5 comments about Life of St. Columba (Penguin Classics).

1. Running to 432 pages, including 10 pages of maps and geneological tables, an introduction (100 pages), the translated Life (134 pages), scholarly footnotes (144 pages), bibliography and index, this is almost two books in one, and good value for the modest price.
   
   I began reading this book reluctantly as part of the research for my Storyteller series, because Columba's life (521?-597) spans the period of my stories. I expected a dry, boring read: I was wrong. The introduction is interesting and well-written, with a large amount of helpful historical detail about the people and customs of this period, and the Life itself is lively and entertaining. Columba and his monastic family were important figures in 6th-8th century Scotland and Ireland, and anyone interested in this period should know their acts and history. If you fall in this category, buy this book now and read it: at only $12, you have no excuse. Highly recommended.



2. The Penguin Classic edition of Adomnan's Life of St. Columba must rate as the modern standard of the life of this early Celtic saint. A new translation by Richard Sharpe of Wadham College, Oxford has as its goal to make the work by Adomnan understood in English. A very readable historical introduction of about 100 pages sets the scene for Columba, for Adomnan and for the early monastery in Iona. Sharpe sifts through the many layers of stories that have grown up over the many centuries and notes what we have real evidence for and not. Adomnan's text itself is about 125 pages and then there is over 140 pages of detailed notes on the text, followed by an extensive bibliography and index. To take it all in one would have to be very familiar to early Irish history but of course this is the source for much of that history.
   
   Whether one has been to Iona or followed the lives of the Northern Celtic saints in England & Scotland this work puts these stories in a living context. Adomnan was the 9th abbot of the monastery on Iona after Columba and wrote about 100 years after the saint's death. There is almost a sense of being present at the time of his stories about Columba and the monks and noted people of his times. With all the claims to veracity and eye-witness the hundreds of miracles that are related make one stop to think that perhaps these people experienced the interconnectedness of all life in ways beyond our experience today. This is an amazing story about a small out of the way place and a larger than life person. It is about real events that have had more effect on western history than we can probably imagine. It is almost forgotten to many and this new work (1994) may help bring it into our contemporary appreciation for the roots that made us who we are today.



3. What truly amazes me, are the number of Christians who read this stuff, and come away saying, "Well, it wasn't really like this. He (the author) made some things up..." This is absurd. At least have the courage of your convictions. If you're looking for hard core, empirical research on the life of Columba, then you don't belong in the Hagiography section. However, if you are a devotee of Columba, whether as a monastic looking for guidance, or a spiritual seeker "in the world", then this Life of the Saint is a wonderful guide to the spiritual life. All conceivable things are covered: how to embrace one's spouse when they're just not lovable, how to raise children, how to do business, how to work, how to pray, and last but not least, how to get outside of your laughable self for a change. Those who are seeking a "factual" account of this Saint are in the wrong place entirely, since they can't seem to discern that the monster of Lochness might in fact, be a spiritual metaphor. They also can't seem to accept the fact that the hagiographer is telling the truth, as he knew it, is further a monk, and who, even further, knows full well that "tall tale telling" is a DEADLY SIN! Why people assume that hagiographers are waxing poetic is bad scholarship and bad logic. Instead, let's simply read his account and see what we discover: A truly good, compassionate and humble man who discovered the secret of Life: Jesus Christ. And why? Because life in Christ is just plain fun! It's fun to overcome evil Druids with prayer, and it's FUN to have the victory in Christ. It's FUN to go around feeding souls and touching hearts like only Columba can!
   
   Eu'nan, the author, certainly isn't going to give you any "good reasons" or theories as to why his kinsman left the island. He says quite simply, "...he chose to be a pilgrim for Christ." How many Christians today can really make that simple and profound claim? He's giving you the soul of the Saint and you're wondering if he's telling the "truth"? The sooner we all understand this, the sooner we can all go have lunch. I like lunch. Columba liked lunch too and often relaxed the fast to accomodate guests. Let's read this book over lunch and you can have your people fax my people and we'll discuss it. Spiritual food always tastes better with real food.



4. A sweeping tapestry of the life and times, historically evocative and informative, but little available on Adomnan.



5. Richard Sharpe's version of Adomnan's Life of St Columba consists of three, roughly equal, parts - an introduction, the book itself, and a series of scholarly notes. My advice would be to read the book itself first, then delve back into the introduction, which gives a helpful background to the political, religious and social climate of the time. The appeal of Celtic Christianity, I suppose, is that it arrives with us largely unsullied by the development of modern, industrial civilisation. Where other denominations have grown up with us, maybe aged with us to become cynical and confused, Celtic Christianity remains untouched, almost child like. It appears to be a religion that is close to nature and simple, appealing to our concerns for the environment, peace and justice. And its art is cool. Perhaps, though, it makes more sense to see life on Iona in the sixth century as just simpler, but also tougher and harsher. Columba says goodbye to his horse when he's dying (ah, he loved animals) but he also provided a poor man with a magic pointed stick to provide him with regular food. He's also politically astute and vengeful (well, via the wrath of God). So no hippy then. Adomnan's book is essentially a case for St Columba the saint, with miracles, prophecies and angels, but precious little of what the man really thought. Richard Sharpe's book allows this to come through clearly, and reminds us of how little we know for certain about these times. Maybe that's why today we are tempted to inspire them with the beliefs we need to give us comfort.

5 comments about No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green.

