Liberating Tradition: Women’s Identity and Vocation in Christian Perspective by Kristina LaCelle-Peterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an incredibly thorough and well documented book that should be required reading for anyone interested in the role of the Christian church in keeping women from being fully accepted as leaders in society.
Are you an antiracist?
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Excellent! A must read for anyone who’s serious about understanding America’s original sin. The author pulls no punches regardless of which side of the color line you are on. He exposes the problem of racism and its roots.
History is clear. Sacrifice, uplift, persuasion, and education have not eradicated, are not eradicating, and will not eradicate racist ideas, let alone racist policies. Power will never self-sacrifice away from its self-interest. Power cannot be persuaded away from its self-interest. Power cannot be educated away from its self-interest. Those who have the power to abolish racial discrimination have not done so thus far, and they will never be persuaded or educated to do so as long as racism benefits them in some way.
Ibram X. Kendi
By their wounds we are healed
The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Absolutely incredible book about the crime of racism in America. The book is scholarly and full of references. This is one of the most compelling narratives of the spiritual significance of the sin of racism in America. I highly recommend anyone read this but especially those who claim to be follower of Jesus Christ.
The making of man
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An incredible book about an exceptional young man who overcame tremendous adversity to become a comedian without peer. This is a powerful story of faith too. It’s a story about racism too and its devastating effects on society.
Someone who loves you forever
Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie by Carly Simon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a great memoir and one that was an easy read especially in the dark days of this pandemic and our nation falling into ruin. The book reminded me of a happier time when the USA was. a place of hope and prominence. Reading this love story was refreshing and brought me joy. I’m sure you would enjoy it.
Never underestimate Nancy Pelosi
Pelosi by Molly Ball
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Interesting book and one I’m glad I read. It gave me insights about Nancy Pelosi that I would never have known. She’s an incredible person. You have to admire her verve even if you don’t agree with her politics. Lots of insights and information about how she worked with the Congress and the Executive Branch over a career that’s now spanned over thirty years.
The Life of Jesus Reimagined
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A remarkable book of historical fiction. I always enjoy Sue Monk Kidd’s work and this was true to form another great read. This will drive some of the fundamentalists crazy but it’s interesting to reimagine Jesus as he might have actually live in the first century. There is so much about the historical Jesus that we really don’t know. One of my favorite quotes in the author’s notes at the end of the book is the following.
“Claims that Jesus was not married first began in the second century. They arose as Christianity absorbed ideas of asceticism and Greek dualism, which devalued the body and the physicality of the world in favor of the spirit. Closely identified with the body, women were also devalued, silenced, and marginalized, losing roles of leadership they’d possessed within first-century Christianity.”
Sue Monk Kidd
Hope for today
I just finished reading Ilia Delio’s book which I reviewed previously and there are a treasure trove of ideas and quotes in the book but one that stood out for me is the following.
“On the whole, I find that younger generations want to help make the world a better place. Many Gen Z-ers express a desire for a just and sustainable world and are concerned about world poverty and hunger. They have an inclination toward catholicity without realizing it, expressed for them as a desire for inclusive, ecological, and planetary life. These concerns are not necessarily driven by institutional religion but by an inner sense of belonging to a whole.”
— Birth of a Dancing Star: My Journey from Cradle Catholic to Cyborg Christian by Ilia Delio
Young people aren’t burdened by the tired old labels that boomers are. What concerns them is creation and the care of it. They’ve frequently been referred to as the nones because they have no religion but they do have this inner sense of belonging to the whole. They see the world as interdependent.
Ilia Delio’s powerful vision of creation for the 21st century
Birth of a Dancing Star: My Journey from Cradle Catholic to Cyborg Christian by Ilia DelioMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’ve read a number of Ilia Delio’s books and this is great. It’s more from the heart than any of her previous books. She had a remarkable transformation in her life and beliefs and she does a great job of telling that story. I found this book easy to read and difficult to put down. She gave me insights into my own journey of the soul that I had not found elsewhere. She is a prophetic voice for our time. This book belongs with the classics like Merton’s Seven Storey Mountain.
Bearing hard things well
Reading Joan Chittister the last few days has been a tonic for my weary soul. She never disappoints and this book is exactly what I needed to read now. I’ve been feeling sorry for myself and I never wear it well. Bad things happen to good people. We all know that but nobody wants to live it. Tonight as I’m finishing another day I read the following quote. It’s so appropriate.
“By learning to bear hard things well, we secure the future of the human race as well as our own ability to survive. By being willing to put our personal power down in favor of someone else’s vision and experience, we pledge ourselves to benefit from the power and goodness of others. We save ourselves from our own limitations and follies, from our lack of maturity and experience. Most of all, we pledge ourselves to be open to the wisdom figures of life and so become wiser ourselves as we go. Without endurance we succumb silently to the demons of injustice. We dry up inside, shrivel in our hope, and belie the will of God for the world. On the other hand, a spirituality of endurance frees us from the rampages of destructive pride. It opens us to a community of wisdom figures, guides who, if we will only allow it, are there to lead us through the ravages of our time.”
— Radical Spirit: 12 Ways to Live a Free and Authentic Life by Joan Chittister