There has been considerable debate in recent years in the Anglican Church of Australia about issues of sexual diversity. To this end, two collections of essays have been published. The first, Five Uneasy Pieces, addressed the texts that have frequently been used to argue against the legitimacy of homosexual expression within Christian life and leadership. The book demonstrated clearly that the texts that have been interpreted to slam gay and lesbian people are in fact misused, with little or no regard either for ancient context or for contemporary hermeneutics. However, as all biblical liberationist projects have demonstrated, it is not enough to invalidate oppressive uses of selected texts. The obligation is to establish Scripture's hospitable inclusion of those who have been subjected to such oppression. This is more than a generalized divine invitation to the world; it requires a retrieval of those texts that actively embrace gays and lesbians. Hence, a second collection followed, Pieces of Ease and Grace. This collection broke significant new ground in the way the Bible can contribute to contemporary debates. The collection utilized a range of methodologies and unlocked authentic, significant and original readings that restored the Bible to a pastoral and transformative support for those whose self-identification was not shaped by heterosexual normativity. However, the project has raised significant issues for wider theological analysis, as well as calling for general theological reflection that can address historical, systematic and ecclesial concerns for supportive, inclusive recognition of those who identify as and with gay and lesbian people of faith. A third volume is therefore prepared focusing theological analysis for the benefit of reflection in the Anglican Church and beyond. Given recent developments in Ireland and the potential repercussions in Australian politics, it is clear that the Church needs to harness its thinking and its actions in relation to its place within society.

When can you tell a book of poems is really working? For me, it's when the poems provide revolutions on themes--like the tiniest clink of a kaleidoscope. Look at how Adam Zhou recognizes what stays with us, how "the landscape will remain sullen / still dressed in a sullen light" and yet the people are always leaving and returning, wounded or memory or truly breathing, even in stillness. Zhou's lyrics are a personal history unfolding before us. In a world where poems can shatter us in the best way, In Taking Apart a Kaleidoscope reminds us that "there's something new if your heart hasn't stopped"--that we must dissect whatever comes up and hold it to light. --Carly Joy Miller In Taking Apart a Kaleidoscope is an arrangement of burning flowers. Adam Zhou has mastered the narrative of displacement. A world where people and objects are cloaked in words with multiple meanings. A house where "locks prefer not to accept keys." Through these poems a young speaker reconciles collisions of language, culture, and family. With great attention to craft, Zhou finds his voice in a fractured world. --"I'll collect the jagged pieces. Put them in a plastic bag." --Robert Carr Adam Zhou, a Chinese national, was born and raised in the Philippines. He won the Kathy Carlson and Emily Stauffer Award from Apogee, and was one of ten Asian American high school writers included in Hyphen magazine's Youth Poetry Folio for National Poetry Month in 2019. He is the founding editor of The McKinley Review, a literary journal based in the international community of the Philippines and focusing on the natural environment. When this collection is launched, Zhou will be a high school senior at the International School Manila.

Is it possible for a simple, childlike toy, such as a kaleidoscope, to give hope, clarity, and meaning to all of the broken and shattered pieces of your life? In Kaleidoscope, Kelly Wiese deconstructs this simple yet complex toy by using each piece to illustrate how God is constantly at work, beautifully and carefully orchestrating a masterpiece with every aspect of your existence. In this unique and thought-provoking Bible study, you'll be challenged to see things from a fresh new perspective through the use of scripture, Bible stories, and real-life experiences. Kelly Wiese will walk you through each of the parts of a kaleidoscope, shedding new light on how each piece can help you to see beauty in your life and current situations that may seem painful or confusing otherwise. She then goes into depth discussing ways to stay connected and focused on God that will give you strength and guidance during the stormy transition periods of life as well. Each section is followed by study and personal application questions to further help you reflect upon and drive home the illustrations and stories she writes about. Kaleidoscope will leave you yearning to draw closer to God on a daily basis and help you see that everything you go through and experience in life is as unique and individual as the collection of colorful pieces inside of a kaleidoscope, with every scene adding up to one final masterpiece, handcrafted by our Heavenly Father.