Imagine a sales chart with a line that starts at the uppermost left corner and then curves slightly to the right until it drops rapidly and then peters out into a long tail that extends off the right-hand side of the chart. The far left side is the “head” and it represents “hits” – high volume items that sell in mass quantities. The long curve or the “long tail” (which gradually descends to the bottom, but never quite hits it) represents an endless amount of miscellaneous “niche” items. Our tendency is to assume that the “hits” matter and the “misses” are irrelevant. “It’s human nature to see things in absolutes and extremes, black or white, all one thing or all another – hits or misses. But of course the world is messy, gradated, and statistical. We forget that most products aren’t big sellers, because most of the ones we see on the shelves do indeed sell in huge numbers, at least compared to those that didn’t make it to the store in the first place. Yet the vast majority of virtually everything, from music to clothing, is at best only modestly popular. Most things fail the hit test, yet somehow they continue to exist. Why? Because the economics of blockbusters is not the only economics that works. Blockbusters are the exception, not the rule, and yet we see an entire industry through their rarefied air” (167). In this book, Chris Anderson sheds light on how the long tail is full of marketable treasures. And the nearly infinite stretch of the long tail makes the sales potential of these items a viable profit-making venture. “Hits are great, but niches are emerging as the big new market” (8). According to Anderson, for too long business theory has been driven by the economics of scarcity. But when companies like Amazon, Rhapsody, Netflix, and iTunes possess a nearly infinite shelf-space, the theory must change. “Seen broadly, it’s clear that the story of the Long Tail is really about the economics of abundance – what happens when the bottlenecks that stand between supply and demand in our culture start to disappear and everything becomes available to everyone” (11). For my extended review, click HERE.
According to Thomas Cahill, we Westerners “are the fortunate inheritors of two profound traditions that cannot be entirely reconciled but must compete with one another down the ages in a never-ending tug-of-war” (308), namely, the Judeo-Christian tradition and the Greco-Roman tradition. With many examples, Cahill demonstrates how the interaction between two traditions – Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian – formed our present culture. By primarily focusing on the people and events of the High Middle Ages – the twelfth, thirteenth, and first half of the fourteenth, ending with the coming of the Black Death in 1347 – Cahill offers a provocative, enjoyable, and visually-compelling overview of this fascinating era. For my extended summary, click HERE.
Very few of us feel that we know enough about grammar. Consequently, we feel insecure and incompetent in speaking and writing. This is magnified when in the presence of "grammar snobs" - those who use their alleged knowledge of grammar to humiliate others. (June argues that we must distinguish between "grammar snobs" and "word nerds," who simply enjoy language.) June has written this book to encourage those of us who feel less than adequate in our speaking and writing skills. She proves that, more often than not, the so-called rules that grammar snobs claim to exhaustively know are either untrue, or contradicted by other style manuals and word usage books. In other words, the rules of grammar are not as neat and nice as grammar snobs would have us think. There is major disagreement about many rules. For example, "To boldly go where no man has gone before" is not grammatically wrong. It is ok to split infinitives. And besides, "to boldly go" sounds a lot better than "to go boldly." Another example: It is ok to end a sentence with a preposition. There is no rule against it. June quotes Garner's Modern American Usage: "The spurious rule about not ending sentences with prepositions is a remnant of Latin grammar, in which a preposition was the one word that a writer could not end a sentence with" (23). Should one punctuate "do's and don't's," do's and don'ts," or "dos and don'ts"? (First: Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Second: Webster's New World College Dictionary and Third: The Chicago Manual of Style. Is it "Jesus's friend" or "Jesus' friend"? Should it be "red, white, and blue" or "red, white, and blue"? It is "16" or "sixteen"? Do you like music from "the '80s" or "the 80's" or "the 80s"? June's goal is that her readers would be a little less intimated by the meanies. One need not be a member of a super-exclusive clique in order to speak and write. Grammar and punctuation are relatively simple with a few confusing gray areas, but we should not allow these gray areas to keep us from communicating. June's humor makes learning fun. She is bright, witty, and a tad risque. She has great fun explaining the difference between "lay" and "lie." "'To lie' is something I do to myself. 'To lay' is something I do to something - or, ahem, someone - else" (18). Lay is inflected as lay-laid-laid. Lie is inflected as lie-lay-lain. (Note that much confusion arises from the fact that the past tense of lie is lay.)
Like Livingston's previous book, this is full of common sense wisdom. And also like the previous book, the chapter titles are generally more compelling than the actual content of each chapter. Some of my favorites: Much of what we think we know is untrue, One of life's most difficult tasks is to see ourselves as others see us, Moral certainty is the reward of the true believer, The primary difference between intelligence and stupidity is that there are limits to intelligence, No one ever died of insomnia, and Happiness requires an ability to tolerate uncertainty.
This is a heartbreaking account of a young white girl and her adopted black brothers growing up in a strict, fundamentalist home in the 80s. Julia's life at home was filled with abuse and tragedy. She was sexually abused by her older adopted brother, Jerome, and neglected by her family. She experienced the evils of racism because of her close relationship to her other adopted brother, David. Her home life reflected a prison and she, quite naturally, rebelled against it. When her teenage rebellion became too much for her parents to stand, they sent her and David to a Christian reform school in the Dominican Republic where Julia and David struggled to survive abusive authority in the name of God. Julia's story is an example of how religion can go sour. The authoritarian, moralistic, abusive religion Julia experiences is sickening, to say the least. Tragically, neither God nor religion are Julia's real problem - although this will be the conclusion of many readers. The kind of religion Julia experiences is no more reflective of true religion than the Nazi doctors at the Nuremberg War Crimes trials are a reflection of the true practice of medicine and scientific experimentation. That aside, Julia's story is a true horror story. I am grateful she has survived. I am also grateful she took the time to write this compelling and provocative memoir. My only criticism: her parents are painted in such two-dimensional dimensions. Julia does not have anything positive at all to say about them, and thus they take on a "monster" status - they are reduced to caricatures and dehumanized and therefore easy to hate. Surely, there must be more to this couple than Julia cares to remember.
Imagine a world overrun by Zombies. Beginning with "patient zero" all the way through to the final clean-up operations, Brooks describes the Zombie War - also known as "World War Z," "Z War One," and "The Walking Plague" - through the use of first-person accounts. At first, this method seems disjointed, but as the book progresses, the narratives come together to form a cohesive whole. The initial stirrings of the zombie problem escalate into "The Great Panic." As the problem increases, survivors collect in fortified areas. Eventually, world leaders decide to launch a controversially all-out attack against the zombies. The war efforts are unique, since zombies do not need to be bred, fed, or led. The zombies have no loyalty or fear. They all fight for themselves, and thus the fight continues until every last one is dead. Every time a zombie bites a human (or animal) another zombie is created, and thus their forces increase exponentially. Modern war technology is of little help, since the only thing that will kill a zombie is the destruction of their brain. Brooks has created a fantastic, nuanced, and realistic account of what a world full of zombies would be like, and how difficult it would be to counter such an enemy. Perhaps there are metaphorical overtones of fighting terrorist strategies. But overall, this is simply a unique book that creatively reinvents the zombie genre.
Despite all of parodies of Mr. Rogers ("Can you say ______? I knew you could"), and despite the fact that Mr. Rogers remained completely "unhip" throughout his entire run (his wardrobe and set design remained the same despite changing fashions), most people now look back at Mr. Rogers with love and affection. Throughout his entire life, Fred Rogers remained deeply connected to the joys and pathos of childhood. He called us to slow down (every episode of his show began with a "yellow light") and get in touch with our feelings, and rediscover wonder and joy. Mr. Rogers was a perpetual source of encouragement - always ready to say, "I'm proud of you," always recognizing our uniqueness ("You’ve made this day a special day by just your being you."), always grateful that we paid him a visit. Mr. Rogers connected us to a neighborhood full of different people, places, and things. And this was not an act - this was the real Fred Rogers. His life and message were driven by his deep and profound faith. This book offers a number of anecdotes and examples of Mr. Roger's inspiring life and message. Though many of us didn't realize it when we were young (and especially as we grew older, cynical, more frenetic and jaded), we were in the presence of one of the best neighbors this world has ever had to offer. Thanks, Fred, for all the beautiful days in the neighborhood!
The author of one of my favorite books, The Culture of Fear, has now taken on the food nazis of the world. Eating is the new religion in America. "We worship at the temples of celebrity chefs. We raise our children to believe that certain foods are good and others are bad. We engage in elaborate rituals in preparing meals at home and describe ourselves as sinful if we order a creamy dessert when we eat out" (x). And like religion, outrageous claims are made by "true believers" - claims that cannot be substantiated by research, no matter how loud people shout. The reason: It is notoriously difficult to research long-term eating patterns: "such experiments are difficult to pull off successfully because people have a hard time sticking to mandated diets" (19). Additionally, "[t]he level of measurement error in food-frequency questionnaires is just so big, the results are very hard to interpret" (21). Glassner also shows how "natural" food really isn't that natural, and isn't always better. He also argues that McDonalds has been given a bad rap. Only in a land of plenty would we argue about the ready availability of food. A Starbucks' frappuccino has more calories and fat than a Big Mac, but no one is taking on Starbucks, because the people who buy the Super-Size-Me, Fast-Food-Nation arguments all think Starbucks is a pretty cool place to hangout. In short, Glassner exposes all the bloated rhetoric of the nutritional imperialists. Now, go enjoy a Wendy's Frosty or a thick slice of cheesecake.
This is an incredible novel about a village priest who befriends alien visitors in the middle ages during the days of the Black Death. Flynn combines an authentic medievel setting and mindset with futuristic speculation about the nature of space, time, and matter. Though it initially sounds hoky, in execution, it is spell-binding. The main character, Father Dietrich, is a complex and brilliant man who knows his theology, philosophy, and science (in the context of his 14th century setting). The Christian faith is neither affirmed nor spurned in this captivating tale of the meeting of two worlds. What more can I say: If you are interested in an authentic look at medieval life and the medieval mind combined with some of the most interesting science fiction aliens, then Eifelheim is for you! If this does absolutely nothing for you, then know one thing: no matter what you might think about yourself, you will never qualify for the label, "geek."
Creps' book is just a little too cute for its own good. I realize that he is attempting to take us off the beaten-path, but his disciplines are hardly disciplines in the classic sense of the word - not even by a long-shot. At the end, his book reads more like an analysis of the failings of the church than a practical book of helpful disciplines for Christian leaders seeking to minister in a relevant way in the contemporary culture. With that said, there are some helpful insights. Creps challenge leaders to realize that instead of looking for a better tool, better model, better technology, or better program, we must realize that personal transformation is the best ministry tool we possess. He wrestles with how we measure spiritual effectiveness in light of Jesus' call to store up treasure in heaven. He invites us to wrestle with the tension of participating in our culture while also critiquing it. "Paul, the apost who wanted to be 'all things to all men,' for example, chastised the Corinthian church for permitting immorality 'of a king that does not even occur among pagans'" (111). He reminds us that though professionals write theology, it is amateurs that implement it (125). Thus, one great struggle of the church is the battle between "irrelevant theorists vs. mindless practitioners" (129). First and foremost, we should not pursue novelty at the expense of fidelity. If we choose to reflect the heart of Christ, we must be willing to die for the good of others - both personally and corporately. Can we say, "If the choice is between the mission and the organization... I choose the mission"? (172)
Fasting is freedom from the things - good and bad - that easily enslave us. "In fasting, God invites us to experience the kind of freedom that is rooted in healthy discipline and meaningful sacrifice" (10). It frees us from being enslaved to our habits. It allows us to experience God in new ways - new ways that only become available as we give up old ways. Fasting is not self-punishment. It is indulgence to excess that is spiritually bankrupt and self-destructive. Fasting does not deny the body, but rather, affirms it in its role in our spiritual formation. Our goal is not to deny the body per se, but to integrate all things in seeking God. To some extent, fasting is this simple: "We remove something habitual so we can experience something new" (16). Fasting is counter-cultural. It makes no sense in our indulgent, consumer-driven society - a culture that demands we consume more things, better things, at an ever-increasing pace. But discipline and indulgence are in tension with one another. We lose space for God and for others when our thoughts are consumed with self-indulgence. Fasting opens a path to freedom from over-consumption and perpetual self-indulgence. It opens a space that we may fill up with prayer and good works. It allows us to identify with the poor and needy, the hungry and empty. It reveals how ungrateful we are for the many blessings we possess. Since fasting is never permanent, it places us in a rhythm of fasting and feasting, rather than the endless treadmill of more, more, more. Fasting does not automatically make us better people. See Luke 18:9-14 for proof of this. But it holds the potential to, if our hearts are right. Ultimately, fasting reminds us of the great self-sacrifice of Jesus, who gave himself for us and our sins. In light of this great sacrifice, how small and petty our own often appear. Oftentimes, fasting reveals our accessive attachments to things - attachments that we grip so tightly we are unable to be open to God. "In the Western world we need fasting today more than ever. Because we are submerged in a sea of advertisements that encourage us to consume endlessly and mindlessly, we need times to withdraw from our consumption to remember what really matters. We need moments of freedom from the forces in our culture that encourage acquisitiveness" (140). This book is a helpful and practical introduction to an important subject.
This long essay essentially argues that great strides in cumulative literarcy and new fields of knowledge have created a context in which god-talk is happening in America. This new context is has resulted in the democratization of theology. God-talk in America allows us to engaged with others without demanding that any of us declare particulars or certainty about God. The challenge is to find a place where private faith can find corporate expression and communal exercise to be real.
Who else but Oprah could have been the master of ceremonies at the service in Yankee Stadium following the September 11th tragedy? Oprah is the voice of the middle - of middle-class Americans, and even more particularly, of middle-class women. Her broadcasts particularly appeal to these women who "are trying to manage busy lives and households, address personal and social concerns, and maybe also lose some weight" (viii). Oprah invites us to "Live your best life." She offers tools to help toward this end: "books to read, people to emulate, material things to help" (viii). She invites us to learn from our experiences. "Like a refrain, she asks guests: What did you learn from this? She also involves her audience, asking rhetorically: What would you do?" (xv). Oprah acknowledges her failings, including her struggles with weight. She invites us to grow along with her in a surprisingly traditional way: "Oprah's teachings... are about everyday attitudes, responsible decision making, sharing one's gifts" (81). She remains broad and generic in her comments about God - opting for spirituality over religion. But in doing this, she does not deny the role of religion, but rather, seeks to enhance it. "She complements rather than rivals those institutions that promote spirituality. If she were more specific, she would be narrowcasting to smaller groups rather than broadcasting to millions in this country and around the world" (85). Nelson's evaluation of Oprah is mostly positive with one small critique: "Listening to and reading Oprah for a year was like always shopping, always looking for just the next better lipstick or pair of shoes, always correcting, always self-improving. A chronic edge of dissatisfaction compels the quest for satisfaction. It's a forever unquenchable desire. It's success by excess" (88). Oprah offers entertainment with values. "That's not religion. But it's compatible with religion" (94-95).
I read this book, assuming that it would criticly evaluate major models of leadership, but it was, for the most part, simply another book on leadership. Nothing special - not great, not bad either.
Christopher Nolan's The Prestige was my favorite movie of 2006. Having watched it for the second time on DVD, I decided to read the book. I was not disappointed. Though the main characters in the book are the same as in the movie, and major plot threads bear some similarity, on the whole, the book is a fresh experience. In the book, the source of the conflict between Alfred Borden (played by Christian Bale in the movie) and Rupert Angier (played by Hugh Jackman) is not the death of Angier's wife but the loss of his first child. Also, the Tesla machine in the book is much more macabre and terrifying. The problem the Tesla machine creates for Angier is also slightly different than the movie. The final scenes in the book are completely different than the movie and involve a strange, ghastly twist. In short, I loved the movie - it's perfect. And I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Early in his marriage, Pete Greig, co-founder of an international prayer movement called 24-7, experienced tragedy. Out of nowhere his wife Samie began experiencing epileptic fits. The couple soon discovered that Samie had an orange-sized tumor in her brain. During this difficult time, Pete experienced the silence of God. His prayers during Samie’s epileptic fits were, by and large, to no avail. This book was birthed out of Pete’s frustrations. No matter how hard we try to deny it, “[w]e all get hijacked eventually… The terror comes in many guises: a sudden trauma, a long-term illness, the loss of someone you love, the death of a dream” (16). For the sake of public perception, Christians are good at recounting stories about answered prayer. But we are not so good at sharing our disappointments. Yet, we must make some sense of unanswered prayer. Why? “It’s precisely because we believe so passionately in the power of prayer that we must also make sense of unanswered prayer” (25). For my extended summary of this book, click HERE.
