Beth, having been given one last chance to keep her job, is transferred to a small town where she is taken under the wing of Rose, the local mystic. An older woman, Rose is believed to have the power to change lives through her biblical storytelling. Each evening, over the course of weeks, Rose prepares a light supper for Beth, which is followed by the telling of a chapter in the life of the matriarch Rebekah. Beth’s will slowly changes as her personality is transformed. Workmates befriend her; she finds a place and prospective husband in Rose’s church; and her dedication and production at work puts her up as a candidate for employee of the year. Finally, Beth finds the courage to reconcile her past differences with her mother.

Doing theology requires dissension and tenacity. Dissension is required when scriptural texts, and the colonial bodies and traditions (read: Babylon) that capitalize upon those, inhibit or prohibit “rising to life.” With “nerves” to dissent, the attentions of the first cluster of essays extend to scriptures and theologies, to borders and native peoples. The title for the first cluster — “talking back with nerves, against Babylon” — appeals to the spirit of feminist (to talk back against patriarchy) and RastafarI (to chant down Babylon) critics. The essays in the second cluster — titled “persevering with tenacity, through shitstems” — testify that perseverance is possible, and it requires tenacity. Tenacity is required so that the oppressive systems of Babylon do not have the final word. These two clusters are framed by two chapters that set the tone and push back at the usual business of doing theology, inviting engagement with the wisdom and nerves of artists and poets, and two closing chapters that open up the conversation for further dissension and tenacity. Doing theology with dissension and tenacity is unending.

In Managing Vulnerability, Richard C. Marback analyzes the tension surrounding the transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa through a rhetorical lens. Marback studies the heart of South Africa's desire for reconciliation and contends that this goal could be achieved only through the creation of a language of vulnerability in which former enemies become open to the influence of each other, to the constraints of their respective circumstances, and to the prospects of a shared future. Through a series of informative case studies, Marback illustrates how the cultivation of openness and the management of vulnerability take shape through the circulation of artifacts, symbols, and texts that give empowering expression to virtues of connectedness over the temptations of individual autonomy. Marback discusses the construction and impact of the narrative tours of Robben Island, the silencing of Robert Sobukwe, the debates over a proposed Freedom Monument, a brief gesture of ubuntu from Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela to Eugene de Kock, and the transformation of the title character in the film adaptation of the 1980 novel Tsotsi. Ultimately, Marback contends, finding a means to manage vulnerability is both the immediate success of and the ongoing challenge to South African democracy and is indicative of the nature of rhetoric in democracies in general and in contemporary civic life.

From black sorcerers' client-based practices in the antebellum South to the postmodern revival of hoodoo and its tandem spiritual supply stores, the supernatural has long been a key component of the African American experience. What began as a mixture of African, European, and Native American influences within slave communities finds expression today in a multimillion dollar business. In Conjure in African American Society, Jeffrey E. Anderson unfolds a fascinating story as he traces the origins and evolution of conjuring practices across the centuries. Though some may see the study of conjure.

As a little one, hearing JFK speak for the first time made me want to be just like him. For some reason, his words went straight to my heart, filling my heart with something wonderful. It is a feeling that I later came to understand as a desire to serveto pursue a life of public service. My desire was for this ideal. These feelings have taken me on a long and tortuous journey. I have been a public servant most of my life. I have gone from a poor little black child, laborer, contractor, and teacher, to politician, lawyer, and judge. But strangely enough, my journey did not end there. My journey did not end with political success. Strangely enough, I discovered that my desire and my ideal meant something deeper and even more wonderful. I discovered that it meant something above and beyond politicssomething for everyone. I discovered something good for every single person: the ideal life, a life of true purpose. Not something for the far-distant future, but something that can be achieved in the here and now. And I want to share my experiences of this process (the Tao) with you.

365 Daily Devotions to Warm Your Spirit and Encourage Your Heart “Tenacity” is persistence. Holding on. Not giving up. It’s a quality we need as Christians, and the beautiful thing we discover as we spend time with the Lord is the depth of His tenacity toward us. We may falter, but His hold is sure, His love unshakable, and His grace without limit. Like the wild rose thrives with its roots anchored in the cleft in the rock, we find life and security when we abide in our Rock. A Year of Tenacity is a compilation of the best devotionals from the author’s blog, “Tenacity,” freshly updated for this book. Some are short, others fill a page, but each of these conversational-style insights and heart-sharing moments will bless and inspire. Entries are numbered by day, not by date, so readers aren’t tied to a calendar year and don’t have to play catch-up if they miss a few days. Honest, engaging, and uplifting, these devotionals are ideal for both long-time Christians and those just finding their way.

Illustrated with the Tarot of the Spirit deck painted by Joyce Eakins. Centered on the Qabbalistic Tree of Life, this symbolism clearly explores the Minor Arcana as a representation of the four components of life: spirit, emotion, intellect, andbody; while it reveals the Major Arcana to be the keys to our emotional response patterns to the symbolic universe in which we live. Includes seven monthly meditations, individual readings, and layouts.