Reviewing Butler and Books
Abby and I went to college and started Veritas together. I made the cookies and she wrote a book about it. Ha ha! Finally,after several years, I've read her
book. And it's good too. Sorry, Abby, for not reading it sooner...
It was interesting to read Abby's perspective on liberal academia, based upon her experience at the same liberal university I attended/am attending/hopefully will graduate from at some point... It was convicting to read how she responded to the staunch liberalism she encountered, to reflect on the various professors and classes I've had, and then to remember how often I sat still and silent. Thank you, Abby, for taking a stand, the stand I was too shy to take!
It's a handy guide on "How to survive liberal indoctrination at college." While it may not apply to every university situation, I would definitely recommend it to any highschool senior intending to attend a secular university, especially if they're from a conservative background. Why? Because Abby presents the case the all the prep in prep-school can't prepare you for the intense defense Christians have to play at college. Abby's talented writing style is easy to read, humorous, and to the point. If you've ever read Lori Borgman's column in the Monday paper, you'll know what I'm talking about.
I always thought Abby had a particularly bad experience at Butler, but now I'm wondering if maybe I just had a particularly good one.
Labels: book review
Reading Infidel in Indianapolis
Ayaan Hirsi Ali has an incredible story to tell. She is brutally honest with herself, her past, and her observations of the world around her.
Infidel is the story of Ali's spiritual and political journey from a Muslim Somali household to democratic freedom in the West.
I have not studied Islam as I should, so reading
Infidel was somewhat of an eye-opener. "Reading Infidel in Indianapolis" is a reference to "Reading Lolita in Tehran" because after reading this memoir, I think it is a valuable book for American women to read, and to wake up to the abuse and suffering that their sex endures in other parts in the world. (But as Ali points out, Muslim women suffer everywhere and anywhere and that the West should recognize the violation of human rights in its own backyard.)
It was fascinating to see the beauty of Christianity through Ali's eyes, although she may not recognize it as that. As she encounters the Western world after her escape to Holland, she is amazed that an entire moral system can exist outside of Islam and comes to the conclusion that is is so much better than anything Islam can offer. Ali makes friends with a Christian woman and her observations on Christianity are worth noting.
Ellen and I had numerous conversations about her Christian beliefs. Her relationship with God seemed to be about dialogue and love, a striking contrast to the fear and submission I had been taught to show.
According to Ali, Islam is concerned only with the future afterlife. Life on earth is a test, and if you pass, you earn your way to heaven. As Ali points out, with such a worldview, why do anything to improve life on earth? This is the reason she claims so many Muslim countries are in poverty - not because of politics, but because of theology. Ali witnesses the contrast in the Christian West where life on earth is valued.
I thought
Infidel serves as a testimony to the freedom Christ brings. Like Ali saw herself, Christ is concerned with how we live our lives today, here and now. This is where sanctification lies; this is true freedom.
Labels: book review
A Quick Survey of Some Single Books
The Book: Lady in Waiting, by Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall.
The Grade: C-
The One-Liner: Waiting? Waiting for what?
The title alone is a turn-off. Waiting for life to start? Waiting for permission to be a woman? The book tries too hard to be godly. It's purpose is to enourage girls to wait for Mr. Right, which of course is excellent in comparison to the alternative, but it is still misleading. Shouldn't we be encouraging girls to become God's best because that's what being an excellent woman is about?
To quote from Lauren Winner's
Real Sex,They [books on singleness] seem designed for people who get married right out of college. They seem theologically vacuous. Above all, they seem dishonest. They seem dishonest because they make chastity sound easy. That make it sound instantly rewarding. They make it sounds sweet and obvious. "True love waits" is not that compelling when you're twenty-nine and have been waiting, and wonder what, really, you're waiting for.
The Book: Knight in Shining Armor, by P.B. Wilson
The Grade: B-
The One-Liner: There's a reason it only costs $0.95 at Amazon!
An amusing read, if anything. "Knight" is incorporated into every chapter title. One good thing about this book is how the author encourages the reader to take a six-month break from dating to devote her time and focus on her relationship with Christ. This obviously doesn't apply to every reader, but it's a good idea and some of her activities for the inbetween are creative. The bad thing about this book is that by enouraging the six-month leave of absence, it creates a
Prayer of Jabez dilemma. What happens afterwards when our hopes still go unfulfilled on the six-month time schedule? Do we lose faith?
