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jenny101's reviews
506 reviews
Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Why Study the Past?: The Quest for the Historical Church by Rowan Williams
challenging
slow-paced
1.5
In Why We Study the Past Rowan Williams presents a philosophical approach to why and how we should study history. He methodically builds his argument, adding a new layer of complexity in each chapter, until making his thesis point at the end of the book: we must study all Christian history from the vantage point of Jesus as God’s specific action in history, or none of that history will have an understandable context (p 108, paraphrased). The binding of Christian history is how Christians through the ages have applied their interpretation of who Jesus was and what his work accomplished to the problems and questions that present themselves to each generation. But it is each community’s diverse and complex understandings of Jesus and his work that undermines Williams’ thesis of a unified history.
Reading the canonical gospels and epistles we recognize that the writers of each had differing understandings of Jesus, his work, and how we are to apply it to our lives. Then we add to this the non-canonical gospels and epistles; heresies, dogma, and tense agreements to disagree; and multiple hermeneutical approaches employed by modern theologians. Williams’ claim to a single, unified Christian history is tenuous because there is no single, unified picture of Jesus and his work. Yet, Williams continues, stating this approach will
“[establish] once and for all the possibility of a humanity that does not depend for its harmony on any transient human alliances or definitions of common interest or common purpose” (p 109)
and that will help Christians to “debate across cultures,” defining cultures as “liberal-conservative,” “Western and Eastern churches,” and “churches in the developing world” versus “those of the prosperous global ‘north’” (pp 107,108). These are all internal struggles, so whose Jesus are we basing our discussions on? Which interpretation of Jesus’ work will we use to determine how we ought to live in community now?
For Williams, it seems the answer is the Jesus put forward by the modern Anglican church, as he refers to the “debates about divorce, women’s ministry or homosexual activity” among the cross-cultural arguments to solve (p. 103). This approach silences the voices of Christian women, queer folk, and other minorities in our culture. Instead of incorporating the womanist, Black, queer, trans, or liberational understandings of Jesus and his work, Williams seems to be suggesting that this is part of “shar[ing] the widespread and fashionable illiteracy of this culture,” “chaotic diversity,” and “malign versions of global unity” that his unified Christian history is meant to help modern Christians to debate. These are word choices that should make us nervous.
Reading the canonical gospels and epistles we recognize that the writers of each had differing understandings of Jesus, his work, and how we are to apply it to our lives. Then we add to this the non-canonical gospels and epistles; heresies, dogma, and tense agreements to disagree; and multiple hermeneutical approaches employed by modern theologians. Williams’ claim to a single, unified Christian history is tenuous because there is no single, unified picture of Jesus and his work. Yet, Williams continues, stating this approach will
“[establish] once and for all the possibility of a humanity that does not depend for its harmony on any transient human alliances or definitions of common interest or common purpose” (p 109)
and that will help Christians to “debate across cultures,” defining cultures as “liberal-conservative,” “Western and Eastern churches,” and “churches in the developing world” versus “those of the prosperous global ‘north’” (pp 107,108). These are all internal struggles, so whose Jesus are we basing our discussions on? Which interpretation of Jesus’ work will we use to determine how we ought to live in community now?
For Williams, it seems the answer is the Jesus put forward by the modern Anglican church, as he refers to the “debates about divorce, women’s ministry or homosexual activity” among the cross-cultural arguments to solve (p. 103). This approach silences the voices of Christian women, queer folk, and other minorities in our culture. Instead of incorporating the womanist, Black, queer, trans, or liberational understandings of Jesus and his work, Williams seems to be suggesting that this is part of “shar[ing] the widespread and fashionable illiteracy of this culture,” “chaotic diversity,” and “malign versions of global unity” that his unified Christian history is meant to help modern Christians to debate. These are word choices that should make us nervous.
The Lost Book of the Grail: The Sevenfold Path of the Grail and the Restoration of the Faery Accord by Caitlín Matthews, John Matthews
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve
Gywn and Peri are gender nonconforming characters and an arugment can be made they are a trans boy and a trans girl, respectively. But given when the story was written the empathy toward them is poorly developed and the writing comes across as ignorant of trans people even as it tries to paint them positively.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, War, Transphobia, Sexual violence, and Blood
The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Mouse Watch Underwater by J. J. Gilbert
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Servant a Simple Story about the True Essence of Leadership by James C. Hunter
informative
fast-paced
1.75
The Servent is rooted in the (I believe correct) idea that we are called to serve one another. However, the book is absolutely a product of its time making casual statements about, gender role rigidity, the undesirable call to unionize, and how "people just need to choose to do better and pull themselves up regardless of situation." In short, it assumes a white, cis, het, upper class man's experience is the default and exemplar. It presents all action as self-determined and ignores very real experiences of systematic racism, sexism, and heternormativity.
The book is told in narrative form with characters that are flat, static, and stereotyped. It is primarily dialogue, most of which serves to deliver o random quotes by other thinkers. A startling number of quotes are unattributed and presented as folk wisdom.
Though it may have been a unique voice when first published, the book fails to present an engaging narrative and its guidance is essentially Hunter throwing every cliche at the reader in hopes they catch something. Ultimately, it is neither informative nor inspirational.
The book is told in narrative form with characters that are flat, static, and stereotyped. It is primarily dialogue, most of which serves to deliver o random quotes by other thinkers. A startling number of quotes are unattributed and presented as folk wisdom.
Though it may have been a unique voice when first published, the book fails to present an engaging narrative and its guidance is essentially Hunter throwing every cliche at the reader in hopes they catch something. Ultimately, it is neither informative nor inspirational.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Genocide, Racism, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Misogyny, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexism
The Four Pages of the Sermon, Revised and Updated: A Guide to Biblical Preaching by Paul Scott Wilson
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
In all, Wilson offers a sound structure for writing effective sermons. He presents his structure as a grammar, the idea being sermons are a common language and these are the guiding principles of that language.
I would argue he does not present grammar for one singular language but the syntax for one specific language. His guidelines are excellent for his specific purpose and style. There are, however, other "languages" for sermons.
His language is orthodoxy (white, cishet, American, upper-middle class, and male) which focuses on a specific approach and objective. There are other "languages" for sermons, such as liberation, womanist, or queer, and they will have their own syntax.
The goal of each language is the same (communicate gospel) but how we approach and organize the sermon and what elements we need to stress vary by time, place, and community. We cannot set anyone one "language" as primary or default without loosing the diversity of God's creation and God's actions.
I would argue he does not present grammar for one singular language but the syntax for one specific language. His guidelines are excellent for his specific purpose and style. There are, however, other "languages" for sermons.
His language is orthodoxy (white, cishet, American, upper-middle class, and male) which focuses on a specific approach and objective. There are other "languages" for sermons, such as liberation, womanist, or queer, and they will have their own syntax.
The goal of each language is the same (communicate gospel) but how we approach and organize the sermon and what elements we need to stress vary by time, place, and community. We cannot set anyone one "language" as primary or default without loosing the diversity of God's creation and God's actions.