April 2004 Bookshelf
Several books on the ideology behind neo-conservatism, the doctrines of pre-emption and American supremacy, a pithy book on the Las Vegas culture, as well as primers on living the Christian life fully and the essentials to cultural hermeneutics of the Bible.
April 2004 Bookshelf
Understanding Dispensationalists by Vern Poythress
Martin Luther coined a phrase in Latin that would be well remembered by theologians: rabies theologorum. Translated this means “the madness of theologians.” Not a fan of systemized theology, I find myself drawn to authors who deal with concerns over fundamentalism and who can share such concerns in a way that is loving and eminently charitable. Dr. Poythress does this in his brief overview of dispensationalism - a predominant theology in American Christian fundamentalism. A more complete review of the book can be found here.
The Decline and Fall of the American Empire by Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal’s collection of essays is worth reading and ruminating on. He rarely wastes a word, phrase or sentence. Where his writing is clear, his thinking is also. While I disagree with Vidal on some specific points - his essay railing against those who need to call on their “sky-gods” to rescue them is one such point - in general I find his work very positively thought provoking. One essay in particular has stuck with me - in it he argues that our current system, while certainly the best man has to offer yet, is in need of drastic overhaul. He ends his essay by saying that “what the many now need is to elect a new few” - a reasonable response from an essayist and political activist who is called an extremist too easily by those who simply disagree.
Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity by Bruce Bawer
Bawer’s book will test many Christians who read it - in some ways it becomes a litmus test for the reader as much as it is for the author. Bawer eviscerates fundamentalism - specifically the part of fundamentalism that intertwines itself with politics, consumerism and faith. This is not a recommended read for everyone - I suggest only those that want to be challenged read this book. I have completed a more detailed review of his book here.
I am in the midst of one additional Chomsky book right now, with four more in the wings. I find his works to be incredibly well written, very consistent in quality, rarely repetitive, exhaustively documented and bleeding edge insightful. I have come to believe that Dr. Chomsky represents a mind that can step outside of the cultural and historical contexts of our day to see our way of governance and systems of thought as only someone with a couple hundred years of perspective will be able to.
This book in particular needs to be read by those who pretend to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The book is very well balanced - I continue to be surprised by those who seek to call Chomsky a poorly balanced author. His comments on the shared blame and the need to avoid policies of collective punishment in Palestine strike me as very on-point. His observation about the future of the Palestinians (either a holocaust for the Palestinian nation or a regional conflict that gets out of hand, soon involving the world) troubles me deeply.
Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom & Discernment by Brian Godawa
Wisdom issues are important points of discussion for Christians. Godawa offers his own experience as a screenwriter in Hollywood to offer insights into how Christians can discern which movies are worth viewing. I enjoyed his overview of how movies are based on some of the most common historical myths now retold in the parlance of our day. Unfortunately, to view movies with discernment means that one must work to see the deeper meaning and not look only for entertainment.
Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven by James Bryan Smith
This book is a must read for any Christian wanting to understand what a life fully given over to Christ looks like. Rich was a successful Christian musician who was labeled by many as being ecumenical, yet chose to see the good in each part of the Christian faith. He lived on $25,000 a year, giving the rest of the money away to various foundations. Rich was honest about his struggles and candid about his failures. Little I have read recently encouraged me as much as this book did.
Little has sickened me as much as this book did. The stories of child sexual abuse by priests within the Catholic Church is a story we need to know about. It is also an issue the Church is going to have to re-address as its handling of events thus far has been less than forthright.
Europe’s Last Summer: Who Started the Great War in 1914? by David Fromkin
Professor Fromkin’s book on the Great War of 1914 is a must read for anyone seeking to understand what could potentially drive the world into another war. A more detailed review of the book can be found here.
Rise of the Vulcans: The History of Bush’s War Cabinet by James Mann
This book tracks the development of the ideology of the Bush War Cabinet from their times in college and the military to their current positions in the Bush Administration. Anyone seeking to understand the ideology of neo-conservatism must take the time to read this book.
Slaves, Women and Homosexuals: Explorinjg the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis by William J. Webb
This book is a wonderful primer on the issue of cultural hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is an important issue in the modern world as it allows Christians to see clearly what in the Bible is real spiritual truth and what is cultural commentary, bound within the confines of the day. A more complete review of the book has been posted here.
The Bubble of American Supremacy: Correcting the Misuse of American Power by George Soros
Few books have upset me as this book did. It fully details both the problems with the doctrines behind American supremacy as well as offering an alternative foreign policy. More should be made of the ideas in this book. It is unfortunate that our media does not spend more time engaging on discussions relevant to the topics in this book.
The Last Honest Place in America by Marc Cooper
A pithy insight into the culture of Las Vegas written by a connoisseur of Las Vegas culture. “Consistent with the trend of more and more Americans experiencing their leisure activity divorced from community, as Robert Putnam argues in his regarded Bowling Alone, machine gambling invites a TV-marinated public to enter one more individualized cocoon.” (page 118)
Black Earth: A Journey through Russia After the Fall by Andrew Meier
This book is an incredibly sad book to read. It offers little hope for the future of Russia. Detailing several facets of Russia after the fall of Communism, the people come out as the most vibrant part of the story - certainly the remnants of their country, their resource base, and their capacity for improvement seem less than likely at the moment. The part of the book that discusses Putin should give supporters of President Bush chills - Bush met with Putin and said he looked into his soul and saw a man he could work with. As Putin increasingly cracks down on personal liberties, reduces free market exchanges and flirts with total genocide in Chechnya, we should be worried about our own leader who sees this as someone he can work with.
Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance by Donald Miller
Don Miller’s second book Blue Like Jazz is one of my favorite books. While more wandering and less structured, Volkswagen Maintenance offers much to Christians who seek to live out their faith in ways that matter, not simply through the identification of being a Christian through externals.
Take the Rich Off Welfare by Mark Zepezauer
This book pissed me off. Looking at the unbalance between corporate and social welfare is not something I would encourage people who have blind faith in government and market economies. The book is short, but it is not a pleasant read.
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“If anyone can show me, and prove to me, that I am wrong in thought or deed, I will gladly change. I seek the truth, which never yet hurt anybody. It is only persistence in self-delusion and ignorance which does harm.”
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