Last night we chose our next book:

Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian by Paul Knitter

We’ll begin our discussion Sunday, February 20, at 6:00 p.m. in the Covenant library.  For the first session we’ll read the Preface and Chapters 1-2.

I look forward to the conversation!

J

At last night’s discussion, we chose our next book.  Ellen Davis’ Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible was one of the books we considered, though the group went with Paul Knitter; truly, we were spoiled for choice.  I mentioned that I would post a link to a podcast with Ellen detailing her work.

The podcast is Krista Tippett’s “On Being” program (formerly “On Faith”); the episode is called “Land, Life, and the Poetry of Creatures.”  You can link to it by pasting this into your browser:

ttp://being.publicradio.org/programs/2010/land-life-poetry/

Many years ago I took a short course from Ellen Davis at the National Cathedral’s College of Preachers.  She was delightful, and I took much from her combination of scholarship and care.  I think you’ll enjoy the podcast.

J

Friends,

I look forward to being with you on Sunday.  In the meantime, as we consider to work through Thoreau, I thought I would post a link to one helpful site at Virginia Commonwealth University:

http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/

There is also the Thoreau Society at:

http://www.thoreausociety.org/

We can look at additional resources when we meet on Sunday, but I thought perhaps these would be worth noting.  If you’re nosing around on the internet, cut and paste these links into your browser and take a look.

With aloha,

J

Friends,

On Sunday the group chose Walden as our next work.  The Beacon Press edition (2004) with Bill McKibben’s Introduction is available at amazon by pasting this link into your browser:

Amazon.com: Walden: Introduction and Annotations by Bill McKibben (Concord Library) (9780807014257): Henry David Thoreau, Bill McKibben: Books

It is also available from any online book shop or bricks and mortar store (think Brazos or another local place) by using the following ten-digit ISBN number:

0807014257

I am looking forward to our discussion of Thoreau.  He raises so many philosophical/theological issues that address everything from the habits of our consumption to the practice of mindful attentiveness to the ways we find the divine in and through the natural world to what it means to be fully, deeply human.  This is going to be good!

We meet September 19th at 6:00 p.m. to begin our discussion.  We’ll begin with Bill McKibben’s Introduction and Thoreau’s first chapter, “Economy.”

Those in search of supplementary reading may also check out Robert Richardson’s Henry David Thoreau: A Life of the Mind (University of California Press, 1988) or Philip Gura’s excellent one-volume history, American Transcendentalism (Hill & Wang, 2008).

J

Friends,

As several of you know, I’ve been worrying about what book might follow Karen Armstrong, wonderful as The Case for God has been.  After my presentation on Sallie McFague’s ecofeminism at the retreat, three people suggested that we consider Models of God.  I think that would actually be a wonderful volume to read in a group, though our custom has been to decide as a group.

We’re on track to finish Armstrong in the near future and then take a short break before the fall.  I suggest that we pick up the next book for a September meeting (Sept. 19 is the third Sunday).  Here are a few books that I would like to offer for our consideration:

Models of God: Theology for an Ecological, Nuclear Age by Sallie McFague.  Perhaps the seminal work by the theologian who put ecofeminism on the map.  An extraordinary account of the way we think in metaphors, develop them into models, and then live accordingly.  (amazon price $18, though there are loads of used copies available)

Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and Christianity by Alan Wallace.  Meditation has come up so many times in our discussions.  Here Wallace looks at both the theory and practice of meditation, balancing chapters on history, philosophy, and neuroscience with experiential invitations to get in touch with what meditation can teach us.  (amazon price $16.47)

An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor.  This is not a work of academic theology, but rather the thoughts of one of the country’s best preachers.  The chapters are short and highly poetic, and the book has just come out in paper.  (amazon price $10.19)

The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith by Marcus Borg (I don’t have a photo of this one).  Crossing the bridge from academia to the progressive pew, Borg offers a thoughtful consideration of the basics of an examined Christian faith for people a lot like us.  (amazon bargain price $5.98)

As always, I have a wheelbarrow full of other books in mind, but each of these seems accessible for different reasons.  Each one is also essentially constructive, which might be a nice step after Armstrong’s delightful romp through the depths of our theological history.  So post thoughts if you can.  I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

J

Our next meeting is scheduled for the fourth Sunday of May instead of the usual third Sunday.  We’ll gather at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 23, in the church library to consider Chapter 7, “Science and Religion,” and Chapter 8, “Scientific Religion.”  Everyone is welcome!

This puts us on track for the following schedule:

June – Chapter 9, “Enlightenment,” and Chapter 10, “Atheism”

July – Chapter 11, “Unknowing,” Chapter 12, “Death of God?” and Epilogue

Then we might take an August breather before beginning a new book in September.  On that score, perhaps in June we can take a short time to consider what we might read following Karen Armstrong.

J

Hi Group,

I’m starting a new thread of discussion here.  Perhaps we can carry Jme’s discussion of grace over to this thread or visit other things that emerged on Sunday evening.  I left our discussion with a new perspective.  Well, more accurately, several new perspectives.  What a good book.  What a lovely group.

