This compilation of stories and essays edited by Anne Eggebroten confronts the reality of abortion as a morally responsible choice being made by countless Christian women of all denominations. This explosive issue was only made illegal in the U.S. in 1873, but the 1960s saw a change in America's attitude towards the ability of women to take control of their own bodies which culminated in the Supreme Court's historic Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. Ever since the faith community has been divided on this subject, but everyone admits women have never stopped having abortions for a variety of reasons–health, rape, incest and unplanned pregnancies among other factors. The essays explore the biblical, theological and other arguments used in this issue.

Margaret Fuad has compiled this excellent resource looking at the role of the church in addressing America's number one drug problem: alcohol. She recapitulates what the Bible says about drinking, noting relevant similarities and differences between biblical and contemporary societies. She also discusses spirituality and alcohol, the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, considerations concerning personal use or nonuse of alcohol, and how to meet the needs of the one out of five persons in our society impacted by alcohol abuse. An appendix contains a study/syllabus and various lists of resources. Churches and other groups concerned about alcohol awareness will find these lists invaluable. 

Long-term peace activist Bob Aldridge has spent years researching how our nation was beguiled into another senseless war. Here he describes how America is being conquered by a group of neoconservatives who under the guise of a "war on terror" and "national security" have systematically and stealthily undermined democracy and in the process are scrapping our Constitution. Starting with their wiggling into the White House and conjuring up a crisis to rally the country into a contrived war, he systematically paints a disturbing picture of the decay of civil rights, showing how the government is not only keeping tabs on the populace but is also steadily eroding humanitarian law so our Declaration of Independence has been relegated to history courses.

When Linda Hale Bucklin's mother died, an apparent suicide, nothing in her staid world remained the same. Her father, scion of a wealthy San Francisco family, already enamored with Denise Minnelli, fell under her control and Denise managed to end up the sole heir of his vast estate. Linda recounts her pilgrimage of gradually learning to stand up for herself and make peace with her history. But more than the uncertainties about her mother's death, Linda finds herself estranged from her controlling father. Alan Jones, dean of San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, calls this a "hard yet tender story" and commends Linda for "a near miracle in telling the truth with compassion." You can e-mail Linda Hale Bucklin at linda@lindahalebucklin.com

Authoritarian parents are so commonplace in our society that teenage rebellion is considered inevitable. We need a change of attitude, say Bob and Janet Aldridge, world renowned peace activists who have raised ten children. Cooperative decision-making in the family is the place to start. Raising nonviolent children means, first and foremost, creating an atmosphere of harmony in the home–where children need to feel nurtured and safe in a society that is increasingly violent. Sharing their faith pilgrimage of raising children in urban Amerrica, reconciling the larger political peace issues with ccreating a loving home, they give us a helpful guide for raising children peacefully and modeling a nonviolent approach towards decision-making.

As the number of cross-cultural and interracial marriages in our society grows, our faith communities find they are welcoming into their midst an increasing number of those who are marrying across the traditional barriers of race, language and ethnicity. Such couples inevitably face unique hurdles as they try to forge family systems that function even though they come from disparate backgrounds and, in many cases, have dissimilar expectations of what marriage and family should be. Dr. J. Lawrence Driskill has done a masterful job interviewing and writing up the case histories of 20 cross-cultural couples with church connections. He points out what the church can do to help these families resolve conflicts and establish happy homes.

Why some religious congregations flourish while others straggle along is a question addressed by two well-known ministers, Denton Roberts and Robert Hill in this insightful book. Specific guidelines to help congregations are derived from principles woven together from human development theory, quality management practice and the recovery movement showing congregations how to grow in effectiveness and enjoyment. "Any congregation will benefit from the insights contained in this volume, says Rabbi Michael Zedek of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, adding "I would urge clergy colleagues of every community to avail themselves of this instrument for the renewal of their sacred communities and themselves."