New! First Printing Released
January 23, 2012
"
The God Mask: A journey into risk, danger and an extraordinary discovery

A Companion Volume to "Mature Christianity"

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by William A. Holmes
 
(Copyright 2012)

Cover Price: $17.50 - 200 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9850458-0-7

About the Author:
.Dr. William A. Holmes is Minister Emeritus, United Methodist National Church, Washington D.C. His career spans over four decades as an author, minister, lecturer and television host with titles including Tomorrow’s Church (1968); Nonviolence, Origins and Outcomes (2003); A Man Named John F. Kennedy (1964) and articles in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. He was also the host for the weekly television program, “Perspective,” on WDVM, CBS, Washington, D.C. .

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Dr. William (Bill) A. Holmes

What is Inside:
William A. Holmes has written “The God Mask” as a companion volume to his book, “Mature Christianity” published in 2010 with endorsements by Jim Lehrer of the News Hour, U.S. Senator George McGovern (Rtd), Bishop Susan Morrison (Rtd.), and Dr. Philip Wogaman (Rtd.), Wesley Theological Seminary.

What The Author Says About this Book: My intention with this volume is to get certain values off the written page and into action. The Gospel is not “The word became book” but “The word became flesh” – that is, “made concrete, specific and acted out in deeds.” Understanding a concept can be important, but unless eventually that concept is lived, it’s simply lost as an abstraction.

As I look back over 46 years of preaching, the sermons which “connected” with congregations were the one’s which applied to specific instances and avoided generalities. Some parishioners may have been offended by what I said, but they didn’t leave wondering about what I intended as practical applications.

There will be readers of “The God Mask” who disagree with some of my conclusions and examples. After all, toward the end of the book I talk about “undocumented immigrants,” the “Tea Party,” the “Occupy” movement and other controversial, hot button issues. I tend to take such disagreements as complimentary to the reader and the writer, signaling that at least we have engaged each other in the struggle to turn Christian values into ethics. Besides, it will be no compliment to either of us if we simply agree on “things in general,” and then do nothing.

On these terms then, and through “The God Mask,” I invite you to join me in considering how and when the Mystery of all mysteries – disguised and incognito – becomes personal and is wondrously revealed. This “Safari to the Sacred” is headed, not away from, but into “jungles” of specific, human encounters and ethical applications.

.

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New! First Printing Released
October 16, 2011
"Bending History: Talks of Joseph Wesley Mathews

Volume II: Societal Reformulation - toward a New Social Vehicle"

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by John L. Epps, General Editor
Foreword by James Campbell.
(Copyright 2011)

Cover Price: $19.95 - 322 pages - ISBN: 0-9763892-9-2

About the Authors:
Colleagues of Joe Mathews who worked closely with him in the development, implementation and refinements of the societal transformation methods described in this publication provide introductions to the main sections and each of the chapters in those sections. The introductions describe both the contexts in which these methods emerged and how they are being used and/or may be applied today. Their editing of the original talks by Joe Mathews within each subject area is only to provide clarification of terminology within those talks, graphics that illustrate what is being said, and footnotes that would direct the reader towards both original and new resources related to the subject matter. The following indicates the subject area each was responsible for and their current engagement. A fuller description of their current work is contained in the book.

General Editor and Introduction

John L. Epps, Ph. D. is currently director of LENS International Malaysia-Singapore-Denver; and resides in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia & Denver, Colorado. John served ICA as Director of Research in Chicago then in Kuala Lumpur and Denver. John with his wife Anne have worked extensively on developing ICA programs and projects and the formation of profession networks based on ICA methods including the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) and the Technologies of Participations (ToP) worldwide. John has conducted seminars and consultations on an in-house basis for more than 300 organizations throughout Southeast Asia, the U.S.A., and Europe and is an adjunct faculty member in the graduate school of University of Maryland University College.

Foreword

James Campbell, B.S. is currently Co-Director of the Institute of Cultural Affairs: Brussels, Belgium and an instructor of facilitation methods in the ALBA (Adult Learning Bachelor of Arts) Programme at All Hallows College (a College of Dublin City University) in Dublin, Ireland. Jim co-authored a book applying ToP to local parish situations entitled, Parish Pastoral Councils, A Formation Manual published by Veritas, the Catholic Publishing House in Ireland. Jim has been on the Institute of Cultural Affairs staff since its founding in 1972.

