2 comments about Mission Legacies: Biographical Studies of Leaders of the Modern Missionary Movement (American Society of Missiology Series).

1. Mission Legacies is an attractive, durable hardback book of missionary biographical articles published by the American Society of Missiology through Orbis Books. It is divided into several major divisions: "Promoters and Interpreters," "Theologians and Historians,""Theorists and Strategists," and "Administrators." The chapters of this book first appeared as articles in the "International Bulletin of Missionary Research" beginning in 1977. Chapter assignments were made in a "serendipitous fashion over a period of about twenty years", as editors chose well-known contemporary church historians to write the biographical profiles.

   Some of the famous 75 names are from the late 1700's, but most are from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. They were chosen without regard for disciplinary, national, or denominational backgrounds, though there are only six women and six representatives of the two-thirds world among them. This will no doubt be different if a later edition is published.

   Though the articles are scholarly, they are very readable and interesting. This will serve primarily as a reference book, but lovers of world missions and biography will find themselves often dipping into it for information and inspiration. I was pleased to find such diversity as Pius XI and William Carey, such educators and promoters as A.J. Gordon, John R. Mott and W.O. Carver, and such famous missionaries as David Livingstone, Hudson Taylor and Lottie Moon. I was glad to see historians like Kenneth Scott Latoureette and Stephen Neill, such innovative missionaries as Frank Laubach and E. Stanley Jones and such missions strategists as John Nevius, Roland Allen, D.T. Niles and Donald McGavran. In these pages, students of world Christianity "can gain insight into the spiritual and human dynamics that produced the modern Christian missionary movement". This book, now in its fourth printing, should be of interest to all students of World Christianity and Mission.




2. This is an excellent resource for those interested in the development of modern Mission theory. The book is produced in a concise dictionary format, with articles on over 70 prominent figures from a variety of traditions. Each article provides a biographical overview of the subject personality, a summary of their main contributions to Mission, and a discussion of their central writings. Articles conclude with a select bibliography of foundational sources that provides the reader with an excellent starting point for further reading and research.

   Because the book focuses upon those in Mission who have left a literary record, there are few women who are examined in these pages. Women missionaries (generally) tended not to write treatises on mission theory and practice. So, even though they were central to Christian Mission during the time period covered, they are virtually absent from this volume. This should not be counted as a fault, however. Rather, the reader should keep in mind the limits of what the book covers.

   This book should be in the library of anyone interested in Christian Mission. Excellent.

1 comments about Seeking a Purer Christian Life: Sayings and Stories of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (Upper Room Spiritual Classics. Series 3).

1. I got this book, inspired by reading The Red Tent. Although it has writings about people who lived long after that wonderful book, the Desert Fathers and Mothers seem to be descendants of those depicted in the Old Testament.

   It starts off with the solitary Andrew (circa 241 - 356 AD), whose wisdom was sought by many ("Who will not lie after the commission of a sin, through the wish to escape notice? As we would not commit carnal sin while we are looking at one another, so if we record our thoughts as though about to tell them to one another, we shall more easily keep ourselves free from vile thoughts through shame. So let what we write take the place of the eyes of our fellow hermits. Then blushing as much as if we had been caught, we may never think of what is unseemly.)

   There is the story of Maria and Abraham, niece and uncle. An orphaned Maria grew up in the desert praying and learning Scripture, but was seduced by a monk. She fled to the city where she became a prostitute -- Abraham searched for her for two years, found her and -- well, you can read the story in the book.

   Also stories of the Two Wise Women (yes!), a monk named Maria, more stories on monks (Abbas) and chapters with advices on prayer, judging others and the goal of discipline. These read much like little stories, and remind me very much of stories told in Sufi Tales.

   Very good book in a very small package!

3 comments about On the Side of My People: A Religious Life of Malcolm X.

