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| 0802884008
| 9780802884008
| 0802884008
| 4.33
| 15
| unknown
| Jun 11, 2024
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it was amazing
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Most Christians know the name of John the Baptist. He appears at Advent preparing the way for Jesus and then on Baptism of Jesus Sunday, he appears ag
Most Christians know the name of John the Baptist. He appears at Advent preparing the way for Jesus and then on Baptism of Jesus Sunday, he appears again at the Jordan where he baptized Jesus. There are other references but those are the primary places we find him in the liturgical calendar. Many have a certain picture of John. He's probably dressed similarly to a caveman or maybe the crazy guy with the sandwich board who yells at people on the street corner telling them to repent or they'll go to hell. Of course, there's his diet of locusts and wild honey. Finally, many will know the story of his demise on orders of Herod Antipas after Herod's stepdaughter dances before him. We know parts of the story, but is there more to the story? Could our perceptions of John be off the mark? The answer is probably, yes we've gotten much of the story wrong. If we have gotten things wrong, we will need a corrective. Fortunately James McGrath has done just that in Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist. This volume is offered as an accessible introduction to the life of John the Baptist. A second volume on the life of John the Baptist is also appearing, but the second volume is a scholarly version titled John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer. I plan on offering a review of the more in-depth volume, but I would like to introduce you to this volume. Although I thought I knew something about John the Baptist, I discovered that there is much more to the story than I had imagined. From the Gospels, we are led to understand John serving as the precursor to the ministry of Jesus. He was called by God to prepare the way for Jesus, and therefore he would play a secondary role in the story. But, what if Jesus started out as one of John's followers and then took leadership of that movement after John's arrest and execution? Then there is the question of where John got his start. Where did he get the idea of using baptism as a means of calling people to repentance with the offer of forgiveness? McGrath, who teaches New Testament literature and language at Butler University, has taken a special interest in John, in part because John factors into the Mandean religious community, a community McGrath has a scholarly interest in. Therefore, he brings the Mandean accounts of John's life and ministry into his retelling of John's life. Thus, he draws on the Gospel accounts, Mandean accounts, Josephus, and other apocryphal accounts that deal with John's life and ministry. When it comes to the origins of John's ministry, McGrath places his sense of call in his upbringing. From the Gospel of Luke, we learn that John was the son of Zechariah a priest. We also learn that his mother, Elizabeth dedicated him to God, likely making him a Nazarite. As such, he would not be able to follow in his father's footsteps in serving in the Temple. However, he would sense a call to offer an alternative to the Temple sacrifices, choosing the act of baptism as a means of receiving forgiveness of sins. Baptism was free while it took money to offer sacrifices. Thus, John is a rebellious son. One important element in the story, when it comes to John's origins is whether he was part of the Essene community. McGrath demonstrates that this is unlikely. Though there are similarities, including protests against the Temple leadership, the Essenes still held out hope of a restoration of the Temple leadership, while John completely repudiated the Temple. Thus, if Jesus was his follower, which I think McGrath has demonstrated here, then Jesus was not part of the Essene community either. What Jesus did was extend and expand John's ministry. I look forward to the more academic piece, but in itself, this is an important contribution to the Christian story. John does prepare the way for Jesus, but perhaps not in the way we usually understand it. By understanding John's ministry we can gain a better understanding of Jesus' own sense of call. So, take and read. This is really good! ...more |
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May 30, 2024
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Jun 08, 2024
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May 30, 2024
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| 0802883958
| 9780802883957
| 0802883958
| 4.40
| 5
| unknown
| Apr 11, 2024
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really liked it
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I first encountered the name J. Gresham Machen in college. Although I didn't take Greek in college, the first-year Greek class used his grammar. When
I first encountered the name J. Gresham Machen in college. Although I didn't take Greek in college, the first-year Greek class used his grammar. When I got to seminary, I found out more about him in Jack Roger's Philosophical Theology class where we discussed the Rogers and McKim book The Authority and Interpretation of the Bible: An Historical Approach and later from reading George Marsden's book on fundamentalism. My understanding of Machen is that he was an arch-conservative who broke both with Princeton Seminary and the Northern Presbyterian Church. As is often true, the story is more complicated than what I had understood. Richard Burnett, a Presbyterian (PCUSA), editor, and director of the MA program in Reformed Theology at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, offers us a magisterial biography of Machen that focuses on his transformation from someone who embraced the modern idea of the university represented by Johns Hopkins, the first modern university in the nation, one that followed a more German university model. After his education at Johns Hopkins and then at Princeton where he studied New Testament at the seminary, where BB Warfield still held court, and a graduate degree in philosophy at the University, he spent time at Gottingen and Marburg universities, studying with leading German scholars. When Woodrow Wilson became President of Princeton University, he supported Wilson's attempt to modernize the university along the lines of Johns Hopkins. He wasn't necessarily a liberal but he was committed to creating a system of higher education that was scientifically oriented. When he joined the faculty of the Princeton Seminary, after deciding against pursuing doctoral studies in Germany, he sought to raise the educational standards of the seminary so that they reflected that scientific mindset. Over time, however, Machen began to abandon that modernist impulse and ultimately embraced an antimodernist theology. In this biography, which is based largely on letters that Machen wrote to colleagues, friends, and especially his mother, Burnet focuses not on the closing years when Machen left Princeton and founded Westminster Theological Seminary along the lines of the old Princeton of Warfield, and the Presbyterian Church for a new Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which he helped found. While he moved ultimately to an antimodernist position, he eschewed the fundamentalist label, though fundamentalists sought his support. The reason for this is that while he had moved to a more conservative position, he found the fundamentalists to be too anti-intellectual for his taste. So, we see a continuance of that desire for a high level of intellectual engagement. Burnet lays out helpfully Machen's struggle with his faith, as he sought to balance his commitment to strong intellectual foundations with a more conservative theological heritage. We learn that Machen's roots, especially through his mother, were in the Deep South. We see elements of racism in his views. Politically, though he supported Wilson who was a family friend as he ran for the Presidency, he was quite libertarian in his views. He favored limited government, such that the government has as little involvement as possible in daily life. Ultimately, what we encounter here is a very complicated person who sought to apply to theology and the study of the Bible all the tools of the scientific study of the Bible, together with an ongoing commitment to supernaturalism. This is where he found resistance to his perspectives on theology, including his defense of the virgin birth and his major study of Paul's theology. Machen's hope was rooted in this desire for the establishment of a strong scientifically based university education, along the lines of Johns Hopkins. But what he discovered was that his pursuit of intellectual excellence ran aground on the emergence of a much more secular vision than he was willing to embrace. Thus, in the end, he traded that vision of a strong university version of scholarship for Christian scholarship, of the sort rooted in Old Princeton, a vision he once sought to jettison but now embraced in Westminster Seminary. As Burnet writes, in these later years "There was no more talk about university ideals. The hope he once had in the ideals of the New Princeton had been crucified, dead and buried. Now he hoped for the resurrection of a new, transfigured form of the Old Princeton" (p. 568). One might ask why we might need a new biography of J. Gresham Machen, especially if like me you are not part of a conservative Reformed tradition. It's a good question. One thing I've found reading biographies of theological leaders whether Bonhoeffer, Barth, Brueggemann, or in this case Machen, is that context matters. When we read biographies such as this one we discover how choices made impact the direction our journeys take. One thing that I kept wondering about had to do with Machen's decision not to pursue doctoral studies in Germany. It's clear had an affinity for Germany, had made friends there, and respected the teachers he had there, which included Wilhelm Herrmann (one of Barth's teachers) and Adolph Julicher (Marburg). How might his life story changed had he gone that route? This is truly a magisterial study of a somewhat enigmatic but influential figure. His Greek Grammar continues to be used to this day. The seminary he founded continues to thrive. For conservative Christians of a Reformed bent, his voice continues to beckon. So, if we wish to understand how one moves from liberal to conservative perhaps this is a book to explore. ...more |
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Apr 10, 2024
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May 21, 2024
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Apr 10, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 0802876285
| 9780802876287
| 0802876285
| 3.70
| 10
| unknown
| Feb 06, 2024
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liked it
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The name Laura Ingalls Wilder is well known. We may know her from her series of children's books or, as in my case, from the long-running TV show from
The name Laura Ingalls Wilder is well known. We may know her from her series of children's books or, as in my case, from the long-running TV show from the mid-1970s to the early 80s. I never read the books---apparently, they weren't on the library shelves I chose books from---but did watch the TV show from time to time. So my image of the author of the children's books is framed as a picture of a young Melissa Gilbert. Of course, the TV show was loosely based on books that were themselves largely fictionalized. Whatever entry point to the person of Laura Ingalls Wilder, she remains, as far as I know, well known. Numerous biographies and studies of Wilder the person and the author have appeared over the years, such that we know much more about her life and background than can be gleaned from the books. One area of interest that has been touched on before, but is the centerpiece of the most recent biography, is her faith. John J. Fry's A Prairie Faith: The Religious Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, offers an in-depth look at what ultimately is a rather conventional Christian faith. Fry is a history professor and dean of the faculty at Trinity Christian College (not to be confused with Trinity International University, which is also located in the greater Chicago area). The Little House books, eight in all, are based on Wilder's recollections of stories she remembered her father, Charles Ingalls, told, along with her own experiences. While the TV show located the family in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, the Ingalls family wandered across the upper midwest as well as Iowa and Kansas. Those who read the books will know of these travels, but for those of us who didn't read them, we journey with the family from Laura's birth in 1867 while the family lived in Wisconsin, followed by moves to Kansas, and then Minnesota and Iowa, before moving to South Dakota. The family appears to have been constantly on the move. At times they lived in small towns, but more often on farms near small towns, so that the children could go to school and the family might attend church. The life that Fry describes, based on a detailed study of Ingalls' books, including diaries and letters, as well as the famous books, is difficult, but we see the strength of a close family. We see a family struggle financially but somehow make things work, often by moving to a new location. When Laura was a child the family attended congregational churches in the communities where they lived. One of the pastors is a name familiar to those who only know the TV series, and that is Rev. Alden, a favorite of Wilder. Laura also attended a Methodist Church Sunday afternoon Sunday school during a period when the family was living in Walnut Grove. Laura won a bible for memorizing the Bible verses assigned each week. One thing we learn as we read Fry's account of Laura's life is that the family often attended Sunday school, but do not seem to have attended Sunday evening services. As Laura grew up, she would eventually meet and marry Almanzo Wilder, whom she got to know when the family lived in DeSmet, South Dakota. He was about a decade older than her, but the two connected, and marriage followed. Life would be difficult early on, as Almanzo suffered a stroke that weakened him, limiting some of his abilities to farm. Nevertheless, through the years they managed to survive. They also have a child, Rose, with whom Laura will have a contentious relationship, and yet, the two would collaborate on Laura's books. Due to health concerns, the Wilder family ended up in the Ozarks, in the small town of Mansfield, Missouri, which is where she lived most of her adult life. We of course learn about how Laura took up writing, serving as a columnist for the Missouri Ruralist and then later setting down to write a memoir of her younger years. While that memoir did not gain a publisher, despite the efforts of Rose, who by that time had developed a reputation as an author, with Rose's encouragement Laura began writing the children's books that made her famous. One thing we learn about these books is that Laura long claimed that the books were completely true, with no fictional aspects. She and Rose also hid Rose's important collaborative role that went beyond simple editing. While we learn about Laura's life and the authorial work that made her famous, Fry is most interested in highlighting Laura's faith life. So woven throughout the book are examples of her religious experiences and that of the family. Growing up the family would attend Congregational churches, but Laura never joined, even after her parents, Charles and Caroline, and sister Mary joined a Congregational Church when she was in her early teens. There is no evidence that she was ever baptized. However, she attended Sunday School, memorized parts of the Bible, and attended Sunday services when a preacher was available. She liked some preachers and not others. in addition, her father would play hymns on his fiddle on Sunday afternoons. From childhood through adulthood, Laura gave evidence of a moderate, conventional, Christianity. According to Fry, her faith was important to her, but not necessarily central to her life. She drew strength from it but rejected views of God that were wrathful. She focused more on morality, on divine law, especially love of God and neighbor. When it came to difficult times she might turn to prayer, but she also gave evidence of a certain stoicism. Interestingly, while she and Almanzo never joined a church, despite attending regularly the Methodist Episcopal Church in Mansfield, they both joined Eastern Star. Throughout the book, Fry keeps coming back to Laura's conventional Christianity that was important to her, but not central to her life. In other words, she was like many Christians, committed but not zealous. She was neither a fundamentalist nor a modernist, just an average Christian woman. Interestingly, in her books while she did include references to God and to church, no mention is made of Jesus. Fry also notes that the idea of forgiveness is largely absent. Thus, her form of Christianity is essentially caught up in doing the right thing. That is the message she shared in her books. A Prairie Faith is part of the Eerdmans Library of Religious Biography series, a series that covers a wide variety of persons from Thomas Jefferson to Tina Turner, with Laura Ingalls Wilder being the latest. For those who have enjoyed her books, this should be a welcome biography. One might be surprised at some parts of the story, especially her insistence on covering up the contribution of her daughter to the books and her insistence that the books were completely factual. But as Fry reminds us she was human, and as such was sinner. She had her reasons for what she did, but it is helpful to know the full story. ...more |