Section I: Responsibility and Action in Society

James F. Wiegel, B. A. Currently, Jim is currently a member of ICA International and also TRANSFORM, e.V. Developers of the Kumi method. In the USA, Jim is part of the ToP® Trainers Network and also the Kellogg Action Lab. In Arizona, Jim is part of two communities of practice: the technical assistance network with St. Luke’s Health Initiatives and the Arizona ToP® CoP. Currently dividing his time between Tolleson, Arizona, USA, and Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada. With his wife Judy, Jim served in ICA programs and projects for over 30 years.

Section II: Social Process Dynamics

Clarence J. Mann, J. D., Dr. Jur. currently Professor and Executive Director, Institute for Global Management, at University of Maryland University College Graduate School of Management & Technology, College Park, Maryland. Clancy and his wife Marianne served on the staff of the ICA in Chicago, 1972-1980. He has used ICA LENS methods extensively in launching over 20 USAID projects in Jordan and Egypt (1987-2004). His law and MA degrees from Yale, University of Bonn (Fulbright Scholar) and the Management Development Institute in New Delhi (Fulbright Fellow) have focused on international strategic management and country risk analysis.

Section III: Methods and Principles for Effective Development

Marilyn R. Crocker, Ed. D. President, Marilyn Crocker & Associates, Inc. West Newfield, ME Marilyn has focused for the last thirty years on educational consulting and evaluation, management and strategic planning. She earned her B.A. from Smith College, her M.A.T. in history from Harvard University, and took an Ed. D. in Educational Administration, Training & Policy Studies at Boston University in 1994. During the 1970s with her husband Joe, Marilyn was Director of International Education and Community Development Programs for the Institute of Cultural Affairs: Bombay; Hong Kong; Nairobi; Singapore; Sydney; & Chicago, IL.

Section IV: Comprehensive Development Experiment

George R. Holcombe, M. Div. Currently pastors Asbury UMC, Austin, Texas, and serves as a consultant to GBGM’s Cameroon Mission Initiative. George with his wife Wanda worked in the 5th City and Uptown Projects in Chicago, and in Human Development Projects in Asia. He has acted as consultant and missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.

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Endorsements:
William A. Holmes, Retired United Methodist Church Baltimore-Washington Conference: “Hardly anyone, upon hearing Joe Mathews speak, was ever the same. He spoke from "the deeps” of his own life to "the deeps” of every life. In this important book, he's still addressing "the deeps," while also offering methods of effective social action leading to a New Social Vehicle.” Silver Spring, Maryland, USA..

Shankar Jadhav Executive Director of ICA: India, working with ICA since 1982: “I have been using the ToP®- Technology of Participation - Methods with various communities such as villages, schools/colleges, slums, industries, NGOs, police force and individuals in societies for 33 years. These methods bring miracles where ever I facilitated the programmes. Particularly honoring people to invite their participation, at three levels- individually, team and as big group to make consensus. People feel honored when given their views. It is not only the impact but people internalize the methods and move for implementation/ ownership. It unlocks the potential, it motivates, it brings the creativity and enables to take the ownership of created plan for implementation. I found these methods to be effective only when the facilitation style is appropriate and genuine, therefore when ICA shares these methods with people and group, both methods and facilitation skills are provided simultaneously. While using these methods I personally have seen my life changed. I have become a person who walks the talk. I use it myself and in my family and I am proud that my family is happy because we all participate in creating our own future.”  Mumbai, India

Jim Troxel, USA Adjunct Faculty, DePaul University: “I am sometimes asked, "Where did you acquire the community and organizational change methods you use?" I can honestly tell you now it's all in this book.”  Partner, Millennia Consulting, Chicago, IL,  Chicago, IL, USA

Joaquina Rodriguez, ToP Facilitator: “Every human brain was built to express and share creativity and action; in the common journey the brain becomes frightened and the heart oppressed. Then, I encountered the Participatory Methods of the Institute of Cultural Affairs. From then on I saw the creativity, hope and action spark in people’s life in groups of society, in companies, in villages and among professionals, so they are surely transformational tools, and it is great to be an agent of it.” Technologies of Participation Community Development Facilitator, and Leadership Training Specialist, Guatamala

