In a time when many are questioning the relevance of the church to their spiritual journeys, this book makes a bold case that "going to church" is intrinsic to Christian faith. Drawing on Anabaptist life and conviction, Mast presents Christ's call to all believers to be the church, whether gathered for worship or scattered for service. By exploring such practices as baptism, communion, singing, and group discernment, he asks us to consider how participation in the life of the church shapes our daily witness—how “going to church” transforms “going to work” in the world that God loves.

Go to Church, Change the World: Christian Community as Calling

Religion & Spirituality

Mast, Gerald J.

Christian Books & Bibles

Herald Press

This book argues that for John Howard Yoder both theology (in particular Christology) and ethics are expressions of the meaning of the narrative of Jesus. All such statements are relative to a particular context, which means that theology and ethics are always subject to reaching back to the narrative in order to restate the meaning in new and ever-changing contexts. This methodology is visible in Yoder's Preface to Theology, which has been little used in most treatments of Yoder's thought. Yoder has been characterized as standing on Nicene orthodoxy, criticized for rejecting Nicene orthodoxy, called heterodox, and designated a postmodern thinker to be interpreted in terms of other such thinkers. None of these characterizations adequately locates the basis of his methodology in the narrative of Jesus. Thus John Howard Yoder: Radical Theologian aims to go beyond or to supersede existing treatments with its demonstration that Yoder is a radical theologian in the historical meaning of radical-that is, as one who returns to the root. For Christian faith, this root is Jesus Christ. Parts II and III of the book explore the sources of Yoder's approach, and its application in several contemporary contexts.

John Howard Yoder: Radical Theologian

Grimsrud, Ted

Weaver, J. Denny

Zimmerman, Earl

Walton, Zachary J.

Cascade Books

This book displays how the nonviolent Word of God made visible in Jesus Christ is expressed in the contemporary idiom of the peaceable grain of the universe. Moving between historic Anabaptist understandings of Jesus as revealing the “Word of God” and more recent expressions of Jesus as disclosing the “grain of the universe,” the book invites a reading of Scripture centered in Jesus’ life and teachings as told by the narratives of the New Testament. This approach to the Bible discovers there a persuasive witness to the power of nonviolent action in both historic movements and contemporary settings. Beginning with the radical wing European Reformation, the book explores how new understandings of biblical authority expressed in the language of that era have relevance now over five centuries later when stated in a contemporary language for evangelical, ecumenical, and anti-racist Christian witness. To that end, chapters in Part One explore how Reformation-era Anabaptists expanded or went beyond the received understandings of Scripture and Word in confronting their crises. In Part Two the chapters apply this expanded understanding of the Word to contemporary understandings of the Bible and theology, dialogue across black-white lines, and in nonviolent witness and activism.

Nonviolent Word: Anabaptism, the Bible, and the Grain of the Universe

Pickwick Publications

Nonviolent Word

"I've been reading with interest the important work being done by Denny Weaver and others on violence in relation to our understandings of God, atonement, and eschatology. I've also been watching, with joy, the growing rediscovery of the nonviolent heritage of the Radical Reformation. So I enthusiastically await the release of Defenseless Christianity," observes Brian D. McLaren,Author/Activist (brianmclaren.net). Entering a field of ongoing controversy, this book dares to offer a new model or vision--defenseless Christianity--for understanding Anabaptism, both present and past. The authors content that an Anabaptism defined as defenseless Christianity should be seen as a nonviolent Christian movement with a world-reconciling theology even though some first-generation Anabaptists were not pacifists. Greg Boyd, Author, The Myth of a Christian Nation; and Pastor, Woodland Hills Church, expresses in the foreword his hope that "God uses this book to call Anabaptists along with other Jesus-followers back to the beautifully foolish, enemy-loving, cross-bearing center of our faith." Nancy R. Heisey, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Church History at Eastern Mennonite University as well as Mennonite World Conference president, reports that "My first reaction on reading Defenseless Christianity was, 'Them's fightin' words!' On further reflection, I'm grateful for the gift Weaver and Mast have offered by provocatively addressing a host of issues in Anabaptist historiography and theology on behalf of contemporary communities of Christ's followers. Mennonite vision for the church but also issues a compelling call to faithful living." Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm, Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship, Bethany Theological Seminary, adds, "Let the reader beware: the dynamic nature of Christ's peace permeates this text-not as a position to hold but as a way of creative engagement and witness to God's reconciling love for all creation." And Elaine Moyer, Associate Director, Mennonite Education Agency, concludes that "This book not only presents the peaceful Anabaptist-Mennonite vision for the church but also issues a compelling call to faithful living."

Defenseless Christianity: Anabaptism for a Nonviolent Church

Cascadia Publishing House

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Books by Mast, Gerald J.