1. It was fantastic to read a religious biography of Malcolm X. Although DeCaro does go over Malcolm X's political activities (it would be rediculous to do otherwise!), he presents Malcolm X's life in its religious context, for example outlining the ongoing tension between the Nation and Orthodox Islam and how this affected Malcolm, whereas most biographies do the exact opposite. His book focusses primarily around Malcolms two conversions - firstly to the Nation, and the second to orthodox Islam. He also outlines the religious melting pot that Malcolm X came out of, and shows how these influences helped mold and shape him throughout his life. In doing this, he gives Malcolm a lot more religious credit than past biographers have done, and points out some probable biases in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" (remember, in this book Malcolm originally intended to show how Elijah Muhammad had miraculously and single-handedly saved him, and therefore probably didn't give himself due credit). DeCaro goes on to explain how Malcolms second conversion was not an instantaneous transformation that occurred when he set foot in Mecca, but rather the climax of a change that had been building for some time. For me, DeCaro's book was thorough and well balanced. He didn't try to portray Malcolm as a hero or a villian or anything else, but rather just presented his life from the point of view of his 'religousness'. The book is written from DeCaros PhD dissertation, so is very well referenced, and he is careful to point out his own biases. The only qualm I had was that DeCaro did not have a huge number of interviews with people who knew Malcolm, but he admits this himself in the introduction, and he more than makes up for it with his use of other primary sources such as FBI files, prison records etc. So yeah. I loved it. Read it.



2. It was fantastic to read a religious biography of Malcolm X. Although DeCaro does go over Malcolm X's political activities (it would be rediculous to do otherwise!), he presents Malcolm X's life in its religious context, for example outlining the ongoing tension between the Nation and Orthodox Islam and how this affected Malcolm, whereas most biographies do the exact opposite. His book focusses primarily around Malcolms two conversions - firstly to the Nation, and the second to orthodox Islam. He also outlines the religious melting pot that Malcolm X came out of, and shows how these influences helped mold and shape him throughout his life. In doing this, he gives Malcolm a lot more religious credit than past biographers have done, and points out some probable biases in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" (remember, in this book Malcolm originally intended to show how Elijah Muhammad had miraculously and single-handedly saved him, and therefore probably didn't give himself due credit). DeCaro goes on to explain how Malcolms second conversion was not an instantaneous transformation that occurred when he set foot in Mecca, but rather the climax of a change that had been building for some time. For me, DeCaro's book was thorough and well balanced. He didn't try to portray Malcolm as a hero or a villian or anything else, but rather just presented his life from the point of view of his 'religousness'. The book is written from DeCaros PhD dissertation, so is very well referenced, and he is careful to point out his own biases. The only qualm I had was that DeCaro did not have a huge number of interviews with people who knew Malcolm, but he admits this himself in the introduction, and he more than makes up for it with his use of other primary sources such as FBI files, prison records etc. So yeah. I loved it. Read it.



3. Contrary to Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X has won more than his due share of attention. But he gained renown mostly for reasons having to do with his personal odyssey from petty thief to political figure of international stature, his black nationalism, and his scintillating rhetoric-not because he was a key figure in the growth of Islam in the United States. DeCaro fills this gap with an intelligent focus on his "religious life." Like Clegg, he relies on extensive research of primary documents; he finds much that is new about the man he terms a "religiously driven revolutionist." 5 In particular, he shows where Malcolm X's famous Autobiography is either lacking important information or slanted to make a point; what Malcolm X actually did during his last year (after leaving the NOI and becoming a mainstream Muslim); and the parallels in Malcolm X's dual conversion (to the NOI, to Islam). From an Islamic viewpoint, On the Side of My People is of special interest for the way DeCaro pulls apart the myth Malcolm X had propagated about having learned of mainstream Islam only on reaching Mecca in April 1964; in fact, we find out here, he had for many months, even years, been tending in that direction. Reaching Mecca for Malcolm X was less a revelation than an opportunity to come out of the religious closet.

   Middl East Quarterly, December 1998

2 comments about The Renaissance Popes: Statesmen, Warriors and the Great Borgia Myth.

