Class notes - Princeton Theological Seminary

fall 1997
Class notes
11\ On the Shelves
On the Shelves features book recommendations from a variety
of Princeton Seminary faculty and staff, with the hope that
these suggestions will help alumni/ae choose books that will
contribute to their personal and professional growth.
From Kenda Creasy Dean, assistant professor of youth,
church, and culture and director of research and development,
Institute for Youth Ministry
Family-Based Youth Ministry: Reaching the Been- There, Done-
That Generation, by Mark DeVries ('86B). Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity, 1994. This is the book to read about youth ministry
in the '90s, not because author Mark DeVries has all the answers,
but because he asks the right questions. By relocating youth
ministry in the context of "family" rather than in the context
of "program ministry," DeVries raises questions that youth ministry
has avoided for most of the twentieth century. Although
DeVries takes seriously the role of the nuclear family in pastoring
its own children, he is equally committed to the ministry
of the entire church "family" on behalf of adolescents who need
an "extended family" as they necessarily distance themselves
from their families of origin. This book sets a new and welcome
course for congregational youth ministry entering the twentyfirst
century.
Adolescent Girls (Creative Pastoral Care and Counseling Series),
by Patricia H. Davis ('84B, '92D). Minneapolis: Augsburg
Fortress, 1996. From her opening quotation-"I feel stupid and
contagious"-to her closing benediction in which she recalls
the story of Jairus's daughter who came back to life to resume
her rightful place in the world, author Patricia H. Davis demonstrates
a deep appreciation for both the experience of adolescent
girls and the resources of Christian faith. A useful resource
to anyone who pastors or parents adolescent girls, this is
a book whose strength lies in Davis's recognition that all girls
struggle with growing up in ways that merit the attention and
creative care of adults who love them. Considering such diverse
topics as girls' social location in American culture, their particular
spirituality, their psychological development, and their place
in the family, Davis provides resources and directions for adults
who stand beside adolescent girls as they develop healthy skills
of resistance, resilience, and grace.
From Jeffrey V. O'Grady, director of vocations and
admissions
Religion and American Education: Rethinking a National
Dilemma, by Warren A. Nord. Chapel Hill, NC, and London:
University of North Carolina Press, 1995. Our society is increasingly
dissatisfied with public education, as is evidenced by
the growth of both private education and home schooling.
Philosopher Warren Nord examines one of the primary causes
of this discontent: the secularization of American education.
Nord aspires to "chart a middle course" through the turbulent
waters of debate over issues surrounding the separation of
church and state. His argument proceeds along philosophical,
educational, political, and constitutional lines and concludes
with practical suggestions for taking religion seriously as a part
of public school and university education. He seeks to "restore
the tension" between secular schools and religious faith so that
both receive fair and reasonable treatment and neither is slighted.
Yet, with sights leveled on public education's systematic
exclusion of religious themes and history in its textbooks and
core curriculum, Nord pulls the trigger, arguing for religious
studies as "an established field in public education as it is now
in higher education." One alternative solution proposed is the
support of voucher plans, argued to be substantively neutral
between religion and non-religion and, thus, closer to the First
Amendment's proper interpretation of neutrality. There is more
breadth than depth in this treatment of the issues, but Nord has
a significant contribution to make to an important discussion.
The Whole Shebang, by Timothy Ferris. New York, NY: Simon
& Schuster, 1997. For those who enjoy keeping abreast of the
newest discoveries at the outer limits of both our universe and
our understanding, here is a readable overview of the history of
cosmology and astrophysics. Using helpful analogies and memorable
anecdotes, author Timothy Ferris describes the world
of quasars, supernovas, black holes, and time travel in language
that makes those mysteries accessible to those with limited scientific
background. It is clear that Ferris enjoys what he is doing
and comes from the same galaxy as Isaac Newton, who is said
to have described himself, as a scientist, "like a child at play"
on the shore of an ocean of knowledge. Ferris is not, however,
a cosmologist who gazes into the heavens, ponders the universe,
and then declares: "0 Lord, our God, how majestic is
your name in all the earth!" While he is willing to wrestle with
the classical intellectual proofs of God's existence, in the end he
takes his position among the agnostics. A strict barrier between
the insights of science and those of religion is maintained.
Arturo Pierre Lewis
Lisa N. Schilbe (B) is
R. Scott Trevithick (B) was
(B, '96M) is the new pastor
at Serenity Baptist Church
in Paterson, NJ.
Maryann McFadden
Meador (B) was ordained
a deacon in the United
Methodist Church in June
1997 and appointed to Cooper
United Methodist Church
in Cooper, TX.
associate pastor at the First
Presbyterian Church in Carson
City, NY, "nestled 4,700 feet
high in the Sierra Mountains,
only minutes from beautiful
Lake Tahoe" where she "works
with the youth groups, preaches
once a month, prays before
the state Senate and Assembly
on occasion, and (spoke)
at a women's retreat this fall."
the Nevada Presbytery minister
commissioner to the 1997
General Assembly.
1996 William E. W.
Robinson (B) completed
a summer CPE unit
Gray School of Medicine
at Bowman
in
Winston-Salem, NC, in early
August and immediately
began
a two-year parish residency at
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the Second Presbyterian Church
in Indianapolis,
IN.
inSpire. 25