Well, not a lot of book reading this month. Since I’m back to school I’ve been reading a lot of articles and selected chapters but not much cover-to-cover. I’m continuing to work full-time and I’ve also started creating a new non-profit that helps sexually exploited people exit the sex trade — so I’ve been busy. Anyway…
1. Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making Volume 1 by James D. G. Dunn. Jimmy Dunn operates from a more traditional source and form critical methodology (think Wellhausen and Bultmann) than the likes of Tom Wright but this book reflects how long he has spent studying the New Testament. It also reveals an author who seems to have a great amount of affection for the person at the core of this study. Dunn blends passion with serious critical scholarship and, although this book is a bit of a monster (it’s 1000+ pages!) it’s worth picking up even as reference material.
2. A Holy Meal: The Lord’s Supper and the Life of the Church by Gordon T. Smith. I’m studying with Gordon this term (a spiritual theology course on the meaning of the sacraments) so I figured it would be good to start the term by reading one of his books. I love the way that Gordon develops the significance of symbol — it fits well with what others like Ricoeur, Lindbeck, and Brueggemann have said — and then looks at the various motifs around the Lord’s Supper (remembrance, communion, forgiveness, covenant, nourishment, anticipation, and eucharist). Gordon is very ecumenical and treats all Christian traditions with a great amount of respect, emphasising the the Lord’s Supper should unite, not divide, the Church.

Well, the summer is coming to an end so don’t expect to see any more fiction on my list until December. Of course this is potentially my very last year of course work (what is this year #6?) so that’s leaving me with an interesting feeling. Anyway…
1. Performing the Faith: Bonhoeffer and the Practice of Nonviolenceby Stanley Hauerwas. A somewhat mixed collection of essays but — as can be expected from Hauerwas — a worthwhile read. As always Stan is concerned with showing how the Christian practice of nonviolence is linked to the communal development of virtue. He thus argues for a form of nonviolence that cannot be divorced from discipleship. For this reason he argues that Yoder is not a “pacifist” (understood here as one who appeals to nonviolence as some sort of abstract universal standard), for Yoder understands the contingency of all things. This is also why he argues that Milbank should admit that he is a “pacifist” for he is still dealing with an epistemology that buys into absolutes — it is because of this that Hauerwas also argues that Milbank smacks of triumphalism. Stanley argues that Christians are called to endure in the world — Milbank, says Stan, wants Christians to win. Of course this is only a wee sample of a collection of essays that touch on many more topics than this.
2. Dominion and Dynasty: a Theology of the Hebrew Bible by Stephen Dempster. Two biblical studies professors that I have stayed in touch with from my undergrad have continually recommended this book to me and I finally got around to reading it. Basically Dempster argues that there is an overarching narrative that guides the Hebrew Bible (Tanahk) from the first to the last book — and this narrative is shaped by the twin themes of dominion and dynasty (or genealogy and geography). A beautiful work that does a find job of showing the Tanahk to be a single coherent Text and not just a collection of somewhat random texts. Of course part of the beauty of this book is its readability and brevity. A great primer for anybody interested in moving into more serious biblical study (so that should include all Christians).
3. The Rebel Sell: Why the Culture can’t be Jammed by Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter. This book is an excellent critique of the counter-culture that reveals how the counter-culture is self-defeating. Far from providing an alternative to consumer capitalism the counter-culture with its rampant individualism and sense of distinction actually exacerbates all the problems that the counter-culture pins on “the system.” While I tend to disagree with the authors on several points (i.e. they have bought too wholeheartedly into Fukuyama’s notion of “the end of history”) this book should be required reading for anybody (like myself) who has been influenced by the likes of Naomi Klein.
4. The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. I have always had a strong affinity for Camus. The Plague was a beautiful and heartbreaking piece that any Christian who wants to write-off atheism needs to take the time to read. This work is Camus’ defense and explanation for “absurd” living. Living the requires lucidity and hopelessness. It is the absence of hope that is the most fundamental certitude here. Of course a link that Camus does not make explicit — but which undergirds much of what is said — is the way in which hubris is connected to this hopelessness. Reading this I can’t help but think how far the Church has lost its way, for it too, while speaking of hope, tends to live in a hopeless way in our culture. Christian hope, built not on pride but on trust in God, is what enables things to be made new — something that Camus cannot perceive as possible.
