Books this year: a book diary

I wish I could have a Q&A session with Seneca.  What would I ask the Stoic philosopher, a man of gravitas and eloquence?  I would ask, “Seneca, why are you so cool?”  He would chuckle and say, “Nathan, there is no time for questions like these.  Life is too precious to waste on frivolity.”  Which is basically what the treatises compiled in this little book are about.  Don’t waste your time.  Live.  I am glad this was the last book I read for 2008.  It has offered impetus to the resolutions I should make and keep for 2009.

Written by Kathleen Norris of The Cloister Walk fame, she details her very personal account of struggling with the vice of acedia, a Greek word meaning “lack of care.”  Acedia is what became known as “sloth,” which is one of Seven Deadly Sins of mediaeval church lore.  Acedia, or sloth, is not characterised by laziness as one would think, but rather a weariness of life and despairing of the future- an unwillingness to continue the journey.  And when this weariness sets in, it begans to rob you of all joy and hope.  The end result is that you don’t care- and you don’t care that you don’t care.  This book is well written in my opinion- this is a complicated matter, but she fills it with her often trying and at times harrowing life experiences that shed light on her struggle with this form of sin.  There is no real set scheme for the book, which to me makes sense since acedia doesn’t care about form in the first place.  This was a crazy good book on the vice also known as the “noonday demon” in monastic circles.  Her appreciation and immersion into the monastic heritage is evident as she makes her way through the book describing just exactly what it really means to give up, and have to fight to reclaim hope.

This was a real treat to read this year.  Very mediaeval, but also very graceful.  Fire and brimstone won’t be found here, but rather sweet reflections on the Christian walk as detailed in her visions and conversations with God.  For all I know she’s bat-shit crazy, but if Lady Julian of Norwich was alive right now, I’d want to marry her- if not for the fact she was a nun.  Go figure.

This is a modern Christian classic about the spiritual disciplines written by Richard J Foster.  This book is exceptional in detailing what it is one should do concerning areas of fasting, prayer, service, and much more.  Drawing from Scripture as well as ancient/modern sources of the Christian tradition, Foster gives a balanced and realistic approach to asceticism and spiritual exercises, lest those who think that being spiritual is about esoteric visions but not lifting a finger to help someone else.  To be spiritual is to be transformed by the Holy Spirit, and these disciplines, found in Scripture, will leave you open to transformation.  A truly wonderful book.

 

Again, another book not really worth saying much about.  Written by Bobby Henderson.  The idea- if other people can worship gods and prove them with spurious factual evidence, then anyone can create a god to worship if they “believe” in it.  Ha ha.  People who believe in God or gods are delusional and stupid.  Ok, I get it.  There were some cute moments in it, what with the whole Pastafarian movement (”Can I get a Ramen?”) made up by these baby-eating atheists, but the second half is page after page after page of useless satire of “proofs” that the Flying Spaghetti Monster exists.  Kind of a yawn.  There is better religion hating satire out there.  Look for it, because it isn’t here.  

I don’t really feel like saying much about this book.  It was written by John Eldredge as a sort of companion to his previous publication Wild at Heart.  Both deal with core issues of masculinity in a godly perspective, but this book got on my nerves.  It’s a good book, but Eldredge’s style is a tad ridiculous at times.  It makes me want to hit him.  But I think there are some really good concepts about masculine development that perhaps the majority of men should be exposed to.  If you’re in for wondering why you were gypped in life and ready for a crying session, go for it.  Just leave his prose behind.

This is one of the best books I read this year.  Written by N T Wright, Bishop of Durham of the Anglican communion, he delivers a forceful book concerning the hope of the future that Christians have- a hope which is found throughout the Scriptures and foundational to the way a Christian ought to live one’s life.  The first half does start a tad sketchy- he offers historical and scientific explanations for the resurrection.  These explanations fell flat in front of me for the most part, especially the scientific.  It came off as someone dabbling in the discipline and wielding it despite a lack of grounding in its fundamentals.  Heck, I’m no scientist either, but I wouldn’t use it in the first place.  Surprised by Hope really takes off in the second half, and in my opinion is completely astounding.  The implications that the resurrection has on our lives should make us a heck of a lot more crazy, passionate, and despised by the world  than we are now.