The Book: Fine China is for Single Women, Too, by Lydia Brownback
The Grade: B
The One-Liner: There's nothing on the back of the box that said anything about marital status. Tea simply tastes better out of fine china. It's prettier too.
This book hits closer to the mark, although I take personal offense at the title. I've been an avid collector of kitchen items, pottery, and fine china since I was a preteen. I didn't know I had to wait until I was married to enjoy it! The book is published by P&R Publishing and the author is a member of Tenth Pres. in Philly, so that gives its theological grounding a better basis. But it still has a hint of being content in singleness only because Mr. Right is just around the corner which leaves a bad taste in the mouth. An artistic side note: The pages are tinted pink and have pictures of tea cups throughout the book which are not only irritating, they also bring down the book and author's potential seriousness. The book has some good thoughts, but still sounds too much like a pity-party, with an emphasis on not being left out.
The Book: Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye?, by Carolyn McCulley
The Grade: A+
The One-Liner: Now, there's a question I can relate to!
Written by a real single with real struggles. And her conclusion: First, we're Christians. Second, we're women. Third, we happen to be single right now. McCulley takes a fresh look at the Proverbs 31 woman and paints a portrait of the single woman, not the married one, and gives real life application in living single. Her thesis is that single women are called to be Christian women, embracing biblical femininity first and foremost. Marriage, it if happens, is no guarantee that you wouldn't be single again. Get your life in order, not because then you'll be ready for marriage, but because then you're pursuing a life of holiness that God requires of you. Then you can enjoy Him forever!
An excellent talk by McCulley can be downloaded
here. If you're a single woman and you listen to the last ten minutes with dry eyes, I suggest you try again. Her take on Ruth and Naomi is incredible.
Here is a sampling of McCulley's realistic advice for the single:
Our most important identity is in the fact that we’re saved, not that we’re single. God has done something far more important for us. Your greatest need is not for a spouse. Your greatest need is for a savior and that’s already been accomplished through the death of Jesus Christ. So why doubt that God will provide a much lesser need?
“You’re not going to get married until you are content in your singleness.” It’s not really accurate theology, because God doesn’t require us to attain any state before he gives us a gift; it’s all of grace, it’s all unmerited. We should work to be contented women; we just shouldn’t attach to it the expectation of blessing.
When we’re tempted to wonder, “Can I trust God with my hopes?,” we need to remember that what we can see of our circumstances is not all that’s there. God’s silences are not his rejections; they are simply preparations for a greater revelation of Him.
Labels: book review
Book of the Week
Thank you, Lauren Winner!
Finally! An informed, Biblical, and intellectual look at marriage, sex, chastity, and singlehood. And to ice the cake, it’s written by a Christian woman who can write without using clichés or addressing her audience as, “Dear Beloved Reader.” (Oh, gag me now!)
Thank you, Ms. Winner, for being a breath of fresh air in the dusty old library of relationship literature!
Winner’s insight is rooted in having a properly Biblical and foundational understanding about the body, marriage, relationships, and the church, and on every point she hits the target. One of the most refreshing aspects of Winner’s writing (loved
Girl Meets God!) is her brutal and transparent honesty, not only about the mistakes she’s made in the past, but also in pointing out problems within the church.
There are many Christian books written on the topic (no I haven’t read all of them, but I’ve read enough sappy “love waits” books to feel ill) and what makes Winner’s book different is her completely Biblical starting point. As she herself says, too often Christians compartmentalize sex, marriage, relationships, etc., and that it ends up in a list of do’s and don’ts without telling why. According to Winner, a Christian girl isn’t going to resist her boyfriend’s advances just because someone once told her that the Bible says “no,” and then showed her the reference verse to prove it. Rather, the girl’s choice will be influenced by her understanding of how God has created her body, why He created sex and what purpose He gave it, and how this particular moment in her life will influence her eternity.
Winner argues for the role of community in relationships and sex. She battles the world’s mindset that the bedroom is personal business by advocating the Christian duty to accountability. She claims that not talking about sex within the church is damaging to chastity. The church, she says, is the center of our community, and that it should be active in instruction, communication, and protection. As she says, “the church serves as narrator, reminding ourselves who we are, and why we do what we do.”