5. The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde. Wilde is certainly a master of the bon mot. He can consistently turn a phrase and writes very beautifully at times. Unfortunately the content of this book feels somewhat… juvenile. This is the mentality of a self-absorbed rich kid elevated to the best way to approach all of life. I hate to say it, but that’s the description that comes most readily to mind. It feels juvenile in the sense that the philosophy espoused by the central characters (and by Oscar himself?) is one that has no concern for others. Indeed, the characters (and Oscar) claim that one should not be concerned with ethics — only with beauty — but this itself suggests that none of the people involved understand what ethics are. Oscar’s book is an ethical work — it just suggests a different ethic than what was the norm. And a much more troubling one.
6. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens. Hooray for Dickens and his (mostly) happy endings. This book reminded me of David Copperfield and was good simple pleasure reading.
7. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. That’s the kind of title that has the potential the creep me out (i.e. does a woman have a son that is also her lover?) and there is a rather creepy mother involved. What makes the book more interesting is the fact that it was in this work that Lawrence was trying to sort out what kind of relationship he had with his own mother. This was my first time reading Lawrence and I think I’ll pick up another one of his in the near future.
8. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. I don’t know what it is with Canadian novelists and their seeming obsession with writing psychological novels (cf. The Manticore by Robertson Davies, or The Piano Man’s Daughter by Timothy Findley, etc., etc.) but this book was excellent. I’ve often scoffed at Canadian lit and said that the only reason it qualified as “literature” was because it was the best of what was available. Thankfully this book actually is the real deal. Atwood writes with a distinctive voice that took me a bit to get into but fully drew me in until I couldn’t put the book down. This is a work of historical fiction around the notorious “murderess” Grace Marks who lived in the 19th century.
9. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. A classic that I hadn’t read in years and so I decided to pick it up again. That hound still scares the hell out of me — but still doesn’t quite scare me as much as Montag’s wife. Yikes.

As sand through the hour glass…
1. Theopolitical Imagination: Discovering the Liturgy as a Political Act in an Age of Global Consumerism by William T. Cavanaugh
This book is brilliant (I wouldn’t expect anything less from Cavanaugh. A recent student of Hauerwas he’s definitely a rising star). This book argues that all politics are esentially premised on theological categories and require particular ways of imagining space and time. Thus Cavanaugh explores three myths that are a part of the way that nation-states shape space and time: the myth of the state as saviour (particularly as saviour from religious violence), the myth of civil society as free space, and the myth of globalisation as catholicity. All three of these myths claim to bring peace to a fractured humanity — yet fail to do so. Cavanaugh shows how the Christian liturgy, especially the Eucharist, is the true road to peace.
2. The Nature of Doctrine: Religion and Theology in a Postliberal Age by George A. Lindbeck.
This book was the highlight of my month. This isn’t light reading but Lindbeck is careful enough to define his terms so that the attentive reader is able to follow his argument — and it’s well worth following. Lindbeck argues the the most common approach to religion sees it as an expression of a universal experience. All people somehow experience the divine and this common experience is expressed via various forms of religious systems. This is the view that has come to dominate the discussion where the notion of religions as propositions stating absolute truths (or falsehoods, since all religions cannot be true) has fallen into disfavour. Over against these two views (which Lindbeck calls the experiential-expressivist and cognitivist views) Linkbeck prefers to understand religions as languages which dictate the way in which the people who speak the language understand the world (this view is called the cultural-linguistic view). Thus religions are not various ways of expressing a universal experience but are languages that create their own unique experiences. With this understanding of religion doctrine functions as grammar. Doctrine lays out the rules of the language. The authorities are therefore not necessarily those who are well versed in the grammar (I, for example, now a hell of a lot about Ancient Greek grammar but am far from fluent in the language) but those who are immersed in the language itself and naturally see the world through the lens it provides (to continue to use myself as the example, I know far less about technical English grammar rules, but I am far more fluent in the language — and therefore more of an authority). Now if all of this sounds somewhat irrelevant or abstract it’s because I’m not doing Lindbeck justice. This book deserves to be read by anybody who seriously thinks about the cultural “relevance” of Christianity.
