Review: “Putting Away Childish Things” by Marcus Borg
I have never read a novel as didactic and self-conscious as Marcus J. Borg’s Putting Away Childish Things (May 2010, HarperOne), but I thoroughly enjoyed the book and whole-heartedly recommend it. I’ve read many of Marcus Borg’s books, as assignments at St. Olaf College and for fun, and admire his work (even if I don’t always agree with him). Putting Away Childish Things is Borg’s first venture into fiction, and he admits in the preface that the work is a “teaching novel.” Also, quite interestingly, he notes that if he were not already an established author, the novel might not have been published. That would have been a shame, though, because many a book group will enjoy discussing Putting Away Childish Things, and many a questioning Christian’s faith will be sustained by the story.
The novel follows Kate Riley, a youngish popular religion professor and a liberal arts college in a small midwestern town. Kate’s career is coming along swimmingly — she’s published two book and a year away from tenure — when Kate faces unexpected challenges from several angles. From one corner, her recent book on Jesus’ birth narratives in the Gospels makes her a punching bag of the religious right. From the other, those in the secular academy feel her work is becoming too popular. As Kate fends off attacks from the religious right and secular left, she receives a surprise letter asking her to apply for a yearlong teaching appointment at an Episcopal seminary. Her inner struggle deepens — should she apply for the position? Would she enjoy teaching in a Christian setting? Where is God calling her? Are her choices motivated by fear or faith?
That’s the story, but the function of the novel is to teach. Through Kate’s lectures and her encounters with students and professors, the reader engages significant questions about the nature of faith, how to read the Bible, the historical Jesus, the morality of homosexuality, and the study and practice of religion. The reader also enjoys a view of Kate’s own faith, her journey to become a liberal Episcopalian, and the challenge of discerning her vocation.
If you’re looking for a natural novel, this is not it. The book feels even more staged than Brian McLaren’s didactic novels in the A New Kind of Christian trilogy. But even so, I enjoyed Borg’s work more. Borg’s character development is richer, and besides a few loose ends (and some pretty awful dialog), the story is plenty believable. So much so, in fact, that one wise professor character sounds remarkably like Borg himself (he’s a fiction writing rookie so we can cut him some slack). And, ok, I loved the positive mention of midwestern Lutheran college choirs — Borg, himself, is a Concordia College grad but I’ve had lunch with him at St. Olaf, so surely he’s seen the light.
Not too many bestselling authors grew up in North Dakota (purely because of the small population, mind you). But Borg did, so when I received my review copy, I was a bit biased towards giving Putting Away Childish Things a favorable review. But, truly, it’s a good read and a helpful one. If I were teaching an introduction to Christianity class or an adult confirmation course, it might be my primary text. The novel won’t win any awards for literature, but it’s not really trying to either. Instead, Borg uses the novel form to do what religion professors do — teach about religion — and I’m glad he accomplishes this task so well.
Sandal Showdown: Chaco or Keen?
Background update: I wrote this sandal review post last summer, but it’s still pertinent this summer and getting plenty of hits. So I’m bringing it back to the front page. Quite a feat, I know.
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I bought my go-to pair of Chaco sandals in 2003 when preparing for the Global Semester at St. Olaf College. I wasn’t the only one. Most of the students on the trip had Chacos so our matching footwear would cause quite the stir in Egyptian markets or Thai beaches. Some were even brave enough to sport their Chacos in winter with Smartwool socks. (Being from Florida and knowing sandals and socks is the ultimate faux pas, I remained pure.) But this is all to say: I literally traveled around the world in my Chacos and still wear them consistently six years later. Chaco makes some quality sandals.
But, after much hemming and hawing, I recently purchased not another pair of (brown) Chacos, but Keen Newport H2 sandals. And I have to say, I’m smitten. Though I have been a strong advocate for Chacos for many years, I may be switching my allegiance to Keen. Yes, I know. What will the world come to next!
I, though, am not a quick decision-maker. I am a thinker. An analyzer to the extreme. So, scroll down to check out my Chaco/Keen showdown.
