In addition to their roles within the classroom and on behalf of CUW students, Concordia's faculty, staff, and adjuncts also drive conversations and stimulate thought through their contributions as authors.
More than 14 employees have written or contributed to over a dozen titles within the past year alone.
Below is a catalog of their works, listed in alphabetical order by title. Many of these titles are available for check-out through Rincker Memorial Library. Click here to see the books included in the CUW library’s collection.
Cast: The True Story of a Mom Who Learned to Embrace the Unknown Through Urban Fishing
Written by Lisa Liljegren
Synopsis: Change. Love. Family…and Sunday Whiskey. Cast is the coming of age story of an adventurous mom who learns to embrace the unknown through an unlikely activity; urban fishing. Despite never having fished before, she bravely and naively lines up along the banks of a busy urban fishing spot in an awkward attempt to overcome the uncertainty of family change. After surviving a disastrous first cast, she eventually develops her confidence and rediscovers her place in the world by adhering to the advice of her new fishing friends. Cast is a little bit about urban fishing and a lot about being in the moment; surrounded by the kindness and patience of strangers.If you have ever felt invisible. If you have ever tried to stop inevitable change. If you have ever lost track of who you are and why you’re unique. You will relate to this mom who found herself again in the most unlikely place. Her charming story of catch and release will bait you to find your own riverbank.
Church as Fullness in All Things: Recasting Lutheran Ecclesiology in an Ecumenical Context
Jonathon Mumme (Co-contributor and Co-editor)
Synopsis: What is Lutheran ecclesiology? The Lutheran view of the church has been fraught with difficulties since the Reformation. Church as Fullness in All Things reengages the topic from a confessional Lutheran perspective. Lutheran theologians and clergy who are bound to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions explore the possibilities and pitfalls of the Lutheran tradition’s view of the church in the face of contemporary challenges. The contributors also take up questions about and challenges to thinking and living as the church in their tradition, while looking to other Christian voices for aid in what is finally a common Christian endeavor. The volume addresses three related types of questions faced in living and thinking as the church, with each standing as a field of tension marked by disharmonized—though perhaps not inherently opposite—poles: the individual and the communal, the personal and the institutional, and the particular and the universal. Asking whether de facto prioritizations of given poles or unexamined assumptions about their legitimacy impinge the church Lutherans seek, the volume closes with Anglican, Reformed, and Roman Catholic contributors stating what their ecclesiological traditions could learn from Lutheranism and vice-versa.
Grace, Faith, Scripture: Portrait of a Lutheran
Written by Rev. Dr. Daniel Paavola
Synopsis: Grace, faith, and Scripture. Sola gratia, sola fide, and sola Scriptura.
These three solas, or “alones,” have long been used to characterize the unique theology of the Lutheran faith. The solas set up a relationship between God and us, and between us and our neighbor.
Lutherans are people of the Bible, basing their faith on God’s Word alone. In that Word, they find grace alone is the central message of God in His relationship with believers. To receive that gift, you need faith alone. These three solas are Lutheran hallmarks, but they are also God’s gifts to all Christians.
Through real life or fictional examples, an understanding of Law and Gospel, discussion questions, and recommended resources for futher readings, deepen your understanding of Lutheran doctrine and the three solas. The solas don’t encompass every single aspect of Lutheranism, but through them, you can begin to see what it means to be a true Lutheran.
101 Enigmatic Puzzles
Written by Dr. Mark J. P. Wolf
Click here to see a sample puzzle.