Why do some ideas stick and others don't? Why do some of the strongest and most detailed presentations have no impact? The brothers, Chip and Dan, offer answers in the book Made to Stick. Though there is no formula for a sticky idea, they "do draw from a common set of traits, which make them more likely to succeed" (15). They summarize these traits with the acronym: SUCCESs: Sticky ideas are Simple (but not simplistic), Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Storied. The authors give numerous examples of each trait. For example, one way to get people to remain interested is to move them from a Huh? experience to an Aha experience. The Heath brothers defense of story as a means of influence is powerful: "The problem is that when you hit listeners between the eyes they respond by fighting back. The way you deliver a message to them is a cue to how they should react. If you make an argument, you're implicitly asking them to evaluate your argument - judge it, debate it, criticize it - and then argue back, at least in their minds. But with a story... you engage the audience - you are involving pople with the idea, asking them to participate with you" (234). After explaining the common traits of sticky ideas, the Heath brothers argue that for an idea to "be useful and lasting, it's got to make the audience: 1. Pay attention, 2. Understand and remember it, 3. Agree/Believe, 4. Care, and 5. Be able to act on it (246). The traits make this response possible: 1. We pay attention to the unexpected, 2. We understand and remember the concrete, 3. We agree and believe in the credible, 4. We care about the emotional, and 5. We are enabled to act through story. I find it fascinating that the Heath brothers are essentially describing the way Jesus taught. He was simple yet profound, he taught unexpected truths and his stories took unexpected twists, his illustrations were concrete, his credibility was obvious, he appealed to the emotions, and he taught primarily through stories - both the overarching story of God and smaller parables and stories.
"If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what then, is an empty desk?" - Albert Einstein. "What if the costs of being neat and well organized often outweigh the benefits? What if being somewhat messy, in a broad sense, is a better deal?" (4) Yes... what if? This would certainly alleviate a good portion of the guilt that us "messies" have to deal with. The answer to the author's question is an unqualified "yes." The authors argue that the advantages of neatness are often illusory. In fact, the advantages are typically outweighed by the costs: "Though it flies in the face of almost universally accepted wisdom, moderately disorganized people, institutions, and systems frequently turn out to be more efficient, more resilient, more creative, and in general more effective than highly organized ones" (5). Most people assume "they should be neater and more organized and feel bad that they aren't" (5). This is not necessarily so. For example, messy desks are not indications of messy thinking. In fact, "one of the great characteristics of a messy desk [is that] it will tend to naturally reflect the way you think and work. Thought and work are unpredictable, varying, and ambiguous. They're messy. Why shouldn't your desk be messy, too?" (31-32). Mess isn't necessarily an absence of order. Many people with messy desks know exactly where to find what they are looking for, where some with neat desks work hard to find the right place where they filed something away. And what's wrong with a little sentimental mess in one's house? "[O]ur personalities tend to be more clearly expressed in our disorder than in our neatness. When we are being ruthless about ridding ourselves of what naturally accumulates around us and about meticulously straightening out what remains, we are in a sense tidying our identities. The truth is, we are all at least a bit of a mess — and all the more interesting for it" (145).
I recently read The Prestige and enjoyed it very much, so I thought I would try another Christopher Priest novel. Priest followed up The Prestige with The Extremes. The book is about an FBI agent, Teresa Simons, whose husband is murdered in a shooting spree in a small town in Texas at the same time a shooting spree occurred in another small town in England named Bulverton. While mourning the loss of her husband, she visits Bulverton. During her stay, she visits ExEx, a virtual reality machine that allows individuals to be fully absorbed in a reconstructed experience. Before ExEx became commercially accessible to the masses, Teresa had trained on the virtual reality machines in reconstructions of criminal events. While using the commercial ExEx in Bulverton, Teresa begins to test the extreme boundaries of the simulations. She also begins to experiment with cross-linking scenarios. This leads to her connecting her husband's murder with the tragedy in Bulverton. This takes on a newfound intensity when she begins to experience virtual scenarios within virtual scenarios. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The ending was vague to me, but perhaps it is meant to be. Is the whole book a virtual reality experience? Is there a connection between her childhood experience of a mirror within a mirror to the virtual experience of a scenario within a scenario? Although I wished for a better ending, the ride was well worth it.
Upon first glance, it may not seem that the teachings of the Desert Fathers and the early monastic communities would have much to offer contemporary Christians. In this book, Roberta C. Bondi proves that this assessment is far from the truth. The sayings of the Desert Fathers are rich with spiritual insights. Their time in the desert provided them with deep insights into spiritual transformation. Their greatest insight can be summarized as follows: Love is the goal of spiritual transformation, and it is achieved primarily through humility. For my extended analysis, click HERE.
All the ancient creeds contain the line: He [Jesus] descended into hell. Many Christians do not know what to do with this obscure line. Coniaris helps us to see the significance of this divine movement. God has entered into the deepest darkness - into death itself - in order to deliver us from sin and death. God has not remained aloof. God entered hades, the realm of the dead and of the grave (not hell, which hades is often confused with), in order to rob death of its power. By descending into our deepest darkness, and transforming it through his divine light, Jesus has made it so that there is no longer any "accursed" place. "The tomb is no longer a prison but an anteroom to heaven where the bride rests, anxiously anticipating the arrival of the Bridegroom" (83). Truly, God "pursues us into… the deepest pits of human suffering and death" (96). This is the good news of the Christian gospel. Coniaris' book focuses on the positive harrowing of hades that Jesus accomplished on Holy Saturday. I am currently reading another book that teaches about how God is present in the midst of our hopelessness - God in the Tomb. I will comment on this once I've finished all 477 pages of it!
For the Western Church, salvation culminates in the Beatific Vision. For the East, salvation culminates in the transformation of the self into the Beauty of God. Due to sin, the image of God in humanity has been disfigured and deformed. In Christ and through the Spirit, God is transforming us into beautiful icons that reflect God's glory in the image of Christ. One line in Orthodox liturgy declares: "He has restored the sullied image to its ancient glory, filling it with the divine beauty." God, the Supreme Artist is beautifying us, for true beauty reveals divine glory. We sing with Albert Osborn: "Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me. All His wonderful passion and purity; Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine. Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me." Ultimately, we must purify our eyes to see spiritual beauty, for only the pure in heart see God. The beauty of God is most clearly seen in acts of love. Augustine wrote, "Inasmuch as love grows in you, so in you beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul." In this book, Coniaris does an outstanding job of introducing and developing the theme of divine beauty and its centrality to the Christian faith.
Being in the business of influencing others, I read this book with great interest. Gardner suggests seven agents (or levers) of mind change, four tools that communicate ideas, and six realms in which changes of mind take place. For an extended summary of these things and a few powerful quotes from the book, click HERE.
Though her faith is evangelical, Anne is not for everyone. In this book, she recounts her participation in an assisted suicide, her past abortions and resolute commitment to pro-abortion rights for women, her intentional single-parenting of her son, and her hatred of all things George W. Bush. For some Christians, these things are enough to discount Anne and her faith. But for this Christian, I find Anne's reflections to be refreshing, inspiring, and yes, sometimes very frustrating. But at least they are real! Throughout her book, whether you agree or disgree with her, you can't help but love her spirit, sincerity, authenticity, and single-minded passion to love and follow Jesus as best as she knows how at the moment.
Owen Gingerich is Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and of the History of Science at Harvard University and a senior astronomer emeritus at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. He is also a Mennonite. This book consists of three talks he delivered at Harvard in 2005 during the William Beldon Noble Lectures. They provide a thoughtful and compelling model for distinguishing and integrating science and faith. In short, Gingerich believes “that the universe has been created with intention and purpose, and that this belief does not interfere with the scientific enterprise” (7). For my extended summary of this fascinating book, click HERE.
No matter what your political stance, Neal Boortz is bound to offend you in some way. He recognizes this and comes out full throttle. He also readily admits that this makes for a more entertaining conversation: "If two people agree on everything, one of them isn't necessary" (37). For the most part, Neal's rantings reflect his Libertarianism. He argues for limited government and a greater emphasis on human responsibility and the importance of the individual. He demonstrates how our ever-expanding government controls our lives more than we realize - e.g., a big part of our lives goes to paying taxes, public schools are really government schools, etc. Sadly, we serve the government more than we realize. This seems to be way off the mark of the founding fathers idea of consent of the governed, and government existing to protect constitutional rights. Because Neal favors true freedom, he is not opposed to flag-burning, he is for homosexual rights and homosexual marriage, he thinks that prayer in schools and mandating the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance are violations of the First Amendment. (I, for one, have always had a problem pledging my allegiance to the State - no matter how good or bad its rule may be.) Although he is against the phrase "under God" Boortz supports the teaching of comparative religion in public schools. In this, I think he is consistent. Children should be "given an honest and unbiased lecture on the fundamental differences between Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and a few other major religions before they start developing their own prejudices" (61). But sadly, as Neal notes, it is Christians who would scream loudest about this kind of program, because what many want is the freedom of Christianity, not true freedom of religion. Neal is at his best when he demonstrates how many Americans want government to save them from bearing the responsibility of their own decisions and actions. For example, "Not only are many Americans unequipped to live in a free society, they actually don't want to live in a free society. The so-called 'love of freedom' we hear about in our patriotic songs and stories is a myth. Americans don't really want to be free. They have enthusiastically abandoned their sovereignty to the lure of the welfare state. They have no working concept of the responsibilities of individuals who would live free of government tyranny or mob rule. Their ignorance renders them incapable of coping with the responsibilities of liberty" (219). Kind of puts a damper on the Fourth of July!
Zeldin is interested in promoting influential, life-transforming conversation: "The kind of conversation I'm interested in is one which you start with a willingness to emerge a slightly different person. It is always an experiment, whose results are never guaranteed. It involves risk. It's an adventure in which we agree to cook the world together and make it taste less bitter" (3). This kind of conversation "changes the way you see the world, and even changes the world" (4). Zeldin then asks an important question: "But how can conversations make so much difference? They can't if you believe that the world is ruled by overpowering economic and political forces, that conflict is the essence of life, that humans are basically animals and that history is just a long struggle for survival and domination. If that's true, you can't change much. All you can do is have conversations which distract or amuse you. But I see the world differently, as made of individuals searching for a partner, for a lover, for a guru, for God. The most important, life-changing events are the meetings of these individuals. Some people get disappointed, give up searching and become cynics. But some keep on searching for new meetings" (4). These kind of conversations have more value than the persuasion of rhetoric - the "bag of tricks which got others to agree and to swoon and to admire, whatever you said" (11). The point of conversation is not to win an argument. The packaging is not more important than the product.
What a wonderful and mysterious story! I'm not sure what to make of The Little Prince, but it sure is magical. It opens with the narrator speaking of his childhood imagination and how, as he grew up, he could find no one to relate to, that is, until he experienced an accident with his plane in the Sahara Desert. While fixing his plane and running out of time and water, he encounters the Little Prince. The Little Prince is from another planet far away - a very small planet. (Thus, on his own planet, though he is fragile and childlike, he is still very much larger-than-life.) On this planet lives the Prince's prized possession, a single rose with four thorns. It is a fragile rose - defenseless and somewhat arrogant, and yet the Little Prince loves it so. The narrator learns of the Prince's travels over planets with self-absorbed kings, geographers who will not explore their world, frustrated businessmen, hedonistic alcoholics, and conceited men. None are happy! The Prince, however, is very happy. His secret: a childlike fascination with life, his love of his one rose, and his motto: "What is essential is invisible to the eye. For example, he says, "What makes a desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well." The narrator responds, "Yes. The house, the stars, the desert - what gives them their beauty is something that is invisible!" Looking with wonder on the sleeping Prince, the narrator says, "What moves me so deeply, about this little prince who is sleeping here, is his loyalty to a flower - the image of a rose that shines through his whole being like the flame of a lamp, even when he is asleep." Later, the Little Prince offers this, "The men where you live raise five thousand roses in the same garden - and they do not find in it what they are looking for... And yet what they are looking for could be found in one single rose... But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart." In order to return to his planet, the Little Prince must willingly allow himself to be bitten by a roving snake in the desert. Though the narrator tries to convince him otherwise, the Prince assures him that this is how it must be. And, after all, once a snake bites, "they have no more poison for a second bite." I'll admit that I may be reading my own faith into the Little Prince, but he sure comes across as a fragile, mysterious, child-like, Christ-figure. He sees what others don't see. He is completely in love with his little rose. He loves to waste time with it. And he descends to this planet in order to encourage the lost and then ascends through a self-giving sacrifice that drains the snake of its poison. In the end, we learn that "Only the children know what they are looking for. They waste their time over a rag doll and it becomes very important to them." This sounds a lot like, "Unless you become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."
The gospel story can be compressed to three days – Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Christ’s relation to each day is expressed in Paul’s summary of the gospel: Christ died on Good Friday, Christ lay in the tomb on Holy Saturday, and Christ rose on Easter Sunday. During Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter Sunday usually receive the bulk of our attention. Holy Saturday is generally ignored, primarily because we fail to see its significance. Holy Saturday exists between “Good Friday’s terror and abandonment and Easter Sunday’s impossible new possibility” (ix). It serves as a boundary between the days, and like all good boundaries, it conjoins what it also divides. (66) It is the “empty space” of Holy Saturday that brings together the extremes of Cross and Resurrection. For my extended summary of this incredible book, click HERE.
I absolutely love The Twilight Zone. In a time populated with Westerns and screwball sitcoms, Rod Serling was able to treat intense topics like freedom, identity, meaning, fear, survival, catastrophe, and more through the medium of sci-fi, horror, fantasy and assorted twisted tales. "The truth was that Twilight Zone fantasy was one of America's few means for thinking about the unthinkable. In all five seasons, the show was never in Nielson's top twenty-five, yet it lives on in syndication, and also in emulation. M. Nigh Shyamalan and Lost wouldn't exist without this important forerunner. This oversized book is a nice reminder of why I love Twilight Zone!
In the space of just 20 years, his infectious and unique laugh, his unhindered imagination, his playful spirit, and his love for others have made him a national icon. Kevin Clash, the creative force and voice behind Elmo, interweaves the story of his life with reflections on why Elmo is so dearly loved. Who would have ever thought that Elmo is voiced by a 45-year old, six-foot tall black man? Learning about Kevin's family life and his early interest in puppetry and performance was interesting, but the real heart of this book lies in hearing about Elmo through his creator's eyes. To Kevin, Elmo "represents youthful curiosity and innocence" combined with "childlike simplicity" and "the wisdom of an old soul" (4). This childlikeness is useful at all stages of life, for it possesses a "certain magical quality... that can be preserved and used as an inner strength throughout adulthood" (5). Elmo greets everyone with an wild enthusiasm. "He looks at each meeting as an opportunity for fun" (133-134). Kevin writes, "It would be ridiculous if we all greeted each other the way the more enthusiastic kids greet Elmo... but still, doesn't imagining a love-filled world like that put a smile on your face?" (17) Elmo ends each meeting with, "Elmo loves you!" "Elmo may not use a lot of big words, and he may not be very tall, but day after day, he's bursting with a message of hope and is full of enthusiasm for life. Like children all over the globe, he teaches us that we can always reach a little higher, jump a little farther, do a little better. What would happen if we all lived our lives that way? Maybe it would mean a happy ending. That's Elmo's world. It can be our world, too" (206-207).
