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The Cotton Patch Gospel recasts the stories of Jesus and the letters of Paul and Peter into the language of the mid-20th century South. Born out of the Civil Rights struggle, these now classic translations of much of the New Testament bring the far-away places of Scipture closer to home: Gainesville, Selma, Birmingham, Atlanta, Washington, D.C.As Jordan once wrote, "While there have been many excellent translations of the Scriptures into modern English, they still have left us stranded in the long-distant past. We need to have the good news come to us not only in our own tongue but in our own time. We want to be participants in the faith, not merely spectators."

The Cotton Patch Gospel, by Koinonia Farm founder Clarence Jordan, recasts the stories of Jesus and the letters of Paul and Peter into the language and culture of the mid-20th century South. Born out of the Civil Rights struggle, these now classic translations of much of the New Testament bring the far-away places of Scripture closer to home: Gainesville, Selma, Birmingham, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. As Jordan once wrote, "While there have been many excellent translations of the Scriptures into modern English, they still have left us stranded in some faraway land in the long-distant past. We need to have the good news come to us not only in our own tongue but in our own time. We want to be participants in the faith, not merely spectators." More than a translation, The Cotton Patch Gospel continues to make clear the startling relevance of Scripture for today. These editions come complete with new Forewords and a new Introduction by Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller. Smyth & Helwys Publishing is proud to help reintroduce these seminal works of Clarence Jordan to a new generation of believers.

“Clarence Jordan spoke with an unwavering prophetic voice. He firmly rejected materialism, militarism, and racism as obstacles to authentic faith… He was a fearless and innovative defender of human rights.” —President Jimmy CarterOn 440 depleted acres in Sumter County, Georgia, a young Baptist preacher and farmer named Clarence Jordan gathered a few families and set out to show that Jesus intended more than spiritual fellowship. Like the first Christians, they would share their land, money, and possessions. Working together to rejuvenate the soil and the local economy, they would demonstrate racial and social justice with their lives.Black and white community members eating together at the same table scandalized local Christians, drew the ire of the KKK, and led to drive-by shootings, a firebombing, and an economic boycott.This bold experiment in nonviolence, economic justice, and sustainable agriculture was deeply rooted in Clarence Jordan’s understanding of the person and teachings of Jesus, which stood in stark contrast to the hypocrisy of churches that blessed wars, justified wealth disparity, and enforced racial segregation. “You can’t put Christianity into practice,” Jordan wrote, “You can’t make it work. As desperately as it is needed in this poor, broken world, it is not a philosophy of life to be ‘tried.’ Nor is it a social or ethical ideal which has tantalized humankind with the possibility of attainment. For Christianity is not a system you work – it is a Person who works you.”This selection from his talks and writings introduces Clarence Jordan’s radically biblical vision to a new generation of peacemakers, community builders, and activists.

When Jesus delivered his parables, he lit a stick of dynamite, covered it with a story about everyday life, and then left it with his audience. By the time his hearers fully unwrapped the parable, Jesus and his disciples were long gone. Clarence Jordan essentially retells these powerful parables in the language of the South in order to place modern readers in that same first-century situation. Properly understood, these Cotton Patch stories can liberate us into the kingdom of God from the cultural prisons of religion, wealth, and prejudice. After Jordan's death in 1969, Bill Lane Doulos took up the task to combine these Cotton Patch Version parables with appropriate excerpts from Jordan's sermons and with his own commentary which does well to pull everything together. In the end, Doulos and Jordan call readers into true discipleship, challenging them to explore the demands of kingdom life on a whole new level.

To read ''The Substance of Faith'' is once again to experience Clarence Jordan at his best: the flashing wit that could illuminate even as it entertained, the blazing concern that knew how to lay its burden on the heart of even the casual listener, the biting irony that pierced sham and pretense, the depth of spirit that saw fresh meaning in the most familiar passage of Scripture. Within the pages of this book, you''ll discover the basic themes of Clarence Jordan''s life: Incarnational Evangelism,"" the God Movement,"" and his prophetic insight into the enemies of authentic faith, such as Mammon. Dallas Lee has brought all this together from what Clarence Jordan said in pulpit, classroom, and lecture hall.Every sermon in this book is a blossoming flower with thorns - a flower revealing God''s love and a thorn in the side of those who are unwilling to incarnate God''s love to others. These sermons will both comfort and challenge you into a deeper relationship with the Prince of Peace.""Jimmy Carter, from the ForewordHe was highly entertaining, with a vivid, colloquial relevance - a great storyteller, with a grand sense of humor and a sly sense of irony. But underlying these extemporaneous sermons you also will recognize fresh scholarship on ancient ideas and a life lived where the light meets the dark.""Dallas Lee, from the IntroductionClarence Jordan had a rare combination of Biblical scholarship, passionate faith, and - most important - the courage to ''put that faith into action''. This is a priceless collection of his most important ideas, presented in his own words.Don Mosley, Jubilee PartnersJordan said that to be a faithful Christian we must live our lives ''in scorn of the consequences.'' ''Substance of Faith'' is Clarence''s timeless road map on what it takes for us to join up with the ''God Movement.''""John Cole Vodicka, Prison & Jail ProjectClarence Jordan deeply affected my family through his phenomenal intellect, insights, and concern for human beings. Habitat for Humanity would not exist today without his unique vision and determination to make Christianity relevant in today''s time.Faith Fuller, Producer/Director of ''Briars in the Cotton Patch: The Story of Koinonia Farm'' Clarence Jordan, one of seven children of a prominent small town family in Georgia, had a desire to help others from an early age. Family thought he might become a lawyer. Instead, he majored in agriculture at the University of Georgia. But believing that man doesn''t live by bread alone,"" he went on to earn his MA and PhD in New Testament Greek from Southern Baptist Seminary where he met and married Florence. Together with Martin and Mabel England, they founded Koinonia Farm in 1942, an intentional Christian community located in Americus, Georgia. He died there in 1969. His primary works include the Cotton Patch Version of most of the New Testament.Dallas Lee is author of ''The Cotton Patch Evidence: the Story of Clarence Jordan and the Koinonia Farm Experiment'', Harper & Row, 1971. Koinonia Farm has reprinted paperback editions of the book, with the publisher''s permission. Copies are available through Koinonia''s direct mail communications at www.koinoniapartners.org.

To read 'The Substance of Faith' is once again to experience Clarence Jordan at his best: the flashing wit that could illuminate even as it entertained, the blazing concern that knew how to lay its burden on the heart of even the casual listener, the biting irony that pierced sham and pretense, the depth of spirit that saw fresh meaning in the most familiar passage of Scripture. Within the pages of this book, you'll discover the basic themes of Clarence Jordan's life: Incarnational Evangelism," the God Movement," and his prophetic insight into the enemies of authentic faith, such as Mammon. Dallas Lee has brought all this together from what Clarence Jordan said in pulpit, classroom, and lecture hall.