Maureen Jenkins, Noted Author and Leadership Skills Trainer: “In “Bending History Volume 2,” John Epps once again seeks to bring the rich legacy of Joseph Wesley Mathews to the attention of those who are concerned about social change that is grounded in a well-reflected spirituality. Whereas the first volume focused on Mathews’ theological and spiritual reflections, this book turns attention to his role as stimulator and spokesperson for the active experiments in social change being carried out across the world throughout the 1970s by the members and volunteers of the Institute of Cultural Affairs. As with Volume I, this book provides a much-needed reminder of the thinking out of which the unique ICA approach to managing change emerged. For those involved in social developments that have come to their work through the ICA tradition, this is a marvelous compendium of source documents. For those social architects who know little of the ICA or its history, here is a glimpse into the exciting working reports of a group working together to invent ways to affect change in the most difficult of circumstances. John Epps´ careful editorial work can provide inspiration and nourishment for today´s struggle to develop approaches and tools for the new century.”  Co-Author with Jon C. Jenkins, The 9 Disciplines of the Facilitator, The International Facilitator's Companion; Co-Editor with Jon C. Jenkins, The Social Process Triangles, The Other World in the Midst of this World Director, Imaginal Training in group facilitation and leadership development

Clarence J. Mann, JD, Dr. Jur. Professor & Executive Director, Institute for Global Management University of Maryland University College: “Organizations of all kinds will find the social process model, pioneered by EI/ICA and discussed in this book, to be useful in analyzing and appreciating the social environments of their operations.”  Maryland, USA

Mirja P. Hanson, MBA, Ed. D. Partner, Millennia Consulting LLC: “Bending History provides a unique way for today’s community leaders to tap the insights of past pioneers, shed light on contemporary dilemmas and perhaps discover integrated development “wheels” they may not have to re-invent. Joseph Wesley Mathews’ passion, principles, and practices for seeking robust local solutions to pressing global problems are timely resource in an era of renewed interest in community-based action and sustainable development initiatives -- from locavore food movements, small business growth in the e-marketplace, inter-sector partnerships, webs of community-based, green, fair and living economies, social entrepreneurs driven by social impact vs. financial profit and everything in between.”  Chicago Illinois, USA

Eunice Shankland, Consultant-trainer for the United Nations: “Reading this book is like coming to a wellspring of wisdom. These transcendent methods, models and tools are essential resources for those who work on transformation at all levels of intervention. The book is a powerful guide that will broaden our perspectives, and deepen our spirit resolve and equip us in our service.” Shankland & Associates, LLC;  Past Chair of the IAF, USA

John & Elaine Telford, Global/Local development practitioner: “We have found the foundational understandings for working in society as described in this book to be extremely effective in a diverse range of communities, and in a range of cultural settings including Australia, Asia and Africa. By using the participative approaches described, the creative ideas of all are captured and communities are transformed.”  Hazelbrook, NSW, Australia

Park, Si Won, D. Min, Bomoon First Methodist Church, Seoul, Korea: “I believe Joe Mathews’ theology and methods for human development are remarkable. I have experienced that his method is appropriate for both rural and urban projects in the Korean context. I have also applied this approach for our Indonesian mission. Over the last twenty-four years my church and I have built more than four hundred churches and more than ten mission centers and social projects such as rice barns for people starving due to the tsunami in North Sumatra, Indonesia. I also believe someone who reads this book finds out how to revitalize local community and actualize the Kingdom of God anywhere in this world.” Senior Pastor, Bomoon First Methodist Church, Seoul, Korea  

Gary Forbes, Past President International Association of Facilitators (IAF): "The social methods pioneered by the Institute of Cultural Affairs in the 5th City Chicago project, North American Town Meetings, and the International Human Development Projects have continued to develop and adapt to new settings. These methods were based on the values of active and inclusive participation, focused dialogue, bottom-up consensus-building, and collective empowerment leading to action. They have now been embedded in a bundle of refined methodological tools that are being increasingly utilized in development projects around the world. Good methods are critical in this field that is committed to assisting institutions, communities, and organizations in the developing world to strengthen their ability to affect positive change and facilitate on-the-ground improvements. Facilitators, trainers and consultants are successfully using these methods in development projects focused on humanitarian aid, community mobilization, strengthening governance and democratic institutions, environmental management, health sector improvements, and food policy development."  International Development Consultant, Africa, and USA. 

