What is the good news? If the gospel that Jesus taught is so good, why are Christians so bad? How can Christians relate to people of other faiths or of no faith at all? Bible teacher Henry Neufeld wrestles with these issues in this book. This is not a book of theology. It is his personal testimony of what Jesus means in his life, and how one can be both a serious, committed Christian and a strong proponent of diversity and dialogue. In fact, he finds in the gospel not just permission to be tolerant, but a command to be open, honest, and clear in his convictions, and yet non-judgmental of the views of others. Henry's understanding of Christianity is built around the incarnation. If God can cross the gap between the infinite and the finite to experience life with us, surely we can cross the gap between ourselves and our fellow human beings. "You are never more God-like than when you open your heart's door to another person. The more different they are, the more God-like that action is," he says in describing how Christians should seek to build relationships.
Henry E. Neufeld is the owner of Energion Publications. His major statement of faith and his vision for the church can be found in his book Not Ashamed of the Gospel: Confessions of a Liberal Charismatic, and involves a call to demonstrate our love for God by loving our neighbors as ourselves, and engaging in dialogue rather than conflict.
Henry is the son of Seventh-day Adventist missionaries, and was raised and educated in the Seventh-day Adventist church. Though he is no longer a Seventh-day Adventist, he still respects that heritage and tries to maintain contacts and relationships with people in his former denomination.
He received his BA in Biblical Languages from Walla Walla College and his MA in Religion, concentrating in Biblical and Cognate languges from Andrews University. He did one quarter additional work in linguistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, and also completed an Associate of Applied Science degree in Interpreting and Translating from the Community College of the Air Force while on active duty.
He left both the church and church service following his graduate education. He served in the U. S. Air Force for 10 years as a linguist. He returned to the church in a United Methodist congregation (Pine Forest United Methodist Church in Pensacola, FL) where, in 1995 he was one of the founders of Pacesetters Bible School, a non-profit organization dedicated to lay education and pastoral continuing education.
Henry hopes that his own books, and those published by Energion Publications will help build the kingdom of God.
He lives in Cantonment, FL with his wife of nearly 10 years. They have three children, John (who coaches), Janet (she and her husband are pastors in Ft. Worth, TX), and James who has gone on to be with the Lord. They have five grandchildren.
