Why We're Not Emergent

Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be), by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

This is one I've been working on for... a while.  The 'emergent movement' is a relevant and important issue conversation that all serious Christians ought to engage.  As I think about the manner Kevin and I can portray our faith to the largely unreached Idaho Springs community, I want to guard against sacrificing foundational things for the sake of relevance... as the use of Scripture and the understanding of God and His Church are being redefined in the emergent movement. 

From the intro: 

One of its critics has described the emerging church as a protest movement - a a protest against traditional evangelicalism, a protest against modernism, and a protest against seeker-sensitive megachurches.  Others, sympathetic to the movement have used the acronym EPIC: experiential, participatory, image driven, and connected.

The reason we (more "mainstream") evangelical Christians must take this movement seriously is that it is gaining followers with an attractive message.  Doesn't sound too horrible, right?  But at what cost:

-demoting to mere story the Holy Word of God, 

-reducing the Almighty to a weak (albeit all-loving) power with no semblance of majesty, holiness, or justice, or 

-redefining Church to mean an all-inclusive community of fellow journeyers with little direction beyond "live as Jesus lived"?  

One of the authors described the 'theology' thus: It reaffirms my place in the center of my own universe.  It's about me and my journey.  Is this true Gospel?  Or is it a dangerous sort of placebo for people who have been burned by traditional church, or seekers who can't tell the difference?  Ours is a religion that cannot be compromising to this self-serving, trendy culture.

The dangers of compromising Scripture:

We can wax eloquent about the beauty of the story and how the Scriptures read us, but unless people are convinced that the Bible is authoritative, true, inspired, and the very words of God, over time they will read it less frequently, know it less fully, and trust it less surely. 

The dangers of compromising who God is:

Where sin is the main problem we need a crucified Substitute.  Where pain and brokenness are the main problems, we need to learn to love ourselves.  God is no longer a holy God angry with sin, who, in His great mercy, sent His Son to die on our behalf so that divine justice might be satisfied.  God becomes a vulnerable lover who opens Himself up to hurt and rejection in order to be with us because we are worth dying for. 

I have no doubt that this message will find a receptive audience, but it is not the message the apostles proclaimed and for which they died.  Christians don't get killed for telling people that God believes in them and suffers like them and can heal their brokenness.  They get killed for calling sinners to repentance and proclaiming faith in the crucified Son of God as the only means by which we who were enemies might be reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10). 

The dangers of compromising church - who's in, and its structure:

There is a log of ambiguity, like "take part in spiritual activities" and "identify with the life of Jesus."  Then the thought came to me, If you stopped a random handful of Americans on the street, they would all aspire to identifying with the life of Jesus in much the same way they would hope to identify with the life of Martin Luther King or Muhammad Ali.  The tough part is that "taking part in spiritual activities" won't help a person in the afterlife, regardless of whether or not McLaren is ready to dialogue on that topic.  

...Many in the emerging church lament the central place preaching has received in Protestant worship services.  Pagitt, for example, decries how preaching has becoming "speaching."...The problem, according to emergent leaders, isn't with the people or the preachers, but with the method of one-way communication where one clear message is spoken to passive listeners.  ...Much of the emergent disdain for preaching is really an uneasiness about authority and control.  Discussion, yes.  Dialogue, yes.  Group discernment, yes.  Heralding?  Proclamation?  Not on this side of modernism.

In the final chapter, the authors urge us to consider the examples of the seven churches in the book of Revelation.  There is a message of warning for us, in the camp of the traditional and orthodox church,

The light at Ephesus had grown dim.  They had good deeds, but not in love for one another.  They defended the light, but they were not shining it into the dark places of the world.  ...It is sad but true.  Theologically astute churches and theologically minded pastors sometimes die of dead orthodoxy.  Some grow sterile and cold, petrified as the frozen chosen, not compromising with the world, but not engaging it either.  We may think right, live right, and do right, but if we do it off in a corner, shining our lights at one another to probe our brother's sins instead of pointing our lights out into the world, we will, as a church, grow dim, and eventually our light will be extinguished.  

and for them, the all-inclusive and organic emergent church,

Ephesus was under-engaged with the culture; Pergamum over-identified with the culture.  The Christians in Pergamum bore witness to Jesus, but they had compromised in what it meant to follow Him.  Undiscerning tolerance was Pergamum's crippling defect.  Their indifference to religious and moral deviancy was not a sign of their great relevance to the culture, or their great broadmindedness, or a great testimony to their ability to focus on God's love; it was a blight on their otherwise passionate, faithful witness.