Winner also makes the brave statement that chastity is not a natural condition. God made us to be sexual people, but chastity is required in order to protect marital sex (what she calls real sex, hence the title). Therefore, chastity is a discipline. And as with other spiritual disciplines, it’s not always easy and it takes effort. She rightly reminds us that no discipline should ever be motivated by results (“I’ll practice abstinence so I’m more attractive to Mr. Right, whenever he gets here,”) but rather, everything and anything we do is motivated by the desire to conform ourselves, physically and spiritually, to the call of the Gospel and to be the persons we’re supposed to be before God.
The viewpoint she gives on singleness is equally refreshing, mostly because she reiterates that marital status has no affect on the universal need to live faithfully. Pursuing a righteous and holy life should be foremost in anyone’s priority. (Also refreshing is her questioning of the relevancy/appropriateness/accuracy of the “call to life-long singleness.”) The church should be asking its singles not, “Who are you dating?” or, “So where’s Mr. Right?” which only pressures them, but rather should be encouraging them by asking, “
How is God calling you to be faithful now as you are?”
Again, relishing the fresh air…
Labels: book review
New Books
This week's World Magazine
highlights some interesting reads. I can't wait!
1.
Reading Like A Writer: A Guide For People Who Love Books and For Those Who Want To Write Them, by Francine Prose.
I don't want to write books. I just love to read. Sounds like a book for me!
2.
Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women who Created Her, by Melanie Rehak.
I was a big-time Nancy Drew fan! She was classy, drove a cool car, dated the handsome guy, and could memorize license plate numbers in a blink! I just ordered a copy for $0.01 on Amazon. Yippee!
Labels: book review
On Vocation
One of my Christmas break reads was
God at Work by Gene Edward Veith. I have read other books on vocation, like
The Call by Os Guinness, but this book was a bit different. Guinness's book focuses on finding your calling in life, but Veith, who works from a Lutheran idea, focuses on embracing the calling you already have in Christ. I appreciated how he emphasized that callings: a) change with life b) are for the here and now, and c) are whatever God is asking you to do for the moment, whether it is as a worker, student, mother, or citizen.
I have been struggling with my calling recently, being very unsatisfied in my schooling and career choice and feeling a bit lost as to what to do next.
God at Work had two very important things to say to me.
1. It convicted me.
Veith addresses sin in vocation by saying anything we do outside of our calling is a violation of what God has called us to do. We sin through disobedience and restlessness.
2. It encouraged me.
Veith talks about the temptations we face in our callings, and how trials are inevitable. We fail; check. We want to quit; check. We get discouraged; check. These are the crosses we must bear in our callings. Things that go against our will, he says, are the crosses we're called to bear. When we're in the midst of bearing crosses; check, we pray. "However God chooses to answer our prayers, whether by changing the situation or by changing us, we have given the outcomes over to Him. Our part is to carry out our vocations." Heaven only knows how much I would love a shift in vocations right now, but it was an encouraging reminder that if I am earnest in prayer, God will either change my situation or He will change me. No other option necessary.
I also appreciated what Veith had to say about finding God in our vocation.
Luther goes so far as to say that vocation is a mask of God. That is, God hides Himself in the workplace, the family, the Church, and the seemingly secular society. To realize that the mundane activities that take up most of our lives are hiding places for God can be a revelation in itself. Most people seek God in mystical experiences, spectacular miracles, and extraordinary acts they have to do. To find Him in vocation brings Him, literally, down to earth, makes us see how close He really is to us, and transfigures every day life.
So it's off to another day of seeing how God will use me in my current vocation. How will He use you?
Labels: book review
A Life without Christ
I love stories. I love hearing about people. I love books that share a story. I appreciate stories that show me the love of Christ, especially when they don't intend to. I love stories about people who are real.
I just read such a story.
Night by Elie Wiesel.
I can't fathom the extent of suffering Mr. Wiesel has endured. Never in a million years will I understand the suffering. I can't imagine what my response to God would be had I been the one in concentration camps. It scares me to think that my response might have been his. Listen to his story:
In days gone by Rosh Hashanah had dominated my life. I knew that my sins grieved the Almighty and so I pleaded for forgiveness. But now, I no longer pleaded for anything. I was no longer able to lament. On the contrary, I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes had opened and I was alone, terribly alone in a world without God, without man. Without love or mercy. I was nothing but ashes now, but I felt myself to be stronger than this Almighty to whom my life had been bound for so long.
