RECENT REVIEWS & ENDORSEMENTS
Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth
Isabel Anders
There is no doubt that this book is thought provoking. It is also worth reading for some of the quotations from sources other than the Miss Marple stories. ~ Peter Godfrey, Faith and Freedom
Beyond the Lectionary
David Ackerman
I don’t normally bother reading lectionary guides for preachers, preferring my own judgement, imagination, and ability to interrogate the texts for myself. But I’m immensely glad to have come across David Ackerman’s Beyond the Lectionary!
There are two main reasons for my disregard for lectionary guides. Firstly, because when I do consult one for inspiration, what I read there is almost always unanimously dull and lifeless. Secondly, because the three year Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) is now so familiar that there is little point re-reading the obvious.
But what Ackerman offers us here is astonishingly fresh and different!
It’s always struck me as odd that we allow ourselves to be constrained in our theological and biblical explorations by the so-called “Authorized Lectionary” –compiled by some anonymous Committee of Guardians somewhere– when there’s a whole load of other scriptural material that is routinely excluded. Ackerman calculates that the RCL uses only 24.9% of the available biblical texts! So, like me, he’s keen to go exploring.
In Beyond the Lectionary he steps outside the box of the RCL to offer us an additional wealth of material for a fourth year of readings. And in doing this he tempts and challenges us with a year of hitherto publically unmined Bible readings. But what might these be, I hear you thinking? What do they teach us, I ask myself? Why are they not “usually included”: we should all be wondering….?
The selection he makes is refreshing, enlightening, and fascinating. Each set of four Sunday texts is carefully assembled for complementarity and cohesion. The comments he makes are carefully chosen: never banal, never predictable, never less than interesting, never shirking the need to engage with any difficulties presented by the texts, and –just as importantly- never intended to control the outcome. Instead he offers a number of possible ingredients, some tasty nuggets of wisdom, and the inspiration to be imaginative in our creations.
If there is a steer then it’s always sensitive encouragement to model ourselves on Jesus’ preaching,
to challenge (a constantly reiterated word) our understandings of God, expand our horizons, and embrace the issues of our world. Ackerman takes scripture very seriously but offers a tenor of interpretation that promotes inclusivity in all its forms.
Ever mindful of the pastoral role of the sermon, he values good preaching and this is a courageous book for courageous preachers who want to inspire courageous and optimistic congregations. There is much here to help us reclaim not only the place of preaching but improve our own practice and the expectations of those who listen.
It’s ideal for inspiring regular congregations, student audiences, would-be preachers and group reflection. Check out David’s website http://beyondthelectionary.com and buy the book!
~ Rev. Dr. Terry Biddington, Chaplain, Manchester University
Year of the Lord's Favor, The
Tom Arthur
I have to say that this is the best lectionary preaching resource I've ever read. I wish I'd gotten "The Year of the Lord's Favor" by Tom Arthur back in November but am so glad I have it now. It's one of those books where I'm constantly interrupting my wife and saying, "Hey, listen to this!" Arthur seamlessly weaves together prescient insights into scripture, art, literature, church, society and life in general. He is astonishingly well-read and writes with a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart. He takes his readers on an amazing journey from the hills of western Pennsylvania to the streets of Chicago to the halls of Cardiff, all while introducing them to fascinating people and places around the globe. He connects the scripture to all of these experiences in such a way that the text appears new and shockingly relevant to our world today. I can't recall reading someone whose prose is so fluid, yet whose insights into such a breadth of materials is so deep. I'm very glad that I got this book during Year C, and as I continue to preach on the texts for this year, I'm confident that I'll be turning to this book time and time again. This is definitely a five-star book, and the experience of reading it was truly transformative for me. I wholeheartedly recommend it for preachers or anyone, especially while this Year C, "The Year of the Lord's Favor," is still with us! ~ David Akerman, Amazon
Naturalist and the Christ, The
Tim Heaton
The latest church leader to find the relevance of Studdert Kennedy is the Reverend Timothy Heaton in a book published in 2011 called "The Naturalist and the Christ". It addresses two main questions: is the theory of evolution consistent with Christian teaching and - once more - why does a good God tolerate suffering?
