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Tell these Stones to Become Bread

Church as Negative Work

Tell these Stones to Become Bread

Church as Negative Work

Pre-order now for delivery after 30/04/2026.

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Paperback / softback

£50.00

Publisher: SCM Press
ISBN: 9780334067245
Number of Pages: 176
Published: 30/04/2026
Width: 15.6 cm
Height: 23.4 cm

Tell These Stones to Become Bread: Church as Negative Work reimagines the Church as a space of continual transformation rather than institutional preservation. Introducing the concept of negative work, it invites a theology of deconstruction, critique and openness to change. Drawing on contemporary theology, philosophy and lived ecclesial practice, the book re-examines the Church’s three traditional functions –  leiturgia  (worship), diakonia (service) and martyria (witness) – revealing how each of them can either reinforce control or nurture freedom and grace. Through dialogue with Dostoevsky’s ‘The Grand Inquisitor’ and case studies from diverse church contexts, this volume explores how the Church exists in the tension between the ‘already’ and the ‘not yet’ of God’s reign. Combining theological reflection with practical insight, Tell These Stones to Become Bread invites readers to discern how negative work might renew the Church’s life, witness and mission today.

1. Tell these Stones to Become Bread – Church as Negative Work 2. Negative Work – A Church Unbecoming? 3. The Functions of the Church as Focal Points 4. Diakonia 5. Liturgy 6. Martyria 7. A Church that May Be

Dr Edda Wolff

Dr Edda Wolff is an Episcopal priest and scholar who combines research and teaching with airport chaplaincy ministry. They earned their Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies from the University of Durham alongside training for ordained ministry in the Church of England at Westcott House, Cambridge. Their research explores the church as a site of ongoing transformation, drawing on negative theology to explore how ecclesial life takes shape through critique, communion and change.