Three Reviews Coming in Publishers Weekly on Monday, January 15

-- Publishers Weekly, 12/20/2006

Jesus for the Non-Religious
John Shelby Spong. Harper San Francisco, $24.95 (288p) ISBN 978-0-06-076207-0

In this impassioned work, Spong, the iconoclastic former Episcopal bishop of Newark, details in this impassioned work both his "deep commitment to Jesus of Nazareth" and his "deep alienation from the traditional symbols" that surround Jesus. For Spong, scholarship on the Bible and a modern scientific worldview demonstrate that traditional teachings like the Trinity and prayer for divine intervention must be debunked as the mythological trappings of a primitive worldview. These are so much "religion," which was devised by our evolutionary forebears to head off existential anxiety in the face of death. What's left? The power of the "Christ experience," in which Jesus transcends tribal notions of the deity and reaches out to all people. Spong says Jesus had such great "energy" and "integrity" about him that his followers inflated to the point of describing him as a deity masquerading in human form; however, we can still get at the historical origin of these myths by returning to Jesus' humanity, especially his Jewishness. Spong so often suggests the backwardness and insecurity of those who disagree with him that his rhetoric borders on the fundamentalist. His own historical and theological reconstructions would be more palatable if he seemed more aware that he too is engaged in myth-making. (Feb. 27)

Ritual Sacrifice: Blood and Redemption
Brenda Ralph Lewis. Sutton, $19.95 paper (356p) ISBN 978-0-7509-4500-4

Although many might dismiss ritual sacrifice as cruel, Lewis—a seasoned journalist and historian who is a specialist in the Aztecs—reveals it as a highly complex activity, one deeply entrenched even in the rituals of contemporary Christianity, and alive and well in the recent rise of neo-paganism in the West. In fact, Lewis goes so far as to frame sacrifice as "the final step in the intellectual separation of humans from animals"—a claim that may give some readers pause. Peppered with vivid photographs and a full-color insert of images, from altars to funeral pyres, Lewis shows readers why, for many civilizations both ancient and recent, even the most extreme blood sacrifices were deemed essential not only to general survival, but for preventing such atrocities as the end of the world. Her study is truly global, canvassing civilizations on six continents and assessing questions like why those chosen for human sacrifice embraced their fate so willingly. Lewis endeavors to hold her subject at arm's length so as not to color this history with personal bias—though occasionally her partiality for science's superiority over religion is evident. Luckily, this does not disrupt her overall presentation of a topic that readers may be tempted to view with a misplaced, morbid fascination. (Mar.)

Hippies of the Religious Right: From the Counterculture of Jerry Garcia to the Subculture of Jerry Falwell
Preston Shires. Baylor Univ., $29.95 paper (242p) ISBN 978-1-932792-57-0

Shires, who teaches history at a community college in Nebraska, contends that a surprising number of teens and young adults who participated in the 1960s counterculture eventually made their way to the "robust evangelical movement" of the 1970s and 1980s. The counterculture itself fostered an interest in spirituality, and the charismatic renewal offered youth a way to rebel against their parents' mainline liberal Christianity. Shires's most innovative claim is that the counterculture actually led to the development of the religious right. While so-called "Jesus Freaks" and other countercultural Christians were primarily on a spiritual, not political, quest, the organic, integrated life they sought led them to apply their faith to politics. Shires concludes with a prediction: the next decades may see the rise of a more politically moderate evangelicalism, as a younger generation, concerned with inclusion and caring for the poor, matures. If Shires does not make an airtight case, his argument is certainly intriguing and suggestive. Although the book is marred by occasional clunky academic prose, and overuse of the passive voice ("This has been the argument"), Shires makes a real contribution to the nation's current discussions about evangelicals and political activism. (Apr.)

Two Starred Reviews Coming in PW on Monday, January 15:

Hidden in Plain Sight: Seven Old Things That Can Make Your Life New
Mark Buchanan. W, $17.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-8499-0174-4

A book on virtue may seem a thing of the past, but pastor Buchanan (Your God Is Too Safe; Things Unseen) puts a modern twist on its study and practice. "How do I get more of God in my life?" he asks himself. The answer has been obvious since the Apostle Peter, a follower of Jesus Christ, reputedly penned the words of the Bible's 2 Peter 1:1-9 nearly 2,000 years ago. Peter, who Buchanan describes as "by turns rash, dithering, cocky, [and] cowering," lists in that passage seven virtues faithful Christians must seek to grow closer to God: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Buchanan first digs deeply into the faith that undergirds these virtues, then studies each one in depth. He defines, explains, details and applies each virtue to the Christian life, building one upon the other with the expertise of a master. Buchanan's creative and image-filled writing brings life to what could be a dry subject, and his spiritual depth reveals Peter's heart: "Possess [these virtues] in increasing measure, and the life of Christ can flow unimpeded through you."(2 Peter 1:8) This is a startlingly honest, newly revealing look at both Peter and these virtues left unmined for too long. (Mar. 13)

You Were Made for Love: Embracing the Life You Were Meant to Live
Philip Carlson. Cook, $14.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-7814-4432-3

Carlson straddles two professional worlds as the pastor of an Evangelical Free church and a part-time family physician. His propensity for offering compassionate care and practical counsel to church folk and patients alike shines through in this book, which exudes substantive and hopeful inspiration. Similar to Max Lucado's easy-on-the-heartstrings style, Carlson provides sound theological truth intermixed with true stories of faith-pursuing men and women. He focuses first upon understanding where love comes from as cited in 1 John 4:7-21, then explores what love looks like from the classic love passage in 1 Corinthians 13, and concludes with learning ways love grows best as found in Isaiah 58:1-12. Carlson touches on Christians' obligations to see commitments through, humbly defer to others, harness the power of a gentle spirit, sacrifice in costly ways to be kind, and develop a robust trust in God. One particularly moving lesson speaks of the "compelling agents of transformation" that the words and actions of kind people represent to a hurting, broken world. Carlson proposes that people will not listen to a Christian message until they see it first in a human life. Evangelicals from every camp will find comfort in this book, and be sparked to revive their faith after reading it. (Mar.)

A Faith Fiction Review Coming in the PW Online Annex:

Sex in the Sanctuary
Lutishia Lovely. Dafina Books/Kensington, $15 paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-7582-1751-6

Debut novelist and former talk show host Lovely offers a lowbrow novel of romance and adultery in an African-American church community. At the center of the story is King Brook, a charismatic pastor with a nasty habit of cheating on his long-suffering wife, Tai. His latest affair threatens to undo Tai, and she must decide whether to stay or go. Cheering for the Brookses' marriage is Tai's best friend Vivian, whose dreamy, too-good-to-be-true marriage is enviable, and Tai's mother-in-law, who once whipped her own deceitful husband back into shape. While weighing her options, Tai, of course, makes herself more attractive by joining a gym, losing weight, and taking a class at a community college. Meanwhile, a seemingly together young woman in the same community becomes fixated on a rich bachelor, and her obsession actually threatens her sanity. The uninspired plot is not improved by Lovely's writing. Platitudes about God's faithfulness are outnumbered only by badly written sex scenes ("It looks like Mister Big is getting bigger," are Vivian's first words to her husband one morning). The women are always dressed to the nines, and the lists of name-brand apparel—Manolo Blahnik pumps, Donna Karan sweaters, and Calvin Klein handbags—quickly get old. The novel's ending, with its emphasis on forgiveness, is predictable. (Feb.)