Category: Books

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Sean Dorrance Kelly and All Things Shining

By Jim Spiegel

Sean Dorrance Kelly, chair of the Philosophy department at Harvard University, is the author (along with Hubert Dreyfus) of a new book entitled All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular Age (Free Press, 2011).  Recently, Kelly was interviewed on The Colbert Report.  This might be the first (and last) time that a Philosophy professor was interviewed on a popular television show.  Kelly did a splendid job, proving that not all academics are dull and stodgy.

Apparently, All Things Shining aims to strike a hopeful theme—that despite the nihilism that is so pervasive in the West, we can still find meaning, particularly as we look to the classics of Western philosophy and literature.  It is refreshing to hear scholars from Harvard and Berkeley affirm the notion that there are genuine, timeless “classic” literary works and to attempt to offer an effective antidote to the worldview crisis of our time.  Many readers are lavishing praise on their efforts.  But some, such as David Brooks, think they fall a bit short.  You can check out David Brooks’ New York Times review here.  Also, here is Eric Ormsby’s Wall Street Journal review of the book.

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Unreasonable Doubt—Answering Some Critics

By Jim Spiegel

An article of mine, entitled “Unreasonable Doubt,” appeared in last month’s issue of Christianity Today.  It is now available on-line here.  In the article I discuss the major themes of my book, The Making of an Atheist, which aims to explain and apply the biblical account of atheism.

With the publication of the CT article, a few more folks have written me to say that I commit the ad hominem fallacy or that my book is offensive or that my argument is circular because I assume that the Bible is divinely inspired.  (Perhaps the next issue of CT will run some readers’ letters that make such protests.)  These were the main complaints among my atheist critics when the book was first published last year.  Because I’ve grown weary of rebutting these objections one by one in emails, I’ve decided it would be a good idea to address them in a blog post.  So here you go.

As regards the ad hominem fallacy accusation, my book may contain its share of mistakes, but this is surely not one of them.  The ad hominem fallacy is committed when one insists upon the rejection of a position because of some fact (or alleged fact) about the person who holds that view.  I do not argue that we should reject atheism because of any facts about atheists.  In fact, in my book I review many of the objective evidences for theism.  Rather, my thesis concerns the moral-psychological roots of atheism.  So, to use an analogy:  It would be ad hominem to say that we should reject Capitalism because Adam Smith was a bad guy.  But it would be perfectly appropriate to argue that Smith came to affirm his view because of X, Y, and Z.  The argument in my book is like the latter, not the former.

As for the supposed offensiveness of my book, well, that depends on what one means by “offensive.”  If this is intended to mean that I am insensitive, cruel, or have attacked others without justification, the charge is unfounded, even ridiculous.  I simply offer a moral-psychological account of the roots of atheism, and I do so as fairly and sensitively as I can manage.  In fact, my account parallels what Feuerbach and Freud proposed in suggesting that belief in God is a sort of psychological projection.  (I argue that atheists, as it were, “project” the absence of God, due to a combination of moral and psychological factors.)  While deeply mistaken, I would never say—nor have I ever known a fellow theist to claim—that the Feuerbach/Freud account is offensive (in the sense defined above).

Now if my critics’ claim is that my account is offensive in the sense that it is likely to be met with anger or resentment on the part of some people, then I plead guilty.  Of course it bothers atheists to be told that their worldview is irrational and that, furthermore, it is a consequence of willful rejection of God rather than an objective assessment of evidence.  So why defend the thesis at all?  Why write a book that will incite atheists?  Well, because it is an important and biblical truth that has many significant practical implications with regard to ministry, apologetics, and personal spiritual formation.  My account of atheism is really just an unpacking and filling out of what Scripture says in Romans 1:18-32, Ephesians 4:17-18, and John 3:19-21, among other passages.