Synopsis: 101 Enigmatic Puzzles: Fractal Mazes, Quantum Chess, Anagram Sudoku, and More is a book of gourmet, handcrafted puzzles is for the puzzle connoisseur who wants hearty meals, not just a series of snacks; unlike many puzzle books which feature large number of little puzzles each of which only take a few minutes, most of these puzzles are carefully constructed to provide a challenge that will last awhile, for the serious puzzler who enjoys being immersed in a puzzle for a time. Many of the puzzles here may take a couple of hours or perhaps even an entire afternoon; though the book is also designed so that one can browse and graze allowing casual puzzlers to explore and enjoy as well. In addition to small, sample puzzles provided when new puzzle forms are presented, there is an entire Hints Section provided, with hints for every puzzle, designed to make the solving easier, while still maintaining a challenge. Thus, the book should be of interest to both hardcore puzzlers and casual puzzlers alike, whether one is looking for brain exercise or an amusing diversion, one can find it here. Most of the puzzles here introduce new twists on older puzzle forms, and some introduce new forms of puzzles as well, that, in addition to needing solutions, require one to figure out how to go about solving them. As the range of puzzles is broad, so is the book’s audience; whether one enjoys logic puzzles, mazes, chess puzzles, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, number puzzles, trivia puzzles, or word puzzles, one will find them here, and new varieties of each of them as well. As some of the puzzles combine existing puzzle forms, fans of one type of puzzle will be introduced to other types of puzzles, potentially broadening their areas of interest (for example, the Anagram Sudoku puzzles, which combine Sudoku with anagramming).
Leadership by Storytelling: The Best Way to Learn Good Leadership Skills
Written by Tom DePaoli
Synopsis: Become a great authentic leader by storytelling. Let Dr.Tom DePaoli mentor you in this new book, Leadership by Storytelling! He uses true-life inspirational stories. This book will show you how to earn trust! He tells remarkable stories about leaders in corporate, non-profit,academic and military organizations. As a leadership consultant, he conducts group and personal training sessions on leadership. The book will accelerate your leadership talent by the use of stories and storytelling.
Luther at Leipzig
Co-edited by Jonathon Mumme
Synopsis: On the five-hundredth anniversary of the 1519 debate between Martin Luther and John Eck at Leipzig, Luther at Leipzig offers an extensive treatment of this pivotal Reformation event in its historical and theological context. The Leipzig Debate not only revealed growing differences between Luther and his opponents, but also resulted in further splintering among the Reformation parties, which continues to the present day. The essays in this volume provide an essential background to the complex theological, political, ecclesiastical, and intellectual issues precipitating the debate. They also sketch out the relevance of the Leipzig Debate for the course of the Reformation, the interpretation and development of Luther, and the ongoing divisions between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.
Medieval Luther
Edited by Christine Helmer
Synopsis: Staging a conversation among distinguished Luther scholars, historians of Christianity, and philosophers, The Medieval Luther makes the case that it is impossible to understand Luther’s most important doctrines without exploring his philosophical inheritance. After all, Luther was an ardent participant in and contributor to the philosophical disputes of the late Middle Ages. By situating Luther’s theology in relation to medieval healing practices, mysticism, biblical interpretation, and politics, this volume blurs the historiographical line between the medieval and early modern periods. Offering an expansive appreciation of the Middle Ages for his thought, The Medieval Luther is indispensable for any future study of the Reformation’s leading figure.
Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction
Chapter 14: Motor Function Intervention
Written by Michael Borst
Fundamentals of Hand Therapy
Chapter 2: Evidence-Based Practice: The Basic Tools
Written by Michael Borst
Prep Talks: Tales of Challenges and Opportunities in Christian Education
Written by Bernard Bull, Michael Uden, and Jim Pingel
Synopsis: Inspired by real-world events and experiences – real-world challenges – Prep Talks is a collection of fictional accounts that address critical issues in contemporary education, providing school leaders with studies they can use for professional staff development so educations can better prepare for and address the challenges of being a Christian school in the modern world. Includes discussion questions intended for use in a group setting.