1. I listened to his music in the early 1980's never realizing what his life was like. Although his life on earth was brief, his intensity and passion along with his unwavering determination to discover the purpose for his life and, when he found it in Jesus, to be authentic and determined in his faith, is an encouragement to anyone journeying on the narrow path that Christ calls us to. His life clearly displays how much God loves and seeks us out even when we are not living according to His will. A definite must read!



2. I grew up listening to the Music of Keith Green. My parents were big fans, and to them, Keith was more then just a singer.
   I slowly stopped listening to his music when I got older, and thought that the new music I listened to had a better sound and a more meaningful message, simply because it was newer music. But then I started listening to Keith Green again, and saw that his music is timeless, and can still change lives.
   
   I picked up this book, and started reading it right away. The tone read very much like a novel, with pictures every now and then to show you how Keith and those around him had changed over time. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about there being pictures so much, but then I saw the effect they had on me.
   
   I got to know Keith as if he were a friend of mine. I got to see his struggles, his fears, his likes, his dislikes; I got to shake hands with Keith. His story of how he came to know Jesus is one that can touch anyone.
   
   Ultimately, when the book started to end, I knew how he was going to die. I knew it was coming. I even looked ahead to see what chapter it happens in. Even though I knew it was coming, I still started to cry.
   I spent my time reading this book, and getting to know Keith, his children, and his friends, that I he died all over again. I missed him again.
   
   Still, with that said, I think my favorite part in the book is the story of how they had a cow die, and they couldn't get a butcher out to the farm (because the butcher has to kill the animal he'll be butchering), so they did it themselves.
   
   With all that said, this is an amazing story that every Christian should read. Even if you weren't a fan of his music, it is still an amazing story.



3. Melody green did an amazing job at letting us in on her life with Keith Green. She is very open and honest and makes it easy to follow. It is very easy to relate to for practically anyone. Some parts brought tears to my eyes and it brings you to self reflect where you are at spiritually. I highly recommend this book!



4. Keith Green's book "No Compromise" was an in depth look at this Christian mans life. He lived his life solely for God, and never looked back. He was constantly examining himself to see if he measured up to how a Christian life should be led. He was an inspiration to me of how to live for Jesus!



5. This book is a great book describing a man who lived a life loving the Lord and encountering some of the issues we individually face. This just goes to show that we all can stand out and trust the Lord. Keith was a man who chose to live a life with No Compromise with his relationship with the Lord.

5 comments about The Unusual Suspect: My Calling to the New Hardcore Movement of Faith.

1. The message that Stephen shares in his book I'm sure is profound, but I couldn't not stomach the writing --- too many "I know what you're thinking statements" when I really just want him to tell his story - don't tell me what I'm thinking.
   
   I could not make it through the book due to the butchering of the English language. Again, great message and I'm sure a younger audience may enjoy it more.



2. I am happy that Stephen Baldwin is a committed born again Christian, but the book I couldn't finish. Just not written the way I can read a book. Too much mention of God telling him this and that, and that's just too much for me. Hope others like it and get something from it though.



3. I picked this book up after renting the Christmas movie he did because I was curious. I read the book with an open mind, rather than with a critical or judgmental spirit. I was surprised by the Stephen's depth of faith and biblical knowledge having been a follower of Jesus for only 6 years. The book challenged me, one who has claimed to follow Christ for over 20 years, to get off my duff and stop sitting on the fence..to stop being the lukewarm Christian that John writes about in Revelation (that wasn't in the book, that was the work of the Spirit through the book).
   
   I recommend reading the book. The worse thing that could happen is that you waste 3-4 hours....or you could be challenged to stop sitting on a spiritual fence.



4. This book reminds us what handing our heart to Jesus is all about. I felt compelled, motivated, inspired, and excited reading this book. The same Stephen Baldwin humor and energy with the power of Jesus seeping through the pages! You can be hard-core, radical, and edgy and it is encouraged! This is what discipleship is all about! Relevant and REAL.



5. This book is a really great read. Funny, inspiring, hard hitting, Stephen Baldwin talks about his life in hollywood, doing and having it all yet still finding something missing.
   After a brief encounter with God in a journey out of substance abuse, he eventually came to faith years later after his wife became a christian. His story, and willingness once he found God, to lay down everything for him is as unique as it is inspirational.
   A really interesting, honest and well written account of a man who had it all but was still willing to lose it all for something greater.

5 comments about Maimonides (Jewish Encounters).

1. Maimonidies' two biggest contributions to civilization were his religious writings, and medical practice. As author Sherwin Nuland himself points out, Maimonidies' truest, lasting legacy are his religious writings. Yet probably because he himself is a doctor, Sherwin Nuland emphasizes the medical Maimonidies at the expense of not giving the religious Maimonidies his proper due. When reading this book, Maimonidies sounded like quite an ordinary man, nothing special, and the truth is, as a doctor he was nothing special. Yet in religious circles, he is a giant. This specialness of Maimonidies was lost in this short biography of this great man.



2. The most interesting parts of this book focus on Maimonides the physician (as opposed to Maimonides the religious leader, where Nuland's discussion is a bit too sparse here and there). Maimonides (known to most Jews as Rambam) did not develop new medical knowledge, but wrote ten books synthesizing existing medical knowledge in a clear and concise way, and even occasionally criticizing the Greco-Roman masters whose works dominated medieval medicine. By the low standards of the Middle Ages, this passed for genius.
   
   Nuland links Rambam's religious and medical careers by pointing out that in both areas, Rambam focused heavily on codifying existing knowledge in ways that would be easy for the public to use.
   
