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Reverend Rita's Suggestions: Title: Immigrants and Boomers On my rounds of visits to hospitals and nursing homes, I've often been struck by how many doctors, nurses, therapists and other staff people were born in another country. If you want to travel the world without leaving home, just visit your local hospital! But it never occurred to me that this curious phenomenon could be a solution to our nation's immigration situation. I belong to a pastor's group that has been reading a book called "Immigrants and Boomers" by Dowell Myers. Perhaps you are like me, a bit sick of all the hype and hysteria over the whole immigrant "problem," but Myers' book looks at the issue from an angle I have not seen anyone else explore. He points out that as Baby Boomers retire and begin to need more medical care, there is simply not enough of the next generation (ahem, MY generation) to pay their social security benefits, nor to work in all the areas of senior care. Therefore we face a growing crisis of care and living for seniors. But Myers says that immigrants can help meet both needs. The biggest concern of many people is that immigrants will be a drain on our resources, working low-paying jobs and unable to contribute much to society. But studies have shown that immigrants are hard workers, and are eager to receive training that places them in better jobs. If we offer job training, then these newcomers can enter fields that will care for our future seniors. And their increased income from these jobs will help pay those social security benefits. Americans have not yet seen the potential good of the immigrant situation because we tend to divide ourselves along lines of race and age and class. But Myers argues persuasively that we really are all in this together. The elder generations depend on upon well-educated younger generations. Whites need Hispanics, and Blacks need Asians. This book is well worth reading, and could indeed hold the key to future benefit for all. Title:
The Nightingales I
picked this book up because I wanted to learn more about Florence Title:
Better Off I have long been sympathetic with the Amish view that technology, far from freeing us, often puts us in chains we don't even recognize. In this book, a young MIT grad and his wife take a year off to live technology-free in an Amish style community. Brende sometimes seems a bit naïve in his praise of the primitive life, and I can't help but wonder to what extent his primitive life is nevertheless dependent on technology elsewhere, but he poses some worthwhile questions about the role of technology in our lives. After reading this book, I decided to switch off my TV for a month. It might have a similar effect on you! Title:
The Bookseller of Kabul While
covering the war in Afghanistan, Seierstad met a bookseller who
was determined to keep his shop open even through successions of
repressive regimes. She asked to live for several months with his
family, where she expected to encounter a more enlightened view.
But she discovered that all members of the family were still imprisoned
by traditional social roles. We know about restrictions on women
(though it never ceases to shock me), but the book shows how men
are stunted by patriarchy as well. I continue to be Title:
Don't Think of an Elephant This book was discussed during one of the workshops I attended at The Center for Progressive Christianity (TCPC) Conference. Lakoff is a linguist, and his book looks at how the political right and the political left use language to express their values. He argues convincingly that the right has been much better at this than the left, so that the left ends up using the right's own language. The title is an example of how as soon as you use a word, you automatically think of that word. Just consider how Bush kept referring to "weapons of mass destruction" even when all those reports were coming out saying that Iraq had no WMD's. Lakoff's book really helped me make sense of our current political climate, and I believe it can be used for our current religious climate as well. The book demonstrates how progressives can think about how to better express our values, instead of parroting conservative values. Everyone should read this book! Title:
The Heart of Christianity This book was also mentioned frequently at the TCPC Conference, and should probably be viewed as a companion to Lakoff's book. Borg describes two different understandings of Christianity: traditional, and what he terms as "emerging." He manages to affirm the value of each view, avoiding labels like "conservative" and "progressive." He also puts all such labels in their proper perspectives as adjectives modifying the common noun "Christian." This book lays a solid foundation for reflection and dialogue on how to articulate progressive Christian values without passing judgment on other Christians who see things differently. Title:
The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation I didn't grow up with rapture theology. It's rather alien to me, so I was hesitant to read this book as I thought it wouldn't really be relevant to me. But on the contrary, this book made me aware of the extent to which belief in the rapture - a doctrine that is only about 150 years old - has become widespread throughout Christianity, to the extent that even non-Christians assume that it is part of our core theology. In this book, Rossing shows how rapture believers distort the Bible in order to make it fit their beliefs. She also shows how rapture theology contradicts some of our core beliefs about God: that God is good, and God loves this world. Sometimes I come away from ultra-conservative Christians wanting to disassociate from Christianity altogether, but this book makes me want to reclaim Christianity, to take back the God of love that I believe in. Excerpt: "Fortunately the New Testament itself deals with that very question of how to live if you know the world is going to end -- indeed, that is the central question in the book of Revelation and in other New Testament writings. Early Christians definitely thought they were living at the brink of the end times.... So how did they live? Did they go out and buy things, to use them up? Did they clear-cut the forests? Did they suspend the rules? Did they become an underground high-tech Tribulation Force with a mission to conquer evil through violence, stealth, and better fire power? [referencing the Left Behind books] "No, they cared for one another and for their neighbors in a very public and open way. Love of neighbor and hospitality to strangers was Christians' surest response to life on the brink of the end times." Title:
Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and
Good for America I hardly need to be convinced why marriage should be available to everyone, but Raush comes up with a number of arguments I hadn't thought of before. He does an excellent job of showing what exactly marriage is, why it's important to society, and why everyone has a stake in ensuring that marriage is available to all, rather than limited only to a certain group of people. He also shows how the creation of a second-class status, as in "civil unions," actually harms the institution of marriage. He makes his argument with great compassion and open-mindedness, and he ably exposes the fallacies of the "marriage for straights only" argument. This book should be read and debated by everyone as our nation wrestles with this issue. Excerpt: "'To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, till death us do part'.... So go the ancient vows.... There is no promise of children here, either to have them or to raise them, no mention of sex, no mention of inheritance, not a word about personal fulfillment.... If marriage has any meaning at all, it is that when you collapse from a stroke, there will be another person whose 'job' is to drop everything and come to your aid. Or that when you come home after being fired, there will be someone to talk you out of committing a massacre or killing yourself. To be married is to know there is someone out there for whom you are always first in line.... Because, in theory, there is no reason why a male-male or female-female couple could not make and sustain the promise of lifelong care giving, opponents of same-sex marriage are reluctant to put the care giving commitment at the heart, rather than the periphery of marriage." Title:
Deceiving the Devil: Atonement, Abuse, and Ransom The cross has always been central to Christian theology, but it can be both a blessing and a curse. This author describes some of the major theologies of the cross that have developed through Christian history. She then critiques those models using insights gained from contemporary liberation theology and feminist theology, to show how the cross can sometimes liberate people, but can also oppress them. She then offers a fresh interpretation of a 3rd century theology of the cross to show how this ancient doctrine can continue to challenge and guide us today. Ray's book is an excellent summary of the many issues surrounding the doctrine of the cross, and I used it as the basis of my 2004 Lent study group. Title:
Reading Lolita in Tehran We have always been avid readers in my family, but this book made me realize why reading is so important. Azar Nafisi began teaching English literature at the University of Tehran just before the revolution. She continued to live and occasionally teach in Tehran until the mid-90's, when she emigrated to the United States. This book gives a harrowing, first-person account of what it was like to live in Iran during that oppressive regime. Nafisi paints a portrait of a society where any idea out of step with the Islamic Revolution is seen as heresy and treason. But she and a dozen other women gathered periodically to ready the works of Henry James, Jane Austen, Vladimir Nabokov and others. Even though the worlds described in the books differed significantly from Islamic Iran, the women found a connection to the larger world that kept them going even through oppression and the long war with Iraq. This book is a vivid testimony of the power of reading to free our minds. Title:
Les Miserables A novel, but one which embodies the Christian spirit, albeit in a rather old-fashioned way. Jean Val Jean's lifelong struggle with what it means to live as a sinner who has been forgiven is for me the heart of what it means to be Christian. Title:
Autobiography of Malcolm X A profound story of a man of faith who is open to being changed by God. It’s a hard read for white people and for women, but it remains a powerful portrait of faith, humility, and courage in the struggle for justice and peace. Title:
The
Desert Fathers Can you tell that I’m inspired more by stories than treatises? I am captivated by the story of these spiritual “athletes” and the tales of compassion, humility, and forgiveness. Tom F.'s Suggestions: Title:
The Last Week Sarah G.'s Suggestions: Title:
Christian Doctrine Cylia's Suggestions: Title:
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals I have maintained a strong interest in dietary choices, vegetarianism, factory farming and attending ethical questions ever since studying and preparing for our church-sponsored “VegeGathering 2005” (studygroups.html). So when I came across Michael Pollan’s latest book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, I knew I would have to read it. I couldn’t have been happier with my choice. Mr. Pollan, an avid gardener and cook, science reporter and award-winning journalism instructor at UC-Berkeley, is such a fine wordsmith that he makes even the sex life of corn plants into great reading! The book is divided into 4 sections each of which features one type of food production and ends with a meal prepared from the subsequently harvested food stuffs. The first meal, which he shares with his wife and son, is picked up from McDonald’s on the fly and gobbled down at 55 mph on a California highway. You guessed it, the ingredients for this fast-food meal came from that great American agricultural megalith, the factory farm and its attendant distribution systems. Secondly, Mr. Pollan investigates what he terms “industrial organic agriculture,” specifically those farms which supply Whole Foods and other giant organic food distributors. After sharing an absolutely delicious-sounding Whole Foods meal with family and friends, Mr. Pollan researches the “family farm” method of food production. He spends time with Virginia farmer Joel Salatin, a major force pushing for renewal of old-fashioned animal- and land-friendly farming techniques and subsequent environmentally intelligent “local only” methods of food distribution. I could just taste the delectable feast concocted from all that locally produced food and wine! Finally, for the fourth meal, Mr. Pollan hunts and gathers his own ingredients from the San Francisco Bay area. Acknowledging that most of us will never have the time, inclination or live in an area conducive to hunting and