of a neglected dimension in the biblical witnesses, making it relevant for today's most painful human experiences. It offers an abundance of pastoral insights, creative theological explorations, and imaginative suggestions for ecclesial practice. Beginning with . . . the absence of a theology of shame in modern theology, the book becomes a courageous and rewarding journey of theological discovery." -Christoph Schwobel Chair in Systematic Theology University of Tubingen "This is a passionate book, in all the right senses . . . Reading it will not only help to restore the shamed; it will likely restore a godly passion-and few things are more sorely needed in theology today." -Jeremy S. Begbie Thomas A. Langford Research Professor Duke Divinity School "Robin Stockitt has written a powerful and persuasive book that shows the centrality of shame in human experience and in the biblical message. It is the most readable and theologically astute account of Christ's ministry to the shamed that is available today. This warmly pastoral book contains rich resources to deal with crippling experiences such as being treated as unworthy or unwanted." -Robert Jewett Visiting Professor of New Testament University of Heidelberg Author Biography: Robin Stockitt is the minister of the Anglican Church in Freiburg, Germany. He is the author of Open to the Spirit: Ignatius of Loyola and John Wimber in Dialogue (2000) and Imagination and the Playfulness of God: The Theological Implications of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Definition of the Human Imagination (2011).

Synopsis: The human imagination is a reflection of and a participation in the divine imagination; so mused the romantic poet, philosopher and theologian Samuel Taylor Coleridge. His thinking was intuitive, dense, obscure, brilliant, and deeply influenced by German philosophy. This book explores the development of his philosophical theology with particular reference to the imagination, examining the diverse streams that contributed to the originality of his thought. The second section of this book extrapolates his thinking into areas into which Coleridge did not venture. If God is intrinsically imaginative, then how is this manifested? Can we articulate a theology of the ontology of God that is framed in imaginative and creative terms? Drawing on the groundbreaking work of Huizinga on 'play, ' this study seeks to develop a theological understanding of God's playfulness. Endorsements: "Here is a theologian to watch. Expounding Coleridge is never easy, but in treating this complex genius Stockitt brings a rare and engaging lucidity. And he draws out the theme of the 'playfulness' of God in a way that is both fascinating and beguiling, as well as crucial for theology today. A considerable achievement." -Jeremy Begbie Duke University "As one who has long believed in the importance of Coleridge as a creative theologian, I am delighted that Robin Stockitt has produced such a significant exploration of how Coleridge's work on the imagination can lead us into an engagement with the play as a way of understanding the interplay of God's being as a communion of love. This is indeed imaginative theology-a work from which many will profit and which I am delighted to commend." -Geoffrey Rowell Keble College, Oxford Author Biography: Robin Stockitt is the minister of the Anglican Church in Freiburg, Germany. He is the author of Open to the spirit: St. Ignatius and John Wimber in Dialogue (2000).