Belonging to God: manuscript submitted

I have just submitted the final draft of my forthcoming book, "Belonging to God: A Catechism's Relevance for Private and Public Life." The publisher is Cascade, a division of Wipf & Stock. 

The earliest material in the book dates to around 2009 when I wrote a series of commentaries on the Ten Commandments for the benefit of my students. In 2016 I decided to write a fuller exploration of the Heidelberg Catechism, incorporating much of this material, although I was not yet clear as to its purpose. I completed this during the summer of that year. The following year I was caught up in the events surrounding the loss of my teaching position and efforts to find something new. In the short term this led to a revision of my first book, Political Visions and Illusions, which came out in a second edition in 2019. This was followed by translations in Portuguese and Spanish. By then I was affiliated with Global Scholars Canada, an association I have found extremely fruitful for advancing my work. Then came Citizenship Without Illusions, something of a sequel to my first book, applying its principles to the practice of citizenship.

In the meantime, I kept tinkering with the Catechism manuscript, adjusting its contents and adding to it in light of more recent developments, both in my thinking and in daily life. Finally, as of early this year I was happy with the structure and contents of the manuscript. I was armed with endorsements for an earlier version from Richard Mouw and Lyle Bierma, and these I submitted to the publisher along with the rest of the proposal.

This new book represents an effort to mine the 16th-century Heidelberg Catechism for its implications for our life in God's world, including public life in a diverse and pluriform society. Why the Heidelberg? Because it is the most ecumenical confessional document in the Reformed tradition and uniquely communicates a faith that addresses the heart while covering the typical elements of Reformation-era catechisms, including the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. For some time I had wanted to write a book that would testify to my personal faith in God through Jesus Christ, but I wanted to do so in such a way as to demonstrate my adherence to a common faith: the faith of the larger church catholic as expressed in an historic and widely accepted confession.

I now see this new book as foundational for my three other published volumes, as it elucidates the faith that underpins them. If my books are to be read in logical order, proceeding from faith basics to application, one will eventually begin with "Belonging to God," then proceed to We Answer to Another: Authority, Office, and the Image of God, then Political Visions and Illusions, and finally Citizenship Without Illusions. I will keep readers informed of the progress of this new project as it moves towards publication.