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Feb 25, 2024
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Mar 15, 2024
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Feb 25, 2024
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| B0CCB2WL6M
| 4.46
| 41
| unknown
| Sep 15, 2023
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it was amazing
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There are times when a book emerges that offers a necessary word, times we need reminding that racism is an ever-present problem. The election of Bara
There are times when a book emerges that offers a necessary word, times we need reminding that racism is an ever-present problem. The election of Barack Obama did not usher in a post-racial world. Instead, it seems to have ignited a period of racial unrest. Thus, we need to hear the voices and be reintroduced to the voices that have spoken truth to moments like this. Among those of the past who offer gospel truth is James Baldwin, author, and activist. In "The Gospel According to James Baldwin," Greg Garrett has done just that. Garrett is the Carole McDaniel Hanks Professor of Literature and Culture at Baylor University as well as Canon Theologian at the American Cathedral in Paris. It is in the context of his vocation that Garrett has spent much time studying and teaching the life and literature of James Baldwin. I have only read, that I have evidence, one book by James Baldwin. That would be The Fire Next Time. I have not, as I know of, read his fiction. However, after reading Garrett's book, I recognize my need to do so. Thus, for me, as a reviewer, Garrett's "The Gospel According to James Baldwin," is in many ways an introduction to Baldwin's life and message. While Baldwin was by no means a traditional Christian his message speaks to the heart of the Gospel, one that calls for justice and mercy. Garrett begins and ends his book on a pilgrimage to experience the footsteps of James Baldwin. As an author, Garrett is white, straight, and relatively orthodox in his Christian theology. Baldwin was Black, Gay, and not traditional, though he grew up with a stepfather who was a preacher and spent some time as a teen preaching in Black churches. So, he knew the message and in many ways lived it better than most. It's possible that Baldwin could be banned from school libraries for not falling in line with the current trends. However, as Garrett notes, based on teaching Baldwin to his Baylor students, "We experience an enlargement of what it means to be human in Baldwin's presence, gain burgeoning insights into why we might be here, what we are made for, how transcendence feels, what beauty is, how we're meant to live with each other, how are called to love each other and to be responsible for each other" (p. 5). Such is the Gospel according to James Baldwin. In many ways, Garrett takes us on a pilgrimage, which begins with "The Life of James Baldwin," who was born in Harlem in 1924, the grandson of a slave who never knew his biological father. Garrett points out that Baldwin "knew from an early age that he was Black and that he was smart, and that if he was going to escape the crippling poverty and his family endured, ...it was going to have to be through that intelligence." (p. 11). While he never pursued education beyond high school, he became one of America's great intellectuals, who held his own in a debate with William F. Buckley. His writing talent was recognized early and nurtured by one of his teachers. As he moved into adulthood, he began his writing career, publishing essays in major magazines. Nonetheless, he came to believe that if he stayed in the US he would end up on a path to self-destruction, so he boarded a ship to France, where he lived as an expatriate in Paris. It was there he struggled financially but me the love of his life, a young Swiss artist. It was while living in Switzerland that he finished his novel Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953) that made his name. Garrett takes us from there through Baldwin's life, lifting up his written work and experiences of life, much of which was spent in the south of France. But his spirit still lives and his voice still speaks. In a chapter titled "Baldwin as Prophet of Humanity," we discover Baldwin's own sense of purpose, as he identified with Jeremiah. In this role, he sought to call the people to account on matters of race and justice, identity and culture. He claimed that it was because of his love of America that he felt called to engage in perpetual criticism, serving to remind white Americans of their delusions of innocence. As a prophet, Baldwin also spoke to matters of culture. Garrett writes that "For Baldwin, art, literature, and culture are central ways we understand ourselves and the world we occupy, and so he held his roles as artist and critic to be sacred" (p. 28). He believed that good art enlarges us while bad art puts us in cages. Thus, he could be highly critical of art and literature that he felt did not enlarge. He was concerned when art, literature, and film glossed over hard truths, wanting them to depict society critically and honestly. That's what he sought to do as he addressed matters of race, faith, and identity. The title of the book speaks of the Gospel, and so we might expect some words on matters of faith. Garett doesn't disappoint. He offers a chapter titled "Baldwin on Faith." The former teen preacher would leave the church behind as an adult, yet he speaks in his works to matters of faith and used the "language of church, the Bible, and theology" in his works. Among the works I wish was available is an unfinished play titled "Welcome Table," which speaks to matters I'm concerned about. Perhaps we can learn something from his separation from institutionalized Christianity, as he bore witness to the failings of both white and black churches. Garrett points out that "To the end of his life, Baldwin spoke of the concept of the welcome table, a place where this brotherhood and sisterhood, this kind of live, this kind of unity might be possible" (p. 79). As one might expect, Baldwin devoted much of his life and work, his literature and his activism, to matters of race. He experienced the full impact of racism and addressed it, even as the Civil Rights Movement was fully underway. He reminds us that racism has been with us as a nation from the beginning, and unfortunately, long after his death, it's still with us. But he helps us wrestle with this stain on our society. Baldwin believed, rightly so, that race is a social construct that has been erected by white folks to subjugate Black people and other people of color. This construct has damaged both Black and White. One of the stories present in the book concerns a meeting that Baldwin helped set up with Bobby Kennedy, then Attorney General, in 1963, with a set of influential Black people. What we see here is that Kennedy called the meeting in many ways to let these African Americans know how much he and the administration had done and was taken aback when his conversation partners challenged him. It serves as a reminder of how well-meaning white people fail to truly understand the realities experienced by others. Despite everything he experienced he remained optimistic about the future. Unfortunately, that optimism has experienced a rather hard hit in recent years. Nevertheless, he offers a witness that addresses where we fall short. Related to matters of race, Garrett takes us to a discussion of "Baldwin on Justice." Here we discover that Baldwin spoke not only to race but to other matters of injustice, including poverty and incarceration. He invites us to speak out. Not only did Baldwin write about faith, race, and justice, but he also addressed identity. Garrett points out that the titles of many of Baldwin's works speak of a lack of knowing and being known. Interestingly, in his interviews, Baldwin tended to resist defining himself. In his mind, Garrett suggests there will come a day "when we reach that New Jerusalem, when we all sit at the Welcome Table, there will be no need for names, labels, distinctions, or identities that divide or group us. Not the ones imposed on us by others, nor the ones we chose to use to define ourselves." (p. 143). Of course, we're not there yet, but the question of identity is one that we wrestle with and Baldwin does so as well in his works. As seen in his works, including that final unfinished play, Baldwin wants us to reject the status quo and "work toward a future where hatred and prejudice will, always, be overwhelmed by love" (p. 160). That is, I believe Gospel. Garrett closes the book where he begins, on pilgrimage. He takes a journey to the Swiss Alps, to Leukerbad, where he finishes this book, along with a novel he had been working on for six years. He returns to this important place in Baldwin's life to reflect on Baldwin's influence on his life and work. While Baldwin might be an unlikely saint, Garrett believes that is exactly what he is. As he writes: "Saints are not saints because they're picture-perfect. They're saints because they show up and put their hands in the real and get them dirty. And they're saints because they inspire us." (p. 164). That is what Garrett believes St. James Baldwin does in his life and his works. As I noted at the top, I've not read much of Baldwin's works, but I am inspired to do so. Garrett has done an exemplary job introducing us to this unlikely saint who addresses difficult questions and yet remains hopeful that love will triumph. That is something worth catching hold of. ...more |
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Oct 27, 2023
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Nov 04, 2023
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Oct 27, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 0802875297
| 9780802875297
| 0802875297
| 4.20
| 5
| unknown
| Aug 01, 2023
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really liked it
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I will confess. I love singing hymns. A good sermon is always welcome, but song is the key. Successful evangelists from Dwight L. Moody to Billy Graha
I will confess. I love singing hymns. A good sermon is always welcome, but song is the key. Successful evangelists from Dwight L. Moody to Billy Graham have understood that reality. For Moody, it was Ira Stankey and for Billy Graham, it was Cliff Barrows and George Beverly Shea. These evangelical ministries not only engaged in evangelistic/revivalistic outreach, they also influenced hymnody and worship music. If you like singing "How Great Thou Art" it's likely because the Billy Graham Crusades, mainly George Beverly Shea, made it popular. That's true whether we knew the connection between the evangelistic ministry and our experiences of the hymn. Edith Blumhoffer (1950-2020) was a well-regarded historian and the former director of the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton College, where she also taught. Bluhoffer is also the author of several well-regarded biographies of leading figures in evangelical history, including Fanny Crosby and Aimee Semple McPherson. She passed away before she could complete "Songs I Love to Sing," and therefore it was brought to completion by Larry Eskridge. While it was essentially complete, as Eskridge notes in his preface, it lacked her final touch. Nevertheless, Eskridge was able to bring together a very readable and important look at the role music played in the Graham ministry and Christian life in general. While Billy Graham plays an important role in this story, as he's the face and spoken voice of the Billy Graham Crusades, he is not the focus of the book. The focus here is on the role music played in the ministry, which brings Cliff Barrows, Graham's music director, and George Beverly Shea, his long-time soloist into focus. Perhaps Graham would have been successful without the music, but probably not as successful as he proved to be. Blumhofer notes in her introduction that Christians in every generation "sing their faith in lyrics that reflect their circumstances and music that mirrors their times." Some hymns and songs transcend time and others are for the moment. Therefore, she writes that "Billy Graham and his associates George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows recognized the universal appeal and usefulness of music wedded to preaching and made it an anchor of a new and global burst of evangelical endeavor" (p. 1). Graham's final crusade may have taken place in 2005, but he remains influential and the music that was connected to the crusades continues to resonate, even if new music has taken center stage. That, we learn is something that Graham and his colleagues had to learn, as music tastes changed. They might not be big fans of Christian rock, but they understood its value. Thus, this book is about the role music played in the Billy Graham Crusades. Blumhofer begins her story by introducing us to the three primary figures in this story, Graham, Shea, and Barrows. She begins with Bev Shea. the eldest of the three, and already a known quantity when the team began to form. Shea was a Canadian, who early in life got involved in the music and radio industries. He was involved in radio ministry in Chicago when he became acquainted with Torrey Johnson, the founder of Youth for Chr,ist. Next, we meet Billy Graham, who was a few years younger than Shea. Unlike Shea, Graham had no musical talent but like D. L. Moody before him, he created the setting in which Shea and Cliff Barrow could work. Blumhoffer gives us a brief biography of Graham. It was in Chicago, where Graham was preaching at Village