Organizations and Institutions Books

Albert J. Raboteau is American's foremost expert on the history of African American religion. In this text, "African-American Religion," which is part of the larger "Religion in American Life" series, Raboteau offers an engaging panorama of how religion (of all types, not just Christianity) impacted African Americans and how their religion impacted America.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.

One of the strengths of 'Alabadle! Hispanic Christian Worship' edited by Justo Gonzalez is that it dispels the notion that all Hispanics are the same. There is a great deal of diversity that underlies the simple descriptor 'Hispanic' - for one thing, as Gonzalez notes in the opening chapter, Hispanics come from various parts of a geographic region roughly one quarter the size of the entire world. While the largest group of Hispanics in America come from Mexico, there are significant communities from each of the Hispanic nations - and not all speak Spanish (Brazil, the largest nation in terms of both population and land mass, has Portuguese as its official language).

Also, the denominational situation is different from the dominant Anglo culture. The idea that all Hispanics are Catholic is wrong to begin with, but the balance between Catholic and Protestant in Latino cultures is different; Protestantism there tends to be very pointedly anti-Catholic, and the Catholics tend to see Protestant Hispanics as traitors to the culture as well as unfaithful to the church.

Gonzalez has a team of writers who look at Hispanic worship from denominational perspectives:

* Hispanic Catholic Worship - Allan Figueroa Deck, SJ
* Hispanic Pentecostal Worship - Samuel Solivan
* Hispanic United Methodist Worship - Maria Luisa Santillan Baert
* Hispanic Baptist Worship - Miguel Angel Darino

Also, Gonzalez highlights various aspects of general Hispanic concerns with his concluding three sections:

* The Mestizo Church - Teresa Chavez Sauceda
* Hispanic Hymnody - Raquel Gutierrez-Achon
* Worship Resources (as an appendix) - Pablo A. Jimenez

These issues are important across the board - Chavez Sauceda is a Presbyterian, and talks about the incorporation of different kinds of rituals into a fairly standard Presbyterian pattern of worship; she also talks about the difficulties of raising children in a culture that is both secular and generally non-hispanic in orientation.Guiterrez-Achon looks at the theory, history, and some practical considerations for Hispanic hymnody in the church today. Jimenez offers hymns, litanies and creeds, as well as suggestions for further research for guidance. The book concludes with a useful glossary, too.

Overall, this relatively brief book is an excellent introduction to the diversity of Hispanic worship, and through that, the culture, as it exists in America today. I recommend it for seminary students, pastors, and lay leaders, particularly in areas where there is a significant or growing Hispanic population of any persuasion, and for those congregations who are seeking to incorporate a more welcoming environment and practice for Hispanics.

Calls to worship, prayers of praise, prayers of confession, and pastoral prayers -- categorized by the seasons of the church year. NOT lectionary specific. Ms. Karay's prayers are at once contemporary and "traditional." Very highly recommended.

This classic hymn has been illustrated by Mary Morgan in a way that really brings the meaning of the words to life. My favorite thing about this book is that it contains illustrations for all 6 verses of the song- not just one or two! The music is included so you can sing or read this to your child. What could be a better way to teach your little ones that truth that God made all things?

In All Together Now: Creating Middle-Class Schools Through Public School Choice, Richard Kahlenberg (senior fellow at The Century Foundation), advocates giving every child in American the opportunity to attend a public school in which the majority of students come from middle class households. He persuasively argues that the only way to make good on the American assumption that public schools will provide equal educational opportunity is by teaching disadvantaged and advantaged children together within the same facilities, with the same faculties, the same curriculums, and the same educational resources. The only way to achieve this socioeconomic integration is to establish a critical mass of middle-class students within all schools. The recommendations offered in All Together Now outline a blueprint for creating middle class schools and draw upon the experiences of current experiments with economic integration in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Connecticut, and elsewhere. Based on these case examples are practical ways to bring about integrated schools for the future, and guidance for successfully overcoming political, logistical, and legal obstacles to an economic desegregation. All Together Now is informative, challenging, and occasionally inspiring reading which is particularly recommended to education reform activists, policy makers, school administrators, faculty members, and concerned parents.

ALL STAR games from ALL STAR YOUTH LEADERS is jam-packed with some of the best games I have ever seen. What a wonderful feature - The all-star advice from the youth leaders gives helpful suggestions for every game. The book is not very big, but EVERY game is a winner. I highly recommend this book.

Harold A. Gram's novel, The Alligator Pit, is a compelling read. Once started, it is hard to set down. The book begins with the protagonist, Paul Butler, as the Dean at a church related University near Chicago, and takes place primarily at a Miami, Florida Univeristy -- both schools identified as fictionalized universities. While most of the action takes place within these buildings of higher education, the reader never sees inside a college classroom. The universities are not ivy-covred halls of learning, but the settings where people with their human faults exercise cunning and greed to survive and further their careers. A must read. A University will never look the same.

This book helps altar guild members understand their responsibilities and how best to perform them. Included are practical instructions regarding preparation for Holy Communion, Holy Baptism, marriage, burial, daily prayer services, healing rites, other occasional services, and seasons and festivals of the church year. The book also provides suggestions for organizing an altar guild, devotions for altar guild meetings, and a helpful glossary. This book has been very helpful to me.

this book was soo good. it was a page turner. i could barely put it down i definelty recommend it

Marcia L. Colish's AMBROSE'S PATRIARCHS is also an excellent survey which offers the only monograph-length study of the treatises of Ambrose of Milan, which developed an early ethics set for the laity in c. 340-397. College-level lay audiences will appreciate the study of Ambrose's patriarch treatises which were aimed at those outside the church.