   Nuland also engages in interesting speculation about a variety of other issues, including:
   
   1. Why were Jews so likely to be doctors in the Middle Ages? Nuland asserts that (a) Christians were uninterested in medicine because they were more ascetic, (b) because priests could not take employment as doctors, the Christian talent pool for medicine was artificially diminished and (c) because Jews' wealth could easily be taken away, Jews had a strong incentive to seek portable skills (as opposed to investing in fixed assets such as land).
   
   2. Why was Rambam so uninterested in accommodating or discussing competing religious views? Nuland speculates that because of Judaism's dire condition in those days (beset in persecution in some places and the temptation of assimilation into Islam in more tolerant places) Rambam may have felt the need to "circle the wagons" by encouraging as much uniformity as possible.
   
   3. Why did Rambam (who generally opposed Messianic speculation) suggest in his letter to Yemenite Jews that prophecy might return in 1216? Nuland suggests that Rambam may have been trying to defang Messianic fever by setting a date so far in advance that he could not be disproven during his lifetime.



3. Nuland has accomplished the difficult task of summarizing Maimonides' complex writings in a way that is accessible to the common reader. Nuland's style is clear and concise, and he obviously admires Maimonides as a sort of Renaissance man before the Renaissance. It is true that the book gives considerable attention to Maimonides' life as a physician, but as someone who has dipped a bit into Maimonides' writings on Jewish law and thought but knew little of his place in medical history, I didn't see that as a problem. In fact, I found that that made this book even more enlightening.
   
   I could have used more discussion of the Guide to the Perplexed, however, beyond the notions that the book is difficult and that some see it as a hidden confession by Maimonides of his lack of belief (an unlikely hypothesis). The Guide is an extraordinarily fascinating book, from all I understand, and Nuland does not do it justice.



4. it shows you right way about life
   i think it is possible to adopt it to today.
   it was very interesting book for me.
   it is the kind of book that i always enjoy reading



5. Dr. Nuland, himself a Jewish physician, was understandably reluctant to engage in doing the biography of perhaps the ultimate Jewish physician of all time: Moses Ben Maimon also referred to as Rambam or Maimonides.
   
   His reluctance was understandable on a number of levels. First, Maimonides was of pronounced expertise in the healing arts. Not only the author of ten medical books, he had through dint of skill managed to elevate himself to being court physician at the court of Saladin.
   
   Second, for Jewish thought (and derivatively for western thought itself) Maimonides was significant for his recognition of and attempt to deal with the conflict between the canonized precepts of faith and the unanswered questions of science. His "Guide for the Perplexed" itself perplexing is an attempt in some ways an attempt at striking a balance.
   
   However, in both ways Nuland managed to briefly make the material accessible to the reader.
   
   And significantly also, Nuland managed to connect the reader with Maimonides humanity...his early difficulties with learning, his grief at the loss of his brother and his joy in parenthood.
   
   In this way, Nuland managed to create and even more iconic figure because rather than putting him a pedistal, Nuland put Maimonides right next to you...all the more human and therefore all the more relevant.

5 comments about Loyal Dissent: Memoir of a Catholic Theologian (Moral Traditions).

1. Ay chiwawa, I love this book!



2. Curran, applauds himself! How humble, charitable and self loathsome can a "moralist" who disagrees withthe virtue ethics of thou shalt not actually be as some who right him make Curran to be? Persons who write here like he is a rock in the Roman Catholic Church; when you go against Peter you, divide the sense of Christ's meaning of the Church. Most importantly, when it is a disagreement under the premise of 'thou shall not kill' and the underlying presumption of the human ethic overseeing the birth process when the position taken puts the power ethic at the mercy of Mankind. This is foolish as if the human race could see 100% accuracy the outcome of every life or turn of godly omniscence, that even VIF wouldn't work unless God permitted it to remain a part of the mother.
   
   In all cases, then Curran has at the least distanced himself from the heart of the church, that as a Sacred Heart Priest, which should be first in the life of the priest and in the eyes of the faithful.
   
   A priest is not more a social activist than he is authentically adhering to protect the lives of all, implicit or tacitly 'as if,' and he is deciding for those who are blinded in their sin. Even if he says he would not choose it for himself. Priests are inherent of the Kingdom of God first and social ethics, second. When there was a choice Jesus chose the cross; not the high style road of self glorification, and Jesus Christ could have been made King of the fed crowd of thousands, more than once. He is not the like those pagan gods of appetites, but the God of Heart and Right Judgement!
   
   And then, take the time to pray for him.



3. Fr. Curren is always eloquent and always on target.That he should also have been the victim of Papa Ratzi makes his writing all the more relevant for those of us who are distressed that the reforms of Vatican II have been thwarted by the Curialists. I must read for any reform minded Catholic.



4. The learned and respected and courageous Catholic priest the Reverend Father Charles Curran, ordained in Rome in 1958, one of the most respected writers, scholars and teachers of CAtholic moral theology, here collects his autobiographical thoughts, as this book is subtitled Memoir of a Catholic Theologian.
   
   This book is necessary reading and meditation for every Roman Catholic practicing in America today, to understand our journey as Church on the way to the Kingdom of Heaven, the ultimate goal of our earthly institution, with all of its faults and glories. I highly recommend especially the final chapters, after he was written all that he had to say clearly and academically regarding his part in the recent history of the Church, and can then simply let go and do what he does best: teaching and preaching insight into the reality of Jesus Christ and the Presence of God's Holy Spirit immanent amongst us. The final chapters are indeed most instructive and consoling for us, members of a Church ever vibrant and living and struggling to realize the Gospel mission given us by Our Lord, Jesus Christ, to understand the message of Christ in our troubled times of turmoil and of war and other immoralities, and to bring the meaning of our commitment to Christ's Kingdom in our lives and world.
   
