Two Reviews Coming in PW on Monday, Oct. 13
-- Publishers Weekly, 9/24/2008
Augustine and the Jews: A Christian Defense of Jews and Judaism
Paula Fredriksen. Doubleday, $32.50 (528p) ISBN 978-0-385-50270-2
In this densely argued and exhaustive book, religion professor Fredriksen (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews) does for Augustine what she has already done so brilliantly for the historical Jesus. Drawing primarily on Augustine's Confessions and on his little-studied treatise, Against Faustus, she recreates the religious and political tensions of late fourth-century Christianity in North Africa and its attempts to understand its relationship to Judaism. While many early Christian writers condemned Jews as killers of Christ, Augustine turned the rhetorical tables on such polemic. As Fredriksen elegantly contends, Augustine argued that the Jews should be exempt from Christian persecution. Since the religious practices of the Jews devolved from God the Father—the same God Christians worshipped who was also the source of Jewish scriptures, tradition, and practice—therefore God and the Jews, and thus the church and the Jews, maintain an abiding relationship. Contrary to many traditional interpretations, Fredriksen's deeply nuanced study demonstrates that the bishop of Hippo's later writings forcefully challenge the anti-Jewish tendencies of much of early Christianity and offer fresh ways of thinking about contemporary dialogue between the two religions. (Dec.)
World of Faith and Freedom: Why International Religious Liberty is Vital to American National Security
Thomas F. Farr. Oxford Univ., $29.95 (368p) ISBN 978-0-19-517995-8
A veteran in foreign affairs offers this lucid case against an American foreign policy that either ignores religion or sees it as an obstacle to human freedom. Farr suggests that American foreign policy is "unduly limiting our capacity to defend ourselves" by overlooking religion as a powerful influence on how nations act. He argues for a strong connection between religion and democracy, urging U.S. foreign policy makers to encourage Islamic and other religious leaders to use their own sacred texts to derive "liberal norms" that promote human dignity. Bright narrative spots, such as the story of a family persecuted in its native land for religion but now living and worshiping freely in the U.S., pepper a too lengthy history of the International Religious Freedom Act. About Islam, the author takes a prescriptive line, setting out concrete steps and arguments for training diplomats about religion. Although the conclusion is thin, one irony stands out: even as America has learned the religious ideology behind the 9/11 attacks, its strategy of promoting democracy has largely ignored "the critical role religion must play if freedom is to endure." (Nov.)
Three Starred Reviews Coming in PW on Oct. 13
A Community Called Taizé: A Story of Prayer, Worship and Reconciliation
Jason Brian Santos. IVP Academic, $15 paper (180p) ISBN 978-0-8308-3525-6
When he first visited the Taizé ecumenical community in France's Burgundy region, author Santos, now a doctoral candidate at Princeton University, had no plans to write a book. By his second trip, however, the idea for one had taken root. Geared to an English-speaking, North American audience and said to be a first-of-its-kind account, this lovely and instructive book mingles the community's history with descriptions of day-to-day life and practical information about making a pilgrimage to Taizé. Although many American Christians are familiar with Taizé's chants, few may know the details Santos imparts. Most compelling among them is the author's witnessing Taizé founder Brother Roger's violent death in 2005 at the hands of a disturbed woman during evening prayers. Santos insists that this did not lead him to write the book, but it provides a remarkable context for writing about the community that has attracted so many with its message of reconciliation, trust and freedom. Besides Santos's careful research, readers will appreciate his thoughtful ideas about how to take Taizé's spirit beyond the community. (Nov.)
