Lewis Brogdon

Daily we witness the spectacle of a country in chaos. Mass shootings, partisan gridlock, the growing wealth divide, gross economic inequities, crumbling institutions, and widespread sexism, racism, and xenophobia reflect a country in serious peril. Cynicism, narcissism, fear, and nihilism hide behind the veneer of success, happiness, and materialism that deludes us about our dire condition. Both America and its dominant religion are in decline and more people are raising serious questions about God, the church, and its sacred text for the role they play in past and present realities unfolding around us. This is especially true in the African American community where there are grassroots movements and emerging leaders questioning traditional beliefs of the Black church. Today, millennials and Gen Z youth question problematic things said in the Bible and why a book with moral contradictions continues to be authoritative. There is a real need to grapple with the Bible's relevance in the ashes of social chaos. More importantly, there is a need to expand our moral imagination in new ways that can revitalize faith. In The Bible in the Ashes of Social Chaos, Brogdon invites readers to wade into these biblical, theological, and philosophical issues in a way that holds the sacred nature of the biblical text and questioning rooted in faith in a healthy tension. This book will resonate with people in various places in their intellectual and faith journey.

Daily we witness the spectacle of a country in chaos. Mass shootings, partisan gridlock, the growing wealth divide, gross economic inequities, crumbling institutions, and widespread sexism, racism, and xenophobia reflect a country in serious peril. Cynicism, narcissism, fear, and nihilism hide behind the veneer of success, happiness, and materialism that deludes us about our dire condition. Both America and its dominant religion are in decline and more people are raising serious questions about God, the church, and its sacred text for the role they play in past and present realities unfolding around us. This is especially true in the African American community where there are grassroots movements and emerging leaders questioning traditional beliefs of the Black church. Today, millennials and Gen Z youth question problematic things said in the Bible and why a book with moral contradictions continues to be authoritative. There is a real need to grapple with the Bible's relevance in the ashes of social chaos. More importantly, there is a need to expand our moral imagination in new ways that can revitalize faith. In The Bible in the Ashes of Social Chaos, Brogdon invites readers to wade into these biblical, theological, and philosophical issues in a way that holds the sacred nature of the biblical text and questioning rooted in faith in a healthy tension. This book will resonate with people in various places in their intellectual and faith journey.

Adams defines the mythology of Kobe Bryant as the ways and means in which Kobe's inspirational greatness transcended the culture of sport and the ever-changing context of human existence as we know it. Here the mythological greatness of Kobe Bryant, in life and death, leaves creative space for a knowledgeable interpretation of what made Kobe, to borrow the word of LeBron James, immortal. Whether it was founded in the unfathomable amount of work that Kobe put into improving his basketball game from one year to the next or the creation of the Mamba Mentality that enabled him to teach others how to grow into the best version of themselves, the symbiotic totality of Kobe's ability to be great while inspiring others is worth celebrating. Utilizing biblical studies and theological reflections, this new volume presents Kobe Bryant as an imperfect human being. Through statistical facts, descriptive narratives, and historical analyses, this book also presents a detailed argument as to why Bryant is the greatest basketball player ever. Kobe's Mamba Mentality gives a thick description of his inner drive and his outer thoughts for the purpose of unpacking the contours of Kobe's life as a family man, businessman, leader, and professional athlete.

When is the last time you heard a sermon, Bible study, or even read the Letter to Philemon? For some the answer is ""recently"" but for too many the answer is ""it has been a long time"" or worse yet ""never."" Why is it that Philemon, though included in the Christian canon, is not read and studied as a text with theological depth that is helpful for serious study and preaching? In A Companion to Philemon, Lewis Brogdon insists that a part of the reason is the interpretation that Paul is sending a thieving runaway slave back to his good master. This interpretation is not only problematic, it is also theologically limiting and offers the church very little to reflect on as we face mammoth issues of inclusion and fellowship such as racism, sexism, and classism. A Companion to Philemon challenges the church to reimagine the interpretation of Philemon by focusing on the role exclusion had in the events that led to his departure from Philemon. Using the issue of exclusion, Brogdon takes the interpretation of Philemon in new directions that not only invite the church to read Philemon but also challenge us to examine both our understanding and practice of Christian fellowship today. ""Brogdon offers contemporary readers valid reasons to engage the Apostle Paul's correspondence to a friend, fellow Christian, church leader and slave-owner. His interpretation wisely questions the traditional and popular 'slave flight' thesis--exegetically, historically, and culturally--and proposes an alternative paradigm. Even if I may quibble with some of Brogdon's exegetical decisions, I highly recommend this short book on this brief letter to all interested in learning about the complexities of early Christianity, the origins of our hermeneutical decisions, and the challenges of contemporary faith. A Companion to Philemon is a worthwhile read for every person who reads the ancient Pauline letters in light of themes on human dignity."" --Emerson B. Powery, Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, PA ""Lewis Brogdon's reading of the Epistle to Philemon as a call for ""inclusive koinonia"" is highly readable, yet quite radical in its implications for the church. Brogdon shows how--for two millennia--we have read this letter in a way that uncritically rationalizes and sanctifies oppressive norms, institutions, and practices. His counterargument that Paul wrote the letter to subvert Philemon's exclusion of Onesimus and other slaves from Christian fellowship makes better sense of the historical and exegetical evidence, and helps us to see the gospel that has for so long been hiding in plain sight "" --Susan R. Garrett, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Lewis Brogdon is the Provost at Simmons College of Kentucky in Louisville and a former professor of biblical studies at Claflin University and Louisville Seminary. He is the author of several books such as Hope on the Brink: Understanding the Emergence of Nihilism in Black America (Cascade, 2013) and The New Pentecostal Message? An Introduction to the Prosperity Movement (Cascade, 2015).