Category: Book Reviews

Book Review – My Beautiful Idol

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So I recently joined the group of Ooze Select bloggers which basically means I get to read cool books and review them here. Works for me. The first selection I was sent was Peter Gall’s My Beautiful Idol. Before I go any further though I do have a confession to make. While the book was just recently released by Zondervan, an earlier version titled Gall came out a few years ago. My confession is that I was sent that version to review then and I never read the book. So my apologies. But I must say that my failure to read then was completely my loss since I greatly enjoyed My Beautiful Idol.

My Beautiful Idol falls into the genre of spiritual memoir and is being compared to the styles of Anne Lamott and Don Miller. I love Lamott and refuse to read Miller, so my response to those comparisons is “kinda.” What I can say is that this is a very different sort of memoir – it goes places one really doesn’t expect in these sorts of books. Namely Peter has no qualms about being brutally honest and blunt as he recounts the period of spiritual searching and awakening he went through during the 1990’s. He is not afraid to tear down the cliches and idols of the Christian culture nor to just outright question the conventional wisdom one finds in the church. This is a culture I am familiar with and so I resonated with much of what he was describing. I was also amused to recognize so many of the artifacts of the 90’s “contemporary Christian subculture” in his descriptions – from the bad music and “bible studies” to the ubiquitous presence of Mountain Dew.

I had two main issues with the book though. The first is entirely personal and situational, but I have come to the conclusion that books or movies that include scenes of mothers or babies dying in childbirth should come with a warning label. This is like the third time I’ve been blindsided by such a book this pregnancy, and while I am not usually an overly emotional person, those sorts of things really really get to hormonal pregnant women. So a little warning would have been nice. (and no this isn’t a huge part of the book, just one event in a spiritual journey…)

My other issue is more spiritual/theological. The book endeavors to expose the idols we create of our own spirituality and ability to serve God. It explores how we can trust too much or take too much pride in our good works. Often we elevate such things above the realities they entail and spiritualized them into pithy nothingness. I loved the way Peter revealed those ideas through his story, but I was left with too much bitter pessimism. Because so much in Christianity is fake and idolized, he seemed to go too far in rejecting the value of any pursuit of good works. There was very little balance or acceptance of the paradoxes of Christian life. The sarcasm, wit, and gritty reality sometimes overpowered any whisper of hearing where God actually was working. I know the memoir just represents a period of his life, and I’m not looking for a sugary happy ending or anything, just more of a “where do we go from here” wrap-up.

My issues aside, My Beautiful Idol is a good read. Engaging and challenging if one is willing to be pushed outside the box of typical Christian spiritual assumptions.

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Good Intentions?

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So it is really amusing to hear through the grapevine that Moody Press has just published a book that discusses me and my underwear choices. Apparently chapter 8 of the recently released book Good Intentions uses a poorly (barely) paraphrased version of my “Justice Bra” article from the God’s Politics blog as an extended illustration (to read, enter my name in the “search inside this book” function on Amazon). Now it is one thing to use my own voice to write a somewhat tongue-in-cheek article about buying a bra, but it is a tad creepy to have two (male) economists open a chapter by stating “Julie Clawson needed a new bra.”

The book hadn’t crossed my radar yet (not like I read much out of Moody Press these days), but I found it intriguing that its basic concept is similar to the book I am currently writing for IVP. Both books address relevant issues of our day and attempt to give a Christian response (the issues aren’t all the same though). I’ve only read excerpts of Good Intentions, but from what I can gather our perspectives and conclusions are rather divergent. The Good Intentions promo carries the tagline “few things are more dangerous than good intentions” which gives a good indication as to it’s perspective on people who care about stuff like the environment. The description of the book states that because the Bible is about “morality” it is difficult to apply scriptural principles to economics, so we instead need to apply economic theory to the Bible to understand how best to live. I obviously have an issue with that sort of thinking, believing instead that Biblical morality should be what determines our economic systems in the first place. But it’s not surprising to still find Christians who believe that free-market capitalism was invented by God and should be worshiped as the fourth member of the Trinity.