Laura Hsu, Open Quest Facilitation Technology: "I've received a gift, a methodology built with spirits and integrity. Joe left behind this gift--the secret of engagement. I pay it forward every single day."  IAF Certified Professional Facilitator & Assessor Taipei, Taiwan

David W. Scott, Ed. D. Professor : “Joe Mathews was an intellectual and spiritual luminary of the 20th Century Church. As you read the pages of this book, you realize his work was a road map for understanding the 20th Century world and grasping the role of the People of God in the recreation of that world. Whether it was a local congregation in China, Texas or a rural village in Maharashtra, India, Joe’s insights for renewal were a beacon for those called to address the word of hope and life to any human community.” Philosophy and Religion, Flathead Valley Community College, Kalispell, MT.

Publishers Comments

M. George Walters, M. Div. is currently Corporate Secretary, Resurgence Publishing Corporation, provides technical editing and preparation for publication, and maintains the RPC website.

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by Harry C. Kiely and Ira G. Zepp, Jr.
(Copyright 2011)

Cover Price: $19.95 - 232 pages - ISBN: 0-9763892-8-2

About the Authors

Harry C. Kiely
Harry C. Kiely is a United Methodist minister who has served as a local pastor in the Washington, D.C. area for more than 30 years. He has been a lifelong social justice advocate for civil rights, world peace, economic equality, health care, and marriage equality. He has written for Sojourners, The Progressive Christian, Christian Social Action, Engage, and other publications. He is the author of two books, Grateful Recovery: Spirituality and the Healing of Addiction, and Jesus’ Life, Teachings and Ministry (Cokesbury). Kiely is a graduate of the University of Texas and Union Theological Seminary (NY), where he was influenced by the teachings of Reinhold Niebuhr, Paul Tillich and Robert McAfee Brown. He earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C. His most distinguished pastoral work was at Dumbarton United Methodist Church in Washington. He initiated programs that attracted young families that shared his interest in social outreach and the arts, bringing about a significant growth in church membership and social justice activism. Harry and his wife, Arlene, have four sons, two daughters-in-law, two grandsons, and one granddaughter, and reside in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Ira G. Zepp, Jr. (1929 – 2009)
Ira G. Zepp was a professor emeritus of religious studies at McDaniel (formerly Western Maryland) College. After Graduating from Western Maryland College he received his theological degree magna cum laude from Drew University and his Ph.D. from St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore. He has studied theology in Edinburgh, Scotland and Gottingen, Germany as well as the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Hartford Seminary and at CIDOC in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Zepp also spent a summer studying Christian-Marxist dialogue in Eastern Europe and was a Fulbright scholar in India in 1967. He has received McDaniel's Distinguished Teaching Award three times, and in 1989 was named Maryland's Professor of the Year as well as National Gold Medalist by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. He is a founding Director Emeritus of Common Ground on the Hill. The Ira & Mary Zepp Center for Nonviolence and Peace Education is a program of Common Ground on the Hill.

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Reviews:
Walter Brueggemann,, the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia: "It is a truism that our theological crisis is not atheism but idolatry, not "no god" but "wrong gods." Kiely and Zepp line out our deep crisis of idolatry with clarity and courage. They show beyond doubt that the crisis is systemic, that the primary resources of our society are situated in a practice of idolatry that pivots on wealth, power, and control that eventuates in violence and deathliness. These authors invite us to honesty and to a lively hope that it could be otherwise among us."

Walter Wink, author of the award winning "Engaging the Powers", and June Keener Wink, artist and creative dance instructor say “We carry our idols with us. They penetrate our dark dreams. They give birth to our future hopes in ways that deceive what is God's truth. This book focuses on helping the reader to recognize the depth of damage inherent in worshiping the same gods of fallen empires. We find this a thrilling book.“

David Carrasco, Neil L. Rudenstine Professor of the study of Latin America with a joint appointment in the Department of Anthropology, Harvard Divinity School says "This book is a rare combination of intellectual insight and prophetic anger, stinging critique and a loving call to justice. It is a cry for dialogue and a trumpet of Christian Hope in the face of an incipient American fascism. It is as though Martin Buber is meeting with Jesus and Jeremiah just on the edge of Dante’s Inferno. But according to Zepp and Kiely that Inferno is not in an epic landscape of literature but rather it is an American territory built and bounded by seven idols and an idolatry of fear. Seldom has a critical Christian theology been applied so directly to the sweeping social dangers and psychic injuries of our Homeland. And yet there is a fundamental commitment to Hope and a call to forgiveness. Herein Ira Zepp has left us the culminating, soaring vision of his theology of love and his ministry of liberation. Herein Harry Kiely continues to preach the Gospel he loves."

