wfn.org | Church of the Brethren professor co-edits book on reproductive loss

[COBNews@aol.com]

Date: Oct. 27, 2005
Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
V:  847/742-5100 F: 847/742-6103
E-MAIL: _CoBNews@AOL.Com_ (mailto:CoBNews@AOL.Com) 
 
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN PROFESSOR CO-EDITS BOOK ON REPRODUCTIVE LOSS
 
Oct. 27, 2005 (Elgin, IL) --  Ten years ago, five women theological  
educators discovered their common anguish during a professional growth event
in  
Crawfordsville, Ind. Their collaborative discussions and research, along with
 
their personal reflections, are compiled in "Hope Deferred: Heart-Healing  
Reflections on Reproductive Loss," recently released by Pilgrim Press. 
 
Nadine Pence Frantz, professor of theological studies at Bethany  Theological

Seminary in Richmond, Ind., and an ordained minister in the Church  of the 
Brethren, is one of the book's co-editors. Bethany Theological Seminary  is
the 
Church of the Brethren graduate school of theology.
 
Mary T. Stimming, adjunct professor of theology at Dominican University in  
River Forest, Ill., also served as a co-editor. Other contributing writers
are  
L. Serene Jones, Titus Street professor of theology at Yale Divinity School; 

Kristen E. Kvam, associate professor of theology at St. Paul School of 
Theology,  Kansas City; and Linda A. Mercadante, B. Robert Straker professor
of 
theology at  the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio. 
 
In the book's introduction, Frantz and Stimming note that during their	
initial conversations they shared titles of many works of sociology and 
psychology 
that document the effects of infertility and miscarriage, but were  
hard-pressed to name any theological works explicitly devoted to the
experience. 
 
"In the course of our conversations, we spoke of struggles with prayer, of  
painful treatment within our churches, of anger with God and others, of being
 
unable to speak of God coherently, and of other theological wrestling," they 

wrote. "We had not encountered any serious, sustained theological reflections

on  such topics in direct connection with infertility, miscarriage, and 
stillbirth.  Our frustration became part of the impetus of this project."
 
The book contains an essay from each writer, covering a spectrum of  
responses to reproductive loss. "Why" centers on the loss of autobiographical
 
narrative and the hopes and dreams contained in a marriage; "Sorrow"
highlights  the 
loss of the physical realities of pregnancy and participation in the world 
of 
mothers; "Rupture" explores the loss of control over self and of hopes and  
dreams of the future; "Comfort" ponders a loss of relationship; and "Faith"  
considers the loss of a jointly conceived, genetically linked child.
 
Order from Brethren Press for $18 plus shipping and handling; call  
800-441-3712.
 
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to  
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its
faith  in 
community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith  
traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its
 300th 
anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United	
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Brazil, the  
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nigeria.
 
# # #
 
For more information contact:
 
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
Director of News Services
Church of the  Brethren General Board
1451 Dundee Ave.
Elgin, IL 60120
847-742-5100  ext. 260
_cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org_ 
(mailto:cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org) 
 
*****************************************************************
The  Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford,

 director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board. 
Newsline  stories may be reprinted provided that Newsline is cited as the
source. 
To  receive Newsline by e-mail, write _cobnews@aol.com_ 
(mailto:cobnews@aol.com)  or call 800-323-8039 ext.  260.