From the parts I read regarding my “Justice Bra” article, I found that the authors fell into the typical trap common in that line of thinking. To them there exist only two options when it comes to things like sweatshops – either people get paid pittance in an often abusive situation or they have no job at all. Their argument is that people like me seeking “fair and just” products are actually hurting the workers because by demanding the end of sweatshops we are putting people out of jobs. They argue that it is better for the people to have a job rather than not and therefore I am being unjust in buying a “justice bra” and not some $8 piece of crap at Wal-Mart. But they are assuming a false dichotomy here and really missing the point those of us calling for justice make. There is no reason why people should have to choose between a crappy job and no job at all. The idea is that since the cruel sweatshop jobs shouldn’t exist because they are immoral, they need to be reformed into jobs that treat the workers with dignity and pay them fairly. It is about redeeming the system, not destroying it. A good, decent, and safe job needs to be an option – the primary option – for workers everywhere. And if an economic system exists that doesn’t allow for the possibility of such jobs, I have a hard time understanding how Christians should be encouraged to participate in it.

But then again as I see it, rubber-stamping the status quo as “biblical” is far more dangerous than anyone’s good intentions to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God.”

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Book Review – The New Christians

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I recently read Tony Jones’ new book The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier and I have to say that I thought it was a great book – a needed and welcomed contribution at this stage in the emerging church conversation. This is the book to read to understand the history of this thing called emergent and the passions of those of us drawn to it. I’m not going to do a strict review of the book here, others have done sufficient jobs at that, but I just want to list what it is I liked about the book and why think it’s a helpful addition to the conversation.

First, to be completely narcissistic, I enjoyed reading Tony’s story of his journey into Emergent because it echoed so much of my own experience. I know that he has received criticism for not being inclusive enough of various forms of emerging thought in this book, but he makes it clear in the book that he is telling the story of his own experiences, the groups he has encountered, and the friends he has made. Sure not everyone encounters emerging/Emergent thought in the exact same way he did but he doesn’t assume to tell everyone’s story. He gives snapshots of where he has encountered the conversation and summarizes the trends he is witnessing. Some people may not see themselves reflected in this book, but for those of us who have trod similar paths as Tony, it is affirming to have part of our story told. This book represents our reality – from the questions, to the conferences, to the online emphasis, to the conversations. I appreciated reading the history of people I know which helps me better understand who they are. I like that I can point at this book and its description of Emergent and say – “this represents me, I am unashamedly a part of this, this can help you understand where I’ve been and what I am doing now.”

I also like that Tony isn’t afraid to tell the truth about the messy parts of Christianity and emergent. The messy parts exist and many in this conversation have experienced pain because of them. While I have heard some crying out for disagreements to be hidden and ignored in the name of unity, I think such action causes more problems in the long run. Generally the voices calling for “unity” implicate whoever isn’t the dominant voice as the troublemaker. Those asking questions and pushing for reform are told to toe the party line and stop rocking the boat (silenced by cliche for the sake of Jesus and the church of course). Instead of addressing the issues and working through them one is labeled heretical for having questions at all. It’s all a bit farcical. So I appreciate Tony’s willingness to say that yes Emergent has critics, yes there have been falling outs, and yes some people have refused to play ball with us. It’s reality and hiding from it won’t help resolve differences. And its high time, imho, the truth was told that its not just emergents causing the problems.

I appreciated the way Tony dealt with the issues of homosexuality and women in ministry. Instead of dealing with each as “issues,” he just told the stories of real people. He was inclusive and affirming in practice while not alienating in dogma. Of course this could just mean he pisses off everyone on both sides of these issues, but I thought he was fair in how he approached such controversial topics.

