Episode Summary
The Yale Center for Faith & Culture team makes their picks for books published in 2024 (well, most of them).
Reading Genesis, Marilynne Robinson
Miroslav says: “I am a fan of her writing generally—above all her novels—and her Reading Genesis did not disappoint. In addition to all the virtues of Robinson’s prose, I enjoyed how deeply both theological and existential the book was. In her reading, is unsparing in identifying the foibles—ugliness, in fact—in the lives of the key figures of Jewish and Christian sacred history (my favorite Hebrew Bible scholar, Jon Levenson raised eyebrows at just how unsparing she is, but I beg to differ). At the same time, she’s very much intent on highlighting the divine providence at work in their lives.”
[To listen to Miroslav interview Marilynne about Reading Genesis, click here.]
Judaism is About Love: R**ecovering the Heart of Jewish Life, Shai Held
Picked by Miroslav Volf
Miroslav says: “I have benefited much from Shai Held’s early work, particularly his doctoral dissertation on Abraham Joshua Heschel and his essays on Weekly Torah Portion called The Heart of Torah. But I was truly taken by this latest book, Judaism Is About Love. It made me realize that Judaism is much closer to the Christian faith than I thought, and that notwithstanding the substantial differences that concern the person of Christ (his divinity) and the character of God (the triune nature of God).”
[To listen to Miroslav interview Rabbi Shai about Judaism Is About Love, click here.]
The Deliverer Has Come, Written by Sarah Shin & Illustrated by Shin Maeng
Picked by Matt Croasmun
From the book: “Anika loved stories. And the stories she loved most were the ones her great-auntie Anna told her. Stories about a God who cerated a good and beautiful world. And stories about their people, whom God chose to be His own.”
Matt says: “This children’s book, from wife-husband duo, Sarah Shin (author) and Shin Maeng (illustrator), invites the reader into an experience of the many-layered stories of God and God’s people. The extraordinary illustrations embody what the text conveys: the ways that God’s work ‘rhymes’ time and again across time and space, weaving together a tapestry of God’s faithfulness to generations. It’s a delightful and profound visual tool for building biblical literacy in the Instagram era.”
Immigration & Apocalypse: How the Book of Revelation Shaped American Immigration, Yii-Jan Lin
Picked by Matt Croasmun
From the book: “These are the primary elements of the metaphor of America the New Jerusalem: its exclusion of those deemed unclean, its contradictory processes for entry and naturalization, and the walls and gates at its borders.”
Matt says: “This wide-ranging book traces the development of distinctly American ideas about immigration and borders and the ways that those ideas weave in and out of themes from the biblical book of Revelation. Lin raises important questions about who we are as Americans and how scripture shapes our imaginations in surprising and sometimes troubling ways.”
[To listen to Matt interview Yii-Jan about Immigration & Apocalypse, click here.]
You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, edited by Ada Limón
Picked by Liz Burkemper
From the publisher: “Joyful and provocative, wondrous and urgent, this singular collection of poems offers a lyrical reimagining of what ‘nature’ and ‘poetry’ are today, inviting readers to experience both anew.”
The Backyard Bird Chronicles, Written & Illustrated by Amy Tan
Picked by Liz Burkemper
From the publisher: “Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.
In 2016, Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the world: Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater—an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.”
Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry, Brad East
Picked by Drew Collins
Drew says: “I’ve never finished C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity, because every time I’ve started, I meet someone who seems to need it more. On three separate occasions, I’ve made it about halfway through and then felt compelled to give it away—to a friend, a taxi driver, and someone sitting next to me on a plane. Letters to a Future Saint is one of those books. Simply but powerfully written, filled with empathy and hope, it is East’s account of what it means to follow Jesus, written from a ‘fellow pilgrim’ to a ‘future saint.’ Halfway through it, I felt that same old conflict—to finish or to give away? Thankfully for me (and sadly for the person sitting next to me on the flight back from Switzerland), I finished it.”
[To listen to Drew interview Brad about Letters to a Future Saint, click here.]
