An Ultra-brief review of
Living Beyond War: A Citizen’s Guide
by Winslow Myers.
Paperback: Orbis Books, 2009.
Buy Now: [ Amazon ]

Earlier this year, I was sent a review copy of ECOTHERAPY: HEALING WITH NATURE IN MIND (Sierra Club Books 2009), a book which I probably wouldn’t have picked up on my own and which after a quick readthrough, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend.  However, this was one of those books that refused to be so easily dismissed.   Bill McKibben for instance has an excellent, but brief, piece on “Human Nature, Community, and ‘Deep Economy’” which critiques the “hyperindividualism” of Western culture (which was excerpted from his wonderful book DEEP ECONOMY).  Likewise, Elizabeth Messer Diehl’s essay on “Gardens that Heal” was very good and stirred my imagination.  The book’s general theme that wellness and healing must emerge in contexts that are broader than that of an isolated individual is a crucial one, and one that dovetails nicely with the Church’s mission to seek the holistic shalom of God’s coming kingdom.  Ultimately, though, I was left with the feeling that the primary narrative was that of the individual, which is the same ol’ sad story of modern Western ideology, now packaged up in a trendy green package.

Typically, I’m not a big fan of abridged versions of the Bible (the one exception would be Bibles for younger readers, and even then most are trimmed too short), but the new RADICAL BIBLE from Orbis Books is a little gem of a book.  It does an excellent job of overviewing the scriptural story and summarizing it with brief passages from the text and quotes from significant theologians.  Although its portrayal is pieced together and flows somewhat choppily, it does paint a picture of the scriptural story and does so in terms that will be sure to connect with social activists.  This RADICAL BIBLE would be an excellent tool to introduce Christianity to people jaded by right-wing American versions of our faith.  It concludes with lists of websites and books that serve to flesh out the Gospel story that it introduces.

ECOTHERAPY: HEALING WITH NATURE IN MIND.
Linda Buzzell and Craig Chalquist, editors.
Paperback: Sierra Club Books, 2009.
Buy now: [ Doulos Christou Books $14 ]  [ Amazon ]

THE RADICAL BIBLE.
Kevin Ahern.
Paperback: Orbis Books, 2009.
Buy now: [ Doulos Christou Books $10 ]  [ Amazon ]

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words.  No where is that more true than in this wonderful little book by Jonas Bendiksen called The Places We Live (Aperture 2008).  Prepare to be drawn into a world and a reality that is far from our own.

             At the end of this past century, it was estimated that close to a billion people lived in the world’s slums.  It is also thought that by the middle of this next century those numbers could easily double.  The Places We Live takes us on an unforgettable journey outside the bustling cities Caracas, Nairobi, Mumbai and Jakarta giving us an incredible glimpse into the hearts and minds of those who inhabit the slums and shanty towns that are growing by the day outside of so many of our world’s cities.  “The common perception of slums as locations of poverty, squalor, destitution insecurity and danger tells one part of the story—but there are also stories of enterprising, hardworking slum denizens. Life in a shantytown is full of challenges and hardship, but shanties are homes, where conversations take place over dinner, kids do homework and neighbors live next door.”   The photography in this little book is amazing and the stories captivating; we find here a broader global perspective that we desperately need.  (L. Benjamin)

There are very few books that explore the relevance of the historical books of the Old Testament for our present world (one exception that comes to mind is Jacques Ellul’s The Politics of God and the The Politics of Man).  Daniel Berrigan’s recent book The Kings and Their Gods (Eerdmans 2008), however, is exactly this sort of book.  Berrigan works his way through the biblical books of I and II Kings, reflecting on the text and commenting on the meaning of the text in the present age.  Introducing the book, Berrigan summarizes his approach: “In sum, we are offered in the books of Judges, Samuel, Kings and Maccabees a diagnosis of the pathology of power.  Thus is implied a biblical anthropology, a biblical version of the human, conveyed in a stark ‘via negativa’” (6).  There is much we can learn here about our American lusts for power and Berrigan is an ideal prophet to speak these truths to us.  (C. Smith)

Todd Hunter’s new book Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for The Sake of Others ( IVP Books, 2009) is refreshing in the theology that it offers us.  Hunter offers a new and corrective view of the Christian faith for those who are dissatisfied with evangelicalism.  Hunter offers what I believe are some essential critiques (e.g., chapters addressing “What if you knew you were going to live tomorrow?: The problem of getting ‘Saved’” or “The Role of the Church: Jesus is not just your personal savior”) but he does so in a gentle and engaging way.  He depicts the Church in terms of four facets:

• Cooperative Friends of Jesus
• Living in Creative Goodness
• For the Sake of Others
• Through the Power of the Holy Spirit.