I enjoyed his affirmation of how popular culture shapes our reality. There are streams in the emerging church that refuse to condescend to popular culture. One often feels like one needs to apologize for watching TV or for listening to mainstream music around other emergents. I liked how Tony used popular culture as metaphors and as keys to understand the forces shaping the conversation. I prefer this thoughtful engagement to the snobbishly turning up of the noses I often expect in emergent circles.

There were of course other stories and ideas throughout the book that I enjoyed, just as there were a few things I questioned and a couple of things that I found annoying (the layout). But this is a good book, well worth the read. I just thought I’d ramble on here about a few of the reasons I personally liked the book, but honestly, if you want to know more about emergent, understand where it came from, or just hear the stories of real people who are a part of it – read this book.

(and Tony, sorry for such a scattered response to your book. It really is a good book, deserving of much more coherent thoughts than this. Thanks for writing it.)

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Book Review – What Would Jesus Deconstruct?

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The terms “postmodernism” and “deconstruction” are popular buzzwords these days.  For some in the church they represent the evil that is trying to undermine the truth of the gospel.  For others they convey a freedom to question and criticize religious traditions they no longer accept.  And, of course, for others they are utterly meaningless ideas that they wish would just disappear.  Yet John Caputo in his latest book, What Would Jesus Deconstruct? (Baker Academic, 2007), attempts to cut through all the confusion as he explores the philosophical roots of deconstruction and why he believes it can offer good news to the church.

In posing the question “what would Jesus deconstruct?” Caputo deliberately evokes the popular WWJD campaign.  He questions the assumptions of moral authority that movement often conveys and seeks instead to place the phrase into its original historical context – Charles Sheldon’s book In His Steps.  Sheldon’s use of the phrase dealt mainly with issues of social justice – issues which Caputo accuses the contemporary conservative church of largely ignoring.  He proposes that a philosophical deconstruction of the church is therefore necessary in order to promote justice and the Kingdom of God.

What follows next is a whirlwind introduction to the postmodern philosophy of Derrida and Caputo’s argument as to why deconstruction can serve as the “hermeneutics of the kingdom of God” (26).  Deconstruction is not, as many believe, an act at destruction, but instead an attempt at understanding – an understanding that seeks ultimately love and justice for the Other.   Laws and systems can be created to promote justice, but believers must always be ready to question them at every step as to whether or not they serve the kingdom of God.  There are no concrete answers defining such things in this journey of faith so believers must continually seek to deconstruct and understand everything they encounter as culture and context shift around them.  It can be an unsettling process, but one that promotes faith and a continual returning to examine the message of Jesus.

From this philosophical basis Caputo then explores the practical outcomes of asking the question “what would Jesus deconstruct?”  In following the tradition of the WWJD movement, he focuses mainly on the areas of ethics and politics.  Keeping in mind Jesus’ call to love others and the upside-down values of the Kingdom, Caputo addresses the controversial issues of economic justice, militarism, patriarchy, abortion, and homosexuality.  In examining these issues he challenges the assumptions of both the left and the right and demonstrates the need for everyone to question sacred cows before they become idols.  As he puts it, “it is time to let a few theological feathers fly.” (90).   Even so, Caputo remains fair and deals honestly with the complexities of all those issues.  He doesn’t propose any easy solutions, and his ideas about how to apply the call to love the Other to these issues will challenge most readers’ preconceived opinions (a significant reason to read the book in my opinion).

In the book’s final section, Caputo provides the reader with two examples of communities which have attempted to deconstruct ideas and assumptions about church.  From an urban Catholic priest who faces the traditions of hierarchy and bureaucracy as he seeks to serve the broken, the addicted, and the poor to an emerging community in Ireland that is rethinking the structure of church gatherings altogether, one sees the effects of a church being able to question how best to serve the Kingdom in its particular context.  Caputo is not proposing that tradition be abolished, just that one should always retain the ability to question and deconstruct any structure.

