Frequently Asked Questions
What is the book about? One New Humanity argues that Ephesians 2 offers a radical vision of human dignity and peace that challenges the shame and violence of the Roman Empire and the contemporary world. Drawing on insights from early Christians, the global church, social sciences, and the biblical narrative, we show that through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, we gain a peaceable way of being human for the world—impacting identity, relationships, church, and vocation. In the process of deeply examining glory, violence, and the gospel of peace, we answer the question, “What does it mean to be human?”
Who are the authors of One New Humanity? The principal authors are Kristin Caynor and Werner Mischke (see Authors).
- Kristin Caynor (PhD Candidate, University of Aberdeen) has spent her life between Anglo-America, Thailand, and the Hispanic world. These places have all informed her life, work, and theology. Kristin hopes to continue peace-building with the Bethlehem Institute of Peace and Justice.
- Werner Mischke, DD (Hon. Causa), served with Mission ONE for thirty-two years. He continues to be involved in cross-cultural ministry and collaborative learning to serve the global church. His book The Global Gospel examines “honor-shame” in Scripture, culture, and contextualizing the gospel. Werner advocates for Christ’s gospel of peace, near and far.
- Other contributors are D. Zac Niringiye, PhD, who wrote the book’s Afterword, and Brad Vaughn, PhD, who wrote Appendix 1: “Reconciling Atonement in Ephesians 2: An Exegetical Approach.”
Where can I buy the book?
- MissionBooks.com
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- At your favorite major retailer or independent bookstore
Who is the target audience? One New Humanity is for Christian leaders, thoughtful pastors, and other curious persons. One purpose of the book is to show how Ephesians 2 rhymes with complex contemporary social problems and the challenge of violence to the global church. Many in global Christianity will find resonance with their collective identity concerns, normally unaddressed in evangelicalism. Many readers in the United States will find the book speaks to concerns about racism and conflict in politics and the church. Missionaries and those involved in cross-cultural ministry will see that the gospel of peace speaks to the challenges of collective identity conflict—and how this may contribute to church planting efforts.
Is the book available in different formats? One New Humanity is available in paperback and ebook formats: Amazon Kindle and ePub. It will soon be available in PDF format, which will be fed to library-lending systems, such as EBSCO, ProQuest, RedShelf, etc.
What is the price of the book? Paperback: (US) $29.99. Kindle and ePub: (US) $17.99.
What about discounts? The publisher (William Carey Publishing) offers a 20% discount code for either the paperback or ebook. Use this link or the QR code below to get an automatic 20% discount.
What about quantity discounts and institutional orders?
Contact William Carey Publishing:
Email: [email protected]
For International orders go to: https://missionbooks.org/pages/international-order-form
Phone: 1-720-372-7036 / Monday–Friday 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM MST
Address: William Carey Publishing, 10 W. Dry Creek Circle, Littleton, CO 80120
What are the book industry specifics?
Category: RELIGION / Christian Ministry / Missions
Genre: Nonfiction
Paperback: 6” x 9”
ISBN: 978-1-64508-610-9
How many pages long is the book? 366
What about a Scripture or Topic Index? The book has both a Scripture Index and an extensive Topic Index that researchers will find valuable. The authors devoted considerable attention to creating a helpful Topic Index.
Are there any testimonials for the book? Yes, see Endorsements.
Why was the book’s cover image chosen? What does it mean? The image above is called “Anastasis” (Gk: resurrection). It shows that as Jesus rises in victory over death, he pulls Adam and Eve out of their coffins, delivering them from sin and the grave while stomping on hell and the devil. Jesus is also pulling Adam and Eve together—he is reconciling and reuniting them. This rhymes theologically with Ephesians 2:15—“that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, thus making peace.” Adam and Eve together represent humanity; this image speaks of horizontal reconciliation and the “one new humanity” of Ephesians 2:15 (ktisē en autō eis hena kainon anthrōpon / create in himself a unified, brand-new kind of humanity). “Anastasis” pictures Jesus as Creator, Victor, Reconciler, and Peacemaker for “One New Humanity.” According to Wikimedia Commons, the image is titled, “Anastasis, Harrowing of Hell and Resurrection.” Photographed by GunnarBach, February 2004, the image is of a fresco painting from the Chora Church (now Kariye Mosque) in Istanbul, Turkey. According to Wikipedia, the original Chora Church dates to the fourth century. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, GunnarBach; this applies worldwide.
What inspired the authors to write the book? Werner Mischke had been perplexed for decades by the fact that so-called Christian-majority nations (like Germany, Rwanda, and the US) could be lands where profound evils and group versus group violence occurred. He also saw in Ephesians 2 that the cross of Christ accomplishes a reconciliation between Jews and gentiles “through the cross, thereby killing the hostility” (Eph 2:16). What hope might Eph 2:11–22 offer to the Church—and thereby to a world—awash in hostility? Werner was interested in writing a book that built on his extenisve research in honor, shame, and the gospel while also addressing the problem of division, polarization, and violence.
His original two-page overview listed research categories; among them was this goal—to examine the work of early Christian writers as to how they used this text in Ephesians 2. Werner met Kristin Caynor at the Mission ONE office one day in the fall of 2020; Werner and Kristin discussed the Ephesians 2 book project. Kristin showed Werner how it was possible to research early Christian writers relative to particular Scripture texts. Soon, Werner asked Kristin to do a three-month research project and write a paper on how Ephesians 2:11–22 was understood and referenced by the Church Fathers. Thus, a four-year-long collaborative research and writing project was born. Eventually, Werner and Kristin agreed to be co-authors of One New Humanity: Glory, Violence, and the Gospel of Peace.
Who funded the book project? Mission ONE was the primary funder of the project until the end of 2024. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Mission ONE Board of Directors for this project and all the other members of the Mission ONE community of friends, donors, and patrons.