Dr. Christianna Leahy, Professor of Comparative Government and Chair, Political Science and International Studies Department, McDaniel College says "Harry and Ira have miraculously engineered a bridge by which Christian thinkers can traverse over the polluted waters below that are littered with the bastardization of scripture by the extreme right, to the proverbial city on the hill sparkling with social justice, environmental sustainability, corporate responsibility and public policies that address the basic needs of all who call her Home. A remarkable feat and an excellent read for anyone who genuinely cares for the future of the democratic experiment that we call America."

Charles Wallace, Jr., Chaplain and Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Willamette University says "What happens when two colleagues (a veteran local church pastor and a former college chaplain/master teacher) weave together their theological and social passions: what they've learned from historic spiritual practices, evangelical piety, the social gospel, neo-orthodoxy, liberation theology, the history of religions, and a sophisticated and prophetic interpretation of the biblical narrative? In the hands of Harry Kiely and the late Ira Zepp, the answer is One Nation, Many Gods: Confronting the Idols of American Empire, an unsettling but bracing lovers' quarrel with the nation and the church, one that ultimately points us toward a just, peaceful, sustainable (and faithful) praxis – and a world to match."

Susan M. Morrison, Bishop in the United Methodist Church (Ret.) says "I grow more and more disturbed by the lack of a justice vision in local churches, not only in worship, but also in the adult studies offered. This book, authored by both a prophetic pastor and a prophetic teacher, challenges us to be about the ministry God calls us to engage in."

What's Inside:

Foreword: The Church in a time of global crisis and understanding of Biblical idolatry.

Part I: The Biblical Background: Traces the Biblical understanding of idolatry through the Old Testament, New Testament and the early church and Constantine; explores what it meant in those contexts to "speak the truth" to political and religious power; articulates through the life of Jesus and the early church what it meant to symbolize through Baptism the adoption of a singular dedication of one's self to the One God.

Part II: America's Golden Calves: Exposes the subtleties and treacherous mine fields of idolatry beyond the surface of power, fear, charity, greed, tribe, technology, violence and the nation itself; unveils the policies, practices and systemic realities in which we as idolaters are trapped; illuminates how this indeed oppresses those who most need care and compassion and counters efforts for justice and peace.

Part III: Is America Headed Toward Fascism? Presents a sobering reflection that illuminates the danger signs and warnings for those who would head off such a global disaster.

Part IV: Concluding Reflections: Offers a practical articulation of the multiple ways one may recover a stance of faith in the One God, both individually and corporately as the Church, and take positive action to practice their faith as one who loves America as a patriot Christian today.

Afterword: Reminds the reader of the life sustaining power of hope for people of faith who would dare to love God first and then love and hold accountable their country.

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Endorsements:

Fritz Mutti, Bishop in the United Methodist Church says " You continue to produce good resources. May God bless your efforts. Your insights stimulate me to think in new ways."

Cherl Kartes, ToP Mentor Trainer says "I have appreciated many, many, many of your contributions . I thought it was about time to thank you."

Emily at Brooksville, Kansas says "Perhaps most important is your theological reflections that you send . . . I especially like the way you challenge me to ground things in my experience. That is so helpful to make the sermons real-to-life."

Rev. Patric Ntoko says "I am an ordained priest in the Anglican Church, in QwaQwa, Namahadi, South Africa. I came across your work though an internet search and through curiosity I subscribed. I wish to thank you very much for this material."

About the Author

Dr. William Salmon is a retired United Methodist Minister and trained at the Ecumenical Institute, Chicago, now known as EI/ICA Chicago. In addition to this book, he is the author of "The Making of a Teacher," also published by Resurgence Publishing Corporation.

In his career he served eighteen years in Kansas United Methodist Churches, eleven years as a Kansas Wesleyan University Administrator, and eleven years in international work with the Institute of Cultural Affairs (EI/ICA). For over fifty years he is married to Beverly Trapp, his college sweetheart. They live in Salina, Kansas – in the Nation’s Heartland.

From the Author:

"This book is about decoding our Christian code words, and by the time the reader has worked through this workbook these terms will take on new meaning. Does this change reality? Not at all! What is changed is how the reader finds the Christian lexicon meaningful in its application to reality.

