Category Archives: Books
Jacci Turner, Fiction Writer
Jacci Turner is a dear friend from my years at the University of Nevada. She mentored me in Christian faith and life. She lives in Reno, Nevada, and works with college students today. Jacci is also a writer of young … Continue reading
The God of Hope and the End of the World
The God of Hope and the End of the World By John Polkinghorne This is a book on eschatology, a part of theology that examines the end of time or the end of history. The author looks at two ends: … Continue reading
Know the Truth
Introduction to Phemomenology By Robert Sokolowski It was a pleasure to read this beautiful book. Sokolowski explains phenomenology in a clear manner I could follow. His ability to present complex ideas clearly is a gift. Phenomenology, which he admits is … Continue reading
The Treasury Within
Be peaceful within yourself, and heaven and earth will be at peace with you. Be diligent to enter into the treasury that is within you, and you will see the Treasury of Heaven: for these are one and the same, … Continue reading
The Reality of Marriage
We ate at Rumors in Hudson last night and celebrated the publication of our friend Pete Blum’s book, For a Church to Come: Experiments in Postmodern Theory and Anabaptist Thought. Pete teaches sociology at Hillsdale College. In the book’s second … Continue reading
On Jane Austen
On the appeal of Jane Austen: But while Austen’s sharp prose, ironic wit and vivid characterisation are all key to her appeal, Robens believes that it is the romantic entanglements of her strong-willed heroines that draw so many to the … Continue reading
Death and Afterlife
Death and Afterlife: A Theological Introduction. By Terence Nichols (2010). Nichols writes from an orthodox Catholic perspective. He surveys the theme of death and afterlife in ancient Judaism, early Christianity, and the longer Christian tradition — Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant. … Continue reading
Is God to Blame?
In his book Is God to Blame? Beyond Pat Answers to the Problem of Suffering, theologian Gregory A. Boyd challenges the “Blueprint Worldview” that says all things — bad included — happen according to God’s plan, or divine blueprint, and … Continue reading
The Gift Introverts Bring
I did reading this year on introverts, trying to understand this (my) personality. Susan Cain’s book was a gift. It’s called Quiet: The Power of Introverts In a World That Can’t Stop Talking. In one example, she spoke of studies … Continue reading
NDE
I read my first book on NDE, a near death experience. Proof of Heaven, by Eben Alexander, was recommended by two parishioners. It is written by a Virginia neurosurgeon whose brain was largely shut down for seven days by a … Continue reading
Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. I am of two minds about this book. On the one hand, I recognize the comic genius of Mark Twain, as well as his artistry in plot and dialect. On the other … Continue reading
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. There are seven main characters in this novel, spread over three families. Anna herself, her husband, and her lover; her brother and his wife; and Anna’s sister-in-law and her husband, Konstantin Levin. Of the seven, … Continue reading
Being Well When We’re Ill
Being Well When We’re Ill: Wholeness and Hope in Spite of Infirmity. By Marva J. Dawn. Marva Dawn is a theologian and educator with a PhD from Notre Dame. She is a popular writer and conference speaker. She has also … Continue reading
The Magnificent Defeat
The Magnificent Defeat, by Frederick Buechner. This is the best book of sermons I have ever read, and one of the best books of theology. The language is simple and easy to read, filled with grace and insight. These 18 … Continue reading
‘Every Man Is a Mystic’
Heaven knows terrible things happen to people in this world. The good die young, and the wicked prosper, and in any one town, anywhere, there is grief enough to freeze the blood. But from deep within whatever the hidden spring … Continue reading
A Quaker Book of Wisdom
A Quaker Book of Wisdom, by Robert Lawrence Smith. Smith is the former headmaster of the Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C., a private Quaker school that the Obama daughters now attend, among a thousand other students. A lifelong Quaker, … Continue reading
Discipleship
Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Discipleship, also known in an earlier translation as The Cost of Discipleship, is a classic work of 20th century theology by a Lutheran pastor in Germany. The German title Nachfolge means ‘following after.’ Following after Christ … Continue reading
Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity
Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity. By Catherine Whitmire (editor). This book is a collection of quotes from Quaker writers in the 17th through the 20th centuries, focusing more on recent voices. The quotations, some long and some short, … Continue reading
The Tower of Geburah
The Tower of Geburah, by John White. This book tells the tale of three Canadian children — Wesley, Kurt and Lisa — who are taken away from their home to another world, Anthropos. While there they assist Gaal, the Lord … Continue reading
Tattoos on the Heart
Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. By Gregory Boyle. Boyle is a Jesuit priest working with gang members in Los Angeles. He has served as a parish priest, as well as the director of a non-profit organization … Continue reading