Wife: “Honey, we need to talk.” Husband: “Do we have to?” According to Patricia Love and Steven Stosny, these two phrases can harm rather than heal a marriage. When the wife says, “Honey, we need to talk,” the husband, with a heightened sensitivity to feeling shame and inadequacy in relationships, hears “that he is not meeting her expectations—he’s failing her—which sends him into the pain of his own inadequacy” (9). His lackluster response causes his wife to feel that he doesn’t care for her needs which plays on her fears of isolation and abandonment. Thus, the real problem is not communication – it is a sense of disconnection. Contrary to conventional wisdom, talking about it may or may not be the answer. This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I’ve ever read on marriage. For my extended summary of this fantastic book, click HERE.
This book is an excellent analysis of the theme of light in the sacred scriptures. We often hear that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). This is a foundational truth in Christian theology. We have hardly begun to penetrate the depths of this profound revelation. But the scriptures also clearly state that “God is light” (1 John 1:5). This powerful metaphor is used throughout the Bible to portray God’s truth, character, and work. Even though all images and metaphors have inherent limitations they are helpful in pointing us to and connecting us with God. As light, God is the “true and uncreated light in whom there [is] neither shadow or turning.” “God is light” is symbolic, but it is also archetypal: God is “uncreated light, the light that illumin[ates] every other light, himself the ultimate source of every illumination in the universe.” For further reflections stimulated by this book, click HERE.
I will not lie: I bought this book because of the plug by N. T. Wright on the cover. The fact that Brian McLaren and Martin Marty also recommended it didn't hurt either. And though the book starts off strong, I feel that it ultimately fails in its attempt to create a culturally savvy Christian. Staub defines a culturally savvy Christian as one who is "serious about the centrality of the faith in their lives, savvy about both faith and culture, and skilled in relating the two" (ix). He decries the superficiality of popular culture and its Christian parallel while applauding the depth, rigor, and excellence of works by C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Clearly, evangelicals can hardly be described as an intellectual and artistic force in the broader culture. Those evangelicals who choose not to completely withdraw from culture, or to combat culture, usually end up influenced by popular culture more than influencing it. Witness the "intellectually and aesthetically vacuous parallel culture" created by Christians as an alternative to the world and this becomes obvious. It seems that, like popular culture, Christians are more intent on making a buck then pursuing excellence. British artist Richard Hamilton describes pop art as "mass-produced, low-cost, young, sexy, witty, transient, glamorous, gimmicky, expendable and popular" (6). Marketers have created a superficial, disposable culture committed to larger-than-life personalities and endless self-indulgence. Sadly, much Christian counter-culture is a parallel of this with a few scripture verses thrown in for good measure. Such art dehumanizes and debases us. Staub calls us to recognize the reality that fuels our culture: "The largest companies in the world are hiring smart people and spending billions of dollars to drive a diversionary, mindless, celebrity-fueled popular culture down the highway of new technologies and into our lives in order to sell us stuff we don't want or need. They don't care about us, what we believe, or how we want to live.... They are unconcerned with what is in our best interests spiritually or intellectually, and in fact, it is in their best interest to keep us spiritually desensitized and dumb. They play to our unhappiness, magnifying our feeling that we are missing something essential and that if we had this something they offer, we would be fulfilled" (26-27). Surely, Christian culture should not reflect this, but provide an humanizing alternative - something different from the superficial celebrity culture sustained by marketing and technology. And this must be something more than "safe" and "inoffensive" material. Staub demonstrates ways in which this includes deep and profound art that takes the human situation seriously. Quoting Orson Scott Card: "any depiction of life without evil is a lie" (190). The first half of Staub's book is great in its analysis. His section on what it means to be fully human is very helpful (52-58). But ultimately, his argument sounds a little too much like advocacy for "high art" and disdain for "pop art." But, in spite of its failings, the book provides a helpful basis for discussing the Christian's relationship to culture.
For those looking for another in a long series of scathing criticisms against the Christian Right, then you've come to the wrong book. Gilgoff takes the high road of true journalism in this book by withholding comments and primarily offering an account of rise of the Christian Right beginning with the Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority to the present. His special emphasis is "the story of Dobson's and Focus on the Family's place in that history, as the leading Christian Right figure and organization of the past decade" (xv). Though "much of the mainstream news media still treat Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as the evangelical movement's political spokesmen" their respective political organizations - Moral Majority and Christian Coalition - tanked long ago. It is currently Dobson's organization that has the most influence. But this goes unrecognized by the media because Dobson largely keeps to himself, preferring to work under the radar of the media. Dobson's background as a trusted family adviser paradoxically gives him political clout because he appears to be disinterested in political power but solely concerned about the welfare of the family. In an interview, Dobson said, "I have no political ambitions, and that puts me in a different category than somebody who does" (8). Dobson intentionally portrays himself as "a reluctant warrior" (8) who ventures into politics only out of necessity. Though the Republican Party benefits from Dobson's support, they rarely come through on his expectations. The reason is that Party includes more than social conservatives. It also must appeal to its libertarian and pro-business wings which fear the prospect of government regulation of morality. It doesn't help that Dobson has unrealistic expectations concerning how the legislative process works. What he tends to do is unleash an occasional torrent of phone calls to Congress and threaten to remove his large voting bloc if he doesn't get his way. He and his evangelical followers tend to attribute lack of total victory with lack of courage. Unfortunately, the Christian Right suffers from the same disease as big-government liberals: they both see Washington as the solution to social problems. But, as Paul Weyrich has realized, "Politics follows culture, not the reverse" (136). Too often, we rely on politics to change our culture, when we should focus on transforming our culture. Gilgoff ends the book with an account of how the Democrats are attempting to include more talk of religion and morality in their public discourse. They realize they must shed their secular image if they are going to appeal to a broader group of people. But this may be hard to do when secular Americans (those who go to church infrequently or never) comprise a large percentage of the Democrats' voting bloc. In his Epilogue, Gilgoff records the promising direction of the New Right - a Right that is not exclusively focused on abortion and gay marriage and the removal of religion from the public square, but also takes seriously other important issues such as environmental concerns (Creation Care), human rights legislation, reducing rape in U.S. prisons, and combating HIV/AIDS in Africa. These are issues that Dobson and others believe detract from the most urgent issues of abortion and gay marriage, but a truly conservative movement must embrace a larger set of issues than these. One advantage of this branching out is that more common ground is found with those across the aisle. Though the New Right continues to branch out, the media continues to focus on the hot-button issues. Recent efforts that involved conservative evangelical groups - The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, 2000's Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 2002's Sudan Peace Act, 2003's Prison Rape Elimination Act, and 2004's North Korea Human Rights Act - receive little attention from the news media. This is a far cry from previous incarnations of the Christian Right - including Dobson's - that focused exclusively on a narrow range of issues and could not abide working with perceived enemies on the left. Gilgoff concludes by considering whether we are entering a new era: "Will the movement continue to break with its history to make headway on humanitarian causes, or will Christian Right leaders swing attention back to the culture war?" (282). The jury is still out.
Brennan Manning possesses a remarkable ability to communicate the beauty of God’s love to contemporary believers and seekers. This book is no exception. In this book, Manning argues that compassion is at the heart of God’s character, and this compassion is expressed is divine tenderness. Throughout the book, he invites us to not only believe this, but also to enter into the experience of God’s compassion in our lives. He writes, “If I’m graced to understand with my head and to accept with my heart that the essence of the divine nature is compassion, then God is best defined by the heart of tenderness” (23). For my extended reflection click HERE.
In order to live long enough to receive a radio transmission from aliens inhabiting a planet 19 light years away (a thirty-eight-year round-trip response time), eighty-seven year old Sarah Halifax must take part in a "rollback" - a new technology that completely rejuvanates the human body to that of a twenty-five year old. She refuses to do this unless her husband of sixty years, Don, is also given a rollback. Trouble arises when Don's rollback succeeds and Sarah's fails. How will Don and Sarah deal with the vast age gap? What will it do to their marriage? Like Calculating God, Sawyer tells another compelling story about God, life, meaning, and hope. In this book the first contact with alien life is unlike any other. The first alien transmission is a series of multiple-choice questions on morality and ethics. Sarah realizes that "no one would bother sending a message across the light-years to tell you things. Rather, they'd send a message to ask you things" (100). You have to read the book to find out the reason why!
Children are natural philosophers. In this book, Marietta McCarty invites us to make the learning and practice of philosophy a priority for children – on par with sports, musical training, and other education. One eight-year child defines philosophy as wrestling with the question, “Why is life?” McCarty discusses a variety of topics, including friendship, happiness, justice, time, death, prejudice, God, compassion, freedom, and love. In each section she provides a wealth of discussion questions, practical exercises, and resources. I found her discussions on prejudice and freedom to be the most stimulating. Anyone interested in teaching children some of the basic themes of philosophy would benefit from this book. I plan on using some of its ideas for children’s sermons.
The mysteries of manspeak are dark and mysterious. Those few brave souls who attempt to decode this language must wrestle with questions like: Why won’t men stop for directions? Why is he always trying to fix my problems? Are men just emotionally constipated? Is he really as clueless as he acts? In this book, authors Stephen James and David Thomas attempt to shed light on the mysteries of manspeak. They provide a popular introduction to learning how to love our spouse without falling prey to the demand that men relate like women or women relate like men. For my more complete summary, click HERE.
In this companion volume to the book above, authors Stephen James and David Thomas attempt to help men walk through the minefield of women’s questions. These questions include: “Does this dress make me look fat?” “Do you notice anything different about the house?” “Do you think that woman is pretty?” “What are you thinking about?” “Am I like my mother?” Few men ever stop to think about what lies beneath the surface of women’s questions in order to engage with “the authentic female heart.” James and Thomas argue that a woman’s loaded questions “always lead back to some of her deepest desires and make known some of what she wants most from a man” (131). For my more complete summary, click HERE.
In the past few years there has been a rising tide of books advocating the demise of religion and the triumph of secularism. Apparently, this evaluation strikes a chord with a large portion of the American public. However, religion cannot be explained away as a primitive illusion, a social construct, or psychological wish-fulfillment. For my extended summary of this provocative book, click HERE.
I'm not a big fan of poetry. Mostly because I simply don't have the patience for it. I read it too quickly and miss out on its meaning. It takes a lot to get me to savor a passage. But many passages in this book touched me deeply. I read and re-read them. Many of Kahlil Gibran's poems and writings have to do with love, meaning, life. They are pregnant with truth. On top of this, his writing style is absolutely exquisite and profoundly beautiful. For a couple of examples, click HERE.
This is one of two recent books that offer the ultimate “outsiders” perspective of the Christian Church - that of an atheist. In this book, Hemant Mehta evaluates various evangelical worship services in order to offer his insights for the benefit of the church. Hemant placed himself on eBay out of a desire to learn more about Christianity. He admittedly doesn’t fit the common stereotype. Unlike some atheists, he claims, “I am not angry with God, and I don’t want to rid the world of religion… I’m a friendly atheist” (4). Evangelical Jim Henderson won the bid that sent atheist Hemant Mehta on his paid assignment to evaluate various churches. For my extended evaluation on this experiment, click HERE.
This is one of two recent books that offer the ultimate “outsiders” perspective of the Christian Church. Evangelical Jim Henderson hired atheist Matt Casper to personally accompany him during his visits to notable evangelical churches. Henderson and Casper travel to twelve churches in order to discuss their experiences. They write, “This is the story of what happens when two guys with polar-opposite worldviews go to church together” (Henderson & Casper, xxix). For my extended evaluation click HERE.
Having worked for years with children struck with cancer, psychologist Norman J. Fried has come to the conclusion that "the sweetest lessons are sometimes learned through bitterness and pain" (ix). This book consists of letters Fried composed for nine children after they lost their battle with cancer in an effort "to say an honest and meaningful farewell to the children I loved" (115). Each tale is heart-breaking. Fried has come to conclude that there are two types of people - "those who expect us to 'get over' our pain, and the rare ones who understand our need to 'get through' it" (15). He tells of how one patient explained that losing a young child is like losing the future, while losing a grandparent is like losing the past. This is a deeply touching book that nurtures compassion for the suffering while calling us to live deeper and fuller lives with the time we have on earth.
Our wills are weak against the force of desire. “If we wish to change what we do, we must change what we desire. The power of desire is such that only a stronger desire can displace desire” (1-2). The problem is that our desires are insatiable “not because the goods of the world are too few, too uniform, or too bland…. The dissatisfaction of desire arises from desire itself; it cannot be satisfied with any finite thing or even an infinite number of finite things, and the attempt to achieve satisfaction can be destructive” (13). Our problem is radical egocentrism. “It seems nearly impossible to avoid the slide from the particular vividness of my own experience to the feeling that my ego is the center of the cosmos… In point of fact, my pains, ambitions, hopes, sorrows, fears—my life itself—are not one iota more important than anyone else’s. I can easily write those words and even believe them. But the smallest pain or inconvenience drives from my mind the difficulties others are suffering.” (33) Because we feel that the rejection of egocentrism would result in the destruction of the ego rather than its liberation “[t]here is in us great resistance to the eros that frees us from our preoccupation with ourselves and opens us to love” (43). The depth and tenacity of the passions, which protect the ego, make it impossible to turn away from egocentrism through a simple act of the will. The illusion of egocentrism is deeply rooted in us. “[O]ur experience continually burdens us with the terrible news that we are more real than anything else” (50). “We feel as if the dislocation of the habit of egocentricity would be tantamount to ceasing to be a person altogether” (131). Our survival does not depend on egocentrism – but try telling the ego that! The problem is not the ego, but the ego’s way of experiencing the world that must be transformed by desire (133). This book offers profound reflections on the desires, the passions, contemplation, and the freedom to love and be loved.
The Tao ("the Way") invites us to stay happy and calm under all circumstances by walking in the harmony that naturally existed between heaven and earth from the very beginning. The result of his harmonious way of living is a happy serenity. This is embodied in the character of Winnie-the-Pooh, or Pooh for short. Pooh accomplishes what he does because he is simpleminded. This is not the same thing as simple or, even worse, stupid. He possesses a still, calm mind that reflects on the reality of the moment rather than on abstractions or cleverness. "After all, if it were Cleverness that counted most, Rabbit would be Number One [in the Hundred Acre Woods], instead of that Bear" (14). For more insights from this delightful book, click HERE.
In Hoff's first book, he focused on the Tao of Pooh. In this book, he allows Piglet to take centerstage: "In these pages, it will be the timid, yearning Piglet, rather than the comfortable, contented Pooh, who shows us the Way" (9). We discover the Te ("virtue in action") of Piglet. This virtue primarily revolves around the strength of weakness - how smallness is not an impediment but an aid in walking the spiritual path. "Unlike Pooh, who simply Is and Does, Piglet agonizes" (26). Piglet worries about his small size, but it his small size that continually arises as an asset. Accordingly, Hoff believes that only Piglet's character ever progresses in the stories. For more insights from this delightful book, click HERE.
The good news is the bad news is wrong. Everyone – from preachers to politicians to the media – is out to scare you. This is understandable because fear is a great motivator. However, it is not the best motivator – especially when it has no grounding in reality. And yet we continue to listen… and fear. We have it better than any previous generation on the planet and yet we cower in fear and complain about everything. This book provides a wealth of statistics to prove that – contrary to the apocalyptic prophets of doom and destruction – things are actually getting better all the time. For details, click HERE.