This book is a series of talks Lewis gave where he says he is “not trying to prove anything; only to describe what the Christian belief is,” as opposed to other works where he was unashamedly waxing apologetic.  This was a fun little read- though his logic appears quaint to me now.  In the face of baby-eating atheists nowadays, his attempts to explain the faith would be met with guffaws and chortles and belligerent cursing, a la any conversation thread on the internet.  Perhaps it was back then too, but for me, this isn’t the the point.  I think God belongs in the realm of poets and painters and someone with an imagination, and Lewis had one of the best.  These talks showed me not that God exists, but that it’s okay to be rooted in the Scriptures and be creative with the one who created existence.

I am aware that this book by Capon has already been discussed on the blog by the red-headed fiery god of anger, Christopher…  but none of you can stop me from saying something about it either. And so, my take on it:  I love it. At times his approach appeared a tad smarmy to me, but I can let go of that, seeing as how he’s published and has good things to say- and well, I’m not published, and I got nothing to say.

Capon discusses some pretty controversial theological topics (humanity/divinity of Christ, priesthood) but does it with ease, because he understands that the depth of the mysteries he writes about are, well, very deep.  The scriptures are deep (and at times murky).  Capon doesn’t seek to explain away and pontificate these mysteries, but attempts to show us a balanced approach to gaining ground in these areas.  He makes the point that “Getting something right, you see, depends on more than just picking it up:  You must pick it up by the right handle”.  Accordingly, since the Bible consists entirely of words, that means picking it up by the right verbal handle- by the right set of images.  And when you come to scripture in that light, you quickly realize that no little shorthand intellectual formula like ’spirituality’ or ‘morality’ will do. “The “Divine Fox” of the title is this right verbal handle- trying to explain the mysteries of God in true theological terms, but having to hunt and pursue definitions which remain elusive because of the expansiveness of the subject.

He concludes his book by saying that “The theme of this whole book has been precisely the necessity of minding the christian tongue when we talk about the Mystery.  I urge it upon you.” My response?  Damn straight, Capon.  This made me recall another title by Helmut Thielicke,  A Little Exercise for Young Theologians, in which he describes a student having finished their first semester, and are at home- ”When he comes home after his first semester, in the eyes of his companions he has suddenly and horribly changed.  If one of them, the young artisan,  conducts Bible study that is highly lay in character, there he sits with the corners of his mouth drawn down.  On their way home together afterward he explains to him- like a gossip who is almost bursting under the weight of her news- what “the latest investigation” has produced on the subjects of myth, legend, and form-history…  He says to his unlearned friend:  ’What you said was ‘typically pietistic’ or ‘typically orthodox’ or maybe ‘Methodistic.’  He says to him:  ’You belong to the school of Osiander, which has not comprehended the forensic character of justification, -’”

And so on.  It’s because of argumentative crap like that that I tend to avoid talking about theology- but with the writings of Capon around, I feel safe.

I read this right before the movie came out;  and, not surprisingly, the book is superior. Considering this is C S Lewis, what can I really say about this book?  Everything has been said about it.  Instead of a review, I’ll just tell you about my favourite part, right after Aslan returns:

The crowd and the dance round Aslan (for it had become a dance once more) grew so thick and rapid that Lucy was confused…  One was a youth, dressed only in fawn-skin, with vine-leaves wreathed in his curly hair.  His face would have been almost too pretty for a boys, if it had not looked so extremely wild…  And everybody was laughing:  and everybody was shouting out, “Euan, euan, eu-oi-oi-oi.” ..”

I say, Su, I know how they are.”

“Who?”

“The boy with the wild face is Bacchus and the old one on the donkey is Silenus.  Don’t you remember Mr. Tumnus telling us about them long ago?”

“Yes, of course.  But I say, Lu-” “What?’

“I wouldn’t have felt very safe with Bacchus and all his wild girls if we’d met them without Aslan.”

“I should think not,” said Lucy.

The Chronicles of Narnia have been hijacked by a watered down Christian experience.  In the Disney movie, the main part was the struggle of battle and learning virtue.  And if you fight bravely, you just might get your tail back from God’s bag of gifts. Lewis paints a dramatically different picture.  In the book, the battle lasted only a couple of pages, while the celebration lasted many more. In the scriptures, Christ paints a dramatically different picture of life.  It’s no mistake that Christ’s first miracle was to make MORE wine at a wedding.  Dear God- I love Bacchus, I love wine, and I love C S Lewis.  I would totally endorse him for president.