Real Christian Fellowship (Yoder for Everyone)

Real Christian Fellowship is about more than socializing with people who share common interests. True fellowship among believers breaks down walls of race, gender, ability, and social status. In this book, John Howard Yoder plums the depths of congregational life as God intended it to be. In doing so, he invites us to turn our world upside down so that we may be right side up in God's upside-down kingdom. For many believers, the practices of the Christian community have become stale. In this volume, Yoder infuses fresh air into familiar practices neither by retrieving older liturgical forms, which is trendy for some, nor by conforming to the latest cravings of the ever-changing market, which is trendy for others. Rather, Yoder plumbs the Bible to understand church practices in ways that are sure to spur readers on to a more intense search for faithfulness, fellowship, and witness. Book 3 of the Yoder For Everyone Series. 210 Pages.

John Howard Yoder (1927-97) taught ethics and theology as a professor at Notre Dame University and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary and was perhaps the most well-known Mennonite theologian in the twentieth century. Widely sought around the world as a theological educator, ethicist, and interpreter of biblical pacifism, he is best known for his study on The Politics of Jesus. Yoder is also remembered for his long-term sexual harassment and abuse of women. Click here for more on Herald Press and John Howard Yoder.

Branson Parler is Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has held that position since 2008. Prior to coming to Kuyper College, he earned his B. A. at Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, MI), where he majored in Pre-Seminary Studies and minored in Ancient Languages and English Literature. He earned his Master of Arts from the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, Ontario, where he focused on Theology and Philosophy of Religion. He earned his Ph.D. from Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids. Prior to serving as full-time faculty member at Kuyper College, Branson taught adjunct at Calvin College and Cornerstone University for three years. In his role as teaching faculty, Branson teaches a variety of courses, including Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Doctrine I and II, Introduction to Philosophy, Christ and Culture, and Creeds and Confessions. Branson has previously published articles and presented papers on the thought of several thinkers, including John Howard Yoder, Abraham Kuyper, and Augustine. Along with John Nugent and Jason Vance, he has developed an online searchable index of the works of John Howard Yoder. This massive undertaking has recently launched and works continue to be added. His website is bransonparler.com Branson was born in Waterloo, Iowa. He is a member of Fourth Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There he serves as an elder, teaches, and preaches on occasion. He has been married to his wife, Sarah, for eight years. He and Sarah have two beautiful daughters, Eliana (3 years) and Ruby (1 year).

Heather L. Bunce is an adjunct professor at Great Lakes Christian College in Delta Township, Michigan, where she teaches classes in Old Testament and Hebrew. She earned a Master's degree in Theological Studies from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart Indiana. She currently lives in Lansing Michigan with her family.

John C. Nugent is professor of Old Testament at his alma mater, Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Mich. His Ph.D. is from Calvin Theological Seminary. He holds additional graduate degrees from Duke Divinity School (Th.M.) and Emmanuel School of Religion (M.Div.). Nugent is the author of The Politics of Yahweh (Cascade Books, 2011) and the editor of Radical Ecumenicity: Pursuing Unity and Continuity after John Howard Yoder (ACU Press, 2010). He also published articles in books, academic journals, and popular-level magazines in Bible, theology, Christian ethics, church planting, Yoder studies, and Stone-Campbellite history. Nugent currently heads the John Howard Yoder Indexing Project and regularly writes Bible lesson commentaries for Standard Publishing. Additional ministry experiences include youth and pastoral ministry, camp directing, campus ministry, church planting, and house-church ministry. John and his wife Beth have been married since 1993. They have three daughters: Alexia, Sierra, and Alissa. They are committed members of Delta Community Christian Church in Lansing, Mich. For more on Nugent, visit his website at walkandword.com.