1. Awful book. Very poorly written. This is junk scholarship at its best. Claims to dispel myths about the Renaissance Popes, and to "carefully identify...rumors and legends," but then provides only 150 footnotes in a 342 page volume, with many repetitions. Again, there are five footnotes for the last three chapters. If you want to find out the sources of the rumors, forget it. With friends like this, the Renaissance Popes don't need enemies.



2. This is one of the worst - if not the worst - work of history that I have ever read. It is dreadfully written, often comically so. It is repetitive, contradictory in its many moralizing judgements, and highly subjective in its usually unsubstantiated (by respected historical authority) conclusions. The editors where either asleep at the wheel or non-existant. It is a shameful comment on its publishers that it ever went to press. The Da Vinci Code of non-fiction, without the commercial success. Save your money. Do not buy this book.

5 comments about Saint Joan of Arc.

1. This is a must read for anyone who is interested in the real Joan of Arc. This is quite simply the best book I have read about her. Taken from recorded accounts Vita attempts to depict who Joan truely was without the romantic stories often told of this amazing woman. An important book for anyone wanting to know truth from legend.



2. Joan of Arc (or Jeanne d'Arc, in French) was an interesting person, a female soldier in an age when women didn't fight, a visionary in an age of backwardness, a prophetess who wasn't believed in her day, and a valuable asset for the French nation, betrayed to France's enemies by Frenchmen. This book about her, written in the thirties, covers as much of her life as was known at the time (there haven't been many changes to the record since) in beautiful prose, with sympathy and understanding. Vita Sackville-West was a prominent member of society in Britain, and Catholic, so she understood some of the things that were going on in Joan's head as history unfolded around this strange young woman.

   Sackville-West's book is very literary, and if there's one flaw it's that it doesn't show, sufficiently, how successful and revolutionary a soldier Joan was. She was much more aggressive than other French soldiers of the day, who had been conditioned to defend cautiously by the advent of the English longbow. How Joan overcame this isn't discussed (I suspect in part because this remains a mystery of sorts) though the remarkable fact of her becoming a soldier in this era where women didn't fight is commented on at great length. Joan's abilities as a prophet are also examined at great length, and analyzed carefully.

   This book is a good starting point for anyone wishing to know more about Joan of Arc. There's nothing on the market since (at least not that I'm aware of) as well-written, and the scholarship is good, as far as it goes.




