A.J. Swoboda

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About A.J. Swoboda

Dr. A. J. Swoboda (PhD, Birmingham) is assistant professor of Bible, theology, and World Christianity at Bushnell University. As well, he leads a Doctor of Ministry program around the Holy Spirit and Leadership at Fuller Seminary. He is the author of a number of books, including the award-winning Subversive Sabbath and the forthcoming After Doubt—both with Brazos. He is married to Quinn and is the proud father of Elliot. They live and work in Eugene, Oregon.

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Titles By A.J. Swoboda

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After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith without Losing It Mar 2, 2021

by A. J. Swoboda, John Comer

( 220 )

$12.99

Is there a way to walk faithfully through doubt and come out the other side with a deeper love for Jesus, the church, and its tradition? Can we question our faith without losing it?

Award-winning author, pastor, and professor A. J. Swoboda has witnessed many young people wrestle with their core Christian beliefs. Too often, what begins as a set of critical and important questions turns to resentment and faith abandonment. Unfortunately, the church has largely ignored its task of serving people along their journey of questioning. The local church must walk alongside those who are deconstructing their faith and show them how to reconstruct it.

Drawing on his own experience of deconstruction, Swoboda offers tools to help emerging adults navigate their faith in a hostile landscape. Doubt is a part of our natural spiritual journey, says Swoboda, and deconstruction is a legitimate space to encounter the living God.

After Doubt offers a hopeful, practical vision of spiritual formation for those in the process of faith deconstruction and those who serve them. Foreword by pastor and author John Mark Comer.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback

Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest in a Nonstop World Feb 20, 2018

by A. J. Swoboda, Matthew Sleeth

( 187 )

$12.99

We live in a 24/7 culture of endless productivity, workaholism, distraction, burnout, and anxiety--a way of life to which we've sadly grown accustomed. This tired system of "life" ultimately destroys our souls, our bodies, our relationships, our society, and the rest of God's creation. The whole world grows exhausted because humanity has forgotten to enter into God's rest.

This book pioneers a creative path to an alternative way of existing. Combining creative storytelling, pastoral sensitivity, practical insight, and relevant academic research, Subversive Sabbath offers a unique invitation to personal Sabbath-keeping that leads to fuller and more joyful lives. A. J. Swoboda demonstrates that Sabbath is both a spiritual discipline and a form of social justice, connects Sabbath-keeping to local communities, and explains how God may actually do more when we do less. He shows that the biblical practice of Sabbath-keeping is God's plan for the restoration and healing of all creation. The book includes a foreword by Matthew Sleeth.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback , Audio CD

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A Glorious Dark: Finding Hope in the Tension between Belief and Experience Jan 27, 2015

by A. J. Swoboda

( 110 )

$9.99

On Thursday as they ate the Passover meal with Jesus, the disciples believed that the kingdom was coming and they were on the front end of a revolution. Then came the tragedy of Friday and, somehow even worse, the silence of Saturday. They ran. They doubted. They despaired. Yet, within the grave, God's power was still flowing like a mighty river beneath the ice of winter. And then there was Sunday morning.

Real, raw, and achingly honest, A Glorious Dark meets readers in the ambiguity, doubt, and uncertainty we feel when our beliefs about the world don't match up to reality. Tackling tough questions like Why is faith so hard? Why do I doubt? Why does God allow me to suffer? and Is God really with me in the midst of my pain? A. J. Swoboda puts into sharp focus a faith that is greater than our personal comfort or fulfilment. He invites readers to develop a faith that embraces the tension between what we believe and what we experience, showing that the very tension we seek to eliminate is where God meets us.

Other Formats: Paperback

Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology: Foundations in Scripture, Theology, History, and Praxis Oct 14, 2014

by Daniel L. Brunner, Jennifer L. Butler, A. J. Swoboda, Bill McKibben

( 30 )

$19.99

Today's church finds itself in a new world, one in which climate change and ecological degradation are front-page news. In the eyes of many, the evangelical community has been slow to take up a call to creation care. How do Christians address this issue in a faithful way?

This evangelically centered but ecumenically informed introduction to ecological theology (ecotheology) explores the global dimensions of creation care, calling Christians to meet contemporary ecological challenges with courage and hope. The book provides a biblical, theological, ecological, and historical rationale for earthcare as well as specific practices to engage both individuals and churches. Drawing from a variety of Christian traditions, the book promotes a spirit of hospitality, civility, honesty, and partnership. It includes a foreword by Bill McKibben and an afterword by Matthew Sleeth.

Other Formats: Paperback

Messy: God Likes It That Way Mar 30, 2012

by Swoboda, A.J.

( 83 )

$10.49

Christianity is messy. Unanswered prayers. Painful choices. Unresolved regrets. But there is good news: God works in the mess. He gets a kick out of these disturbing, disorderly moments because in these moments, we learn to trust Him. What if we all trusted Jesus? How would the world look different? How would we look different?

Both annoyingly honest and refreshingly humorous, Messy reassures Christians that God can reveal Himself in their clutter. Author and pastor A.J. Swoboda offers biblical insight and vivid, personal stories to redefine faith from something that must be perfect to something that is imperfect, but can still give beauty, meaning, and purpose to a messy life. As entertaining as it is challenging, this book teaches Christians what it means to trust in each other, in grace, in hope, and in a Savior who defied the rules of death. Here’s to finding joy in your chaos!