   Please read this book with great prayerfulness and respect for this incredibly courageous, committed and intelligent American priest and scholar, and gentleman, as he bears strongly the Cross of our Church in the modern world. We have much to learn from his words, and much consoling comfort to draw here from this deep well of wisdom and grace.
   
   It is so good to read those final chapters, in the increase of peace. May they bring you, too, peace and comfort and strength for the hard road ahead, this trail of tears in our exile. May they draw us all of us together to perceive the action of God working amongst us all, to draw us ever closer unto the eternal Kingdom of peace and justice and nonviolent, compassionate love in God's eternal mercy. As Father Curran courageously loves, and forgives, may we too learn to bear the strength to love, and to forgive, to embrace all of our differences and misunderstandings and deep fallibilities, and transcendentally to bear our Pilgrim Church ever onwards to the ultimate and eternal Kingdom of God under the guidance of the teachings and liberating sacramental presence of Jesus Christ and the consoling Holy Spirit.
   
   Read this book as Lectio Divino, and contemplate carefully its lessons. This greatest of American Catholic Moral Theologians is a wonderful and true teacher.
   Pacem in terris.



5. Like long hair on young men, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Frampton, Rod Stewart, and the actor who played Greg Brady, Father Charles Curran is vying for a comeback on the public stage. Now in his 70s, he attempts to justify himself in "Loyal Dissent" (2006). In his magnificent encyclical on moral theology, "Veritatis Splendor," what did Pope John Paul II have to say about moral theology and Curran's work?
   
   
   "An Overall and Systematic Calling into Question of Traditional Moral Doctrine" (JP II, 1993) or "Loyal Dissent" (Curran, 2006)?
   
   Without naming names, Veritatis Splendor reviewed errors put forth by Father Curran and others. As per its Introduction, "It is no longer a matter of limited and occasional dissent, but of an overall and systematic calling into question of traditional moral doctrine." Veritatis Splendor applauded those who faithfully responded to Vatican II's call for a renewal of moral theology, while acknowledging that there had also "developed certain interpretations of Christian morality which are not consistent with `sound teaching' (2 Tim 4:3)". The Holy Father beautifully restated the Church's moral doctrine, while critiquing errors: "since Apostolic times the Church's Pastors have unambiguously condemned the behaviour of those who fostered division by their teaching or by their actions."
   
   JP II warned that "Certain currents of modern thought have gone so far as to exalt freedom to such an extent that it becomes an absolute, which would then be the source of values". He also warned that constant teaching on marriage, family, and sexuality was under siege, noting the erroneous, dualistic nature of the attack: "This moral theory does not correspond to the truth about man and his freedom....the body, which has been promised the resurrection, will also share in glory.... A doctrine which dissociates the moral act from the bodily dimensions of its exercise is contrary to the teaching of Scripture and Tradition. Such a doctrine revives, in new forms, certain ancient errors which have always been opposed by the Church, inasmuch as they reduce the human person to a `spiritual' and purely formal freedom.... body and soul are inseparable: in the person, in the willing agent and in the deliberate act, they stand or fall together ". JP II reassured us of "the immutability of the natural law" and "the existence of `objective norms of morality' valid for all people of the present and the future, as for those of the past."
   
   Recalling Vatican II, JP II reminded us that we must properly form our conscience: "As the Council affirms: `In forming their consciences the Christian faithful must give careful attention to the sacred and certain teaching of the Church.... the authority of the Church, when she pronounces on moral questions, in no way undermines the freedom of conscience of Christians....The Church puts herself always and only at the service of conscience, helping it to avoid being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine proposed by human deceit (cf. Eph 4:14), and helping it not to swerve from the truth about the good of man, but rather, especially in more difficult questions, to attain the truth with certainty and to abide in it."
   
   
   "Loyal Dissent" (Curran, 2006) Must Give Way to "Loyal Assent" (JP II, 1993).
   
   JP II discussed the genuine renewal of moral theology: "authentic theology can flourish and develop only through a committed and responsible participation in and `belonging' to the Church as a `community of faith'....Moral theologians are to set forth the Church's teaching and to give, in the exercise of their ministry, the example of a loyal assent, both internal and external, to the Magisterium's teaching in the areas of both dogma and morality....the fact that some believers act without following the teachings of the Magisterium, or erroneously consider as morally correct a kind of behaviour declared by their Pastors as contrary to the law of God, cannot be a valid argument for rejecting the truth of the moral norms taught by the Church....It is the Gospel which reveals the full truth about man and his moral journey, and thus enlightens and admonishes sinners; it proclaims to them God's mercy, which is constantly at work to preserve them both from despair at their inability fully to know and keep God's law and from the presumption that they can be saved without merit. God also reminds sinners of the joy of forgiveness....Moral theologians, who have accepted the charge of teaching the Church's doctrine, thus have a grave duty to train the faithful to make this moral discernment, to be committed to the true good and to have confident recourse to God's grace....Dissent, in the form of carefully orchestrated protests and polemics carried on in the media, is opposed to ecclesial communion and to a correct understanding of the hierarchical constitution of the People of God. Opposition to the teaching of the Church's Pastors cannot be seen as a legitimate expression either of Christian freedom or of the diversity of the Spirit's gifts".
   