Church that he met anwithing with Shea. The final member of this trio, Cliff Barrows, was several years younger. A Californian, he had developed his musical talents, which were put to use in his church. Originally planning to study to be a physician, his life took a different turn in 1937, while at a Bible conference, he felt a call to ministry. That led to his studies at Bob Jones College, where he pursued an education in music and radio work. After graduation, and ordination as a Baptist minister, he met Billy Graham in 1945. Soon, he became part of Graham's YFC team. After introducing us to each of the three figures, Blumhoffer shares how the team began coming together in 1946. Barrow joined Graham's team first, while Graham prevailed on Shea to join the team in 1947. This partnership would last until the very end of Graham's ministry. We learn how Graham and Barrows began studying earlier revivals, including those of Moody and Billy Sunday, as to how music factored into these ministries. After the team was formed each member brought their own experiences to the partnership. Shea was a well-known soloist. Barrow the song leader and choir director. Together the two guided the musical part of the ministry. They worked in tandem with Graham who guided the overall effort. Now that Blumhofer has introduced us to the to the team, detailing the gifts brought to the partnership, she introduces us to the sources and influences on their music, beginning with the influence of religious radio. She notes that at this time Mainline Protestants owned the primary airwaves, taking advantage of free air time. With that unavailable, evangelicals like Charles Fuller and others purchased air time, their choice of music would influence evangelical musical tastes. We are also introduced to music creators such as Herman Rodeheaver, who worked with Billy Sunday and went on to become a major music publisher. Among the influences and sources that the trio drew from was Fanny Crosby, whose hymns were well known and widely appreciated, especially "Blessed Assurance." Another hymn of note that became connected to the ministry was "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name." The music chosen by the team provided a foundation for the developing ministry. Then in Chapter 5, Blumhofer discusses the theme music, the songs that became especially connected to the ministry. Perhaps the most famous would be "Just as I Am." I've always known of that connection. What I didn't know was the way in which "How Great Thou Art," a song beloved in many mainline churches, was introduced to the world, in the form we know it, by George Beverly Shea in 1955, after being introduced to it in 1954. Blumhofer gives us a brief history of that song, which will be of interest to many. So far Bluhofer has introduced us to the key members of the team, including their backgrounds and gifts. We've learned how they contributed to the ministry. We've encountered influences and sources, including the theme music. Then in chapter 6, Blumhofer takes note of the Guest Voices. While Barrows was the song leader and choir director (mass choirs were an important part of the events), and Shea offered his solos, they were not the only musical elements of the event. They chose to include a variety of musical talent that not only graced the event with their music but served as witnesses to the work of God in their lives. These folks were often local figures. But they also drew on nationally known talent such as Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and Johnny Cash. They also tried to bring diversity to the stage through these efforts, bringing to the event peole like Mahalia Jackson and Ethel Waters. The seventh chapter is titled "Translation." In this chapter, Blumhofer discusses Graham's realization that musical tastes had begun changing in the 1960s. While rock music might not be the kind of music that the trio embraced, they began to understand that they needed to find ways of including it. So, in this chapter, we learn of the various ways in which Graham either partnered with others or created places within his evangelistic ministry for newer forms of music from Amy Grant to DC Talk. By the late 80s and into the 90s, they began to look for ways of creating different forms of events, where concerts took center stage, while Graham's messages became shorter, with more advice from Grandfather. Overall, these seemed successful. In a "Coda," a perfect music term, Blumhofer shares about the 2005 final crusade in Flushing Meadows, not far from Madison Square Garden where his 1957 Crusade had "cemented Graham's position as the nation's preeminent evangelical voice and introduced the nation -- and the world -- to Bev Shea's iconic rendition of 'How Great Thou Art': (p. 149). While Graham has come under criticism for his ministry, some of which was well-deserved, he was also attentive to the changing times. But again, this is not a book about Graham's evangelistic work. It's a book about music. For that reason, this will be of interest to many in the church whether music professionals or lay folks. For clergy, this serves as a reminder that our sermons will reach more ears and hearts if partnered with the music of the church. ...more |
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Aug 04, 2023
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| 9781498288965
| B0855MQKTT
| 4.25
| 16
| unknown
| Feb 24, 2020
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really liked it
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Aug 02, 2023
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Aug 02, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 1506488366
| 9781506488363
| 1506488366
| 4.46
| 13
| unknown
| Nov 07, 2023
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really liked it
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I had heard the name bell hooks (she spelled her name in lowercase letters) but I had not read her nor did I know much about her life and work. Then,
I had heard the name bell hooks (she spelled her name in lowercase letters) but I had not read her nor did I know much about her life and work. Then, I was sent an advanced reader's copy of Nadra Nittle's book "bell hooks' Spiritual Vision." Having recently read an advanced reader's copy of the spiritual biography of Tina Turner --- Dancing in My Dreams: A Spiritual Biography of Tina Turner (Library of Religious Biography, which focuses on Turner's syncretistic spirituality that included a mixture of Christianity, Buddhism, and other spiritualities, this book, which focuses on hooks' syncretistic spirituality that mixes Christianity and Buddhism intrigued me since both women were in life African Americans. While Tina Turner was a rock star, bell hooks' was a feminist scholar and author. There are similarities in their stories, as both experienced dysfunctional home lives as children, but found spiritual support and sustenance from maternal grandmothers who introduced the two women to alternate spiritualities that helped sustain them in life. The author of this introduction to the spiritual vision of bell hooks is Nadra Nittle, a journalist based in Los Angeles. She is also the author of Toni Morrison's Spiritual Vision: Faith, Folktales, and Feminism in Her Life and Literature, the first in a trilogy of books examining the spiritual visions of three African Americans, with the book on hooks being the second in the series. Being that I've not read hooks, who died in December 2021, nor known much if anything about her, this book served as an introduction to hooks' life and work. Nittle helps us understand how hooks' spiritual journey connected with her becoming an important feminist theorist and cultural critic, as well as a scholar and writer. At a time when we are seeing efforts to oppose "wokeism" in our schools and cultural institutions, this book serves as an important response. While hooks had much to overcome in life, Nittle doesn't portray hooks as a victim. Yet, the oppressive realities she faced as a black woman, both within the black community and outside, helped her craft her feminist response. That response is rooted in a message of love, that hooks believed stood as a "remedy to the world's social problems due to a spiritual practice steeped in Buddhism and Christianity" (p. 2). This spirituality served as a foundation for her political, personal, and professional life. This spiritual foundation has been, Nittle notes, underrecognized. Thus, she writes that "this book reframes the work of hooks to better reflect her identity as both a radical feminist and a believer --- motivated by love as a force for revolution" (p. 3). For those, who like me, do not know much about hooks life and background, Nittle reveals that hooks was born in 1952 as Gloria Jean Watkins, one of seven children, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. We learn about hooks' life story in chapter two, a chapter titled "The Girl with Too Much Spirit." But before we learn about that part of her life, Nittle introduces us in chapter 1 to hooks' Buddhist-Christian love ethic that is revealed in books such as "All About Love." Her work as a cultural critic led to a backlash, especially as she wrote against the portrayal of hypersexualized, enslaved Black female bodies. While not everyone appreciated her perspective, she saw her work as one of liberation rooted in her synthesis of Christianity and Buddhism, the latter especially rooted in her engagement with the work of Thich Nhat Hahn. So, after introducing us to this Buddhist-Christian spiritual vision, we learn more about hooks' life in chapter 2. We learn that her family found it difficult to accept her spiritedness. Thus, she transgressed the prescribed social order, a life direction that her family believed would preclude a husband, children, and economic security. She was told that "her intelligence is a problem because men don't like smart women." She was also criticized for being too skinny. Additionally, her interest in classical literature was treated with suspicion. All of this is described, we learn, in hooks' autobiography Bone Black. Her childhood experiences led to her embrace of child liberation theology. While her childhood was difficult, she also learned from her experiences in the black church. She was especially helped by one of the women in the church, Miss Erma, who took a special interest in her. While her immediate family could be abusive, she found supportive influences from her maternal grandparents, such that her grandfather, Daddy Gus, contributed to her development as a nonviolent feminist and anticapitalist. In chapter 3, we are introduced to "Christianity for the Outcast." People such as Miss Erma, a disabled deacon in her church, and Daddy Gus, introduced her to an empathetic, loving Christianity that was much different from the narrow Christianity of her Aunt Charley. Additionally, she learned a more syncretistic spirituality from her maternal grandmother, Saru, who introduced her to African spirituality. Saru served as a role model for her life. She learned meditative practices that would help her develop her Buddhist practices. This discussion is followed in Chapter 4 with an exploration of "A Feminist Approach to Spirituality." Her introduction to feminism took place during her college years in the 1970s. As she became involved with the Feminist movement, she learned to love herself and experienced healing from patriarchal assaults whether in the context of the family of origin or intimate relationships. One of the figures she drew upon was Julian of Norwich, whose writings on the "Revelation of Divine Love," provided her with a lens to visualize the divinity of the feminine. In Chapter 5, Nittle takes us more deeply into hooks' anticapitalist ideology and her rejection of religious fundamentalism. She was concerned about the growth of capitalist-rooted alternative religious schemes, where the promise of healing was connected to the exchange of money. More importantly, she critiqued fundamentalist religion that oppressed, especially women and women of color in particular. She did this as she blended her experiences with Christianity and Buddhism, always emphasizing the love ethic. Chapter 6 focuses on the message of her book All About Love: New Visions, under the title "Love Is Everything." Nittle writes that "Drawing on Buddhist, Protestant, Catholic, and New get Traditions as well as humanistic psychology, hooks grounds love in religion. Her radical politics also inform her characterization of love, for she states that the antidotes to lovelessness include emotional honesty and commitment, the liberation of children, the end of gender essentialism, and rejection of patriarchal and capitalist norms." (p. 87). In the book, she encourages her readers to shift their understanding of love from feelings to action. I've not read this book, which returned to the bestseller lists during COVID, but it does seem to speak to a biblical vision of love that transcends romance to commitment and trust. That message is continued in chapter 7, "New Visions of Romance and Relationships." Nittle reports that she received pushback on the message and belief system in her book "All About Love," from the academic community and book reviewers who viewed her perspective on love as not sufficiently rational. Nevertheless, she stood strong in her perspective, making this a book worth exploring. Nittle's book is not long and yet it introduces us to a figure with an important word that is rooted in spirituality. We discover how Buddhism and Christianity can come together in one person's spiritual development to offer a vision of love that speaks loudly to the world where love is often absent, where oppression and greed are everywhere. May this book serve as an invitation to consider the work and message of bell hooks. ...more |
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Jul 23, 2023
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Aug 13, 2023
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Jul 23, 2023
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Paperback
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| 1514006626
| 9781514006627
| 1514006626
| 4.17
| 47
| unknown
| Jun 27, 2023
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really liked it
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Jonathan Edwards is probably best known for a sermon about "sinners in the hands of an angry God." It's a fire and brimstone sermon that one might exp
