The Politics of Discipleship and Discipleship in Politics is a work of dialog and cooperation at every level. At the core of this volume are lectures by Jurgen Moltmann, originally delivered at two Mennonite seminaries at the height of the Cold War. Theologians at those seminaries then responded to each of Moltmann's lectures, and those are included as well. Added to this collection are: a new essay by Moltmann on peacemaking and dragonslaying, a new foreword by Willard Swartley, and a new preface by Moltmann. In this post-9/11 world, this dialog has fresh relevance.
Jurgen Moltmann is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology in the Protestant Faculty of the University of Tubingen, Germany. Among his many important and award-winning works are The Coming of God, The Source of Life, God for a Secular Society, and Experiences in Theology. Willard Swartley (editor) is Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries, editor of numerous books, and author of over a half dozen, with the latest, Covenant of Peace: The Missing Piece in New Testament Theology and Ethics.
Willard Swartley is dean and professor of New Testament at the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana. He has been a Bible teacher in congregational settings and church-wide conferences, in both North America and overseas. His special interests are in the Gospels, the peace teaching of the Bible, and biblical interpretation. He is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite College (BA), Goshen Biblical Seminary (BD), and Princeton Theological Seminary (1973 PhD).
Swartley is the New Testament editor for the Believers Church Bible Commentery Series and New Testament editor for a book series on Studies in Peace and Scripture. Swartley earlier taught at Eastern Mennonite University and served as interim dean there also. He directed the AMBS Institute of Mennonite Studies from 1979-88. He also taught at Goshen College, Eastern Mennonite College and Seminary, and at Conrad Grebel College.
Among Swartley's publications are
Mark: The Way for All Nations (Herald Press, 1979, rev. 1981);
Slavery, Sabbath, War and Women: Case Issues in Biblical Interpretation (Herald Press, 1983); editor of
Essays on Biblical Interpretation: Anabaptist Mennonite Perspectives (IMS, 1984);
Israel's Scripture Traditions and the Synoptic Gospels: Story Shaping Story (Hendrickson, 1994); and co-editor, with Donald Kraybill, of
Building Communities of Compassion (Herald Press, 1988).