Reality never changes, but our perception of reality is clouded by several things such as the prevailing world view which gets up-dated from time-to-time. This happened at the time of Jesus; historians use this catalyptic occasion to name history BCE--before the Common Era, and CE--after the upsetting events of the Early Church. Most readers remember these new terms with their old associations of BC (Before Christ) and AD (After the Christian Era). This earthquake in understanding is aided by Peter and Paul's work of shifting the world view of Jesus into the prevailing Greek world view. During Paul’s tenure reality stayed the same but the language used to give it meaning was entirely different."

Cover Price: $12.50 - 92 pages - ISBN: 0-9763892-6-6

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Review:

I am very impressed with these books, both in tone and in subject matter. I agree wholeheartedly that religious and theological reflections are a result of lived experience, and should be seen that way.

It is popular for people to claim they are “spiritual” but not “religious,” as if religious ideas were something outmoded or even unnecessary, getting in the way of a direct experience of the Divine. This creates a false dualism and shows a facile misunderstanding of what religious reflection is all about. Bill Salmon’s book removes this stigma upon theological reflection and shows the distinction between “religious” and “spiritual” to be a false one. In fact, Salmon’s book goes further and shows how theological ideas are central to spiritual development.

The problem is not with theology, but with those who misunderstand how important theology is for spirituality. Theological ideas are, after all, second order language, and are only possible following a spiritual experience, a direct sense of awe and worship of the Divine. People can only come to conclusions about religious ideas when they have spent time trying to explain their own religious experience.

Unfortunately, for many, theology gets put into a place it was never meant to occupy, and becomes a set of static concepts, designed to encapsulate religious experience in a series of immutable propositions. These concepts become standardized, and eventually become purely mental constructs, removed from lived experience.

Furthermore, people don’t think in terms of abstract concepts, but in terms of concrete terms regarding things and events which matter most in their lived experience. After all, no one falls in love with an idea. People only fall in love with persons. By turning God into a set of ideas, it becomes harder and harder for anyone to follow their hearts and truly love him. By reducing religious terms to abstract concepts, it makes it impossible to see and understand how those ideas affect us in the first place. Thus the personal experience of God becomes farther and farther removed from things that really matter.

By taking theological ideas and concepts away from purely academic categories, Salmon tries to restore theological reflection to its rightful place, as a critical, meaningful reflection on individual experience of God in the first place. Theological ideas are not conceptual head trips, but experiential gut trips, the result of each individual confronting their own world head on and seeing what really matters. Salmon makes the claim that deep spirituality comes from being deeply religious.

Dr. Philip S. Meckley
Professor of Religion
Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina, Kansas

Cover Price: $17.50 - 282 pages - ISBN: 0-9763892-7-4

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First Printing Released
December 31, 2010

View Videos, Symposium Photos and Workshop Track Documents
December 31, 2010

*Cover mosaic from photos by George W. Ensinger: Click to enlarge Cover Mosaic*;
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From the Editors
Dr. William A. Holmes in his keynote address provided the context for the intent of the six workshop tracks:

**************
Quoting Albert Camus: “What the world expects of Christians is that Christians should speak out loud and clear ... The grouping we need is a grouping of men [and women] resolved to speak out clearly and pay up personally.” These words .... have dangerous implications for this symposium. During these next few days, we just might do something to alter the trajectory of history in our own time – even if it’s only by one-one thousandth of a degree. We will have, at least, bent a little history."

"Or, during these next few days, we just might do nothing but venerate the Mathews brothers. We Christians excel at veneration and we couldn’t have two more worthy subjects. BUT: have you noticed: The planners of this Symposium have set up a fire-wall against vacuous tributes to the Mathews? The name of the fire-wall is “Workshop Tracks:” .... It’s as though they hung a sign on the front door saying “No abstractions allowed.” The planners of this Symposium are hoping -- they are requesting -- they are demanding that we go beyond tributes to Jim and Joe, and shove out into the world to radically reclaim it for God’s sake – which is for the sake of the humanizing, civilizing process. And, not incidentally, this is precisely what it might mean to “honor the work” of Bishop Jim and Brother Joe, two men who, in their day, “spoke out clearly,” “paid up personally,” and changed the course of history for thousands, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives – including my own.

