Emergent Enters Publishing Partnership with Baker Books

Posted by Doug Pagitt-

Emergent has struck a deal with Baker Books on a book line for reflective practitioners and engaged scholars interested in conversation and missional action around the issues of Christian theology, practice, spirituality, justice, and church life. The line, much like the network, will include a wide range of Christian leaders from progressive evangelical, mainline Protestant, and Roman Catholic backgrounds.

The line will be similar in focus to the current EYS line which is partnership with Youth Specialties and Zondervan. The change was precipitated by the change in the relationship with Emergent and Youth Specialties. With YS's announcement that they were no longer going to host the national convention it became a good time to look at the nature of the publishing partnership as well.

After long, forthright and friendly discussion it became clear that Emergent would do well to have a publishing relationship directly with a publisher. It also became clear that Baker Books was the best choice. Their commitment to this conversation and their company wide enthusiasm to see this line be an exceptional resource was clear.

Because of their commitment to resource the people in their influence we are working on continuing our relationship with our good friends at Youth Specialties by discussing the idea of them being a marketing partner of the new line.

We will be putting together an "editorial board" to work on selecting and developing titles. Chad Allen from Baker will be our primary partner at Baker.

I believe that the continuation of the line is an important part of our Emergent efforts. My hope is that this line will serve to introduce new authors through the strength of the line who might otherwise have a more difficult time having their ideas heard. We also intend to work hard to create confidence in the line so that if someone has appreciated some books in the line they can feel confident in other books as well.

We anticipate that the first books in the line will be out in late 2006.

We have not yet settled on a name for the line but that should be coming soon.

Comments

[Jamie Arpin-Ricci]

Excellent news! Baker is an ideal partner in this conversation. After years in literature distribution, I have come to have a great deal of respect of the quality of their publications.

While I am sure more information will be forthcoming, I was wondering if there will be a seperate set of criteria and/or channel through which proposed titles could be passed than the main Baker editors. Or, will the line feature books written by invitation only? Very curious, love to hear.

My prayer and support is behind it. Peace.

[Jamie Arpin-Ricci]

Excellent news! Baker is an ideal partner in this conversation. After years in literature distribution, I have come to have a great deal of respect of the quality of their publications.

While I am sure more information will be forthcoming, I was wondering if there wil be, other than the typical Baker submission process, a designated/seperate set of criteria and/or channels through which proposed titles could be passed than the main Baker editors. Or will the line feature books written by invitation only? Very curious, love to hear.

My prayer and support is behind it. Peace.

[Bill Dahl]

Wait a minute!

It appears that you are maneuvering toward several dead-ends that we can and must intentionally avoid:

1. Bottom - Up instead of Top-down - The "conversation" occurs "down here" NOT "up there." Putting together and "editorial board" to select titles sounds terribly selective, corporate and hierarchical, mirroring the weakness of the present stucture we are attempting to avoid. Once again, appears like a funnel to me. Perhaps we should envision a sautee pan and let the aroma rise to whomevers nostrils find it pleasing.

2. Publishing Network vs. Sole-source - You need to develop a diverse NETWORK of strategic publishing relationships who have an appetite for this fare. Iunderstand that your announcement is "just a beginning." Let's not lose sight of what's healthy for all concerned. It's a "network" man! All the evidence is in...Zondervan YS will accept manuscripts ONLY from established authors with "recognizable names." We don't need another "publishing portal" dedicated solely to "established authors." The value within the Emergent C community are those voices who have yet to be provided with an "official platform," who have and are making ongoing contributions to the conversation.

3. Leaders v. Sheep - You say the literay works to be considered shall "include a wide range of Christian leaders from progressive evangelical, mainline Protestant, and Roman Catholic backgrounds." My question is, what about the sheep...those with hoofs on the ground in this emergent pasture...those who do not hold "positions" or "degrees" in theology or Christendom? You MUST insure that there is a mechanism to champion "Perspectives from the Pasture."...."Reflective practicioners and engaged scholars"---leads me to believe the rest of us should just take a seat in a pew and "listen up!"....again!!!(Heaven help us all!).