To conclude:

Emergent Christians, to use the language of Revelation, have many good deeds.  They want to be relevant.  They want to reach out.  They want to be authentic.  They want to include the marginalized.  They want to make kingdom disciples.  They want community and life transformation.  Jesus likes all this about them.  But He would, I believe, also have some things against them, some critiques to speak through other brothers and sisters.  Criticisms that shouldn't be sidestepped because their movement is only a "conversation," or because they only speak for themselves, or because they admit, "We don't have it all figured out."  Emergent Christians need to catch Jesus' broader vision for the church - His vision for a church that is intolerant of error, maintains moral boundaries, promotes doctrinal integrity, stands strong in times of trial, remains vibrant in times of prosperity, believes in certain judgment and certain reward, even as it engages the culture, reaches out, loves, and serves.  We need a church that reflects the Master's vision - one that is deeply theological, deeply ethical, deeply compassionate, and deeply doxological. 

This seems to me a message we all need to "catch".  

something droll

Considering I've had such a lack of motivation to read (and, therefore, to write)... 

...here's something droll I found online.  

But in reality, I would love for someone to give out these awards.  To me.

Which one(s) would you want to win?

a gift

A book from my beloved high school English teacher.

nice little shout out

Ha!  My very first mention on an actual literary blog! 

Thanks, Brontë Blog, for noting my review of Jane Eyre.

Check out this (rather lengthy) post from the other day... 

Read, or scroll, allllll the way to the last paragraph, 

and you'll see a nice mention of Twenty Three Books!

Wuthering Heights about to open in the US

Also: YES to a new version of WH!

can i get an amen?

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë

Ah.  Good fictional literature.  It's been a while.  What is there to say but that Jane Eyre lives up to its status as a staple in the Western canon.  Having read it nearly ten years ago, there was not much I remembered about the heroine, nor Ms. Brontë's lush descriptions.  I had forgotten so much, it may as well have been my first time.  Ah.  

Reading her story, I am so proud of Jane.  And why shouldn't I be?  Faced with tremendous temptation, she replies

I care for myself.  The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad--as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth--so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane--quite insane: with my veins running fire, and my heart is beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot.

Good grief, Jane!  Way to make all the rest of us women feel horrible about decisions we've made against the law of God and man... And yet by your example, you remind us that we, too, can choose to plant our feet, and that a choice for good will not be in vain.

This book explores, at length, gender relations, social class, grace and law, atonement, real romance, integrity, and education.  All things that I love.

It's almost a cliché to recommend this book.  But seriously, if you haven't yet read it, you cannot claim to love literature.  This is no exaggeration.

I hear the movie version with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender is a rather faithful portrayal.  Cannot wait to see it!

recent purchases

I had to have:

Out of the Silent Planet, by C.S. Lewis; the first of his Space Trilogy.  Finally, we've got the whole set!

Anna Karenina, by Tolstoy; one that I will force myself to read and to love. Seriously, I've attempted this one twice already.  Third time's a charm, right?

A Daughter's Worth, by Ava Sturgeon; a devotional for teenage girls.  I'm reviewing this one to see if it's any good to go through with some of our youth group girls.  Here's hoping!

Unseduced and Unshaken

Unseduced and Unshaken: The Place of Dignity in a Young Woman's Choices, by Rosalie de Rosset

I never read new books... which is part of the reason I was drawn to this one in the first place.  I was first drawn to it because of its assertion that young women need to read the classics; however, it calls for much more than that.  Dr de Rosset (a professor of my mom's at Moody) wrote this "collection of essays [as] a thoughtful provocation to speak well, read often, make choices that reflect the character of God, and even to establish a theology of play or leisure."

This book touches on topics that all Christians, not just young Christian women, need to tackle.  It demands a return to critical thinking, holy leisure, discipleship one generation to the next - and in that, a love and understanding of tradition - as well as what it truly means to be a "formidably self-possessed young woman with a fully realized, detailed moral sensibility", as one critic says of the character Jane Eyre.  

This is not a typical self-help, Christian how-to for women.  It is a serious, well-researched work whose author pulls no punches.  Unseduced and Unshaken is surprisingly as much an advocate for the rights of the all too silent women in the Church as it is a directive for them.  We have a high calling as women.  Are we living up to our potential in furthering the kingdom, or are we content with the quietness and mediocrity of our lives?  Are we all right with the mediocrity of our women's Bible studies that are too often watered down biblical truths packaged for blithe, unthinking women who care little for being challenged with harder theology?  Do we see Mary of Bethany sitting serenely at the feet of her Rabbi, or do we see her in passionate discussion?  Asking hard questions, learning what it means to truly follow Him?  

