Read slowly... pray through. Repeat. I borrowed this book, but it's going on my list to purchase, if for no other reason than for the litany of blessiRead slowly... pray through. Repeat. I borrowed this book, but it's going on my list to purchase, if for no other reason than for the litany of blessing over friends/loved ones, expanding to strangers, and then to enemies. We all need this book....more
I have been a fan of Shannon Evans since I first encountered her. A seeker who challenges herself and everyone who reads her to go deeper, she is not I have been a fan of Shannon Evans since I first encountered her. A seeker who challenges herself and everyone who reads her to go deeper, she is not satisfied with the status quo, and she won't let us be, either. This makes her books a soul challenge in the best of ways. Because isn't soul challenge, after all, what a life in faith is all about?
Rewilding Motherhood is pointed toward motherhood, but it was not so much as mother, but as woman that I interacted with this book. I am a traditional kind of gal who has been dragged by God, through life experiences, into a less traditional view of many (though by no means all) things surrounding faith. In Evans work I find myself looking at the familiar, but also taken beyond my comfort zone.
What does it mean for women of faith, having grown up in a structure where faith is defined by the male, not the female, experience? What if those male-driven norms train us to damage ourselves by more and more self-emptying instead of recognizing that without good mental health, we can't really nurture those in our care? What does our compulsion to control tell us about our inner life? Why do we insist we ought to be seeking contentment? What if our lack of contentment is a holy clarion call?
Rewilding Motherhood asks hard questions--at times liberating, at times resonating so deep, it's like a gong went off in my soul, and at times well beyond what I'm comfortable contemplating. Not everything in this book landed on fertile ground. Some of it I am not ready for. Perhaps I never will be. But faith is not here to make us feel good. It's here to challenge us to grow, and this book does that....more
A papal letter is always going to be dense, requiring concentrated mental energy. But this one speaks more plainly than most, which makes for reading A papal letter is always going to be dense, requiring concentrated mental energy. But this one speaks more plainly than most, which makes for reading that is both invigorating and exceptionally challenging on a personal level. Pope Francis makes an eloquent case for the Christian, particularly the Catholic, view of the connectedness of all things. Too many people seem to think themselves either too self-righteous for science or too sophisticated for God. Therein lies the central dysfunction of the world as we know it. This should be required reading for everyone, everywhere....more
Funny, realistic, and willing to address the uncomfortable. It's like your conscience talking.Funny, realistic, and willing to address the uncomfortable. It's like your conscience talking....more
During part 1, where Meier sets out his methodology, I thought I was not going to make it through. Immediately after getting into the meat of the studDuring part 1, where Meier sets out his methodology, I thought I was not going to make it through. Immediately after getting into the meat of the study, I was hooked. A long, deep, slow read, a page or two at a time. I did not read the footnotes, which double (at least) the length of the book. I would never have finished if I had tried; in the short pieces of time I had to read this, I would have lost the thread of the narrative....more
In this book, Amy-Jill Levine talks about Christianity and Judaism and the pitfalls that can come when we try to interpret languages from millennia agIn this book, Amy-Jill Levine talks about Christianity and Judaism and the pitfalls that can come when we try to interpret languages from millennia ago and cultures from millennia ago.
Levine's perspective--that of a well-educated Jewish woman--has a lot of value to Christians. She's really, really generous in spirit in the way she gives credit to the people, the customs, and the intent of both Jewish and Christian traditions. Basically this is a book to help modern Christians understand how the way we talk about Jesus and the assumptions we make about the first century can be not only inaccurate, but lead to anti-Jewish sentiment.
At times I thought she was arguing things that didn't really exist. Then again, I get the sense that although she was talking to all Christians, some of the points apply more to fundamentalism than to Catholicism. And I also found myself having to rethink certain things I had always accepted to be true, never recognizing them as generalizations without empirical basis.