So, then, in building my account of atheism on the Bible am I guilty of arguing in a circle?  No, because I am not appealing to Scripture to build an argument against the truth of atheism (or in favor of theism).  I would never cite any biblical passage as an argument for God, as this would indeed be blatantly circular.  But, assuming that God exists and that the Bible is divinely inspired, it seems appropriate to consider what, if anything, Scripture says about the causes of atheism. This is all I do in my book.  Offensive to some it may be, but it’s an important truth that needs to be heard.

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Younger, Restlesser, Reformeder—A Review

By Jim Spiegel

It is sometimes lamented that evangelicals take themselves too seriously and don’t have a sense of humor.  If that’s true in general, then authors Ted Kluck and Zach Bartels are striking exceptions to that rule.  In his many books, Kluck has established himself as one of the wittiest evangelical writers today, even when writing on serious subjects, such as the emergent church movement (Why We’re Not Emergent) and adoption (Hello, I Love You).  Kluck recently teamed up with Bartels for some rollicking satire in Kinda Christianity, which parodies emergent types and their theo-cultural kin.   Now Kluck and Bartels have returned to parody their own theological community with Younger, Restlesser, Reformeder.  As Reformed guys themselves, Kluck and Bartels know their subject well, and they’re not afraid to parley every foible of the new-Calvinist movement into a gut-busting gibe.

Like any good lampoon, RRR is not just funny but insightful.  The authors are remarkably observant and, with the help of Bartels’ hilarious cartoon illustrations, give us a thorough review of the contemporary Reformed subculture in all its often ridiculous splendor—including fashion tendencies, political convictions, on-line behavior, courtship, and attitudes toward media and entertainment.  They even provide a detailed formula for computing one’s RQ (Reformed Quotient).  While, like the rest of the book, this is totally tongue-in-cheek, I was struck by how accurate it actually was.  (I am Reformed myself and have run in Reformed circles for more than three decades.)

If you’re Reformed, this book needs to be on your shelf, probably somewhere between Calvin’s Institutes and your John Piper collection.  I guarantee you’ll laugh yourself silly.  That is, unless you take yourself too seriously and don’t have a sense of humor.

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Hodgepodge

By Jim Spiegel

Here’s a review of a new biography of Frank Sinatra.  The greatest male vocalist of the 20th century wasn’t interesting just for his singing.  His life off the stage and away from the studio was a fascinating tumultuous drama.

Here is an interesting essay on Galileo, which shows us a different side of one of the founders of modern science.  And it suggests yet another way in which aesthetic concerns have been pivotal in the history of science.

And from the department of “stranger than fiction” comes this bizarre, serpentine tale of criminal intrigue.  It shouldn’t be long before this is adapted to the silver screen—that is, if its complex plot can be made intelligible to viewers.

Lastly, after the Chicago Bears’ loss to Green Bay last week, sports journalists piled on Jay Cutler like a pack of hyenas on a gimpy gazelle.  I was astounded to hear sports commentators draw hasty conclusions and slam the Bears’ QB for lacking courage and toughness.  Wow.  Golden Rule, anyone?  Anyway, here’s one level-headed sports journalist who is getting it right.

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The Best and Worst of 2010

By Jim Spiegel

It’s been another exciting year, and we want to thank you all for reading and, if applicable, posting comments on our blog.  Once again, we would like to close out the year with some summary remarks about good and bad stuff related to film, music, books, politics, and family.

Best Film Experiences:

  • Jim:  Shutter Island and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  Though these are films in different genres, they are both superbly directed, well-acted, and have compelling stories.  And both films successfully transport the viewer into an alternate reality (or two).  But while Shutter Island leaves you questioning your perception of the world, Dawn Treader inspires you with the hope of transcending it.  Oh, and Toy Story 3 was brilliant, too—transporting the viewer in still another way.
  • Amy:  No Man of Her Own, Emma, and Tangled. In reviewing my viewing choices this year, I must acknowledge that my standards have lowered a bit this year.  These films are a bit more movie than film but great nonetheless.  No Man is a fab film noir starring Barbara Stanwyck.  While there are enough adaptations of Jane Austen’s Emma to sink the Titanic, this one is excellently done and it’s two discs long!  I just took our two youngsters to Tangled a few days ago as an act of love and ended up laughing (and crying) along with them.