   
   "I'll Get on My Knees and Pray We Don't Get Fooled Again" (Pete Townshend, 1971)
   
   After Veritatis Splendor, why do we continue to settle for counterfeits? Father Curran remains best known for the dissent which he orchestrated to Humanae Vitae. Opening Humanae Vitae 39 years later, it boggles the mind as to how anyone - particularly one so blessed with intelligence as Father Curran - could possibly miss that encyclical's prophetic nature. The seamless connections it shows between the Church's teachings on the sanctity of human life, marriage and family, and social issues seem to fly over so many heads. To a significant extent, this is the sad and tragic legacy of Father Curran. Thanks to God's mercy, it need not be his fate: "No absolution offered by beguiling doctrines, even in the areas of philosophy and theology, can make man truly happy: only the Cross and the glory of the Risen Christ can grant peace to his conscience and salvation to his life."

5 comments about My Beautiful Idol.

1. spiritual memoirs are a tricky genre -- they can be fantastic or horrible. i suppose this is true for all genres; maybe it's just that writing a spiritual memoir takes a combination of messiness and will that is hard to find. but some of my favorite books fit this description:
   dangerous wonder and messy spirituality, by mike yaconelli
   take this bread, by sara miles
   traveling mercies and grace (eventually), by anne lamott
   blue like jazz, by donald miller
   
   yaconelli talked about certain books being his friends. in that vein, these books are my friends.
   
   that's what pete gall has accomplished with my beautiful idol: he's crafted a wonderfully written, messy, hopeful, humble, self-effacing, and funny reflection on his own bumpy journey. it's ghastly at times, and gorgeous at times -- just like my life.
   
   gall's story starts in young adulthood, as a rising advertising star in chicago, livin' la vida loca. he experiences some great discomfort in the direction of his life, and senses he was made for something more, something deeper. and -- at this point -- something more grand.
   
   what follows, in the next few years (the book really only covers a few years of his life), gall's pursuit of jesus, and the calling he senses in his gut, slowly smashes down his grandiose notions about what this more/deeper life will look like. gall painfully acknowledges the idols he worships, deconstructs them, and discards them. of course, that's never an easy or simple process, and it's full of set-backs, confusion and waiting.
   
   it's this waiting that is particularly fantastic in gall's story. he doesn't figure anything out quickly, and has a string of jobs and ministry setttings, girlfriends, living situations, and belief sets -- with a few a-has along the way.
   
   great stuff. my story is very different than pete gall's. but, as with all good spiritual memoirs, this book held up a mirror to my own journey.



2. Author Pete Gall has crafted a tell-all memoir of sorts (even when his secrets aren't exactly palatable by the average evangelical perspective), in which he details his life so far in remarkably transparent and unabashedly honest fashion.
   
   Gall --- who is originally from Zionsville, IN, son to an executive and a housewife, and one of three brothers --- opens his text by describing himself as the "fat blonde guy on the corner in the African print shirt squeezing himself into the yellow taxi." It's 7:15pm, August 1994, and Gall is trying to convince himself and the cabbie that he has revolutionized the hair care industry with one word: "Repeat." When the cabbie begs to disagree with his inflated profit ratio, Gall does what he does best: speaks around the facts with clever words and a lot of false bravado. Seeing through Gall's manipulation attempt, the cabbie clarifies Gall's job description as an advertising copywriter with this simple assessment, "This is what you do, write tricky words?" Gall counters with, "We call it 'creating a need.'"
   
   With this energetic verbal exchange quickly growing to a close, Gall tries to reassure the cabbie that creating a need is a valuable and worthy trade, because in Gall's words, "We're all after something to tell us about ourselves." The author then tries to convince himself of this final statement by describing a program he just watched on the collector crab and how it attaches bits of whatever he finds on the sea floor to his shell to camouflage itself from its enemies. Similarly, he notes, humans do it all the time with products, services, impressions, approaches, tones and movements, to cover or hide what they don't want the world to see and measure them by.
   
   With this weighty introduction laid out, Gall then introduces the reader to his life in Chicago, living in a city he's not too crazy about, involved with a woman who has been seeing another man, and detesting his high-powered position and the projects he is paid to sell. In fast-paced motion, he quits his job and moves west, not knowing where he'll end up. All he knows is that he wants to place God at the center of his life and realizes that trying to sell "needs" to people is soul-sickening at best. Idols, as Gall refers to them, are only good for two things: "Making us feel important and making us feel loved." Enough said.
   
   Gall quits his job and heads toward Denver where his best friend David lives. En route, he stops to see his family, who don't understand his decision to leave a great job without another one in line. Gall quickly finds himself broke, then lands various low-paying service-type jobs where he learns a lot about loving what society generally terms "the unlovable folk," who teach Gall more about Christ and genuine faith than any traditional church could ever do. He discusses his heartaches and failed romantic relationships, trying to understand how much pain can co-exist with a joyful heart, the disjunct between believing and struggling to make it through the day, and not understanding why God isn't talking back.
   
   Readers will value Gall's approachability to sensitive topics often sidestepped by the church. His text is real, raw and so refreshing. And perhaps most important is that, through all his forays, Gall's faith emerges stronger and more solid than ever.
   
   --- Reviewed by Michele Howe



3. Pete Gall is very similar to Donald Miller in many ways. Very funny with a very interesting story. I started this book with the expectations that this would be a good book and I walked away with my new favorite book. I have already got a copy for multiple people. Pete has helped me become aware of some of the false idols in my life. The last 4 or 5 chapters have changed the way I will approach ministry when I graduate. Thanks Pete



4. Pete Gall is a guy who can hang out at our home anytime...Standing, open invitation. Buy this book!!!!
   
   His statement, "The smallest prison in the world is a faith that doesn't let Jesus grow."(p.156) is just one of a myriad of truths spoken throughout this book.
   
