A thought-provoking rethinking of Christianity.
A prominent progressive Christian calls for a renewal and reconceptualization of the faith in this anthology.
“Have you ever felt your faith could use a refresh?” asks editor St Reynolds in his introduction, emphasizing the legacy of author Lewis’ “transformative perspective on Christian thought.” A former surgeon who’s done postgraduate work in Biblical studies, Lewis has spent years as a globally recognized voice of progressive Christianity. From page one, which includes statements on queer sexuality and environmental sustainability, readers are offered a perspective that is profoundly Christian yet stands in stark contrast to the proliferation of conservative voices in the genre. The author is ecumenical in his approach as he explores a core message of Christianity: “I must try to love like Jesus.” This is not to say the book offers a milquetoast brand of Christianity void of theological arguments—Lewis challenges fundamentalist interpretations of the Bible and questions orthodox assumptions about the nature of Jesus. Lewis’ boldest assertion, perhaps, is the “reasonable” assumption that Jesus was gay. Though this claim (based on Jesus’s unmarried status as a rabbi and his personal demeanor) may not be entirely convincing, it does make for a fruitful thought experiment, reframing Jesus as a “young man who is gay, looks different and feels different, yet is steeped in the Jewish culture of his time.” The author’s probing analysis is accompanied by a robust bibliography, but the text is written in an accessible style that includes pop-culture references (like Star Trek) and full-color images. While numbering fewer than 70 total pages (most of the essays are under five pages long), this is not a book designed to be read in a single sitting; it’s to be meditated upon as readers examine assumptions often left unquestioned. Curated under the watchful editorial eye of St Reynolds, himself a leading voice in progressive Christian scholarship, this anthology is a well-crafted introduction to a branch of Christianity often overshadowed by the religion’s more boisterous (and orthodox) brethren.
A thought-provoking rethinking of Christianity.Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2024
ISBN: 9798334716773
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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