Four Reviews Coming in Publishers Weekly on Monday, March 12

-- Publishers Weekly, 3/7/2007

God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
Christopher Hitchens. Twelve, $24.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-446-57980-3

Hitchens, one of our great political pugilists, delivers the best of the recent rash of atheist manifestos. The same contrarian spirit that makes him delightful reading as a political commentator, even (or especially) when he’s completely wrong, makes him an entertaining huckster prosecutor once he has God placed in the dock. And can he turn a phrase!: “monotheistic religion is a plagiarism of a plagiarism of a hearsay of a hearsay, of an illusion of an illusion, extending all the way back to a fabrication of a few nonevents.” Hitchens’s one-liners bear the marks of considerable sparring practice with believers. Yet few believers will recognize themselves as Hitchens associates all of them for all time with the worst of history’s theocratic and Inquisitional moments. All the same, this is salutary reading as a means of culling believers’ weaker arguments: that faith offers comfort (false comfort is none at all), or has provided a historical hedge against fascism (it mostly hasn’t), or that “Eastern” religions are better (nope). The book’s real strength is Hitchens’s on-the-ground glimpses of religion’s worst face in various war zones and isolated despotic regimes. But its weakness is its almost fanatical insistence that religion poisons “everything,” which tips over into barely-disguised misanthropy. (May 30)

Every Day Deserves a Chance: Wake Up to the Gift of 24 Little Hours
Max Lucado. Thomas Nelson, $19.99 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8499-1959-6

Beloved Christian author Lucado (Traveling Light), whose books have sold over 55 million copies, follows the psalmist by encouraging readers to “rejoice and be glad” every day. Lucado does mean every day—even the day you get fired, or the day you learn your husband is having an affair. Since God is in charge, even lousy days are opportunities to grow, serve and find joy. Lucado provides a formula for this tall task: “Grace. Oversight. Direction,” easily remembered by the unsubtle acronym G-O-D. The first step to rejoicing each morning is to drench your day in Jesus’ grace, remembering that Jesus has forgiven you for whatever mistakes you made yesterday. Next, seek God’s oversight and provision in all that you do. Finally, if you “want to blow the cloud cover off your gray day,” embrace the direction God offers you. To illustrate these three principles, Lucado draws on biblical stories and contemporary unsung heroes of the faith: a Christian lawyer who oversees an orphanage in Beijing, for instance. “Daylifters”—page-long reflections on Scripture—conclude each chapter, and a study guide (not seen by PW) fills out this inspiring, if anodyne, book. (May)

The Essence of Shinto: Japan’s Spiritual Heart
Motohisa Yamakage. Kodansha International [dist. Oxford Univ. Press], $22 (288p) ISBN 978-4-7700-3044-3

Western visitors to Japan sometimes come away with the idea that Shinto, Japan’s indigenous religion, is a “dead” tradition, with shrines preserved as mere historic sites or tourist traps. Not so, claims Yamakage, who represents “the 79th generation of an ancient Shinto tradition” and makes a case for living Shinto as a faith-based religion—as opposed to merely a set of ancient customs—that is predicated on “the belief in the presence of the kami,” or spirits. Yamakage calls for a return to koshinto, the ancient Shinto practice that he says had no shrines at all, and for a rejection of the “secular, materialistic, atheistic society” that he believes modern Japan has become. He offers a strong introduction to Shinto, stressing that it is non-dogmatic, non-doctrinal, and almost wholly decentralized. Still, Shintoists are united by a reverence for nature and an emphasis on self-purification, particularly through water rituals and cleansing. The book is nicely designed, with an excellent layout and black-and-white photos throughout. At times, Yamakage’s voice can be overly strident, as when challenging the faith and motivations of some contemporary Shinto priests. Overall, however, this is a fine primer that makes a compelling case for Shinto as a religion invested with deep meaning. (May)

Islam: Past, Present & Future
Hans Küng. Oneworld, $39.95 (1024p) ISBN 978-1-85168-377-2

Prominent Christian theologian Küng completes his trilogy on the world’s three monotheistic faiths with this lengthy analysis of Islam’s 1,400-year history. As in his previous volumes, he speaks against the clash of civilizations and for peace through inter-religious dialogue. He sees each faith as having had major paradigm shifts that have moved it forward, and, in fact, praises Islam for advancing the Arab people quite rapidly, in some cases much faster than in similar periods for Christianity. Nevertheless, Küng claims the Muslim world has neglected to move to its next paradigm due to various failures: arrogant ulama (religious scholars), greed among the wealthy, and the lack of health care and education. Equally critical of Christianity and Judaism, Küng is a lone, profound voice searching for greater understanding through the asking of difficult questions. He is intuitively confident that Muslims are ready to revitalize their religion, hungry for such re-thinking through new Qur’anic interpretations that are already underway. Although the thousand-page book is overblown and could use some more stringent editing, it contains insightful ideas and worthwhile commentary. Those intimidated by the lengthy volume may prefer to peruse the fascinating maps and tables throughout, which neatly and graphically summarize the book’s major points. (May)

A Starred Review Coming in PW on Monday, March 12:

United Methodist Beliefs: A Brief Introduction
William H. Willimon. Westminster John Knox, $12.95 paper (96p) ISBN 978-0-664-23040-1

Methodist bishop and noted preacher Willimon (Pastor, and, with Stanley Hauerwas, Resident Aliens), opens his lucid and thought-provoking overview of Methodist beliefs with the counterintuitive claim that Jesus actually wasn’t principally concerned about beliefs. He wanted people to follow him, not necessarily assent to a set of “cool intellectual propositions” about him. Still, Methodists do have doctrines, which Willimon feels are worthy, God-given guideposts to following Jesus. Willimon first tackles the Trinity, underscoring that “a decisive change in the human heart can and does occur under the prompting of grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” He then moves on to Methodist beliefs about Jesus, salvation, grace and good works. Especially important is his chapter on the church, where, reprising themes that pervade his earlier writing, Willimon argues that although Americans desire to go the spiritual life alone, Methodism teaches that people become most fully conformed to Christ when they are part of the larger ecclesial body. Methodist church life, says Willimon, is a tad schizophrenic, appreciating order while also seeking “radical renewal.” Written with Willimon’s characteristic dry wit, this highly readable book brings to life doctrines that in other hands would seem dry and dusty. Willimon has produced the most insightful introduction to Methodism available today. (May)