Jonathan Edwards is probably best known for a sermon about "sinners in the hands of an angry God." It's a fire and brimstone sermon that one might expect from a fundamentalist preacher, but probably not from someone considered America's greatest theologian, or at least one of the greatest. Unfortunately, that sermon, whatever its merits or demerits, has overshadowed Edwards' larger work. Thus, we need to be continually reintroduced to Edwards and his theology so that we can see the larger picture. While I do not share much of Edwards' theology, I do believe he is someone worthy of getting to know in his fullness. Edwards was fully Reformed (Calvinist) in his theology. He was also fully acquainted with and utilized the philosophical movements and tools of the Enlightenment. He spent much of his life and ministry serving a church located in Western Massachusetts, which in the 18th century was the frontier. He was a creature of his own time, but George Marsden, who has written two biographies (one lengthy and one shorter) of Edwards believes he is also a person for our time. In other words, he has a message that can speak to the twenty-first century. As such, he sees parallels between Edwards and C.S. Lewis. Although the two were very different, with Lewis being a theological minimalist (Mere Christianity) and Edwards a theological maximalist. What Lewis reminds us is that theologians often need translators, Edwards needs translating, and Marsden seeks to be that translator, making Edwards accessible to the 21st-century church. Since Marsden has already written two biographies of Edwards, this book has biographical details but isn't a biography proper. Instead, it serves as a translation of Edwards' message for the twenty-first century. But, we need to remember his context. He was the product of a large family, mostly women and children. He lived before the more progressive era that led to the American Revolution, and though living in Massachusetts and Connecticut, he owned slaves, though he was vocally anti-racist. It should be noted that the next generation of Edwardsian theologians including his son and Samuel Hopkins were abolitionists. His life on the frontier also influenced his thinking, as his community, Northampton at times was fortified against attacks from Native Americans. That was even more true at Stockbridge. He was also fully British in his loyalties. Nevertheless, he lived to the edge of two overlapping eras, the age of the Puritans and the Modern era. Thus, he read both Puritan divines and Newton and Locke. Having laid out the foundations for Edwards' life and ministry, in chapter 3, Marsden locates Edwards in "The Culture that Franklin Built." Franklin's world was much more urban and cosmopolitan than Edwards' world. Marsden suggests that we would likely feel more at home with Franklin than with Edwards. Franklin could imagine a future that might look a lot like ours, while Edwards' looked more to the past. While Franklin had a more modern view of the world than Edwards, he believes that Edwards' core vision, rooted in Augustinian Christianity, can help us discern the contrasts between the assumptions of our time and the Christian message. Contrasting Edwards with Franklin can help us with that discernment. While Chapter 2 places Edwards in the context of the emerging modern worldview, in Chapter 3, Marsden introduces us to a key aspect of Edwards' theology, and that would be the beauty of God. While Edwards is known for his sermon that pictures an angry God, more central to his theology is beauty. He began with God's sovereignty, a foundational Reformed position, but he sought to expand that vision by drawing on philosophy to envision God's role as creator and sustainer of the universe. Thus, he was open to the teachings of science to better understand that world. As he did so, he also drew on theology to see the universe as being an expression of a loving God. Rather than the universe operating on impersonal laws of nature, for Edwards, these material forces are a "personal expression of the exploding or overflowing love of the loving triune God" (p. 48). As we read this chapter we gain a very different understanding of Edwards and his theology. While Edwards could be narrowly focused at times, he had a broader vision than we often credit him with. If Chapter 3 focuses on Edwards' understanding of God, in Chapter 4 we turn to his participation in the First Great Awakening, comparing his efforts with George Whitefield, his revivalist contemporary. I should note that Edwards invited Whitefield to preach at Northampton. While they were friends and colleagues, Marsden notes that as time passed, Whitefield became closer to Benjamin Franklin than Edwards. That might in part be due to Franklin's location in Philadelphia, where Whitefield often visited., Nonetheless, the two were important contributors to the revivalist spirit of the 1740s and 1750s. Marsden also notes that the more populist forms of evangelicalism have more in common with Whitefield, who was a well-known celebrity than the more theologically inclined Edwards. In fact, Edwards was a strictly Reformed believer. In Chapter 5, Marsden explores Edwards' attempts to discern authentic Christian experience. It is a question he explored in his A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (In Three Parts), Revised Edition. Marsden suggests we might better translate that title as "A Treatise on Religious Loves." Edwards isn't speaking here of emotions or feelings, ala Schleiermacher, but is defined in terms of loving what God loves. It brings joy, yes, but something deeper. He understood that heightened emotions that often come in response to revival can be short-lived, so here he envisions a much more balanced vision of the Christian life, which is behavioral. That is, it involves right action. It is to pursue a life of moral excellency. Marsden includes in an appendix Edwards' sermon from 1733, "A Divine and Supernatural Life." This sermon gives us a better sense of Edwards' theology than the more famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." There is much about Jonathan Edwards's theology and ministry that I cannot embrace, however, while he was a man of his time, and not nearly as open to the world as Benjamin Franklin, he has something valuable to teach us in the 21st Century. He can help us ponder what it means to live an authentic Christian life, one that reflects not the angry God, but the God of true beauty. Again, this is not a biography per see (Marsden has written two of them) but an exploration of a message that Edwards might share with 21st-century Christians, especially American evangelicals, many of whom have embraced a populism that is less than conducive to loving what God loves, and loving as God loves. ...more |
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Jul 23, 2023
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Aug 04, 2023
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Jul 23, 2023
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Hardcover
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| B003GWX8JO
| 3.64
| 7,028
| Dec 23, 2008
| unknown
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it was amazing
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Charles Darwin is, of course, linked in the minds of most, whether positively or not, with the theory of evolution through natural selection. But who
Charles Darwin is, of course, linked in the minds of most, whether positively or not, with the theory of evolution through natural selection. But who was he? What was his personality and the nature of his relationships? Those are the questions that are explored in this book, which apparently was directed to "Young Adults" but which I think is worthy reading for folks of any age. Central to this story is the relationship of Charles to his wife Emma. Though they differed on religion, they were deeply devoted to one another and to their family. He was a noted scientist, but much more than that. As for matters of faith, he might not have been religious, but he treated those who believed and yet were open on matters of science with deep respect. This included some of his closest friends such as Charles Lyell.
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Jun 11, 2023
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Jul 02, 2023
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Jun 11, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 0802878636
| 9780802878632
| 0802878636
| 4.00
| 6
| unknown
| Nov 07, 2023
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really liked it
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Just a day before Tina Turner died I received an advanced reader's copy of a new spiritual biography of the singer. That is a bit eerie, but it is the
Just a day before Tina Turner died I received an advanced reader's copy of a new spiritual biography of the singer. That is a bit eerie, but it is the truth. Tina Turner was known in life as the Queen of Rock and Roll. Whether you were a fan or not, at least if you were of a certain age, you knew the name. You might know some of her songs, especially "Proud Mary." As for the spiritual dimensions of her life, that might not be as well-known. At least, I knew little to nothing about her spiritual life. Yet, as we discover in this biography by Ralph Craig III, she had a rich and diverse spiritual life that enabled her to overcome tremendous odds in life, including an abusive marriage to Ike Turner. This contribution to the Eerdmans Library of Religious Biography invites us to explore the life of this amazing singer and performer who was known as much for her dancing as her singing. The dancing aspect of her performances is captured in the title, and as for the latter, the singing voice, it was powerful. I will confess that while I have known of her for much of my life---her career began at about the same time I was born --- I wasn't a fan. Nevertheless, as I read through this biography became drawn into her life story. As I write this review, Ralph Craig's "Dancing in My Dreams" is not scheduled for publication until the late fall of 2023. So, if you don't want to read any spoilers, you might want to stop reading! This is the story of a woman born and raised in rural Tennessee, outside Memphis. While we know her as Tina Turner, her birth name was Anna Mae Bullock. Her now famous moniker was given to her by her husband Ike even before their marriage. Early in life her parents divorced and left her in the care of her two grandmothers. The two grandmothers were very different and contributed differently to her spiritual development. Her grandmother on her father's side was a strict Baptist, and it was in the context of the Black Baptist churches that she began to develop her powerful singing voice. On her mother's side, she was introduced to more non-traditional spiritual ways, including mysticism, Native American spiritual traditions and practices, and supernaturalism. While she was in and out of her parents' homes, while living with her mother she was also introduced to Pentecostalism. All of this expresses different forms of Southern religious culture. While still in high school in St. Louis, she met Ike Turner, who allowed her to occasionally sing with his band. This experience introduced her to the Blues and R&B. In time she became an integral part of the band and then the wife of Ike, who we discover was very controlling and abusive. It would take many years for Tina to extricate herself from Ike's control. We learn a lot here about the 1960s racial climate, though neither Ike nor Tina was active in the Civil Rights Movement. In these early years, Anna Mae, now Tina Turner, began to draw on the mysticism of her maternal grandmother. As time passes we see how this leads to a variety of spiritual frameworks, including astrology, psychics, and eventually Soka Gakkai Nichiren Buddhism. It was in the early 1970s, as Tina began to break free of Ike's control that she began to explore Ska Gakkai Nichiren Buddhism. She was first introduced to Buddhism in the early 1970s by friends and by her son Ronnie. Ralph Craig helpfully introduces us to Soka Gakkai Nichiren Buddhism, which was founded in 1930 in Japan. While Turner began to engage with Buddhism she didn't give up her interest in astrology or consulting psychics. Her attraction to Buddhism was combined with her interest in various forms of metaphysical religion. Turner's move into Buddhism coincided with her break with Ike, which was quite difficult as Ike was very controlling. Launching her own career was difficult as well since many venues and recording companies did not welcome her as a Black woman. It was her engagement with Buddhism that helped her manage this transition into a new life without Ike. We learn a lot about the challenges of this breakup that eventually allowed Tina to own her own identity as Tina Turner. Fortunately, with the help of other musicians including David Bowie, she was able to launch a career that made her one of the best-known singers in the world. Interestingly, she made her mark first in Europe. While this is a spiritual biography, privileging her spiritual life, this is also a true biography so we gain insight into her career, which eventually took off allowing her to achieve her dream of filling arenas. Again, it was her engagement with Buddhism, especially chanting that helped her achieve her dreams, dreams that included overcoming both racism and sexism in the music industry. While she achieved her dream of becoming a successful solo artist who filled stadiums and arenas, she had one more dream left to be fulfilled. That dream involved becoming a religious teacher. As early as the mid-1980s, Tina began to dream of becoming a religious teacher. However, moving into that role did not come until after she retired from live performing. Before that, she would limit the discussion of her beliefs to interviews. Eventually, however, she would enter into opportunities to engage in spiritual teaching in the early 2000s. This included releasing albums and books that expressed her beliefs. While we may know her best for her music, as Ralph Craig notes, "At every major juncture of Turner's life there was religion: she learned to dream in the cotton fields of Nutbush and found comfort in the natural, earthly spirituality of her maternal grandmother. This spirituality was itself rooted in a stream of Black southern religious culture that centered conjure, root work, dreams, visions, signs, and the wilderness experience" (p. 217). But that was not the only contributor. There was also her paternal grandmother's Black Baptist tradition that helped her find her singing voice in the church choir. Ultimately, it would be in the context of Buddhism that she would find her independent voice as a singer, person, and ultimately as a religious teacher. I believe that readers of this biography will come to a new appreciation of the singer known for her dancing and singing, but who was much more than that. Whether we share her religious beliefs and practices, we discover here how they formed her and sustained her in life. For that reason, this will be a welcome biography. ...more |
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May 26, 2023
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Jun 12, 2023
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May 26, 2023
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Hardcover
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| 0802877273
| 9780802877277
| 0802877273
| 3.82
| 22
| unknown
| Apr 20, 2023
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it was amazing
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At one point in my life, I was fully enmeshed in Pentecostalism. I may have left the movement, but it made an imprint on me (see my books Unfettered S
