Four Reviews Coming in Publishers Weekly on Monday, April 14:
Publishers Weekly -- Publishers Weekly, 3/25/2008
The Bodhi Tree Grows in L.A.: Tales of a Buddhist Monk in America
Bhante Walpola Piyananda. Shambhala, $14.95paper(192p) ISBN 978-1-59030-568-3
Piyananda, a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk who came to America decades ago, tells simple stories about people with problems whom he has counseled in the course of his tenure at a Theravada Buddhist temple in Los Angeles. The problems are common: anorexia, gambling, anger, illness. The simplicity of his storytelling belies the depth of his knowledge of Buddhist sutras, which he invariably applies in resolving whatever problem is presented to him. But he is a student of human nature as well as scripture. His school of Buddhist practice spends relatively less time on meditation, leaving time to encounter problems with compassion and to work on cultivating virtuous conduct. The author’s tone is both cheerful and compassionate; he is the kind of clergy one would hope to find at every church, temple or mosque. Some Buddhist students will wonder where the focus on enlightenment went; others will find refreshing proof of the power of compassion and of the wisdom of the Buddha for daily life and its vicissitudes. (June 10)
Me of Little Faith
Lewis Black. Riverhead, $23.95 (256p) ISBN 978-1-59448-994-5
Readers already familiar with Black as a loud-mouthed regular on The Daily Show will be delighted to find he rants just as well on the page as he does in person. Here, he homes in on religion, which he thinks is taken too seriously and therefore is “open to ridicule.” Black may not care a whit about propriety, but he’s serious about waxing comedic about every religion-related angle he can dig up. No one is safe from his dark humor—the Catholic Church, Mormons, people who commit suicide in the name of faith, Jews, and of course, Jesus and God are popular topics. Black’s essays consistently deliver zingers like his speculation in “The Rapture” about how, “If Jesus returns to earth…he better have one hell of a website,” since he’d have to compete with all the “drug-addled young starlets,” not to mention online porn. For those not easily offended, who can stomach the F-word every other paragraph or so, Black’s irreverence is laugh-out loud funny. The chapters are short, some extremely so, and perfect for a good laugh—before bedtime prayers, of course. (June 3)
Whose Torah? A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism
Rebecca T. Alpert. The New Press, $23.95 (176p) ISBN 978-1-58558-336-9
Pursuit of tzedek (justice) takes many forms, and Alpert, among the first women to be ordained as a rabbi and current chairperson of the religion department at Temple University, addresses everything from sexuality, gender and race to war, peace, poverty and the environment under tzedek’s capacious umbrella. Throughout this concise introduction, Alpert attempts to show how progressive Jews are reshaping questions about activism and justice. While quick to remind us that among two Jews there will always be at least three opinions, she manages to cover a wide range of perspectives—biblical, historical, political and personal—with a surprising amount of depth, in a very small space. Replete with introductions (and resulting acronyms) to an array of organizations, movements and leaders within the ever-growing progressive community, this is as much a primer to progressive Judaism for both Jews and Gentiles as an inspiration for just living in the 21st century—whether that means treating our neighbors, our environment or even our enemies well. (June)
The Gospel According to Bruce Springsteen: Rock and Redemption, from Asbury Park to Magic
Jeffrey B. Symynkywicz.Westminster John Knox, $16.95 paper (216p) ISBN 978-0-664-23169-9
Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, a driver rolled down his window and shouted to Bruce Springsteen, “We need you—now!” A few days later Springsteen appeared as part of a telethon to help victims’ families, and not long after released The Rising, with “Into the Fire” as a tribute to the 343 lost firefighters. It wasn’t the first or last time America would need the Boss—his support kept the Vietnam Veterans of America from disbanding, and his social critique since 9/11 has been loud in its protest of the Iraq War. According to Symynkywicz, Born in the USA is not only Springsteen’s greatest album, it represents the ambiguity of his gospel, his lover’s quarrel with an America he loves and fumes against. Symynkywicz explores these theological and political questions with the deftness of a Harvard-trained minister and a great Springsteen fan. He has clearly pored over these lyrics, multi-layered as they are, and sifted them through a theological filter. At times he offers a bit too much detail. Other times you’ll want to stop reading, turn on the Boss and dance in the dark, maybe even praying while you do. (June)
Two Original RBL Reviews