J

I’m also pasting in Bruce’s post from the last thread with a link to Armstrong’s TED talk.  Here it is:

Guided by Jeremy’s recommendation at our group last nght, I google-searched “TED Karen Armstrong” to hear the speech Karen Armstrong made upon acceptance of the TED Prize. It is excellent — about 20 minutes long. And it is a briefer version of the presentation Kathleen and I (and a few more Covenant folk) heard her give last year at the Wortham Center.

The link to that TED Prize speech is:
http://www.ted.com/talks/karen_armstrong_makes_her_ted_prize_wish_the_charter_for_compassion.html

*Our next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, March 21, at 6:00 p.m.  We’ll discuss Chapter 3, “Reason,” and Chapter 4, “Faith.”

At last evening’s meeting, we chose Karen Armstrong’s latest book.  It looks like a lot of fun.  Here’s the blurb I put in the newsletter.  Happy reading, friends.  See you in February

J

***

THEOLOGY BOOK GROUP CHOOSES KAREN ARMSTRONG FOR FEBRUARY

We’ll meet Sunday, February 21, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to begin discussing The Case for God by Karen Armstrong.  We’ll consider Chapter 1, “Homo religiosus,” and Chapter 2, “God.”

Writing for NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Susan Jane Gilman had this to say of the book:  “Armstrong is ambitious. The Case for God is an entire semester at college packed into a single book—a voluminous, dizzying intellectual history…Reading The Case for God, I felt smarter…A stimulating, hopeful work.  After I finished it, I felt inspired, I stopped, and I looked up at the stars again.  And I wondered what could be.”

Everyone is invited to attend.  New members welcome!

–Jeremy

Group,

Okay, it has been a while since I last proposed a list of books (seven months or so), and I now find myself with two new volumes to suggest for February 2010.

The first book, The Evolution of God by Robert Wright, has made a number of top book lists this year.  I kept thinking of it during our Sunday evening discussion as we considered how God as a concept and/or reality might have evolved over time.  (There were shades of both Kaufman and Keller in the question, but I think Wright may delve into the matter more deeply.)  Here’s a quote from a review of the book in The New Yorker:

“Straddling popular science, ancient history, and theology, this ambitious work sets out to resolve not only the clash of civilizations between the Judeo-Christian West and the Muslim world but also the clash between science and religion. Tracking the continual transformation of faith from the Stone Age to the Information Age, Wright, a self-described materialist, best known for his work on evolutionary psychology, free trade, and game theory, postulates that religious world views are becoming more open, compassionate, and synthesized. Occasionally, his prescriptions can seem obvious—for instance, that members of the different Abrahamic faiths should think of their religions as “having been involved, all along, in the same undertaking.” But his core argument, that religion is getting “better” with each passing aeon, is enthralling.”

The Evolution of God goes for about $17 on amazon.com.

The second idea I had was really a variation on an old theme.  If we took the first volume of Gary Dorrien’s brilliant work on American liberal theology, The Making of American Liberal Theology: Imagining Progressive Religion 1805-1900, we could treat it as a kind of textbook for a good portion of the year.  People could join month to month as they desired, depending on the topics/thinkers to be covered.  This volume begins with William Ellery Channing and Ralph Waldo Emerson before moving through the foundational century of liberal theology, including an emerging social gospel impulse in Christianity.  Dorrien’s work may be the best theological history I’ve ever read, and it raises questions on every page.  We’d need to take this book a bit slowly, and I would need to frame some good discussion questions if we were to choose it.

The Making of American Liberal Theology: Imagining Progressive Religion is not cheap.  $39 looks to be the online discounted cost.  A book like this would need to be used for many months to make up for the purchase price.

I make these suggestions after reexamining some of the other volumes we discussed in May.  Davaney, in particular, is a difficult read, though gratifying.  If we choose to stick with her I can prepare a 20 min. introduction to pragmatism that might help us find our feet before we begin.

Finally, I’d like to make a change in the group regardless of the book we choose.  After studying small group ministry models, I’d like to begin each session with a 5 min. meditation and check-in.  This would bring us more closely into relationship with each other and perhaps even deepen the group experience.  I have found that the theology book group has felt like a de facto small group, and, while I celebrate and am energized by our theological discussions, what I value most is the relationship with each of you.  I’d like to add a brief exercise to our meetings that supports the relational aspect of what we’re doing.

I am excited about our time together in 2010.  Post your thoughts here over the holidays.  I can bring various volumes to our January meeting if we would like to take a look.  Until then, Merry Christmas!

J

Dear Group,

I’ve got a hold of the book and suggest the following reading schedule, which amounts to two chapters per month at 40-50 pages.  Let’s plan to take the book in the following sections:

Catherine Keller, On the Mystery: Discerning Divinity in Process (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008)

Sept. 20 – Chapter 1, “Come, My Way: Theology as Process,” and Chapter 2, “Pilate’s Shrug: Truth as Process”

Oct. 18 – Chapter 3, “Be This Fish: Creation in Process,” and Chapter 4, “After Omnipotence: Power as Process”

Nov. 15 – Chapter 5, “Risk the Adventure: Passion in Process,” and Chapter 6, “Sticky Justice: Com/Passion in Process”

Dec. 20 – Chapter 7, “Jesus the Parable: Christ as Process,” and Chapter 8, “Open Ending: Spirit in Process”

If there is a conflict with one of these dates, we can take that up as a group.  This seems a good starter schedule, though.  A fall filled with process theology.  I look forward to our conversation.

J