Worst Film Experiences:

  • Jim:  This is an easy call: Greenberg.  What a colossal waste of time.  Yet, this reviewer at A.V. Club recommended it, while admitting that this film, like all of director Noah Baumbach’s comedies, is “plotless, self-consciously literary, and populated by characters who flat-out suck from the time they roll out of the bed until they angrily switch out the lights at night.”  He’s right about that much.  But he also finds the film to be “hilarious” and “a pleasure to look at.”  I wonder if we watched the same film.
  • Amy:  Inception.  Maybe this film doesn’t deserve to be called the worst I watched, but it was such a disappointment that I am placing it in the worst experience category.  I anticipated a smart and mind-bending experience.  What I got was an action movie with a side-serving of love story.  I actually fast-forwarded several sections of shoot-me-up.  A close second is The Last Air Bender.  I only make it second because I couldn’t actually make myself watch this much anticipated live action version of our most beloved Nickelodeon show.  I had heard it was awful and made the kids watch it.  Even they hated it.  M. Knight Shyamalan, you’re killing me!

Best and Worst Musical Experiences of the Year:

  • Jim:  Josh Ritter’s So Runs the World Away and Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs.  I actually purchased both of these CDs on the same day, so I spent the next month in musical bliss, bathing in the musical beauty.  For the most part, I avoided stinkers, due mainly to my careful research before purchasing new music.  But what I could not avoid was hearing the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” everywhere I went.  Blecch!
  • Amy:  I am starting to sense a pattern of shallowness in my aesthetic sense this year.  I am sensing a New Year’s resolution coming on. Anyhoo, my musical selections were mostly limited to good workout music (“Stuck to You” by Nikka Costa, “Strip Me” by Natasha Bedingfield and “The Way I Are” by Timbaland).  I have just purchased albums by Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris, which I hope to enjoy in the New Year.

Jim’s Favorite Sports Moment of the Year: Two of my three favorite NFL teams playing in the Super Bowl.  Well, the run-up to the Super Bowl was actually more satisfying than the game itself, which at times felt like watching my kids fight.  I was sad for my Colts but thrilled for my Saints, with whom I have suffered as a fan since the early 1980s.  Who Dat!!!

Jim’s Most Disappointing Sports Moment of the Year: All of the LeBron James summer free agency hype, culminating in an hour-long ESPN James announcement TV special.  LeTacky and LeShameless.  My interest in the NBA and respect for ESPN have declined faster than the U.S. economy.

Amy’s Best Eating Experience of the Year: While attending a conference with Jim in Atlanta, we “attempted” to visit the Atlanta Art Museum.  We sighed with regret as we took an afternoon siesta and mumbled something about going to the Art Museum.  We didn’t make it to the museum, but we did make it to the restaurant adjacent to the Museum.  I had rabbit with pumpkin ravioli.  That’s right—rabbit and let me tell you, Bugs Bunny was tasty!

Amy’s Worst Eating Experience of the Year: If we are talking overall experience, it would have to be an ill-fated family trip to Cracker Barrel.  The bad side was the service, which was horrible and slow; also, the food was cold and the manager snapped at me when I pointed this out.  The up side was that, in the end, our dinner was on the house.  I also hosted a dinner party at which I unfortunately served grey soup; not a shining moment in my culinary career.

Satisfying Reads of the Year:

  • Jim:  Howard Storm’s My Descent into Death was the most engrossing and inspiring book I’ve read in years (see my May 30 post).  Keaton, the classic Buster Keaton biography by Rudi Blesh, was also excellent (see my August 8 post).  I also enjoyed numerous short stories by Flannery O’Connor.
  • Amy:  The Help by Kathryn Stockett and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley were both great book club selections this year.  I spent a good part of the year reading books with Bailey and Maggie so for tween boys I recommend the Gregor the Overlander series or Mr. Popper’s Penguins and The Moffats.

