Reviews

Books reviewed in this article:
Anne E. Monius, Imagining a Place for Buddhism: Literary Culture and Religious Community In Tamil-Speaking South India
Joseph Dan, The Heart and the Fountain: An Anthology of Jewish Mystical Experiences
Walter Dietrich and Ulrich Luz (eds), The Bible in a World Context: An Experiment in Contextual Hermeneutics
Roy A. Harrisville and Walter Sundberg, The Bible in Modern Culture: Baruch Spinoza to Brevard Childs , Second edition
John L. Berquist, Controlling Corporeality: The Body and the Household in Ancient Israel
William C. Placher, Jesus the Saviour: The Meaning of Jesus Christ for Christian Faith
R.N. Swanson (ed.), The Holy Land, Holy Lands, and Christian History
Galia Sabar, Church, State and Society in Kenya: From Mediation to Opposition, 1963–1993
Charles T. Mathewes, Evil and the Augustinian Tradition
Norman Doe, The Law of the Church in Wales
Michael Barnes S.J., Theology and the Dialogue of Religions
Beverley Clack, Sex and Death: A Reappraisal of Human Mortality
Morny Joy, Kathleen O'Grady and Judith L. Poxon (eds), French Feminists on Religion: A Reader
Kay A. Read and Isabel L. Wollaston (eds), Suffer the Little Children: Urban Violence and Sacred Space
Erica Appelros, God in the Act of Reference: Debating Religious Realism and Non-realism
Conor Cunningham, Genealogy of Nihilism
Richard L. Fern, Nature, God and Humanity: Envisioning an Ethics of Nature
Kenneth Stevenson, Do This: The Shape, Style and Meaning of the Eucharist
Helen Orchard (ed.), Spirituality in Health Care Contexts
Christopher Cocksworth and Rosalind Brown, Being a Priest Today: Exploring Priestly Identity
Nancy Lammers Gross, If You Cannot Preach Like Paul...     

Luther on Ubiquity and a Theology of the Public

Abstract:  In this article, I contest Milbank's critiques of Luther by underscoring the participatory theme in his treatment of faith. After considering faith's relation to the presence of Christ, I explore Luther's treatment of real presence in his theology of the Lord's Supper. His appeal to ubiquity in this regard functions doxologically to counter the possibility of the orchestration of Christ's presence. The promised nature of that presence, however, emphasizes that God graciously elicits a faith which apprehends absence as a profound mode of presence and so grounds a theology of the public in which the church, by theosis , shares Christ's definitive, rather than ubiquitous, presence.     

Assessing differential functioning in a satisfaction scale

In this study, an item response theory-based differential functioning of items and tests (DFIT) framework (N. S. Raju, W. J. van der Linden, & P. F. Fleer, 1995) was applied to a Likert-type scale. Several differential item functioning (DIF) analyses compared the item characteristics of a 10-item satisfaction scale for Black and White examinees and for female and male examinees. F. M. Lord's (1980) chi-square and the extended signed area (SA) measures were also used. The results showed that the DFIT indices consistently performed in the expected manner. The results from Lord's chi-square and the SA procedures were somewhat varied across comparisons. A discussion of these results along with an illustration of an item with significant DIF and suggestions for future DIF research are presented.     

Church Unity is Already Happening: The Path Towards Eucharistic Community

Abstract:  This article approaches the theology of the Lord's Supper from the point of view of a Reformation Protestant seeking common ground with Roman Catholic Eucharistic thought. While demonstrating continuity between these two Latin traditions on the self‐representation of Jesus Christ in the Lord's Supper, the author demonstrates the intrinsic connection among a characteristically Lutheran sense of merely passive justification, passivity in the reception of the Lord's Supper, the emphasis upon the common priesthood of the faithful, and the possibility of intercelebration. The article shows that the acceptance of any one of the elements implies the acceptance of the others.     