In a world where people assume all swans are white, the discovery of a black swan can be devastating to one’s preconceptions about what it means to be a swan in the first place. In this book, Nassim Nicholas Taleb uses the discovery of a black swan to illustrate the unpredictability of life: “It [the Black Swan] illustrates a severe limitation to our learning from observations or experience and the fragility of our knowledge. One single observation can invalidate a general statement derived from millennia of confirmatory sightings of millions of white swans” (vxii). Black Swans are rare events that have extreme impact, that is, they are “highly improbable consequential events” (18). Taleb believes that a “small number of Black Swans explain almost everything in our world, from the success of ideas and religions, to the dynamics of historical events, to elements of our own personal lives” (xviii). Simply consider the unpredicted yet incalculable impact of both World Wars, the demise of the Soviet bloc, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, the spread of the internet, and 9/11. The Black Swan exposes our relative uncertainty about all things (xxiv). For my extended summary and reflection on this book, click HERE.
Janusz Korczak died at the hands of the Nazis in 1942. In his last moments, he led and comforted the two hundred orphans he cared for in the Warsaw Ghetto. With his head held high, and with a child at each hand, he led “his two hundred children in calm, orderly ranks through the hushed streets of Warsaw to the train station” (82). “Without a backward glance, Korczak… and the other teachers helped the children, each carrying a favorite toy or book, up onto the ramps of the waiting freight cars whose final destination would be the gas chambers of Treblinka” (84). This courageous, thoughtful and caring man wrote two books on children. Sandra Joseph translates some passages from these books. Korczak believed in listening to and learning from children. He delights in the wonders, charms, and glories of childhood. He speaks of their simple treasures and how we as parents should honor their keepsakes, even if they are no more than pieces of string, pebbles, beads, ribbons, etc. To Korczak, children are philosophers and poets who should be treasured, valued, loved, listened to, and learned from. He writes, “A poet is someone who is very happy and very sad, who is quick to anger and who loves intensely, who feels strongly. Children are like that, too. A philosopher is someone who is very observant, who ponders and wants to know how things really are. Children are like that, too. It is hard for children to say what they are feeling or what they are thinking about, because speech requires words. It is harder still for them to write, but children truly are philosophers and poets” (25).
Though it is uncomfortable to consider, we carry a shadow with us wherever we go. In Jungian theory, the Shadow is “composed of all those aspects of ourselves that have a tendency to make us uncomfortable with ourselves” (9). Our ego is not as monolithic as we suppose. It integrates various aspects of who we are. Our ego is threatened by the many shards of splintered experience that form and shape it. Some aspects are so difficult to integrate that they are denied and rejected. They make us uncomfortable. However, this does not mean they disappear. They accompany us as our Shadow. For this reason, we often seemalien to ourselves – radically other, and thus, threatening. In order to protect our ego we resist admitting our shortcomings. We refuse to admit that we may have hidden agendas and ulterior motives. We seek to alleviate the threat through good works, but forget that good works can exist side by side with a tortured inner life. Thus, “Our task is not in the end goodness—for the good we do may just as often arise from complexes or Shadow or have unintended consequences—but rather wholeness” (22-23). For my extended summary, click HERE.
Is religion dangerous? Does it do more harm than good? A current glut of best-selling books answer these questions in the affirmative. Professor Richard Dawkins teaches that religion is “the root of all evil.” Christopher Hitchens believes religion is deadly, poisoning everything it touches. Sam Harris argues that commitment to religion at any level – from fundamentalist to liberal expressions – is dangerous to society. Keith Ward responds to the arguments put forward by these atheists (or better, anti-theists) in his newest book, Is Religion Dangerous? He argues that “such assertions are absurd. Worse than that, they ignore the available evidence from history, from psychology and sociology, and from philosophy. They refuse to investigate the question in a properly rigorous way, and substitute rhetoric for analysis. Oddly enough, that is just what they tend to accuse religious believers of doing” (7). Surely, religion does some harm – but it also does some good. Indeed, one could reasonably argue that it does a great deal more good than harm. And that is exactly what Ward does in this book. He provides a reasonable argument for the positive contributions of religion. For an extended summary of Ward's arguments, click HERE.
Roger Olson writes in order combat “folk Christianity” which he defines as “a badly distorted version of Christianity that thrives on clichés and slogans and resists reflection and examination” (12). Olson argues that the antidote to folk Christianity is reflective Christianity – a faith that “values the life of the mind and critical thought” (19). One advantage of reflective Christianity is that is “has the courage to say ‘I don’t know,’ rather than fall back on half-baked and pat answers that wither and die under scrutiny” (19-20). In order to encourage reflective Christianity, Olson identifies ten popular-yet-problematic beliefs prevalent among Christian students, youth pastors, and pastors. By challenging folk Christianity, Olson hopes to take us deeper into the mysteries of the faith. For a list of the questions he addresses, click HERE.
Superman is the perfect combination of ultimate power and moral goodness: "Superman has powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men; he can make himself ruler of the world, take anything he wants or kill anyone who gets in his way—but he doesn’t. He’s a good guy, the ultimate good guy, because he apparently isn’t even tempted to abuse his powers. He’s wholesome and noble and selfless. His foster parents raised him that way, and he’s true to his upbringing" (1). He is practically perfect in every way - but he does have his issues. This book is a wonderful collection of essays on Superman that covers a lot of ground. Lawrence Watt-Evans points out how Superman carries his baby blanket wherever he goes. Indeed, he not only carries it - he wears it! His super-suit is made from the Kryptonian blanket he arrived in. David Hopkins shows how Superman is both great and good. His power is under perfect control. As such, "Superman is the perfect allegory of America’s own idealism toward justifiable force: to be the most powerful and yet the most benevolent" (10). Sarah Zettel provides a touching reflection on the heroism of Christopher Reeve - especially after his tragic accident. (This one had me in tears.) Chris Roberson writes of the evolution and deconstruction of Krypton. Larry Niven has a hilarious piece on Superman's sex life. (No woman would ever want to have sex with him after reading this!) Lou Anders presents a wonderful contrast and comparison between Superman and Batman. There are many others. Superman is fascinating because of "the very deliberate religious symbolism inherent in the Superman story. From the start, we have the only (begotten) son of a father from outer space (heaven), sending his child (down) to Earth to serve as a shining example of the good to which we can all aspire. In his role as Superman, the Last Son of Krypton seeks, as we have discussed above, to always do the right thing, to obey every law, to live a perfect life, one might say" (74). As such, Superman is an epic hero, worthy of emulation, for he is undeniably good - and he has no other reason to be than himself: "There’s nobody who can keep Superman honest but Superman himself. That’s something nobody else has to live with" (130).
Thomas Hohstadt is concerned about the emerging movement. Will it “become a mere blip on the radar of time?—a stylish fad for the disaffected few?—a rapture for nerds?—a grace for geeks? . . . And, we wonder if we’re just past mistakes? Is the movement “déjà vu all over again”?” (4) Hohstadt believes that the emerging movement has overly polarized differences between itself and the contemporary church. He writes, “This book is an apology for those mistakes and a wakeup call for my friends in the emerging church movement” (4). While modern thinking possesses harmful excesses, gullible postmodernists have too easily thrown out the baby with the bathwater. Objective absolute truth is not an illusion. One interpretation is not as good as any other. After all, “To say there are no absolutes is in itself absolute” (10). Truth is “not something we create – it’s something we encounter” (11). We must beware of the narcissism of postmodernists that strenuously deconstruct Truth. Instead, we must recover “a ‘knowing of the heart’ that transcends our subjectivity – our intellect – and our differences” (14). For my extended summary, click HERE.
In this book Wilson invites us to “practice church” through the formation “of a people whose life together witnesses to God’s redemption of creation” (4). This is vital because the witness of God’s redemptive work “is possible only in a community sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit” (4). As a community chosen by God to bear witness to the gospel, the church possesses a divinely given telos. “Telos is a bit like ‘purpose’ or ‘goal.’ It is that toward which something is oriented, toward which it is moving. Or it is that for which something is made, its purpose” (12). The church does not choose its telos – it is given by God. Wilson has put together a powerful and compelling picture the importance of the church. No matter how much people deny it, no matter how difficult the task to create and sustain it, the church truly matters – to God and to the world. It is our privilege and responsibility to participate with God and one another in embodying redemptive practices that witness to God’s telos. For a complete summary of the many ways Wilson suggests that the church witnesses to God's redemption, click HERE.
In the tradition of ancient writings on spirituality, Richard Valantasis patterns his book after works called “centuries.” A “century” consists of one-hundred independent short essays on spiritual formation. All the essays are unified by their form and trajectory. The form involves beginning with an ancient practice and then reshaping it for a postmodern world. The trajectory is our own personal divinization – an admittedly “troublesome term intended to articulate the capacity of every person to become holy, godlike, attuned to God, and united to the divine in every aspect of being” (14). In this way the wisdom of the past is made available in a new idiom and for a new time. In his words, “The ancient tradition is refracted; that is, it is passed through the prism of the postmodern context” (25). For a short summary of Valantasis’ vision for spiritual formation, click HERE.
The words of Fred Rogers' grandfather, the man he was named after - Fred Brooks McFeely - impacted Mr. Rogers his entire life: "Freddy, I like you. Just the way you are." As a young man, Rogers was frustrated by children's programs that seemed to consist primarily of pies in the face and slapstick. While working as a puppeteer and organist for an hour-long live daily program for young people called The Children’s Corner, Fred attended seminary and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister with a special charge to serve children and their families through the mass media. He later studied child development. Those who only know Rogers through his children program may not realize how profound his personal writings can be. This book is a collection of select quotes on topics such as relationships, childhood, play, discipline, learning, parenting, and communication. Most of his wisdom revolves around accepting our need to love and be loved, to be formed in safe communities, to understand our inherent uniqueness while also recognizing how we are, in many ways, intimately connected with one another - sharing many of the same feelings and experiences.
The Old Order Amish practice of rumpsringa – a Pennsylvania Dutch term usually translated as “running around,” or more fully, “running around outside the bounds” – is a fascinating window through which one might wrestle with topics such as religion, adolescence, community, cultural change, and more. In spite of our deep cultural differences with the Amish, we do, as Americans, share their common heritage. This is what makes them fascinating to us: “This combination of shared heritage and deep cultural differences makes the Amish a particularly significant mirror for the rest of us” (12). Shachtman’s book chronicles the rumspringa experience of a number of young Amish people. Some of the young men and women descend deeply into a party lifestyle while others simply dabble. “The Amish count on the rumspringa process to inoculate youth against the strong pull of the forbidden by dosing them with the vaccine of a little worldly experience. Their gamble is also based on the notion that there is no firmer adhesive bond to a faith and way of life than a bond freely chosen, in this case chosen after rumspringa and having sampled some of the available alternative ways of living” (14). Eventually the Amish teenagers will have to answer one simple decision – the “most important decision they will ever face: to be or not to be Amish” (32). For my extended summary of this book, click HERE.
This wonderful collection of essays related to faith, relationships, and society overflows with wisdom, grace, and truth. In a world polarized by ultraconservative and ultraliberal versions of faith, Robinson provides a modest alternative. He argues that, in our postChristian society where religious belief is not the norm, "[b]elieving in God, in something holy, in grace, in a power... is no longer the safe choice, it is the risky choice" (8). In short chapters, Robinson offers seasoned wisdom on topics such as suffering, baptism, parenting, marriage, sex, death, pluralism, prophets, and more. Believe me when I say that Robinson can summarize in a few pages what some authors fail to do in entire books. Get this book - you won't be disappointed!
Spirituality is important. It is the living out of theology – living out our religious commitment. In this book, theologian Donald Bloesch hopes to distinguish an authentic biblical and Christian spirituality from its ancient and contemporary alternatives. He warns that spirituality is not revelation but “a very human response to revelation and therefore necessarily partakes of the relative and fallible. We must not be too hasty in celebrating the supposed spiritual renaissance. It contains more peril than promise. Our task as Christians today is not to abandon spirituality but to clarify it. This mandate places us under the obligation to discriminate between different types of spirituality” (26). Bloesch distinguishes between traditional mysticism, biblical religion, and the new spirituality. For more, click HERE.
Grossman's debut novel is full of good fun for comic book fans. He tells the story of the self-described "brilliant, the appalling, the diabolical Doctor Impossible" who - like all evil geniuses - seeks to rule the world. The only way to do this is to become invincible. Doctor Impossible's string of twelve failures does nothing to squelch his desire to try again. "Curses, foiled again!" "I'll get you next time!" and "This is not the last you've seen of me!" are phrases we finally come to appreciate in all their pathetic glory. You have to grant this evil genius one thing - he has tenacity. On top of this, he really can't help himself: the poor evil Doctor has Malign Hypercognition Disorder. One feels pity for Doctor Impossible: "There are days when you just don't feel all that evil." This book is fantastic fun. Hearing the story from the villain's point of view is hilarious. I found myself, by the end of the book, wishing the Doctor could at least have one success, but alas, that is not the way of the comic book genre. His ImpossiBlaster is ultimately of no avail. The evil genius always loses. Or does he? Muwhahahahaha!
By taking advantage of the media's fascination with pain, cruelty, novelty, and celebrity, a "reformed" Joker sets up Batman through the use of staged pictures that put Batman on the wrong side of the law. Joker is able to do this by manipulating a key media mogul who is haunted by a secret from the past that he and Bruce share - a secret the Joker uses to his advantage. I really enjoyed the haunting artwork in this graphic novel. Joker is downright spooky and terrifying at times. Batman looks awesome. I particularly enjoyed Joker's attempt to get Batman to laugh.
By manipulating the time stream, three aliens take advantage of Superman and Batman's defining moments. They kill the Kents and take the baby Kal-el (soon to be Superman) from the Kryptonian spaceship. They also kill the man who murdered Bruce Wayne's parents after he has shot them and then take young Bruce with them as well. The three raise Clark and Bruce to be evil world emporers. Thus begins a graphic novel with more time travel loops than you can possibly imagine. We see Superman and Batman die numerous times as the time stream is tweaked in order to bring things back to normal. It was great fun to see Superman and Batman as world dictators.
At the botton of Gotham Bay Batman discovers a mysterious spaceship that holds Kara Zor-el, Superman's cousin, and soon-to-be Supergirl. Bruce remains suspicious while Superman immediately takes her in. Darkseid attempts to take her in order to make Supergirl his new Barda. Superman and Batman descend to Apokolips - the hell-world of Darkseid - to recover Supergirl. Batman is the key figure who is able to conquer Darkseid because Batman - unlike Superman - is willing to destroy the entire planet of Apokolips if Darkseid will not assent to his demands. This is a killer match-up between Batman and Darkseid, and proves once more why Batman rules! But then in the final chapter when Superman takes on Darkseid we see why Superman rules as well. Superman plasters Darkseid on the wall of the Source. Epic!
This is a touching story of the first encounter between Captain Marvel and Superman. Captain Marvel is really young Billy Bratson, a homeless boy who has been given the power of the gods by the wizard shazam. By speaking the word of power, Billy Bratson transforms into Captain Marvel. In the course of this adventure, Marvel and Superman cross paths. Marvel's best friend, another young homeless boy, is shot by Marvel's enemies. After Marvel almost kills his enemy, he runs away. Superman finds him and consoles him. Recognizing that he is only a small boy, Superman reveals his identity to the boy, and begins to mentor him as Clark Kent. This graphic novel was surprisingly touching. I almost cried.
Gotham in 2039 is a corrupt state. No one can be trusted. No one has any privacy, except for one anamoly, the Batman. The Batman uncovers corruption at the highest level while seeking to preserve his anonymity. Unfortunately we never learn if this is really Bruce Wayne, or someone carrying on the Batman tradition (my guess is that it is the latter).
Leob and Sale retale Superman's coming-of-age story beginning with his final year in Smallville, his first moments in Metropolis, his return to Smallville, and his final acceptance of his life mission. This is a classic tale told in a fresh new way. Really good stuff.
Superman's powers are intensified by the close proximity to the sun - the source of his powers - that was required to save some scientists. However, his molecules are breaking apart and he doesn't have long to live. He tells Lois his secret and spends a special day with her as she shares his powers. Clark Kent interviews Lex Luther who is on death row, and we get to learn "the gospel according to Lex." Finally, Jonathan Kent - Clark's father - dies in the final story and we discover what "gospel" guides Superman - a "gospel" given to him by his father. Absolutely fantastic artwork. Great storytelling.
