Secrets of the Heart: Poems and Meditations by Kahlil Gibran

Secrets of the Heart: Poems and Meditations by Kahlil Gibran
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Allegories and poems about philosophy and religion. They vary in quality and interest. Mostly I liked the misanthropic hermit at the beginning. He's like a jerky Buddhist. I also liked "John the Madman" about the difference between real Christianity and false Christianity. There's a story about saving Satan and mermaids judging mankind. A lot of the mostly Christian philosophy (but also Muslim and Buddhist philosophy) resonated with me, but I didn't feel like I gained any new insights.

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Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Untamed by Glennon Doyle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Yes and no. It's fun and she has some good ideas sometimes but her thinking and writing is a bit of a mess. She contradicts herself a lot and seems to know very little about academic feminism though she styles herself as the greatest feminist ever. I liked it, and I like her, but I can live without her consumerist version of feminism where you can do whatever you want (because it sells stuff). She doesn't even actually behave that way in real life, instead trying very hard to do good and help people through community organizers. To that end, she seems to suspect there's more to feminism but because she hasn't given it any real study, she doesn't realize she's cherry-picking from contradictory feminist camps. I am not an expert either, but I know enough to know her philosophy is flawed. As I said though, I loved a lot of her ideas (possibly the ones appropriated from her therapist but I'll take it). Her type of Christianity is very similar to mine (though not completely) and I appreciate that as well.

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God's Problem by Bart D. Ehrman

God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question - Why We Suffer by Bart D. Ehrman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a thorough refutation of C.S. Lewis's The Problem of Pain. Unfortunately, both works depend on a world view that the Bible can only be approached literally where in reality a majority of Christians in the world treat the Bible metaphorically. It's precisely this evangelical literalist prejudice that kept me away from Christianity for so long. Wide reading has brought me back.

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Unapologetic by Francis Spufford

Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense by Francis Spufford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The best part of this book is how smart and flippant Spufford is. He's hilarious, rude, and thoughtful all at once. Despite the confusing reviews, this book is definitely in support of Christianity. The reviewers who claim Spufford is an atheist either didn't read a single word of the book or have a super insular view of Christianity.

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Jesus by Bart D. Ehrman

Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium by Bart D. Ehrman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Some of the reviewers below don't like what historian Bart D. Ehrman has to say, so they simply misconstrue what he actually wrote in this book. The part of the book's description that best summarizes this book is, "Jesus can be best understood as an apocalyptic prophet--a man convinced that the world would end dramatically within the lifetime of his apostles and that a new kingdom would be created on earth." Ehrman does not diminish the importance of Jesus in any way. In other books he wrote, he explained that he has personally gone from being a literal interpreter of the Bible to an atheist and maybe that's what's drawing the ire of some reviewers. My (non-literalist) Christian beliefs are not in any way threatened by a careful historical analysis of what Jesus probably actually said based on multiple Biblical references and the historical context of the time. I think this is very well-done and gives me a lot to think about.

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Jesus, Interrupted by Bart D. Ehrman

Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible & Why We Don't Know About Them by Bart D. Ehrman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is very good and thorough and I would have highly valued a book like this in high school. But it can be a little tedious for those of us who long ago surmised the central tenant of this book which is that the Bible cannot be literally accurate in its depiction of events. There is no end of proof to that thesis, many of which come from other fields.

But personally, I think Ehrman undersold the value of the Judeo-Christian faiths separate from the literal truth of the Bible collection and that might be misleading to some less educated readers. Ehrman came to his religious conclusion via the religious extremist route, then learning real scholarship, slowly liberalizing, and finally rejecting his religious beliefs. But if you were never so wedded to the literalism in the first place you might find more longterm value in the religious metaphors. Sometimes metaphors are more real than reality. That's what I've arrived at via the study of literature, philosophy, science, and even politics. If you've dedicated so much of your life to just one field, you're likely highly educated and have been exposed to a lot of knowledge in other fields, but maybe you haven't had the opportunity to afford them equal weight or consideration.