At one point in my life, I was fully enmeshed in Pentecostalism. I may have left the movement, but it made an imprint on me (see my books Unfettered Spirit: Spiritual Gifts for the New Great Awakening. Second Expanded Edition and Called to Bless: Finding Hope by Reclaiming Our Spiritual Roots). As I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, even before my encounter with Pentecostalism as a movement, I had heard of Oral Robertslargely from seeing him on his TV specials featuring his son Richard and the World Action Singers. Later friends went to Oral Roberts University. So, I knew about him and his influence on a certain segment of Christianity -- especially regarding healing ministry and eventually a form of the prosperity gospel. The question remained --- who is Oral Roberts? Looking back in time, having watched various prosperity gospelers from Kenneth Copeland to Joel Osteen, with scandals aplenty (Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart), Roberts seemed to rise above the worst of the prosperity preachers. Questions were raised about his fundraising, but unlike Baker and Swaggart, there were no sex scandals. Now, with Jonathan Root's contribution to Eerdmans' Library of Religious Biography, we have access to the full story of one of the most influential preachers/evangelists of the second half of the twentieth century., Root is a postdoctoral teaching fellow in history at the University of Missouri, focusing his attention on the relationship between the Prosperity Gospel and American culture. In relationship to the prosperity gospel, Oral Roberts may not, in Root's estimation, have been the father of the prosperity gospel, he spread its message through the concept of seed faith, a concept that he used through time to fundraise for his various projects, including the founding of Oral Roberts University. As we move through Robert's life, Root offers a picture that is complicated. There are positives to his life and ministry and of course major problems. Root helps us see both the good and the bad about Roberts, rooting his story in his origin story as the son of a poor farmer/preacher affiliated with the Pentecostal Holiness denomination. We learn that Roberts was somewhat precocious -- smart but facing many challenges that included the poverty of his growing up years, the Pentecostal context, a bout of tuberculosis, and stuttering. It was the experience of tuberculosis that served as a driving force in his commitment to healing ministry, something that the Pentecostal Holiness denomination did not emphasize. The poverty contributed to a sense of insecurity that led to a need to build ministries and eventually buildings --- including the University, a medical center, and more. Born in Oklahoma early in the 20th century, he came to reject the idea held by many early Pentecostals, especially of his denomination, that to be Christian was to live in poverty. As he grew up he desired to escape poverty and make something of himself. We learn of Roberts's Cherokee ancestry on his mother's side, which opened his eyes at different points to the question of integration and civil rights. As he matured, came to faith, got married to Evelyn, he began his life of ministry. He began to make a name for himself as a Pentecostal Holiness preacher/evangelist. He also got caught up in generational conflicts, especially regarding support by his denomination for evangelists. He also bucked the trends of his denomination by emphasizing the importance of education, though he was himself a high school dropout. In 1941 he took his first pastorate in North Carolina, leaving that congregation a year later to take up a ministry in Oklahoma. This ministry was largely successful, with the congregation growing. He also pursued education first at Oklahoma Baptist University and then at Phillips University. In addition, his second child, Ronald was born during this period. While there was much success during this period, he became restless, beginning with his efforts to help launch Southwestern College in Oklahoma City to train ministers for the Pentecostal Holiness churches. He also, by 1946, began to feel the call to healing ministry. Thus, in 1947, he began to hold healing services at his church in Enid, Oklahoma. As news spread of the healings at his services, he began to receive invitations to bring his ministry to other communities. It was during this period that the family moved to Tulsa, where he became one of the city's leading citizens. Beginning in 1947, Roberts began his healing ministry in earnest, beginning in Tulsa. By 1951, he had preached to 1.5 million people in eleven healing campaigns. He also sold thousands of copies of his books and had a newsletter, Healing Waters, with over a million subscribers. As Oral began his revival ministry, her purchased a series of ever larger tents in which to hold his meetings that attracted audiences of up to 10,000 at a time. Key to these revivals was the healing lines. We follow the story from the tent revival to radio and finally to TV in the 1950s. Of course, all of this required money, and thus fundraising. That became a staple of his ministry, always needing more to pay for his work. Throughout Root's biography, we learn about Roberts' relationship with his family. Because often on the road, it was Evelyn who kept the family that included four children together. We see some of the problems faced by the family, including the challenges faced by Oral's brilliant son Ronald. Throughout Evelyn stood by her husband, who despite his travels apparently remained faithful to her. It was in the early 1960s that he began to envision the founding of a university that would serve young people like his son Ronnie, who were "bright, curious, worldly, and Pentecostal." In other words, he envisioned something different from the typical Pentecostal Bible colleges. So, in 1961 he purchased property in Tulsa, where he planned to build his university. The university was formally established in 1962, and it becomes a central focus of the remainder of the book, as Roberts' dream of a leading, modern, Christian university began to take shape, a vision that, as we discover, always struggled to remain financially solvent. Again, he had to engage in significant fundraising, using his concept of seed faith, a form or prosperity teaching, to draw in donations large and small. He also chose to name the university after himself, because he believed that his supporters wouldn't give to the university without his name attached. As the vision took shape, we find out that the athletic Roberts wanted to establish a powerful basketball program, such that by the early 1970s, he had a team that completed for a national title. But he wasn't finished. His commitment to health and healing, which emerged out of his own illness and healing, led to the establishment of a medical school and hospital (City of Faith) that created problems within the city of Tulsa, with some supporting his venture, while the majority of the medical community opposed it, fearing the prospect of too many beds to support the existing hospitals. This did become a problem as the City of Faith never became the national draw Roberts envisioned. Another element that we encounter in the book is Roberts' need for respectability, especially in Tulsa. This included joining exclusive golf clubs and joining the Methodist Church. This latter move caused problems with many of his allies and supporters, who believed this would damage his ministry. One of the more problematic dimensions of his fundraising efforts came in 1980, as he was raising money to support his hospital. He claimed that a 900-foot Jesus appeared to him with a message that called on his supporters to give generously as they would be blessed if they did so. Later he would speak of another vision that unless his supporters provided eight million dollars in a short period God would call him home. These visions led to much ridicule and concern that damaged his image even further. All of this took place in the 1980s, as the Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart scandals broke. By 1989 the vision of a grand university with a medical and law school had come to a close. His law school moved to CBN University (Regent University) and the medical school and hospital had closed. The damage was done, and the ministry struggled. His son Richard would eventually take over the presidency of the university and leadership of the evangelistic association. Regarding the former, he would fail and thus hand over leadership to others who separated the two entities. Evelyn died in 2005 and Oral in 2009 at age 91. As we read this biography we read of his exploits, his challenges (including the suicide of his son Ronnie and Richard's divorce from Patty), and his influence on evangelicalism. We learn that Roberts sought to stay out of politics (unlike some of his contemporaries). While he didn't have a clean record, he sought to integrate his revivals and later his university. In part, this was due to his own Native American heritage. Root writes that Oral's life and ministry were controlled by two competing feelings. First of all, was a sense of divine calling, that went back to his mother's continued reminder that she had dedicated Oral to God's service. The other side of the coin was a deep insecurity that was rooted in the poverty of his early years. He was committed to never being poor again, and thus he devoted himself to creating edifices that spoke to his prosperity. Both of these feelings eventuated in the City of Faith, as the building of the complex put everything at risk. It also contributed to his fund-raising efforts that pushed the envelope. As Root notes, "Roberts's theologies of prosperity and seed faith fostered a sense of invincibility and aversion to facts" (p. 2030. In the end, Root writes that in attempting to bridge Christian faith with the surrounding culture, "Oral Roberts represented twentieth-century Christianity's greatest hopes and its worst failures" (p. 204). Robert's life and ministry offer a cautionary tale for the Christian community. While he didn't pursue the political dimensions so prominent today in evangelicalism, and especially Pentecostalism, he contributed to the crass materialism that has taken hold in significant parts of the Christian community. Root also speaks to the complicated nature of lives such as Roberts's. That is an important contribution. I would recommend this biography to all who wish to understand these dynamics. It might help to also read the biography by Amy Collier Artmann, The Miracle Lady: Kathryn Kuhlman and the Transformation of Charismatic ChristianityThe Miracle Lady: Kathryn Kuhlman and the Transformation of Charismatic Christianity in this series, that details the life and ministry of Katherine Kuhlman, who was a contemporary but not apparently in Roberts' orbit. Together we get a sense of healing revivals and empire-building in the second half of the twentieth century. ...more |
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May 11, 2023
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May 17, 2023
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May 20, 2023
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Paperback
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| 1666738999
| 9781666738995
| 1666738999
| 4.00
| 4
| unknown
| Jan 06, 2023
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really liked it
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When we think of the Reformation, we generally think of Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin (though Calvin was essentially second generation). They were not,
When we think of the Reformation, we generally think of Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin (though Calvin was essentially second generation). They were not, of course, alone in their reforming efforts. After Luther got started other reforming movements either inspired by or completely independent of Luther emerged. Among the lesser-known, but very important contributors to the Reformation was Martin Bucer, the Reformer of Strasbourg, in what is today France. Those of us who have an interest in the English Reformation will know that Bucer spent the last few years of his life in England, serving as a professor at Cambridge and an advisor to Thomas Cranmer. So, who is Martin Bucer and what are his theological views? Donald McKim and Jim West have written this contribution to the Cascade Companions series. They had previously contributed a book in the series on Zwingli's successor at Zurich, Heinrich Bullinger. Thus, in a sense, this book serves as a companion to the earlier volume. Martin Bucer is one of those names that people might be familiar with but not know why. Thus, in this relatively brief book, McKim and West offer us a brief biography in eighteen pages. We learn enough here to perhaps want more. From there the authors take us on a journey through Bucer's theological positions, starting with Scripture, moving on to God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Sin and Salvation, Church and Ministry, Word and Sacraments, The State and Last Things. What we learn in this work is that Bucer was what we might call an ecumenist. He was present at Marburg, Speyer, and Augsburg. He sought to mediate between the harder edge positions of Luther on one hand and Zwingli on the other. Though unsuccessful, he provided resources, including confessions that sought a middle way. It was a position that he took at Strasbourg until he was ejected for opposing the decrees of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, that would have given Roman Catholics more privileges in Strasbourg. We learn in several places, but especially in chapter nine where he talks about the State and Last Things (Bucer wrote very little on eschatology, but essentially took a traditional Reformed position). Regarding the State, we see how he understood the relationship between church and state, assuming as most of the Reformers did, that this was a partnership between the two. Thus, his success in Strasbourg was due in large part to the partnership, and his downfall came as a result of his break with the State. We learn in the Introduction and in Chapter 1, where the authors lay out Bucer's life, that he was born in 1491 in an Alsatian village. He would eventually enter the Dominican Order in 1507. This allowed him to further his education at Heidelberg and Mainz, being ordained a priest at Mainz in 1516, a year before Luther issued his 95 Theses. At the time of Luther's declaration, Bucer was pursuing his doctorate at Heidelberg, but for some reason did not complete it. It's important, as the authors note, that one of the contributing to Bucer's eventual conversion to the Reformation position was his encounter with Luther at Heidelberg, where he witnessed Luther's debate with a Dominican. Luther's position provided convincing. He was also influenced by the Humanism of Erasmus, which called for a return to the sources. Thus, Bucer sought to root his own beliefs in Scripture. He would leave the Dominican order in 1520, receiving his final release from monastic vows in 1521. He would marry in 1522 and end up in Strasbourg in 1523, where he obtained a position as chaplain to a Lutheran pastor, Matthew Zell, who had gained influence on the City Council (Strasbourg was an free imperial city). This gave him room to begin his writing career. From there he began his career as Reformer of Strasbourg. While there he contributed to the spread of the Reformation. Among those who spent time in Strasbourg during his tenure was John Calvin, thus he influenced Calvin's development. As we read through the book, we discover that for the most part, there is nothing unique about Bucer's theological work. Where he contributes to the conversation is his attempts, like Melanchton, to find a middle path that would bring the non-Catholic Christians together. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, the leading figures, Luther and Zwingle (and Bullinger) remained committed to their positions and would not agree to find a path toward unity. Nevertheless, he remained committed to that vision, and for that, he is to be commended. One area where he did contribute helpful guidance is in regard to the Lord's Supper. Due to his participation in the Marburg Colloquy, which pitted Luther and Zwingli against each other, Bucer attempted to find a position on the Eucharist that would bring the two sides closer together. Though closer to Zwingli, he had a stronger sense of Christ's presence, not in the elements but surely present in the event. Here's where I wish they had explored things further as it is my understanding that Bucer, who arrived in Cambridge in 1549 (after Cranmer issued the first Prayer Book) influenced Cranmer's views that find their way into the 1552 Prayer Book and Eucharistic liturgy. They do not mention this, and I believe this is important information. We can be appreciative to the two authors who have brought to our attention an often neglected Reformer, giving some incentive to pursue this life further. ...more |
