Practical theology

America and Its Guns: A Theological Exposé, by James E. Atwood. In a year in which incidents of horrific gun violence have cascaded one after another, this is a timely and important book for clergy and churches. Atwood, a Presbyterian pastor who grew up in the South as a gun owner and hunter, dissects the language and idolatrous fixations of our American gun culture, calling faith communities to find their authentic voice on this issue.

Inside the Large Congregation, by Susan Beaumont. For a variety of reasons, including economies of scale, churches are getting larger. But larger churches are not simply larger versions of small or mid-sized congregations. They are different. Beaumont, an Alban Institute senior consultant with a practice focused on the large congregation, gets inside the dynamics and potentials of the large church. She pays particularly helpful attention to what is often the most vexing challenge for large churches: designing and leading the church’s staff team.

Leading God’s People: Wisdom from the Early Church for Today, by Christopher A. Beeley. Because congregational leadership seems such a tough challenge these days, books on the topic are legion. Beeley offers something new by giving us something old: the wisdom of the early church on what it is to be a pastor and leader. He pays attention to New Testament texts and even more to the writings of Gregory the Great, Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine and others. He views the church as not merely instrumental to other ends, but as having its own God-given end and purpose.