Digging Through the Bible: Understanding Biblical People, Places, and Controversies Through Archaeology
Richard A. Freund. Rowman & Littlefield, $44.95 (352p) ISBN 978-0-7425-4644-8
It is often the work of biblical literalists to find harmonies and agreements in the scriptural record. Others seek, and celebrate, the differing views of the biblical writers. Freund, professor of archeology, history and Judaic studies, and director of Jewish studies at the University of Hartford, has put together a masterful and eminently readable study of these differences, not to resolve them, but rather to explore the rich traditions that produced these writings. In an invaluable introductory chapter, he leads the reader through the world of biblical archeology, examining the methods of textual criticism and historical research. He then explores the biblical and archeological foundations for our understandings of such notables as Abraham, David, Jesus, Mary and many others. Freund's quest for history brings him also to Qumran and to the search for "the teacher of righteousness." He masterfully studies the rise and centrality of the synagogue system within the Hebrew community. His conclusions may be discomfiting to some, but his commitment to objective research and sound exegesis will surely inspire and inform every reader. (Nov.)
Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness
Stanley Hauerwas & Jean Vanier. IVP Academic, $15 paper (132p) ISBN 978- 0-8308-3452-4
Hauerwas, a leading theologian, and Vanier, founder of L'Arche, an international community for the disabled, examine how fragility, friendship and the witness of people with disabilities might transform the Christian church. Part of a new series that pairs academics and practitioners to examine issues of Christian life and thought, the book's chapters alternate between the mostly theoretical voice of Hauerwas, professor of ethics at Duke, and the personal stories of Vanier. The two authors upend notions of normalcy and oddness, strength and weakness, and progress and death. They also challenge the assumption that autonomy indicates success for disabled people and make the case that community offers the best context for growth for all of us. With between 60% to 90% of fetuses diagnosed with Down syndrome being aborted, Hauerwas and Vanier insist on the holiness of people with disabilities. Hauerwas writes, "L'Arche stands as a reminder that 'progress' should not mean eliminating all that threatens us." His discussion of the political implications of gentleness in the last chapter is worth the entire book. (Nov.)
You Saw It Here First: Two Original RBL Reviews
The Search for Spirituality: Our Global Quest for a Spiritual Life
Ursula King. BlueBridge, $24.95 (256p) ISBN 978-1-933346-14-4
Spirituality is notoriously hard to define, but religion scholar King, a professor emerita at the University of Bristol, makes a bold attempt, outlining its scope and impact by "ask[ing] what spirituality does rather than what it is." This overview of the "global quest for spirituality" examines its linguistic and philosophical roots, addresses tough questions (the intersection of contemporary consumerism with interest in spirituality), and covers its effect on culture, including health, gender, nature, science and the arts. King examines spirituality's complex relation with religion and argues for the legitimacy of "secular spirituality." Acknowledging that the search for a spirituality apart from religion is primarily Western, she touches on the ideas of prominent figures from around the globe, including Teilhard de Chardin, the Dalai Lama, and Thich Nhat Hanh, as well as less widely known spiritual thinkers. This cook's tour, intended as a survey rather than a critical analysis, argues that more spirituality, spread in part through education, can help alleviate the world's many ills. While King sometimes makes broad generalizations not supported by evidence, this introduction to spiritualities not based in religious practice is thoughtful and accessible. (Oct. 30)
The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
Timothy Keller. Dutton, $19.95 (176p) ISBN 978-0-525-95079-0
Pastor of a Manhattan Presbyterian church that draws more than 5,000 weekly attenders, Keller (The Reason for God) reinterprets one of Christianity's best known parables, that of the prodigal son. While most understand "prodigal" as a description of the spendthrift son in the familiar story, Keller construes "prodigal" differently. The father who unhesitatingly and generously receives his son back into the family fold is in fact the prodigal, because his forgiveness and bounty is free, unconditioned and abundant. The father of the parable stands for the prodigal God of the title, and the father's true son—Jesus—will reconcile humans to the father from whom they are estranged and ultimately welcome them back home. Like a provocative sermon, Keller's short, easy to read book challenges received wisdom and reminds Christians that redemption has brought them hope. Keller's clarity and intelligence, manifest in a wide range of references from the Bible, but also literature, theater and film, adds to the persuasiveness of his original interpretation. He offers serious Christians food for re-thinking this familiar story. (Oct. 30)
