literary spirit | Religion in the media
“The Resurrection; History & Myth” by Geza Vermes (Doubleday, 192 pages, $18.95): Did he really rise from the dead? In “The Resurrection,” Geza Vermes, a renowned authority on Judea in the time of Jesus, reviews biblical and other texts and concludes that the hard evidence for the Easter miracle is scant. “To put it bluntly,” he writes, “not even a credulous nonbeliever is likely to be persuaded by the various reports of the Resurrection; they convince only the already converted.” The author, a professor emeritus at Oxford University, begins by providing a historical context for the Resurrection story, examining revivication of the dead as presented in ancient Judaism. (The concept was not unheard of, but neither was it central to the faith of Jews.) He then meticulously compares the four Gospel accounts (five counting the modern ending of Mark, appended centuries after Jesus’ death), together with the Acts of the Apostles. The reporting in these New Testament sources is “confused and often contradictory.” They differ in describing the sequence of events, the identity of those who discovered the empty tomb, what they encountered there, what they said afterward, the number and location of the risen Jesus’ appearances, even the timing of his reported ascension into heaven. (Was it on Easter Sunday, or 40 days later?) Moreover, there are no independent witnesses to this spectacular event. You’d think such appearances would have merited wider attention. None of which, Vermes contends, diminishes the significance of the Resurrection. In his epilogue, he writes of the inspiring transformative power of belief in the miracle — the Resurrection as it lives “in the hearts of men.” This belief gave the early Christians hope and courage in their darkest days. It does the same for countless millions today.
To Bless the Space Between Us; A Book of Blessings” by John O’Donohue (Doubleday, 240 pages, $22.95): This is a quiet and heartfelt book. It begins with the premise that each of us carries a light inside that keeps us drawn to the beauty and excitement of being alive. We have it from birth, the author says — the world is our first gift, the first blessing we receive. Blessing one another, not just asking God’s blessings, is possible and appropriate, says John O’Donohue. That quiet light within is what gives our outreach the power to affirm and lift one another as we journey through this realm, he says. O’Donohue, whose previous books include the popular “Anam Cara” (on “soul friends”), died suddenly in January at age 52. He was a former priest, a poet and an essayist whose work often drew on Celtic traditions. In this book, he talks about the difference between blessings and poems, the difference between blessing and prayer, and why these stanzas don’t address God — though the heavenly spirit was omnipresent in his thought and life. He offers ways to reinvigorate ordinary living without sounding pat or preachery. It’s the kind of book you might well carry around with you, for spare moments of reflection or sips of refreshment.
“The Gospel of Ruth” by Carolyn Custis James (Zondervan, $16.99, 220 pages): Fans of Carolyn Custis James’ first book, “When Life and Beliefs Collide,” have come to expect much from this fresh-thinking, push-the-”evangelical”-envelope author. Even James’ new title is provocative. She proposes that the Book of Ruth, often perceived as antiquated Sunday school flannel-graph fodder, teaches the same countercultural, rule-breaking gospel that Jesus offered, and that it has life-changing insight for today. James unearths information on the historic and cultural setting as well as qualities of the two main characters, who pursue God’s purposes with some of the most creatively bold obedience found in the Bible. “Ruth emerges as a surprisingly gutsy risk taker; Naomi as a female Job,” says the author, who believes that this brave twosome calls women to greater honesty in confronting life’s hardships with a willingness to pursue God instead of running from him.
“God’s Problem” by Bart D. Ehrman (HarperOne, 269 pages, $25.95): The author, a highly respected Bible text analyst, has previously written about how he moved from being a biblical inerrantist to an agnostic. In this book, he explains how his faith was really rocked by one of the oldest conundrums in Christianity: theodicy. How can a good, all-powerful deity allow such suffering as exists in the world? Either God is not all-good or not all-powerful — or there is some other explanation. This book outlines the traditional answers that Christianity has offered and examines Bible passages that speak to the question. Ehrman’s clear writing style handles the philosophy and the texts in ways that an interested lay reader will be able to follow. Ecclesiastes, Job and Revelation are tough sledding, and he’s a pretty good guide to some of the essential elements.
“Entertainment Theology” by Barry Taylor (Baker, 226 pages, $18.99): Barry Taylor is a professor of theology and art at Fuller Theological Seminary in California. Taylor uses literature, film, television, theater, visual art and the whole of cyberspace to construct a theological interpretation of life in the 21st century. He sees a broad rejection of modernity, with its systematic disenchantment of the world, and also of religion, with its obsession for bureaucracy, ideology and power. Taylor embraces this new reality as liberation from traditional environments of the spirit into what he calls “postsecular soul space.” Taylor remains a committed Christian; he calls for “Christian spiritualities” to replace the church, and he defines mission as “the journey of Christians into all the world to discover the librating mission of Jesus in transforming encounter with others.” This book will provoke soul-searching among serious readers, leaders and thinkers.
“Classic African American Gospel” Various Artists (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings): There’s “old-school” and then there’s “back in the day.” And there is a difference. These days, old-school applies to just about anything that isn’t happening right now, that’s in the recent past. Back in the day is the really old stuff. Smithsonian Folkway Recordings’ “Classic African American Gospel” is clearly “back in the day.” A 24-track collection features performances recorded between World War II and the end of the 20th century. This collection has the actual recordings of songs that take listeners way back to the presynthesized days of heartfelt song and music. The album features Lead Belly, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Sonny Terry, the Rev. Gary Davis and other well-known artists. The album also features civil rights stalwart Fannie Lou Hamer’s rendition of “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” recorded during a 1963 civil rights rally in Mississippi. To help guide you through the CD, the package includes a 29-page booklet with a description of each song and background on the musicians. For many gospel fans fed up with the genre’s current hip-hop leanings, this album represents more than just gospel music; for them, it’s gospel music how it ought to be.
“Salvation Station” NewWorldSon (Inpop Records): NewWorldSon hails from Niagara Falls, Ontario, but don’t let that geographic quirk fool you. Spin “Salvation Station” and you’ll swear these guys rolled straight out of Memphis — sweet and greasy as a plate of pulled pork, sassy and funky enough to wear “Stax” on their record label. Plainly stated, Salvation Station is a whole lot of fun, a word often missing in the world of Christian music. True, the CD doesn’t dig deep into Scripture to unearth a gem of a verse from one of those little books in the middle. But then again, it celebrates the joy of Christian faith. Singer-keyboardist Joel Parisien slips easily from jazz to blues to Top 40 circa 1963 (meaning every thread in pop), and the rest of the band matches him on each stylistic change. With impressive musical skills, a mostly sunny look at faith and an attitude that says God is worth a smile or two, NewWorldSon is worth a listen.
McClatchy Newspapers