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First Printing Released
September 8, 2010

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Address to those assembled for the Symposium:

“First I want to say that I am just amazed to see more than 150 of you in this room, many of you that I haven’t seen in years, coming from all over the country, and even places in India and Asia and cities in Europe -- it astounds me that you think enough of the work that I and my brother Joe were able to do, that you think it is worth your while to recover some of that for the future”…

“So I am amazed, but I must say I am not surprised, because you are the kind of people, “People of the Spirit,” who take seriously your commitments. It pleases me that you come here to write papers and make presentations not just to wallow in the past, but to think about the future”

"Finally, I appreciate very much what you’re doing, and I am happy to dedicate Joe’s papers that are now in the Archives here at Wesley Theological Seminary for future students and scholars. You have my blessing in this work, and I wish you well."

From the Editors:
It was a profound moment in the Symposium when Bishop Mathews rose from his seat and addressed us with the words above. This was just prior to those gathered going to the Wesley Theological Seminary Library to dedicate the archives. On the passing of Bishop Mathews September 8th, the official release date for this publication, Dr. John A. Epps, observed the following:

"A very memorable image was his departure after the ribbon-cutting ceremony when he and his daughter walked away through the trees as the group sang "Journey On." Whether or not he heard was not certain, but his walk was deliberate however slow, as he hunched over in the cold. It was a powerful moment for us all. Another moment prior to that was his cutting of the "ribbon. I was amused that the ribbon was a police tape with "danger" written all over it. There was real symbolism there -- whether the symbol was more the "danger" describing the entrance to JWM's archives, or whether it was in Bishop Jim cutting through the danger, I'm still not sure, but it was a powerful and memorable moment."

David McAllister-Wilson, President, Wesley Theological Seminary:
About the Archives: Inside this library, then, are not just papers of antiquarian interest for the caretakers of antique churches. Instead, we intend it to be an active resource for seminary students, scholars, and lay people who will study the life and work of Joe Mathews not just to know who he was, but to ask: “how did he do it?” We gratefully receive this potent collection as a blessing to this seminary community in the prayer that it will help us be a blessing to the world through the church.

John R. Schol, United Methodist Bishop of the National Capital Area:
Common principles we need today: The lives of the Mathews brothers were rivers that flowed from the same pool of water - family values, faith, strong educational experiences and engagement in the world. They had common principles that guided them: (1) development of the whole person, (2) cultural competence; and (3) an inquisitive mind.

Dr. William A. Holmes, Baltimore Washington Conference (Ret.) says:
Quoting Albert Camus: “What the world expects of Christians is that Christians should speak out loud and clear ... The grouping we need is a grouping of men [and women] resolved to speak out clearly and pay up personally.” These words .... have dangerous implications for this symposium. During these next few days, we just might do something to alter the trajectory of history in our own time – even if it’s only by one-one thousandth of a degree. We will have, at least, bent a little history.

Bishop Susan M. Morrison (retired), The United Methodist Church:
Re-thinking the Church: It seems so appropriate for us to gather here and honor the Mathews brothers. For you who are United Methodists, you may be aware of the latest institutional campaign called “re-think church.” .... I want to say, “Well, HELLO!!” This is what the Mathews brothers have been doing all their lives -- continually re-thinking church.

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OUR LEGACY
Prelude: David McAllister-Wilson, President, Wesley Theological Seminary
-- The Purpose of Dean Joseph Wesley Mathews Archives
Remarks by Joseph A. Slicker
-- Honoring this Legacy by Planning for the Future
Remarks by John Silber
-- Joseph W. and James K. Mathews .... guides and critics, and supportive friends in the task that we continue
A Talk by Joseph Wesley Mathews - 1975
-- Resurgement and the Religious - Sanctification as engagement in the world
A Sermon by James K. Mathews - 2005
-- Serendipity: Goodness Arising from Crisis - what Hurricane Katrina revealed

