Sneak Peeks: Two Reviews Coming in PW on Dec. 8
-- Publishers Weekly, 11/12/2008
A Story of Rhythm and Grace: What the Church Can Learn from Rock and Roll About Healing the Racial Divide
Jimi Calhoun. Brazos Press, $15.99 paper (208p) ISBN 978-1-58743-220-0
Some religious people are skeptical about rock music due to its association with what they view as morally unacceptable behavior. It is refreshing that Calhoun, an evangelical Christian minister and former professional musician, can see beyond these dated stereotypes and unapologetically highlight the good that rock has to offer. As an African-American growing up in the 1950s and '60s, Calhoun knows firsthand about the effects of racism. His personal anecdotes about this period are eye-opening, heart-wrenching and exciting. The author enjoyed unique opportunities, hanging out and playing bass with such famous musicians as Dr. John, the Allman Brothers and Mick Jagger. His historical and sociological insights about racism and the civil rights movement are fascinating and make this project worthwhile. Unfortunately, the author doesn't succeed in building a bridge between rock and racial harmony. His argument is overly simplistic, never achieving the sophistication found in his personal stories and historical analysis. Still, those wishing looking for an unusual perspective on one of the most turbulent times in recent U.S. history will be intrigued. (Feb.)
Buddha for Beginners
Stephen T. Asma. Hampton Roads, $15.95 paper (176p) ISBN 978-1-57174-595-8
Revising his 1996 illustrated primer, Asma explores the key tenets of Buddhism in the style of a graphic novel. A sparse text, punctuated by extensive illustrations—some cartoon-like and others more serious and detailed—describes Siddhartha Gautama's enlightenment, what the Buddha taught, and how Buddhism developed as the Buddha's followers encountered various Asian cultures. Asma, a professor of philosophy at Chicago's Columbia College, argues that Buddhist ideas are "deeply misunderstood in the West" and he distinguishes these from Buddhist culture. Placing Buddhism in the context of Hindu philosophy, Asma explores the four noble truths, the eightfold path, the five aggregates, the concept of no-self and other ideas critical to this Asian religion. He liberally references specific Hindu and Buddhist scriptures and tackles such tricky subjects as how reincarnation can occur if an immortal self doesn't exist. Asma also briefly touches on the role of women as Buddhism developed. His take on which current forms hold closest to the Buddha's teachings may provoke disagreement from some practitioners. This brief, irreverent tour of Buddhism and the sometimes humorous, sometimes grotesque, illustrations won't be to all tastes; the book includes adult images. (Jan.)
You Saw It Here First: One Original RBL Review
Blind Spot: When Journalists Don't Get Religion
Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert and Roberta Green Ahmanson. Oxford, $19.95 paper (224p) ISBN 978-0-19-537437-7
This collection of essays by academics and conservative think-tank analysts examines how print journalists miss, or misinterpret, religious events nationally and worldwide because, the authors suggest, journalists lack sufficient knowledge and sensitivity about religion. Contributors examine the Muslim fissures in Iraq and Iran, the 2004 presidential elections, and international initiatives on human rights, among other issues. The ire expressed in the book is directed mostly toward political and foreign correspondents at major newspapers such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. These journalists, claim the essayists, often view religion as either irrational or a disguised quest for power and control. Working within journalistic narratives that prize politics above anthropology, journalists minimize religious vitality and its impact. This thesis is not new, and it overlooks the work of trained religion reporters at midsized and regional papers whose writing has become more sophisticated and nuanced over the past 20 years. With a foreword by former Bush administration speechwriter Michael Gerson and an afterword by former Office of Faith-based Initiatives director John J. DiIulio Jr., the book seems aimed at justifying some the policies of the outgoing administration rather than examining U.S. religion coverage as a whole. (Dec.)