Political High Point of the Year: Kicking (a lot of) the bums out of Congress in November.  We’ll see how many of these newly elected folks turn out to be bums as well.

Political Low Points of the Year: Amy’s low point was the day after the November elections when she had the sinking feeling that all the newly elected Senators and Representatives would prove to be just as disappointing as the bums that we threw out.  Jim’s low point was the passing of Obamacare in March.  Already two U.S. District Court judges have struck down part of the health care law as unconstitutional (portending much bigger legal wrangling to come).  What a mess.

Good 2010 Memories of Our Kids:

  • Bailey learning to play guitar and his ability to imitate us with frightening accuracy.
  • Watching Sam finish first in the Fairmount James Dean race for his age group
  • Maggie having her first spend-the-night at a friend’s house.  Coincidentally, this was also the quietest night of the year at the Spiegels.
  • Andrew declaring himself the “King of Potato Wedges,” among other things.  He also is now fully potty trained—a major family milestone, to be sure.

Favorite Backyard Adventures of the Year:

  • Jim:  Installing a zip-line and watching the kids’ creative uses of it (not including Sam’s inadvertent back flip and landing on his shoulders)
  • Amy:  The raised bed in which we planted cucumbers, carrots, and onions.  The cucumbers dominated impressively.

Most Satisfying Shared Experiences of the Year:

  • Jim:  Eating at the 1280 Restaurant in Atlanta—the $18 scallops were worth every bite (which is saying a lot, as they averaged out to over $3.00 per bite).
  • Amy:  Any of our several family bike rides—the back of my bike is finally toddler free!  A close second was the camping trip the kids and I took to Indiana Dunes State Park.  I was so proud of myself for going, proud of the kids for being such troupers and amazed at the beauty of Lake Michigan.

New Year’s Resolutions:

  • Jim:  To read ten books in New Testament and historical Jesus studies; also to stop biting my nails (without having to forego following sports).
  • Amy:  To run a 10K race and read at least six books by C.S. Lewis (and not just his fiction).

Happy 2011 everyone!

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My Summer Reading

By Jim Spiegel

This summer I spent most of my free time doing home improvement projects and spending time with the family, but I did manage to read a few books.  Here is a quick review of the ones I read.

My Descent into Death: A Second Chance at Life by Howard Storm (Doubleday) — I have an abiding interest in the pervasive phenomenon of near death experiences (NDEs), both from a scholarly standpoint and, perhaps because my own eventual death appears to be inevitable, from a personal standpoint.  Storm’s story is especially interesting because his experience occurred while he was a firmly convinced atheist.  (Today Storm pastors a church in Ohio.)  This book poignantly recounts his NDE, including a detailed conversation with Jesus and some angelic beings.  Fascinating and inspiring stuff.

Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near Death Experience by Pim van Lommel (HarperOne) —  Where Storm’s NDE account is deeply personal, this study by the renowned Dutch cardiologist is a dispassionate assessment of the evidence for the validity of NDEs.  Building upon the research of previous NDE scholars (e.g., Kenneth Ring, P.M.H. Atwater, Melvin Morse, etc.), Van Lommel shares data gathered from his own research and considers it all in light of the latest insights in brain physiology.  Along the way, Van Lommel repudiates all of the naturalistic accounts of NDEs, such as appeals to the effects of medication, hallucination, or oxygen deprivation.  Those looking for a thorough and rigorous scientific assessment NDEs should start here.

Keaton by Rudi Blesh (Macmillan) — I am very selective when it comes to the biographies I read.  The subjects must be either great artists or paragons of virtue (interestingly, these tend to be mutually exclusive categories), and the authors must be strong stylists or superb scholars (or both).  This first bio of Buster Keaton met these criteria and was a delight to read.  My respect for Keaton the artist grew immensely, as did my pathos for Keaton the man.  (See my August 8, 2010 post for a more extensive discussion of the “Great Stone Face.”)

