I’m happy to provide an update on the “Church and Postmodern Culture” book series–the Gutenberg-isch reality behind these online conversations.  (Books are so analog, right?  At least books in the series are available in Kindle editions!)

There are several new books in the pipeline and we’re working to recruit a few more.

First up will be Daniel Bell’s book, The Economy of Desire: Christianity and Capitalism in a Postmodern World.  This book sort of “translates” the argument of Bell’s important book, Liberation Theology After the End of History, but also takes his argument and analysis in new directions, drawing on Foucault and Deleuze.  This will appear in November 2012 and should be available at AAR.

Bruce Ellis Benson will contribute to our series, working from his expertise in phenomenology and aesthetics, but also drawing on his know-how as a jazz musician.  In Liturgy as a Way of Life: Embodying the Arts in Worship, Benson will provide some philosophical and theoretical resources for the “worship arts” conversation, bringing some new voices into the conversation (such as Jean-Louis Chretien).  This book should be available in spring 2013.

Next up will be my book, Who’s Afraid of Relativism? Taking Wittgenstein, Rorty, and Brandom to Church.  Something of a sequel to Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism?, this new book will engage the pragmatist tradition to deal with the thorny issues of relativism and “realism” (including an engagement with Christian Smith’s “critical realism”).  The core of the book will be first presented as the Wiley Lectures at Point Loma University, February 11-13, 2013.  The book should then appear either fall 2013 or winter 2014.

I’m also working to recruit notable authors to contribute volumes on race, sustainability, “ecclesia and ethnography” and more.  Watch for updates.