Episcopal Press and News
Teaching Series Complete; Reader Volume Published
Episcopal News Service. February 28, 1980 [80060]
NEW YORK -- The Seabury Press has announced the completion of The New Church's Teaching Series and the publication of Sharing The Vision: The Church's Teaching Series Reader, edited by Ruth G. Cheney.
In making the announcement, Werner Mark Linz, President of The Seabury Press, expressed "great joy and gratitude that the publication of The New Church's Teaching Series has been accomplished" as well as "hope and confidence that the Series will contribute significantly to the life and mission of the people of the Church. "
The seven volumes of the Series are: Christian Believing by Urban T. Holmes III and John Westerhoff III, The Bible for Today's Church by Robert A. Bennett and O. C. Edwards, The Church in History by John E. Booty, Understanding the Faith of the Church by Richard A. Norris, Liturgy for Living by Charles P. Price and Louis Weil, The Christian Moral Vision by Earl H. Brill, and Living in the Spirit by Rachel Hosmer and Alan Jones. Equipping God's People (paperback $1.25), a basic adult education guide, and Sharing the Vision (paperback $3.95), are designed for introductory programs for the Series.
Each volume of the Series is available in hardcover at $9.50 and in paperback at $3.95. Individual Use Guides for each book, prepared under the auspices of the Executive Council's Christian Education Office are available in paperback at $.95; the Use Guide for Volume 7 of the Church's Teaching Series is still in preparation.
Ruth Cheney, general editor of the Series, has stated that Sharing The Vision combines "selections with questions for thought and study and makes it possible to appreciate the diversity and the richness of the entire Series. We commend it as a valuable personal and group resource, complete in what it presents; but its principal purpose is to stimulate thought and to build bridges for its readers into the other volumes of the Church's Teaching Series."
Since the initial volumes were published in mid 1979, The New Church's Teaching Series has received consistent acceptance. To date, the combined sales of the editions have exceeded 150,000. As for the assessment of reviewers, this too has been highly enthusiastic: The Christian Ministry praised the new series for its universality: "While the volumes are written for Episcopalians, most everyone in the Christian community will find their ecumenical approach and readability a refreshing education experience." Library Journal noted the use it will have as a resource: "The Church's Teaching Series is highly recommended for religion collections. . .the volumes will be a useful aid to ecumenical understanding."
Seabury's plans for The New Church's Teaching Series began in 1974. Subsequently, a steering committee, sponsored by the Executive Council and chaired by the Rev. Alan Jones of the General Theological Seminary, was formed at the invitation of the Presiding Bishop. Describing the editoral concern of the new series, Dr. Jones has said: "Two words come to be used to describe this exciting project -- affirmative and exploratory. We affirm the historical Christian tradition. We are committed to opening viable avenues to the future. We do so in confidence, because the future is God's."
In welcoming The New Church's Teaching Series, Presiding Bishop John M. Allin observed: "It is a monumental credit to that series of books produced for the most part in the 1950s and known as The Church's Teaching Series that the church has seen fit to produce a new set of books to be known by the same name. Though the volumes will be different in style and content, the concern for quality education that prompts them is the same. I commend this series to all who seek to know the Lord Jesus and to know the great tradition he has commended to us."