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| 0802872476
| 9780802872470
| 4.45
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| Feb 21, 2023
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really liked it
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Slavery is America's Original Sin, and it is a sin that has continued to make itself felt even to this day. It has stained the history of the United S
Slavery is America's Original Sin, and it is a sin that has continued to make itself felt even to this day. It has stained the history of the United States, even if many in the nation do not wish to acknowledge this truth. One way to address this reality is to lift up the stories of those who endured slavery and worked to overturn it. We know the names of some of these individuals, such as Frederick Douglass and Harriett Tubman. Numbered among the most powerful voices for change was Sojourner Truth, also known as Isabella Van Wagenen. Isabella was born into slavery in New York state around 1797. It may surprise many (I didn't know this), but slavery remained legal in New York until 1827. It was especially prominent among Dutch farmers, and thus Isabella grew up speaking Dutch and a dialect of Afro-Dutch. Thus, she would need to learn English as she left that context. In time Isabella Van Wagenen (she took the last name of the final family she was enslaved to before deciding to flee her situation a year prior to emancipation in New York). In time, as she became active as a preacher and activist, she took the name Sojourner Truth. As Sojourner Truth, she would become a powerful advocate for abolition, civil rights, and women's rights. She did this even though she never learned to read or write. However, she had a keen mind, a great memory, and a powerful speaking voice. Hers is a story worthy of attending to. "We Will Be Free: The Life and Faith of Sojourner Truth" provides an important introduction to Truth's life and work that stresses the importance of her faith to that work. The author of this biography is Nancy Koester. Koester holds a Ph.D. in church history and is an ordained ELCA minister. Her scholarly work has focused on nineteenth-century American history, with a focus on the anti-slavery movement, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. That background provides an important foundation for this biography, which appears as part of the Eerdmans Library of Religious Biography. Koester contributed a previous volume to this series on Harriet Beecher Stowe. I have known the name Sojourner Truth and that she was an important figure in the Abolitionist Movement. However, that is about all I knew until reading this compelling biography by Nancy Koester. The fact that she rose from slavery to become a leading voice for civil rights and women's rights, without ever learning to read or write, catches one's attention. Koester takes us from Sojournet's birth into slavery in the Hudson Valley of New York, to her movement from one owner to another. The birth of children, one of whom was sold to a family in the South, even though that was illegal. The beginnings of the commitment to justice that she committed herself to perhaps began as she sought and got her son back. As Isabella, she was a loyal and hard worker. After fleeing from slavery in 1826, she moved to New York City where she sought work. While she did so, working for wealthy families, she was eventually drawn into several millennialist movements, including some connected with William Miller. What these movements did, however, was provide her the opportunity to develop a sense of call to preach. They also provided her with a sense of community that she desired to be part of. Eventually, she would become part of a community of abolitionists in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she became acquainted with the leading abolitionists of the day and received her opportunity to tell her story of enslavement and freedom. It is in the course of these events that she changed her name to Sojourner Truth. We follow the story forward as Sojourner Truth became a major figure, appearing at abolitionist rallies and women's rights conventions, telling her story and calling for change. In 1851 she saw the publication of her memoir, which was told to a friend who transcribed her story, as well as embellishing it. Thus, there are elements that are less than accurate. One of the big areas of concern was her exact age, as her co-author made her ten to twenty years older than she was. One of the concerns relayed by Nancy Koester is that Truth had to fight hard to control her image. One way she did this was to have her picture taken and turned into cards, which would sell. The other concern was the way her speeches were reported. Although she requested that her speeches be transcribed in standard English there was a tendency to report her speaking in plantation English, something she never used (remember that she was born into slavery among Dutch farmers and so her first language was Dutch. But the press and even Harriet Beecher Stowe continued to portray her speaking in plantation English. Eventually, Truth made her home prior to the Civil War in Battle Creek, Michigan. Battle Creek would remain her home until her death, though she spent significant time on the road speaking about abolition, women's rights, and after the end of the war civil rights. She worked hard to support the needs of freedmen, working to move them to places such as Kansas where they could make a home and build a life. She supported herself largely through the sale of her memoir, which was updated several times. This is a unique life, whose full story requires a biography such as this one. While Sojourner Truth was an abolitionist and an advocate for civil and women's rights, she was first and foremost a follower of Jesus. While she couldn't read or write, she had the Bible read to her throughout her life, allowing her to memorize and make use of scripture in her speeches and most importantly in her preaching. It was interesting to learn that early on, as she sought to learn the message of the Bible, she preferred to have children read to her. The reason was that the children didn't try to explain the Bible to her. Perhaps most famous for her "Ain't I a Woman" speech delivered in 1851 to the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio (three versions of the speech can be found in the book's appendix), her life story demonstrates that not only was she a woman, but she was also a formidable woman until the very end of her life. Though she endured poverty most of her life, largely because she used her money to support others in need, the left a lasting legacy in her witness to the equality of all people, especially Black women. Biographies of this sort are important because they help us get to know the fuller identity of important figures who can remain a bit of a mystery. The name Sojourner Truth is compelling, but why this name? This particular biography is important because Koester keeps Sojourner Truth's faith front and center. I find it intriguing that her last speech took place in Lansing, Michigan, where she addressed the Michigan Legislature that was debating a bill that would authorize the use of hanging as capital punishment. There in June 1881, not long before her death, she spoke against this law, finding it beyond belief that her beloved Michigan would do such a thing. She reminded the legislature that "the religion of Jesus is forgiveness." So, she asked how she could pray "Father forgive me as I forgive those who trespass against me," and then turn around and support hanging. In her mind hanging was murder and contrary to the way of Jesus (p. 216). Even to the end, she stood firm for what was right. That commitment was rooted in her faith. Nancy Koester is to be commended for bringing to life this powerful story of a woman whose voice needs to be heard at this moment in time when many in our midst want to whitewash our history by setting aside the most problematic elements of that history. Whatever gains came to those enslaved as well as women, came as people of strength stood up and were counted. These stories require our attention. Here is a story beautifully and powerfully told. ...more |
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| 1594714878
| 9781594714870
| B01N9C7T45
| 3.85
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really liked it
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| 9780802878588
| 080287858X
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| Sep 01, 1999
| Nov 29, 2022
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it was amazing
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There have been few truly great American Presidents. Most have been mediocre. A few have risen to the top, and generally, that's because they took off
There have been few truly great American Presidents. Most have been mediocre. A few have risen to the top, and generally, that's because they took office during difficult moments in America's history. We might not always agree with their actions, but they demonstrated leadership that stood out. Of course, George Washington is numbered among the greats for he was the first. Jefferson, Jackson, and the two Roosevelts, are among the few. Between the presidencies of Andrew Jackson and Theodore Roosevelt, only one person stood out. That was, of course, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, like Washington, carries almost mythological dimensions to his identity. Truly there have been many hagiographical biographies that offer him up as almost superhuman. He might not be Abraham Lincoln, "Vampire Slayer," but almost. There, of course, biographies that offer up a much more balanced and realistic picture. Not all of these are of the same caliber, but they try to present Lincoln in more balanced terms. Allen Guelzo's "Redeemer President" is one of the best presentations of Lincoln's life. This particular book under review is the second edition. As I did not read the first edition, this is my first engagement with Guelzo's detailed portrayal of Lincoln the thinker, politician, and war-time leader. This is very much an intellectual biography, something Guelzo makes clear upfront. This biography of Lincoln is Guelzo's contribution to Eerdmans' "Library of Religious Biography." What is interesting about this particular contribution to that series is that religion is not the dominant topic in this biography. Guelzo was reluctant to write about Lincoln for a series focusing on religious biography because most books covering Lincoln and religion were not good and tended to sink the authors of those books "into the quicksand of academic obloquy." He didn't want to fall into that hole. Nevertheless, he finally agreed to write the biography but with the stipulation that it would be an intellectual biography that located "Lincoln on the larger map of American religion and liberal democratic political theory in the nineteenth century" (p. xi). The first edition appeared in 1999. The degree to which he revised is hard for me to discern, so I read it as if it were a brand-new contribution. As this is an intellectual biography, details about family and other relationships are not front and center. Yes, we learn about his upbringing and his eventual marriage to Mary Todd, as well as some conversation about his children, but the details are still rather spare. What Guelzo brings into the book are details that help us center Lincoln's thinking about various dimensions of American political and religious life. If you're looking for more personal details, you'll want to consult other books. What we learn from this biography is that Lincoln was always eager to learn. He was a voracious reader of many different genres. Though, as a lawyer, he wasn't all that interested in reading lawbooks, except when necessary. He would rather read Shakespeare or perhaps John Stuart Mill. Politically, he was an old-school Henry Clay Whig, who believed in the superiority of free wage labor and internal improvements, something that the Jeffersonian agrarians were opposed to. It should then not surprise us that as a lawyer he represented railroads and that as President he signed the bill that led to the building of the transcontinental railroad. Religiously, he was brought up by a father who embraced a hard-edged Calvinist predestinarian belief system. Though he rejected the Calvinist Baptist tradition of his father and became something of a free thinker who appreciated Thomas Paine and John Stuart Mill. Nevertheless, those predestinarian roots continued to influence his general belief in providence, even if that belief was naturalistic, it had dimensions of his roots. This vision would influence his behavior and decision-making as a lawyer, politician, and most of all as a war-time President. The story begins, not with Lincoln's birth but with the intellectual milieu in which he lived. As noted he was a Henry Clay Whig, who stood opposed to the southern agrarianism of Jefferson and Jackson. At the same time, he was a great believer in the importance of the Declaration of Independence, which served as the foundation of his argument against the extension of slavery. It's important to remember that Lincoln was not an abolitionist, but he believed that slave labor was inferior to wage labor and that if contained slavery would eventually disappear. Guelzo notes that Lincoln was born three weeks before Jefferson finished his second term in office. While living in Jefferson's shadow throughout much of his life, their value system was very different. Specifically, Lincoln stood opposed to Jefferson's patrician values. Instead of patrician landowners, most of whom were slave owners, Lincoln represented middle-class northern and western merchants and professionals. Born on a farm, he didn't see that life as one to be embraced. In other words, Lincoln was very much the capitalist who embraced middle-class values. Guelzo takes through Lincoln's life journey that landed him in Springfield, Illinois, where he eventually became an attorney and politician. He served in the Illinois legislature and for one term served in Congress. We learn about the dynamics surrounding his marriage to Mary Todd, whose family he had come to know well in Springfield. We learn about his devoted support to Henry Clay and his support as well of Whig candidates for President including Zachary Taylor. The first half of the book gets us to the eve of his election as President, including his famous debates with Stephen Douglas. We learn that while Lincoln won more popular votes, it was the Democratic-controlled legislature that elected senators. Thus, he did not win. But, his star was rising, and with the Democrats divided north and south over how to deal with slavery in the territories, a concern that was exacerbated by Roger Taney's "Dred Scott" decision, the possibility of secession was quite real. So, by the time the election occurred in 1860, the nation was divided north and south, and since the Democratic part divided along sectional lines, Lincoln was able to win. However, he inherited a divided nation that before too long would be at war. While Lincoln was a great orator and debater, he wasn't an administrator. He had been a legislator, but not a manager. Thus, when he became President he struggled to manage his administration and deal with the challenges facing him. We've heard much about Lincoln's team of rivals, but what Guelzo reveals is that while there were strong personalities in the Cabinet, who represented different viewpoints, Lincoln largely ignored them. He treated them as department administrators, not as advisors. He largely took his own counsel or that of others he trusted, mostly from Illinois. So much for the team of rivals. After South Carolina seceded, a