And Morning Came: Scriptures of the Resurrection

by Megan McKenna

Overview

The Resurrection is the central mystery of believing Christians. Through scriptural exegesis, cutting-edge scholarship, storytelling, and insightful interpretation, And Morning Came reveals that the Resurrection is not a single event but an ongoing experience of God's grace and power in our daily lives.

In this masterful exploration through the Scriptures of the Resurrection, Megan McKenna helps us know each of the Gospel writers, understand the world they lived in, grasp the unique aspects of their Resurrection accounts, and see the connections these accounts have to our lives. Like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—who wrote their accounts after the life, death and resurrection of Jesus has been experienced and the gift of the Spirit has come to guide the followers of Jesus—we are called to be inspired by this same Spirit and to both see and make real the incarnate God at work in the world from the moment of creation.

In a world suffering from war, terror, fear, and economic hardship, this book is welcomed because it is, as McKenna states, "about living, about dying, about rising, about beginnings and endings and how to live resurrection now. . ." A profound book about hope from one of the most popular Christian writers of our time, And Morning Came is an adventure that appeals to the intellect, the heart, and the soul. Ecumenical in scope, it is a call to discover who we really are in light of God's eternal love and to live our lives to the fullest.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580512213
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/02/2007
Series:	Sheed and Ward Book Series
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.02(w) x 9.12(h) x 0.73(d)

About the Author

Megan McKenna is an internationally known author, lecturer, retreat leader, and spiritual director. She received her doctorate from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkley, California, and has taught and worked in India; Singapore; Manila (East Asian Pastoral Institute); Maryknoll Mission Institutes in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Dublin, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she currently lives. In 2001 McKenna was made an Ambassador of Peace by Pax Christi USA. She is the author of more than fifteen books, including The Marrow of Mystery (Sheed & Ward), The New Stations of the Cross and Send My Roots Rain. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Resurrection Chapter 2 Intimations: Stories that Prepare Us for Resurrection Chapter 3 Mark Chapter 4 Matthew Chapter 5 Luke Chapter 6 John 20 Chapter 7 John 21 Chapter 8 Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 Baptism: The Sacrament of the Resurrection, Hymns, Prayers Chapter 10 Resurrection Now

Editorial Reviews

Here is Megan McKenna at her best—showing how the central mystery of the gospel meets the deepest desire of our hearts. The Resurrection is not just something we believe in. It is something we live.

Robert Ellsberg

Established Catholic author McKenna is strong on storytelling and scriptural exegesis in this exploration of gospel writings about the resurrection. She shows how the differing accounts that climax the four gospels, as well as other stories they tell of the miraculous defeat of human death, deepen the believer's acceptance and appreciation of the central mysterious teaching of Christianity. While maintaining strong fidelity to gospel texts, she complements Christian teaching with time-honored stories and references from other cultures and religions, providing harmonious exposition about spiritual truths that many have heard across times and cultures in different ways. Her range of stories and prayers is eclectic, though she hews most to the analysis of Catholic theologian Raymond Brown when operating directly on gospel text. Because she is a storyteller, McKenna employs an oral style that can be verbose and awkward on the page: the book could have used harder editing. At its best, McKenna's writing is poetic and mystically imaginative, but at its worst it's overheated, piling on words ("The level of rejection, anger, hostility, rage and hate was building up ") in winding sentences. On the whole, however, McKenna sensitively unpacks the challenging and joyful promise at the heart of Christianity and lays out the ethical guidance it provides through its reminder of life through resurrection. (Jan.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

A widely published author (e.g., The New Stations of the Cross), McKenna here provides an in-depth analysis of the Resurrection story as told in the four Gospels in the order in which they were written-Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. She shows how the writers of the Gospels were addressing diverse communities, with each focusing on different aspects of the Resurrection story. McKenna goes on to include chapters on the Acts of the Apostles, generally regarded as the history of the early Christian Church, in which she connects the Resurrection story to the present-day lives of ordinary people; and the sacrament of baptism, or total "immersion" in the Christian faith, made possible by the Resurrection of Jesus. This is not an easy book to read, requiring concentration and some previous knowledge of Christian tenets. McKenna does not attempt to convince skeptics, many of whom would lose interest early on, and instead targets Christian believers. But as an engrossing, engaging work on the central topic of the Christian faith, it is recommended for academic and large public libraries.-Mary Prokop, Savannah Country Day Sch., GA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Into what a world we launch this book, like a frail ark in a mauling sea. Shall we proclaim Resurrection—even as creation is threatened with going under? Yes, "And morning came." Unequivocally and barely—birth, rebirth wins out over death. Thank you, Megan.

Daniel Berrigan