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Yesterday we posted Part One of an email dialogue between Miranda Hassett and Philip Jenkins, authors respectively of Anglican Communion in Crisis (Princeton University Press) and God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis. Today they continue the conversation.

Email 3 and 4

Philip Jenkins with answers by Miranda Hassett.

Philip Jenkins: On your point about how I am read, I have remarked a few times in the past few years that I am a professor not a prophet! But, conservatives were dead right to take two things from my work, namely the demographic shift, and the tilt towards orthodoxy among many global South churches. If they found that message from me and credited me with that knowledge, well and good, and equally if they found hope and comfort. However, I would say again that the demographic shift is critical news (and definitely good news) for all shades of Christians, not just traditionalists. (more…)

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Today’s post requires a lengthier introduction than we normally provide here. I apologize for being verbose but I wanted to make sure you all understood just how exciting the following exchange is. It is the first, of hopefully many, collaborations with another publishing house (Princeton University Press).Way back when, at the end of June, The Chronicle of Higher Education published an article entitled “2 Books Analyze the Alliances Between Conservative Christians and African Churches,” comparing the work of Miranda Hassett and Philip Jenkins. After reading the article we thought it would be great to get Hassett and Jenkins together in a virtual interview. We put them in touch with each other, and allowed each to ask the other questions. The fascinating results are below. Be sure to come back tomorrow for part two!

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Yesterday we posted a Q and A with Philip Jenkins author of God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis. Below is an excerpt from the first chapter Jenkins’s new book. Check it out below.

Your Religion Tomorrow

If Europe were a woman, her biological clock would be rapidly running down. It is not too late to adopt more children, but they won’t look like her.- Philip Longman

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Philip Jenkins is Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies at Penn State University as well as the author of numerous books. His most recent title, God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis, offers a measured assessment of Europe’s religious future. Below Jenkins was kind enough to answer some questions for OUP.

OUP: This is the final book in your series on the future of Christianity, how does it differ from the other titles? (more…)

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by Valerie Worth
pictures by Steve Jenkins
FSG 2007

Nearly two dozen poems about animals in this lovely collection that showcase the poet's sharp eye for the telling detail and the beauty of poetic brevity. It's so nice to pick up a book of poetry for young readers that doesn't condescend to the notion that young readers need poems that rhyme.

Snail

Only compare
Our kitchens
And bedrooms,
Our lamps and
Rugs and chairs,

To the bare
Stone spiral
Of his one
Unlighted
Stairwell

Sparse, evocative, and concrete enough for even younger readers to understand the power of good poetry. In these posthumously published poems Worth isn't afraid to make the experience personal, in this case concerning Cockroaches:

One that I can't
In the least abide
Is the cockroach: not
So much that it
Scuttles

And Bristles, and glues
Its slippery eggs in
The cracks of books, but
That it looks so clever:
As though it knows
My particular horror...

Jenkin's illustrations, in his usual torn and cut paper collages, seem almost sterile alongside the text. Not to take away from the artistry of what he does, but the mere portraits of the featured animals convey none of their spirit or expressive characteristics. It's a beautiful book, but sad when the words have to carry all the weight.