Estimating the polyserial correlation coefficient

We develop simple noniterative estimators of the polyserial correlation coefficient. A general relationship between the polyserial correlation and the point polyserial correlation is exploited to give extensions of Pearson's, Brogden's, and Lord's biserial estimators to the multicategory setting. The small sample and asmptotic properties of these estimators are studied in some detail. A comparison with maximum likelihood estimates shows that Lord's polyserial estimator is fairly efficient across three probability models.The authors would like to thank the referees for suggestions that improved the presentation of the paper.     

A comparison of generalized and modified sample biserial correlation estimators

In a recent paper, Bedrick derived the asymptotic distribution of Lord's modified sample biserial correlation estimator and studied its efficiency for bivariate normal populations. We present a more detailed examination of the properties of Lord's estimator and several competitors, including Brogden's estimator. We show that Lord's estimator is more efficient for three nonnormal distributions than a generalization of Pearson's sample biserial estimator. In addition, Lord's estimator is reasonably efficient relative to the maximum likelihood estimator for these distributions. These conclusions are consistent with Bedrick's results for the bivariate normal distribution. We also study the small sample bias and variance of Lord's estimator, and the coverage properties of several confidence interval estimates.The author would like to thank the referees for several suggestions that improved the paper.     

Reviews

Book Reviews in this article:
The Psychology of Religion . by J oseph F. B yrnes
L'Oeuvre Scientifique (Scientific Writings) . By P ierre T eilhard de C hardin . Edited by N icole and K arl S chmitz -M oormann
One World: The Interaction of Science and Theology . by J ohn P olkinghorne
Ecology and Religion: Toward a New Christian Theology of Nature . by J ohn C ar -M ody .
God in Creation: A New Theology of Creation and the Spirit of God . by J urgen M oltmann .     

Religious involvement and humility

Although researchers are beginning to pay more attention to the virtue of humility, there are relatively few studies on the factors that make people more humble. The purpose of this study is to address this issue. A conceptual model is developed that contains the following hypotheses: (1) people who go to church more often will receive more spiritual support from fellow church members, (2) individuals who receive more spiritual support at church will develop greater trust in God, (3) those who trust God more will enter into a closer relationship with God, (4) as people develop a closer relationship with God they will experience a deeper sense of awe of God, and (5) individuals who are in awe of God will be more likely to feel more humble. Cross-sectional data from a recent nationwide survey of middle-aged and older adults (N?=?1154) provide support for each of these relationships.     

The Resurrection of the Son of God

A Review Article on N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God. London: SPCK, 2003, xi + 817pp. £55.00 hb., £35.00 pb.     

Reviews

Brain Research and Personhood: A Philosophical Theological Inquiry. By E ugene P. W ratchford.
Charles Darwin and the Problem of Creation. By N eal C. G illespie.
Creativity and God: A Challenge to Process Theology. By R obert C. N eville.
Creation and the World of Science. By A. R. P eacocke.
Physics and Philosophy: Selected Essays. By H enry M argenau.
Biblical Games: A Strategic Analysis of Stories in the Old Testament. By S teven J. B rams.     

The role of attachment to God and spiritual self-awareness in predicting evangelical Christians’ appraisals of suffering

The present study examined how attachment to God and spiritual self-awareness are related to evangelical Christians’ appraisals of suffering. Specifically, we were interested in whether attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance with God were related to the appraised meaning of stressful life experiences as transformational and whether spiritual self-awareness mediated this relationship. A national sample (N?=?988) of students from Christian institutions completed an online survey. The results indicated that individuals with high levels of attachment anxiety or attachment avoidance with God were less likely to view suffering as a means of spiritual growth and connection with God. Mediation analyses also showed that higher levels of avoidant attachment to God were related to lower levels of spiritual self-awareness, which in turn were related to reduced ability to appraise suffering as transformational. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