   Refreshing, real, poignant --- an incredibly skilled story teller. The down-to-earth practical considerations that Pete shares are invaluable.
   
   This is a textbook for a new paradigm of what it might mean to "become a new kind of Christian. As Pete says, " Mot many of us live in ways that leave us open to interruption. We want the protection of organizations. We want to have "people for that." Specialists in following Christ so we won't have to do it ourselves." (p.282). This quote succinctly captures the essence of the virus that currently infects Christianity in the 21st century....specialists, professionals --- somebody else other than me because I can't find the time to do that or deem myself unqualified. What a hock of hooey. Pete Gall pulls the mask off this sort of clowning around.
   
   Pete leads us to some terribly important vantage points...precipices where he encourages us to look out at the possibilities --- possibilities that require embracing new forms of humility, wonder, unlearning and developing the capacity and hunger to learn what we don't know. Things like this, " Success in life is not measured by what we achieve, but by what we come to admit. It is not measured by how far we journey, how many zombies, goblins or droids we slay, or by our return as champions. It is not measured by how much good I do for the people I get paid to care about. Success in life is measured by what we come to admit." (p.267).
   
   A blueprint for the strategic reconstruction of Christian ministry as we presently know it. An incredibly well written story. I have high expectations for Pete's next book.
   
   Bill Dahl



5. This is an autobiographical journey through five years of transition in the life of the author. Gall originally self-published this work and it is his first published book.
   
   My Beautiful Idol is a story of seeking, recognizing and following God. Gall records his journey of faith and life chasing God's will from a highly paid career in Chicago to Denver and through a series of jobs, ministry settings and relationships. Scattered throughout the narrative are lessons about the reality of poverty, the desire to be loved and God's dream for individual lives. Gall is open with his thoughts, emotions and struggles in his life during the five years that are recorded in the book.
   
   I found the narrative to be moderately compelling, but at times tedious and repetitive. There was insightful wisdom about life and relationships sprinkled throughout the book that I found to be fairly interesting. I recommend this book to those looking for open honesty in the life of another.

3 comments about Called by Name The Inspiring Stories of 12 Men Who Became Catholic Priests.

1. 
   In the forward, Archbishop Wuerl wrote that God calls each of us and invites us to respond to that call. That's what this book is about - hearing and responding to that call. While this book is about how 12 men responded to the call to the priesthood, the messages found here are for all of us, no matter what vocation we are being called to.
   
   I really enjoyed reading these stories and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about the gift of the priesthood and who these men are that are being called. Each of these 12 stories was inspiring. Each has a unique, powerful story. I hope that the authors consider writing a sequel.



2. The stories of these priests were so inspiring, what they overcame to become the "sons" of Blessed Mother and Jesus is awesome. I loved all the stories, but Fr. Maxim Popov touched my heart the most. You won't regret ordering and reading this book.



3. I highly recommend this book for all young men discerning their vocation to the priesthood. The vocation stories are truly inspiring and I felt humbled when I read them.

5 comments about Adam: God's Beloved.

1. This text by Henri Nouwen will touch the soul of your being and recognize that Christ lives in the most humblest and forgotten around us.



2. Henry Nouwen, professor of spirituality at some of America's most prestigious universities, the writer of numerous popular-yet-subtle theological and reflective works, found his greatest calling in his daily care of Adam Arnett, a severely disabled man. Nouwen was charged with caring for Adam for 2 hours a day at L'Arche Daybreak in Toronto, a home where caregivers lived together with those they cared for.This biographical sketch of Adam's life and death was Nouwen's final work before his own death in 1996.
   
   "Adam, God's Beloved" is simple, even in comparison with Nouwen's other work, which while profound, is always quite accessible. Nouwen almost provocatively lays out Adam's life in parallel with the seemingly more active and productive life of Christ. Like the Lord, Adam had his hidden years, and experienced a desert, a ministry, and passion, death and resurrection. Due to the severity of his disabilities, which left him unable to speak and barely able to feed himself, Adam's mission was often seen reflected in the lives of those who cared for him. Unable to act, he was constantly acted upon. And it is this observation that Nouwen sees as seminal to understanding Adam as "beloved." Like Jesus, Adam needs to accomplish nothing in order to be loved by God. Adam's very inability to act reveals what is at the core of his meaning, as it is of ours, that God loves *him*, the person -- not his accomplishments, his looks or his possessions. This insight is both extremely simple to express and extremely difficult to live. That Nouwen himself, after decades of teaching and living the spiritual life, did not fully appreciate this insight points to its almost unreachable depth.
   
   This book celebrates Adam's life and the love of those who cared for him, especially his parents, Rex and Jeanne Arnett and his brother Michael, but also of the many workers at L'Arche. But the book also attempts to communicate the humanness -- the pure belovedness -- of Adam to those who never met him. And perhaps to challenge them to connect with their own lack of a feeling of belovedness, and the misery that this lack produces. This is a one-insight book, and cannot adequately substitute for the work of achieveing it, but it may be as close as many of us ever come to it.