My only disappointment, and it is a relatively small one, is that the thrust of all this excellent theological framework is driving toward a programmatic solution, what Hunter calls “Three is Enough” groups.  Maybe this sort of direction is what the primary audience of this book expects or needs, but in my experience, programs — however well-intentioned — never seem to be sustainable in what they set out to do.  Take the last chapter and the appendix on “Three is Enough” groups with a grain of salt and this is an excellent book, that I pray will find a wide audience in evangelical churches.  (C. Smith)

THE PLACES WE LIVE.
Jonas Bendiksen.
Hardcover: Aperture, 2008.
Buy now:  [ Doulos Christou Books $33 ]   [ Amazon ]

THE KINGS AND THEIR GODS:
THE PATHOLOGY OF POWER.
Daniel Berrigan.
Paperback: Eeerdmans, 2008.
Buy now:  [ Doulos Christou Books $17 ]   [ Amazon ]

CHRISTIANITY BEYOND BELIEF:
FOLLOWING JESUS FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS.
Todd Hunter.
Hardcover: IVP Books, 2009.
Buy now:  [ Doulos Christou Books $18 ]   [ Amazon ]

Ultra-Brief Reviews.

By Chris Smith

Heretics for Armchair Theologians (WJK 2008) turns what for many people would be a dry topic  from the dusty pages of historical theology into a lively stroll through the heresies of the Early Christian era.  Justo and Catherine Gonzalez, both eminent church historians, are our guides on this whirlwind tour and Ron Hill’s cartoon illustrations add to the levity of the book.  The text is book-ended nicely by the first chapter, which defines what is meant by “heresy,” and the last chapter that examines the significance of remembering these heresies as we pursue theological inquiry today.  This book is a wonderful resource that could be used in high school/college classes on church history – or for anyone in thye Church who desires to know more about the stories of the heretics and why they are still relevant to God’s people today.

Christian Community Now: Ecclesiological Investigations (T&T Clark 2008) is a wonderful collection of papers that survey the present state of ecclesiology in the theological academy.  However, it is intended for academic audiences and thus is not for the faint of mind.  One particular highlight here is Paul Collins’s paper “Ecclesiology: Context and Community” which explores “how the methods of contextual theology and pastoral theology may influence and change the way in which systematic theologians approach the task of reflecting upon what the church is and what it is for” (135).  I pray that the fine research that undergirds this book would filter down to our church congregations and challenge us as we daily seek to be the people of God.

In Transition Handbook (Chelsea Green 2008), Rob Hopkins uses the ecological concepts of resilience and permaculture to argue for the emergence of local cultures in a world after peak oil.  Hopkins is founder of the “Transition” Movement, which seeks to move communities in the direction of greater resilience.  The latter chapters of the book tell the stories of “Transition towns” in the UK that have committed to moving in this direction.  This book demands the attention of any church that would seek to share life together in ways that nurture creation in the places where they are.  It provides language for helping us to understand where we need to go ecologically and furthermore offers us practical advice for moving in that direction.

Heretics for Armchair Theologians.
Justo and Catherine Gonzalez.
Paperback: WJK, 2008.
Buy now: [ Doulos Christou Books $14 ] [ Amazon ]

Christian Community Now:
Ecclesiological Investigations.
P. Collins, G. Mannion, G. Powell, K. Wilson, eds.
Hardcover: T&T Clark, 2008.
Buy now: [ Amazon ]

Transition Handbook.
Rob Hopkins.
Paperback: Chelsea Green, 2008.
Buy now: [ Doulos Christou Books $20 ] [ Amazon ]

Time may well prove that John Cacioppo and William Patrick’s new book LONELINESS: HUMAN NATURE AND THE NEED FOR SOCIAL CONNECTION is the most important book of 2008.  I regret only that I heard it about it so late that I didn’t get to spend the time that I would have liked with it.  LONELINESS is based on Cacioppo’s psychological research on the health effects of loneliness, and offers scientific confirmation for the intuitions that many of us have had about the dangers of individualism and isolation.  The book’s dustjacket highlights well the radical potential in this book: “Ultimately, LONELINESS demonstrates the irrationality of our culture’s intense focus on competition and individualism at the expense of family and community.  It makes the case that the unit of one is actually an inadequate measure, even when it comes to the health and well-being of an individual.”  (If anyone wants to immerse themselves in this book and write a feature-length review, I would be glad to consider it for publication.)