The Loser Letters: A Comic Tale of Life, Death, and Atheism by Mary Eberstadt (Ignatius) — If you thought that the new atheism was a hopelessly humorless topic, its time to think again.  This cheeky satire is absolutely hysterical.  Eberstadt manages to poke fun at the new atheists while revealing many of the serious problems with their perspective, not to mention some disturbing demographics (e.g., that atheists are far more likely to be men than women—so if atheism is about intellectual enlightenment, what does this imply about women?  Hmm….sexism anyone?).  For someone who is primarily a cultural commentator, Eberstadt displays tremendous insight into religious psychology and philosophy of religion.

Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations by Alex and Brett Harris (Multnomah) — American culture is indulgent in many ways, and one of the most damaging forms this takes is the way we coddle our teenagers.  We don’t expect them to be morally serious and do significant work, so we don’t challenge them to do so.  Then when they confirm our low expectations we conclude that they’re not capable of anything more.  Alex and Brett Harris have had enough, and this rousing manifesto has brought throngs of young people, and their parents, to attention.  Way to go, guys.

Why is God Ignoring Me? by Gary Habermas (Tyndale) — Most people of faith have experienced the “dark night of the soul” when it seems that God is absent when we need him most.  In this book, Gary Habermas expounds on the critical resources that believers have to persevere through such times.  The author’s own personal trials inform this study, which is refreshingly realistic about suffering and the biblical perspective on the subject.  I also appreciate Habermas’s emphasis on the spiritual disciplines and other proactive ways of dealing with the problem of divine hiddenness.

The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux ) — O’Connor’s fiction is often characterized as dark and grotesque, full of freaks and the bizarre.  Yet when I read her stories I find them to be both hopeful and, in a strange way, realistic (a response which prompts me, at turns, to question her readers’ interpretive sense and my own state of mental health).  In any case, O’Connor’s genius for providing insights into human nature and grace, among other things, is profound.  Her stories are consistently set in the “Christ-haunted South,” but the themes are universal.  And to my mind she succeeds where few other twentieth century fiction writers do—at inspiring virtue and a deeper devotion to the Golden Rule.

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An Open Letter to Elizabeth Gilbert

By Amy Spiegel

I am writing this post as an open letter to New York Bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert whose book, Eat Pray Love, is currently resting on my coffee table (here I pause to scowl in the direction of said book as the author is not currently available to witness my angry glances). I have searched for some way to communicate directly with Ms. Gilbert, and finding none, I have been forced to simply send my words out into the internet universe in hopes that they might beat a path to her door. I suppose you, our fair reader, are just along for the ride on this one.

Dear Elizabeth Gilbert,

Earlier this summer, I spotted your book with its cleverly designed cover, snuggly resting between What’s His Name’s newest thriller and Whosit’s latest cookbook. My book club had nominated Eat Pray Love for consideration for the upcoming year. I also noted Anne LaMotte’s enthusiastic recommendation on the cover and impulsively tucked you in the cart amongst the swimsuits and bug spray. Since that day, “you” have traveled with me to watch my four children swim at the lake; you have kept me company while I pretended not to be putting off making dinner. You have rested on my bedside table as I slept. Of course, you didn’t actually come to live in my house and follow me around but I tend to take the reading of a book as a very personal affair and often become deeply attached to an author through the words they have crafted. So imagine my shock and anger when I reached page 94 on which you discuss those of us who choose a more conventional way of life. Imagine my disappointed after I had given you the benefit of the doubt as you described your rather unconventional form of Christianity and put up with your heavy-handed political statements. I did so because in reading your book, I felt in many ways I recognized a kindred spirit.