The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully
Joan Chittister. BlueBridge, $19.95 (240p) ISBN 978-1-933346-10-6
Well-known in Catholic circles for her willingness to take on anybody—even the pope—in defense of women’s rights, Chittister, now in her 70s, examines how it feels “to be facing that time of life for which there is no career plan.” Clearly, getting older has not diminished the controversial nun, activist, lecturer and author of nearly 40 books on feminism, nonviolence and Benedictine wisdom. This collection of inspirational reflections, “not meant to be read in one sitting, or even in order, [but] one topic at a time,” abounds in gentle insights and arresting aphorisms: “‘Act your age’ can be useful advice when you’re seventeen; it’s a mistake when you’re seventy-seven.” Beginning each short chapter with a trenchant quotation (“‘It takes a long time,’ Pablo Picasso wrote, ‘to become young’”), she ponders topics such as fear, mystery, forgiveness and legacy. Old age is rich for those who choose to thrive, not wither: “We can recreate ourselves in order to be creative in the world in a different way than the boundaries of our previous life allowed.” (May)
We the Purple: Faith, Politics and the Independent Voter
Marcia Ford. Tyndale, $17.99 (240p) ISBN 978-1-4143-1717-5
In the same what-you-see-is-what-you-get voice that fans of Diary of a Misfit got to know and love, Ford gives a personal overview of the misunderstood, ill-defined estimated 42 percent of American voters known as Independents. In her informal, conversational way, she not only offers a peek at the trajectory she followed to independent political thinking, but provides a map through the maze of organizations, blogs, movements and philosophies of her fellow Purples. The insights of an eclectic representation of such folk, ranging in age from 23 to 87, illustrate the diversity of voters unwilling to toe a party line. A woman of faith, Ford dislikes any pigeonholing of her politics based solely on her religious beliefs. If anything disappoints about this highly accessible must-read for anyone feeling lost in the current political process, it’s the lack of a formal conclusion, which feels a bit like Ford went to refill her cup and forgot to come back to the table.Still, elected officials should make this required reading, as should political independents. (Apr.)
Two Starred Reviews Coming in PW on Monday, April 14:
O2: Breathing New Life into Faith
Richard Dahlstrom. Harvest House, $14.99 paper (300p) ISBN 978-0-7369-2214-2
Dahlstrom, a Seattle pastor and international speaker, is an original and welcome evangelical voice of reason who offers skeptics and Christians alike compelling advice on living out their faith, Jesus-style. Where, he asks, is Christians’ passion for Christ? Do their beliefs make any substantive difference in their daily lives? In 1984, Dahlstrom realized that his own spiritual well was dry, so he moved with his wife to an island where he learned to “breathe” again—effectively balancing inhalation (prayer, solitude, Sabbath rest, Scripture study and contemplation) with exhalation (service, outreach, hospitality and generous giving). In this book, he gives Christians tools to achieve spiritual balance by integrating these inwardly and outwardly focused spiritual practices. Dahlstrom’s tenderness is deeply stirring, as is his tough stance in confronting modern believers’ unwillingness to follow in Jesus’ stead by serving sacrificially, reaching forth in love, and spilling out their lives for others. Dahlstrom’s approach balances gentle compassion with fierce assessments of problems in the church today, making this an excellent guide to soul renovation. (July)
The Big Questions in Science and Religion
Keith Ward. Templeton Foundation Press, $16.95 paper (272p) ISBN 978-1-59947-135-8
Ward, an Oxford theologian specializing in the history and philosophy of religion, presents an impressively insightful and well-balanced survey of major questions for science-and-religion dialogue. Ward takes on a wide a range of topics, reasoning that if God is “the ultimate cause of absolutely everything—we might think that the existence of God must make some difference to how things are.” The beginning and end of the universe, the origins and nature of consciousness, and human religious experience all become contact points for discussion between scientific and religious perspectives. Writing as a scholar of world religions, Ward discusses multiple traditions in a level of depth and detail that exceeds the normal standards of the science and religion literature. Atheist and agnostic perspectives also receive a fair hearing, recognized as parties to the conversation rather than merely as rhetorical foils. Throughout, Ward shows a keen ability to recognize variations and distinctions within traditions, while still drawing helpful generalizations such as his conclusion that “to believe in God is primarily to believe in the objectivity of value and purpose.” (June)