With this book Caputo succeeds in demonstrating the benefits of postmodernism and deconstruction to the church.  It is in many ways a necessary text for any Christian seeking familiarity with those concepts.  And the philosophically uninitiated shouldn’t fear, Caputo translates these ideas into accessible language and illustrates his points with examples pulled from the daily news and popular television.  This is an offering from which the church can benefit greatly.  The question of “what would Jesus deconstruct?” deserves ongoing engagement, and Caputo has thankfully paved the way for its reception in the church.

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Book Review – Rising from the Ashes

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I recently finished reading Becky Garrison’s new book Rising from the Ashes: Rethinking Church (we have also been discussing this book over at Emerging Women for this month’s book discussion). This book is different from the typical offering on this subject in that it consists solely of interviews Becky conducted with a wide diversity of people who have experimented with “rethinking church.” I found this pure inclusion of various voices refreshing and a good representation of the vast array of changes happening in the church today. These voices come from mainline and evangelical backgrounds; and while many of them are involved in the emerging church conversation, this book is a good reminder that streams of change are present across the broad spectrum of church and are not just limited to the emerging camp. That said, I was interested to see how even amongst the emerging voices the expressions of how church is being rethought varies from culture to culture and church to church. The voices often disagree or place emphasis on differing areas, but I found that to lend validity to the widespread nature of this conversation on the need to rethink church.

I found a quote in the interview with Brian McLaren to be helpful in summarizing this diversity in the conversation –

There’s so much going on, and people are at all different places. I mean, I started asking certain questions fifteen years ago, and one question led to another and another, and here I am now. other people are just asking the first set of questions, or they’re asking the questions in a different order. But what all of us have in common, I think, is this sense that we’re trying to be faithful to God in the aftermath of modernity and colonialism and all that they entail. (p. 51)

So as the conversation is explored in this book we hear from voices like Phyllis Tickle, Jonny Baker, Shane Claiborne, Diana Butler Bass, Tony Jones, Ian Mobsby, and Nadia Bolz-Weber on topics such as the state of the church, the Gospel of the Kingdom, Christian community, and worship practices. Many of those interviews hold tight to particular church traditions as they attempt to understand the church in this day and age. Others seek to question existing structures or to examine our very conception of church itself. In their responses one sees a mix of theology and practice as well as a deep commitment to serving God in whatever way they can. Rethinking church for them is not about being new or different, but about being faithful and committed followers.

I find this book to be a necessary offering at this stage in the conversation as it serves to highlight the diversity of voices present therein. It is a needed reminder that around the world and across denominations the conversations do not look the same although they may have common elements. I hope this book can help raise that awareness and heighten the appreciation of those who are coming at this conversation differently from us (whoever “us” may be). Not everyone is rethinking church in the same way and there is much to be learned from each other. I recommend this book as a great resource and glimpse into the currents moving the church today. It is helpful to know where we are headed and prudent to understand the passions and rationale of others during these times.

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Slow Food and the Kingdom

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The Kingdom of God is like a well-cooked Italian meal.  Now it might seem a bit strange to start off a reflection comparing the Kingdom of God to Italian food, but I recently stumbled upon an encounter with the Kingdom of God in a book about food.  This wasn’t even some esoteric aesthetic encounter with the beauty of the earth or even a divinely inspired recipe for the perfect chocolate cake, but an exploration of food that is ethical and good.  In the foreword to Carlo Petrini’s Slow Food Nation I read Alice Waters’ summary of the themes of the book and the Slow Food movement-

“[Carlo] argues that, at every level, our food supply must meet the three criteria of quality, purity, and justice.  Our food must be buono, pulito, e giusto – words that resonate with more solemnity in Italian than do their literal English counterparts.  Our food should be good, and tasty to eat; it should be clean, produced in ways that are humane and environmentally sound; and the system by which our food is provided must be economically and socially fair to all who labor in it.  Carlo’s great insight is that when we seek out food that meets these criteria, we are no longer mere consumers but co-producers, who are bearing our fair share of the costs of producing good food and creating responsible communities.”