3. Good News in Exile: Three Pastors Offer a Hopeful Vision for the Church by Martin B. Copenhaver, Anthony B. Robinson, and William H. Willimon.
I’m very glad I read this book. These pastors pull primarily from the writings of Brueggemann, Lindbeck, and Hauerwas and present the material in a way that is both challenging and easily accessible. I can be something of an academic snob when it comes to pastoral material and it was quite a joyful humbling experience to read this.
4. Branded Nation: The Marketing of Megachurch, CollegeInc, & Museumworld by James B. Twitchell.
This book looks at the ways in which brands create narratives around overabundant goods and therefore differentiate products based upon the stories that they tell. Because the branding explosion is so related to an overabundance of very similar products Twitchell argues that it is only natural that branding has slipped into high culture — religion, education, and the fine arts. All of these things are forced to market themselves through branding if they hope to succeed — and Twitchell is quick to assure the reader that everything in life comes down to marketing. Everybody is looking to selling as much of their product as they can. In the end Twitchell asserts that branding is good for high culture and he fully embraces this process hoping that it will create a more peaceable society, and a more peaceable world. Needless to say there are a lot of places where I disagree with this book but I’m working on a longer article contrasting this work with Cavanaugh’s writing so I’ll save all that for later.
5 On Job: God-Talk and the Suffering of the Innocent by Gustavo Gutierrez.
This is Gutierrez’ study of the book of Job. His intriguing thesis is that the book is not trying to answer the question of why innocent people suffer but rather, how one is to talk rightly about God in the midst of such suffering. It is Job — with all his protests, cries, and accusations — that God says speaks properly, while his friends — with all their theologising in favour of God — are condemned for speaking improperly and even blasphemously. As can be expected from a liberation theologian Gutierrez also does a fine job of showing how Job learns to move beyond exploring his own suffering and instead identifies himself with the suffering poor.
6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
I continue to enjoy Austen although I find her books a little… fluffy. Granted she is a little more subtle than some authors and this novel does raise some interesting questions about the relation of love to material success and physical status (the reader is bound to question even the noble and discerning protagonist) but I’ll continue to read Austen because she writes well, not because she’s particularly inspiring.
7. The Roald Dahl Omnibus by (surprise, surprise) Roald Dahl.
This was my first time reading anything by this author and I loved it. I think I speed through 900 pages of short stories in three or four days. I’ve never been particularly attracted to short-stories but Dahl is doing a good job of making me rethink that. I’ve always been guilty of favouring novels where I’ve been able to strongly identify with at least one of the characters, and although I don’t find that in Dahl’s stories (who would dare identify with his characters?) his writing is too strong to ignore.
8. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling.
I have a bad habit of being unable to stop reading a series once I start it. So now I’m doomed to read Harry Potter for the next 20 years or however long Rowling wants to milk the series. Now don’t get me wrong the books aren’t bad… but they’re not that great either. Rowling seems to have found a formula that works and simply repeats it over and over (sort of like R. Jordan is doing with his fantasy series… is that still going?). All that aside these are still fun kids books (yes, its a sad state affairs when the novels that are sweeping our nation(s) are children’s literature).
9. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi.
The second in Satrapi’s autobiographical series is equal in caliber to the first. The art is fairly simple but the story is well told and quite personal — the perfect sort of story for an illustrated novel. Having been sent away from Iran at the end of the first book this novel tells of her years in Europe and her return to her homeland.

Well, since this seems to be a bit of a craze amongst certain bloggers, and since I love books so damn much, I thought I’d get in on this.
Number Of Books That You Own
Just under 500 — I told you I love books.
Last Book Bought
Performing the Faith: Bonhoeffer and the Practice of Nonviolence by Stanley Hauerwas. $9 and brand new… how could I say no?
Last Book Read
God, Medicine, And Suffering by Stanley Hauerwas. An intriguing look at the way our contemporary approach to medicine reveals how dominant societal narratives (or the lack thereof) are unable to address the question of suffering adequately. Hauerwas’ emphasis on the role that a community living a shared narrative plays in giving suffering meaning is, well, brilliant (but I wouldn’t expect anything less from him).
On My To-Read List
Oh boy…
Jesus Remembered by James D.G. Dunn.
Not Ashamed of the Gospel: New Testament Interpretations of the Death of Christ by Morna Hooker.