The Problem of Theodicy and Religious Response to Cancer

The authors studied the religious response to cancer in a group of hematology/ oncology-clinic patients. Method: Patients (N = 45) were surveyed with a self-report questionnaire. Five items were designed to reflect the five major categories of theodicy or modes of reconciling suffering with a morally good God. Results: Of the 45 patients, in response to their illness, 67% (N = 30) increased amount of prayer, 51% (N = 23) gained faith, and 16% (N = 7) increased the frequency of church attendance. The majority of patients across all levels of religious belief endorse a theodicy that claims God has a reason for their suffering, but this reason cannot be explained or understood. Conclusions: Religious cancer patients intensify their religious belief and practice in response to their illness. Despite the elusiveness of an explanation for their suffering in religious terms, patients remain confident in their faith.     

SHORT NOTICES

Short Notices:
Mary E. Mills, Images of God in the Old Testament
Tod Linafelt and Timothy K. Beal, God in the Fray: A Tribute to Walter Brueggemann
Kari Latvus, God, Anger and Ideology: The Anger of God in Joshua and Judges in Relation to Deuteronomy amd the Priestly Writings (Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series 279)
Edwin D. Freed, The Stories of Jesus' Birth: A Critical Introduction (The Biblical Seminar 72)
David B. Capes, Old Testament Yahweh Texts in Paul's Christology (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament. 2 Reihe, 47)
Gerard O'Daly, Platonism Pagan and Christian: Studies in Plotinus and Augustine
Alistair McFayden and Marcel Sarot, Forgiveness and Truth: Explorations in Contemporary Theology     

The Desire for God: An Assessment of Seminarians' Spirituality Through the Lens of the “Big Five”

The purpose of the study was to investigate a personological profile of Roman Catholic seminarians characterized by a high and a low level of prayerful desire for God. One hundred twenty-one Roman Catholic seminarians were administered the Polish Adjective List (PAL; Szarota, 1995) to appraise the normal personality characteristics measured by the factors of Neuroticism (N), Extraversion (E), Openness (O), Agreeableness (A), and Conscientiousness (C), along with a measure of desire for closeness with God. Results suggest that the seminarians with a high level of desire for God, in terms of personality characteristics, tend to be more tender, self-sacrificing, magnanimous and good-natured (A) as well more conscientious, dutiful, prudent, and reliable (C) than their counterparts. The findings of the regression analysis suggested that the five personality domains explained the 11% variance of the seminarians desire to abide with God.     