4. Competition/Open Markets - Let the spiritual and intellectual currency of emergent C "float." There is no need to artificially maintain the value of our currency by limiting it to 2 Christian publishing houses.

5. Consider extending the "network" to secular publishing houses.

6. Consider assembling a toolkit that assists those in our community who have the desire to publish their works with the tools to do so (may include self-publishing).

7. Create a "Writers Conference" for Emergent-US whereby interested publishers attend and meet with propsective authors about "works in production."

8. I have read many superb literary works by those in our community who will never get a book published. However, the "ARTICLES" they have authored and published on emergent C websites have blessed us all. You should consider creating a methodology for recognizing these contributions from those who are NOT "Reflective practicioners and engaged scholars." Perhaps you might create such a mechanism on this site for the "Best of the Best."

My hope is that this commentary is constructive and provides additional considerations that motivate you to E X P A N D your thought process.

Thank you for your bold first steps. Let's keep moving in the right direction.

Bill

[Billy Jo Jimbob Slim]

Is the church a creation of religious individuals or are religious individuals the product of the church?

Billy Jo Jimbob Slim

[Andrew Seely]

Any one know when the PBS doc is going to air that they shot at Emergent????

[Billy Jo Jimbob Slim]

Seriously folks,

Is the church a creation of religious individuals or are religious individuals the product of the church?

Billy Jo Jimbob Slim

[Jamie Arpin-Ricci]

Billy Jo Jimbob,

Perhaps if you asked the question in the context of this thread about Emergents recent partnership with Baker Books.

[Billy Jo Jimbob Slim]

Within the context of this thread about Emergent's recent partnership with Baker books, how does one approach, and answer, the question, "Is the church a creation of religious individuals or are religious individuals the product of the church?"

Billy Jo Jimbob Slim

[Jamie Arpin-Ricci]

Billy. I seriosuly apologize for my thick-headedness, but I still understand the question within this context. Sorry.

[Jamie Arpin-Ricci]

Oops. I meant to say that I still DON'T understand the question within the context.

[Billy Jo Jimbob Slim]

Then forget about the context, just answer the question how ever you take it...

BJJS

[Jamie Arpin-Ricci]

Hey Bill. Great questions. I hope someone answers them, as I am very interested in the future of publishing with emergent.

(BBJS, perhaps this isn't the place for the question if it doesn't pertain to this thread. Sorry)

[Billy Jo Jimbob Slim]

Of course it pertains to this thread. The questions stands and as soon as emergent faces it, then, perhaps, they can proceed with constructive ecclesiology. After all, Emergent seems to be, primarily, an ecclesiology club...and not necesarrily, first and formest, a theology conversation

BJJS

[Geoff Holsclaw]

Bill dahl,
these are really great question (aiming at the E X A N S I O N of the conversation). While none of this is official (and it won't ever be official, but I mean we haven't yet dedicated time/energy), there were quite a few of us in Nashville were talking about this very problem (of established publishers publishing established [or well connecdted] authors) and the need for the emerging church to brainstorm alternative publishing options: i.e. webzines, publish-on-demand, pdf formats and donation based.

But none of this is going to come out of organized publisher (b/c this is a threat to them), and neither should we you all (we all) wait for the ECG to think up something different and implement it.

The ECG is attempting to reach a wider audience through Baker (and that is a good thing). But those of us interested in alternative publishing should start organizing publishing alternative for essays and book that are either too larger or too academic to post on 'the ooze', 'detour', or 'emergingchurch.info.'

If anyone else is interested in this please leave a comment with your name and email and please start coming up with via options that all of us can kick around.

