Religion in Review
-- Publishers Weekly, 5/22/2009 3:21:00 PM
The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows
James Bryan Smith. InterVarsity Press, $22 (232p) ISBN 978-0-8308-3531-7
Not every book on developing spiritual intimacy with God includes chapters on getting enough sleep and learning to slow down. But Smith (Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven), a professor at Friends University, seems very conscious that he is writing for a hectic, driven age and has tailored his recommendations for “soul-training” accordingly. “The number one spiritual sickness of our day is ‘hurry sickness,’ ” writes the author. Smith challenges those who seek to follow God to examine the stories they already know about God, engage in new spiritual practices and enter in dialogue with others under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Using sources as diverse as Anglican poet George Herbert and contemporary author Malcolm Gladwell, Smith analyzes “false narratives” (we can work our way to God) and asks the reader to replace them with new ones (God works His way to us). Although created for small groups and classes, the many exercises and questions that pepper the book reflect the influence of Smith’s mentor Richard Foster, a leading thinker on spiritual formation. These can guide individuals who seek to deepen their knowledge of God. (July)
Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners
Peter E. Dans. Rowman &Littlefield/Sheed & Ward, $49.95 (428p) ISBN 978-0-74257-030-6
While sex and violence are often sure bets at the box office, movies with religious themes have also been quite popular. Film critic Dans, who is also an associate professor of medicine, does not hide his conservative leanings, but manages to present 200 films about religion with an even hand. The author can admit that films he does not care for hold some positive aspects, such as quality of acting or cinematography. Each chapter examines a decade in film history, from the silent pictures in cinema’s earliest years to the 21st century. Dans introduces each decade by explaining the historical context of the films, which helps to emphasize their significance. The author presents generally informative and interesting plot summaries for each film, followed by his commentary on its merits. He dismisses films that criticize Christianity, although some of this criticism is understandable. If those who did not come of age in the 1950s can get past the obvious generational differences in taste, Dans offers a comprehensive and insightful overview of religious-themed films. (July)
God According to God: A Physicist Proves We’ve Been Wrong About God All Along
Gerald L. Schroeder. HarperOne, $25.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-06-171015-5
MIT-trained scientist and theologian Schroeder (The Science of God) attempts to prove to readers that God exists. A believer in big bang creation, Schroeder takes on all comers (some specifically by name) who dispute his theories. He goes into complex detail. explaining the mathematical improbability that planet Earth would exist without the hand of God: “We live on a very special planet that circles our star in a special way, in a universe that has all the markings of being the product of design.” Once the author establishes that God is real, he investigates sacred relationships: God with nature, God and man, and human interaction with God in the world. Schroeder wanders through the Hebrew Bible and explores the spiritual nature of a benevolent God who gives humans free will over their lives and desires love in return. The author believes God expects his people to be partners throughout life repairing the world to the best of their abilities. A tough read, it is a continuance of Schroeder’s earlier works. It will appeal to, and challenge, those who enjoy exegesis of the Hebrew Bible. (June)
All My Bones Shake: Seeking a Progressive Path to the Prophetic Voice
Robert Jensen. Soft Skull, $15.95 paper (208p) ISBN 978-1-59376-234-6
If Marx found Hegel standing on his head and strove to correct the philosopher’s excess of idealism, leftist political activist Jensen offers a correction of excessively rational secularism, including and surprisingly his own. The author (The Heart of Whiteness), who teaches at the University of Texas, Austin, stakes out theological and political ground between the mirror-image fundamentalisms of unyielding religion and secularity. He also addresses religious and secular moderates, calling their abdication of judgment irresponsible and reminding them of the duty of prophetic truth telling to powers that would destroy the Earth, literally, through arrogance, imperialism and overconsumption. It makes sense as an answer to problems, but the call to prophesy is a theme often sounded by religious progressives. What is fresher is Jensen’s honest grappling with the brokenness of the world and his own brokenness, the latter referred to but not confessed in voyeuristic detail. If the father rejoiced in the return of one prodigal, here is another one come home, seeking a reconciled world that includes the justice that religious scriptures so eloquently and often call for. (June)
Sneak Peek: Religion Book Reviews coming in PW June 8
The Woman Who Named God: Abraham’s Dilemma and the Birth of Three Faiths.
Charlotte Gordon. Little, Brown, $27.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-316-11474-5
The story of Abraham, Hagar and Sarah stands at the threshold of the three great Western religions—Christianity, Judaism, Islam—although each appropriates the story differently. Although God’s command of Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, is an oft-told story, Abraham’s expulsion of his concubine, Hagar, and the son he had by her, Ishmael, is often ignored. In this sometimes provocative, though often pedestrian, rereading of the Hagar story, Gordon (Mistress Bradstreet)gives new power to a woman often left in the shadows. Focusing on Hagar’s vision of God in the desert (Genesis 16:13), Gordon argues that Hagar is a prophet and a mystic who names God El-Roi, or “the God of my seeing.” Because of her experience of God, Gordon argues, Hagar’s relationship with God is one that Abraham might envy, for God offered Hagar clear and direct guidance, while God offered Abraham no clarity or guidance about his future, but simply expected Abraham to obey. Although her prose is often plodding, Gordon provides some glimpses of the power of Hagar’s story for modern religions. (July)
Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal
Dana Evan Kaplan. Columbia Univ., $34.50 (454p) ISBN 978-0-231-13728-7
A Reform rabbi in Albany, Ga., Kaplan has edited a collection of essays on American Judaism and written three books on Reform Judaism. His newest contribution focuses on American Judaism since the end of WWII, emphasizing recent innovations in the religion of the Jewish people. The first chapter provides a broad overview of both religious and historical developments, including the impact of the Holocaust and Israel. Changes in religious identity are sketched. The next seven chapters flesh out the fundamentals identified in the introductory chapter. Kaplan discusses spirituality, Jewish denominationalism, intermarriage, feminism, Jewish Renewal, mysticism and synagogue revitalization. He concludes by emphasizing the need to transform Judaism, implying that a more orderly structure is needed but not necessarily achievable. He fails to mention the value of ferment and debate as guarantors of survival, an odd omission given his insightful description of radical changes in American Judaism. (July)
