Book launch to celebrate our writers

Book launch to celebrate our writers

An upcoming event at the Centre for Ministry will launch not one, but three books from members of the UME team.

The books’ topics range from understanding Jesus as a prophet to the experience of women leaders.

Rev. Dr Niall McKay is the Educator for Lifelong Learning for the Vital Leadership Team. His book is called Mark and Literary Materialism.

“In Mark and Literary Materialism I look at the way Christian scripture was used to resist apartheid in South Africa in order to develop a framework for reading scripture to against oppression,” Dr McKay said.

“I focus on how that Mark’s Gospel brings forward the liberative-utopianisms of oppressed peoples, reflects on action and violence against oppressors, and shows how religio-political communities might constitute a home for resistant vision.”

“I hope that the way in which my reading resonates with anti-apartheid resistance might inspire the Church better to resist the ideologies and oppressions of the capitalist liberal nation-state.”

Dr Matt Anslow is Educator for Lay Ministry in the Vital Leadership Team. His book explores what it means for Jesus to be a prophet in Matthew’ s gospel, a topic that he said has been “almost entirely neglected in scholarship.”

“Jesus’ prophetic identity is complex and, in many ways, strange to us. And Matthew’s depiction of Jesus as prophet is multi-faceted, often surprising, and always compelling,” Dr Anslow said.

“My hope is that readers would be astonished, comforted, and disturbed by the picture of Jesus that Matthew paints for us. I pray, too, that the book helps us better understand what it might mean for us to be “prophetic” in the face of all the challenges we face.”

“I’m relieved and excited to have this book finally out in the wild. It’s the culmination of years of work and I really hope it is of value for the church and its kingdom work.”

Rev. Dr Jan Reeve is Supervision Development Officer for UME. She is launching Feminist Reflections on Mission and Leadership, a book that draws on her decades in ministry to explore the experience of women leaders in the Uniting church.

“In Feminist Reflections on Mission and Leadership, I have provided an overview of feminist understandings of God and our understanding of mission and leadership within the Christian church,” Rev. Dr Reeve said.

“I have sought to reflect on the experience of ordained women leaders within the Uniting Church in Australia during the past 44 years as well as some of my own experiences as an ordained minister over the past 25 years.”  

“The book highlights some of the challenges women Ministers today still face, in terms of their acceptance as leaders as equals with men, who do leadership differently. The book highlights the erosion of their representation in leadership across the church over the past 10 years and offers practical material on how women leaders can develop resilience to continue their calling for future leaders.”

“I am interested in reading both Matt’s book on Jesus as a prophet in Matthew and Niall’s on Mark through the South African experience of apartheid’s dismantling.”

The UME book launch event takes place on 19 October from 6pm. Book via Eventbrite here.

Share

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top