As I read those words, the concept of people being co-producers in creating an alternative and ethical world intrigued me.  Christ proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is among us and gave his followers the task of being the witnesses (or heralds) to the advent of the Kingdom.  Although the Kingdom was already a reality, it took the work of these witnesses to make it concrete to those who had not yet heard.  In a sense they were the co-producers of the Kingdom – proclaiming its existence, spreading it values, and training others in the way of Christ.  Active ongoing work was required to insure the Kingdom visibly reflected the pictures Jesus had so vividly portrayed it as in his parables.

In reading the goals of the Slow Food movement of being co-producers in ensuring that our food is good, clean, and fair I saw a parallel to the Kingdom of God.  This movement stands in opposition to the dominant systems of the world and insists on a better way of producing and eating food.  Bypassing the destructive industries of agriculture and the siren’s lure of fast food represent struggles undertaken only by those with a commitment to this better way and a compassion for others.  The goal is to care for people, to care for the earth, and to care for ourselves.  I think in many ways the Slow Food ideals have captured the ethos of those who serve and witness to the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God exists as a radical alternative to the systems of the world, challenging the status quos of oppression and injustice.  It includes the calls to love and to serve and to seek a better way of living that cares for those around us.  The outworkings of these endeavors often echo the goals of the Slow Food movement in our commitment to care for God’s creation, our celebration of the good, our passion to treat people fairly and with dignity and respect, and our desire to bond together in responsible communities that seek to live on earth as it is in heaven.    It is a call to a life that isn’t merely “convenient” or rubber-stamped by the dominant paradigms of the world, but one that takes deliberate effort and committed passion to maintain.  Being witnesses (or co-producers) of the Kingdom requires lifestyle choices that are often seen as odd as the Slow Food desire to cook a sustainable, fair, healthy, authentic and natural (not to mention yummy) Italian meal.  But oddity and difficulty don’t impede the committed.  In seeking God’s Kingdom we are never mere consumers of the way things are, but witnesses proclaiming the good news of a different way.

And so the Kingdom of God is like an Italian meal, but with far greater rewards.

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2007 Books

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If you can’t tell, I like making lists. And at the end of the calendar year list making seems to be the thing to do. I’ve been hearing a lot about the best movies of 2007, but I hardly saw any movies this year so I can’t comment in that area. But I can list the books I read this past year and comment on my favorites. And yes, this is mostly for my own personal benefit…

Faith/Spirituality/Theology/Church

Metaphorical Theology
by Sallie McFague
Everything Must Change by Brian McLaren
It’s A Dance by Patrick Oden
Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns
Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology by Kwok Pui-lan
Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman
Graven Ideologies by Bruce Ellis Benson
Visions and Longings by Monica Furlong
Healthy Congregations by Peter Steinke
Evil and the Justice of God by N.T. Wright
An Emergent Manifesto of Hope ed. Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones
Hagar, Sarah, and their Children Edited by Phyllis Trible and Letty Russell
Sex God by Rob Bell
How (not) to Speak of God by Peter Rollins

Justice

Sex, Economy, Freedom, Community by Wendall Berry
 Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
 Justice in the Burbs by Will and Lisa Samson
 The Ethics of What We Eat by Peter Singer and Jim Mason
 Urgent Message From Mother by Jean Shinoda Bolen

Memoir/Reflections

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
The Faith Club by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd
Grace (Eventually) by Anne Lamott

History

Books on Fire by Lucien X. Polastron
 Goddesses and the Divine Feminine by Rosemary Radford Ruether
 Spirituality in the Land of the Noble by Richard C. Foltz
 In Search of Zarathustra by Paul Kriwaczek
 When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone
 Mysteries of the Middle Ages by Thomas Cahill
 Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World by Nicholas Ostler

Parenting

Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community by Alfie Kohn
The Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn

Fiction – General

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard

Fantasy

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter Books 1-6 by J.K. Rowling
 Kushiel’s Justice by Jacqueline Carey
 Belladonna by Anne Bishop
 Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn

Star Wars

Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn
Allegiance by Timothy Zahn
Betrayal by Aaron Allston
Bloodlines by Karen Traviss
Tempest by Troy Denning

While I think I’ve made myself clear how much I like the Harry Potter conclusion, I must restate that it was a highlight of the year. In the category of just purely enjoyable reads, I would also have to list Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World by Nicholas Ostler. The process of tracing the history of civilization through linguistics was a new perspective for me and one I found utterly fascinating. But if I were to choose two book from this year’s list that I would recommend to just about anyone as “must reads”, I would have to say Graven Ideologies by Bruce Ellis Benson and The Ethics of What We Eat by Peter Singer and Jim Mason. Both selections I think are vital for understanding the world we live in today. Benson’s work is a brilliant introduction to the philosophical undercurrents of our time as well as a primer for a Christian understanding thereof. Singer and Mason delve into popular philosophy as well as they seek to help readers understand how ethics should inform our food choices. Both offer needed perspectives for those seeking to live a thoughtful and moral life in the 21st century. I highly recommend them both.

Anyway, I have a long and eclectic list of books on my “to read” list for 2008, I just need to find more time to actually read.

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Everything Must Change

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So I am slowly making my way through Brian McLaren’s Everything Must Change and have to this point not engaged in many of the conversations about it. I’ve lurked, but wanted to have actually read the book before I engaged. As usual I am most annoyed with all the people who are upset about McLaren’s book because it is different than the type of book they want him to write. Apparently if he doesn’t feature their personal pet theology as the central aspect of every single one of his books then he is guilty of heresy, or ignoring atonement, or downplaying scripture, or whatever. Can’t people just read books for what they are for crying out loud?

But anyway, I’ve enjoyed much of what I’ve read so far (although I do admit the typos are driving me crazy) and predicably the part that has resonated with me the most has been one of the most controversial passages. McLaren at one point takes Mary’s Magnificat and rewrites it to be more in-line with the message he had been exposed to in the church. I’ve included both below, the original Bible passage and McLaren’s rewrite –

Luke 1:46 – 55
And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.”

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my personal Savior, for he has been mindful of the correct saving faith of his servant. My spirit will go to heaven when my body dies for the Mighty One has provided forgiveness, assurance, and eternal security for me–holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who have correct saving faith and orthodox articulations of belief, from generation to generation. He will overcome the damning effects of original sin with his mighty arm; he will damn to hell those who believe they can be saved through their own efforts or through any religion other than the new one He is about to form. He will condemn followers of other religions to hell but bring to heaven those with correct belief. He has filled correct believers with spiritual blessings but will send those who are not elect to hell forever. He has helped those with correct doctrinal understanding, remembering to be merciful to those who believe in the correct theories of atonement, just as our preferred theologians through history have articulated.” Everything Must Change, p107, Brian McLaren

His rewrite has caused not a few people to become seriously angry at his audacity to reinterpret scripture as well as for his (perceived) caricaturizing of conventional evangelical theology. Many claim that his rewrite has no resemblance to any actual theology and so is unfair on his part to write as if it does. Brian McLaren clarified why he rewrote the Magnificat recently on Scot McKnight’s blog by saying, “My purpose is just to show the difference between the assumptions I was taught to bring to the text and what the text seems to me to actually be saying. It’s because I love the real Magnificat that I wanted to show how many of us unintentionally empty out its original meaning and then refill it with something different.”