3. Prof. Bonnie Wheeler of the International Joan of Arc Society has labeled this book "dead wrong" (a position which she rarely takes), and other researchers, myself included, tend to agree. More precisely: certain subjects are handled in an entirely fraudulent manner, as the author had a talent for misquoting or selectively citing the evidence, misinterpreting the original language to reflect her theories, and taking things out of context in order to make "hints" about Joan which happen to suit the author's inclinations (some of these will be dealt with in detail below). Even worse, more recent (and less honest) authors have taken some of the above innuendoes and extrapolated claims which Vita herself knew better than to make, and this has further muddled the subject.
   In fairness, at least the author genuinely read a wide selection of the documents, and was honest enough to refrain from the more outrageous claims. But the numerous distortions in this book include:
   - A persistent effort to remake Joan into a large, masculine, "sexually-unappealing" androgyne (in direct contradiction to eyewitness accounts describing her as "beautiful and shapely", "short", with "beautiful eyes", a "sweet girl's voice", etc). The author often manipulates such testimony until it becomes the opposite of what the eyewitnesses actually said. This is especially true with regards to the comments made by some of the men who had served in her army: what these fellows actually said (in summary) is that although they did find her attractive, they were amazed to find that their normal sexual desire (for all women) was suppressed when she was around. At no point did they say that they found her ugly or unappealing (as the author sometimes claims about this testimony), but precisely the reverse. The author admits that this was the case with the testimony from the Duke of Alencon, but characteristically sensationalizes it into something which the Duke never said, and which would be at odds with the other sources who are all agreed that Joan always slept in full clothing when with the army and never "undressed" in front of the troops, for heaven's sake. Alencon never claimed otherwise.
   - Worse, the author cites - sometimes out of context - some of the testimony given by a group of women (namely Charlotte Boucher (who had been only 9 years old when she "slept with" Joan at Orleans), Hauviette de Sionne (apparently under 13 at the time), and Marguerite La Touroulde) who described a common medieval practice whereby whenever Joan and the men in her group were billeted for the night in a house in which there weren't enough beds for everyone, they placed Joan with the little girls of the house or the hostess rather than the men (her male bodyguard, Jean d'Aulon, frequently slept in the same room with her, and so the hostess or a little girl was also placed in the room for propriety's sake, and sometimes in the same bed if there weren't enough to go around). The author admits that this was "the custom", and at least never goes so far as to claim that Joan was having sex with these women (which would contradict their own testimony that she was "chaste"), but nevertheless makes enough innuendoes to prompt a few modern playwrights and others to cite this book as alleged "proof" that such was the case. An author should not make careless comments on such a subject when she knows full well what the facts of the matter were.
   - Aside from the above, there are frequent misinterpretations: just to pick one random example, the author claims that Martin Ladvenu testified that Joan was raped, which is false: he said that there had been an _attempted_ rape after she agreed to give up her soldiers' clothing (which had "laces and points" by which the pants and tunic could be securely fastened together, thereby providing some protection against such assaults), and Ladvenu cites this attempted assault as one of the reasons she resumed her soldiers' clothing after the above-mentioned incident, to try to prevent another attempt from going even farther.
   - There are some anachronisms, such as when the author interprets Joan as a "feminist" while ignoring certain of her recorded statements which sound like precisely the opposite (such as the comment: "I would rather stay home with my poor mother and spin wool [rather than lead an army]", or her statement to Catherine de la Rochelle to "go home to your husband and tend your household", etc). Feminism is a modern movement which really had no counterpart in the 15th century.
   On the plus side, however, the author has faithfully mentioned many of the eyewitness accounts which are so often ignored, such as the testimony regarding the other reason for her return to "male clothing" (i.e., Massieu's statement that her guards had finally left her nothing else to wear, as a way to entrap her into a "relapse"); and most of the basic material on other subjects is generally accurate enough and detailed. The writing style is often engaging, and Vita Sackville-West, an aristocrat in early-20th century England, brings an almost Victorian-style flavor to the subject (which is a bit odd, but a welcome departure from most other modern books on this topic). Nevertheless, it's still a little sad to see this book in yet another reprint. Its previous popularity seems to have been due entirely to the fact that it was well-written (if not always factual), and the author did enough research to give it the illusion of being authoritative despite the fact that historians have rejected so many of the author's interpretations. The only accepted authority on Joan during the last half-century was the great French medievalist Regine Pernoud (founder of the Centre Jeanne d'Arc at Orleans, France); two of her books can be purchased here at Amazon.com.



4. Michell Westrick
   March 7, 2003
   Book Review of Saint Joan of Arc
   I enjoyed the book as far as overall content goes. The author had a lot of information that many people may or may not have known about Joan of Arc. He had also brought up many interesting questions. Many of them were on what her physical appearance was really like and also some of whether God or the Devil sent her.
   Unfortunately there were several things I disliked. For one, throughout the whole book he would occasionally slip in his own personal opinion, I didn't like that. Two, in some of the chapters he wouldn't even mention Joan of Arc, or her relevance to the chapter, till the very end. Third, he would have a lot of French words and sentences in the book. He never would write in English what they meant or said. For some people who didn't take French, in school, would become very confused as I did. Fourth, throughout the book, he would jump around in years a lot and I would get confused on which year he was talking about. Lastly, the author would also add in or mention quit a few people. When mentioning them, he wouldn't say, on some cases, their relevancy to Joan of Arc or why they were so important to mention in the first place.
   I did enjoy reading about Joan of Arc and her, seemingly, fascinating life. I wish I were able to fully understand it all. As I had said earlier, I feel that if the author had skipped around so much on the dates it would be a little more understandable. There were a couple of parts, in the book, where he mentioned another book for getting his information instead of saying, "through my research." Reading this book makes me want to go out and read other books about Joan of Arc to see if they have the same information or if I would learn something new.