Everyone needs to read this book.

My favorite chapter, if you've time for nothing more, is entitled "Mindful or Mindless: a Theology of Play".  This is the section that compares stories like Titanic to Casablanca.  Superficial, hasty, but passionate romance versus authentic, deep, but composed romance.  Scandal versus honor.  Sex versus love.  There is more to what she has to say here: developing a philosophy of leisure, fasting from media, reevaluating the music we listen to.  Her several paragraphs on hymnic worship and tradition are particularly weighty.  Read what she says at the end of the chapter:

What I am suggesting to you today is that you remember the best of what was and include that best with the best of what is, or you will break the link in a historical legacy given to us by God.  This means that popular culture can have a thoughtful place in your life, but should not dominate you by the very definition of popular.  This means that it would serve you well to have at least a portion of your experience the classics in music, art, theology, and literature - those things that have been with us for generations.  That understanding will then help you look at today's music, art, and literature critically, helping you to choose and enjoy the best of it.  Having gone through the process of changing your diet, you will find yourself unable to go back to junk food.

The teacher (and fellow young woman believer) in me craves to go through this book with our youth group girls.  To consider why Twilight is not up to snuff.  To consider the dangers of reading cheap fiction.  To consider the movies we watch, and their portrayals of women and romance.  To consider what we do with our free time, whether we are in fact rotting our brains.  To consider what the role of women is in God's plan, and how we can follow Him in that. 

I ask that we as women raise the standard that's been set for us by the world and our churches - in dress, demeanor, critical thinking, and our pursuits.  It's time we take ourselves seriously.

thrifty!

All this for $0.30.  No lie.  

Yes, please, I think I will.

Thus far, then, our Lewis collection:

The Abolition of Man

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Four Loves

The Great Divorce

A Grief Observed

Mere Christianity

Miracles

Reflections on the Psalms

The Screwtape Letters

The Space Trilogy (sans Out of the Silent Planet)

Till We Have Faces

The Weight of Glory

...And some biographies.

Sarah

Sarah, by Marek Halter

This was a quick read for me (I enjoyed it immensely, and it was rather shorter than the other books I've attempted lately).  The first book in the Canaan Trilogy, by French-Jewish author Marek Halter, is an imaginative retelling of the story of Sarah, wife of Abraham.  Though it departs somewhat from the biblical tale (he paints a picture of Sarah as a princess from a neighboring kingdom to Abraham, rather than Abraham's half-sister, as the Bible indicates), the perspective of early civilization, idol worship, and the thorough torment of barrenness put flesh to the story I've heard untold times.  Cliche, I know, but the Genesis story comes to life.  Sarah is given a personality.  Abraham, too.  And he's not perfect.  

Read this if you're interested in historical fiction, if you enjoy retellings of biblical stories with biblical characters, and are just in the mood for a light read with a slightly feminist edge. 

Loving Homosexuals as Jesus Would

Loving Homosexuals as Jesus Would: A Fresh Christian Approach, by Chad Thompson

Obviously, this is a controversial issue.  But it's one that Christians need to rethink and readdress.  Constantly.  Our view on loving our gay friends (not to mention the gay and lesbians in our nation as a whole) needs to be constantly resubmitted to Christ and His love for these children of His.  

This book addresses practical ways to demonstrate love and acceptance to a group largely rejected by the Church.  Written by a self-proclaimed "ex-gay", Chad explains why he believes that through love (not necessarily clinical rehabilitation, or those awful and oft-stereotyped classes our more liberal friends like to poke fun at and loathe), it is possible for homosexuals to change... but here's the catch... if they want to.  The opportunity is there.  As one who is living this process (because, as he says, it is a process, a journey), Chad offers a sort of inside perspective for those of us who are not gay, or those who do not have close gay friends. 

Read this book.  You may disagree with his approach, but it is just about impossible to disagree with his heart, and his aim: to merely represent Jesus in relationship with the gay community.  Love as Jesus would.  Not just in theory, in practice. 

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:18

8.14 [currently reading]

Currently reading:

Do Hard Things, by Alex and Brett Harris - reading with one of my youth group girls.  Surprisingly, I feel challenged and convicted. 1/4 complete.