REVIEWS

The Bible and the Modern World, D.J.A. Clines, Sheffield Academic Press 1997 Introduction to Biblical Studies, Steve Moyise, Cassell 1998 The Book of Hiding. Gender, Ethnicity, Annihilation and Esther, Timothy K. Beal Listening In. A Multicultural Reading of the Psalms, S. B. Reid The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, Ben Witherington III The Moral Vision of the New Testament: Community, Cross, New Creation. A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics, Richard B. Hays, T. & T. Clark 1997 The Nations that Know Thee Not. Ancient Jewish Attitudes towards Other Religions, R. Goldenberg Western Scholarship and the History of Palestine, Michael Prior (ed) Theodicy, Dan Cohn-Sherbok (ed) The Intellectual Foundations of Christian and Jewish Discourse: the Philosophy of Religious Argument, J. Neusner and B. Chilton, Routledge 1997 The Jewish-Christian Controversy: From the Earliest Times to 1789, Volume 1 - History, Samuel Krauss and William Horbury (eds), JCB Mohr (Paul Siebeck) 1997 Defenders of Reason in Islam. Mu'tazilism from Medieval School to Modern Symbol, Richard C. Martin and Mark R. Woodward with Dwi S. Atmaja, Oneworld 1997 Religious Renunciation of a Pastoral People, Vinay Kumar Srivastava, Oxford University Press, Delhi 1997 Providential Accidents. An Autobiography, Geza Vermes, SCM Press 1998 Care in a Confused Climate: Pastoral Care and Postmodern Culture, Paul Goodliff, Darton, Longman and Todd 1998 The Jubilee Challenge: Utopia or Possibility? Hans Ucko (ed) Thinking Things Through 4. Why Evil and Suffering?, C.S. Rodd The Fascination of Evil, Concilium 1998/1, David Tracy and Hermann Haring (eds) A Love and its Sounding. Explorations of T. S. Eliot, Christopher Southgate, with a Foreword by Anne Stevenson, University of Salzburg 1997 Art, Modernity and Faith. Restoring the Image, George Pattison, SCM Press, 2nd edn 1998 Makers of Christian Theology in America, Mark G. Toulouse and James O. Duke (eds) To Speak of God in the Twilight Towards a Theology of Mission in the Postmodern World, Tiziano Tosolini, Gracewing 1997 Who Comes in the Name of the Lord?: Jesus at the Margins, Harold J. Recinos Beyond All Reason - The Limits of Post-Modern Theology, John Reader, Aureus 1997 Millennium, Messiahs and Mayhem. Contemporary Apocalyptic Movements, Thomas Robbins and Susan J. Palmer (eds), Routledge 1997 Post-Secular Philosophy: Between Philosophy and Theology, Phillip Blond (ed) Kierkegaard: A Critical Reader, Jonathan Ree and Jane Chamberlain (eds) Tentmaking. Perspectives on Self-Supporting Ministry, James M. M. Francis and Leslie J. Francis (eds) The Mystery of Baptism in the Anglican Tradition, Kenneth Stevenson, John Henry Newman: Universal Revelation, Francis McGrath, Burns and Oates 1997     

Reviews

Alvin Plantinga, Warranted Christian Belief
Sue Patterson, Realist Christian Theology in a Postmodern Age
Michael Banner, Christian Ethics and Contemporary Moral Problems
Alejandro García-Rivera, The Community of the Beautiful: A Theological Aesthetics
Richard Fardon, Mary Douglas: An Intellectual Biography
David N. Power, Sacrament: The Language of God's Giving
Rush Rhees, Discussions of Simone Weil
Richard Viladesau, Theological Aesthetics: God in Imagination, Beauty, and Art
George Hunsinger, Disruptive Grace: Studies in the Theology of Karl Barth
Kevin F. Burke, S.J., The Ground Beneath the Cross: The Theology of Ignacio Ellacuriá     

Prevalence and Social-Cognitive Predictors of Anger Toward God in a Polish Sample

Based on empirical studies, we may assume religion is an important source of support, consolation, and a sense of life for many individuals. However, notwithstanding the psychological benefits religion provides, it is also a reason for discomfort and struggle. The research presented in this article is an attempt at analyzing one of religious struggle types: anger toward God. Our study addresses the following issues: (a) prevalence of anger toward God in a national Polish sample; (b) predictors of anger toward God (religious attributions and God concepts); and (c) moderation of relationships between religious attributions, God concepts and anger toward God by centrality of religiosity. We applied the social-cognitive perspective for explaining the phenomenon of anger toward God. The results showed that anger toward God is frequently a reaction to negative experiences, and its intensity is low, lower than the intensity of positive emotions toward God. Anger toward God correlated positively with assigning negative intentions and the responsibility for suffering to God. A moderating effect of centrality on the relation between attributions and perception of God and anger toward God was observed.     