3. ADAM: GOD'S BELOVED may not be Henri Nouwen as a writer at his best, but in many ways it is Henri Nouwen as a priest and a person at his best. I know that this sounds like a contradiction, but a reading of the introduction of the book by Sue Mosteller explains some of the difficulties of this book. First, it was a bit of a rush job and the version we have today may not have been the final version had Nouwen not died prior to its publication. Even his last editor Robert Ellsberg in an article called "Editing Henri" (part of a collection of articles in a book titled REMEMBERING HENRI, a volume celebrating the life and work of Henri Nouwen) wasn't sure what Nouwen wanted to accomplish in this book until he read the final version and thought about what it said about Henri Nouwen as a person. Ellsberg's approach may be the best way to approach ADAM.
   
   ADAM tells the story of Adam Arnett, a severely disabled young man Nouwen met while living at Daybreak, a L'Arche community comprised of people of differing abilities, founded by Jean Vanier. In sum, Nouwen cares for Adam's personal needs and believes he comes face to face with the suffering Christ and sees through Adam that every life is important and has a purpose. This is basically a summary of the book and there are many writers, most notably Vanier himself, who speak eloquently about the role of the disabled in society and how the disabled reflect the life of Christ. Like many readers, as some other Amazon reviews will attest, I expected more, or at least I expected more as I read the book. I admired Nouwen for venturing into a place where too many look away, but I hoped for more profound insights from this person who shared so much with so many. I do not believe there is another spiritual writer who has shed light on so many topics, who can be deep and profound yet also simple.
   
   After reading the book, I thought about what I read, which would makes Henri Nouwen happy since he always wanted people to stop and reflect, then I realized what may make this book so important in understanding Henri Nouwen. Nouwen spent his life feeding others spiritually, finding all sorts of ways people could find God and meaning in life. When he arrived at Daybreak, he was both physically and emotionally exhausted, knowing that so many expected so much from him. Adam, whose well being depended on the care of so many, needed Nouwen too, but in a different way than those who wanted to hear him speak or read his next book. As Nouwen served Adam's needs he felt something he hadn't felt before, namely unconditional love and experienced the presence of Christ. Nouwen finally experienced what he provided for so many in his care for Adam. He needed to share this story. No doubt it would have been different if he had lived longer, or another volume with deeper insights would have been published at a later date, but for readers who loved Nouwen's writing and believe we know the man through his works, realizing he was able to experience what he so freely shared with others makes this work indispensable in understanding Nouwen and left me with a good feeling knowing he experienced the riches he so generously shared with others.



4. I'm the father of an eight-year old boy with Down Syndrome. I cherish and value the disabled. I wanted to love this book, which tells the story of the author's relationship with a severely disabled man. But, really, honestly, it isn't that good. It was unfinished at Nouwen's death and retains a half-baked, rushed quality. There is remarkably little description of Adam's everyday life: indeed, for every sentence about Adam, there must be three or four about Nouwen's interior life. At times, Nouwen sentimentalizes and "theologizes" the severely disabled, which is another way of obscuring their humanity. Nouwen meant well, the publishers meant well -- but "Adam" just ain't that great.



5. This book was recommended by a neighborhood childhood friend who I greatly respect, and I ended up greatly respecting this book.
   It's a deeply moving account of what it is like to live day by day with a severely disabled man named Adam. In Adam, the priest, Henri Nouwen, finds a spiritual treasure, a new way of looking at the world, that transcends his immersion in religion so far in his life. As the father of an autistic child, I was brought to quiet tears many times. He saw Adam as a great teacher, as I also see my son Stephen, who has severe autism.
   His book will no doubt get you to to look at life from a completely different and fresh viewpoint. Thank you to Ann my
   wonderful Catholic friend for having this book touch my life. :)

   Jeffrey McAndrew
   author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy" and radio broadcaster

3 comments about Pascal's Wager: The Man Who Played Dice with God.

1. PASCAL'S WAGER: The Man Who Played Dice With God.
   By James A. Connor, Harper Collins Publishers, 2006]
   
   James Connor has given us the opportunity to enter the physical space and place of 1588-1670 France. He brings classic and substantive insight into the provincial and fomenting social mores of these times: the militancy and corruption of the papacy; the intrusive and diminishing ideology of Aristotelian philosophy; and, the deepening schism in the Catholic Church and monarchies of Pascal's times. Through the lens of Blaise Pascal's tightly-knit family, we enter the inordinate emotional sibling reliance (addiction) of children who have been raised in the isolated, dominating, and cloistered world of a widowed father suddenly thrust into self-survival and the salt of erudition. Through his infancy and childhood years Blaise Pascal was afflicted with an abnormality which forced him to shift into a shrieking knot of psychic pain whenever he was with more than one parent at a time. From the beginning of his days Pascal was labeled a dark angel. Caught in the polemic of the adamancy of original sin and simultaneously possessed with the fomenting dreams of a scientist, Pascal's heart and mind joined the tight rope of his life-long pain stricken body in total accommodation. The essential terror of this dilemma necessitated a sort of "doubling phenomenon" as a protective shield against the continuous threats to his spiritual identity and intelligence.
   
