Regent's Reviews reviews Ecumenism Means You, Too

The current issue of Regent's Reviews (vol. 2, no. 1; October 2010) published by Regent's Park College of Oxford University includes a review of Ecumenism Means You, Too: Ordinary Christians and the Quest for Christian Unity (Cascade Books, 2010). The review by Myra Blyth of the Regent's Park/Oxford faculty appears on pp. 7-8. The full issue is available online in PDF (click on the hyperlinked title above). Here's an excerpt from the review:

This book tries from the outset to buck the trend and present ecumenism as earthy, populist and accessible. That is no mean feat and what is even more remarkable is that it sets about this task in a way that does not dumb down the subject matter. On the contrary it is deeply reflective and well supported by an appendix that points the reader to important primary and secondary sources for further study.

I warm to this unique energetic presentation of the ecumenical vision and would recommend it to students of theology and to those in ministerial training as a great accessible primer.

This book-–in the words of the Harmon (a Baptist and member of the WCC’s Faith and Order Commission)-–“invokes the theological dimensions of U2’s songs when they cast artistic light on various aspects of the quest for Christian Unity”. This is an inspired and inspiring quest. It brings the politics of Ireland-–the homeland of the band members--and the fragmented state of the church into the spotlight of their song lyrics and offers a critique of both against the narrative of Jesus. This is an exciting dialogue between theology and popular culture which relocates ecumenism in the real world rather than in some ecclesiastical backwater.

Interested in Ecumenism Means You, Too? Order the book directly from Cascade Books or via Amazon.