OUR CHALLENGES
Opening Address: The Mathews Brothers
-- John R. Schol, United Methodist Church, Bishop of the National Capital Area
Keynote Address: Two Brothers, One Mission: To Build the Earth
-- Dr. William A. Holmes, (Ret), Baltimore Washington Conference
Urban Mission: Leadership Development with Global Vision
-- Bishop Felton E. May, (Ret), United Methodist Church
Urban Mission at Wesley Theological Seminary
-- Fred Smith, Ph. D., Professor, Wesley Theological Seminary
Eternal Values in a World of Change
-- Bishop Susan M. Morrison, (Ret), United Methodist Church
Bishop James K. Mathews, a Founder Plus
-- Rev. Clark Lobenstine, Ex. Dir., The InterFaith Conference, Washington D.C.
Spirit of the Eco-restorative Movement
-- Tim Watson, NCARM, Principal, Hillsborough, N.C.
Our 21st Century Challenge: Redefining Sacred Space
-- Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Adat Shalom Congregation, Bethesda, Maryland
Rethinking the Purpose of the Church and its Ministry
-- E. Maynard Moore, Ph. D., Vice President, WesleyNexus.org
Theological Education in the 21st Century
-- Bruce C. Birch, Ph. D., Dean Emeritus, Wesley Theological Seminary

224 Pages - Cover Price: $24.95 USD plus S&H

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First Printing Released
March 27, 2010

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Free Study Guide <Download>

“I am writing for adults living in a world of science and modernity, as opposed to a world of superstition and anachronisms…(a world) where radical freedom and radical obligation co-exist in the struggle to make responsible decisions.”

“Initially I considered entitling these pages “Christianity for Adults Only”…

“I have written out of the conviction that no one reaches adulthood without experiencing the vulnerability of finitude, and that each of us responds to that vulnerability by being either in denial of it, or by theologically reflecting on its implications. In one way or another, we experience loss of meaning, pangs of guilt, the unpredictability of the future, the certainty of death, and, at least, on occasions, periods of despair. These existential levels of our humanity are the very levels to which the Gospel is addressed and to which this book is directed.”

About the Author: Dr. William A. Holmes is Minister Emeritus, United Methodist National Church, Washington D.C. His career spans over four decades as an author, minister, lecturer and television host with titles including Tomorrow’s Church (1968); Nonviolence, Origins and Outcomes (2003); A Man Named John F. Kennedy (1964) and articles in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. He was also the host for the weekly television program, “Perspective,” on WDVM, CBS, Washington, D.C.

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by Bishop James K. Mathews
(Original Papers - 1960 and 1980)
Foreword - Bishop Susan M. Morrison 2009

Foreword by Susan Morrison, Bishop of the Methodist Church (Retired):

"Although written some decades in the past, the material in Eternal Values can both teach and preach in the 21st century!

We read and speak often about the incredible changing world in which we live. Thus, we see a book here to address what is unchanging, what can anchor us in the midst of uncertainty and newness, and these values seem so apropos."

In the Afterword from an address by Bishop Mathews in 1980 we find a quote from the Anglican Bishop of Hong Kong that sums up his perspective in "Eternal Values":

"This is God’s world: all of it.
People are made in God’s image: all of them.
Everybody everywhere matters."

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First Printing Released
August 1, 2006

Brother Joe" is a biography of Joseph W. Mathews, a remarkable man of faith whose influence reached around the world. But this is no ordinary biography. Its title refers to more than Joe's profession as a clergyman. This book is authored by his brother Ken (Bishop James K. Mathews of the United Methodist Church). The author brings to his work a wealth of shared experience and "inside" information not often available in biographies. He also brings a level of appreciation and respect not often found among brothers whose paths have differed so dramatically.

For readers of "Bending History," "Brother Joe" is a valuable companion volume providing, as it does, some of the personal background that helped to shape Joe's thought. Those who meet Joe first through "Brother Joe" will find "Bending History" a valuable collection of statements from this remarkable man, almost like a soundtrack to the picture painted by Bishop Mathews.

$17.50 USD plus Shipping & Handling

Back Cover
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Second Printing Released
July 15, 2006

The book of nearly 300 pages has four sections: "Joe's Theology"; "The Religious Life"; "The Life of Service"; and "The New Form of the Religious." One who worked closely with Joe in the four emphases introduces each section, and each contains seven or eight talks on the subject.

Joseph Mathews combined religious fervor with practical wisdom. He was also a prolific speaker whose rhetorical capacity was unmatched. Joe's work included Army chaplaincy during World War II, seminary professorship, leadership of a student religious community at the University of Texas, and leadership of the Ecumenical Institute/Institute of Cultural Affairs based in Chicago. A biography is in the final stages of publication, authored by his brother Bishop James K. Mathews of the United Methodist Church.

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$19.95 USD plus Shipping & Handling

* The 2nd edition contains index, format, typo and omissions corrections.

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