Heaton is not a Creationist and sees no conflict between evolution spread over millions of years and Christianity - nor, for that matter, did Darwin. More puzzling for Heaton is the fact that evolution entailed much suffering...
Studdert Kennedy, as Heaton explains, went further than Darwin because he experienced at first hand the cruelty of war. How does this level with the almighty God of love? Heaton identifies two main responses of Studdert Kennedy. The first, to quote Heaton, is that "The power of God will not always be displayed in lifting us out of the sufferings of the world, but in enabling us to live courageously in the world as it is."
The second is that the almightiness and love of God is revealed in his suffering with humankind. God in Christ lived as a common human being and suffered the pain of rejection and extreme cruelty when he was crucified. More, Studdert Kennedy insisted that God still feels pain when his creatures do so. Heaton sums up his triumphant conclusion, "To be afflicted by evil is not to be afflicted by God but to be appointed in Christ to join God's fight to conquer evil wherever it is to be found." (pp 181-182, abridged) ~ Bob Holman, "Woodbine Willie: An Unsung Hero of World War One", Lion Hudson, 2013
Lessons from Katherine
Glenda W Prins
Glenda Prins spends a long time cataloguing her anger and rage at her situation. She adopted an apparently healthy baby only to find that she was severely disabled. Much of the misery is caused by faults in the US medical system and its practitioners, and the response of some Christians to Katherine. The book is short on joy. Katherine is much loved by her parents, but misery dominates. Finally, Mrs Prins becomes a pastor, and her faith seems to carry her a little higher in the water. The book is part of a series entitled Spiritual Struggles, and to a degree the spiritual does eventually help with the struggle.
~ Ruth Allen, Reform Magazine May 2013
Spinning Straw, Weaving Gold
Isabel Anders
For women and men who appreciate the perpetual, ever-deepening wisdom imparted by women Spinning Straw, Weaving Gold offers spiritual wisdom drawn from a woman s world; word paintings expressed in the poetry of mother-daughter dialogue. Spinning Straw, Weaving Gold has the tone of a conversation between guru and disciple: refreshingly recast in feminine form. Like the gold of the thread, wisdom shines through the text: a beautiful expression of woman’s grounded spirituality. ~ ebooks.com, http://www.ebooks.com/954721/spinning-straw-weaving-gold/anders-isabel/
Lessons in Simply Being
Carol O. Eckerman
Many readers will connect with issues raised in this well-written book. ~ Canon Bruce Duncan, Church Times: Books April 2013
Why Religions Work
Eleanor Stoneham
Readers will find a lot to think about in this book. All in all, Stoneham has done a good job here, and I recommend the book whole-heartedly for its sincerity and hard-hitting articulacy. ~ Dr Stuart Hannabuss, Network
Year of the Lord's Favor, The
Tom Arthur
What do you do when you first handle a new book? Might I guess that you look at the front cover, read the title, then turn the book over and read the blurb on the back? Sometimes, if you persevere and read the book, you feel the blurb bears little relation to the actual content of the book. Not so with Tom Arthur’s commentary. The blurb seems to me to be quotably accurate; it says the book is “commentary on the texts of the Revised Common Lectionary that is contextualised, politically engaged and unflinchingly honest. . . These reflection connect honestly and realistically with the ordinary circumstances of experience. They encourage the 21st century Christian to live in a way that transcends sentimentality and fear and live a faith that makes things happen.”
Tom Arthur is an American (hence the title spelling) Presbyterian minister serving with the United Reformed Church in Wales. He combines erudition and an up-to-date knowledge of biblical scholarship with a canny ability to relate the lectionary’s readings with the world outside the church walls, in the best tradition of those who pray with their Bible in one hand and their newspaper in the other.
The commentaries vary in length from two to five pages, and quite considerably in style—some anecdotal and easily accessible, and some requiring a bit of mental effort. I would have appreciated an index which listed the Bible readings in canonical order, for use at other times than when one is preparing a sermon, but that is nit-picking.
