So...here's what I've read this fall:
The Rule of St. Benedict. Published in the Library of Christian classics along with Sayings of the Desert Fathers (that I scanned through) and the Conferences of Cassian. For all that's been made about Benedict's rule (and I've greatly benefited from its exposition by others), reading the actual document was somewhat disappointing. Maybe I'm missing something.
Jonathan Franzen, The Discomfort Zone. Franzen's partial memoir about growing up in Webster Groves in St. Louis. His writing about his relationship with his parents is especially insightful and moving. The chapter on his youth group experience in a liberal Protestant church is worth the price of the book.
T. F. Torrance, Theology in Reconstruction. As with other Torrance I've read in the past year, this book is a mixture of 1). some of the most profound theology I've ever read (on Trinitarian theology, Christology, analogy, the ministry of the Spirit), 2). the most impenetrable writing I've ever read, and 3). what seems to me pretty straightforward theological error (often because of the subtlety and far-reaching power of Torrance's overall 'system' that, to me, requires his doctrines of universal union with Christ in the Incarnation, Christ's assumption of fallen human nature, a Barthian-like view of election and Scripture, etc). Still, there are sections that are beautiful and deeply edifying. His chapter on 'Questioning Christ' is enormously helpful and helped inspire my upcoming sermon series for Advent at Redeemer.
Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea. Hadn't read this since high school; was one of my favorite books then that I re-read several times. Wasn't disappointed; so short and powerful.
Robert Graves, Goodbye to all That. This book and its author is discussed throughout Paul Fussell's The Great War and Modern Memory and I ran across it at the local library book sale. Graves is one of the primary British literary figures to emerge out WWI and Goodbye to all That is his war memoir. A fascinating sketch of pre-War British society and its dying Victorianism. Graves' descriptions of trench warfare, the at-times absurd army culture, post-war Oxford capture a moment of cultural transition. And though hard to believe, the book is funny too.
Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy & Franz Rosenzweig, Judaism Despite Christianity. In keeping with my recent and growing fascination with 'ERH' - who I'm convinced will be as important to future generations of academics as some of his more famous colleagues were to ours - I ordered this new version as soon as it was available. There are several essays of historical background and interpretation in the book, aside from the correspondence itself. A couple of these essays are by ERH and shed great light on the correspondence; there's also a letter from ERH to a student on Hitler and prayer (!) that's stunning. Then there's the correspondence itself, which is unlike anything I've ever read. Both men were deeply passionate, creative thinkers and actors, with ERH being the elder. They wrote the letters while each was deployed during WWI in the German army. As top-level scholars their level of casual erudition is daunting (lots of Greek, Latin, French, German phrases, quotes, references - thankfully translated in most cases) and the strength and candor of their debate thrilling. Of course, I resonated most with ERH's presentation and defense of Christianity, but Rosensweig's own thought emerges in the letters with real force. Reading these letters is like watching two giants do battle with all their heart and mind about the most central questions of life, religion, and philosophy. Ironically, their careers went in different directions after this exchange; Rosensweig's genius was recognized in his few works produced in the 20s and 30s (especially his The Star of Redemption, which was greatly influenced by ERH's thought) but he died early (by the late 30s). ERH lived another 50 years and produced dozens of volumes of work, but was mostly unrecognized by the the academic establishment.
Frederick Dale Bruner, The Christ Book (Commentary on Matthew). Read just parts of this for my Fall Adult Ed class at Redeemer, but have to say that it's probably my favorite commentary. Completely unlike anything else: unapologetically theological, filled with application to church life, creative, pastoral, and still excellent on exegesis and interpretive issues. If you're intrigued, just read his section on Matthew 1 and the geneology: beautiful. And his Sermon on the Mount material was, again, the best I've read on it. I look forward to using it in the future.
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