Clarence Jordan seemed to be born with an ability to see things just a little bit differently than other people did--and sometimes that got him into trouble. Like his views on racial equality: they just weren't popular with many other White people in the Deep South of his day. Like his views on war and how to deal with violence and hatred. For Clarence, the Gospel was very clear about these issues. Moreover, he believed that Jesus's teachings were not just abstract principles but were meant to be applied directly to everyday life. That got him into trouble too, especially among certain church-going people. Along the way, Clarence became a progressive farmer, a sought-after preacher, a Greek scholar, an author, a precursor of the Civil Rights movement, and a family man. An irrepressible sense of humor enlivened all these aspects of his life. Today, Clarence Jordan is best known as the author of the Cotton Patch Gospels and as the inspiration for Habitat for Humanity. The story of the making of this extraordinary man is not so widely known. Cotton Patch Rebel tells that story.

In honor of what would have been Clarence Jordan's one hundredth birthday and the seventieth anniversary of Koinonia Farm, the first Clarence Jordan Symposium convened in historic Sumter County, Georgia, in 2012, gathering theologians, historians, actors, and activists in civil rights, housing, agriculture, and fair-trade businesses to celebrate a remarkable individual and his continuing influence. Clarence Jordan (1912-1969), a farmer and New Testament Greek scholar, was the author of the Cotton Patch versions of the New Testament and the founder of Koinonia Farm, a small but influential religious community in southwest Georgia. Roots in the Cotton Patch, Volume 1 contains Symposium presentations addressing Clarence's influence as a storyteller and contextual preacher and prophet, his pacifist witness in a violent and segregated South, and the contemporary meaning of his life's work in Christian community. Uniting these powerful essays is the obvious impact Jordan's life has had on so many. His life and work continue to inspire a new generation of activists, seminary students, and people in search of the meaning of Christian community.

In honor of what would have been Clarence Jordan's one hundredth birthday and the seventieth anniversary of Koinonia Farm, the first Clarence Jordan Symposium convened in historic Sumter County, Georgia, in 2012, gathering theologians, historians, actors, and activists in civil rights, housing, agriculture, and fair-trade businesses to celebrate a remarkable individual and his continuing influence. Clarence Jordan (1912-1969), a farmer and New Testament Greek scholar, was the author of the Cotton Patch versions of the New Testament and the founder of Koinonia Farm, a small but influential religious community in southwest Georgia. Fruits of the Cotton Patch,Volume 2 contains Symposium presentations that interpret Jordan's storytelling and the meaning of his prophetic voice in the areas of peacemaking in the context of historical harms, the future of the affordable housing movement, and the direction of the New Monastic movement. These essays and others invite the curious, the student, and the teacher alike to experience the life and work of Clarence Jordan and its powerful connection to the present.

"As agronomy is the care of the soil and Dr. Arnold's life work, he shares with the reader his care for the soul as he travels through life in this insightful autobiography. The reader becomes a visitor in the lively dialog among family members and colleagues as Dr. Arnold reveals conflicts and resolutions in the world of faith and science. His subtle sense of humor adds a light touch to this amazing journey." - Anne S. Owens, President Samar Publishing Inc. "Wendell Arnold's beautifully written story of his life is so intriguing I couldn't put it down. When you read this book, you will discover the author is a man who dearly loves his family and friends. Furthermore, his completely committed faith in our Lord is a role model for all Christians." - Doris Hodges "Faith and Science. Can one person truly emote to these two different worlds? In this book, the autobiographer reveals his unwavering deep faith, while overcoming many challenges as he lived a professional life as a well respected and successful scientist. Read on and discover a true story that is deep in meaning, yet inter spaced with happy family memories and light diversions. The reader will have much to ponder long after the end of the book." - Jo Watkins "Science and religion walk hand in hand in Wendell Arnold's journey from a farm boy to the holder of a Doctorate in phytopathology and numerous patents in the environmental field. In From the Cotton Patch to Ph.D. we encounter a warm and readable story of a man's life defined by scientific inquiry and his relationship to Jesus Christ." - Bob Libby, Author and Episcopal Priest "Wendell Arnold's story of his Christian walk in life's journey is inspiring, heart-warming and a window into mid-century American life. Dr. Arnold's disarming and self-deprecating account of his experiences in family, youth, marriage, professional life and retirement paint a personal portrait of how to be aware of Christ's constant presence in our daily lives. Sit back and enjoy your travels with Wendell, knowing that you will find strength in his example." - Ruth D. Foss, Diocesan President, Daughters of the King. The title From the Cotton Patch to Ph.D. is by its very nature autobiographical. Wendell Arnold tells about being from a family of nine kids whose parents are share croppers. The experience in the cotton patch to dealing with corporate political challenges, environmental issues and legal avenues blended with raising a family paints the picture of a managed life. He shares his profound experience with God in his life as the adventures take more twists and turns than a rattlesnake chasing his prey. Dr. Arnold is a scientist with a BS and MS in Agronomy and a Ph.D. in Plant Sciences. He holds over ten patents on compound efficacy to control plant pathogens and is the author or co-author of over 35 scientific papers that have been published in refereed journals. Dr. Arnold skillfully tells his intriguing story of growing up picking cotton and becoming a world renowned scientist with faith in God. His story is a must read for those who think that religion, science and environmental improvement don't mix.

This "Greatest Story Ever Retold" is based on the book "The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John" in which the Gospel is presented in a setting of rural Georgia with country music songs, the final and perhaps best work of Harry Chapin.

The story of Koinonia Farm and Clarence Jordan is as important today as it was in 1971 when Dallas Lee first recorded the history, shortly after Jordan's death. This is a story of the enduring witness of Christian communal living that continues to influence the faithful around the world. In 1942, Clarence and others set out to live as the early apostles, following Christ's teaching and sharing all things in common. Everyone was welcome. When word spread that a Negro farmhand shared their communal table, the consequences exploded fast and hard as the Ku Klux Klan came calling with bombs, gunfire, and boycott. This edition concludes with a new afterword by director of Koinonia Farm Bren Dubay that highlights the continuity of Koinonia's original mission today, despite all the challenges and changes since 1942.