gathering, he, nonetheless, includes this ancient method of procuring food as it is logical to compare it to our more modern agricultural practices. I'll not spoil the description of this last meal with fellow hunters and gatherers by retelling it here, but the reading of it is well-worth every penny and minute of the reader's time. It goes without saying that I highly recommend this star of a book. Not only was I enticed by mouth-watering dishes and tickled by funny anecdotes, but some of my most deeply held beliefs were challenged by findings such as the inevitable slaughter of field mice and other creatures during the harvesting of any cultivated area or the obviously happy lives of Joel Salatin's chicks who, rather than stumbling de-beaked and bewildered into thousands of other chicks closely packed into a chicken coop, wander daily about fresh fields eating and contributing wastes to the excellent earth-renewing compost of the farm. What are we vegetarians to do? By the time I finished the book, I almost began to believe that, as a concerned environmentalist, it is my duty to eat the meat of earth-renewing livestock similarly raised on a Salatin-style family farm in Texas. Mr. Pollan, not a vegetarian himself but also not normally a hunter, discusses Peter Singer’s theories on animal rights, his own shame at having enjoyed hunting the wild boar, the general issues of animal cruelty on factory farms, and the pros and cons of vegetarianism. I could go on and on elaborating the reasons to read The Omnivore's Dilemma, but this doesn't really do justice to the book or the author. All I can say is, "Try it, you'll like it." Title:
What Nietzsche Really Said Drs. Solomon and Higgins, professors of philosophy at UT-Austin, present a clear, quite positive description of the works of a much misunderstood and often maligned philosopher. Nietzsche was deeply spiritual but not in a traditionally Christian way. His spirituality is best understood by "looking to music, the art form Nietzsche considered the most uplifting, the most in tune with the inner truth of things." When we experience a sense of the spiritual while listening to music, we reach beyond ourselves; we are "enlarged." This type of spirituality is not otherworldly or only available through organized religion; it is part of the here and now. Nietzsche relished life with all of its pains and joys; he loved life for the sake of life not because he was "on a tightrope" that leads to an afterlife. I found myself identifying with this aspect of his thinking. It felt both peaceful and rewarding. Solomon's and Higgins' book also includes descriptions of Nietzsche's less positive ideas--his concept of the "ubermensch" and his presumed anti-Semitism, among others. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thinking about different approaches to spirituality, religion and philosophy. Even if you don't agree with most of what Nietzsche said, you will be grateful for the clear way his philosophy is presented. Title:
The House of the Scorpion I've recently returned to reading "young adult/teen" fiction. Why, you may ask. For starters, I found, when my sons were younger, that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, along with them, the Newberry and other award winning books that their teachers assigned. The authors often explored ethical, philosophical, religious and other mature themes that I find lacking in so much "adult" fiction. Secondly, publishers don't charge as much for children's literature as they do for adult books. I guess they can't get away with it! What a deal, right? Two good books for the price of one often mediocre novel. Last night I finished The House of the Scorpion, a National Book Award winner, by Nancy Farmer, a three time Newberry Honor author, who grew up along the Mexican-Arizona border. In her tale, replete with on-target descriptions of the people and land of the desert Southwest, Matt, a young clone of the drug czar of Opium, a country of the future which lies between the US and what is now called Mexico, uncovers the horrific plans for his future. As the story unfolds we find him confronting "eejits," "crots," the Farm Patrol, and Felicia. Along the way he is also befriended by a strange cast of characters from Celia to Ton-Ton. If you enjoy symbolic fiction like Animal Farm or The Giver, you will find this tale exciting and definitely thought provoking. John K.'s Suggestions: Title:
Skeptic
in the House of God Can a person be both an agnostic and a Christian? This author thinks so, and in this book he describes the type of church that is open and affirming toward skeptics. Title:
The War Over Iraq Discussion of the rationale behind the new Bush doctrine of preemption brought on by 9/11. Read the argument about how to protect us from rogue nations with weapons of mass destruction. Does the Iraqi war prove the book true? Title:
When
God Says War Is Right Great summary of Just War theory no matter what your position. Devotes a section to nuclear weapons and terrorism. Also is critical of U.S. in past wars. However, the callousness of killing others with eagerness in a “Just War” took my breath away. Pete's Suggestions: Title:
Christian Beginnings (Parts I and II) A
wonderful book which details all the political intrigues and wars
occurring during the time between the end of the Old Testament and
the beginning of the New Testament. This really helps explain for
me the big unknown in my understanding of the Bible. Although the
print is small, it's loaded with lots of important facts and interpretations. This
book is a great compliment to the one above, giving the reader a
wonderful summary and interpretation of all the books of the Apocrypha.
I recommend this book as well as the one above for a full understanding
of the times leading up to the Christian era. As a student of Bonhoeffer, I find this book amazingly clear and easy to understand. Not all books by or about Bonhoeffer are as easy to follow and comprehend as this book is. I find this is a "must" book for people serious about Bonhoeffer and learning more about his mind and works. This book is no doubt a result of many years of learning and insight about one of the noted theologians in the 20th century. Please feel free to add your spiritual reading list to this one at any time. Just send your summaries to semmering@aol.com, and I will incorporate them into this master list. Also, if you want to submit more or less than three book summaries, please send them along as well. |
A Special Deal for SOPers: Tom's Totable Tomes