Frank Wade

Christian theology has lacked a tradition resembling Jewish midrash (?inquiring? or ?expounding?) to explore beyond the literal texts of Scripture. Francis H. Wade fills that gap with Biblical Fracking: Midrash for the Modern Christian. As he writes in the introduction, ?Biblical fracking, in the spirit of its historical roots and its geological namesake, means reaching into the cracks and crevasses of the biblical narrative to extract the richness that lurks there.? All forms of fracking have potential for benefit as well as abuse. Wade leads us on the narrow path to where we can hear God?s word in fresh ways. For example, he asks readers to consider how Sarah felt when Abraham left to sacrifice their only son, Isaac. What was it like to have the quixotic Peter as a husband, or to have a brother like Jesus? Was Judas Iscariot simply the venal betrayer, as commonly caricatured, or was he a devoted disciple who tried to force Jesus? hand? In these and other expositions, Wade reveals Scripture?s celebrated and obscure figures with empathy, designed to enrich our understanding of the Bible?s saints and sinners, people much like ourselves.… (mehr)

This small volume of reflections by the Reverend Dr. Francis H. Wade, rector of St. Alban's Church in Washington, DC, offers twenty-nine sermons, organized chronologically through the seasons and feast days of the Christian calendar. In part, it is a walk through the year, in part, a meditation on the mileposts that people encounter on their life journeys. As the Reverend John Danforth, fellow priest and former member of the United States Senate, writes in his Foreword, Dr. Wade speaks of life and death, of conflict and reconciliation, of terrorists and peacemakers. The volume includes his remarkable address, The Face of Evil, on the first Sunday after September 11.… (mehr)

At once travel guide and vision for the future, the Transformation series is good news for the Episcopal Church at a time of fast and furious demographic and social change. Series contributors - recognized experts in their fields - analyze our present plight, point to the seeds of change already at work transforming the church, and outline a positive new way forward. What kinds of churches are most ready for transformation? What are the essential tools? What will give us strength, direction, and purpose to the journey?… (mehr)