I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who have never been exposed to the sorts of theological messages that McLaren presents in his rewrite. And I am sure that there are others who have been exposed to such theology, but who also are grounded in the revolutionary words of the real Magnificat. But I never was. I never even heard the Magnificat until 2 years ago. That part of the story was skipped over and dismissed, probably because it had to do with Mary and she was always avoided as “too Catholic.” I also was told that the Beatitudes only applied to the afterlife. These messages of hope for the oppressed were never ever part of the message I heard at church. But everything in McLaren’s rewrite came through loud and clear. His words were very representative of my reality. So while I am not naive enough to assume that everyone shares my reality, I would appreciate it if others would stop denying that my reality exists.

I have found deep spiritual insight through reading the Magnificat (the real one) over the last couple of years, but it took removing the lens I had been taught to encounter scripture with in order for that to be possible. So I think McLaren’s use of a possibly shocking rewrite is justified to help readers examine how they really do approach scripture. Or at least theoretically that would be the goal…

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Book Review – It’s A Dance

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I recently had the opportunity to read a review copy of It’s A Dance written by Patrick Oden. When I first heard about this book I was intrigued – a theology book about the Holy Spirit written in story form. I am aware that the role of the Holy Spirit is not mentioned often in emerging church discussions. Perhaps the fundamentalist/evangelical roots of many of us in this conversation who grew up being told that the salvation of Pentecostals and Charismatics wasn’t for sure and that the Holy Spirit no longer works in our current dispensation may have something to do with that. But whatever the case, I haven’t heard much talk about the holy Spirit recently and so wanted to explore It’s a Dance.

The book is set up focusing on a writing assignment of a southern Californian journalist, Luke. His assignment leads him to visit and review churches in the area in search of something new and different to capture the readers attention. While the assignment is part of his job, the search echoes Luke’s own spiritual quest to arrive at some sort of understanding and expression of faith he can accept. This quest leads him to a very different sort of church that meets in a pub. Luke then discovers the hows and why of this church’s differences as he sits down for long discussions with the pastor and church attendees. Through these discussions we hear the stories of what brought people to this different church (often stories of pain) and are exposed to the basic theology driving the church. All the while the presence of the Holy Spirit makes itself known as the conversation returns again and again to how the Spirit is at the center of what drives the church.

I personally enjoyed reading the theological exploration in conversational format. Many of the conversations in the book reminded me of ones I have participated in from time to time. There were points where the writing slipped out of conversational mode into sermon mode, but then again when you are writing through the voice of a pastor, it is hard not to sermonize every once in awhile. Although the book does not use footnotes (they would have broken up the flow of the conversation), Oden lists his sources at the end of the book and one can tell that centuries of theological traditions and reflections informed the dialogue in the book. As I read I encountered ideas common in emerging church circles as well as explorations of the Holy Spirit that were new to my understanding of faith. It was a fun intellectual journey to take.

In the presentation of the “different” church Luke encounters, it is easy to recognize many of the trendy trappings of relevant churches. They met in a pub connected to a coffee shop/bookstore, they don’t do programs, they offer a prayer room for contemplative prayer, they eschew the typical patterns of modern American churches and so forth. Nothing wrong of course with any of those things, they just fit the common stereotypes of what emerging churches look like. I appreciated that Oden went beyond describing the stylistic structure of the church and told the stories of the people who identify with that church. Reading their stories and discovering how they came to find a church home there fleshed out the theology presented in the book. Their lives represented theology lived out and were a great reminder of the real life implications of all that we believe. Through them one could see the Holy Spirit moving in the never-ending dance to draw us into faith and worship.

I think this book is a needed addition to the growing library of books on how we do church in an emerging culture. It is an accessible read and will be helpful to those who understand theology more relationally than didactically.

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More Harry Potter

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I just stumbled across this article/interview with J.K. Rowling in which she discusses the religious imagery in Harry Potter 7. In it she confirms that the tombstone quotes epitomize the entire series (confirming my theories) and that Harry was a Christ figure overcoming death (sorry Dr. Jacobs).

I thought it was an interesting read and I liked her concluding quote – “I go to church myself,” she declared. “I don’t take any responsibility for the lunatic fringes of my own religion.”

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