Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews

  The Black Church   This is our Story.  This is our Song.   By Louis Gates Jr.   and others Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton This 2-part special on PBS condenses some 400 years of African American Christian history into 4 hours. I add my appreciation to the praise of more popular editorials and comments who liked the presentation. The PBS page includes a variety of additional information. I understand the criticism by those who point to people or events omitted from the narrative. I am less inclined to be critical because I have not studied " The Black Church ." I understand from a search online that universities offer several courses in programs devoted to Black Church or African American church studies. A 4-hour documentary cannot possibly cover what is included in even one 30+ hour course. I did wonder about the phrase, "The Black Church," which certainly leaves the impression that all Black Americans share the same beliefs, practices, and values.

My introduction to atheism occurred at a Christian college where I was required to read Bertrand Russell's classic work, Why I am not a Christian. " Thoughtful atheists offer people who identify as religious or spiritual  an opportunity to examine their beliefs, practices, and experiences. And I hope, thoughtful religious and spiritual leaders offer meaningful challenges for thoughtful atheists. I have reviewed some of the major books in this list. Some reviews are based on academic essays published in psychology journals. ********** Breaking the Spell by Daniel Dennett         Book REVIEW   BUY on AMAZON UK AMAZON   BUY on  GOOGLE Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Faith Behind by Daniel C. Dennett & Linda LaScola     Book REVIEW   BUY on AMAZON UK  AMAZON   BUY on GOOGLE The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris      

AMISH GRACE:            HOW FORGIVENESS TRANSCENDED TRAGEDY By    Donald Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt,     & David L. Weaver-Zercher Reviewed by    Geoffrey W. Sutton The horrific slaughter of Amish children attending school in the Old Order Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, garnered international attention in October, 2006. When the Amish responded with forgiveness and reconciliation, people were doubly shocked. Christian teaching and psychological research on forgiveness can appear as sterile narratives until tragedies upend everyday life. The authors of  Amish Grace offer informed readers the kind of details and analyses that allow Christian clinicians and researchers to consider how Christian virtues and psychological research on forgiveness and reconciliation may be integrated. The authors explore the virtues of grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation as they review the Amish response to the tragic school shooting of October 2, 2006 in Nickel Mines, Pennsy

THE NEXT CHRISTIANS:        THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE END OF  CHRISTIAN AMERICA By     Gabe Lyons   2010 Reviewed by    Geoffrey W. Sutton How do young Americans perceive Christians? Lyons reports the results of a study he commissioned to "understand the perceptions that sixteen-to twenty-nine-year-olds have about Christians (p. 3)" In the eleven chapters, Lyons explores these findings in the context of anecdotes and other research to suggest changes that appear to occur among Americans who self-identify as Christians. The book is a highly readable report of survey findings likely of interest to anyone following trends in American culture and religion. This book extends Lyon's previous interests reflected in unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity and Why itMatters , which he coauthored with David Kinnaman. I would characterize Lyon's approach as Purpose Driven Research . In the first part of   the book he outlines his case for th

Meeting Jesus Again       for the First Time   By   Marcus J. Borg   Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton   Borg begins his re-introduction of Jesus by telling us he is writing from the perspective of two worlds—the world of a religious scholar and the world of a Christian. Chapter 1 Images of Jesus are important. As children, Christians learn about Jesus as divine savior and teacher, but there’s more. He then tells us of his stressful spiritual struggle as a teenager. In my early teens, I began to have doubts about the existence of God. It was an experience filled with anxiety, guilt, and fear. I still believed enough to be afraid of going to hell because of my doubts. I felt that they were wrong, and in my prayers I would ask for forgiveness. But I couldn’t stop doubting, and so my requests for forgiveness seemed to me not to be genuine. (p.32) As many have before, Marcus prayed for help. “Every night for several years, I prayed with considerable anguish, “Lord,