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The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis

The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The basic premise of the book makes sense - pain has many positive purposes. He focuses on the religious and spiritual purposes and ignores, for example, the clear evolutionary purpose of pain. Additionally, many of his side points have a very weak premise that Lewis takes for granted and therefore the overall argument fails. Worth reading if you're Christian or borderline. It would probably be a waste of time for nonbelievers or agnostics.

Finally, in my opinion, Lewis skips the most troubling kind of pain- the pain sick children suffer. That's a pretty big oversight.

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I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening) by Sarah Stewart Holland

I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations by Sarah Stewart Holland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Somewhat interesting, but not terribly deep. Worth considering some of the cooperative spirit discussed in this book and I'm interested in listening to the podcast, "Pantsuit Politics." I recommend "The Righteous Mind" by Jonathan Haidt which is also about understanding the other side of the political aisle but with scientific research.

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Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed by Meghan Daum

Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on The Decision Not To Have Kids by Meghan Daum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The idea that people who choose not have children are selfish has always been completely preposterous to me. I have two children I completely love and adore, but the reasons I chose to have them were (in my opinion) "selfish, shallow, and self-absorbed" even if the actual raising of them sometimes requires saint-like patience and sacrifice. That is, I desperately wanted my own kids, my own family, little me's to shower with affection. In contrast, I think people who adopt or even those who don't have children, are way less selfish and shallow. Especially since our overpopulated planet is basically on fire now. (Sorry fellow moms, it's not a judgment on you, it's a judgment on myself.) And furthermore, I desperately want my own children to give me grandchildren one day- even at the potential cost to some of their own happiness- how's that for selfish? Additionally, my own mother seemed - quite the opposite of me- a somewhat reluctant mother. So I was very receptive to this collection, and it went beyond the ideas that I already held, enriching my overall view of other people's decisions of whether to have kids or not.

I especially enjoyed "Maternal Instinct" by Laura Kipnis which is a really interesting feminist take on the decision not to have children; "Be Here Now," by Lionel Shriver which highlights some of the racist and cultural motivations in the perpetuating the idea of reproduction in particular countries; "The Most Important Thing" by Sigrid Nunez which explored the time when having children was often a misfortune; "Over and Out" by Geoff Dyer, and “The End” by Tim Kreider. I also noticed a thread of a number of writers who felt unsatisfied with their own childhoods.

Though I noticed that for such highly intellectual and often atheistic arguments, the women in these essays never doubted the importance of the "work they wanted to do." Geoff Dyer touched on this issue a little and Tom Kreisler addressed it more directly: in a nihilistic universe, what value does your work have? Hypothetically, if we are a bunch of bacteria on a rock hurtling through space, then the value of our work probably isn't in any discernible way more significant than any other particular experience including the experience of being a parent. On the other hand, if there's a God (and maybe even if there's not) and an understanding of deep sacrificial love is the greatest earthly value or experience then maybe they're missing the mark? The authors of the essays are all professional writers so they all have work to do which is imbued with spirit in a way that many other people's jobs are not. So maybe the sacred nature of their work particularly skews their view of this issue. But for example, what particular value is Randall L. Stephenson or Michel Combes providing to the world as the CEOs of ATT and Sprint respectively? None that I can think of. But I get it, if it's your heart's passion is to be a CEO, rather than to be a parent, and as a woman, you think that being a parent will get in the way of your CEO dreams, you should do you.

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C Street by Jeff Sharlet

C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy by Jeff Sharlet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Completely horrifying account of the contradictory and often corrupt fundamentalist fervor in our government, in our military, and even influencing countries abroad. And it's not limited to one party, here are a few of leaders mentioned in the book:
Sens. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.; Tom Coburn, R-Okla.; Jim DeMint, R-S.C.; and John Ensign, R-Nev.
Reps. Michael F. Doyle, D-Pa.; Heath Shuler, D-N.C.; Bart Stupak, D-Mich.; and Zach Wamp, R-Tenn.

