Sacred Tribes Journal
Volume 5 Number 1 (2010):1-3 ISSN: 1941-8167
EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION Welcome to a special edition of Sacred Tribes Journal. This volume marks a new partnership between the STJ and the Western Institute for Intercultural Studies. In June 2010 we announced the creation of Sacred Tribes Press. Out of a desire to make quality academic resources available to students and academics, Sacred Tribes Press utilizes innovative technology to provide electronic books at affordable prices without impacting the environment. This edition of the journal highlights three new titles released by the press. First, John Bracht contributes “What Mormons Believe about God” from his book, Man of Holiness: The Mormon Search for a Personal God. Robert L. Millet, Professor of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University, wrote of the book: Serious efforts to understand Mormonism in a nonconfrontational, non-polemical way are few and far between. In this book the author, John Bracht, has drawn together a multitude of LDS sources in order to demonstrate differences between Mormonism and ‘traditional’ Christian views on the nature of God and the Godhead. While most LDS readers would no doubt disagree with some of Bracht’s conclusions, they would at least have to admit that he has paid a price to grapple solidly with the available evidence and has done so in an irenic and dignified manner. This is a work worth engaging. Philip Johnson contributed his introduction to the book, Apologetics, Mission and New Religious Movements: A Holistic Approach. Readers of STJ will recognize this title from the inaugural edition of the journal. It was such an extensive treatment of the way in which Christians have approached new religious movements that we believed it would make an important contribution as a book. Professor Irving Hexham from the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary wrote of Johnson’s book, It is this search for balance, and his real desire to speak into living situations, that sets Johnson’s work apart from earlier studies of cults and new religions. At the same time his work is
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Editor’s Introduction
innovative in other ways. Recognizing the limitations of a purely rationalistic approach to the beliefs of non-Christians, he points out the importance of understanding why people believe what they believe, and the social costs and benefits of such beliefs. Our final selection is from Gordon Melton’s contribution to the book Perspectives on Post-Christendom Spiritualities: Reflections on New Religious Movements and Western Spiritualities. This book is the result of the 2008 Trinity Consultation on Post-Christendom Spiritualities. It is a joint publication between Sacred Tribes Press, Morling Press and the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. Harold A. Netland, Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and author of Encountering Religious Pluralism, wrote of the book, The chapters that follow are especially significant for several reasons. First, the authors draw upon the best of recent scholarship in the field, and indeed among the contributors are some of the leading scholars in the study of new religious movements. There is here a wealth of information and careful analysis which will enable better understanding of an often confusing subject. Second, the authors adopt a respectful tone toward their subject, rejecting the “cult bashing” attitudes of some Christians. The concern throughout is to understand the phenomena, not to castigate or ridicule. Third, while the contributors’ objective is to understand these movements and to portray them accurately they also write from a desire that followers of the new religious movements would come to faith in Jesus Christ. All three of these titles are available for purchase from www.sacredtribespress.com. More titles are forthcoming and will be featured at STJ as well. As you may have gathered by the above endorsements, STP is committed to publishing quality academic texts that have the support of experts in the field of religious studies. In addition to these contributions to our fifth volume, Paul Markham takes an intriguing look at conversion from a neuroscientific perspective in our feature article. He argues that virtue and moral behavior concomitant with conversion is a neurological phenomenon. As such, conversion is a process of developing cognitively and behaviorally. With this dual activity in conversion spiritual formation must focus on the manner in which a convert is shaped in the faith. This formation is not a one time event. In fact, according to Markham, people are continually being converted (i.e. formed) since new neurobiological processes are occurring.
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Sacred Tribes Journal
Volume 5 Number 1 (2010):1-3 ISSN: 1941-8167
We hope you enjoy this volume. Plans are underway for a volume focusing on Pagan/Christian dialogue as well as Native American Spirituality. If you have interest in one of these two subjects we invite your submission.
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Announcing New Titles from Sacred Tribes Press for Spring 2010
Editor’s Introduction
Sacred Tribes Press is a partnership between Sacred Tribes Journal and the Western Institute for Intercultural Studies. Out of a desire to make quality academic resources available to students and academics, Sacred Tribes Press utilizes innovative technology to provide electronic books at affordable prices without impacting the environment. Powered by ebook technology, our books are available for download to a Kindle Reader, Sony Reader, MS Reader, PC, iPhone, or iPad. Whether in the classroom, airplane, beach or mountains you can take a Sacred Tribes Press book easily wherever you go.
Apologetics, Mission and New Religious Movements: A Holistic Approach By Philip Johnson "It is this search for balance, and his real desire to speak into living situations, that sets Johnson’s work apart from earlier studies of cults and new religions. At the same time his work is innovative in other ways. Recognizing the limitations of a purely rationalistic approach to the beliefs of non‐ Christians, he points out the importance of understanding why people believe what they believe, and the social costs and benefits of such beliefs." Professor Irving Hexham, Department of Religious Studies, University of Calgary
Man of Holiness: The Mormon Search for a Personal God By John L. Bracht “Serious efforts to understand Mormonism in a non‐confrontational, non‐polemical way are few and far between. In this book the author, John Bracht, has drawn together a multitude of LDS sources in order to demonstrate differences between Mormonism and ‘traditional’ Christian views on the nature of God and the Godhead. While most LDS readers would no doubt disagree with some of Bracht’s conclusions, they would at least have to admit that he has paid a price to grapple solidly with the available evidence and has done so in an irenic and dignified manner. This is a work worth engaging.” Robert L. Millet, Professor of Ancient Scripture and Religious Education, Outreach and Interfaith Relations at Brigham Young University
Perspectives on Post‐Christendom Spiritualities: Reflections on New Religious Movements and Western Spiritualities Edited by Michael T. Cooper "The chapters that follow are especially significant for several reasons. First, the authors draw upon the best of recent scholarship in the field, and indeed among the contributors are some of the leading scholars in the study of new religious movements. There is here a wealth of information and careful analysis which will enable better understanding of an often confusing subject. Second, the authors adopt a respectful tone toward their subject, rejecting the “cult bashing” attitudes of some Christians. The concern throughout is to understand the phenomena, not to castigate or ridicule. Third, while the contributors’ objective is to understand these movements and to portray them accurately they also write from a desire that followers of the new religious movements would come to faith in Jesus Christ." Harold A. Netland, Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
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