Filed under: Books, Life, Ministry, Philosophy, Politics, Religion | Tags: a bit on the side, alexander schmemann, aristotle, beyond companionship, charles r. pinches, chekhov, christian marriage, christians among the virtues, christians in marriage, david garland, death in summer, diana garland, eric auerbach, esther acolatse, flu, gay marriage, great lent, kieran scott, michael warren, mimesis, nicomachean ethics, odysseus' scar, perspectives on marriage, reflected glory: the spirit in christ and christians, short stories, stanley hauerwas, theology of marriage, thomas snail, william trevor
1. A Bit on the Side by William Trevor–A book of short stories by an English writer whom I’ve seen compared to Chekhov in several reviews. All kinds of “best living short story writer in the English language” stuff. A few years ago I read his novel, Death in Summer, and I have to say that it was awful. A mystery with no suspense. I’m really not sure how to describe what went wrong with that novel. But I’ve complained about it to a few people, and then Mom told me that his short stories are much better. This is a Christmas gift from her and Dad. I own far too many unread books, and thus I work to read books that I receive as gifts. Part of this is because it bothers me when I gift books to people (as I always do, albeit a little tempered by Holly’s helpful wisdom since we’ve been married), and then they never read them. So, part of my gratitude for this particular gift is to read it as soon as possible. Lovely short stories here, giving good evidence that you don’t have to have much plot in order to write something gorgeous. Little wisps of stories and very nice reading. Especially nice since the short story format works well with the chopped up bits of time I have to read during the semester.
2. Great Lent: The Journey to Pascha by Alexander Schmemann–Okay, so I haven’t yet begun this book. Part of Tuesday Reading Roundup is to set the reading plan for the week ahead, and starting this book is on the agenda. Schmemann is an incredibly well-known and well-respected Orthodox scholar. He is especially known, at least in Protestant circles, for his work on worship and the sacraments. Why am I reading it now? Because Lent is not too far in the future, and I just have never gotten Lent. Might this year be the year?
3. Mimesis by Erich Auerbach—Actually, I’ll only be reading the first chapter–“Odysseus’ Scar.” This is for Introduction to Midrash.
4. Reflected Glory: The Spirit in Christ and Christians by Thomas Snail–The title probably explains as much as I could tell you about this book. I’m reading it for Jeremy Begbie’s Spirit, Worship, and Mission class.
5. Beyond Companionship: Christians in Marriage by Diana Garland and David Garland–A book for Christian Marriage and Family Across Cultures. All I would note is that the title is important–“Christians in Marriage” not “Christian Marriage.” Dr. Acolatse, who is teaching the class, insists that the former is a better choice of words. That might be a separate post sometime, as I’m not yet convinced that she’s right.
6. Perspectives on Marriage: A Reader by Kieran Scott and Michael Warren–Since mentioning this book last week, I actually did read a couple articles–a history of marriage within Judaism and Christianity as well as articles on specifically Protestant theologies of marriage (as this book seems to be Roman Catholic in perspective) as well as Jewish and Muslim understandings of marriage. This also needs to lead to a separate post at some point on the issue of a Christian standpoint on gay marriage, one based in the history of church-state relationships with the institution of marriage, a history regarding which I at least had not been aware.
7. Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle–As I’m finishing out this time through the work, I’m sure I shall return to it. Incredibly rich and important, it certainly has earned its status as a classic.
8. Christians Among the Virtues by Stanley Hauerwas and Charles Pinches–You’ll see this a lot from week to week, as it tracks throughought the class I’m taking with Hauerwas this semester–Happiness, Virtue, and the Life of Friendship.
I must say that I’m finishing up this list for the week, it seems a bit daunting. Losing last Friday to being out of town and today due to the flu is not going to help, either.
Filed under: Books, Life, Ministry, Religion, Social Justice | Tags: after virtue, alasdair macintyre, animal vegetable mineral, aristotle, barbara kingsolver, bryan stone, Christian practice, esther acolatse, evangelism, evangelism after christendom, immigration, john howard yoder, kieran scott, marriage and family, michael warren, nicomachean ethics, perspectives on marriage, poetics, reign of god, southern lit, stanley hauerwas, the bean trees, tuesday reading roundup, witness
It’s that time again (for the first time)–the Tuesday Reading Roundup! It seems like regular features could be a good thing, so I’ll invent this one, in which I’ll tell what I’m reading of a Tuesday (and the week to come), providing impressions and reviews along the way.
1. Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle–Much easier to follow then my memories of Aristotle. (I remember having to read a section of Poetics my junior year at Concordia, and I got basically nothing out of it.) This time I have to read all but the fifth book for Virtue, Happiness, and the Life of Virtue, a class I’m taking this semester with Stanley Hauerwas. Such an intensely focused way of thinking through things and of organizing thought. Reading it through the particular lense of Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue, as Hauerwas is wont to do. 30% completed.
2. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver–Although her last book (and perhaps her most well-known to many of that book’s fans) was the non-fiction Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Kingsolver is really a novelist. This is her first novel, from 1988. Solidly southern lit, strong female characters, immigration issues. The story, the characters, and the warmth of Kingsolver’s writing make this book very enjoyable. Her writing, at a technical level, is very good, but she doesn’t work at the sentence-by-sentence method of many other writers who perhaps write more finely, but could never come up with characters and a narrative so compelling. A fast, light read too, if that’s what you find yourself needing. 85% completed.
3. Evangelism After Christendom by Bryan Stone–Bryan Stone is a professor of evangelism at Boston University School of Theology and this book looks at evangelism as a Christian practice, in the MacIntyrean/Hauerwasian sense of the word practice. Stone draws heavily on Alasdair MacIntyre, John Howard Yoder, and (unsurprisingly, considering the first two) Stanley Hauerwas to create a postliberal revisioning of what evangelism is meant to be, namely a practice of witness by a church of integrity. Stone argues both against evangelistic techniques that end at conversion and models of evangelism which measure their success in numbers. He also is not about to say that the church should keep to itself. Witness to the reign of God, done rightly as a traditioned practice, is a good in itself, and the results-based focus of many modern evangelistic movements fails to speak this clearly enough. Unfortunately, it seems that, at this point in the book, Stone is mostly tying together the three authors that I have already mentioned. I’m hoping for more than simple synthesis, and I’m assuming I’ll get it, so don’t read this as a negative review. I will have it read within the next couple days as it is my reading for this month’s Anglican Missional Pastor meeting, which begins Thursday evening. 45% completed.
4. Perspectives on Marriage: A Reader, edited by Kieran Scott and Michael Warren–This is one of the main texts for Christian Marriage and Family Across Cultures with Dr. Esther Acolatse this semester. The reading for this week’s class (the first session) is from this book, but I’ll admit I haven’t yet picked up my copy from Cokesbury. 0% completed.
The Taser's Edge 