New Birth: Faith Culture and Church as Family

New Birth uses the metaphor of Church as Family of God as a countervailing and transforming imagery in its various considerations. Inspired by the sense of lifes itinerary--together with its triumphs and startling reversals and its unexpected twists and turns--New Birth sees hope amidst social darkness and an ethos of selfishness as interior to Gods purposes for human wellbeing. Within this perspective New Birth further recognizes that the risks always remain that believers can distort true hope in this world and fail to love according to the spirit of the Gospel. Admittedly when we as Christians love one another we can be together and encourage each other. And as we support each other we strengthen one another. Furthermore when we protect love from aberration we protect the best in ourselves and build up a future of humanity. In light of this understanding it then becomes very important for us to see and identify Christian discipleship as a way of making us become effective agents of love in this world. This also means however that in the Church we have the imperative to hold each person tenderly trustingly and deeply. Moreover this consciousness demands the strength of continual and active faith which holds assurances and wellsprings of significance and growth in courage human vibrancy and interpersonal goodness. Accordingly the community called Church as the family of God constantly needs the powerful and positive force of continual renewal--which conversion brings--as an increasingly sublime value. And the dynamic impulse of such renewal introduces and enlarges the wellspring of hope in our world. It further provides a good starting point to challenge Christian believers to invest huge importance and prestige in playing constructive roles in giving shape to their positive relations and destiny. New Birth is a brilliant and a clear-sighted work. Written with intellectual vigor this work is a powerful and practical way of bringing faith into day-to-day life of people and into the culture at large. It invites challenges and inspires. I find the handling of some of the biblical passages very insightful! And people growing in their relationships have much to attach importance to. Once again Pius Ojara has demonstrated himself to be a first-class intellectual and an outstanding thinker. --Christopher A. Brooks Professor of Anthropology School of World Studies Virginia Commonwealth University I like the way Pius Ojara writes about family and culture and Church in this book. I cant wait to read his next book. --Fr. Uwem Akpan SJ author of Say that Youre One of Them Pius Ojara SJ a philosopher and theologian is a Ugandan Jesuit currently working in Kampala Uganda as Jesuit Vocations Director and Administrator of the Jesuit House in Kampala. He is the author of The Return of Conversion (2004) Toward a Fuller Human Identity (2006) and Tragic Humanity and Hope (2007).