Thomas W. Mann 
Reading the Two Books of God 
Sacred Time and Place in Nature and History

Thomas W. Mann is a biblical scholar and retired parish minister and the author of numerous books and articles. He is particularly interested in how experiences in nature prompt theological reflection based in the Bible, shaping our sense of sacred time and place, and how the lectionary readings of the church year also provide a spiritual calendar for the seasons of our lives. The result is a conversation inspired by poets and writers like Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, and John Muir, but also by philosophers and theologians ranging from Abraham Joshua Heschel to David Kelsey. Along the way, we enter ‘beach time’ and take backpacking trips in the Sierras, but also join the ‘triumphal entry’ parade on Palm Sunday and listen to the stable animals on Christmas Eve. We perceive the beauty of creation through the eyes of science as well as religion, sensually as well as intellectually. We celebrate our communion with all creatures, from fungus to forests, inspired with awe and reverence, and with a responsibility to care for the earth, so threatened by climate change.

Sobre o autor

Thomas W. Mann has taught at Princeton Theological Seminary, Converse College, Salem College, and Wake Forest University. For twenty-three years he was also the minister of Parkway United Church of Christ in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He is the author of The Book of the Former Prophets (Cascade Books, 2011), a sequel to this book; Deuteronomy (1995); and God of Dirt: Mary Oliver and the Other Book of God (2004).