Although now eclipsed by economic issues, immigration has been one of the most pressing political issues of 2008 in the U.S.  Daniel Carroll R.’s CHRISTIANS AT THE BORDERS: IMMIGRATION, THE CHURCH AND THE BIBLE is one of (if not) the best resources for helping the Church to think theologically — and to do so in distinctively Christian ways — about immigration.  CHRISTIANS AT THE BORDERS is refreshing in that it does not explicitly endorse any specific political action, but rather provides a wonder historical context in which to understand immigration from Latin America, and then surveys the Scriptures to seek the light that they might shed on immigration issues.  I would love to see other books of this sort emerge that help the Church to engage faithfully the complex socio-politcal issues of our day.

After we reviewed, his lovely little book on Sr. Thea Bowman, Br. Mickey McGrath sent us a copy of his new children’s book Mysteries of the Rosary.   This book is a beautiful introduction — educational for Christians of all traditions — to the “mysteries” (i.e., stories from the life of Jesus) that underlie the praying of the rosary.  These mysteries are divided into four groups that trace the story of Christ’s life (The joyful mysteries= Christ’s advent, The luminous mysteries= Christ’s earthly ministry, the sorrowful mysteries= Christ’s arrest and crucifixion and the glorious mysteries=Christ’s resurrection)  McGrath’s vibrant, colorful paintings represent Christ with people of a different culture for each group of mysteries, which is a welcome reminder of the pertinence of the Gospel stories for all of humanity.

LONELINESS:
John Cacioppo and William Patrick.
Hardcover: Norton, 2008.
Buy now: [ Doulos Christou Books $20 ]  [ Amazon ]

CHRISTIANS AT THE BORDER.
M. Daniel Carroll R.
Paperback: Baker Academic, 2008.
Buy now: [ Doulos Christou Books $14 ]  [ Amazon ]

MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY.
Michael O’Neill McGrath.
Hardcover: World Library Publications, 2008.

Ultra Brief Reviews – 12 December 2008

By Chris Smith

The poetry anthology, THE FOUR SEASONS, a part of the Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets Series, is one of the finest collections of poetry that I have seen this year.  It is a sturdy hardcover, perfectly sized to fit in a coat pocket, backpack or camera bag, and would make a great gift for the nature poet (or naturalist with poetic interests) in your life.  To paraphrase Liberty Hyde Bailey, how better to enjoy the wonderful seasonal nature poems of the ages (by poets ranging from Chaucer to Blake to Dickinson to Cummings) than to have a portable volume that you can take and enjoy outside in the weather of the season! 

Speaking of poetry, Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Franz Wright’s volume God’s Silence was released in a paperback edition earlier this year.  These poems which topically run the gamut from sunflowers to writing to faith and faithlessness demonstrate why Wright is one of today’s finest poets.  There is a lovely earthiness here, as Wright struggles to comes to terms with the experiences of life and death and the ideologies (e.g., hell ) that we construct to help us process these common experiences.

I don’t read many business books, but the title of Dave Crenshaw’s The Myth of Multitasking: How ‘Doing it All’ Gets Nothing Done intrigued me and I requested a review copy.  This little book would be an excellent, very practical follow-up to Maggie Jackson’s DISTRACTED (reviewed in our issue #34).  Crenshaw crafts a direct, but somewhat hokey narrative to present his critique of multitasking.  This critique is grounded in the idea that we never actually multitask, but rather switchtask, and time-wise the switching costs between tasks are actually much greater than if we were able to maintain a singular focus on particular tasks in succession.   

In this review:

THE FOUR SEASONS

Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets Series

Hardcover: Knopf, 2008.

Buy now: [ Doulos Christou Books $10 ] [ Amazon ]

GOD’S SILENCE: POEMS

Franz Wright.

Paperback: Knopf, 2008.

Buy now: [ Doulos Christou Books $13 ] [ Amazon ]

THE MYTH OF MULTITASKING
Dave Crenshaw

Hardcover: Jossey-Bass, 2008

Buy now: [ Doulos Christou Books $16] [ Amazon ]