Other Formats: Paperback

Redeeming How We Talk: Discover How Communication Fuels Our Growth, Shapes Our Relationships, and Changes Our Lives Jun 5, 2018

by Ken Wytsma, A. J. Swoboda

( 52 )

$9.99

Discover why words matter in a noisy world

Technology has made it easier than ever before to share just about everything: pictures, ideas, even the ups and downs of your morning errand run. Yet all our talking doesn’t seem to be connecting us the way it promised to. That’s because we don’t need to talk more, we need to talk better.

Redeeming How We Talk explores what the Bible has to say about that central aspect of life and relationships—conversation. The Scriptures show us that words have remarkable power—to create, to bless, to encourage, to forgive. Imagine how we, as Christians, could spark change in our families, churches, and communities if we learned to use words like Jesus did. By weaving together theology, history, and philosophy, Ken Wytsma and A. J. Swoboda help us reclaim the holiness of human speech and the relevance of meaningful conversation in our culture today.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback , Audio CD

Blood Cries Out: Pentecostals, Ecology, and the Groans of Creation (Pentecostals, Peacemaking, and Social Justice Book 8) Jan 16, 2015

by A. J. Swoboda, Steven Bouma-Prediger

( 5 )

$9.99

John McConnell Jr. was the famed founder and visionary of Earth Day. McConnell's vision was one of creating a day of remembrance, solitude, and action to restore the broken human relationship to the land. Little acknowledged are McConnell's religious convictions or background. McConnell grew up in a Pentecostal home. In fact, McConnell's parents were both founding charter members of the Assemblies of God in 1914. His own grandfather had an even greater connection to the origins of Pentecostalism by being a personal participant at the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906. Earth Day, thus, began with strong religious convictions. McConnell, seeing the ecological demise through his religious background, envisioned a day where Christians could "show the power of prayer, the validity of their charity, and their practical concern for Earth's life and people."

In the spirit of McConnell, today's Pentecostal and Charismatic theology has something to say about the earth. Blood Cries Out is a unique contribution by Pentecostal and Charismatic theologians and practitioners to the global conversation concerning ecological degradation, climate change, and ecological justice.

"This edited collection of essays is a very welcome addition to the emerging literature on ecotheology from pentecostal scholars. They provide original contributions full of insight and wisdom from historical, theological, and contemporary studies. They also challenge theologians both inside and outside of Pentecostalism to bring ecology and theology into deeper and more sustained conversation. Swoboda should be congratulated for editing such a lively and interesting set of essays that will become a reference point for scholars and students of pentecostal ecotheology."
--Mark J. Cartledge, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

"A. J. Swoboda is a singular new voice urging evangelicals to follow the call to care for God's creation. In Blood Cries Out, he shines a light on the beginnings of Earth Day and the pentecostal roots of John McConnell Jr.'s drive to establish this holiday. With his signature wisdom and accessibility, Swoboda has crafted another essential volume. Highly recommended!"
--Matthew Sleeth, Blessed Earth, Lexington, KY

A. J. Swoboda is a professor, author, and pastor of Theophilus (theophiluschurch.com) in Portland, OR. He teaches theology, Bible, pastoral studies, and Christian history at George Fox Evangelical Seminary, Fuller Seminary, and a number of other universities and Bible colleges. Previous to this, A. J. served as a campus pastor at the University of Oregon. His doctoral research at the University of Birmingham (UK) explored the never-ending relationship between the Holy Spirit and ecology. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion and the Society for Pentecostal Studies. A. J. is the author of A Glorious Dark and Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology, among other books. You can find his website and blog at ajswoboda.com.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback

The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith Feb 23, 2016

by A. J. Swoboda

( 130 )

$10.99

Through every turn of the biblical story, God's people are a wandering people. When they are rescued from slavery in Egypt, God sends them into the desert, where they wander for a generation. Jesus and his disciples wander from town to town. In fact, some of God's most important truths are imparted to people with dusty feet as they travel on the road.

With his trademark thoughtful introspection, A. J. Swoboda boldly suggests that wandering is not an absence of faith but a central component of faith. In The Dusty Ones, he leads the restless, the frustrated, and the curious on a spiritual journey to uncover the answers to questions like

- Do I wander because I'm failing or because God has left me?
- Is the desert something I can overcome?
- Why is God sometimes "hidden" in the Bible?
- What do I do when the end seems nowhere in sight?

This compassionate and contemplative book offers hope and peace to Christians and seekers alike as they make their way down the winding road of faith.

Other Formats: Paperback

Scripting Pentecost: A Study of Pentecostals, Worship and Liturgy (Explorations in Practical, Pastoral and Empirical Theology) Jul 7, 2016

by Mark J. Cartledge, A.J. Swoboda

( 3 )

$39.46

Scripting Pentecost explores and develops an analysis of worship and liturgy in Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions. Organized into three main sections, history, theology, and contemporary practice, the first section quarries the historical trajectories of classic Pentecostalism, the Charismatic movement, Third-Wave, and Oneness Pentecostalism. Particular attention is given to the liturgical approaches of some of the earliest leaders, including William J. Seymour, Alexander Boddy, and Aimee Semple McPherson. The second section, constructive theology, offers theological approaches to liturgical studies from Pentecostal and Charismatic perspectives. In this section the Pentecostal and Charismatic tradition is advanced and extended by an interaction with ecumenical sources. The third section, case studies in contemporary worship theology and practice, examines the actual performance of liturgy through selected global case studies chosen to reflect a diversity of ecclesial practice in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America and Oceania.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback

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