militia lay siege to Fort Sumter before finally firing on it before relief could be brought in support of the beleaguered defenders, Lincoln was faced with the reality that war was inevitable. The challenge that faced him was balancing the positions between northern non-slave states and the border states where slavery was still present. This included Maryland, which provided the northern border of the north-south divide. So, we walk through the story of the Civil War, including Lincoln's challenge in finding competent generals willing to fight. As we know from other sources, Lincoln's first priority reuniting the country. Only later did he come to understand that slavery had to go. The South wanted to extend slavery into the territories, and the leadership would fight for that right. Thus, emancipation, at least in recaptured territories became necessary and feasible only after the Union started winning battles, especially in the east. Thus, it was only after Antietam that he could move in that direction. Much of this story is well known, and since this book has a religious dimension, we learn that Lincoln was never a believer, though in Washington he went to New York Avenue Presbyterian, which was served by an old-school Calvinist (of the Charles Hodge type). Nevertheless, he never became a believer. However, he did affirm the reality of providence and saw himself enveloped by it. In other words, he was a fatalist. While he wasn't a believer, he did believe that religion played a valuable role in public life. The Whigs, unlike the Jeffersonian Democrats, had always embraced religion as an important part of their identity. Thus, Lincoln called for the appointment of chaplains for the army, something the Democrats had always opposed. Of course, in the end, he was assassinated while going to the theater, a reality that posed a problem for some of his hagiographers and evangelical supporters, nevertheless they found ways of rationalizing the place of his death. His death was in many ways due to his own fatalism. Whether he lived or died was a matter of providence, and so he tended to go out without escort or seek to evade his escort. That night he went to the theater with only two escorts, and thus John Wilkes Booth found easy access to his box. Guelzo offers us an important portrait of a man who is sometimes more myth than reality that is direct and detailed. This is very much a scholarly biography, even if it does not have footnotes/endnotes. It does carry "A Note On Sources." As an intellectual biography, it is rather dense. There are few light stories in this book. So it will take a bit of diligence to move through it. Nevertheless, it is a worthwhile effort. With so much pseudo-history out there (I'm surprised Eric Metaxas hasn't written one of his famous faux bios), this should continue to be a standard biography of one of America's most important political figures. ...more |
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| 150648476X
| 9781506484761
| 150648476X
| 4.60
| 5
| unknown
| Oct 04, 2022
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it was amazing
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Martin Luther King, Jr. is known to have spoken of the arc of the moral universe moving toward justice. He served as an important prophet and activist
Martin Luther King, Jr. is known to have spoken of the arc of the moral universe moving toward justice. He served as an important prophet and activist toward that goal, which we're still moving toward. That movement toward justice, however, is rooted in a commitment on King's part to the pursuit of truth. It was a commitment that began during his youth and continued throughout his life. That is the premise of Lewis Baldwin's book "The Arc of Truth." It is a message that is worth considering as we navigate what many call our post-truth era, an era exemplified by Donald Trump and his Big Lie. Lewis Baldwin, professor emeritus of religious studies at Vanderbilt University has written several previous books about King and his work. This book adds another layer to his own work and that of others who have explored King's legacy. The focus here is both on ideas, especially King's biblical, theological, and philosophical ideas, and how King sought to put them into practical effect in his civil rights and social justice efforts. As Baldwin notes, he seeks to show how King "organized truth into a strategy and method to fight social evil and injustice, a point not sufficiently explored in the extant works of King's ethics, philosophy, and theology" (pp. xviii-xix). Thus, this is a book that looks not only at King's commitment to pursuing truth wherever it would lead but how he put that commitment into action. One of the challenges of our era is that a commitment to truth often devolves into dogmatism, but King's commitment to truth was not rooted in fundamentalism. Thus, Baldwin offers us a book that focuses on how "King's life and thought must be understood largely in terms of an enduring search for and commitment to the truth" (p. 2). In this, Baldwin suggests that King followed in the footsteps of such figures as Mohandas Gandhi, whose own efforts influenced King's work. Baldwin traces this commitment to King's childhood and later education beginning at Morehouse College in the 1940s. This commitment to the pursuit of truth was coupled with a call to ministry so that he could serve God and humanity. With the goal here of laying out King's life-long commitment to truth, Baldwin begins in chapter 1 by laying out the important developments in King's life that contributed to this search, beginning with how he was brought up by his family and by the church culture that formed him. Thus, the pursuit of truth was understood by him to be a spiritual quest. Part of this exploration involves King's struggle with the biblical fundamentalism that was part of his Black Baptist context. This led, early on to an embrace of liberal theology. That commitment, including questioning such fundamentals as the virgin birth, was reinforced during his college years at Morehouse, and then further developed during his years at Crozer Theological Seminary and Boston University. In these contexts, he encountered higher critical studies of the Bible as well as an introduction to liberal theology and philosophy. These years of education helped form his commitment to the search for truth. I found this chapter to be extremely helpful in understanding King's religious foundations. From this introduction to King's educational formation and early engagements in social justice work, we move on in chapter 2 to further developments in his thinking, especially as he sought to bring into his thinking the convergence of religion and science. Here he wrestled with the questions of relative and absolute truth. While committed to absolute truth he came to understand the need to have an openness to new truth. This work on truth involved his training in philosophy, especially the personalism that dominated Boston University, where he did his Ph.D. work. All of this was combined with his pastoral and social activist commitments. When we come to chapter 3, Baldwin draws on the dialectical nature of King's thinking about truth This chapter should prove helpful to our own efforts to navigate the current context, where we experience the contradictions of living in a country that lifts up the equality of all humans, and the reality that this vision has yet to be reached. Thus, King wrestled with these contradictions, seeking to make sense of them while challenging those who he engaged to live up to these ideals. To do this he drew upon Hegel's analysis of the dialectical process of history and Reinhold Niebuhr's insights as to the nature of humanity. King wrestled with his belief in the goodness of humanity and Niebuhr's insights as to humanity's fallenness. He built upon both, which contributed to his engagement with the founding documents of American life -- the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution along with Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Here he called for Americans to commit themselves to live into these principles. In chapter 4 Baldwin continues to build on what he shared in chapter 3, focusing here on his calling to be an ethical prophet, as we look at how he engaged in pastoral ministry while becoming a civil rights leader in Montgomery and beyond. Then in chapter 5, Baldwin examines more fully King's engagement in civil rights leadership. This includes a discussion of the myths embraced by white southerners, along with King's refutation of the myth that north and south were two nations. Thus, here we look at King's dealings with the overt segregation of the south and the more covert segregation of the north. He also examines King's encounters with those who suggested that a new south was emerging. This is a look at King's use of nonviolent action as an expression of truth. Finally in chapter 6 Baldwin looks at King's legacy in light of our current post-truth era epitomized by Donald Trump. In looking at his legacy, Baldwin notes the attempts by those on the right to use King to support their own agendas, agendas that run contrary to King's vision. One of those uses involves the use of the 1963 dream speech, suggesting that what King was talking about wasn't race but the content of one's character to undermine the gains of the civil rights movement. All of this runs counter to his commitment to truth-telling. Because this book is about King's commitment to truth, Baldwin addresses the revelations of King's extramarital affairs and charges of plagiarism. He notes that King was a deeply flawed human being, though he cautions us to be careful in taking everything we are told at face value as most of these allegations rest on FBI reports that were designed to discredit him. Whatever the case, though flawed as a human being, his commitment to truth remains a core dimension of King's life and legacy. Ultimately, King's commitment to truth continues to march on, even in a post-truth era. So, Baldwin closes with these words regarding the truth that "marches on with those who honor and celebrate King's legacy not simply with words but also with deeds that change lives, structures, and institutions for the better. Truth marches on because only truth can have the last word in history" (p. 317). Much has been written about Martin Luther King. His message still resonates. His efforts still speak loudly. Though some would try to hijack his legacy and thus undermine his work, truth will persist. In this deeply detailed book, Lewis Baldwin helps us understand more fully that commitment to truth, calling us to commit ourselves to the truth even in a post-truth era. ...more |
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| B0992WHTPY
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| Nov 08, 2022
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it was amazing
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Pope Francis addressed Congress and listed Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement, as one of four great Americans. That he would name a
Pope Francis addressed Congress and listed Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement, as one of four great Americans. That he would name a radical pacifist labor-supporting Catholic layperson one of America's greatest leaders might be unexpected, and yet that's what he did. Since some have called her a saint (and she is currently in the canonization process), what kind of saint is she? While her willingness to give up everything to care for those in great need, advocate for workers, and oppose American wars, has caught the attention of many admirers, one might wonder if she would want such an honor, especially if in doing this the Church ended up domesticating her memory. If you are like me, you know the name Dorothy Day. You may know that she helped found the Catholic Worker movement. You may know that many social justice advocates look up to her. But do you know her story? Do you know how this one-time near Marxist, labor-organizing journalist, who once had an abortion, could become a near saint? I will confess that I didn't know much about her until I opened up D. L. Mayfield's book "Unruly Saint." That title may sound odd, but by the time you finish reading this book, you will understand why Mayfield gave the book this title. Mayfield offers us a biographical study of Day's life, with a focus on her role with the Catholic Worker movement. In other words, if you're looking for a comprehensive biography of Day, this isn't it. Though, she does provide significant biographical details. That's because her biography is the foundation of her involvement with the movement. As for the author, D.L. Mayfield is not Roman Catholic. In fact her spiritual location might best be described as post-evangelical. She is the author of two books, is a self-described activist, having taught ESOL to immigrant and refugee populations. Mayfield approaches Dorothy Day as a something of a fellow-traveler. She doesn't aspire to the asceticism that Day embraced or puts all others before herself in the way Day did, but Mayfield seeks to identify as much as possible with Day and her commitments to justice and the well-being of others. She recognizes a degree of saintliness about Day's life, but fears she might get domesticated by a church that might use her memory in ways that do not reflect who she was. Most of all Mayfield wants the reader to know that Day may have died in 1980, but she remains relevant today. What makes Day's story so compelling is that before her conversion at age 30, she was on a life path that wasn't leading toward the church. But once she found the church she wanted to make sure this faith fit with her commitment to serving the poor and the oppressed. The key to her life vocation is her encounter with a Frensh "philosopher-hobo" named Peter Maurin, who helped her discover her calling to create what became the Catholic Worker movement. That movement began with a newspaper she launched in 1933, which was followed by a 'house of hospitality, and later farms and communes. What Mayfield does here is bring this story to life. In her introduction, Mayfield notes that she discovered Day at a point when she was in the midst of a personal crisis, where she was trying to figure out who she was spiritually. Growing up in white evangelical circles this no longer worked, and she went looking for something else, which is when she encountered Day. Thus, this is a very personal book, a book that seeks to take Day's life and work very seriously. Mayfield breaks the book into three parts. She starts appropriately in Part 1 with a series of chapters that take us to Day's early life, which takes us from birth in 1898 to her conversion at age 30 in 1927. This turn in her life shocked all her friends since it didn't fit her life as a chain-smoker who wrote for leftist papers and impatiently sought to change the world. How did a "pregnant-out-of-wedlock free spirit who could quote Marx with the best of them and was always ready with a sarcastic retort or a girlish giggle" convert to Catholicism? (p. 22). For Day, as we discover, it was her commitment to the poor that led her to God and eventually the Catholic Church, even though she grew up in a nominal Episcopalian family. Part of this story was the birth of her daughter Tamar, which helped clarify her own sense of being and purpose. It was during this early period of her life as she began to move into the church that she took her muckraking style of writing that she had used writing for leftist papers to Catholic publications such as Commonweal. But, as she covered labor issues, she began to want to do more, especially since she watched as Communists demanded that people seeking justice leave religion for the class