I found myself profoundly challenged by Tom Arthur’s insistence that we emerge bravely from the ghetto of church life (what the writer calls “the emasculated sentimentality of today’s church”) and become “the midwives of new possibilities the world of buying and selling cannot imagine”. These commentaries move us on from simply understanding what the words of the text are saying, to the next step of opening our eyes to the significance of what is going on around us.
~ Ruth Allen, Reform magazine
Year of the Lord's Favor, The
Tom Arthur
I have found this series of reflections linked to the Sunday lectionary readings to be refreshing, startling and provocative and I thoroughly recommend this book. The author emphasises the revolutionary nature of Luke's Gospel, and reminds the reader that the scriptures were written with urgency and passion for a particular people in a particular time and place. The book is an excellent example of contextual theological reflection. ~ Fiona Thomas, Amazon uk
Year of the Lord's Favor, The
Tom Arthur
This is the ideal commentary to read alongside the weekly Lectionary. Tom has the gift to communicate his academic scholarship in language accessible to all and interweaves personal stories and experiences that open windows to the back story behind the bible text as we have it. This book is a must for anyone who wishes to be challenged and inspired afresh by familiar stories. ~ Sally Thomas "smt", Amazon uk
Year of the Lord's Favor, The
Tom Arthur
Ha! How can so serious a topic be so entertaining? Not that the book is funny, per se, but that the writing kept a smile on my face all the while Arthur was indoctrinating me. Tom, please come back to the States and set up church in my neighborhood!
This book is a not-so-subtle call to redirect our aim toward the original flavor of Christianity. The Lord's Supper, and the year of the Jubilee, become sort of the uprights of our goal posts. Arthur notes that the Year of the Lord's favor, its concern for the poor and its celebration of the joyful experience of reversed fortunes, establishes the framework for the entire Lukan narrative. While nothing should be taken away from Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, when Luke moves it down to the Plain-to the level of the people-its flavor changes, and it becomes more direct. The poor are the focus.
Did you know that today, the average American consumes 50 times that of the average citizen of Bangladesh?
Arthur proceeds to trek through the Gospel of Luke (and a few stray passages from other books) presenting opinionated discussion. Its three or four page reflections make for an excellent bathroom reader. (That's a compliment! Really!)
By the final quarter of the book, however, the tone turns more somber. Perhaps Constantine managed to twist the cross into a swastika, but we've never managed to untwist it. The horrors of war are only one example of how Jesus' ministry has undergone a stark reversal. Is the Age of the Lord's Favor merely a pipe dream? ~ Dubious Disciple "Lee Harmon", Amazon
Year of the Lord's Favor, The
Tom Arthur
Learning from Luke in Lent....thank you Tom Arthur for a fun, contemporary help in delving into and applying Luke's gospel to our living in this upcoming season...hard to put down! ~ Deborah Davis-Johnson, Amazon
Year of the Lord's Favor, The
Tom Arthur
Never before have I found a commentary that was a page-turner. I could not stop reading. My wife and I read aloud to each other, not worrying about liturgical season. We pondered how well Tom Arthur challenged the meaning of being a Christian today as we laughed out loud. His scholarship provides provocative and pointed insight into what Luke expects of us as disciples. The language and images of The Year of the Lord's Favor bear witness to how Arthur has helped congregations on two continents become vital. He animates how we must strive to live today in relation to the Gospel, posing hard questions for all of us who seek to be twenty-first century Christians. ~ Barn Photographere, Windsor, CT, Amazon
Why Religions Work
Eleanor Stoneham
“…a book that’s timely and truly worth reading. Indeed, this book is a tremendous resource for information on religious organizations, books, websites, and social and environmental justice activities, as well for the new spirituality movement…a great resource for those interested in what is happening at the forefront of interfaith activity.” ~ Joanne Simson, http://spiritandscience.net/2013/03/10/why-religions-work/
Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth
Isabel Anders
Recommended Reading
Isabel Anders' newest book is
Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth
http://www.circle-books.com/books/miss-marple-christian-sleuth
Isabel Anders' Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth not only immerses us in village life in St. Mary Mead but takes us on a thrilling detective journey of our own. Under her skilled tutelage, Anders trains us to have an observant eye, to interpret the facts about Agatha Christie's unlikely sleuth—an elderly, unassuming "church lady" with a penchant for sitting, knitting and observing. We learn what it is to have a contemplative gaze, how to appreciate seeming "unknowing," how to recognize sanctity even when hidden under the unassuming guise of a spinster living in reduced circumstances. Weaving an interpretive tapestry of biblical and literary references, Anders establishes her Christian Sleuth as one of the great imitators of Christ; Miss Marple not only reads Thomas a Kempis but is also "a woman for others," unafraid to be her own authentic, compassionate self, no matter what the cost. As we decipher the evidence, we find ourselves examining clues from our own lives—do we measure up as Christian sleuths or do we merely knit without observing?