While only a teenager, Geoff Emerick had the privilege of sitting in on the Beatles' very first studio session as assistant engineer. He also was there at the final studio session with the Beatles as engineer. Along with producer George Martin, the Beatles' sound owes a lot to Emerick. It was his innovative and creative skills that graced the songwriting talents of the Beatles. Emerick is not simply a great technician, but a sensitive artist. He describes how he "hears" music: "I'd always viewed making records as painting pictures, with the sounds of musical instruments as my palette. I think of microphones as lenses and the different frequency areas seem like colors to me: high-pitched strings as a silver shimmer, mid-range brass as golden, the low tones of a bass as dark blue. That's actually the way I hear things" (108). Emerick shares a lot of great stories about his time with the Beatles. One of the most interesting involves Yoko in the studio during the recording of "Abbey Road." Just before recording began, John and Yoko had a car accident. When John was finally able to record, he brought along a bed into the recording studio where Yoko reclined during the sessions. In the end, Emerick concludes that the Beatles did not break up over business differences or Yoko, but over irreconcilable artistic differences. "John, Paul, and George Harrison simply wanted to follow different paths. John wanted to make art; Paul wanted to continue doing pop music; and George just wanted to pursue his Eastern interests. Sadly, inevitably, there was no common ground anymore, only a common history" (324). This is a great book for any Beatles fan!
This was a very disappointing read. It offered very little new material in relationship to the Beatles. And, most frustrating of all, it kept on interweaving Beatles history with U2 history, as if the bands are on completely parallel historical courses. Having never been a U2 fan, I find it extremely tenuous to suggest that U2 is of equal significance to the Beatles, or that Bono is the contemporary version of Lennon.
The quaint, homespun, sometimes adorable, sometimes in-your-face wisdom of Mother Angelica is a joy to read. One does not have to agree with her completely to benefit from her humble wisdom. There's something about deeply spiritual Catholics - they don't have all the a-big-church-means-I'm-blessed-and-a-success attitudes of many Protestant leaders. They still believe in poverty, humility, surrender and redemptive suffering. This book is "like a sit-down with Mother Angelica; a chance to soak up the wisdom and joy of a woman who has lived a life of indominatable faith" (xv). Self-described as "a porcupine at a balloon party" (xvi), Mother never fails to bring a smile. For example: "All life is a school of holiness and everything that happens to you from bad weather to an ingrown toenail is an opportunity for you to be like Jesus. Don’t miss the opportunity" (40). In regard to life's trials: "If everything had gone smoothly, just as you envisioned, wouldn’t you have become very complacent? Would you have depended on the Lord so much? Would you really have known that He’s the one doing it all? You might think you could have done without those setbacks and problems and persecutions—but you’re wrong. You needed them" (147). Mother is constantly self-deprecating in an amusing and encouraging way. I love the following passage which reflects this well: "I like to sit in bed, eating bon-bons, and reading the mortified lives of the saints. When I was a young novice I used to flip through those biographies looking for someone like me. I need nine hours of sleep a day. The medication I take requires me to eat seven times a day I like air conditioning and comfortable chairs. I went through all the lives of the saints and I couldn’t find one like me. But I came to the conclusion that the saints weren’t the problem, it was their biographers. I’ve often said that I wish every biographer of every saint, who did not depict the truth, would go to purgatory for forty years, because they have made the saints unreal. You’d swear these people were holy when they were conceived, after reading one of these accounts. But it’s not true. The saints would be the first to tell you: they struggled like you do. They ate, and drank, and slept, and were frustrated, and victims of injustice. They were like you! Can you imagine emptying heaven now and putting all the saints in a big arena? They would look just like you do now: fat and skinny, young and old. They had their faults and eccentricities. They bugged people. It takes a saint to live with one. Every Christian is supposed to bug somebody. That’s what the saints did" (165).
This is a book by the infamous drummer of the hair-metal band, Motley Crue. Obviously, this book is not for everyone. If you have no interest in heavy metal or if you are easily offended, please click away from this page now. I'm warning you. I'll give you time. See you later. Now, for those who've stayed: It is hard not to crack a smile when the book starts with Tommy dialoguing with the most influential aspect of his being - his penis. Tommy argues that "I'm forty-one, I've lived a full life, and there's a lot to tell, a lot of which has nothing to do with you. I'm the captain of this ship." Tommy's penis responds: "Whatever, skipper ... You owe your entire life to me. I made it all happen for you" (3). This argument persists throughout the entire book. Even though Tommy's life is filled with narcissism and sexual hedonism (in one section, he argues that a threesome is better than a twosome for reasons I will not go into), he does offer some helpful advice. After spending time in prison for four months, he tells of how books drastically changed his outlook and life. He offers this advice: "read a book that you find meaningful for an hour a day - it is a great gift that you can easily give yourself. ... Reading is like vitamins for your soul. A good book can change your life as much as a perfect piece of music or an amazing painting. It can take your world and show you parts of it you might be missing. And don't you want to know as much about being a human as you can?" (181) Clearly Tommy cares for his children and when he is in a relationship seeks to be monogamous. These positive points, combined with Tommy's child-like enthusiasm, make this an interesting read for those who grew up with the excesses of the hair-band days.
It is human nature to desire to sit around a campfire or a screen and hear tales of heroism. Most of our tales are larger-than-life. Fingeroth asks: "Why would people need to hear such exaggerated stories? Aren’t tales of true human valor enough? If fiction is needed, wouldn’t ordinary-seeming, or even extraordinary people. Facing extraordinary circumstances best serve as role models and inspirations? Wouldn’t the very thought of superhuman beings make us all feel pitifully inadequate?" (31-32) I believe we desire such stories because the ideals inspire us to greatness that goes beyond the norm. We all desire to be heroes. And the truth is, we are all heroes of at least one story: our own. What is a hero? "A hero can be said to be someone who rises above his or her fears and limitations to achieve something extraordinary ... A hero embodies what we believe is best in ourselves. A hero is a standard to aspire to as well as an individual to be admired" (14). Fingeroth has a great section on two possible reasons for a dual identity: A dual identity allows an individual to act without repercussions and to keep his or her motives pure so that the heroic deeds stand on their own. It highlights our human desire to hope that we are all more than what we seem on the surface - that underneath our disguises lies a hero.
God has wholeheartedly pronounced a passionate “yes” to humanity in Christ. God’s “yes” invites us to respond in kind. When we do, we experience the “Great Amen” – God’s “yes” and our “yes” together. We demonstrate that God has put his “yes” within us through the Spirit. The result: with Jesus, we bear God’s yoke of “yes” to and for the world. Benedict demonstrates how we all practice "everyday faith" in order to coexist with others. He then applies this to supernatural faith. His most powerful point is that agnosticism is a non-answer to a very important - if not the most significant - question. The problem with agnosticism is that it is empty of any real significance to human life. It is incapable of realization and can neither be embodied nor practiced. It offers an intangible solution to a very substantive problem. It attempts to avoid the unavoidable by abstention. But only a firm “yes” or “no” to the question of God has any real practical significance. For my extended summary, click HERE.
Skelton exhausts every possible connection between Jesus Christ and Superman. At times, his interpretation seems a little strained, but overall, he definitely proves that Superman may well be the most significant Christ figure in recent memory.
After rescuing a strange girl found bleeding on the sidewalk, Richard's dull and predictable life is exchanged for an adventure that takes place in and below London. The underground consists of people who have fallen through the cracks. Richard encounters strange characters as he joins forces with the girl, Door, to avenge the death of her parents. Fast-paced and fun.
An old man awakens in a room, unable to remember who he is and why he is there. This plays like one long episode of Twilight Zone. The tension carries throughout the book as we wonder who Mr. Blank is and why he is in the room. If I understand the book (and that's a big "if"), I think I figured out the mystery in the first few pages. But, I'm not sure I even really "got" it. Anyway, it was a fun read, even if the ending left something to be desired.
A wicked incarnation of Superman and Batman from another timestream kill a superhero in another dimension, but things are not as they seem. Bat-mite's possession of Joker and Mxyzptlk are behind this crazy (and rather convoluted) plot. Not one of my favorites, but still fun.
This is a fantastic and intricate tale about a covert operation masterminded by one villain to completely mess with Batman's mind. Throughout the story we are left guessing at who is behind the whole operation.
When Wonder Woman's golden lasso reveals two competing truths offered by two different people, her lasso breaks and all objective reality begins to fade away, being replaced by the billions of subjective realities experienced by every individual on earth. This creates a chaos and instability. Wonder Woman must set "truth" right again by restoring the lasso. The story reflects the clash of ideals that erupts when people hold competing truths. Wonder Woman urgues us to find a better solution than violence to deal with these truths. In all, a very satisfying story. The main story is framed by two short stories - one about the endless battle of the Justice League, and the other a touching story about Batman confronting Plastic Man's estranged son. The Batman is particularly good in the last story. Also, throughout all the stories, Plastic Man is a riot.
The Justice League battles Z, an ancient enemy who travels the stars, bringing terror and destruction while testing a planet's heroes. Z attempts to use fear to destroy the Justice League, but Z wasn't quite ready for meta-humans and, of course, Batman.
This continues the Elseworld's story, The Nail, in which Martha and John Kent did not discover baby Kal-El because of a tire blowout caused by a nail. At the end of that story, Kal-El is discovered in an Amish community. Now the Amish Superman is growing in power and eclipses the powers of all other metahumans. But an ancient cosmic planet-devouring evil lurks on the horizon. Everyone assumes that only Superman can thwart it, but he is not powerful enough. In the end, Green Arrow is given the body of a powerful superhero and shoots the Omega Doom into the heart of the alien evil with his trusted arrow. This one is full - and I mean full - of superheroes.
This is a collection of six Detective Comics. In each story, it is Batman's brain rather than his brawn that saves the day. In the stories he faces the Joker, a reformed Riddler, the Penguin, and a terrified Poison Ivy. My favorite story is the final one in which Joker takes a bound and gagged Robin on a terrifying death cruise at Christmas time. It is Robin's knowledge of the Marx Brothers that saves the day. In this story, Joker comes off as the crazed, evil, heartless villain that he is.
Superman awakes in a bizarre world where everything is upside-down and irrational. Ultimately, he discovers that Joker has assumed Mxyzptlk's divine power and created a world completely in his vicious, sadistic, and evil image. It is up to Superman to attempt to awaken the heroes and the world to the truth and reverse the situation. In the end, Joker is so intimately connected to the Batman that the solution lies with him. Great fun!
Friedman is a rabbi and a consultant to the FBI. He has written an inspiring book that describes the universal principles that make Batman an inspiration to dediction, courage, and hard work. Batman has chosen not to pursue his passion through the normal channels of law enforcement: "I'm not interested in the law - I'm interested in justice." This gives him the luxury of dangling a crook over the lip of a twenty-story building to gain information. But don't let Batman's excesses blind you to all the positive values which make him heroic. Young Bruce Wayne experienced the greatest tragedy possible for a young child, having had to watch his parents murdered before his very eyes. Having experienced such great loss, he appreciates the great gift of family. In an episode where a villain places Batman in a dream state, Batman fantasizes of nothing more than having a normal family life. "Bruce would trade all of his fame and fortune for a chance to have such relationships" (17). In Batman's own words, he longs "[t]o hear my father's voice, to feel my mother's embrace" (17). Having lost his family, he has created a surrogate family that surrounds and supports him. Bruce has not fallen prey to despair. After his parents' cold-blooded murder, Bruce could easily have allowed himself to hide behind a thick curtain of denial for the rest of his life. His inherited wealth would have allowed him to drown himself in materialistic, mind-numbing pleasure. He could have become the lazy, selfish, mindless playboy he only pretends to be. Who would have blamed him? Instead, Bruce Wayne chose a very different path. He refused - and refuses - to succumb to despair or to embrace a philosophy of hopelessness" (22). Bruce has the greatest strength - the inner strength of conviction, character, integrity, and commitment. Though Batman cannot save everyone, by inspiring others, his impact is magnified. Indeed, his influence can be described as no less than spiritual: "The Batman represents the best of human resolve, will, sacrifice, strength, justice and courage – all that is most nobly human, most genuinely spiritual" (49). Batman is not just escapist fantasy. Fiction is not the opposite of fact. Truth can be communicated through stories - whether true-life or made-up. Friedman offers many other examples of Batman's wisdom. He concludes with this: "there are countless opportunities around us—opportunities that we encounter in our everyday lives—to be heroic. They might not require that we scale the sheer face of a mountain, endure arctic weather, possess mastery of a batarang or a black belt in kung fix, or match wits with world-class assassins. But they are no less heroic—that is, if you consider to be a hero someone who helps people and makes a positive difference in their lives, refuses to bow to difficulty or adversity, and possesses integrity and principles in the face of seductive temptation. I sure do" (92). So the next time you run into trouble, ask yourself, "What Would Batman Do?" It may offer more wisdom than you might first think!
I recently read the trilogy of graphic novels which recount the death, burial, and resurrection of Superman. This story is told in The Death of Superman, World Without a Superman, and The Return of Superman. It is impossible to read these without noticing the many parallels to the story of the passion of the Christ. Superman watches as the Justice League is decimated by the raging beast of hatred, Doomsday. Numerous towns are completely wrecked in his blind trail of destruction. Realizing that he must stop Doomsday alone, Superman fights to the death to protect Metropolis. His body is then fought over, buried in a tomb, and strangely disappears. Eventually, his earthly father, Jonathan Kent, has a heart attack and in a death-like state enounters Superman in the afterlife and saves him from ultimate and eternal death. Superman is then resurrected, but he must face four Superman-imposters who have risen to power during his departure. An epic story!
What's at stake in worship? Everything that truly matters! Why? For worship is the act by which we name what matters most. Labberton rightly realizes that the so-called "worship wars" concerning style, tastes, and techniques mask the real questions and concerns that need to be addressed. For Labberton, the true crisis in worship is reflected in the question: "will God's people wake up to worshiping God in such a way that we demonstrate we are awake by loving our neighbor in God's name?" (33) His main point is that true God-centered worship is not at odds with a call to justice - both personal and corporate. What does the Lord require of us: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). Worship is not about us; it is about God. "What is ironic and especially pertinent is that many debates about worship are just indirect ways of talking about ourselves, not God. Our debates can readily devolve into little more than preference lists for how we like our worship served up each week. It's worship as consumption rather than offering; its an expression of human taste—not a longing to reflect God's glory Surely these concerns cannot be what matter most or are most at stake in worship" (21-22). The fruit of true worship is changed lives - lives centered on loving God supremely, and, as a result, loving our neighbor as ourselves. The evidence of good worship, therefore, "is not just the immediate post-service buzz but whether people are actually giving their lives away for the poor and the oppressed in some tangible way" (34). He continues: "Worship means dwelling where God's heart is and showing it in lives that embody his loving righteousness and merciful justice. This is the worship war for which Christ died and rose" (40).
Bart Ehrman's critique of Christianity is nothing new. He offers the same tired arguments, but in an easily accessible soundbite fashion. Moreover, the fact that he comes from a fundamentalist background makes his story more exciting to reporters, broadcasters, and those with a chip on their shoulder in respect to organized religion. He argues that the abundance of textual variants among the New Testament Greek texts makes it practically impossible to reconstruct the originals. He fails to mention that most of the variants have to do with misspellings and different word orders. For years, the field of textual criticism has demonstrated ways to work through these variants and choose the best way forward in reconstructing the original text. But the way Ehrman argues, you would assume that what we currently possess is so corrupt that it has absolutely no value. Ehrman has lost his faith and is admittedly a "happy agnostic." The reason he lost his faith is simple: he can't possibly reconcile a human element in the construction of inspired texts. To Ehrman, either the text is completely inerrant and God-inspired or completely errant and human-originated. Sadly, he can't escape his fundamentalist presuppositions and need for certainty. Unfortunately, many evangelicals do not help in this matter. By arguing for an "inerrant" text, they make it possible for just one error to topple their whole tower. But would one error in the phone book make the entire thing irrelevant? I agree with Jones that the problem is not Ehrman's research, but the ignorance that most Christians have concerning the origin of the Christian faith and tradition. Most don't realize the importance of the Church Fathers, the early councils, the evolution of the Christian canon, or the need for Spirit-given and Spirit-led tradition. Most assume the Bible - table of contents and all - dropped out the sky. This is sad, because a greater awareness of our grand (and admittedly, sometimes spotted - but what else should we expect if we include a human component) tradition would keep many Christians from falling prey to contemporary fads and fallacies.