How sad to see a man who was so close to truth, only to turn so far away from it. His story is heartbreaking. The suffering is sad, yes, but many suffer. What is heartbreaking is his loss of faith and his rejection of God. As he remembers a hanging in the camp he says, " 'For God's sake, where is God?' And from within me, I heard a voice answer: "Where He is? This is where - hanging here from this gallows..."
When belief is caught up in a God who is not there, who is not personal, this is a right response. That god is dead. But praise the true God, that He is there and He is living.
While
Night is desperate and intense, the most moving portion was in the forward written by the publisher Francois Mauriac. With him I identified and with his words I thought, "how should a Christian respond?"
What did I say to him? Did I speak to him of that other Jew, this crucified brother who perhaps resembled him and whose cross conquered the world? Did I explain to him that what had been a stumbling block for his faith had become a conerstone for mine? And that the connection between the cross and human suffering remains, in my view, the key to the unfathomable mystery in which the faith of his childhood was lost? We do not know the worth of one single drop of blood, one single tear. All is grace. If the Almighty is the Almighty, the last word for each of us belongs to Him. That is what I should have said to him. But all I could do was embrace him and weep.
Response. When Christians are faced with the suffering in the world how should we respond? Wiesel says this of response in his preface to his own story, "I answer that not only do I not know it, but that I don't even know if a tragedy of this magnitude has a response. What I do know is that there is 'response' in responsibility."
There is response in responsibility.
Labels: book review
Excellent Book!
Hollywood Worldviewsby Brian Godawa
I was browsing the local Christian bookstore recently and stumbled across this book. At first I was skeptical (since it was placed among the countless "how to's") but who can distrust an author who quotes Schaeffer in the second paragraph? Surprise! Good things do come from Berean Bookstores! This is absolutely the best book I've read all summer.
Godawa analyzes countless movies through a fantasticly thorough worldview lens. He warns against being a "cultural glutton" (inhaling without consideration) and a "cultural anorexic" (refusal to participate in culture). He first lays out his idea surrounding storytelling, mythology, and the role it plays in today's culture. Then he organizes his film reviews by worldview topic, such as existentialism, post-modernism, etc. He has incredible insight into the meaning of movies and I came away with a completely different understanding of films, some I had and hadn't seen.
Throughout the book, Godawa references his
website, which unfortunately isn't updated and I couldn't access some of the information. It does link to his movie reviews by year which I may add to my list of links. Each chapter ends with really interesting, practical applications and different ideas for thinking seriously about our movie intake and processing. For instance, he suggests that a Bible study read Ecclesiastes and then watch
Groundhog Day and do an indepth comparison, which I think is a great idea.( Beware, multiple ideas are floating through my head and it may involve you.)
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you have any interest in or concern for contemporary culture then this book is a must-read. If you love discussing movies and worldview interpretation then this book is a must-read. If you've ever wished you could understand movies better or maybe don't watch movies because you're afraid of submitting yourself to bad influences, then this book is a must-read.
-----------------------------------------------
As a follow-up, there's a great opportunity coming up to participate in a similar movie discussion. Veritas is hosting a movie screening of
Tender Mercies on Butler's campus. The week following, Jeff Sparks, director of the Heartland Film Festival, will be speaking on "What Makes a Truly Moving Picture: Exploring the Power of Film to Move Us." The events are open to whomever wishes to attend and I would encourage you come.
What:
Tender MerciesWhen: Tuesday, September 5 @ 7:30 pm and Friday, September 8 @ 5:00 pm.
Where: The Center for Faith and Vocation, Butler University.
What: Jeff Sparks at Veritas
When: Thursday, September 14 @ 7:00 pm.
Where: TBA at Butler University.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Labels: book review
Book: Gilead
Gilead is the memoir of an aging, Midwestern pastor. Afraid he will not live to see his young son grow old, John Ames sets out to write down his family history. Ames's stories, ranging from the humorous to the poignant, are interrupted by insights into human nature and bits of wisdom for his son. The book is structured as a long letter to his son, without a single chapter division. The beauty of the prose and endearing characters are so convincing that you forget the book is actually a novel and the creation of genius Marilynne Robinson.
It is truly succulent and requires adequate reading time to savor its details. I've never read anything so honest and so beautiful in its simplicity. Ames is a man who is passionate for ministry, but nevertheless just a man who struggles along with the rest of us. Reading it is like sharing the most intimate conversation with a life-long friend who opens up the deepest part of his heart. It will take a second read through to capture the overlooked details.