Impossible Monsters: Dinosaurs, Darwin, and the Battle Between Science and Religion, Michael Taylor
Picked by Drew Collins
From the publisher: “‘Vivid with a Mesozoic bestiary’ (Tom Holland), this on-the-ground, page-turning narrative weaves together the chance discovery of dinosaurs and the rise of the secular age. When the twelve-year-old daughter of a British carpenter pulled some strange-looking bones from the country’s southern shoreline in 1811, few people dared to question that the Bible told the accurate history of the world. But Mary Anning had in fact discovered the “first” ichthyosaur, and over the next seventy-five years—as the science of paleontology developed, as Charles Darwin posited radical new theories of evolutionary biology, and as scholars began to identify the internal inconsistencies of the Scriptures—everything changed. Beginning with the archbishop who dated the creation of the world to 6 p.m. on October 22, 4004 BC, and told through the lives of the nineteenth-century men and women who found and argued about these seemingly impossible, history-rewriting fossils, Impossible Monsters reveals the central role of dinosaurs and their discovery in toppling traditional religious authority, and in changing perceptions about the Bible, history, and mankind’s place in the world.”
The Phantom Tollbooth, Written by Norton Juster & Illustrated by Jules Feiffer
Picked by Drew Collins
From the book’s first page: “It seems to me that almost everything is a waste of time… I can’t see the point in learning…” (Milo, the young protagonist of The Phantom Toolbooth)
Drew says: “An ancient book at this point, The Phantom Tollbooth is evergreen, a book my kids and I return to over and over again and which addresses aspects of human existence that were as relevant sixty years ago as they are today, for adults and children alike. In what follows, Milo discovers why seeking knowledge is worthwhile—not because it will give him a competitive advantage or greater instrumental facility, but because seeking knowledge is an act of delight and love, rejoicing with others in the strange and wonderful world around us.
From the publisher: “With almost 5 million copies sold 60 years after its original publication, generations of readers have now journeyed with Milo to the Lands Beyond in this beloved classic. Enriched by Jules Feiffer’s splendid illustrations, the wit, wisdom, and wordplay of Norton Juster’s offbeat fantasy are as beguiling as ever.
‘Comes up bright and new every time I read it . . . it will continue to charm and delight for a very long time yet. And teach us some wisdom, too.’ —Phillip Pullman
For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason. Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams!”
The Love that Is God: An Invitation to Christian Faith, Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt
Picked by Ryan McAnnally-Linz
“I might think it easier to love God … than it is to love my grimy and annoying neighbor, who is so insistently there, in my face, making demands. But that is because the god I claim to love is a fantasy of my own creation, not the grimy and annoying God who is there, on the cross, making demands.”
The world can always use another winsome, approachable overview of Christian faith, particularly one that takes its cue from the decisive but enigmatic claim that “God is love.” Bauerschmidt provides just such a book, a synopsis of Christian faith and life that is at once challenging and inviting.
White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy, Rev. William J. Barber II and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
Picked by Ryan McAnnally-Linz
Quote from the book: “Poverty isn’t only deadly for the poor. It is killing the promises of democracy.”
Ryan says: “Barber and Wilson-Hartgrove’s book is a call, rooted in their Christian faith, for a recentering of poverty as a moral scandal distinct from yet insidiously related to race and racial injustice. It challenges the complacency of an American public discourse obsessed with the “middle class,” and invites a project of coalition building and “moral fusion” that might transcend the impasses of partisanship while keeping its feet firmly on the ground.”
[To listen to Ryan interview Rev. Barber and Jonathan, click here.]
You Are A Tree: And Other Metaphors to Nourish Life, Thought, and Prayer, Joy Marie Clarkson
Picked by Macie Bridge
Quote from the book: “Metaphors matter because they allow us to give a voice to those profound experiences and concepts that evade us, because giving voice to those things is satisfying, clarifying, honoring, and humane, and because the metaphors we choose and use direct our actions, our orientation in the world.”
Macie says: “Joy Clarkson’s thoughtful consideration of what we are (not) through metaphor in You Are A Tree is a delightful and curious read. The power of language and our conscious, inherited, or mystifying choices when articulating our lived experiences are all brought into careful contemplation in these pages, leaving readers with new questions to ponder and the task of re-considering exactly how much weight we each give to our words.”
[To listen to Evan and Macie interview Joy about You Are A Tree, click here.]
The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance, Jemar Tisby
Picked by Macie Bridge
"The spirit of justice is a force for liberation. It inspires strength in those who understand that they must play a part in making the world kinder and more equitable. The spirit of justice animates action. It molds hearts and strengthens hands for the work of correcting oppres- sion. It keeps weary feet moving on the protest path...”