Elizabeth-Anne Stewart, Ph.D. Author, Jesus the Holy Fool (Sheed & Ward, 1999) and other works. www.elizabeth-annestewart.com ~ Elizabeth-Anne Stewart, Sunday Bible Talk ~ Elizabeth-Anne Stewart, Sunday Bible Talk
Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth
Isabel Anders
Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth
I didn't expect the book to be a deep devotional on living the Christian life, but it most certainly was. I read it alone. My loss. It would have been more valuable if I had read it in a group. Discussion would have increased the depth of the many and varied quotes, an expected feature of literary criticism. Anders' book encourages me to reread the mysteries and discover again the genius and Christian model that is Miss Marple. Marlene LeFever, Vice President of Educational Development, David C. Cook. ~ Marlene LeFever, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miss-marple-isabel-anders/1114269354?ean=9781780995434
Why Religions Work
Eleanor Stoneham
In this book Dr Eleanor Stoneham looks at the place of religion in our society today examining why it is important and highlighting the good that religions do in the world. As she points out it is fashionable in today's world to knock religion and God pointing only to the bad which is done in the name of religion.
Although a Christian Eleanor Stoneham is calling for religious unity and highlights many areas where this is already being done today. She points to the many similarities in the worlds religions and the ways they could work in harmony to bring many radical changes for good in the world.
Although this is an academic text it is easily read and extremely interesting. I was not reading this from an academic point of view and enjoyed it immensely. Anyone, from any religion, could read this and take a lot away with them. I would highly recommend...
~ Wendy Jones, Amazon
Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth
Isabel Anders
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent analogies! February 4, 2013
By L. M. Sedmina
Format:Paperback
Isabel Anders uses a quote from Demetrius Dumm in Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth that can aptly be applied to her own literary works. "The Bible teaches through story. When it wishes to express a profound truth, it shows us a person in the concrete reality of his or her life..." So, also, does Isabel have a beautiful way of expressing biblical truths by weaving together stories, quotes, and examples. Having never noticed the iconic images and lectionary readings while watching the series, I never classified Jane Marple as a virtuous Christian woman. Thanks to Isabel's gift of recognizing God in the every day, I now have a renewed...and better...appreciation for Agatha Christie's popular sleuth.
In each chapter of Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth, Isabel presents a life lesson to be learned from the life of Jane Marple. Each chapter begins with short quotes, and contains numerous examples from the various episodes of the series. Isabel writes about the lessons and interjects relevant quotes from other sources to further illustrate the lessons to be learned from Marple's life. Discussion questions end each chapter and encourage further introspection on the part of the reader. Its concise size makes it a great choice for book clubs and LIFE groups. I highly recommend Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth. ~ Lyn Sedmina, Amazon.com
Why Religions Work
Eleanor Stoneham
"...Refreshing and innovative…After setting out her defence of religion, Stoneham begins to articulate an agenda for the future, particularly drawing upon recent developments in science and areas of convergence with religion. Stoneham is confident that science will soon be able to establish some understanding of the religious and spiritual experience, and in some ways already has begun to do so. She argues that redesigning and rethinking education, returning to scriptural and religious values and having greater confidence in merging science and religion, humanity can move forward and begin to repair the damages of global injustice, poverty and the environmental crisis…Her contribution is worthwhile, and Why Religions Work is an enjoyable and well written defence of religion in the modern era." ~ Abdul-Azim Ahmed, On Religion