Overall: Definitely a worthwhile read. The first chapter alone--a chapter that focuses on what the Scriptures reveal about Jesus as a Jew--makes the book worth the read. There are hints in Scripture that I've never noticed before, but which seem obvious in retrospect. Much to think about. ...more
Matthew Kelly has managed to apply the self-help/secular motivational circuit to Catholicism. Having done a bunch of survey research, he's come up witMatthew Kelly has managed to apply the self-help/secular motivational circuit to Catholicism. Having done a bunch of survey research, he's come up with an interesting hypothesis:
* 7% of Catholics do 80% of the work and give 80% of the money in any given parish * These Catholics share several habits, namely regular prayer and study, generosity and evangelization. * Ergo, if we cultivate and foster these same habits in ourselves and our families and friends and parishes, we can make more "dynamic Catholics."
He suggests incremental ways to work on these four areas, which makes it doable. Although I find his writing style repetitive--i.e., he makes the same point three or four times in a row (must be something connected with being a motivational speaker; I can see it working in that format), I have been trying to implement his ideas in my life, and I can feel the difference. We all want to make the world a better place. This is a good place to start, because it's not huge, it's giving us suggestions for how to do little things in our own sphere of influence....more
This is a book to put on your nightstand and read slowly, a few pages at a time. And then take a break to process it, and read again. So much of what This is a book to put on your nightstand and read slowly, a few pages at a time. And then take a break to process it, and read again. So much of what Thomas Merton talks about in this book made my heart race, because I recognized it. I hope someday I am able to experience the parts I have not--yes, even the "deserts" and "darkness" he references routinely. His grasp of the human person and resistance to God makes so much clear about the world today, especially attitudes among both self-righteous religious and anti-religious....more
Not all of Thomas Merton's book is engrossing, soul-stretching reading. A lot of it is merely autobiographical, and that in itself is pretty interestiNot all of Thomas Merton's book is engrossing, soul-stretching reading. A lot of it is merely autobiographical, and that in itself is pretty interesting. Although you do get the sense that he's leaving a lot out. As much as he lashes himself for his personal sins, what we actually hear about seems pretty tame. But that's not really the point of this book; the point is to witness a journey to God.
I took several months to read this book, a bit at a time, and it was very worthwhile. There were passages of such profound beauty and truth that I had to stop and reflect on them. You can find them here if you are interested.
Whenever a book gets as unswervingly glowing reviews as Sarah Reinhard's A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy, I get suspicious. But in this casWhenever a book gets as unswervingly glowing reviews as Sarah Reinhard's A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy, I get suspicious. But in this case, the book lives up to the hype.
First, some general thoughts, and then I'll outline structure.
A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy is unique for its fusion of Catholic faith study with pregnancy guide. This book feels like a conversation with a friend who's going through pregnancy at the same time as you, and who shares your faith and priorities. Her self-reflections illuminate yours; her wisdom offers not only religious reflections, but practical advice like keeping track of the silly specifics (foods you like, foods you loathe)--details that will fade with time.
Reinhard has a gift for drawing out all that is most holy about the human experience. She connects the familiar and tactile with the conceptual: for instance, when she talks about the unborn baby's fingernails, she suggests imagining painting them with fingernail polish--or cleaning dirt from beneath them!
This gift for making connections is especially poignant when Reinhard applies it to Jesus and Mary. Until I read A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy, it had never occurred to me that Mary might have had morning sickness. And this quote, about Jesus, made in the context of the finding in the temple, took my breath away: "I find comfort...in the idea that (Jesus) wasn't born with all the knowledge he needed."
Part 1 traces pregnancy week by week. The introduction tells you what's up with the baby and your body at this time in pregnancy. Some sections also include topics both universal (when do you tell people?) and not (unintended pregnancy, disability, etc.).
Walking with Mary uses the mysteries of the Rosary to reflect on motherhood and Mary--and most importantly, what we can learn from it. This structure means facing both joyful and difficult topics head-on, but always through the lens of faith.
One Small Step suggests weekly action items, such as regarding church attendance from the perspective of what I can give instead of what I can get out of it. These lessons focus outward instead of inward, which is an interesting take on a time of life when we tend to be pretty myopically focused on ourselves.
In Faith Focus, Reinhard offers saint stories, Scriptures, reflections on the Sacraments and important Church documents. Each week wraps up with a prayer.