Purple Solutions: A Bipartisan Roadmap to Better Healthcare in America
Written by Daniel Sem
Synopsis: America spends more than any other developed country on healthcare, and yet does not provide better health outcomes. Why is healthcare so expensive in America, and what is the solution to this out-of-control cost curve? Republicans and Democrats can’t agree, and yet rational compromise is desperately needed. Perhaps the best solution to better healthcare in America lies between all this political hyperbole. In Purple Solutions, a collection of 20 experts have come together to share their thoughts and expertise on how to reform healthcare in America. Expert contributors include the former president of the AMA, policy and think tank leaders, healthcare executives, entrepreneurs looking to disrupt the current medical industrial complex, politicians, payers, providers and legal experts. The solution is in our hands as consumers and voters, not in the hands of big government or corporate medicine. Viable bipartisan solutions to healthcare reform are presented – we just need to change our mindset, and then convince our elected officials to compromise and work towards giving us better healthcare in America.
Reflections on the Birth of Christ: Re-Discovering the Wonder in Luke 1 & 2
Written by Aimee Wiley
Synopsis: Christmas—the magic, the mystery . . .and the mundane. You’d never admit it out loud, but Jesus’ birth has lost its luster for you. Yes, there is something humble and sweet about the story of the Christ child, but it’s become so familiar that it’s hard to see the glory in it anymore. In Reflections on the Birth of Christ—Re-Discovering the Wonder in Luke 1 & 2, Aimee Mae Wiley invites you on a journey to find the lost wonder of Christmas through personal encounters with Zechariah and Sarah, Joseph and Mary, the shepherds, Simeon and the prophetess Anna.
Enter their stories, see how God met each of them in a unique way, and rejoice in the fulfillment of His promise to send a Savior, in the most unexpected way.This Advent season, invite God’s presence into your own life, as you prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Live with anticipation of what God can do in your life when you place your trust in Him. Looking for the wonder of Christmas? You’ll find it inside.
Someone to Walk With: A Woman’s Guide to Christian Mentoring
Written by Darcy Paape
Synopsis: A book for Christian women who want a mentor, or are willing to be one, Someone to Walk With follows the story of Jesus and the Samaritan women in John 4 to teach women how they, like Jesus, can take advantage of opportunities to engage others in real relationships.
Whether their well is at work, or at church, at school, at lunch with a friend, or in the grocery store with a stranger, readers will be encouraged to form intergenerational relationships, to go outside their comfort zones, and to follow Jesus’ perfect example in sharing living water with those they meet.
Ultimately, the book will show women that mentoring doesn’t require a new program, but a simple shift in perspective in the lives they’re already living.
Spanish Conversation Guide Using The Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process
Written by Robert Mueller
Synopsis: With the Spanish-speaking population growing larger, pharmacists wishing to provide patient-centered care must be able to communicate medication information effectively and safely to Spanish-speaking patients. Spanish Conversation Guide Using the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process serves English-speaking pharmacists who wish to follow the consistent, systematic Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP) in Spanish. The publication provides Spanish words and phrases with side-by-side English translation to promote effective and safe communication in Spanish. Various cultural notes that may be important and relevant when caring for Spanish-speaking patients are incorporated throughout.
The Christian Difference: An Explanation & Comparison of World Religions
Christianity chapter written by Jason Lane
The Male and Widowhood
Written by Michael Koerner
Synopsis: This book was the result of the evolution of my time as a widower following the death of my wife, together since we were fifteen. I am writing this book to point out the differences in the view of society between a widow and a widower even during this time of growing gender equality, for which I am grateful since I have the honor of having five beautiful granddaughters and not only an amazing daughter, but also a fantastic son.
It is a statement of how such an event can cause the questioning of not only the friendships that had developed during the time as a couple and internal questioning of the concept of a kind and loving God as I came through the state of shock, anger, resentment, and eventually acceptance of the event and events that unfolded. Hopefully, providing some knowledge for what will occur and how to avoid the mistakes I made in dealing with the event.
They Need Not Go Away
Foreword by Timothy Mashke
—
If this story has inspired you, why not explore how you can help further Concordia's mission through giving.