BONUS: This edition contains a The Sabbath World discussion guide. What is the Sabbath, anyway? The holy day of rest? The first effort to protect the rights of workers? A smart way to manage stress in a world in which computers never get turned off and work never comes to an end? Or simply an oppressive, outmoded rite? In The Sabbath World,Judith Shulevitz explores the Jewish and Christian day of rest, from its origins in the ancient world to its complicated observance in the modern one. Braiding ideas together with memories, Shulevitz delves into the legends, history, and philosophy that have grown up around a custom that has lessons for all of us, not just the religious. The shared day of nonwork has built communities, sustained cultures, and connected us to the memory of our ancestors and to our better selves, but it has also aroused as much resentment as love. The Sabbath World tells this surprising story together with an account of Shulevitz’s own struggle to keep this difficult, rewarding day.

The essays in this volume are an expression of appreciation of Wendell Lee Willis, who recently retired after a distinguished career as a classroom teacher, colleague, and scholar. Current and former colleagues have written to advance Wendell’s research interests in the various contexts of early Christianity, particularly in the apostle Paul, New Testament ethics, and ecclesiology. Essays include discussions of issues related to Paul's correspondence with the church in Corinth and the depiction of Paul in Acts, Jesus’s parables, meals, and the religious and socio-political world in which Christianity arose.

Some adolescent women struggle to maintain positive self-identity, resilience, and personalized faith development on their journey toward adulthood. It is a contemporary crisis recognized by many, including ministry leaders of faith communities. In today’s fast-paced digital culture, concerns addressing challenges facing adolescent women are evident in research literature. To strengthen their spiritual well-being, emphasis is placed on spiritual formation practices that enhance faith, hope, and personal relationships amid social, peer, and media pressures pulling them into negative, detrimental, and dysfunctional lifestyles. Empirical research reveals a need to transform negative images and self-destruction utilizing stories of holistic well-being. Sowing Stories Deep in the Soul: Biblical Storytelling with Adolescent Women highlights biblical women touched by the holistic healing ministry of Jesus with deep soul-stirring experiences of God’s compassionate love. It meets the need as a spiritual formation ministry model focused on creativity, engaging study, internalized story learning, positive life connections, and performing biblical stories by heart. These expressive aspects form the ancient oral character of Bible stories internalized and voiced in repeated performances for compelling impact and action. Included are replicable results of action research using this model with adolescent women to encourage maintaining Christ-centered lives.