The Weight of Glory, by C.S. Lewis - because I cannot get enough of Jack.  (Cannot wait to meet this guy and have tea with him in heaven.)  1/8 complete.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor - one of my absolute favorite stories.  1/16 complete.

The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer - reading with another of my youth group girls (soon to be college-bound!)  This one is tough, and we've both been busy.  Unfortunately, on a back-burner for now.  1/32 complete.

I like this mix.  Some fiction, some non.  Each important, in their own way. 

The Help

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

I realize I'm about a year or two late in reading this gem, but I must admit I have an aversion to reading the "trendy" ones.  So I had to wait.  And, since I picked it up at the airport when I had finished the only book I brought on our trip to Jersey, I guess you could say I was almost forced into reading it now.  But what a glad and unexpected incident!  

This book, as I'm sure you know, discusses at length the racial segregation of the South during the 1960s.  This topic is near and dear to my heart, having grown up at Camp Beechpoint, ministering to and with a primarily African American population.  Racism didn't (and doesn't) make sense to me, honestly.  So, in reading this book, it was tough for me to remember it is set in the '60s.  Not all that long ago.  That was the foremost tragedy to me.  Beyond that, that this tragedy still occurs to a large degree in our country.  Perhaps not to the same extent, and not protected by law, but the culture is still there.  That hurts my heart. 

I loved the theme of reconciliation.  It's an important one.  The book signed for Skeeter by the hundreds of black churchgoers who applauded her stand, the work she did to give them a voice... made me cry.  More so than any other part of the book, I think.  I loved the relationships.  I loved the anecdotes.  

The movie is on its way from Netflix, and I am excited to see faces and voices set to these vibrant and boisterous characters.  They practically leapt off the page at me, anyway.  

If you haven't read this one yet, please do yourself a favor and pick it up.  It's one you certainly won't regret as a gratuitous summer read.  

Your Life in Christ

Your Life in Christ: The Nature of God and His Work in Human Hearts, by George MacDonald

If the title alone doesn't do it for you, let me preface this review by noting that everything this guy writes is about two miles above my head.  Ok.  Now that you're properly warned, here's what my dear friend Jack has to say about Mr MacDonald:

I dare not say that he is never in error; but to speak plainly I know hardly any other writer who seems to be closer, or more continually close, to the Spirit of Christ Himself.... I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master; indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him.

I could not agree more, nor have put it better myself (as is all too often the case with Lewis and me).  MacDonald has such a distinct perspective on so many aspects of theology, and while I agree with the majority of it, there are glaring dissimilarities between what I believe to be true and what he argues with such passion.  I would encourage you to read him for yourself and see what you think... rather than use my space and your time to split hairs and indict one who is clearly more intelligent and spiritual than both you and I.  Ha.

So.  Read this book.  Even if you can't get through the denser stuff (it's all pretty dry, honestly, and as I said above, so far over my head), I urge you to read the chapter entitled Opinion and Truth.  Heartbreakingly relevant in this period in my life, I am almost certain it will be in yours.  Listen to what he says on page 206:

Do you ever feel thus toward your neighbor: 'Yes, of course, every man is my brother.  But how can I be a brother to him so long as he thinks me wrong in what I believe, and so long as I think him wrong in his opinions and against the dignity of truth?'  I return: Has the man no hand that you might grasp, no eyes into which yours might gaze far deeper than your vaunted intellect can follow?  Is there not, I ask, anything in him to love?  Who said you were to be of one opinion?  It is the Lord who asks you to be of one heart.  Does the Lord love the man?  Can the Lord love where there is nothing to love?  Are you wiser than he, inasmuch as you perceive impossibility where he has failed to discover it?

Ouch.  Can you relate?
Here are three other excellent quotes (seeing as I am doing a thoroughly inadequate job of reviewing the book as a whole.)

But if anyone be at all otherwise minded -- that is, of a different opinion -- what then?  Is it of no consequence?  No, verily -- it is of such consequence that God will himself unveil to them the truth of the matter.  This is Paul's faith, not his opinion.  Faith is that by which a man lives inwardly and orders his way outwardly.  Faith is the root, belief the tree, and opinion the foliage that falls and is renewed with the seasons.

Let us think to ourselves, or say to our friend, "God is.  Jesus is not dead.  Nothing can be going wrong, however it may look to our hearts that are unfinished in childness."