Conventional wisdom would have us believe that all violence in stories, games, movies, or novels is harmful to a peaceful society. Thus, many advocate that children not be allowed to play with toy guns or swords. They decry battle scenes and fights. But fights are necessary. It is only in and through conflict that we see the passions of heroes - what they care about, what makes them angry, what they are willing to fight for. Jones points out that "[w]e don't usually ask whether game shows predispose our children to greed, or whether love songs increase the likelihood of getting stuck in bad relationships" (19). But when aggression is the topic, then anything that possesses a modicum of violence is blamed for promoting criminal behavior. But it is not just violence that excites violence. "Many forces have been shown to contribute to aggression: religious fervor, patriotic fervor, sports rivalry, romantic rivalry, hot summer nights. Entertainment has inspired some people to violence, but so have the Bible, the Constitution, the Beatles, books about Hitler, and obsessions with TV actresses. We don't usually condemn those influences as harmful, because we understand them better, we understand why people hke them and the benefits most of us draw from them. What's lacking is an understanding of aggressive fantasies and the entertainment that speaks to them" (19). For my extended summary of this book, click HERE.
Many Christians believe making the sign of the cross over one's body is the sole possession of Roman Catholics, but the tradition goes all the way back to the second century with roots in the New Testament. In the late second century, Tertullian mentions the sign of the cross: "At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at the table, when we light the lamps, on the couch, on the seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign" (13). In the fourth century, Cyril of Jerusalem wrote, "Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Let the cross as our seal, be boldly made with our fingers upon our brow and on all occasions; over the bread we eat, over the cups we drink; in our comings and in our goings; before sleep; on lying down and rising up; when we are on our way, and when we are still" (14). The sign is a significant gesture with profound meaning. It is a physical and tangible reminder that we are Christians, a way to mark that we are set apart unto God, a sign that we rest in the grace and mercy displayed at the cross, a reminder that the life of the cross is a life of sacrifice, and a way for us to constantly recognize that through Christ we enter into the profound mystery and life of the triune God - Father, Son, and Spirit. "[I]t is a blessing, a prayer, a proclamation of the Christian identity, a living mystery, and an acceptance of the role that God has given us" (42). Some Christians reject the need for concrete bodily expressions of faith. Yet, we desperately need signs, symbols, and gestures to express our faith. "How do such gestures help us internalize our spirituality? Gestures and signs are essential to spiritual culture since every gesture holds its own spiritual meaning" (71). In my opinion, it is a fundamental denial of the incarnation to write-off the importance of bodily gestures and a fundamental betrayal of divine mystery to reject signs and symbols. By marking ourselves with the cross, we assent to the "way of the cross" - a way not so much defined by redemptive suffering and pain (although this may be a part), but a way that "is submission of the self to the will of God" (74). The sign also unites all believers: "The sign of the cross reflects this catholicity, because it is performed by every member of the church in exactly the same way, and it represents every member of the church in exactly the same way. Monks, bishops, laypeople, and priests cross themselves in the same manner. Unlike symbols such as vestments, and gestures such as the sign of blessing, which are used only by priests and bishops, the sign of the cross is used by everyone, in any setting" (82). "The sign of the cross helps Christians internalize the messages of the crucifixion and the life of Jesus, making the message personal. At the same time, the sign of the cross connects us to other members of the church. It is a sign as private as it is public, as individual as it is communal. In tracing the sign of the cross over our body, we acknowledge our connection to Jesus, to the church and the community of saints, and to the Kingdom of Heaven that resides inside us" (82-83). I look forward to the day when the church stops playing "guilty by association" and openly embraces this universal symbol. We certainly could not go wrong by making the cross a greater part of our consciousness and actions!
Williams masterfully expounds on the Christian faith using the Apostles' and Nicene Creed. He believes the creeds communicate why God is trustworthy. Although this is intended to be a basic introduction, it is profound. Williams offers powerful insights into the life and message of Jesus, the meaning of the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, and the importance of the church. A great book!
"[M]ost of us find it difficult, if not impossible, to say, 'I was wrong; I made a terrible mistake.' The higher the stakes - emotional, financial, moral - the greater the difficulty" (2). The problem goes even further: "Most people, when directly confronted by evidence that they are wrong, do not change their point of view or course of action but justify it even more tenaciously. Even irrefutable evidence is rarely enough to pierce the mental armor of self-justification" (2). If we are willing to admit error, it is usually someone else's error. In other words we say, "Mistakes were made, but not by me." For my extended summary, click HERE.
This is an interesting spin on fairy tales for tweens and teenagers. A fun romp, funny at times.
The Shack surprised me with its deep theology and poignant spirituality. It is easily one of the best – if not the best – books I’ve read this year. Mack experiences a profound tragedy in his life that centers upon a shack. He receives a personal invitation from “Papa,” that is, God, to meet him in the Shack. He reluctantly takes God up on the offer. Though his efforts appear to initially go unrewarded, God eventually shows up. The God of The Shack is not a generic God, but soundly Trinitarian. This allows the theology presented to be deeply relational, rooted in intratrinitarian love. As such, it provides some of the most profound reflections on God that I’ve come across in Christian fiction. Because the essence of God is love – the eternal relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit – God cannot act apart from love! For my extended reflection, click HERE.
If author Geoffrey Wood is anything like the main character in his first novel, I would love to spend the afternoon with him. He is a neurotic, sassy, caffeine-junky who is given the gift of leaping from one space to another through the sheer act of his will. After wrestling with the discovery of his "super-power" through a series of blunders and goofs, he finally recognizes that his gift must be used for good. The problem: he realizes he really isn't that good. At heart, this book is about coming to grips with the unique gifts we have been given and using them selflessly for the good of others. Our hero's biggest problem is that he desires comfort and convenience while failing to truly trust anyone. In the end he realizes "that all heroes are unlikely, that the world doesn't need people to be more heroic, just less comfortable. More people willing to be less for someone else's benefit, eager to be used, to rush toward what's most needed and not away from it" (300). He concludes: "Imagined or not, your suffering only matters if it connects you to the suffering of others, if it heals them, too. You dont change the world by telling it what to do, sitting at home, and telling it what you believe. You believe by throwing yourself into it. Making a leap, getting involved, then waiting, taking some one persons place for a while, one suffering person at a time" (300). Though it may sound like a morality play, Woods' playful humor makes each page a delight to read. Great fun!
For years, I have been fascinated by Eastern Orthodoxy. Though I initially experienced a spiritual awakening through exposure to the riches of Roman Catholic spirituality, I soon found out the Protestant Church (and its endless variants) and the Roman Catholic Church are very similar, especially when contrasted with Eastern Orthodoxy. Surprisingly, though Protestants and Catholics often have different answers, they both ask the same questions because they share the same fundamental assumptions about God, law, grace, Jesus, salvation, etc. An encounter with Eastern Orthodoxy proves how culturally limited Protestant and Catholic questions and answers actually are. The Orthodox ask completely different questions and arrive at different answers – answers that hold the potential to enlarge our understanding of the breadth and depth of the Christian faith. For my complete summary of this book, click HERE.
Three sermons for Advent that are relatively uninspiring, which is unusual for Cardinal Ratzinger - now Pope Benedict.
Dungy begins his memoir by making sure we know that though football is fun, life is more than football: "The point of this book is not the Super Bowl. In fact, it's not football. Don't get me wrong - football is great. It's provided a living and a passion for me for decades... But football is just a game. It's not family. It's not a way of life. It doesn't provide any sort of intrinsic meaning. It's just football. It lasts for three hours, and when the game is over, it's over" (xiv). For Dungy, winning the Super Bowl is not the ultimate victory. Instead, touching lives, leaving a positive legacy, and changing the world for the better are qualities of a winning life (xv). One of the dominant characteristics of Dungy's leadership is his quiet demeanor. He refuses to lead by fear or intimidation. He treats his team as he would like to be treated. He writes, "'A lot of people say I've got to make you afraid - afraid of being cut, afraid of me. I don't believe that's true.' I have always believed that if you tell people what needs to be done, they will do it - if they believe you and your motives for telling them. I knew these guys would see through manipulation but would respond to motivation. I also told the team that, despite my soft-spoken approach, I would hold each of them accountable" (121-122). His style is not about doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things better than others. In one chapter, he reflects on his teenage son's suicide, and how God has used him in other's lives since then: "We live in a lost and hurting world, and God wants us to get beyond ourselves, whether it's to help hurting kids or grieving parents or artistic inmates or striving fathers. I'm not doing anything extraordinary. I'm just trying to do the ordinary things - as directed by God - well" (263). This is an inspiring look at a sincere, godly, patient leader. Great reading at the start of the new NFL year. Go Colts!
A few weeks back I saw Andrew Keen debate on BookTV. During the debate, I felt that he came across as arrogant and elitist. I’m not sure why, then, I chose to pick up his book, The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture. Perhaps it was the small, unintimidating size of the book. Perhaps it was my insatiable interest in the internet. Perhaps its just my curiousity getting the best of me. Regardless of the motivation, I’m glad I read the book. Unlike the debate, reading Keen convinced me that many of his arguments deserve a fair hearing. Though few are brave enough to admit it, the new wired world we live in is not all sunshine and roses. There are deep, dark, and murky waters that we should be wary of. Keen’s book is a great introduction to some of the dangers we face as a culture in the new digital age. For my extended reflections, click HERE.
Stan Lee is a living legend. He is the creative force behind a host of comic book heroes. The Fantastic Four, The Hulk, Spider-Man, X-Men, and Daredevil are a sampling of his creations. Even now, while in his 80s, he is remains active as the creator and host of one of my favorite shows, Who Wants To Be A Superhero?. He grew up in poverty in New York. However, his love for reading - for losing himself in the magical world of books - kept him joyful. This love would guide his life. He drew cartoons while in the military in order to help others learn without having to wade through difficult books. He edited comic books throughout his adult life and only later in life achieved success with The Fantastic Four, and then a whole slew of comic-book heroes. Reading his autobiography is like sitting at Stan's feet. The sense of joy, excitement, fun, and delight fill the pages. Thanks for all the great times, Stan! You're a hero in my book.
Emotions are not irrational. They are inseparably linked with our intellect, or more accurately, our beliefs, values, and assessments. Because of this they are not – as some people think – unimportant, uncontrollable, or undesirable. They are not shallow, unstable, or untruthful. On the contrary, “[e]motions tell us the truth about what we believe and what we value” (143). Most importantly, without emotions formed and fueled by Christian beliefs and values, professing Christians will fail to nurture and sustain a healthy spiritual life. There is no true religion apart from the emotions, for true religion has to do with the state of our heart – which includes thoughts, affections, emotions, attitudes, and motivations. In this book, Matthew Elliot challenges our perspective on emotions by demonstrating how the theory of emotion that we hold – whether consciously or unconsciously – will influence our interpretation of key biblical texts. For my extended summary click HERE.
Roberts argues for the importance of emotions in spiritual development. It is "important not to feel strongly, but to feel strongly about what matters most" (119). Having established the necessary role of the emotions, he provides extended reflections on contrition, joy, humility, compassion, hope, and others. His reflections on compassion are reason enough to buy this book. In compassion "the beloved is viewed in terms of a fellow-suffering (actual or potential) or a fellow-deficiency… Not just anybody is my friend, a member of my family, my spouse, or a fellow Christian… But a vulnerability to suffering, weakness, and death and a participation in dysfunction are things I have in common with every human being, and a fellowship based on this feature is one I can have with anybody who comes along" (180). If we take suffering seriously, we all can identify with one another. The greatness, goodness, and glory of God is revealed in God's willingness to identify with our sufferings as well: "From the Christian point of view, only God chooses to identify with the weak and sinful. For in his case he who was not weak and not sinful became weak and became like a sinner for the sake of the weak and sinful. In compassion the Christian does not become weak and sinful for the sake of some fellow human being; instead she acknowledges a commonality between herself and this sufferer, a commonality of which there is abundant evidence for anyone with eyes to see" (190).
What’s it all about? Self-proclaimed rationalist and humanist Julian Baggini chooses to answer the ultimate question of life’s meaning by limiting himself to rational, secular inquiry and the assumption that human life contains the source and measure of its own value. He rejects “any supposed revealed truths, religious doctrines or sacred texts, claiming they possess no “credibility” because of “the great diversity of faiths in the world” (2). (Strangely enough, he doesn’t seem bothered by the great diversity of philosophical opinions.) According to Baggini, we must look for the source of life’s meaning outside of religion or any transcendent reality. We are responsible to create meaning for ourselves. We do not “discover” meaning – for there really is no meaning to be discovered. In fact, the category of meaning is literally meaningless in regard to life. Instead, we “create” meaning. We make it up ourselves, for ourselves, by ourselves. For my extended summary, click HERE..
This is a perfect counterpart to Baggini's book above. Cottingham seeks to show the importance of the spiritual dimension to the quest for meaning. No matter how we approach the question, "[w]e collide with the ancient philosophical question 'Why is there something rather than nothing?' and it seems clear on reflection that nothing within the observable imiverse could really answer this. If there is a solution to the 'riddle of life in space and time', it would have to lie outside space and time" (8). But can we say anything coherent about this? Here we reach the limits of science. This should not surprise us, for it is ludicrous to belive that "the significance of our lives can be established by scientific inquiry alone” (4). We need "religious language that invokes symbol, metaphor, poetry, narrative, and other elements valued for their supposed revelatory power" in order to address "what cannot fully be put into words" (9). Although this book is a helpful corrective to Baggini, it gets muddied down in the middle and left me a little unsatisfied.
Pattie Boyd served as the muse for two great musicians. She is the subject of George Harrison's "Something" and Eric Clapton's "Layla." Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" is a song about waiting for Pattie as she prepared to go out for the evening. Pattie is the the product of two broken homes. Her first father literally abandoned her. Her second father was emotionally distant and abusive. Without releasing herself of culpability for her own choices, she comments on how her upbringing negatively influenced her adult life. She met George on the set of "Hard Day's Night." Later, when her relationship with George became strained, she was pursued by Eric Clapton. George's distance and a string of infidelities - with, among others, Ronnie Wood's wife and Ringo's wife, Maureen - finally led Pattie to leave George for Eric. Eric's addictive personality, plus his womanizing, put strains on the relationship that finally led to another divorce. Pattie ends the book by commenting on how she has finally come to value herself for her own achievements and not simply as the wife of a famous rock star.
I really like Brian McLaren. I’ve read every book he has written. I’ve heard him speak countless times. I want, more than anything to be the “new kind of Christian” that he has written about in previous books. That being said, I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, I was let down. Although I truly appreciate McLaren’s attempt to deal with global issues, I think his analysis is simplistic and his prescriptions are lofty and naive. Even worse, I believe the way he connects his vision to Jesus’ life and teaching is strained and unconvincing. Quite frankly, if Jesus’ message had primarily been about global and political issues, he (and his followers) would have confronted Rome and its powers. Instead, Jesus’ primary confrontation was with the local religious leaders who carried little political weight. For my extended review, click HERE.
