This may be one of the most popular times of year for
reading.
 Not only do the cold weather and short nights encourage us to
stay inside and cuddle up with a good book, but many people have
received gift certificates which can be exchanged for books.Â
This may be one of the most popular times of year for reading. Not only do the cold weather and short nights encourage us to stay inside and cuddle up with a good book, but many people have received gift certificates which can be exchanged for books. Here are some titles I have received during the past year which are worthy of your consideration.
n Reza Aslan is an Iranian who has studied religion at Santa Clara University, Harvard, and UC Santa Barbara; as well as taught Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Iowa. His “No god but God: the Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam” (Random House, 2006, $14.95) is a great introduction to the history of Islam.
Although its six page glossary of unfamiliar terms indicates the challenging vocabulary the reader must endure, he or she will be rewarded by an understanding of how the youngest of the great Abrahamic religions developed from seventh century paganism to the current rivalry of Shiite and Sunni beliefs. His discussion of the position of Islam in various countries today (like Pakistan, Turkey, Iran) is particularly interesting.
Aslan will be appearing at Santa Clara university on Jan. 17 to discuss his book. For more information, check the Internet at www.scu.edu/speaker series.
n Perhaps the most surprising place to look for a commentary on religion in American life today is the weekly Fox television series “The Simpsons.” But that is the thesis of Mark J. Pinsky’s “The Gospel According to the Simpsons” (Westminster John Knox Press, 2001, $14.95).
He suggests that on “college campuses today, the name most associated with the word ‘Christian’ – other than Jesus – is not the Pope or Mother Teresa or even Billy Graham. Instead, it’s a goofy-looking guy named Ned Flanders, Homer Simpson’s next door neighbor.”
Pinsky provides many examples of “the surprisingly favorable way religion … is presented in the series and what a central role faith plays in the lives of the characters.” The book has become a staple of Bible studies at churches across the country, so much so that Pinsky has also written a leader’s guide for group study to accompany his first volume.
n Tony Hendra’s “Father Joe:Â The Man Who Saved My Soul” (Random House, 2005, $13.95) is a memoir about the relationship between the author and a Benedictine monk, one which endured for 40 years.
Although Frank McCourt praises the book: “Like me, you might cherish this book so much that you’ll keep it on the shelf beside St. Augustine …” I wasn’t able to get much beyond the early chapters describing Hendra’s years as an altar boy in England.
n Gabriel Weinreich is a remarkable man. Born a Jew in Poland, he fled with his family to the U.S. during World War II, then going on to a distinguished career as an award-winning physicist at the University of Michigan.
In “Confessions of a Jewish Priest” (The Pilgrim Press, 2005, $25), Weinreich tells the story of an unusual pilgrimage which led him, at the age of 58, to become ordained as an Episcopal priest.
A scholarly and thoughtful man, the author shares many of the insights he has gathered:
– Christianity is a highly anti-Semitic religion: the very idea that it is possible to be a good Christian without detesting Jews is no more than 300 years old.
– In referring to Jesus’ miracles: In real life, observations that appear to violate the laws of nature are a dime a dozen.
– Science is knowledge of the part of the universe that we understand, whereas faith is an acknowledgment of the part of the universe that we don’t understand.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School. Contact him at cf****@**********rs.com or write to him at P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, Calif. 95021.