I find in Paul's writing the same artistic fault, with the same resulting difficulty, that I find in Shakespeare's -- a fault that, in each case, springs from the admirable fact that the man is much more than the artist.  It is the fault of trying to say too much at once, of pouring out stintless the plethora of a soul, swelling with life and its thought, through the too-narrow neck of human utterance.

And if that doesn't convince you of MacDonald's brilliance... I'm not sure what will.

recent acquisition

Ok.  I'm so incredibly excited about this.  

I've always wanted a first edition.  

And I've always wanted something signed by the author.  

At my favorite antique bookstore, yesterday, I found both.  

In one.

Alfred Noyes' The Lord of Misrule and Other Poems.

Feel free to be jealous, thanks.  

Kindle Contention #1

In this series, I will list reasons why I take issue with the e-reader movement.

Notice I didn't use the cutesy alliterative (and heinously ugly and incorrect) title.  

I couldn't abide Kindle Kontention.  Gag me now.  Ok, to the point.

Contention #1

You cannot lend or borrow books.

Or donate to Goodwill or garage sales or write inscriptions in them as gifts.

There is no sense of secondhanding; there is no discernible history.

Here's a paidContent article I used as a resource.

Sold

Sold, by Patricia McCormick

Oy.  This one was a rough read.  Not because it wasn't well written; nor because it wasn't excellently researched.  This is heartbreaking stuff, as you can imagine: Sold tells the story of a young Nepali girl bought by a man from the city who promises her a job as a maid, and in turn sells her to a brothel.  It's easy to forget (or completely overlook the fact) that this story is modern, current, but the sex slave trade is a real and massive problem.

This is book is juvenile fiction, despite the heavy and sometimes graphic content, and it ought to be.  The sooner children learn about the world in which they live (in which young girls are still sold into prostitution, and this goes on largely unchecked), the better.  

The Abolition of Man

The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis

Though this book (or, rather, collection of essays) is a mere eighty seven pages, I think I read it about three times by the end of it.  His mastery of the argument and the English language oftentimes goes right over my head; I had to reread sentences, paragraphs... Jack, I know you're brilliant, but what exactly did you just say?

Once I grasped where he was headed, I became completely enmeshed in his defense of objective morality.  I was not expecting literary criticism in the defense, though that, and his understanding of ethics flouted by technological and scientific advances, certainly makes me wonder what he doesn't understand or what arena does not fall under his umbrella of expertise.  Further, the connection he sees between this worldview and education makes it an essential read for any Christian, sociologist, and educator.

"Only the Tao [Lewis' term for the Way of objective truth] provides a common human law of action which can overarch rulers and ruled alike.  A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.  I am not here thinking solely, perhaps not even chiefly, of those who are our public enemies at the moment.  The process which, if not checked, will abolish Man, goes on apace among Communists and Democrats no less than among Fascists.  The methods may (at first) differ in brutality.  But many a mild-eyed scientist in a pince-nez, many a popular dramatist, many an amateur philosopher in our midst, means in the long run just the same as the Nazi rulers of Germany.  Traditional values are to be "debunked" and mankind to be cut out into some fresh shape at the will (which must, by hypothesis, be an arbitrary will) of some few lucky people in one lucky generation which has learned how to do it" (81, emphases mine).

Phew.  Will have to read this one again.  You need to, too.  Trust me; it's worth the effort.

C.S. Lewis: Christian and Storyteller

C.S. Lewis: Christian and Storyteller, by Beatrice Gormley

This one was short and to the point.  Ms. Gormley has little of the delightful, clever prose of the man whose life she describes.  I did, however, appreciate the balanced look at every era of Lewis' life, and the photographs.  For a person unfamiliar with Lewis apart from The Chronicles of Narnia, formative 'events' like his mother's death, his friendship with his brother Warren, his adopted mother Mrs. Moore, experiences in the Great War, friendship with JRR Tolkien and the other Inklings, and marriage to divorcee Joy Davidman provide a nice backdrop (and explanation) for the stories Jack needed to tell, and the faith he needed to defend. 

This particular biography is perhaps better suited for younger readers, but I enjoyed it for what it was: a teaser, whetting my appetite for more of Lewis.

The Four Loves

The Four Loves, by C.S. Lewis

"If I may dare the biological image, God is a 'host' who deliberately creates His own parasites; causes us to be that we may exploit and 'take advantage of' Him.  Herein is love.  This is the diagram of Love Himself, the inventor of all loves."