Though there are few similarities between us outwardly (I am a Midwest residing stay-at-home mom with four kids), I saw myself in many of your struggles, laughed at your jokes and savored your descriptions of meals I am unlikely to experience for myself. And what did you do? You gut-punched me right there on page 94! You actually made me write a bad word in my book.  Okay, so you didn’t force me, but I was really upset and I am no longer permitted audible four-letter words. So what was it I found so hurtful, you might ask (or not, but since this is a one way mode of communication I get to pretend that you did)? In your discussion of the comforting status brought on by marriage and conventional living, you say, “at every stage, you know who you are, you know what your duty is and you know where to sit at the reunion.” In the words of Virginia Woolf, you say, on this side of convention “all is correct.” WHAT?!?

If the life of convention comes with some sort of instruction manual with an illustrated step-by-step guide, I must have been in the bathroom the day they handed it out. Just about every moment between the time I am jolted into consciousness by one of my demanding brood and the time when I lay my head across the pillow is filled with wearying, bone-crushing self-doubt. Not just the run-of-the-mill mommy doubts like “Do Fruit Loops count as an actual serving of fruit?” but deeply personal ponderings of the soul that seem to mirror many of your own wonderings of purpose and meaning. Your comments left me feeling as though, were we to meet in the family reunion of life, you would quickly seat me at the “Boring Conventional Women” table without a backward glance. Perhaps I would, with a deep sigh of envy, do something similar, placing you at the “World Traveling, Not a Care in the World Accomplished Women” table. But surely this seating arrangement doesn’t do justice to either party. I would love to sit at the “Jumbled Up Women of all Shapes and Sizes” table with you. Rubbing elbows over large quantities of carbs, surely we could find that we share more than just a deep love of pasta. Amidst our mutual self-doubt perhaps we could find some common certainties.

Sincerely,

Amy Spiegel

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News Miscellany

By Jim Spiegel

I am a strong believer in small government, and here is one illustration why.  Also on the political front, check out Charles Krauthammer’s disturbing prognostications about potentially radical legislation coming this Fall.

Rick Warren recently injured his eyes while gardening.  He’s going to be okay.  In a Tweet Warren expressed his desire that God would be glorified through his pain, which surprisingly (or perhaps not so surprisingly, given our therapeutic culture) has sparked some controversy.  See the comment string in this CT piece.

I’ve been reading a bit of Christopher Hitchens’ new horribly titled but brilliantly written memoir, Hitch-22.  Here is a small taste.  Like a lot of his writing, the book is droll, insightful, and self-absorbed.  In this case, the latter quality is appropriate—it is a memoir after all.

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Thoughts on Hitler’s Demise

By Jim Spiegel

I’m a big fan of Quentin Tarantino films, as is probably apparent to regular readers of this blog.  I am especially fond of his most recent effort, Inglourious Basterds (see my October 29, 2009 post for a full review), which excels in nearly all cinematic categories.  Some have been critical of the film because of its deliberate (and extreme) distortion of history.  In case you haven’t seen the film—spoiler alert!—the story concerns two fictional plots to assassinate Hitler and his fellow Third Reich imps.  Unlike the actual Stauffenberg assassination attempt that merely injured the Fuhrer, Tarantino’s film brings Hitler to an extremely violent end.  Part of the incentive to concoct such a story, presumably, would be to give viewers the satisfaction of watching Hitler get what he deserved—indeed, the fate that many of us would like to see all genocidal maniacs meet.  I think Tarantino has indicated as much in some interviews about the film.

While reading excerpts from Ian Kershaw’s recent Hitler biography, I’ve been reflecting a bit on the historical facts and have concluded that Tarantino’s invented story of Hitler’s demise is really less satisfying (in the sense of being pleased by the wicked getting their just deserts) than what actually took place.   On the afternoon of April 30, 1945, Hitler, Eva Braun, and assorted Nazi officers were holed up in a bunker at the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, as the Red Army closed in.  The Fuhrer had heard that Mussolini had been captured and killed (though he probably was not aware of the gory details), and he wished to avoid such a fate, as well as the ignominious prospect of his body being permanently displayed by the Soviets as a trophy of their triumph.  So Hitler’s plan was to commit suicide and have his body cremated.  Specifically, he would take a pill of prussic acid.  However, being doubtful about the effectiveness of the poison, he instructed one of his officers to test it on his dog, an Alsatian named Blondi.  The dog died almost immediately upon ingesting the poison—which apparently prompted no emotional response from Hitler, despite the fact that he showed more love to the animal than any human in his life, including his long-time lover Eva Braun.

