Are you familiar with Stringfellow's work? This book review, in the new issue of Commonweal, is a good place to begin:
An Alien in a Strange Land: Theology in the Life of William Stringfellow, by Anthony Dancer
Nathan Schneider
William Stringfellow is one of the most intriguing modern American theologians, but you’re far from alone if you haven’t heard of him. Rowan Williams, Stanley Hauerwas, Jim Wallis, and Daniel Berrigan have all been influenced by his work, yet since his death in 1985, Stringfellow’s legacy has been sorely under-appreciated and his writings far too little sought after.
Anthony Dancer’s new book, An Alien in a Strange Land: Theology in the Life of William Stringfellow, will help change that. It takes us from Stringfellow’s working-class upbringing in Massachusetts, to his coming-of-age in the 1950s as a Christian student leader, through his move from Harvard Law School to practicing law among the poor in East Harlem, and ends with the publication of his important 1973 book, An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land.
[The rest of the review is here.]
Michael,
I've been a huge fan of Stringfellow's for many years now. He really is amazing. I lead a study group every year on one of his books here at Cornell. His papers are here in the Cornell special collections, as he was a good friend of Cornell's most famous chaplain, Daniel Berrigan.
Andrew McThenia, emeritus law professor at Washington and Lee, is one of Stringfellow's finest interpreters and has edited a wonderful collection, Radical Christian, Exemplary Lawyer, honoring Stringfellow's work. Stringfellow would be a great topic for a religion and law conference or even a part of a course on religion and law.
Thanks for giving him a headline!
--Clark
Posted by: Clark West | 01/20/2012 at 05:01 PM
Count me among those unfamiliar with his work. Thanks for alerting us to the book and the review.
Posted by: Patrick S. O'Donnell | 01/20/2012 at 04:21 PM