Seriously.   The book itself was a slow build, but if the above quote from Lewis' conclusion as the culmination of his sketch on love is any indication... You know you're in for a treat.

Personally, the chapter on Friendship is what did it for me.  Of all the loves, says Jack, Friendship is the least natural, the least biological, the least necessary in the strictest sense of the word.  "'You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.' The Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out.  It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others."  These Friends are the ones we find almost by chance, surprised that we "see the same truth".  We meet Friends and think, "What?  You, too?"  I'm currently reading a biography of Lewis, and according to his biographer, this is what he found in his "First Friend", Arthur Greeves, reading Norse mythology - an early, deep love of Jack's.

The Eros chapter went a bit over my head, to be perfectly honest.  I may have to reread that one.  A line I particularly appreciated, though, reads thus: "...The 'headship' of the husband, if only he can sustain it, is most Christ-like.  The sternest feminist need not grudge my sex the crown offered to it either in the Pagan or in the Christian mystery.  For the one is of paper and the other of thorns."

Jack is becoming one of my favorite poets and - easily - philosophers.  He commands such an harmonious understanding of sociology, theology, philosophy and psychology.  Please, please read this one.

The Anglo Files

The Anglo Files, by Sarah Lyall

Oh my goodness, what a delightful read!  The subtitle reads, A field guide to the British, and it is just that: everything you wished someone had told you about the Brits before being immersed in their culture.  Lyall is an American journalist living in London with her Brit husband and two daughters.  Her descriptions are vivid, hilarious, and thought-provoking.

Some topics covered in depth:

• Cricket as metaphor
• Meaning behind the bad food
• Princess Di and the emotional revolution she began
• Loving animals more openly than other people
• The connection between repressed feelings and drinking
• Euphemisms
• Hereditary titles and the House of Lords
• Weather, and speaking about the weather

If you have any interest whatsoever in the British tradition, nation, culture, or identifying yourself as an anglophile, this book is for you!

7.1 [currently reading]

Currently reading:

The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis - still amazed by his brilliance. Reading for fun. 1/2 complete.

The Anglo Files, Sarah Lyall - observations of an American living among Brits, the low-down on the current and traditional society for non-Briton anglophiles like me.  Reading for fun. 1/4 complete.

Why We're Not Emergent, DeYoung and Kluck - arguments against postmodernism in Christianity manifest in churches like Rob Bell's Mars Hill and writers like Brian McLaren.  A call for renewal and revitalization in traditional Christianity.  Reading through with one of our elders and his wife.  1/8 complete.

The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer - a true pastor of the Church and martyr in Nazi Germany.  Reading to discuss with Faith on our weekly coffee dates.  1/32 complete.

The Call, Guinness - a definitive work on a Christian's purpose; a call to a Person rather than a job or place or things.  Reading with Faith.  Just finished.

It's interesting... I hate reading multiple books at once, but such is my schedule.  

Even more interesting, I think, is that they're all nonfiction.  

Rarely, if ever, am I not reading something fictional.  

Especially in the summertime.  

If you have any recommendations for my next fictional read, feel free!

Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey, by E L James

No, I'm not reading this.  Nor do I plan to.  

Consider this a friendly-but-urgent warning to stay away from it.

As a blog for literature, and literature-related things, I feel a need to address the fact that we as readers have the power of discretion.  We don't need to buy into the hype of the latest and greatest book; neither do we need to read it to form an educated opinion on the content.

Here's what one blogger has to say about it: I'm not reading Fifty Shades of Grey.

Steer clear, dear friends.

score at the thrift store!

Yes.  

Ok, so the first one is a DVD.

And the last one is a gratuitous summer read.

Judge not: all this for $4!

fare thee well, Ray

Ray Bradbury

1920-2012

Our world has lost another brilliant mind, prolific writer and visionary in Ray Bradbury.  

He is famous not only for his contributions to the science fiction and fantasy genres, but also, ironically, his skepticism of the value of the Internet and modern technology.  His book Fahrenheit 451 was released as an e-book, against his will.  "We have too many machines now," he said.

Honor Mr. Bradbury's life.  

Pick up a real book and read it.  

I recommend his short stories.

Rest in peace, old soul.  

The Great Divorce

The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis

How on earth could I have forgotten the brilliance of dear Jack?  My love for (and envy of) his command of language?  The way he articulates belief?  His sheer imagination?  So glad am I to have been reintroduced!