The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation by Jurgen Moltmann.
The Possessed by Fyodor Dostoevski.
On Job by Gustavo Gutierrez.
The commentaries on First and Second Corinthians in The New Interpreter’s Bible Series.
Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman.
I could go on…
“Five” Books that Mean A Lot To Me
Well, I’ll pick five fiction books and five non-fiction ones, in no particular order.
Fiction
1. Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis. Easily Lewis’ greatest (and most under-rated) book.
2. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I want to be Jean Valjean.
3. Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. Unfortunately, I am Jude Fawley.
4. The Brothers K by David James Duncan. I laughed, I cried. This narrative is more “god-haunted” than pretty much any other book I’ve read.
5. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevski. This book really needs no introduction. Read it.
Shit… is that five already? Honourable mentions go to The Plague by Albert Camus, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
Non-Fiction
1. Jesus and the Victory of God by N.T. Wright. There’s been a lot of books written about Jesus. This is easily the best one. You cannot read this book and be the same kind of Christian that you were before.
2. The Crucified God: The Cross of Christ as the Foundation and Criticism of Christian Theology by Jurgen Moltmann. The book changed my life more than anything else I’ve ever read (oh wait, except for the bible). You cannot read this book and believe in the same god that you did before.
3. A Theology of Liberation: History Politics and Salvation by Gustavo Gutierrez. This was my introduction to liberation theology and the first time I heard about “the preferential option for the poor.” It also put me onto other authors such as Sobrino, Boff, Segundo, Ellacuria…
4. Liberation Theology After The End Of History: the refusal to cease suffering by Daniel M. Bell Jr. A brilliant commentary on liberation theology, on capitalism, and on the ways in which the church needs to embody forgiveness by suffering redemptively/salvifically.
5. Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies by Noam Chomsky. This was the book the drew me into counter-cultural politics. For that reason Chomsky beats out other authors like Neil Postman or Naomi Klein.
Damn, so many others… Embodying Forgiveness: A Theological Analysis by L. Gregory Jones comes to mind, as does Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality of the Cross by Michael Gorman, The Shape of the Church to Come by Karl Rahner, and pretty much anything by Hauerwas. Hope in Time of Abandonment by Jacques Ellul should really be on there as well. That book shook me pretty much as deeply as The Crucified God. It was that book that put me onto the whole idea of godforsakenness. I suspect that Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy, by Walter Brueggemann might make that list when I finish reading it.

Well, no school + no television + no girlfriend = hella lotta books.
1. Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality of the Cross, Michael Gorman.
This is one of the best books I have read. Comparable (in caliber) to The Moral Vision of the New Testament by Richard Hays, I think that anybody who wants to accept or reject Christianity should read this book — here a genuine Christian spirituality is revealed. Those who have developed an affinity for the likes of Piper or McLaren should really read this book so that they can get a better understanding of what Christianity is all about. A much needed voice.
2. Where is God? Earthquake, Terrorism, Barbarity, and Hope, Jon Sobrino.
A poignant reflection upon the 2001 earthquakes in El Salvador, the bombing of the WTC, the bombing of Afghanistan and the war in Iraq. Sobrino is one of the best liberation theologians out there.
3. The Disappearance of Childhood, Neil Postman.
Picking up themes that are further developed in Amusing Ourselves to Death and Technopoly, Postman argues that, with the decline of a typographic culture and the ascendancy of a visual culture, childhood is bound to disappear. He argues we have once again returned to the Dark Ages, where children are simply miniature adults (and adults are large children). I love Postman, he’s witty, intelligent, and is often bang-on with his socio-cultural critiques. Postman has said that, of his writings, this book is his favourite.
4. Dorothy Day: A Radical Devotion, Robert Coles.
Dorothy Day — one of those people that makes me want to become a Roman Catholic.
5. Prison Journals of a Priest Revolutionary, Philip Berrigan (edited).
Although one can’t help but wonder about a certain egoism in Berrigan’s writings, reading his journals is humbling for any who aspire to making sweeping (revolutionary) changes in our society. An interesting perspective on Vietnam from an American priest who was willing to be jailed for his religious convictions.