Part 2 reflects on preparing for labor and delivery. Reinhard urges mothers to approach it not only as a physical and mental experience, but a spiritual one--one you can and should pray your way through. The "walking with Mary" theme continues here, and Reinhard offers wisdom to help navigate the postpartum time. Ask for help, she urges, and prioritize so that what's most important (like rest!) becomes possible.
In Part 3, Reinhard continues where most pregnancy guides leave off. Pregnancy and childbirth, after all, are only the beginning of raising a child in the faith. She gives an overview of baptism, including why we baptize babies instead of waiting until the age of reason. She suggests a good starting place for finding community and faith formation resources online as well as thoughts about godparents, and living faith into the future.
This book is an amazing resource, and I can only echo what others have said: every expecting mother should have this, no matter how many times she's been through the process....more
A straightforward summary of the Theology of the Body, a great way to get the scope and content if you don't have time to read through the whole set oA straightforward summary of the Theology of the Body, a great way to get the scope and content if you don't have time to read through the whole set of addresses yourself....more
I really enjoyed this book. C. Bernard Ruffin takes Scripture and historical documents--even some apocryphal works and gospels that didn't make the BiI really enjoyed this book. C. Bernard Ruffin takes Scripture and historical documents--even some apocryphal works and gospels that didn't make the Biblical cut (for good reason), and plumbs the depths for things we can learn about the lives of these men. I especially liked how he processed the Scriptural stories (in particular Acts), adding context and historical background that made everything so much clearer than reading without it. You never realize how much is left out of those stories, and how much it clarifies what's going on to have the setting.
Ruffin is very willing to admit what is speculation vs. what is known with reasonable certainty and what is clearly fiction. This book, although it was about the Apostles, actually made the person of Jesus come alive for me, because of what I saw reflected in his closest friends....more
This was tough to read. Not the place I'd suggest going to start learning about St. Ignatius. There seems to be a lot in the narrative that is skippedThis was tough to read. Not the place I'd suggest going to start learning about St. Ignatius. There seems to be a lot in the narrative that is skipped, and a lot that he and his scribe assume you already know. So the gaps in knowledge make it hard to follow. He also come across a bit egotistical, I'm sorry to say. However, it was very interesting to read his version of his multiple encounters with the Spanish Inquisition. We tend to think of the Inquisition as a bunch of people who were on a witch hunt, guilty until proven innocent, and impossible to prove innocence. But Ignatius tangled with them several times and always came away justified. So clearly not everyone ended up being tortured and executed....more
This book caught my eye on the library shelf, and I began it with contradictory thoughts: a desire to agree with the author as well as a bit of skeptiThis book caught my eye on the library shelf, and I began it with contradictory thoughts: a desire to agree with the author as well as a bit of skepticism (that turned into a healthy skepticisim on the first page). However, I stuck with it for a few pages and quickly decided that Sleeth has a terrific argument. Natural conservatives are going to look at the title and be suspicious, but his philosophy lines up beautifully with a lot of what religious conservatives believe: i.e., too much consumerism, too much of what he calls "iGod." He puts forth arguments that seem on the first level to have nothing at all to do with conservation and the environment: Sabbath, sacrifice, community, and so on--but convincingly brings together the ways in which a more traditional definition of Christian life encourages, even demands, stewardship of creation. For instance, when you only have a big snowstorm every couple of years, why on earth does everyone need their own snowblower? Borrow your neighbor's! This particular argument really rang true for me, based on our current experience. Our neighbor has a snowblower and is always willing to loan it out, while we have an electric lawn edger and it is used by two neighbors. Perfectly rational, and builds relationships.
At the end of every chapter, Sleeth includes a list of action items, most of them small, and I was gratified to see that we already do about half of them. This brings up perhaps the most important point--he's not talking politics, he's talking person to person. You can be suspicious of political intervention on environmental issues; he's not trying to talk you into it. He's trying to get you to think about how you, personally, can make changes to impact the environment in a positive way. And that, in my opinion, makes this a book all Christians should read....more
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