I read this today.  A) It is that brief, and B) it is that good.  Lewis wrote this little piece - obviously reminiscent of Dante's Inferno - as an allegory describing Heaven and Hell, in order to counter the idea of universalism.  The theme is direct, but whether or not you agree with his theology, this book is worth the read for the issues it raises, and his gorgeous descriptions.  

Please read!  You won't be sorry!

The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

Phew.  Finished and emotionally drained.  I must say this is the most interesting and compelling novel I've read in far too long.  Thanks, Audrey, for this imaginative and enlightened look on love, relationships and life.  Plus, having already seen the movie, it was delightful to imagine Rachel McAdams in the title role and Eric Bana as Henry.  Perfect.

This is the kind of story I'd wish to write: segmented and careful and closed.  Just with less sex and language, is all.  Had I read it before I was married, the treatment of sex and marriage would have messed with my mind a bit; so with that disclaimer, I cannot recommend it in good conscience to, say, our youth group girls.  As for me, I was entertained, involved, and completely sold on the idea.  Yes thank you more please!

Currently Reading: The Time Traveler's Wife

Currently reading:

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

Firstly, I'd like to say: don't judge.  

Yes, I saw the movie (years ago), and yes, I loved it.  And yes, I'm loving the book thus far.  

Set in Chicago/SW Michigan, necessarily written in segmented form... I can't help but enjoy this book.  Definitely a good summer read.  Fluff & goodness.  :)

Will give a fuller review once I'm done later this week.

The Prisoner of Zenda

The Prisoner of Zenda, by Anthony Hope

Such a fun adventure!  I read this forever ago, and had seen the movie around the same time... but it was a blast rediscovering the cunning and charisma of Rudolf Rassendyll.  Highly recommend!

How Wide the Divide?

How Wide the Divide? A Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation, 

by Craig Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson

Wow.  What an intellectual and gratifying read!  Written by an evangelical Christian and a Mormon on four of the main "issues" of Christian orthodox beliefs, the book attempts to discern the differences and (significant) similarities between the faiths.  Both are respectful, patient, and willing to work toward a common 'vocabulary' of theological terms that would promote further discussions between evangelicals and Mormons.  As one who has interacted with Mormons extensively (and loves them to death!) I was so pleased to see some of the conversations I have already had (or attempted to have) with my friends in a scholarly format.  It's encouraging to see that we're doing something right - promoting positive discussion and mutual respect!  Highly recommend, if you have any interest whatsoever in Mormon-Evangelical beliefs!

The Locked Crowns

The Locked Crowns, by Marion Garthwaite

One of the first novels I remember reading, in either third or fourth grade, about a prince of Denmark and a princess of England.  I was reunited with the book (joy of joys!) when proofreading my brother's essay on Alfred the Great and his troubles with the Danes... which caused me to recall this book... which, forgetting the name of the novel, caused me to search online for an hour - "The Interlocking Crowns"... "The Linked Crowns"... "The Two Crowns"... and then I found it on a website for good historical fiction for children - broken down into time periods!  Of course, I ordered it, immediately, and was pleased to begin reading it - again! - a mere three days later!  So much love!

Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Yep, the title pretty much sums up my experience with Dostoevsky's iconic novel.

I finished reading it just the other night... finally... after two months of being within seventy pages of finishing, I mustered up the attention and interest necessary to learn to what end Raskolnikov comes.  I take some relief in the knowledge that Thomas Hardy never finished, and RL Stevenson compared C&P to a disease.  Because that's mostly how I feel.

The afterword cleared up quite a bit for me - its significance as a progressive piece of literature (using a third person, omniscient voice to narrate) as well as the symbolism for sin and redemption, throughout.  It is a beautiful story... but about 500 pages too long.

As to my goal for this year: I've read a Russian novel.  As to the second half of that goal - appreciating a Russian novel - I'll... let you know.  I feel a bit war-torn.  Exhausted.  I don't care about Raskolnikov.  Great that he found redemption in Sofia.  But I don't believe him.  My favorite character offed himself: Svidrigailov.  He was the only interesting one.

Overall, I see its importance; I see some humor; I see some insight into human nature and the grace extended us; but, ultimately, I was not compelled.

Radical

Radical, by David Platt

Given to me by my pastor as a preview of what we might be reading for a small group later this year, I was at once captivated and challenged by this book.  The author claims that the American church has bought into the American dream - that we feel led to pick and choose commandments of Jesus, based on our society's standards of success and individualism.  Ought this be the case?  Definitely worth a read, if you're at all worried you're not serving Jesus and His world in the manner He intended.  Or, if you're not, maybe you should give it a read, too.  Just in case.  

