Fruits of the Cotton Patch

In honor of what would have been Clarence Jordan's one hundredth birthday and the seventieth anniversary of Koinonia Farm, the first Clarence Jordan Symposium convened in historic Sumter County, Georgia, in 2012, gathering theologians, historians, actors, and activists in civil rights, housing, agriculture, and fair-trade businesses to celebrate a remarkable individual and his continuing influence. Clarence Jordan (1912-1969), a farmer and New Testament Greek scholar, was the author of the Cotton Patch versions of the New Testament and the founder of Koinonia Farm, a small but influential religious community in southwest Georgia. Fruits of the Cotton Patch,Volume 2 contains Symposium presentations that interpret Jordan's storytelling and the meaning of his prophetic voice in the areas of peacemaking in the context of historical harms, the future of the affordable housing movement, and the direction of the New Monastic movement. These essays and others invite the curious, the student, and the teacher alike to experience the life and work of Clarence Jordan and its powerful connection to the present. In a world filled with so much cynicism and callousness, Clarence Jordan reminds us that 'the life together' can be a more hopeful and compassionate alternative. This book echoes Jordan's call to be a prophetic demonstration plot in a world desperately in need of reconciliation. --Anton Flores-Maisonet, Alterna, Georgia Rarely does a book so artfully include humor, inspiration, creativity, and scholarship. Yet this volume does so in a manner that fittingly reflects the legacy of a man, who had a PhD but was well known for his down-to-earth stories, and who moved comfortably between the worlds of formal podiums and dirt farm fields. Read it to learn more about Clarence Jordan and the Koinonia community! --Brian Kaylor, author of For God's Sake, Shut Up! This collection of essays witnesses to the Jesus-like figure of Clarence Jordan, as the books and letters in the New Testament testify to Jesus as the Christ. The love for and reverence of Clarence, combined with the stories of opposition to his ministry, confirm his Christ-likeness, just as the crucifixion and resurrection confirmed Jesus as the Messiah. --Ronald H. Stone, author of Politics and Faith Both volumes of these books should come with a warning label. For years, Clarence Jordan has been both a gadfly and a mentor for me. These volumes, which consist of presentations delivered at a symposium of which I was privileged to be a part, reawakened in me the challenge to be a prophet of God, not a false prophet of a church, and a disciple of Jesus, not just an admirer. --Billy E. Vaughn, Spencer Baptist Church, North Carolina Clarence Jordan has long been one of my heroes. It is a delight to spend time with people who have incorporated his vision of a lived faith in God into their creative work. As a neighbor of Clarence Jordan's is quoted in Roots as saying of him, 'he gone now, but his footprint still here. This fine book affirms that statement and gives me hope for all of our futures. --Martha Woodroof, author of Small Blessings Clarence Jordan's prophetic and Jesus-centered reading of the Bible is still relevant and can be seen in the voices collected in this book. They give his vision new life, necessary for healing the deep divisions found in humanity today. --Kelli Yoder, Assistant editor/web editor for Mennonite World Review Kirk Lyman-Barner received his Master of Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He is Director of U.S. Field Operations for The Fuller Center for Housing and pastor of Praxis Americus United Church of Christ. Cori Lyman-Barne