What? Another dictionary? Or really an anthology, organized alphabetically by virtue of a particular conversation. The idea for this project emerged from a free-for-all conversation around breakfast one morning. We had invoked any number of authors living and dead, and had spanned spirituality, leadership, education, philosophy, ecclesiology, and even cosmology. We heard from Augustine and Barth, Jim Wallis and Dallas Willard, referencing chaos and culture. Someone had even shared an ancient koan! Why . . . that's it. Why not a roving, eclectic dictionary that is both ridiculously current and particular, and at the same time broadly inclusive, reaching back to Augustine and St. Benedict. Why not write the ABCs of the emerging and missional conversation: this is Wishful Thinking (Buechner) meets A for Abductive (McLaren and Sweet) meets Soul Survivor (Yancey). And maybe there is just a touch of Brian McLaren in A Generous Orthodoxy. The rules are simple: no more than five words per letter; names and personalities can occur on either side, attached to a definition or as referencing a word or concept, and while the overall interest is theological, the focus is life and mission, not theory. Leave your luggage behind, climb aboard and join a journey of exploration that will enrich, challenge, and bring a smile to your face.