5. Historians have rejected this book as erroneous on many points. While the material is relatively balanced, it nevertheless makes far too many baseless claims which have given rise to several profound falsifications of the subject.
   
   In some cases, the book misquotes or misrepresents 15th century documents. For example, eyewitness accounts describing Joan as "beautiful and shapely", very feminine, and "short", are here distorted or glossed over to make precisely the opposite claims about her appearance. The book also seems to have been responsible for inventing the absurd notion that Joan undressed in front of her troops, again by distorting or misinterpreting the accounts. Likewise, it gave rise to another falsehood by indirectly implying that Joan was a lesbian. This was achieved by irresponsibly citing out of context - while nevertheless simultaneously admitting the genuine facts of the matter - the testimony concerning the 9-year old Charlotte Boucher, the (then) 12 or 13-year old Hauviette de Sionne, and Marguerite La Touroulde, with whom Joan was sometimes placed in bed for various reasons, usually as a then-common means of coping with a lack of adequate bedspace in a household. The author admits that this was in fact the custom and does not imply lesbian sexual activity (or pedophilia, in the case of the young girls), but the book nevertheless delights in making sly innuendoes to the contrary which later authors then adopted in order to make more direct claims.
   
   Other errors are numerous. Martin Ladvenu's testimony was misquoted by alleging that she was raped by her English guards, although Ladvenu instead described only attempted rape, as did the other eyewitnesses. Several scurrilous allegations about her family are invented or repeated, without basis. Modern political ideology is introduced by misinterpreting Joan of Arc's role: she was given a position in the army after being accepted as a genuine mystic or visionary by the theologians at Poitiers; her role had nothing to do with feminism, as many feminists themselves have pointed out.
   
   In summary, this book cannot be recommended as a reliable history of Joan of Arc. The only general biographies on the subject widely accepted by historians are those by Regine Pernoud (a prominent medieval historian and founder of the Centre Jeanne d'Arc at Orleans, France).

4 comments about The Longing for Home: Reflections at Midlife.

1. Buechner's style so lends itself to the hesitant believer, the everyman-doubter, but brings so much hope and inspiration....who can read this and not relate?



2. Much of Buechner's non-fiction consists of memoirs in which he explores the presence of God in the everyday moments and journeys of his own life. Buechner's books are compelling first because he is a superb writer, and second because his life, were it reduced to a resume, is really not all that exceptional; not that different from yours or mine. That combination is Buechner's genius. He reminds us that there there is no ordinary life, and succeeds superbly in getting us each to listen for God's action in the lives each of us live.

   This book is a collection of essays. It partly rewinds through experiences and events in memoirs Buechner has already published (including The Sacred Journey, Now and Then, and Telling Secrets). But it focuses on the theme of home and its theological overtones. Many characters, places and events from Buechner's life will be familiar to the Buechner reader. I don't find the writing to have the crispness and punch of his earlier memoirs. Maybe the mine of Buechner's experience is not yielding the quality of ore that it did earlier, or maybe the writing just doesn't refine it as well. This is certainly a book all Buechner fans will want to read. But if you are new to Buechner's non-fiction, start with the first three memoirs I mention above.




3. I agree 100% with the Thorburn review directly below mine... it's a great and accurate review. I agree especially with the comment that one should start with Buechner's excellent memoir-trilogy (listed there) before venturing into this one. And if you're still interested in Buechner, by all means, The Longing For Home will be meaningful for you at many points. Don't get me wrong, I am convinced that anything Buechner writes is definitely worth reading, it's just that this book seemed a trifle esoteric, even for a Buechnerite like myself.

