This last week I finished two books: one for my credentialing work and one just for fun.
Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously but not Literally by Marcus Borg is simply the most amazing book explaining the Bible that I've read yet. Borg is scholarly but not afraid to express his own faith as well, and overall this is an explanation of how to read the Bible that strikes me as insulting neither my intelligence nor my spirit. One of my favorite notions from the book is "post-critical naivete", or the state of mind one reaches after you have realized all is not as it first appeared, yes there are things to think critically about, and yet you are once again open to experiencing the work with an open mind and take wisdom from it. Love this book!
My "just for fun" book was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one of those great classics that somehow I haven't found time to read yet. And I'm so glad I finally rectified that situation - this is a fantastic book. The characters were all painted so lovingly, and the narration by the young girl, Scout, allows the reader to see a scary and tragic situation, time, and place through the innocent eyes of a child - and thereby see something actually more nuanced and real than it might have been otherwise.
And then the kids and I listened to Justin Morgan Had a Horse in the car this week. My daughter didn't want to, because she holds that "all horse books are too sad". But I made her listen to it anyway, and she was glad she did. It has a few parts that are a teeny bit sad, but they are sketched with a light hand, and in the end all is well. The War of 1812 makes an appearance, but once again sketched with a very light hand. A good historical fiction piece for children.
I LOVE the Marcus Borg book. I refer to it all the time! Glad you enjoyed it, too.
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