6. Dead Man Walking, Sister Helen Prejean.
Staying with the theme of American Catholic social activists… Prejean is quite an interesting voice. The things that struck me the most about this book were (a) the way in which she was unable to journey alongside of both the victims and the perpetrators of violent crimes (b) the way in which she gradually moves towards a more restorative approach to justice by the end of the book.
7. The Gulag Archipelago (I-II), Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn.
I think I stayed away from Solzhenitsyn for a long time because I was sick of people trashing the U.S.S.R. in order to make the West look righteous. A grievous and horrifying read — especially in light of Guantanamo Bay and other places where the U.S. is creating it’s own Archipelago.
8. Bread and Wine, Ignazio Silone.
Self-described as “a socialist without a party, and a Christian without a Church” this is Silone’s most autobiographical work. The ending completely shocked me. Completely. I think I actually gasped.
9. Poor Folk, Fyodor Dostoevski.
Dostoevski’s first book and the one that launched him into the circles of Russia’s literary elite. It’s interesting that, at the time, this book was considered radically empathetic.
10. The Double, Fyodor Dostoevski.
Dostoevski’s second work. It did not receive nearly as much acclaim as his first, due largely to the fact that is was misunderstood by a lot of critics. Quite an interesting look into mental illness — especially considering Dostoevski’s own struggle.
11. The Eternal Husband, Fyodor Dostoevski.
The best of these three short novels, Dostoevski writes a very compact, well put together story that picks up on themes that are more fully developed in The Idiot and The Possessed.
12. The Sorrows of Young Werther, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
It’s always interesting to go back and read something that totally took Europe by storm at the time it was published (and actually made Goethe a renowned author). But, being quite removed from that romantic period, I can’t say I really loved this work.
13. Grimm’s Fairy Tales, the Brothers Grimm.
Some people read encyclopedias in the washroom, others read magazines… I decided to read Fairy Tales.
14. Kissing Chaos, Arthur Dela Cruz.
Still looking for other graphic novel’s comparable to Craig Thompson’s. And still coming up empty.

Well, school ended mid-month so a lot of fiction and shorter encyclicals have dominated my readings the last few weeks. Without further ado:
1. Theology and Joy by Jurgen Moltmann with an extended introduction by David E. Jenkins(having read 8 or 9 of Moltmann’s larger works this one actually surprised me quite a bit. It seemed to have some very “unMoltmannish” thoughts and phrases. Still, as with everything he writes, quite worth the read).
2. The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses by C.S. Lewis.
3. Writing in the Dust: After September 11 by Rowan Williams (not to be mistaken with Rowan Atkinson).
4. My Life for the Poor by Mother Teresa (edited).
5. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (so you would think a day in the life of some dude would be pretty boring [like Ulysses for example. That book is the biggest waste of time… ever. Never has such a shitty piece of literature received such widespread acclaim] but not when that dude is a prisoner in a Russian labour camp!).
6. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy (what can I say, anybody who wrote both Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure deserves to be read extensively).
7. HappinessTM by Will Ferguson (you wanna know what’s cool? Getting books in the mail from friends, that’s cool).
8. Epileptic by David B. (an autobiographical illustrated novel [like Blankets by Craig Thompson] published in six parts in France. I had previously found the first three parts in English and the last two in French. I never found the fourth part. Then I found all six in one English edition and now I finally get what the hell went on in the last half — my French isn’t so great).

1. The Peaceable Kingdom by Stanley Hauerwas.
2. The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann.
3. Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship by N.T. Wright.
4. Community and Growth by Jean Vanier.
5. The Shape of the Church to Come by Karl Rahner.
6. Explorations in Theology IV: Spirit and Institution by Hans Urs Von Balthasar.
7. In the Ruins of the Church: Sustaining Faith in an Age of Diminished Christianity by R.R. Reno.
8. On the Soul and the Resurrection by St. Gregory of Nyssa.
9. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.

Without further ado:
1- The Subversion of Christianity. J. Ellul.
2- Can God Be Trusted? Faith and the Challenge of Evil. J. Stackhouse Jr.
3- Catch the Wind: The Shape of the Church to Come – and Our Place in It. C. Ringma
4- Life Together. D. Bonhoeffer.
5- Models of the Kingdom: Gospel, Culture and Mission in Biblical and Historical Perspective. H. Snyder.
6- The Gambler. F. Dostoyevski.
7- Cry, The Beloved Country. A. Paton.