Overview

"The collision of COVID-19 and Christmas 2020 provoked Paul Dinter to try and make sense of Christianity's ancient narrative of """"good news."""" Seeing the virus as a surrogate for many unseen perils confronting our world, he determined to revisit not only December's strange yet familiar story, but also the stranger beliefs built upon it. Examining the larger Christian narrative of salvation, as captured in the Apostles' Creed, makes up the body of the book in which Dinter delves into its symbolic and mythic character as the surest place to find what Christianity still has to offer a hurting world. For, beginning with Jesus' birth narratives through the book of Revelation, a through line runs along an axis that sees dilemmas about Christian faith resolved in doing justice. Brief sketches of racial, economic, ecological/environmental, gender, sexual, and reproductive justice spell out Dinter's case. When the Creed ends with the expectation of the """"world-to-come,"""" it captures the message of the prophets, Jesus' and Paul's expectations of the coming kingdom, and Revelation's culminating vision. It commits believers to contribute to a future human community where the justice of God will reside more fully."

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9781666791754

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Reviews

"""Using the ancient text of the Apostles' Creed as a framework, Dinter offers a provocative and accessible exploration for those seeking to reflect on what it means to be a Christian believer in the twenty-first century."" --Kevin Ahern, Manhattan College ""This I Believe is a sensationally refreshing approach to the New Testament, both accurate and personal, historical and contemporary. The reader finds himself in such capable hands, exploring the deeper meanings of the Christian Bible."" --Thomas Cahill, author of Hinges of History ""At this time when social justice Catholicism is often under attack--even from some members of the episcopate--Paul Dinter's book is an important reminder that a faith that does justice is central not just to evangelization, but also to the very understanding of the Credo and of Christ's Paschal mystery."" --Massimo Faggioli, Villanova University ""Faith communities have been vital in the efforts to implement restorative justice through education, arts programming, and musical programs. This I Believe demonstrates the critical connections between religious faith and justice efforts that I have continually witnessed in my own work. In over twenty years in the social justice field, one thing has always been clear: religious volunteers never give up on the people they serve. This important book shows how these worlds collide in lifesaving ways."" --Sean Pica, executive director, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison"

Using the ancient text of the Apostles' Creed as a framework, Dinter offers a provocative and accessible exploration for those seeking to reflect on what it means to be a Christian believer in the twenty-first century. --Kevin Ahern, Manhattan College This I Believe is a sensationally refreshing approach to the New Testament, both accurate and personal, historical and contemporary. The reader finds himself in such capable hands, exploring the deeper meanings of the Christian Bible. --Thomas Cahill, author of Hinges of History At this time when social justice Catholicism is often under attack--even from some members of the episcopate--Paul Dinter's book is an important reminder that a faith that does justice is central not just to evangelization, but also to the very understanding of the Credo and of Christ's Paschal mystery. --Massimo Faggioli, Villanova University Faith communities have been vital in the efforts to implement restorative justice through education, arts programming, and musical programs. This I Believe demonstrates the critical connections between religious faith and justice efforts that I have continually witnessed in my own work. In over twenty years in the social justice field, one thing has always been clear: religious volunteers never give up on the people they serve. This important book shows how these worlds collide in lifesaving ways. --Sean Pica, executive director, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison

Author Information

Paul E. Dinter is a retired campus minister, professor of New Testament and religious studies, homeless services provider, nonprofit consultant, and peace activist. He is the author of numerous periodical articles, op eds, and several works including The Changing Priesthood: From the Bible to the 21st Century and The Other Side of the Altar.

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