From the Publisher’s Desk

Publisher’s Letter For May 2008

By Robert Ellsberg - Publisher

May 6, 2008 - I have a confession to make about Jim Douglass's extraordinary new book, JFK and the Unspeakable: I turned it down three times before finally accepting it. Jim has long been recognized as one of the most significant "peace theologians" in America and one of my personal heroes. But when he described his new book, a comprehensive investigation of why President Kennedy was murdered, I admit that I was skeptical.

For one thing—it sounded awfully long (it is 540 pages). And such a book seemed to fall outside the usual religious program of Orbis. But to be honest, my reluctance had other grounds. Like many people, I regarded the world of Kennedy conspiracy theories as a dark thicket from which explorers were lucky to emerge with their wits intact. I was apprehensive about entering that particular rabbit hole.

But Jim is a patient man and he simply refused to take no for an answer. Eventually he wore me down—for which I am enormously grateful.

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In the News

The International Bulletin of Missiological Research has included three Orbis books among the Top Fifteen Mission Books for 2007

These include:

April 9, 2008 - Susan E. Smith, Women in Mission: From the New Testament to Today
"Finally a book that recovers the place of women in the history of Christianity with a focus on their apostolic vocation..." --Scott Sunquist, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
"No one teaching or studying the history of the World Christian movement should miss reading this work." --Stephen B. Bevans

Allan Anderson, Spreading Fires: The Missionary Nature of Early Pentecostalism
"No book, to my knowledge, has attempted to cover Pentecostal origins and groweth globally, as this one does." --Revd. Dr. William, K. Kay, Director of the Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies, University of Wales, Bangor

Philip L. Wickeri, Reconstructing Christianity in China: K. H. Ting and the Chinese Church
"This is a 'must-read,' absolutely indispensable book for everyone who cares about the church in China." --Daniel Bays, Calvin College