Creed without Chaos: Exploring Theology in the Writings of Dorothy L. Sayers
Endorsements: "In this superb commentary on Sayers, Laura Simmons brilliantly helps church members and leaders of all sorts recover the task of speaking biblical truth clearly. Not only did this book inspire me immensely with Sayers's (and Simmons's) keen theological insights into such topics as how the writing process illustrates the Trinity, but it also offers great suggestions for future study of Sayers. A concise glossary of recurrent doctrinal deviations helps us avoid and combat them, and encouraging excerpts from Sayers's letters show us the kind of people we need to be to serve God in our present circumstances. This is an exceedingly timely book."--Marva J. Dawn, teaching fellow in spiritual theology, Regent College, Vancouver"As the institutional church falters, lay theology becomes increasingly important, infusing dogma with new life. In twentieth-century England, the list of such lay thinkers was impressive--Chesterton, Lewis, Eliot, and the least known of this group, Dorothy Sayers. With the publication of Creed without Chaos, readers now have access to the breadth of Sayers's theology, particularly as expressed in her voluminous letters. In the process, Simmons has provided an important resource for America's twenty-first-century church."--Robert K. Johnston, professor of theology and culture, Fuller Theological Seminary"Simmons has done us a great service in writing the first full-length, comprehensive survey of the theology of Dorothy L. Sayers. This enterprise has difficulties. Most of the devotees of Lord Peter Wimsey and many who appreciate the translations of Dante are not interested in theology, and theologians raise their eyebrows and say, 'Sayers?' For Sayers, however, the novels, the theology, and the translations were all 'variations upon a hymn to the Master Maker,' and Simmons celebrates the hymn and the value of its theological variations for the twenty-first century."--Canon John Thurmer, former chancellor of Exeter Cathedral"A thorough evaluation of Sayers's theological contribution is long overdue. In recent years, attention has been paid to important features of her life, literary work, and fictional writings. This volume, the fruit of more than a decade of investigation into Sayers's thought, draws on the full range of both her creative writings and her informative letters. In doing so, it further enhances Sayers's reputation as one of the twentieth century's most significant and vigorous apologists for the Christian faith."--Robert Banks, senior research and development fellow, Center for the Study of Christian Thought and Experience, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia