Reading Material by my bed...
God in Search of Man was a gift given to me by someone in my congregation who's moving away. Abraham Heschel is author, and it's the first book I've read of his. He's a Jewish scholar, and the book is both weighty and deeply appropriate in this day of postmodern skepticism, for it's really dealing with the intersection of philosophy and religion. Here's a word from early in the book:
"The criticism of reason, the challenge, and the doubts of the unbeliever may, therefore, be more helpful to the integrity of faith than the simple reliance on one's own faith." In other words, our critics are our best friends, and we absolutely must have the courage to listen with both humility and discernment. After all, if it's truth that we're after, what do we fear?
The 2nd book is by a favorite author of mine, Bill McKibben. I discovered him by picking up an early book of his at one of those cheap bookstores. Finding his style enjoyable, I began reading other works of his, and have found his faith/ecology/economics trinity of passions to mirror my own in many ways. His latest book, Deep Economy, is his best work yet, challenging our philosophical commitments to unlimited economic expansion, and casting a vision for a far healthier alternative.
Always looking for a good read, I ask the question... what are reading these days?
posted by Richard Dahlstrom @ 5:42 PM
3 Comments:
I am rereading—
Desmond Tutu’s God has a Dream. It is a book about hope, but I especially love the Tutu’s expression of the African ideology Ubuntu; the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity.
I am also rereading—
Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Freire was a Brazilian educator, theorist, who liberation theologian who loved to examine the struggle for justice amongst the oppressed.
I just finished reading Barth's Introduction to Evangelical Theology for a class I'm taking... very challenging and inspiring book for any would-be theologian -- or any Christian, for that matter. And I also recently read Wrestling With Doubt by Frank Rees. A deeply philosophical account of doubt and faith, and how they are both vital to theological reflection and honest Christianity. I just started reading Hegel: The Essential Writings for another class. So there you go... fun stuff! :-)
Geoff
I highly reccommend some of the books I recently finished:
Reclaiming Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Charles Marsh - if you're interested at all in Bonhoeffer and his place in 20th century theology this book is a must read.
The Fall by Albert Camus - hte influential existentialist athiest and second youngest nobel laureate ever grapples with original sin in a world without God.
Secrets in the Dark by Frederick Buechner - one of my favorite authors and probably the best American Christian popular writer of the past 40 years collects a number of his sermons in one place, and it is awesome.
Post a Comment
<< Home