   "When I think about the shortness of my life," Pascal said, "melted into the eternity that came before me, and into the eternity that will come after...and the insignificance of the space I fill and even see, I'm lost in the infinite vastness of that space that lies beyond, that space of which I am ignorant and which has no knowledge or care of me. I'm frightened and astonished to awaken in this place rather than that and I see no reason why I should be here and not there, now and not then. Who put me here? By whose order and direction have this place and time come to me?" (Connor: 179)
   
   Living in these polemics eventually brought Pascal into conceiving a rationality of faith based on gambling. Miraculously, Pascal's lifelong physical and emotional pain coupled with the Faustian delight of formulating mathematical theories resulted in the genius birth of the science of probability. Further, his piercing insights into the "law of big vs. the law of averages" and his brilliant staging of a new metaphysics embodied in quantum mechanics; his prideful invention of the first computing machine, the Pascaline are primo among the collective hallmarks of his extraordinary life. Connor's case study of Pascal's divided psyche exposes a tightly leashed self-will evolving into a theology of moral powerlessness. Pointing out that, in 1658, with the return of signaling pain, Pascal had taken to wearing "an iron girdle full of sharp points, which he put next to his skin." Any time Pascal had a prideful thought, or felt pulled toward some diversion, he pushed on the girdle, driving the points into his flesh. He wore that girdle until the day he died. Connor's biography of Blaise Pascal provides a curved mirror adroitly exposing the primal desire of mortals as they seek to decipher the Immortal; and, to discover the veracity of that great spiritual river running between the heart and the soul. He beautifully illustrates Pascal's scientific mind as influencing today's inquiries into cybernetics, physics, nanotechnology; advanced theories of relativity, space stations, and, yes, "the truth and the comics" imbedded in blasting beyond Disney's Black Hole. Within the context of our stumbling steps at the cusp of the 21st century, Connor offers a beguiling interpolative rendition of the facts during Pascal's life and times: How do we reconcile the scientist and the mystic? How do we formulate true questions, questions that ask a question and continue to ask another after that? Perhaps Blaise is whispering to us today, reminding that the ancient hawk of peril, courage, and creativity of his times coincide with the "new age" inquiry of our own. James A. Connor whispers back:
   
   "Personally, this one universe is enough for me. I find it to be as weird as I can handle. Weirdness is a value in and of itself, for in weirdness lies poetry, and in poetry lies beauty, and in beauty lies truth, weird as it is. Pascal would appreciate this. (Connor: 215)
   
   Jess Maghan Chester, CT



2. As an engineer I had studied all about Pascal's products, the conic sections, the vacuum, and the probability studies. However, until I read this book never could have imagined the sad and inspirational story behind the genius, Blaise Pascal. It is written in short readable chapters that give you a vivid picture on the 17th century in which he lived. The book gives a spectacular vision of the beginning of science as we know it in the 21st century. It also examines the conflict of one man between his faith and his passion for science. I won't tell you how it comes out that for you to read. The only thing I will tell you is that it is not the usual science is good and religion is bad that you find in many book today. Read this book, and if you have children interested in science have them read it too, or better read it to them.



3. This fairly short (216 pages) book centers around the central dilemma of Blaise Pascal's, the 17th century math prodigy's, life philosophy: How to reconcile his austere view of life as should be lived by a creation of God with his obvious love of math, science, and worldly ideas. Another hundred pages could have been used to flesh out Pascal's writings and scientific ideas so that the reader could make more of his own decision about him. Instead the author has chosen to present his own thesis for acceptance or rejection. There is considerable interesting background provided on the France of Pascal's time and on Jansenism, the ascetic (Augustinian) form of deterministic (Calvinistic) Catholicism that Pascal ultimately accepted.
   
   There are several descriptions of the discoveries of Pascal and his peers but nothing that requires a math or science background. The last chapter is a musing by the author that uses the probabilistic view of modern life that Pascal originated by his seminal work in probability theory. The author's dividing of people into climbers and sprawlers is insightful especially if you're inunudated with amazing coincidence \ God's providence spam e-mails as I seem to be. Recommended if you're Roman Catholic, definitely recommended if you're a fan of the Jesuits (the author is a former Jesuit). The book reads fast and is divided into short chapters; useful if, as I do, you like to finish a chapter before getting off the mass transit. Well recommended.

5 comments about Bryson City Secrets: Even More Tales of a Small-Town Doctor in the Smoky Mountains.

1. I have been a long time fan of Dr. Larimore's books. The Bryson City books are very well written, informative, fun, sad; real life! It makes one feel like they are right there with the Larimore family and the characters are so life-like that we feel like we actually know them. The part of each book that I enjoy the most is the Spiritual aspect that is so much a part of Dr. Larimore and his calling to be a Doctor. He is very open about the huge part in his skills, patient relationships and healing the Holy Spirit is involved in. I hope that this won't be the last in this series of books, I look forward to getting to know this area, people and his wonderful family even better!



2. I did not enjoy this book as much as the first two that Dr. Larimore wrote, possibly because much of it was material from the first two books. His insight as a Christian is wonderful though, and his response to problems faced by us all was uplifting and insightful. The book just seemed to be somewhat of a let down with regard to the story line.



3. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I had previously read the first 2 books of Dr. Larimore, Bryson City Tales and Bryson City Seasons, and I enjoyed this book.



4. I have read all of his books and they were most enjoyable. I have visited in that area many times and feel I knew places he was talking about. I also have enjoyed Deep Creek with my family. He is an excellent writer. I couldn't put the book down, couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Many sad things took place, but ended with a good satisfying ending, knowing all those involved would come through in being honest.



5. This is the third book of a trilogy by Dr. Walt Larimore who writes about his memories as a young husband, father, and doctor in the small town of Bryson City in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. As in the first two books, this one contains a lot of self-deprecating humor, such as when Dr. Larimore is coerced into being a bridesmaid in a "womanless wedding", a local fundraiser. There are humorous moments when Walt is called on to be a vet rather than a doctor, touching times of treating a blind man and his seeing-eye dog, and amazing incidents such as the first birth of triplets in the county. At the end, the story turns darker and the Larimores are faced with a difficult decision which they make through prayer and good advice from friends. This book and the other ones in the series are highly recommended reading.