At one point, Sharlett summarizes the book that this is about the fundamentalist ideas that seek to subsume the ideas (and presumably the values) of democracy.

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Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking

Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this collection of Hawking's last essays on "the big questions." But 1) skip all the introductions, 2) I wish scientists stopped opining on the concept of God in general on the basis of science specifically. If Hawking were still alive I'd ask, what if God is hiding in a parallel universe but He can see us perfectly well? What if He's inside a black hole? What if God is in all the particles of dark matter? What if He’s the fabric of space-time? What if He's inside us? What if He's the most important metaphor ever created by man come to life? What if He's any combination of those or even something else entirely? What then, Stephen? What could science have to say about any of that?

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Convictions by Marcus J. Borg

Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most by Marcus J. Borg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is part memoir and part the author’s beliefs. I largely agree with what he wrote but I think his book “Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary” is much better (5 stars) because it is thoroughly explained with relevant history. In addition to the memoir aspects, this is mainly the conclusions from ”Jesus” without the arguments for the conclusions. Still a lovely book, just not as helpful to anyone with differing opinions.

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Jesus by Marcus J. Borg

Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary by Marcus J. Borg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a young person, I grew up nominally Catholic but was raised with people who held evangelical-style views, even when they were Catholic. Observing their attitudes and behavior, I was more or less pushed away from Christianity. I have been reading a lot of books about religion generally and also Christianity specifically in the last few years, and I read the Bible cover to cover maybe two years ago. This book is written by a serious religious historian, and is exceptionally well-written and reasoned. It also most closely expresses my understanding of Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for recommending this author, Renee Kahl!

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The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond

The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? by Jared Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Diamond set out to compare pre-industrialized societies to modern Western society. He especially focuses on New Guinea for his comparisons. He compares legal systems, war, childcare, relationships to the elderly, perception of dangers, religion, number and uses of languages, and diet. I found the childcare part particularly interesting, but since it mostly focuses on babies and young children, the information is mostly superfluous to me now because my kids are older. I think the book is pretty entertaining, and sometimes thought-provoking, but not especially educational.

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Zealot by Reza Aslan

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't think it's accurate to say that this is in any way an attack on Christian faith. Rather, it seems to me that whether or not you believe in the divinity of Jesus, and especially if you do, you would want to clearly understand what Jesus believed. Aslan is using both historical material and the Bible itself to determine what can be verified about Jesus's life and teachings. To those that think this is an attack on Jesus's divinity, simply because Aslan himself does not believe in that divinity, I would point out that Aslan leaves the question of Jesus's resurrection open because there is no historical evidence to the contrary and evidence that the apostles fervently believed in the resurrection. He's applying his examination of history even-handedly whether or not it falls in favor of or against modern Christian teaching.

I do think Aslan's mix of historical sources and the Bible itself make him subject to some criticism from scholarly readers because the Bible is not historically reliable, but this shouldn't make him subject to criticism from fundamentalist Christians.

Do I think Aslan gets it right? I think he gets the history correct. However, if Jesus himself was filled with great faith in God, which we have to assume he was if he was willing to die for his faith, the sense of that faith is somewhat missing from this book. Yes, he believed passionately in justice for the poor but he also believed in the Jewish singular God and that concept is not fully explored here. Yes, that's difficult and would have made the book much longer. Still, this book is worth reading and it is very compelling reading as well- you won't be bored at all.

Favorite quote: "The choice between James's vision of a Jewish religion anchored in the law of Moses and derived by a Jewish nationalist who fought against Rome, and Paul's vision of a Roman religion that divorced itself from Jewish provincialism and required nothing for salvation save belief in Christ, was not a difficult one for the second and third generations of Jesus's followers to make. Two thousand years later, the Christ of Paul's creation has utterly subsumed the Jesus of history."

