NEW YORK CITY, July 31, 2012 – Reverend Kenneth E. Kovacs, Ph.D., has won the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation’s First Book Award, in partnership with the Presbyterian Writers Guild, for his book, The Relational Theology of James E. Loder: Encounter and Conviction (New York: Peter Lang, 2011). Kovacs, a pastor-theologian, was honored and delivered remarks at the Writers’ Guild luncheon held during the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) July 2012 in Pittsburgh.
As the second volume in Peter Lang’s Practical Theology Series (edited by Iain R. Torrance, Richard K. Osmer, and Gordon Mikoski), The Relational Theology of James E. Loder represents the first comprehensive critical assessment of Loder’s significant contribution to the field of practical theology. Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary for more than four decades, Loder (1931-2001) produced a compelling theological vision centering on the person and work of the Holy Spirit through an interdisciplinary methodology that identified patterns of correlation in the fields of psychology, educational theory, phenomenology, epistemology, and physics.
In their award citation, the Guild commended Kovacs for his “superior writing skills” that were “evident in this effort to make a scholarly work understandable” and more accessible to a wider audience. Reception from leading scholars has been equally enthusiastic. “Kovacs’ text is for the cynical and the hopeful. Read it, meditate on its implications, and apply it.” (Eolene Boyd-MacMillan, University of Cambridge, UK), “Invaluable insight into the Christian mind and convictions of one of the leading North American practical theologians of the late 20th Century.” (Thomas John Hastings, Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, NJ), “Truth, profundity and clarity: Loder’s work traffics in deep truths. Kovacs’ book brings them up to clarity.” (Marilyn McCord Adams, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC).
A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Kovacs received his Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrews (UK). Currently pastor of Catonsville Presbyterian Church near Baltimore, MD, he previously served congregations in St. Andrews and Mendham, NJ. Kovacs is an active blogger and participant in conversations on a range of issues facing the contemporary church and society. He explores the intersection between theology and psychology with a particular interest in Jungian analytic theory and Christian experience.
For more information and to order copies of The Relational Theology of James E. Loder, visit www.peterlang.com. Kenneth Kovacs can be reached directly at: kekovacs@gmail.com.
Contact
Michael McFadden
212-647-7700 ext. 3005
Kenneth Kovacs
410-747-6180 ext. 1005
