Well, here we are. The journey has lasted a year now, and we've read some challenging and stimulating material along the way. We've had some times of insightful and thoughtful discussion, and times where busy schedules clearly cramped those efforts. Being the victim of the latter on many occasions, I have, regretfully, fallen behind on my own ability to participate in the discussions. It would seem contrary to the virtue of this group to continue monthly assigned readings merely for the principle of it without being able to commit the appropriate time and effort needed.
Therefore, the book/post for this month will mark the beginning of an indefinite break from the monthly readings. Hopefully, this will allow the veteran members of the group to catch up, while also allowing the newer members to read some of the previous texts which they were not around to enjoy.
In light of this, we close with a doozy. The Brothers Karamazov has been a staple in world literature for years, and contains plenty of characters, situations, questions, and ideas to inculcate the kind of cogent discussion that is characteristic of this group. Let's do it!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Book 11/Movie 1: What Would Jesus Buy?; Mere Christianity
We're proud to present our first film to the book club. It has been a long time coming, and with the craziness of schedules during the holidays, we thought it would be a welcome break from a book. However, for those who would still want to read a book, you can! That's the beauty of this month. Choose either a book or a movie or both and let us know what you think. Both options are Christmas-inspired. 'Tis the season! See reviews below:
What Would Jesus Buy?: Religion aside for a moment, there's a terrible addiction that has swept across this country, and it's one of the nation's best kept secrets. Mostly everyone will tell you that it's a really bad thing, but nobody can seem to stop doing it. And it doesn't come cheap, nearly sixty percent of us are in long term debt because of it. No, we're not talking booze, drugs or overeating. It's shopping. And over 15 million Americans may in fact be addicted to it. Rob VanAlkemade's 'What Would Jesus Buy?' is a rousing, irreverent and simultaneously sobering documentary about the year round destructive shopaholic obsession that spins into an out of control buying and spending orgy by the time Christmas rolls around. The movie follows performance activist Reverend Billy and his ragtag cross country caravan, The Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, to bring the voice of reason a few holiday seasons ago, to compulsive consumers everywhere.
Mere Christianity: In 1943 Great Britain, when hope and the moral fabric of society were threatened by the relentless inhumanity of global war, an Oxford don was invited to give a series of radio lectures addressing the central issues of Christianity. Over half a century after the original lectures, the topic retains it urgency. Expanded into book form, Mere Christianity never flinches as it sets out a rational basis for Christianity and builds an edifice of compassionate morality atop this foundation. As Mr. Lewis clearly demonstrates, Christianity is not a religion of flitting angels and blind faith, but of free will, an innate sense of justice and the grace of God.
P.s. For a great Christmas album, see Sufjan Stevens' 5-Disc Box Set entitled "Songs for Christmas".
What Would Jesus Buy?: Religion aside for a moment, there's a terrible addiction that has swept across this country, and it's one of the nation's best kept secrets. Mostly everyone will tell you that it's a really bad thing, but nobody can seem to stop doing it. And it doesn't come cheap, nearly sixty percent of us are in long term debt because of it. No, we're not talking booze, drugs or overeating. It's shopping. And over 15 million Americans may in fact be addicted to it. Rob VanAlkemade's 'What Would Jesus Buy?' is a rousing, irreverent and simultaneously sobering documentary about the year round destructive shopaholic obsession that spins into an out of control buying and spending orgy by the time Christmas rolls around. The movie follows performance activist Reverend Billy and his ragtag cross country caravan, The Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, to bring the voice of reason a few holiday seasons ago, to compulsive consumers everywhere.
Mere Christianity: In 1943 Great Britain, when hope and the moral fabric of society were threatened by the relentless inhumanity of global war, an Oxford don was invited to give a series of radio lectures addressing the central issues of Christianity. Over half a century after the original lectures, the topic retains it urgency. Expanded into book form, Mere Christianity never flinches as it sets out a rational basis for Christianity and builds an edifice of compassionate morality atop this foundation. As Mr. Lewis clearly demonstrates, Christianity is not a religion of flitting angels and blind faith, but of free will, an innate sense of justice and the grace of God.
P.s. For a great Christmas album, see Sufjan Stevens' 5-Disc Box Set entitled "Songs for Christmas".
Book 10: Is the Homosexual My Neighbor?
Continuing on the theme from last month, this is a transcript from a talk given by Tony and Peggy Campolo (husband and wife). They take very different sides on the issue, but tie them both together with a foundation in love. Let us know what you think!
The transcript can be read online from the following link:
http://www.bridges-across.org/ba/campolo.htm
The transcript can be read online from the following link:
http://www.bridges-across.org/ba/campolo.htm
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Book 9: Homosexuality and Christian Faith: Questions of Conscience for the Churches
Well, here it is. Grasping the spirit of this book group we now turn to one of the most controversial issues of today. Whether you are sympathetic to the Christian faith or not, this is certainly an issue that has dominated politics, religion, and relationships, and is one that demands further investigation and discussion. Whatever one's perspective, this book promises to inform and to challenge, and to inspire as many questions as it answers.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Book 8: The Promise
The sequel to The Chosen.
"Young Reuven Malter is unsure of himself and his place in life. An unconventional scholar, he struggles for recognition from his teachers. With his old friend Danny Saunders--who himself had abandoned the legacy as the chosen heir to his father's rabbinical dynasty for the uncertain life of a healer--Reuvan battles to save a sensitive boy imprisoned by his genius and rage. Painfully, triumphantly, Reuven's understanding of himself changes as he starts to approach the peace he has long sought."
"Young Reuven Malter is unsure of himself and his place in life. An unconventional scholar, he struggles for recognition from his teachers. With his old friend Danny Saunders--who himself had abandoned the legacy as the chosen heir to his father's rabbinical dynasty for the uncertain life of a healer--Reuvan battles to save a sensitive boy imprisoned by his genius and rage. Painfully, triumphantly, Reuven's understanding of himself changes as he starts to approach the peace he has long sought."
Book 7: The Chosen
"Few stories offer more warmth, wisdom, or generosity than this tale of two boys, their fathers, their friendship, and the chaotic times in which they live. Though on the surface it explores religious faith--the intellectually committed as well as the passionately observant--the struggles addressed in The Chosen are familiar to families of all faiths and in all nations.
In 1940s Brooklyn, New York, an accident throws Reuven Malther and Danny Saunders together. Despite their differences (Reuven is a Modern Orthodox Jew with an intellectual, Zionist father; Danny is the brilliant son and rightful heir to a Hasidic rebbe), the young men form a deep, if unlikely, friendship. Together they negotiate adolescence, family conflicts, the crisis of faith engendered when Holocaust stories begin to emerge in the U.S., loss, love, and the journey to adulthood. The intellectual and spiritual clashes between fathers, between each son and his own father, and between the two young men, provide a unique backdrop for this exploration of fathers, sons, faith, loyalty, and, ultimately, the power of love."
In 1940s Brooklyn, New York, an accident throws Reuven Malther and Danny Saunders together. Despite their differences (Reuven is a Modern Orthodox Jew with an intellectual, Zionist father; Danny is the brilliant son and rightful heir to a Hasidic rebbe), the young men form a deep, if unlikely, friendship. Together they negotiate adolescence, family conflicts, the crisis of faith engendered when Holocaust stories begin to emerge in the U.S., loss, love, and the journey to adulthood. The intellectual and spiritual clashes between fathers, between each son and his own father, and between the two young men, provide a unique backdrop for this exploration of fathers, sons, faith, loyalty, and, ultimately, the power of love."
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Book 6: The Shack
"Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!"
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