The Hempleman Story

(This book not reviewed)

The Hempleman Story, researched and compiled by Gene Ebner

My family history.  George Hempleman, the son of a lord in eighteenth century Kassel, Germany, left home and country to marry his love, Margarette Duffe.  Both became indentured servants in the American colonies, separating for four years.  They met, when their times as servants were up, in a church - able to identify one another by a white glove (George had one, Margarette had one).  Fascinating story.  Even more fascinating and excellent, my grandpa (Gene Ebner) traced the children of George and Margarette to my grandma's dad, Earl Rose, detailing the highlights of the lives between them.  I love my heritage, and was excited to have my family's history written out - with pictures, maps and documents!  Thanks, Grampa Gene!  

For further reading, a distant relative (Karen Bowden-Cox) has written a fictional account based on the facts of our common ancestor: Honorable Deception.  Have yet to read, but ought to soon!

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Eats, Shoots & Leaves, by Lynne Truss

Brief: I read this comedic look at grammar and punctuation maybe five or six years ago, and loved it as much now as I did then!  Am I that much of a nerd?  Maybe.  If you're interested (or outraged!) in the breakdown of our language with the advent of texting and instant messaging, and the general ignorance of English speakers... this book is for you!

Velvet Elvis

Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell

Brief: While I was fully prepared to loathe this one, after reading it, I was pleasantly surprised.  Though the theology and scholarship are mediocre at best, it was... nice.  Bell, to me, still feels pretty surface-y; however, I was not in the least offended.  Comparing this, his earlier work, to Love Wins, it is sad to see the way he has become embittered toward the Church and orthodox teaching.

Our Search for Happiness

Our Search for Happiness, by M. Russell Ballard

Brief: A good summary of the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an interesting look into the history and perspective of this system of faith.  While I admire the sincerity of faith in the Mormons I know (and love!), I cannot accept it as truth from God.  This is perhaps more of a side not, but, a vibe I got was the importance and centrality of personal happiness... rather than the glory of God.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge, by Bernard Cornwell

Brief: I love love love this genre!  Such a fun read, and an interesting interpretation on how this famous landmark was constructed, and why.  An "epic" novel, I think is the correct term.  Lots of blood, pagan worship ceremonies, psychotic women (poor Saban can't catch a break!), and brilliant architecture - science ahead of its time.  Definitely a good summer read.  Highly recommend!

Freak the Mighty

Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick

Brief: I read this in 5th or 6th grade and couldn't remember beyond the basic gist of the plot, so I read it on my final day of student teaching.  While the rest of the class read the first three pages.  Oh yes.  READ IT.  You'll be surprised by the depth, the humor, and the innocence. 

The Dark Queen

The Dark Queen, by Susan Carroll

Brief: My favorite genre, so of course I enjoyed it.  The plot is lacking, the writing leaves something to be desired, and some scenes could definitely have been left out or described in much, much less detail.  But.  Catherine de Medici.  Political intrigue.  Magic.  Knights.  Yes, thank you!

Love Wins

Love Wins, by Rob Bell

Brief: My first venture into Rob Bell will likely be my last.  Writing "style" aside, I was put off by his lack of integrity with Scripture, veiled insults toward "traditional" Christianity, and no mention whatsoever of the work of the Spirit.  That being said, though, I admire his passion for reaching people who are lost and disillusioned with the Church.  Unfortunately, the God he presents is not the God Who Is.

Breakfast of Champions

Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut

Brief: My first venture into Vonnegut, and it's... not really my cup of tea.  If you're looking for something dark - a bleak look into the hearts of men (with but a hint of humor) - this may be for you.  If you'd rather not, and spare yourself the crude language and content, I'd say you're better off.  I wanted to enjoy it; I really did!

The Spiral Staircase

The Spiral Staircase, by Karen Armstrong

Brief: This memoir made me think more deeply than I've had to in a while.  My heart aches for the way the Church failed this ex-nun, and the way she has yet to turn to the saving relationship she is offered in Christ.  Her musings on God and theology are intelligent, thought-provoking and attractive.  Yet my heart aches after this read.  Still, I highly recommend it. 

The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber

The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber, by Julian Rubinstein

Brief: Such a fun read!  It's nonfiction, but I could barely tell.  This guy robs banks and lives a horrible lifestyle, but you can't help but want to be his friend.  HIGHLY recommend.