AU Wackerlin Center for Faith and Action

Monthly Musings

April 2008

Rather shamelessly, I want to take advantage of this musing to tell you that a new book of mine has just been published: The Nature and the Name of Love: religion for the contemporary world, Epworth (ISBN 978-0-7162-0637-8). I wrote it last summer over a couple of months, and it describes and reflects upon what I consider to be the heart of religion. The book’s last paragraph sums it up:

It is the contention of this book that humans should live as if God loves them, completely and for always. The truth of this contention can be found in giving our heart and mind and soul to it. When we do, we discover, as we can bear it, the nature and the name of love.

Should any of you be traveling through Aurora Illinois on Saturday 12 April, there will be a book launch in the chapel of Aurora University, the third floor of Eckhart Hall, at 10am. Do let me (mforward@aurora.edu) or my colleague Alex DeGurian (adeguria@aurora.edu) know if you are able to come, though it would be fine just to turn up. I shall have some copies to sell, but don’t expect everyone who comes to buy!

My dear friends and former colleagues John and Rachel Newton will be there for the launch, and John will be giving an open lecture in the university’s Perry Theatre on Wednesday 16th April from noon to 1pm on the theme of Methodist Spirituality in Charles Wesley’s Hymns. (My book’s title is taken from a Wesley hymn.) Although this lecture could seem to be only for Methodists, don’t you believe it! John is a wonderful speaker and, in our ecumenical and interfaith age, it is a delight and a duty for us to learn not only about our own spiritual resources, but about other ways of believing and behaving that can inform and enhance our own. Again, if you know that you are able to come, it would be helpful to let Alex know. He can give you directions, if you need them.

I have a number of writing projects on the go just now, and will tell you about them on other occasions. Such things are mostly for the vacations, of course, and a very small part of the work I do. I enjoy more than anything else teaching, talking with and learning from our students. One such student, Drew Taylor, a senior History and Religion major, is sharing a seminar with me at New England Congregational Church, 406 W. Galena Blvd, Aurora, on Monday 7th April at 7pm. The theme is Can anything be said for St. Paul?. We think that it can but there will be plenty of time to put us right if you think otherwise and would like to come. 

Martin Forward