struggle. "She was angry at how they overlooked the reality that large percentages of the poor workers around the world were not only religious but Catholic. How could one claim to be for the common worker of the world and dismiss their religion as intellectually depraved and morally corrupt?" (p. 70). That is a relevant question for contemporary liberals who often dismiss religion. After covering a major labor march, she returned to her home in a New York tenement, where she encountered an older man in rumpled clothes who had come looking for her. That encounter would lead to the creation of the Catholic Worker, a muckraking paper that became the foundation of a movement in the church. Part 2 takes us to the birth of the Catholic Worker. She begins with the meeting with Peter Maurin that day at her apartment. It was Maurin who encouraged her to use that passion for justice along with her writing ability to create a movement. Maurin may have looked like a hobo, but he was trained in theology and philosophy and sought to marry Catholic social teaching with this philosophy. As such he served as the intellectual foundation for what became Day's life work. The goal here was to change the world. Together, he with his ideas and with her energy and writing ability created a movement for the church. Though they had hoped to convince church leaders to create houses of hospitality in every congregation, they didn't succeed in that. However, the vision caught on, thousands subscribed to the journal, and she began to influence Catholics to commit to creating space and support for those in need. That journal was born in 1933, at the height of the Great Depression. From there came the houses of hospitality, which ultimately started as people showed up on Dorothy's doorstep needing housing and help. Most importantly, for her part, she was spreading word about Catholic social teaching, which not everyone in the hierarchy appreciated. The first house was opened in 1934. as Dorothy was busy renting apartments to house all those who were homeless. One thing that Mayfield notes is that Day was not impressed with government-sponsored programs and sought to do things differently. While she was not their biggest fan, she recognized the need and helped people get signed up for them. The problem today is that opponents of government programs will appeal to her concerns, but do so in ways that run counter to her own understanding. Interestingly, her problem with the government programs was rooted not in religion but a deep-seated anarchist bent that preceded her conversion. Mayfield does a good job navigating these concerns and suspicions. REgfarding the origins of this movement, Mayfield notes that the stories are "full of humor and failure and grassroots camaraderie and heady days." (p. 154). Over time the movement grew, setting up shop across the country with each having its own distinct feel. Mayfield writes of this work of living out Catholic social teaching in seeking to create a better world: "Love in action could be a harsh and dreadful thing, but it was certainly never, ever boring." (p. 154). As I noted earlier, Mayfield's focus is on the origins of the Catholic Worker movement (part 2), with an exploration of the life she led to the point of its founding in 1933 when she was 35. Part 3 is titled "The Work Continues." This isn't a complete accounting of the work or her life, but Mayfelid helps us see how the work matured, how she ran into problems as her commitment to pacifism led to problems with both the church (especially during the Spanish Civil War in 1936- the church supported Franco) and then in World War II when she took a strong stand against the war, which led to a steep decline in support for her movement as she would not let go of her commitment, but also led to her being put on an FBI watchlist. While her earliest efforts were focused on labor issues and the realities of poverty, including homelessness, over time she gave more attention to her commitment to pacifism and to addressing the realities of racism in the country. In fact, Mayfield was surprised how often articles on race appeared in the early issues of the journal. In later years, Day had a second conversion, in which she came under the influence of a rigorist version of Catholicism, a version that seemed to give her a sense of grounding but which alienated many of her co-workers and family members. Mayfield shares how a Fr. Hugo led silent retreats at the Catholic Worker farm, which called for a severe form of asceticism, which called for giving up the best things in life. The person we encounter here is in every way a radical Christian who gave her all for the cause. That led at times to neglecting members of her own family, though in time a break with her daughter led to reconciliation. She might be a saint, but if so, she is an unruly one. We can think D. L. Mayfield for helping us get to know this woman who might be a saint, but not a domesticated one. ...more |
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1
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Nov 20, 2022
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Nov 28, 2022
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Nov 20, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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| B08ZNSGCQJ
| 4.08
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really liked it
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None
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1
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Nov 17, 2022
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Nov 30, 2022
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Nov 17, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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| May 03, 2017
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really liked it
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1
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Oct 14, 2022
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Oct 28, 2022
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Oct 14, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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| 080287942X
| 9780802879424
| 080287942X
| 3.69
| 16
| unknown
| Sep 13, 2022
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it was amazing
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Prior to the 1947 season, Major League Baseball was a whites-only affair. There wasn't anything in the by-laws of the leagues, but it was a "gentleman
Prior to the 1947 season, Major League Baseball was a whites-only affair. There wasn't anything in the by-laws of the leagues, but it was a "gentleman's agreement" that no team would sign black players or even players who were darker-skinned. While the major leagues and even the minor leagues offered a white-washed product, there was the alternative Negro Leagues. There were some really great players in those leagues, people like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. Things began to change in the 1940s because Branch Rickey, President of the Brooklyn Dodgers decided to cross the invisible line. The question was, who should he turn to in order to make this happen? It would take a special person to take on the challenge, knowing that the opposition would be fierce and likely even violent. Enter Jackie Robinson, a young man who not only fought in World War II but became an officer, attended college at Pasadena Junior College and UCLA, where he starred in sports, and was a person of faith. In fact, he was a Methodist, just like Branch Rickey. Jackie Robinson's story has been told before. In fact, I read/reviewed Jackie Robinson: A Spiritual Biography: The Faith of a Boundary-Breaking Hero by Michael Long and Christ Lamb. I thoroughly enjoyed that book, which covered much of the same ground as this volume by historian Gary Scott Smith. Both biographies emphasize Robinson's faith as well as his baseball exploits. Both are worth reading. The author of this effort is Gary Scott Smith, professor of history emeritus at Grove City College. He is the author of eighteen books and was named in 2001 the Pennsylvania Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Throughout this biography, Smith highlights Robinson's role as a trailblazer and the challenges he faced before, during, and after his history-changing decision to become the first black to play in the major leagues since the late 19th century. While Smith highlights the many ways in which Robinson broke new ground for others, he also seeks to address the myth/legend surrounding Robinson, so that he can be seen as he was, a brave human being. While he was the first, there were others who quickly followed, especially Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians. Nevertheless, his role in integrating baseball not only changed baseball but would prove to be a giant step in the movement of civil rights in the United States. His demeanor and professionalism, along with his gifted athletic prowess, made it possible for others to follow in his footsteps. In fact, he was chosen to be the first to cross the line because he had the qualities necessary to make this happen. One of the myths surrounding Robinson is that he was not affected by the abuse and threats that accompanied him, together with the fact that in many cities he could not stay with the team. The fact is, he was a proud man who struggled with Rickey's requirement that he not fight back. Rickey would draw upon the common faith that linked the two men to encourage him to go the distance and not give up, something he thought about regularly. It's amazing to read about the horrific treatment directed at him. He faced hostile crowds, opposing managers and players who tried to run him off the field by throwing at his head or spiking him. At a time when many whites are resisting a narrative that highlights the roadblocks placed in the way of persons of color, this is a book that will prove challenging. The picture painted here is not pretty, and yet by drawing on a deep faith, Robinson persevered. It should be noted that Robinson was not an evangelical. He was a progressive Mainline Protestant. Originally a Methodist he ended up in the United Church of Christ. While it was his prowess on the field that gave him the opportunity to play baseball, he used that platform to further the cause of civil rights. He took advantage of opportunities to speak and write columns for both black and white-owned papers. As we ponder Jackie's role in all of this, Smith also highlights the important role of Rachel Robinson, his wife, who was a person of courage and determination herself. Not only did she support Jackie throughout these difficult years, but she pursued her own career as a nurse and later psychiatric nurse. After his death, she founded several institutions to carry on his legacy. All of this is revealed in this wonderful biography. Baseball may not be as important to American life as it was at the midpoint of the twentieth century, but the legacy of Jackie Robinson lives on. He paved the way for people like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and many more. To know that faith was central to all of this is important to note. Thus, we can be thankful that Gary Scott Smith took up the task. ...more |
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it was amazing
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Jun 08, 2024
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May 21, 2024
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Apr 10, 2024
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Mar 15, 2024
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Feb 25, 2024
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| 4.46
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it was amazing
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Nov 04, 2023
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Oct 27, 2023
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really liked it
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Aug 23, 2023
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Aug 04, 2023
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| 4.25
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really liked it
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Aug 13, 2023
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Aug 02, 2023
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| 4.46
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really liked it
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Aug 13, 2023
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Jul 23, 2023
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| 4.17
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really liked it
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Aug 04, 2023
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Jul 23, 2023
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| 3.64
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it was amazing
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Jul 02, 2023
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Jun 11, 2023
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really liked it
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Jun 12, 2023
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May 26, 2023
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| 3.82
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it was amazing
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May 17, 2023
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really liked it
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Mar 10, 2023
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Mar 06, 2023
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really liked it
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Mar 17, 2023
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Feb 26, 2023
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| 3.85
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really liked it
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Feb 24, 2023
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Feb 17, 2023
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| 4.19
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it was amazing
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Jan 20, 2023
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Dec 25, 2022
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| 4.60
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it was amazing
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Dec 26, 2022
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Nov 29, 2022
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| 4.32
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it was amazing
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Nov 28, 2022
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Nov 20, 2022
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really liked it
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Nov 30, 2022
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Nov 17, 2022
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| 4.37
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really liked it
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Oct 28, 2022
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Oct 14, 2022
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| 3.69
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it was amazing
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Sep 27, 2022
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Sep 27, 2022
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