I still remember receiving my first Van Halen album from Columbia House Record Club. Though I've always preferred progressive rock in the vein of Kansas and Pink Floyd, it was hard not to be captivated by the power rock and blazing guitar solos of Van Halen. That is why I was interested in reading this book. Plus, I wanted to understand the "soap opera" better. I had heard of the battles between David Lee Roth and the Van Halens, David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, Sammy Hagar and the Van Halens, and now, David Lee Roth and the Van Halens against Michael Anthony. I did not realize, however, how hostile and vindicative these attacks actually were. It was interesting to learn of Eddie and Alex's background. Sons of a musician, they learned to play a variety of instruments early in their lives. I was also unaware of how much work Eddie has put into his mastery of the guitar. He makes it look so natural that it is easy to forget that his mastery is due to long hours devoted to practice and experimentation. I also didn't realize how much work he has done, not only in honing his technical skills, but in engineering and crafting his instruments and sound to his own liking. Michael Anthony comes across as the quiet, easy-going bassist. This makes his current displacement that much more tragic. Sammy Hagar seems to be the epitomy of a good-time, red-state, party boy. Roth's love for outrageous showmanship and shameless self-promotion is also evident throughout the book. Yes, he comes across as an egomaniac and a womanizer, but it is interesting to note that in late 2004 he started riding along in ambulances in poor neighborhoods in New York City in order to be certified as a paramedic.
A megachurch is defined as "a Protestant church that averages at least two thousand total attendees in their weekend services" (xviii). Currently, there are 1250 megachurches in the United States. This accounts for .5 percent of all the religious congregations in the nation. But this statistic is misleading. The influence of megachurches far exceeds their relatively small numbers. "If all the people who are members of megachurches were combined, they would be the third largest religious group in the United States. Their combined annual income is well over $7 billion" (1). Furthermore, "[t]he pastors of these churches wield tremendous power within their denominational groups, in the larger Christian world, and even in the public and political realms" (1). "Beyond the raw number and power of these churches, we believe that megachurches, their practices, and their leaders are the most influential contemporary dynamic in American religion. They have superseded formerly key influences such as denominations, seminaries, and religious presses and publishing" (2). In the authors' words, "There is nothing insignificant about the megachurch phenomenon" (1). For my extended summary, click HERE.
Rabbi Kula offers some provocative and inspirings insights on significant human desires - the yearning for truth, meaning, the way, love, happiness, transcendence, and to create. Our yearnings lead us to deeper lives and deeper yearnings: "Every answer to our important questions leads to a new important question. The truth can set us free, but only if we’re always in the process of discovering it" (3). The pursuit of truth is endless and continually raises questions. This, however, does not imply that truth does not exist or that truth is solely subjective and personal. Kula wipes this option away: "I’ve heard so many people use the phrase 'This is my truth' or 'That’s your truth' as a way to defuse conflict and stifle discussion. This relativism is just lazy absolutism" (9). All of the reflections are worthwhile, but I particular enjoyed Kula's thoughts on Sabbath, creativity, and work.
Along with Kansas, Pink Floyd, and the Dixie Dregs, Styx was one of my favorite bands during my teenage years. I loved the combination of keyboards, guitars, and conceptual and imaginative lyrics. For this reason, I was interested in reading bassist Chuck Panozzo's book. He, along with his twin brother John, and Dennis DeYoung, founded Styx as teenagers in Chicago. In the book, he recounts the history of Styx. Initially, the twins and DeYoung played wedding standards. After their normal setlist failed miserably at a high school dance, a nun encouraged them to pick up rock-n-roll. And the rest is history. But this biography is not about Styx as much as it is about Chuck's wrestling with his homosexuality. Throughout most of his career, he felt he had to hide this from friends, family, and the world. He did not believe his friends would understand, his family would accept him, or that it would go well with the rock star persona. The bulk of the book recounts how - through bad and good decisions - he eventually has come to embrace his sexual orientation and come out of the closet. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of reading about his sense of alienation, denial, and loneliness is that it offers a window into what must be a common experience for many who feel they must hide their homosexuality. An interesting read on many levels.
I love The Colbert Report, so it was a complete joy to read this book. Colbert has a wonderful way of stating truths through the absurdity of his radical right-wing on-screen persona. For example: He argues that fathers should be "a distant authority figure who can never be pleased. Otherwise, how will children ever understand the concept of God?" (7) He has a problem with children. Why? "They may be cute, but they are here to replace us" (10). Another fun one: "Children are tiny versions of you, minus the crushing failure" (12). He argues that parents should set arbitrary rules to teach children respect for authority: "Don't worry if a rule makes sense - the important thing is that it's a rule. Arbitrary rules teach kids discipline: If every rule made sense, they wouldn't be learning respect for authority, they'd be learning logic" (11). He despises zoos because they present a false view of nature: "How are my kids supposed to learn anything about nature if the animals aren't savaging one another? I say we put all the animals into one big enclosure and let them battle it out" (41). He defines agnostics as "atheists without balls" (62). Sports have value because "they remain the one and only relevant application of math" (71). On homosexuality, he writes, "Now I've got nothing against gay people. I just don't like how they flaunt it. I'm perfectly fine with someone choosing to be gay, as long as he marries a woman and has kids like the rest of us" (109). If any of the above offends you, this book is not for you. But if you find his politically incorrect style a fun way to expose the absurdity of our common culture, then you'll be rolling on the floor.
It is the inefficiency of pop psychology that keeps the genre afloat. Most pop psychology books share the same story: the world, family, friends, church and culture are against you, seeking to crush your "authentic self." Your only hope lies in trusting the one person who is for you, namely, the author of the book. The implication is "that everything else that has been written or taught up to this point in human history is worthless" (35). The 60s revolt against authority and institutions combined with a usurpation of civil rights language is the basis for much pop psychology. This generation indicted society as inauthentic and, thus, crushing to the authentic self. For my extended summary, click HERE.
Like the most anxious religious fundamentalist preacher out to protect his turf, atheism Richard Dawkins aggressively attacks theism with unmitigated fury. For Dawkins, religion is all bad, with no positive benefits whatsoever. On the other hand, atheism is all good - he insists that there is "not the smallest evidence" that atheism influences people to do bad things. Never mind reality - Dawkins has a theory, or better, a dogma, to defend. Dawkins has no use for law, economics, sociology, philosophy, or religion. Why? Because science explains everything. There are no limits or boundaries to it. All other disciplines are inferior to or dependent on the natural sciences. Having established that no other criteria really matters, he spews the gospel of the new secular atheism with "the high degree of dogmatism" and "aggressive rhetorical style" that has come to characterize this movement. Like fundamentalist preachers, the method of the new atheism is to "ridicule, distort, belittle, and demonize" its enemy (85). They resemble the old preacher who looked at his sermon manuscript: "Weak point... speak louder!" McGrath notes that "[f]undamentalism arises when a worldview feels it is in danger, lashing out at its enemies when it fears its own future is threatened" (96). The new atheism needs the balance that the skeptic Michael Shermer displays: "However, for every one of these grand tragedies there are ten thousand acts of personal kindness and social good that go unreported. . . . Religion, like all social institutions of such historical depth and cultural impact, cannot be reduced to an unambiguous good or evil" (94). If the new atheists do not recover this balance, they run the risk of turning people away from any legitimate insights and criticisms atheism offers. As McGrath notes, ""Might The God Delusion actually backfire and end up persuading people that atheism is just as intolerant, doctrinaire and disagreeable as the worst that religion can offer?" (97)
Its hard to imagine a better combination: philosophy and humor. This book is a delightful introduction to major philosophical themes. It uses jokes to illustrate each section. And, boy, do the jokes really help illuminate many philosophical insights and problems. The authors argue that jokes and philosophical concepts "are made out of the same stuff. They tease the mind in similar ways. That's because philosophy and jokes proceed from the same impulse: to confound our sense of the way things are, to flip our worlds upside down, and to ferret out hidden, often uncomfortable, truths about life. What the philosopher calls an insight, the gagster calls a zinger" (2). One of my favorites: The optimist says,” The glass is half full.” The pessimist says, “The glass is half empty." The rationalist says, “This glass is twice as big as it needs to be” (17). Another: “What exactly is the difference between capitalism and communism.’’ ... it’s really quite simple. Under capitalism, man exploits his fellow man. Under communism, the opposite is true" (163). There are plenty of other great jokes. This is not the best book to explain philosophical concepts - but it sure makes philosophy fun. And it proves that most of our humor arises from wrestling with life's biggest themes.
A. J. Jacobs, author of my second favorite book of 2004, The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World, in which he reads the entire thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica in one year, has attempted another magisterial feat. However, he quickly finds his new endeavor is easier said than done. His quest: to live the ultimate biblical life. "Or more precisely, to follow the Bible as literally as possible. To obey the Ten Commandments. To be fruitful and multiply. To love my neighbor. To tithe my income. But also to abide by the oft-neglected rules: to avoid wearing clothes made of mixed fibers. To stone adulterers. And, naturally, to leave the edges of my beard unshaven (Leviticus 19:27). I am trying to obey the entire Bible, without picking and choosing" (3-4). For my extended summary of this delightful book, click HERE.
Smith's first novel is an absolutely mind-bending treat. It is told in the first person, and in the beginning comes across as a Blade Runner-like science fiction noir novel. The main character, Stark, does work in a world where individuals have created cities fashioned to their own liking, and, for the most part, keep to themselves. While investigating a possible abduction, he crosses cities and some great action ensues. But halfway through the book, the entire story shifts and changes, and we discover that there is a deeper story being told. It all revolves around "Jeamland" (the way a child would pronounce "Dreamland"). I cannot say much more or I'll ruin the story. But I really enjoyed this!
Having enjoyed the previous book - and being on vacation - I read another Smith book. This is the story of an eleven-year-old coming of age as he faces a new stepfather and his mother's terminal illness. The story effectively portrays the boy's anger and inability to understand the depth of his surroundings. His discovery of ghostly servants in the basement acts as a metaphor for his situation.
In this book, a demon trapped in the pages begs the reader to burn the book and release its soul to oblivion. He recounts his release from the ninth circle of hell into the medieval world. He speaks of his evil exploits and tells of how he came to be trapped in the pages of this book. It has to do with the invention of the Gutenberg printing press and the battle between evil and good over its power.
This book provides a detailed account of what led to the demise and destruction of the planet Krypton. Why is this important? Moments before its doom, a brave couple - Jor-El and Lara - sent their only son, Kal-El, into the vast expanse of space headed toward Earth. This boy would be adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent. The bravery and sacrifice (born of desperation) of his first parents and the morality and gracious of his adopted parents - combined with his staggering powers given by Earth's yellow sun - would create the Messiah of all Superheroes: Superman, the Man of Steel, the Man of Tomorrow, the Last Son of Krypton! (For added effect, hum the Superman theme song in your head!) We all know the amazing stories of Superman's adventures, but now we have the story of Superman's true parents. This is an epic, majestic, glorious tale of a world doomed to disaster. Having achieved a perfectly peaceful society, the Kryptonian Council has grown inept and cumbersome to true scientific and social progress. Furthermore, most Kryptonians have lost the desire to excel, settling for mediocrity. The brothers, Jor-El and Zor-El, are the exception. Jor-El is a brilliant scientist, but the Council has banned any technology that could be used in a harmful way. That is why his invention, the Phantom Zone, is seized by Commissioner Zod. But Zod's plans for Jor-El's inventions are suspect. You have to read the book for the rest. I found the character development very satisfying. Jor-El and Zor-El prove that Superman's heroic character is rooted in his genes. These brothers may have been able to save Krypton had it not been for the inept Kryptonian Council. Zod and his minions are well-developed. If you read this, you will never watch Superman 2 the same way again. Brainiac and Martian Manhunter also show up in this tale. We also are given insight into the survival of Argo City and the source of Kryptonite. Finally, the powerful ending of this book had me in tears. If you are a Superman fan, get this book!
Pastor Collier makes the wisdom of Fenelon accessible to a contemporary audience - and we desperately need it. Fenelon understood the need to surrender to God's will, to see suffering as a means of sanctification, and to simply love God and others. Collier summarizes the truth Fenelon confronts us with: "there is a difference between what we think God should do for us and what God actually does for us. There is a difference between whom we imagine God to be and who God actually is. Becoming a follower of God is hard because it requires that we submit ourselves fully to a God who is other than us. We must let go of our insistence that we know best what we need. We must let go of our demands that God act when and how we demand" (2). Our disappointments with God come from our experience of God releasing layers of self-protection we build up in order to manage life and control God. It is because our faith is weak and our love of self so strong, that we have to exert such great mental energy in order to grow in faith. If our faith wasn't so weak, the surrender would be easier. Fenelon counsels: "Abandon yourself entirely to God. Recklessly abandon yourself to God as long as you breathe on this earth. Let loose. You are in good hands. You can be self-abandoned because you will never be God-abandoned" (5). But alas, we resist God by resisting humility. The truth is we are terrified to really follow God and the way of the cross. For we know: "To follow God, we must walk into the cross, and to walk into the cross is to walk into darkness and poverty, nakedness and death" (8). Fenelon gives the kind of authoritative insight that we desperately need to hear: "Listen to me with this. Believe it. I know that when you taste this truth, it will seem bitter, but if you will hear it, it will feed your heart well. You will need to die to yourself, the ultimate impoverishment. But this death is the only true life, the only way to be filled. Trust what I am saying. Don’t I listen to your self-protective voice. That voice is the grand seducer. More powerful even than the serpent that deceived our mother Eve. That voice coddles you into being afraid to risk what God requires. Trust me: you will find happiness if you simply listen to and obey the other voice" (10).
O'Collins has written some dense works on the Trinity, so this accessible book on the incarnation is a welcome treatment of this important topic. God reveals and redeems through the incarnation. It is the particularity of the incarnation that is scandalous. The Christian understanding is not simply that Jesus embodied (incarnated) some great ideal or quality, so that Jesus is "merely the highest human example of someone open to and utterly motivated by the divine spirit" (8) but that Jesus is God incarnate, the Word made flesh. An eternally pre-existing "Subject within the oneness of God" took human form and dwelt among us. Not eternal in the sense of preceding or antedating everything else, but rather, “that Christ personally belongs to an order of being other than the created, temporal one” (15). Was the human Christ conscious of his eternal pre-existence? "This would be to ignore the fact that his human memory, along with his human consciousness and all his other human powers, began to exist only when he was conceived and born. With the incarnation the Son of God becomes fully human and newly human (18). Is pre-existence important? Pre-existence "strongly underlines the divine love for human beings and their world. To have continued sending prophets would cost God nothing, so to speak. But the coming and personal presence of the pre-existent Son of God uniquely expresses the divine desire to be with us, to share our sufferings and redeem us from our desperate situation. Anything less than this might well leave us wondering how much we matter to God. ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’ (John 3.16) is convincing in a way that a ‘lesser’ text would not be: for instance, ‘God so loved the world that he sent another great prophet.’ As a traditional Christmas message put it, ‘God cared enough to send the best’" (24). He continues: "Belief in the personal pre-existence of the Word of God holds together beautifully the doctrines of creation and redemption. The central protagonist of the drama of redemption was/is already active in creating and conserving the universe. The Creator and the Redeemer are personally identical" (24). We have seen God's face in the Christ Child. God's blessing in Numbers 6:24-26 has literally come true! Thanks be to God!
In order to answer the steady stream of questions from his young son, Jamieson did not rely on his own knowledge, but sought out experts. As he offers his answers, he shares his experience of parenting and also stories from his own childhood. Most prominent is his awareness that having children allows parents to regain a childlike perspective once again.