So when it was clear the Soviet army was only a few hundred meters away and could storm the Chancellery at any minute.  Hitler and Eva Braun executed their plan…and themselves.

Why is this true story more fitting than that envisioned by Tarantino, or, for that matter, any of our own dreams of, say, a live Hitler capture, trial, and execution?  For one thing, there is the powerful symbolism of the self-destructiveness of evil.  The pursuit of absolute power is self-defeating, and those who live by the murderous sword often fall upon it.  Hitler, of course, is only one of the more recent examples of this fundamental truth about the human condition.  History has seen myriad despots destroy themselves, whether directly by their own hand or as an indirect consequence of their wicked actions.

One must also consider the emotional dimension of the story.  What despair must Hitler have experienced in those final days and, especially, his last hours.  Perhaps during that time he came to some sober reflections on the true moral horror of what he had done.  Perhaps not.  But the despair he felt surely gave him at least a taste of what so many millions of innocent Jews and other victims of the Nazi scourge felt as they awaited their fate in concentration camps—a sense of hopelessness and the most sickening sorrow.

Of course, in the end, there really is no completely just recompense for the wicked on this earth.  As Scripture tells us, we must wait for Judgment Day for that (cf. Eccl. 12:14; 2 Cor. 5:10).  But human history, and particular narratives, may nonetheless be more or less pleasing from the standpoint of justice.  Some point better than others to deep moral, spiritual, and human truths.  And it seems to me that, in these respects, however much we may want to indulge our own fantasies about Hitler’s fate, we can’t improve on the tale as told by God.

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Book Notes

By Amy Spiegel

Well, summer is here and it’s hello to long afternoons watching my kids frolic in the sun while I attempt to make a dent in my Amazon wish list. I try not to make all my summer reading fluffy, though a cotton-candy quality book or five somehow mysteriously make it into my bag. So here are a few I have recently read or am in the process of reading. Hope you can find a place in the sun and enjoy.

Dracula by Bram Stoker:  I don’t actually enjoy gruesome books and I can’t remember exactly what compelled me to pick up this one. Perhaps I made the mistake of perusing one of those “classics you should read if you want to be evenly nominally acknowledged as a reader” lists. I can’t tell you how many books I have abandoned in despair after guilting myself into beginning them. Not so with this one, however.  Dracula is great book about the struggle between good and evil. Twilight may have it beat in the love story category, but Dracula wins hands down in every other category.

Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges: This is the book chosen by the women I lounge about with at the lake.  While I haven’t gotten far, it comes highly recommended and promises to be convicting and edifying.

The Complete Fairy Tales by George MacDonald:  I got this one to read to the kids but have selfishly read them to myself instead. They are perfect summer reading—substantive, touching, and easy to get into. Any fan of MacDonald’s novels will enjoy this collection of short stories.

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy:  This is my current read and I must confess I am mostly reading it because I saw the movie a long time ago and hate myself for not taking the high road and reading the book first. Another bending of the knees to the intellectuals, I suppose, but even if they don’t know it all they do seem to know a good book when they read one, and this is no exception.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan:  Our oldest son has recently discovered a passion for the Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian series. I nearly fell to the floor dead when I came to his room one morning to muscle him out of bed and found him reading—voluntarily! In an attempt to keep it going and stay connected with my kid, I am reading the first book in Riordan’s new series. Perhaps my son is just supplying a handy excuse for reading Juvenile literature, but it’s an enjoyable book and who doesn’t need a refresher course in their Egyptology?