Chaco Z2
Pros:
- very comfortable (high arch)
- feet feel secure but not claustrophobic
- washable (dishwasher and clothes washer)
- come in a fair variety of colors
- great for hiking (I even know folks who run in them)
- replaceable soles/treads (though I liked my lighter tread before I replaced it)
- no back heel bump to bother you
- rocks easily slip out
Cons:
- not the best for ugly feet (lots of foot showing)
- the new soles are too heavy
- they do get smelly quicker than they used to a few years back
- toes are vulnerable to mean rocks when hiking
- not good for rock-hopping in Montreat (toe banging issue)
- straps sometimes move a little
- dangerous on the beach (can get sand in the canvas straps)
- tan lines
Keen Newport H2
Pros:
- cushier than Chacos, more comfortable even
- snug secure feel
- washable/waterproof
- good (more) color choices than Chaco
- toe protection (this is huge)
- good for slightly uglier feet (mine included)
- easy to dress up a bit
Cons:
- feet feel a little hot sometimes
- rocks get stuck inside and must stop to pop them out
- more mainstream? everyone and their mother and law has Keens (I love you LouAnn)
- tread perhaps tracks more mud than Chacos
- smelly possiblities
- the elastic cords may wear out one day
- even crazier tan lines (not sure about this yet)
After hashing that out, I’m still not sure if I have a favorite. My Chacos will always have a special place in my heart, but I have to admit I’m wearing my Keens more this summer. If you’re looking to purchase a pair, you can’t go wrong, but maybe this is my advice: for free spirits with a variety of footwear needs and wants, the Chaco might fit your personality best. For those who like things a little more ordered and comfortable, perhaps the Keens are up your alley. Or…. just buy whatever is on sale.
Review: Brian McLaren’s “A New Kind of Christianity”
I’m a Brian McLaren fan. Not quite a fan boy, but an eager reader and admirer. So I when I got his newest book A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions that are Transforming the Faith (site here) I read it hoping to lead a book group discussion in my congregation. Though I enjoyed the book and recommend it overall, it didn’t fit the small church book group niche. And the more I think about it, I’m not actually sure it really breaks much new ground for me. McLaren is eloquent as usual (though a bit verbose at times), and I appreciate his perspective. Perhaps this is a case of unfair expectations — Minnesotans might call it “Joe Mauer syndrome” — but while I enjoyed the work, I finished wanting more.
The book is in ten parts, or ten questions. A few examples: What is the overarching story line of the Bible? Is God violent? What do we do about the church? Can we find a way to address human sexuality? How can we translate our quest into action?
McLaren believes the Christian faith is in the midst of a major overhaul. Perhaps every generation believes this, but I agree with McLaren that we are in a particularly transformative time. McLaren approaches his ten questions with a mix of his own intense and impressive Biblical exegesis and a grounding in what I would call the mainline progressive Biblical scholars. McLaren is one of these great authors that defies easy description. He’s a scholar for sure, but also an anti-establishment guy, an Evangelical who is excoriated by the right, a teacher and a pastor. Mostly, though, I think of McLaren as a communicator. He’s skilled at cutting through the rhetoric and getting his point across.
For instance, his chapter on the questions of the overarching storyline of the Bible does a splendid job of describing the problems of reading the Bible through the eyes of the Roman Empire and overly-simplified protestant theology. McLaren discusses the “six-line narrative” of Eden, Fall, Condemnation, Heaven, Salvation or Hell/Damnation and blows it out of the water as a faithful way to read the Bible. Quite right. But, to be honest, McLaren’s next chapter basically on what’s next, could basically be described as what I took from a center left Presbyterian seminary — the challenge to read the Bible on its own terms, the challenge to appreciate the non-literal intent of many of the writers and take them even more seriously “because they distill time-tested, multilayered wisdom — though deep mythic language — about how our world came to be what it has become (48). McLaren does a great job of expanding the Biblical approach he took as a young man, but to be honest, I don’t read his current approach as anything hugely new. Perhaps that’s because I’m only 27, so what McLaren is writing about is just sort of the water I’ve always drank.
Here’s a good snippet of what McLaren’s about:
Although few of us today are tempted to freeze our understanding of God in graven images, we may too quickly freeze our understanding in printed images, rigid conceptual ideals not chiseled in wood or stone but printed on paper in books, housed not in temples but in seminaries and denominational headquarters, worshiped not through ancient ceremonies and rituals but through contemporary sermons and songs (111).
McLaren’s big metaphors for the Bible that he uses in the work are the Bible as not a constitution, set and rigid with one meaning, but the Bible as community library where the community gathers its wisdom, discusses its future, centers its soul. Though I think some lawyers would quibble with his understanding of the constitution, the point is taken. The Bible is not and never has been about rigidity and simple “yes” and “no” directives, but it’s a book of books around which we gather, in which we rest and play, from which we live and serve.
McLaren concludes the book with a call to a final quest, the “quest to heal what we have so disastrously broken, the quest to unify and liberate what we’ve tragically divided and conquered, the quest to rediscover a larger more beautiful whole rather than pit part against part in deadly conflict” (232). This is not a small ball work, but a big honking call for a new kind of Christianity, heck a new kind of living and being with one another in creation. I’m all for it. I hope McLaren keeps the conversation going, for its the conversation on-going for practically all of my young adult life.
