Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews

  Elizabeth R, An Unlikely Head of State A video production Elizabeth R is a historical dramatization of the life of Elizabeth I from her years as a youthful princess who cares about her frail brother on the throne of England through her battles with powerful and cunning men within the nation and those in neighboring France and Spain as well as the threat of the shrewd Queen Mary and her Catholic entourage, to her final years that would lead to the grand union of England and Scotland. This BBC docudrama was released as a TV miniseries in the UK 10 March 1971—a year before it reached the US. Glenda Jackson appeared to grow into the character of Queen Elizabeth I as the series progressed through the historic events that served as a prelude to the emerging European empires, which in a few decades would carry their fractious religious and political differences to the Americas. What’s so different from other films is the careful attention to the historic characters and their conflicts. ...

  Authors : Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton Reference Borg, M.J. & Crossan, J.D. (2009). The first Paul: Reclaiming the radical visionary behind the church’s conservative icon . HarperCollins e-books.   Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan introduce us to the apostle Paul by providing historical contexts for his life and teachings. Early on they explain why only a small collection of documents were actually written by the apostle who wrote the first “books” in the New Testament. Scholars affirm seven letters (aka books) were actually written by Paul: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, Philippians, and Philemon. Scholars believe the pastoral epistles were written later by other authors. These are 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. Finally, scholars disagree about the authorship of Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians; however, according to Borg and Crossan, most believe these were not written by Pau...

  JESUS Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of      a Religious Revolutionary By    Marcus Borg Reviewed by     Geoffrey W.Sutton   “ Jesus ” is a scholarly review of Jesus’ life and times. Marcus Borg carefully examines the gospels and the small amount of extrabiblical sources to help us understand Jesus' mission in the context of his life as a Jew from a small town under Roman domination. Borg acknowledges that all historical studies involve a degree of subjectivity, which he tempers by providing cogent reasons for his perspective thus allowing readers to form their judgment about his interpretation of the gospels and other available records. It is no secret that Christians are “ A House Divided ” about many matters. This is notably evident in the United States. And this is the author’s context. Borg begins by providing us with a perspective on divided Christianity. Instead of focusing on denominations, he refe...

Can a look back help predict the future of religious influence? SACRED CAUSES The Clash of Religion and Politics  from the Great War to the War on Terror By Michael Burleigh Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton CHURCH and STATE News of the recent church-state skirmishes rippling across the Southern Christian U.S. States reminded me of Burleigh’s work, which I reviewed a few years ago. Additionally, the brutality of the identified Islamic state ripping heads from bodies, destroying women and children, exploding ancient sites, and pushing vulnerable noncombatants into the Mediterranean makes the author’s analysis even more worthy of a second look. What I find useful to the present church and state issues is Burleigh’s consideration of the role of the church in the various conflicts beginning with World War I and extending into the 21st Century. During the past hundred years, the primary European church was of course the Church of Rome—still clai...