Structured by compelling vignettes, The Spirit of Justice considers the lived advocacy of 50 individuals in U.S. history and a centuries’ long fight against racism. Jemar Tisby asks the compelling question: what kind of people courageously confront racism? As the Spirit of Justice appears in each story (many of which you’ve likely never heard before), this book asks us to sit with each advocate and consider what we can learn from them.
[To listen to Macie interview Jemar about The Spirit of Justice, click here.]
The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History, Ned Blackhawk
Picked by Connie Steel
From the book: “Champlain understood that violence was crucial and showcased his technologies of violence, using them not just to kill but to display French power. Whether welcoming allied Indian leaders with gunfire or beginning holidays with cannon fire, the sound of arms becaume a growing feature of seventeenth-century life. New audible features also characterized Indian communication. native trade fairs, diplomatic gatherings, and arrivals to the shoreline now also commenced with gunfire.”
Connie says: “Blackhawk’s The Rediscovery of America updates many familiar tales of US history to include research on the roles of native peoples in both the resistance to and development of colonial systems. The resulting narrative powerfully interweaves the stories of the peoples who were already here with those of the expanding European empires into a rich tapestry of our nation’s founding and its aftermaths.”
Why Boredom Matters: Education, Leisure, and the Quest for a Meaningful Life, Kevin Gary
Picked by Connie Steel
From the publisher: “Boredom is an enduring problem. In response, schools often do one or both of the following: first, they endorse what novelist Walker Percy describes as a 'boredom avoidance scheme,' adopting new initiative after new initiative in the hope that boredom can be outrun altogether, or second, they compel students to accept boring situations as an inevitable part of life. Both strategies avoid serious reflection on this universal and troubling state of mind. In this book, Gary argues that schools should educate students on how to engage with boredom productively. Rather than being conditioned to avoid or blame boredom on something or someone else, students need to be given tools for dealing with their boredom. These tools provide them with internal resources that equip them to find worthwhile activities and practices to transform boredom into a more productive state of mind. This book addresses the ways students might gain these skills.”
[To listen to Evan and Drew interview Kevin about Why Boredom Matters, click here.]
Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, Elizabeth Oldfield
Picked by Evan Rosa
Krista Tippett says: "In this beautiful book, Elizabeth Oldfield gives voice and vigor to a paradox of our time--that even as Christianity is officially on the wane, it is a bearer of wisdom, intelligence, and rituals of lavish value to our world in all its pain and promise. This book is for modern humans who, like her, have gone 'off script' in finding religion more relevant, not less so, in this young century. It is a great gift to all in search of a deeper life, of 'spiritual core strength'--of a full, redemptive aliveness."
Table of Contents for Fully Alive
Introduction
- The Human Propensity to F--- Things Up
- Wrath . . . From Polarisation to Peace-making
- Avarice . . . From Stuffocation to Gratitude and Generosity
- Acedia . . . From Distraction to Attention
- Envy . . . From Status Anxiety to Belovedness
- Gluttony . . . From Numbing to Ecstasy
- Lust . . . From Objectification to Sexual Humanism
- Pride . . . From Individualism to Community
- The G Bomb
Afterword
[To listen to Evan interview Elizabeth about Fully Alive, click here.]
Love’s Braided Dance: Hope in a Time of Crisis, Norman Wirzba
Picked by Evan Rosa
From the publisher: “A moving exploration of the place of hope in the world today, drawing on agrarian principles / In this series of meditations, Norman Wirzba recasts hope not as something people have, like a vaccine to prevent pain and trouble, but as something people do. Hope evaporates in conditions of abandonment and abuse. It grows in contexts of nurture and belonging. Hope ignites when people join in what Wendell Berry calls “love’s braided dance”—a commitment to care for one another and our world.
Through personal narratives and historical examples, Wirzba explores what sustains hope and why it so often seems absent from our vision of the future. The vitality of hope, he maintains, depends on a collective commitment to care for the physical world (its soils and waters, plants and animals, homes and neighborhoods) and to promote the moral, aesthetic, and spiritual ideals that affirm life as good, beautiful, and sacred.
Engaging with such contemporary topics as climate change, AI and social media, and the intensifying refugee crises and drawing on the wisdom of James Baldwin, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Martha Graham, and others, Wirzba offers a powerful argument for hope as a way of life in which people are intimately and practically joined with all the living.”
[To listen to Evan interview Norman about Love’s Braided Dance, click here.]
Transcript
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