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What I Believe by Bertrand Russell

What I Believe by Bertrand Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My version contains, “What I Believe,” “The Good Life,” “What is a Christian,” and “Fear, the Basis of Religion.”

The best of the bunch is “What I Believe.” Feminism! Consent! Birth control! In the 1920s! How can you not love Bertrand Russell?

I love his logic, and I agree with a lot of what he says, indeed for years that was all there was to it for me. However now, after much reading, I'm a Christian primarily because I believe in human rights, and justifying it all back through a number of steps that are perhaps not as logical as Bertrand, I arrive at God and agreement with the teachings of Christ. (I am told this is not good enough by my Evangelical friends, but luckily they don't get to decide who is and isn't a Christian. I am equally unimpressed by their version of Christianity.) Although clearly Russell is highly ethical, I don't think he really addresses ethics as the argument for God.

“The Good Life,” is solid but it feels very incomplete to me. “What is a Christian,” is both descriptive and an analysis and I didn’t find it particularly useful. Finally, “Fear,” brings up some solid points but seems to apply not to “religion” generally but Christianity specifically, and while I don’t disagree with his points, it seems unfair in its incompleteness.

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A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought I would feel smarter than I do when I finished this book. Nonetheless an interesting review of the classical philosophers. I don't think it would have killed him to throw in at least one woman, at a minimum with reference to western feminist philosophy, especially considering he included some not terribly deep political philosophers (who weren't necessarily concerned with consciousness or the cosmos but only political realities). I know this suggestion makes me sound like a millennial, but I assure you I'm not.

Bertrand correctly predicted that science would take over a lot of the inquiries on reality- as it has in consciousness and the cosmos, though he wasn't correct that, as in theoretical physics, it would never be based in thought experiments. I wish someone wrote a summary of philosophers and their central ideas picking up where Russell left off.

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Educated by Tara Westover

Educated by Tara Westover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I heard about this book and I wasn't initially excited to read it. I figured that I had already read The Glass Castle, Hillbilly Elegy, even Etched in Sand. I picked it up anyway, and I was fascinated by every single chapter.

Part of what's remarkable about this book is that even though Westover's upbringing was extreme, I can see analogous threads in various religions and in current political movements. I particularly enjoyed how she took us on the educational journey with her- her first times learning about slavery, the Holocaust, the civil rights movement, and feminism. I wish more ordinary people would "come out of the hills" on these subjects.

So many people are eager to discount the veracity of Westover's account in part because her transformation seems so extreme. (Other people discount her story because the life she describes in Idaho seems mundane and normal to them! Some people even make both somewhat contradictory points!) She credits many people for helping her achieve a remarkable education: her brother Tyler, her friends at BYU, a Bishop at BYU, a professor a Cambridge. Moreover, the world is, and always has been, filled with remarkable people. There is no more extreme story of transformation than that of Frederick Douglass or such remarkable thinkers as Benjamin Franklin. Why then are people so eager to discount Westover's accomplishments and life story?

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21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first quarter of the book is necessary and terrifying to contemplate. Much of the rest of the book turns into a discussion of world religions that I found less relevant to the beginning thrust of the book. I also don’t usually like religious discussions by people that are mostly dismissive of religion. Not because I’m especially religious myself but the dismissals are often less interesting than say the nuanced explorations of Karen Armstrong or other religious scholars. Not my favorite of Harari’s books.

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Touching Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

Touching Peace: Practicing the Art of Mindful Living by Thich Nhat Hanh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Some good stuff in here. Some of the usual mindfulness stuff. A lot of it is anti the second Iraq war, which most people now agree was not a good idea. He’s surprisingly nonjudgmental towards both President Bush and Saddam Hussein. Overall, not a book I’d recommend. There’s a lot of better material out there on any of the topics covered.

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