[Geoff Holsclaw]

BJJS,
maybe if you expained the importance of the question (as you see it) and why you have framed in just this way, people might be able to enter into dialogue with you.

for my part, "Is the church a creation of religious individuals or are religious individuals the product of the church?" is a very difficult question.

first you shift from 'creation' to 'product' (does that means something?

second, what constitutues a 'religious individual'?

but beyond those clarifications, i would say (given your terms) that the Church is the creation of God in Christ through the Spirit, and 'religious individual' are products of our culture (liberal consumerist), but that the Church create/enables individuals to be themselves (which is only possible in/through Christ [please don't read this as 'self actualization', it is the very opposite, because being in Christ is the end of individuality as defined by modernity); and therefore I would say with the Church Father: "there is no salvation outside the Church."

but i have a haughting suspicion that this has not answered you question, or that I might have fallen into a trap, but o well.

[Billy Jo Jimbob Slim]

Geoff,
Well said indeed. In fact, i think you did answer my question, and quite well at that. However, I would like you to say more on how this isn't "self-actualization." And how is being in Christ the end of indiviuality. Isn't being in Christ via communion of the church the beginning of indiviudality in community? I agreee with your premise, but I'm not sure you make the connection of being in Christ the end of individuality and how this isn't self-actualization. You will need to tease this out a bit more for me. Thanks for finally being courageous enough to actually engage in dialogue unlike some of the other folks around here.

BJJS

[Geoff Holsclaw]

Well, while we could continue in this format, it seems that this type of question would be very suitable for an extended essay where these issues of 'individuality' in communion with Christ (in/as His body) could be fleshed out (because I could [and people have] write extendedly concerning the 'modern individual', 'liberal consumerism', 'being (sacramentally/politically) in Christ', and many other ambiguous terms).

Which is why we need alternative venues for publishing, as well as place for extended engagement and critique.

But I will have to leave it there for not (even though i would like to say more...perhaps others will pick up where I leave off...

[Dan-D from Canada]

bjjs -

I commented earlier but it seems to have been lost in cyberspace. So let me try again.

This posting is not really on the topic that you are attempting to dialogue on, so the response you get will likely not be very large. The question you are asking is good, but the context can vary so much (biblical studies folks will answer it different from a scoial scientist like me) so I recommend picking a few emails of people you see posting here regularly and try asking that way. Feel free to email me if you like.

[Billy Jo Jimbob Slim]

Geoff,

the many are called to be one. but it is a one that does not devour the many. the many become one precisely by remaining the many, and the one is brought about by each of the many making its distinct contribution to the others and thhus to the wholel world. it is a process that aims at an ever more pervasive concentration of the many in each other and thus in a greater whole. whereas individualization is weakened, personalization is intensified; the individual finds its true self as part of the other selves. so there is a movement not toward absolute or monistic oneness but toward what might be called "unitive pluralism": plurality constituting unity. or, in simpler, more engaging terms: the movement is toward a truly dialogical community, in which each member lives and is itself through dialogue with others.

-BJJS

[Jamie Arpin-Ricci]

BJJS. Am I one of "the folks around here" that was not "courageous" enough to answer your question? Truly curious if that is why you think I did not reply or if you are not referring to me at all. -Jamie

[bjjs]

Jaime...I don't know the answer to your question. Are you? You tell me. The decision to be "courageous" enough to dialogue is your choice alone.

[a tiny canadian]

A Baker's emerging line of books... Well as long as what is emerging from the bakery is unleavened bread. You could go a bit humorous...with the whole dough-boy thing. Or, a bit more feed the people with a NYC Catholic Worker "Breadline" motif.

If you want to go the way of Baker of bread, emerging, crushed grain, mixed dough, small-rising (minus yeast), aroma, hot fresh bread, this is my body broken for you... bread of the presence....

I like emergent and YS and Zondervan etc, but I always thought emergent YS was a corny clash of brands. There was no corn in the purpose of the merger, I understand that. It's just everybody having to have their handle, their tag on the inner-city subway car (book cover) leaves a bit too much for the shucking.