   I usually try to avoid subjective comments like the one I'm about to make, but I found the poetry section a bit too "on the inside" (obscure?) for me, as with the chapter entitled "Rinkitink in Oz"... I can only imagine these slices of the book as being of interest to an extremely select minority of readers. They are not "generally" appealing. But then, the chapter "Of Whipples and Wheels" had me actually consulting a map of Vermont, trying to locate the places Buechner is discussing. It was very interesting stuff (incidentally, I never did find the locations). And there are A+ insightful theological homilies in the latter chapters.

   I have enjoyed all of F.B.'s writing over the years, however, this particular volume is definitely one for only the initiated and highly interested.




4. Another deeply revealing, intelligent, inspiring memoir from the writer (not just "religious" writer) who best addresses spiritual matters in a way that is meaningful to me. He shares his personal experiences in a way that is comforting and helps me ponder the mystery of life. I never tire of reading Frederick Buechner.

2 comments about Karl Barth's Critically Realistic Dialectical Theology: Its Genesis and Development 1909-1936.

1. This book won the 1998 Karl Barth prize in Germany, which is awarded to secondary sources on Barth. That is an honorable prize, considering that one of the judges was Eberhard Jungel, who is a great Barth scholar himself. For any interested in Barth, this is a book that must be read in order to understand the current state of discussion.

   McCormack manages to trace through the complex world of pre-WW2 Germany to show Barth's influences from the Marburg neo-Kantians, expressionism, socialism, etc. His basic point is that Barth's break with liberalism and his "decisive turn to analogy" were not as radical as one would think. In other words, the Barth of Romans has far more in common with the mature Barth of the Church Dogmatics. This book also proceeds to correct a number of misperceptions about Barth, based on historical work. In the final analysis, McCormack has hoped that his work will press theologians to read the primary sources firsthand, rather than relying on "received interpretations."

   I would recommend reading this book, then von Balthsar's _Theology of Karl Barth_ (in that order). The von Balthsar book is interesting, because it tells you how people have understood Barth (up to now), and because of von Balthasar himself. But in the final analysis, I find McCormack's book to be more technically correct.




2. Let's be honest -- Barth would despise most contemporary so-called "Barthians." All sorts of folks who are teaching theologies he abhored and risked his career to battle have tried to appropriate his name. Most "Barthians" are far less orthodox than Barth. Often they have affinities to some small aspect of his approach to theology, while rejecting the rest of this thought that hangs with it.

   Bruce McCormack is not one of these pretenders! While perhaps not a "slavish" Barthian, McCormack is a Barthian that Barth would recognize, appreciate, and support.

   In general, McCormack wants to present Barth as classically orthodox, not "neo-orthodox." This is a difficult task in many ways, because of Barth's novel appraoch and his departure from the theology of the Reformation on many points (outright rejection of all natural theology, Barth's universal salvation, his rejection of Biblical inspiration opting for an emphasis on illumination instead, etc.)

   McCormack is one of the sharpest minds in the mainline church. I studied under him for two degrees at Princeton, where he was clearly the brightest theologian in a brilliant department. Unfortunately, like his hero Barth, he is not often kind to his reader. He makes you work very hard. This is a difficult read. But many will find it worth the effort, not matter what their view of Karl Barth.

No comments about To Love a Stranger.

No comments about Mirror of Charity (Cistercian Fathers Series , 17).

2 comments about Presidents Of The Church: Insights Into Their Lives And Teachings.

1. A very interesting read if you want fairly quick capsules of biographies on the presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lattery-Day Saints. The author adds a few personal insights that you wouldn't find anywhere else. The chapters are quick reads. Having read President Hinckley's biography, it made me realize how abbreviated the biographies are.
   The author does tend to wander off the subject occasionally, but overall does a great job of bringing the prophets to life.



2. This book/audio book is, in a word, outstanding. Truman Madsen is the Mormon C.S. Lewis. Please, please, please purchase this set, it literally has the power to change lives. I can't tell express in words how the message in this book has bolstered my faith and motivated me to raise the bar. Couldn't recommend it more ardently.