Schenck books on sale

Until this Sunday, there is a massive sale on my books with Wesleyan Publishing House. WPH is moving to a mostly digital and print on demand model. [Remember I was called naive for suggesting this move a year and a half ago.]

I have written books on the whole New Testament with accompanying devotional books. Here are the books that are on sale:

Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians
1. 1 and 2 Corinthians (a full length commentary on these letters) ($4.20)

Jesus
2. Jesus: The Mission (the overall mission of Jesus) ($3.15)
3. Jesus: Portraits from the Gospels (the special emphases of the four Gospels) ($3.15)

Devotionals
4. The Wisdom of Jesus (devotionals on the Sermon on the Mount) ($2.10)
5. The Passion of Jesus (devotionals on Mark's Passion narrative) ($2.10)
6. The Parables of Jesus (devotionals on Jesus' parables, especially in Luke) ($2.10)
7. The Witness of Jesus (devotionals on the symbolism of John's Gospel) ($2.10)

Acts
8. The Early Church: Reaching the World ($3.15)

Devotionals
9. Our Foundation (devotionals on Acts 13-28) ($6.99)
10. Our Mission (devotionals on Acts 13-28) ($2.10)

Paul
11. Paul: Messenger of Grace (Corinthians, Thessalonians, Galatians, Philippians) ($2.73)
12. Paul: Soldier of Peace (Romans) ($2.73)
13. Paul: Prisoner of Hope (the Prison and Pastoral Epistles) ($2.73)

Devotionals
14. Our Joy (devotionals on Philippians) (1.89)
15. Our Hope (devotionals on 1 Thessalonians) (1.89)
16. Our Righteousness (devotionals on (Romans 1-8) (1.89)
17. Our Relationships (devotionals on Romans 9-16) ($1.89)
18. Our Purpose (devotionals on Ephesians and Colossians) ($1.89)
19. Our Faith (devotionals on 1-2 Timothy and Titus) ($1.89)

Hebrews through Revelation
20. The Early Church: Letters to the Body of Christ ($3.15)

Devotionals
21. Our Walk (devotionals on James)
22. Our Future (devotionals on Revelation) ($6.99)

How to Interpret the Bible
23. Making Sense of God's Word ($1.68) (also available in this form)

New Testament Survey
24. God's Plan Fulfilled ($4.20) (also available in this fuller form)

Women in Ministry
25. Why Wesleyans Favor Women in Ministry ($2.50)

Other Publications
And since I'm at it, here are other books I've written:
26. Understanding the Book of Hebrews ($23.71)
27. A Christian Philosophical Journey ($26.69)
28. A Brief Guide to Philo ($29.25)
29. Cosmology and Eschatology in Hebrews: The Settings of the Sacrifice ($45.83)

Self-Published
1. Who Decides What the Bible Means?
2. The True Wesleyan
3. The Problem of Evil and Suffering: Why Does God Allow It?
4. Explanatory Notes on Galatians
5. God and Creation: Wesleyan-Arminian Reflections
6. Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology 1

Reinventing Wesleyan Publishing House

1. For a few years now, Wesleyan Publishing House (WPH) has been declining. I suppose that's no surprise given the general state of the publishing industry right now. In the absence of any real change, it's been dying a slow death. Fewer and fewer staff, no real vision (unless the plan is to let it fall under its own weight). Just the General Board checking the numbers each meeting and seeing a bad trajectory.

I think the situation has now reached a ripeness for reinvention. Any forces that might have fought against doing something innovative are pretty much gone. Now is an opportune moment to do something I think we can be quite good at--innovating.

2.  For example, I've heard it suggested that the main divisions of HQ should be the point people for initiating and then marketing WPH books. So a book would only get published if Spiritual Formation, Education/Clergy Care, etc. were willing to take it under their wings and do the initial underwriting of the project.

They do it already and have sometimes done it in tension with WPH. These leaders are the ones out there in the churches anyway. Their leaders and staff have often been great marketers. How better to insure that the books produced at HQ are useful to the church?

3. There needs to be a full shift to a print-on-demand model that does not require any in-house sales or shipping. As an extreme example, WPH could do all its sales and shipping through Amazon. It could have a website that is basically a glorified astore. I don't know if a publisher like Wipf & Stock would be be willing to be a publishing arm for a denominational imprint.

In the print-on-demand model, a book isn't printed until it is ordered. No book ever goes out of print, and every book can make a profit. With Wipf & Stock, there is an initial fee. But they even have editors on staff. Then the book is permanently available and printed on demand.

4. Bottom line. Let's not ever use the word "close." Let's use the word "re-structure." There's no reason for closure. (P.S. Why not let the colleges in on the game too? Then IWU could merge its Triangle Publishing into the enterprise).