I love this quote where Ames is discussing communication, relationships, and the barriers which lie between them.
In every important way we are such secrets from each other, and I do believe that there is a separate language in each of us, also a separate aesthetics and a separate jurisprudence. Every single one of us is a little civilization built on the ruins of any number of preceeding civilizations, but with our own variant notions of what is beautiful and what is acceptable-which, I hasten to add, we generally do not satisfy and by which we struggle to live.
I also enjoyed this quote where Ames is warning his son against following popular theologies for the sake of doubt.
Don't look for proofs. Don't bother with them at all. They are never sufficient to the question, and they're always a little impertinent, I think, because they claim for God a place within our conceptual grasp. I'm not saying never doubt or question. The Lord gave you a mind so that you would make honest use of it. I'm saying you must be sure that the doubts and questions are your own, not, so to speak, the mustache and walking stick that happen to be the fashion of any particular moment.
This is a man who looks back on his life and is satisfied that he has glorified God and is still learning how to enjoy Him forever. I hope I am as fortunate.
Labels: book review
Book
Creation Regainedby Albert Wolters
This book was recently decided to be the reading assignment for the Veritas leadership team, otherwise I probably wouldn't have come into contact with it. After reading it, I'm still undecided about how well I like it. I think part of my deliberation is I can't quite figure out the intended audience. It's labeled as a "Reformational Worldview," but I'm not sure if it's for reformed believers or for those who are contemplating reformation. Not a lot of background is given for the use of "reformation," but then, if you were fully reformed already, this book would seem redundant.
The book is a bit technical and I really had to read it with pencil in hand to try to absorb it. It is deceptive: only 143 pages, but it's writing style is compact. The author dissects his keywords into very detailed explanations of definitions and intended usage, which is good, just ... technical.
Wolters makes some good points, though, especially in regard to the abolition of a worldview that is divided in two: secular versus sacred. He does give a good basis for how worldview should be reformed as he walks the worldview process through creation, fall, and redemption. If you didn't understand how worldview and the Bible really fit together (some people limit "worldview" to a cultural idea), he does a good job of making that clear.
While the book is theological, it also attempts to be very practical. It really calls for a lifestyle of worldviewness. Wolters makes a clear case for the all-encompassing aspect of worldview and how it can be applied to every part of our lives.
Labels: book review
Quasi Book Review.
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Some reasons why you might like to read this book:
--There's a novel within a novel. I'm sure there's a literary term for this technique but unfortunately I'm a music major.
--There are two storylines which get you turning pages and finally they merge at the end. The writing style is fascinating. The author uses constrasting techinques per story.
--All's fair in love and war.
--There are plenty of quotable insights on loneliness and the need for family to validate life.
--It's on Border's Original Voices selection.
--If you like reading novels that resemble art, you'd like this book.
Labels: book review
Book Review
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
I've been meaning to mention this book, so here I am before I forget. I finished reading it a couple of weeks ago, during my massive fiction kick while I was sick. Last Thursday, Rich Holdeman from the Bloomington RPC spoke on stem cell research and cloning at Veritas. I found it ironically timely with this book still fresh in my thoughts.
You don't know that the main characters are clones until about halfway through the book. The narrative is a bit slow and it's written in almost memoir style from the perspective of one character. I got through it and didn't like it at first. It's grown on me since I've understood it better in retrospect.
The thesis is subtle; you have to look under the surface for the point the author is making. Turns out, it's a very interesting secular view of the ethics of cloning. When Rich Holdeman spoke, he focused, of course, on the Christian ethical view. The morality of cloning, the problems of choosing life, etc... But what do non-Christians think of cloning?
In his book, Ishiguro questions the soul. Can clones feel the same way regular humans do? Are clones regular humans? The characters are students kept in a private boarding school, their questions unanswered and their artwork is taken away. The children don't understand this until much later when they're told that the teachers needed to know if they had souls. They needed the art to see if they really existed. The teachers encourage sexual activity among these teens. At first I was astounded, but then it made sense. If a non-Christian was a clone and in a situation where life's sole purpose was to be an organ donor, wouldn't hedonism play a role? Enjoy life while you've got it kind of mentality.
For the author, cloning creates a dystopia. Not because it's immoral so to speak but because it's unfair. It's stealing. It takes away the chance for these unwanted children to really live and experience life.
Labels: book review
