“This book offers a wealth of insights into Mennonite scholarship, past and present. Weaver's central thesis, that nonviolence needs to inform the whole of Mennonite theology, is important and well argued. Such a theology will find its source not in the creeds but in the story of Jesus.” —Nancey Murphy, Professor of Christian Philosophy, Fuller Theological Seminary

“In this bold tour de force, Weaver insists that for a theology to elucidate the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God in our postmodern context, peace must be at its very core. He convincingly argues that the peace-living, socially marginalized Anabaptists constitute a key resource for constructing such a theology. This is a book Anabaptist and peace church pastors and scholars cannot afford to miss.” —Ray Gingerich, Professor of Theology and Ethics, Eastern Mennonite University

“Weaver audaciously rejects the prevailing "theology-in-general" as exemplified in the historic creeds of Christendom. It is the story of Jesus, not the Nicene and Chalcedonian formulations, that ought to shape an authentic Christian theology for the twenty-first century.” — J. R.Burkholder, Professor Emeritus of Religion, Goshen College

"Here is a stirring call to nonconformity in theological method for the believers churches in general and Mennonites in particular." —Gerald and Susan Biesecker-Mast, Assistant Professors of Communication, Bluffton College

“All Christians should learn from Weaver’s argument, not justAnabaptists. In our postmodern time, credibility is won not by making a claim to universal truth but by demonstrating what difference Christian faith makes in the laboratory of history. There the Anabaptist tradition has demonstrated that it makes a difference and does witness to the way of Jesus Christ.” — Glen Stassen, in the Foreword

Summary: This book questions the common Mennonite assumption that theology for Mennonites is founded on supposed "general" theology located outside the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. Drawing on postmodern insights, Weaver demonstrates that Mennonite theology itself contains seeds of a theology that is biblical but poses an alternative to rather than builds on the theology of Christendom, which has long accommodated violence. Weaver also shows that work by black and womanist theologians has parallels to Mennonite theologizing. In conclusion, he offers a constructive theological project that is true to the Anabaptist peace tradition but also invites dialogue and cross-fertilization with groups less known to Mennonites.

Shelving:: Theology—Anabaptist, Mennonite, black, womanist, feminist, of atonement; peace church; Postmodernism; Postmodernity; Pacifism; Nonresistance. BISAC: Religion, Social Sciences, Philosophy. RTM: 690 Religion/Ethics.

The Author: J. Denny Weaver, Bluffton, Ohio, is Professor of Religion and chair of the Department of History and Religion at Bluffton College. Among Weaver’s many published writings are Becoming Anabaptist (Herald Press, 1987) and Keeping Salvation Ethical (Herald Press, 1997).

Publisher: Pandora Press U.S. (copublished and codistributed by Herald Press)
Publication date: November 1, 2000 (copies available now)
Approximate Pages: 224
Price: $22.95 ($34.95 in Canada)
Format: 6 x 9 trade paper
ISBN: 0-9665021-4-0

Anabaptist Theology in Face of Postmodernity orders:

• Pandora Press U.S. Online Order Form
• Pandora Press U.S., Herald Press, and other order options
• Credit card orders through Anabaptist . . . Postmodernity page, MennoLink Online Bookstore