Brian achieved his life-long dream to be a rock star. He "made it" as a lead guitarist in Korn, but his life fell apart. Brian tells his story of conversion to the Christian faith with great honesty. I related to many aspects of this book. I, too, wanted desperately to be a rock star. I also spent years in a drug and alcohol induced haze, jumping from bar to bar, party to party. I, too, found that this lifestyle was not at all what I expected it to be. Brian writes, "It was fun, but it wasn't what I imagined it would be. ... When I used to dream about the fame and the rock star life, I always pictured myself being extremely happy. I pictured myself having fun all the time and loving life. I never saw myself as an out-of-control alcoholic and drug addict. I never imagined one of my band members would become suicidal. I never thought the pressure would be so serious that everyone in the band would fight all the time" (88). I, too, became suicidal and reckless. I, too, experienced a radical spiritual awakening. To this day, I am grateful to even be alive. I found myself relating to many of Brian's early Christian experiences. The major difference: I got sucked into Calvinism and he went the Pentecostal, tongues-speaking route. But I do remember all the doubts, trials, and yet, initial joys of being saved from a life that was undeniably twisted. Brian has only been a believer for a short time, and some of his reflections demonstrate this, but overall, he speaks with such honesty that he wins you over.
This is a glorious revisioning of the Superman story that takes place in the Great Depression years and culminates at the time of the printing of the first Superman comic in 1938. In this version, the Kents have no idea where Clark came from, they simply know that he is unique. Without an awareness of his alien origin, and with roots only in the hick farming town of Smallville, and with a very average intelligence at that, Clark is overwhelmed when he first leaves Smallville and enters the world of Hollywood and then New York. The reason he wears glasses is that they make him look more intelligent. His insecurities are exposed when he considers encountering the criminal mastermind, Lex Luthor. For more, click HERE
I grew up with Alice Cooper's "Greatest Hits" album. I knew of his hits, but little else. But my interest increased years ago when I heard of his conversion to Christianity. I immediately purchased "The Last Temptation" and loved it. I've also followed him regularly with "Brutal Planet," "Dragontown," and "The Eyes of Alice Cooper." One of my oldest posts at this site consists of my reflections on "Brutal Planet." In this book, Alice writes of how he exchanged his addiction to alcohol for an addiction to golfing. His unique style of theater rock and his commitment to golf has opened the door for many unusual relationships. He writes of his relationships with diverse personalities from Groucho Marx and Bob Hope to the Beatles (and many, many others inbetween). In 1983, Alice became a Christian. His wife, Sheryl, is a preacher's kid and his own father was a preacher. While working with a Christian marital counselor following a near collapse of his marriage, he came to faith. Thank God that his pastor encouraged him to remain in music, rather than give it up. His pastor told him that God had not made a mistake in his successful career. He said, "What speaks louder? You preaching the word? Or is it your lifestyle that communicates with people? You're in the world of rock 'n' roll, booze, and sex. Yet you're the guy who never cheats on his wife, who doesn't go to strip bars with the boys, and doesn't get high. Your band sees you reading the Bible at night on the bus. What speaks louder than that? I don't see any reason why you should quit being Alice Cooper" (197). By playing the character of Alice Cooper on stage, Alice is able "to take shots at the absurdity of the world" through his music (206). I love Alice! For more on Cooper's unique perspective, check out my Truth in Strange Places.
This takes place after Superman's death and return. After experiencing four fake supermans, people are suspicious of the authenticity of the present Superman. Superman proves he is the real thing by his willingness to sacrifice himself and place his trust in his fellow superheroes.
I had a hard time following this story, but the artwork by Ed and Mariah Benes is absolutely fantastic!
A fantastic retelling of Superman's first days in Metropolis. In Africa, Clark learns how a costume manifests national pride. When he first begins to save others, people are suspicious of his motives. They fear that which they do not comprehend. Why does he do what he does? Is he good or bad? Luthor attempts to convince the citizens of Metropolis that Superman is an evil alien. There is a great sequence where a foe says to Superman, "It's only a matter of time before you turn on anyone weaker than you. That's how it works." Superman replies, "Not... Not always." The foe responds, "What, were you raised in a barn?" The final scene is fantastic. Luthor has opened a wormhole to Krypton's past, and Superman is able to tell his birth parents, Jor-El and Lara, that he made it to earth, just before Kryton collapses. The article in the back by Mark Waid on reimagining Superman is a goldmine, and demonstrates his grasp of the character. He writes of why Clarks is so mild-mannered, slightly aloof, and very tightly wrapped. "When he screws up, people can die. Clark brings Kal-El so close to being human, so tantalizingly close ... but never are we more 'human' than when we make mistakes, and mistakes are the things Clark can least afford." He continues: "There's also another sad irony to Clark, and it's one that reaches right to the heart of every adolescent out there: in order to have any sort of genuine relationship with people, Superman has to be someone he's not. He comments on the reason for the success of Smallville: Smallville is built around the same thing that ALL teenage lives are built around, the one bonding element we can count on our audience to find in common with this alien who can fly: the search for identity. Clark, like all of us were (or are, or will be at one time or another), is desperately trying to figure out who he is and what his place is in this world. In Clark's case, obviously , his quest for identity is complicated by the fact that he's of TWO worlds." Great stuff!
Modern day Christians consume religion—that is, they buy and sell the religious experience. And modern day church leaders, noting this tendency among Christian consumers, have mastered the art of selling religion. In this book, James B. Twitchell, professor of English and advertising at the University of Florida, examines the effect of the free market on religious beliefs. Perhaps no other aspect of American culture has had a more profound impact on the American religious experience than the free market economy. argues that the reason religion is doing so well in the United States (in contrast to Europe) is because Americans do a better job of selling religion: “The free market in religious choice has increased the levels of religiosity. That’s because in highly competitive markets suppliers have to stay on their toes, be innovative, be resilient, and always be selling” (29). For my extended survey of this book, click HERE.
Every year a ritual occurs in an unknowned Midwestern town that no one can escape from. The ritual involves the incarnation of a Pumpkin Boy who must attempt to move from a cornfield to the Church at the center of town. All sixteen-year old boys attempt to kill this creature. But the creature is more than it appears, and there is more to the ritual than meets the eye. This was a quick, fun read. It appears to me that the themes of the difficulty of escaping one's environment, the cycle of evil, and the endless parade of sacrificed sons and daughters in a violent world are at the heart of this horror tale.
Certainly, we can never exhaust the mystery of the incarnation - the full humanity and deity of Jesus Christ. However, if we lose it, we lose everything distinct and unique about the Christian tradition: “I do not think that, if we remain Christian, we can ever escape the fundamental paradox, that Jesus Christ is both human and divine. There are no devices that would eliminate it, short of the destruction of Christianity itself. It will not do, for instance, to say that Jesus Christ is indeed human, but not divine. Many people have believed that, and many still do. Some of them would go further, and say he was a very great man, a very good man, even the most sublime human being that has ever lived. But they stop short at the idea that he was the Word of God incarnate, as the Christian church has claimed. But if that claim is denied, then Christianity collapses. Jesus Christ might remain as an inspiring moral teacher, to be set alongside Socrates and Confucius, but he could not be a Saviour or Redeemer, he could not be preached as the Lord who demands the ultimate allegiance of the believer, and it would be nonsensical to baptize people into his name or to celebrate the eucharist" (17). The person of Jesus is significant to all people: "Even people who say they are not interested in the question of God, or that they can attach no meaning to language about God, are surely interested in the question of humanity and the welfare of humanity, if they are serious at all" (20). This is a powerful and succinct introduction to the incarnation.
Written as a response to "The Myth of God Incarnate" crowd, Hebblethwaite argues for the uniqueness of the Incarnation: "Christianity shares with many other religions belief in an infinite and transcendent God, the source of the world’s being and of all its values. It recognises that in every part of the world traditions of religious belief and religious experience have made it possible for men and women to enjoy the blessedness of spiritual life and of the knowledge and love of God. But the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation expresses the conviction of Christians that this God has made himself known more fully, more specifically and more personally, by taking our human nature into himself, by coming amongst us as a particular man, without in any way ceasing to be the etertial and infinite God" (21). As the God-man, Jesus truly and graciously reveals God: "In Jesus’ character and acts we see the character and acts of God himself in terms we can readily understand. At the same time God does not overwhelm us in his self-revelation. Instead he invites and wins our personal response" (23). The incarnation cannot be reduced to a mere myth. It has no power to move us unless there is real objective content to event and explanation, for "we are not moved by nonsense" (39). We must not fear going "beyond the facts." Jesus is not discovered simply by restricting ourselves to historical inquiry: "The Church theologian as such has no special interest in restricting his perspective to the purely human, in other words in remaining resolutely ‘below’. Some modern theologians give the impression that unless they remain within the framework of purely human categories their talk of Jesus will make no contact with the mind of their contemporaries. But it is one thing to begin where other people are, quite another to remain there for fear of offending secular sensibilities. That is to betray a loss of confidence in the Church’s tradition as a possible framework for the interpretation of reality" (81). Hebblethwaite provides profound reflections on truth-talk, on the significance of creeds, on the nature of theological development ("movement is always back and then forward, not just on and on and on, moving further and further away from its origins" 106), and how any serious talk about God is ontological ("Ontology - 'substance' talk - is involved in any serious theistic belief" 161). For this reason, the Incarnation cannot be construed as a mere metaphor. It has to do with an actual event.
"The darkness of God, a darkness nowhere more apparent than in the cross of Christ, is the excess of light" (20). Hauerwas offers brief reflections on each of the seven sayings of Christ from the cross. For example, he writes concerning, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?": "God is most revealed when he seems to us the most hidden. 'Christ's moment of most absolute particularity—the absolute dereliction of the cross—is the moment in which the glory of God, his power to be where and when he will be, is displayed before the eyes of the world,' says David Bentley Hart. Here God in Christ refuses to let our sin determine our relation to him. … know that the Son of God has taken our place, become for us the abandonment our sin produces, so that we may live confident that the world has been redeemed by this cross" (65). He reminds us that "It is finished" does not mean "I'm done for" but is a cry of victory over the evil powers. He writes, "What wonderful news: 'It is finished.' But it is not over" (90).
Leaders are rarely what we perceive them to be. The more we get to know them, the more we are disillusioned. I have experienced my fair share of disenchantment with religious leaders and I am sure that I have certainly burst some bubbles myself. Rarely, however, does one both experience disillusion and yet increase in one’s respect for an individual. This occurred to me as I read Frank Schaeffer’s memoir of growing up in the household of Francis and Edith Schaeffer. I learned things about Francis and Edith that are shocking and painful to consider. At the same time, in spite of their obvious shortcomings, I grew in my respect for them. For my extended reflection, click HERE.
In this book, Steve writes about his career in stand-up comedy. Martin learned by performing an eclectic mix of material. He read poetry, played banjo, did comedy, and performed magic. As a teenager he cut his performance teeth at Disneyland in Anaheim, California and assorted magic shops. He studied philosophy in College. He wrote for the Smothers Brothers and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. He opened for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Eventually, after hard work, great risks, and perpetually honing his craft, he achieved wild success at stand-up comedy. The most touching event occurs at the end of the book, when he recounts his final moments with his father, whose approval he sought to win his entire life. His father offered his last goodbyes and said, "I'm ready now." Then he said, "I wish I could cry, I wish I could cry." Steve asked him, "What do you want to cry about?" His answer: "For all the love I received and couldn't return" (197). Being someone who regularly stands before people, and thus, somewhat of a performer myself (all teachers and preachers perform to some level, although some refuse to admit it) I completely identified with Steve's opening confession: "Enjoyment while performing was rare - enjoyment would have been an indulgent loss of focus that comedy cannot afford. After the shows, however, I experienced long hours of elation or misery depending on how the show went, because doing comedy alone onstage is the ego's last stand" (1).
The study of the origin or evolution of religion usually attracts those who are antagonistic to religion – those who assume or hope to prove that religion is nothing more than a man-made phenomenon. For such individuals, no matter what the evidence reveals, the existence of God is rejected. If the religions studied are in conflict, then they must all be wrong. If they are similar, then they must merely be human inventions. Rodney Stark refuses to begin with this secular assumption. He suggests that the study of the origin and evolution of religion may result in an authentic “discovery” of God. It is for this reason that his book is titled, Discovering God. Among other things, Rodney examines ancient temple religions and the movement to a more market-driven religious culture due to Roman de-regulation of religion. He demonstrates how religions that are "godless" eventually proclaim their founder as a god (e.g., Buddhism). He exposes the militant violence of Muhammad - his raids, assassinations, and massacres of Jews. He concludes by affirming the discovery of God in the monotheistic religions of Judaism and Christianity. (He rejects Islam, seeing it as a regression rather than progression). For my extended thoughts, click here.
Antony Flew writes of his conversion to deism in 2004. He speaks disparagingly of the new atheists - the “high priests” of atheism who go beyond science education by “deciding what it is permissible for the scientific faithful to believe on matters metaphysical” (xxiii). Some suppose that in his old age, he is hedging his bets, but this is not true because he still doesn’t believe in the existence of an afterlife (2). He simply has followed his life’s paradigm, “as Plato in his Republic scripted his Socrates to insist: ‘We must follow the argument wherever it leads’” (89). He confesses, “I now believe that the universe was brought into existence by an infinite Intelligence. I believe that this universe’s intricate laws manifest what scientists have called the Mind of God. I believe that life and reproduction originate in a divine Source” (88). He asks his former atheists one simple central question: “What would have to occur or to have occurred to constitute for you a reason to at least consider the existence of a superior Mind?” (88) Flew argues that atheists have not dealt adequately with who wrote the laws of nature and a universe fine-tuned for life. He writes, “The philosophical question that has not been answered in origin-of-life studies is this: How can a universe of mindless matter produce beings with intrinsic ends, self-replication capabilities, and “coded chemistry”?” (124) Atheists have a difficult time explaining the existence of the self, consciousness – even natural laws (for the existence of objective natural laws implies a lawgiver). At the end of the book, Flew interacts with N. T. Wright, and suggests that he offers “by far the best case for accepting Christian belief that I have ever seen.” (3)
At age 16, Tessa is dying of cancer. As her death approaches, she attempts to experience the ten items on her list of things to do before she dies. I had a mixed reaction to this book. On one hand, it is a sobering, and sometimes endearing look at how one girl faces death. At times, her comments really invite the reader to value life and relationships more. On the other hand, much of what she hopes to do is incredibly self-serving and, frankly, irresponsible. Drug use, anonymous sex, and stealing are just a few items on her list. There are extended sequences where sexual experiences are pictured in graphic detail. She never quite learns lessons from the tragedy she faces. She never considers the possibility of God or an afterlife. In fact, she actually disparages religion and God to her brother. So I come away with mixed feelings. I wasn't as touched as I should have been, primarily because I felt that Tessa really lost opportunities to make the most of her tragic situation.
For years, Dream Theater has been my favorite group. I know of no other band that combines such great technical ability with profound musical expression and passion. Mike Portnoy, the drummer, is one of the best promoters of this group. I visit his website daily and interact regularly on the forum. I've seen the group eight or nine times (I've lost count) in about as many different cities. I've seen them from the front row in Connecticut. This boxed set is a fan-boy's dream. It contains a book of pictures from the early days until now, a CD of rare recordings, and a 400-page complete biography recounting the history of Dream Theater from its inception to the present. Before the book was written a group of fans purchased the book, making its publishing possible. These people are on the Honor Roll in the back of the book. My name can be found there on page 371 in the first column: "Rev. Rich Vincent." At a time when anti-musicianship is fashionable and hugely popular, the members of Dream Theater have remained true to their convictions. Much more could be said, but I simply must say that I am profoundly grateful for this book, and look forward to many more years of enjoying one of my favorite bands of all time.
A significant shift occurred in theology in the seventeenth century. “[B]efore the seventeenth century, most Christian theologians were struck by the mystery, the wholly otherness of God, and the inadequacy of any human categories as applied to God” (6). Though this “earlier view never completely disappeared … seventeenth century philosophers and theologians increasingly thought they could talk clearly about God” (6). They began to speak of God univocally, as if the terms we use concerning creaturely realities mean exactly the same thing when applied to God. The failure to recognize and correct this shift led to what William C. Placher calls “the domestication of transcendence.” For my extended analysis of this great book, click HERE.
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