REVIEWS

Models for Scripture , John Goldingay, Paternoster Critical Theology , Gareth Jones Narratives of a Vulnerable God: Christ, Theology and Scripture , William C. Placher, Westminster/John Knox The Real God: A Response to Anthony Freeman's God in Us , Richard Harries One Faith? Non-realism and the World of Faiths , David A. Hart European Religion in the Age of Great Cities 1830–1930 , Hugh McLeod (ed.) Religion in Industrial Society: Oldham and Saddleworth 1740–1865 , Mark Smith Hear Our Voice: Women Rabbis Tell Their Stories , Sybil Sheridan (ed.) Rethinking Islam , Mohammed Arkoun Pastoral Care and Liberation Theology , Stephen Pattison Theology, Ideology and Liberation , Peter Scott A Rereading of Romans: Justice, Jews and Gentiles , Stanley K. Stowers, God in Christian Perspective , George Newlands, T. & T. Clark Learning to Speak: The Church's Voice in Public Affairs , Keith Clements, T. & T. Clark The Ethics of IVF , Anthony Dyson, Mowbray The End of Innocence: Britain in the Time of AIDS , Simon Garfield Sophie's World , Jostein Gaarder The Soul of the American University: From Protestant Establishment to Established Nonbelief , George M. Marsden The Last Philosophy , Don Cupitt The Openness of God: A Biblical Challenge to the Traditional Understanding of God , Clark Pinnock and others, Paternoster Christianity without Absolutes , Reinhold Bernhardt     

REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Situating the Self: Gender, Community and Postmodernism in Contemporary Ethics , by Seyla Benhabib
The Politics of God: Christian Theologies and Social Justice , by Kathyrn
A Theology of Reconstruction: Nation-Building and Human Rights , by Charles Villa-vicencio
Out of Every Tribe and Nation: Christian Theology at the Ethnic Reoundtable , by Justo L. Gonzalez
The Thought of Thomas Aquinas , by Brian Davies
Logic and Sin in the Writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein , by Philip R. Shields
Self/Power/Other. Political Theory and Dialogical Ethics , by Romand Coles
Christian Faith and Philosophical Theology: Essays in Honour of Vincent Brümmer , edited by Gijsbert van den Brink, Luco J. van den Brom, and Marcel Sarot
A New Handbook of Christian Theology , Edited by Donald W. Musser and Joseph L. Price
The Love commandments: Essays in Christian Ethics and Moral Philosophy , Edited by Edmund Santurri and William Werpehowski
Gott: Philosophisch-theologische Denkversuche , by Ingolf U. Dalferth
The New Testament and The People of God , by N.T. Wright
Sister in the Wilderness. The Challenge of Womanist God-Tald , by Delores Williams
Bound to Differ, The Dynamics of Theological Discourses , by Wesley A. Kort
Between Athens and Berlin: The Theological Education Debate , by David H. Kelsey     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Theme-Centered Interaction: An Original Focus on Counseling and Education by Myron Gordon. Outreach in Counseling: Applying the Growth and Prevention Model in Schools and Colleges by David J. Drum and Howard E. Figler. Avenues to Understanding: The Dynamics of Therapeutic Interactions by William J. Mueller. Social Disability: Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, Crime, and Social Disadvantage edited by David Malikan. TUNE IN: Empathy Training Workshop by Donald A. Tubesing and Nancy L. Tubesing. The Counselor and Students' Legal Rights by Joseph M. Nygaard. Toward a Radical Therapy: Alternate Services for Personal and Social Change by Ted Clark and Dennis T. Jaffe. Testing the Teacher by Paul L. Trachtenberg. Ego Analysis in the Helping Professions by Frances Upham. An Introduction to Career Education by John B. Stevenson. A Study of Child Variance: Conceptual Project in Emotional Disturbance. Volume 2: Interventions edited by William C. Rhodes and Michael L. Tracy. Applied Volunteerism in Community Development edited by Richard E. Hardy and John G. Cull. Mandated Evaluation of Educators: A Conference on California's Stull Act edited by N. L. Gage. The Career Data Book: Results from Project TALENT'S Five-Year Follow-Up Study by John C. Flanagan, David V. Tiedeman, Mary B. Willis, and Donald H. McLaughlin. New Directions for College Counselors: A Handbook for Redesigning Professional Roles by Charles F. Warnath and associates. Aging and Mental Health: Positive Psychosocial Approaches by Robert N. Butler and Myrna I. Lewis.