Review from the gut, the HTC Droid Incredible
I’ve had some bad luck with cell phones over the years, including briefly owning the Moto F3 which was perhaps the worst excuse of a cell phone that ever graced this earth. I also, within a week of buying what turned out to be a broken Blackberry on eBay, dropped it on my rocky driveway and shattered the screen. But now, finally, I am pleased to announce that I have felled those cell phone demons and proudly own an absolutely splendid phone on the Verizon network: the HTC Droid Incredible.
You can find any number of technical reviews elsewhere, so this one will be Putin-Bush style — from the gut. Google’s Android operating system isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty freaking awesome. A giant leap from my Blackberry Curve.
Here’s the features I most enjoy:
- when I add something into my calendar app, it instantly syncs wirelessly with Google Calendar and iCal on my Mac. The google voice app gives me visual voice mail for free.
- The web browser is fast. I use the BeyondPod app to get podcasts that I can download or listen to on demand. I can then play these through our car’s speaker system.
- With the NPR News app I can listen to MPR live at any time, or read or listen to popular news stories. It rocks Foursquare (I’m up to 6 mayorships, by the way).
- I can tether it to my laptop if I’m away from a wireless hub.
- The contacts automatically syncs pictures with Facebook accounts.
- I can track my runs with a free app, getting GPS reports of my speed, route, and then upload them to Twitter (which I don’t usually do, but I could).
- The camera and video recorder are smooth as silk, and the Navigation app is much better than our stand alone GPS. You can tell: I’m a fan.
That said, here’s the downsides I’ve experienced:
- I’m still getting used to the keyboard. It’s fine, but I get slowed down by dashes, exclamation points, etc.
- The battery life could be better. It was horrible last week in Decatur, but this week it’s better so I think it really gets drained if your Verizon signal is low. A higher capacity battery is on order, so we’ll see.
- I thought for a while, the Zagg screen protector I added was annoyingly plastic-feeling to the touch, but that’s changed after a week or two. Geez, I think that’s it for negatives, and I’m a pretty critical guy.
If you’re considering the HTC Incredible, but aren’t up for a Verizon update yet, check around the Verizon stores in your area. Strangely, the booth at the mall was able to upgrade me now, six months before the Verizon store near our apartment. I think the book was a “super seller” or something like that. And, yes, it’s difficult to make cell phone decisions not knowing what AT&T and Apple, Apple and Verizon are up to. Living in an area with non-existent AT&T coverage made that decision and easier one for me, and I’ve just figured you can’t know when/if Verizon will get the iPhone, so you have to live your like. Also, now that I’m on Android I can support their openness and real support of developers in action as well as words (as opposed to Apple’s policies). Surely, in a few weeks, there will be something faster and better, but for now I’m finally pleased as punch with my phone.
image from Engadget
A Few Product Recommendations
Ok, so the writing-on-the-side thing is going well so far, but it does deplete my blogging somewhat. I hope to start putting up short posts more often, but we’ll see. In any case, here’s a few products that I’ve really enjoyed recently that I thought I’d recommend for you all.
I received a pair of these great kicks for my birthday (thanks Terry & LouAnn) and I love them. Very comfortable. Styling with khakis or jeans. Good summer shoes that are way comfortable — I imagine they put chucks to shame. To top it off, $60 for a well-constructed good-looking shoe ain’t bad. I recommend.
Two Good Books: Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving & The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
I bought these books together at a bookstore going-out-of-business sale, and it turns out they are similar in several ways. Both tell the rather long story of an author finding his way in the strange world of the US, with signifiant time in another country. Both plots are very well-construed and as tight as 500+ page books can get. Neither are quite beach reads, as they deal with death, love, sexuality, violence, and other not-so-simple issues. But they are well-written and well worth the non-beach time.
Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins
For as long as I’ve off-and-on lived in Minnesota (since 2001) folks have been fighting over whether to build and now to fund a new baseball stadium. Well, it’s here. It’s called Target field. It’s funded in large part by Hennepin County tax payers. And it’s pretty nice. I may post more later after I take in my first game this week (Thursday — can’t wait!), but by most accounts it is an impressive success. There’s no dome, which is both risky and right in my book. But it’s a field to befit Minnesota: reasonably sized, shows attention to detail, energy conscious, innovative without being ostentatious. Go Twins!
That was fast…
After dropping my other part-time job and deciding to write more, my first wee piece has been published online. Check out my review of Tom Long’s new book on the Christian funeral at WorkingPreacher.org
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