Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews

  The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith  by Marcus Borg A review by Geoffrey W. Sutton The Heart of Christianity offers Christians, and those wanting a better understanding of Christianity, a cogent look at two major divisions on what it means to be a Christian. In the opening chapters, Borg contrasts two views by referring to them as an “earlier paradigm” and an “emerging paradigm.” The earlier view is the one familiar to those who flip on a TV and hear televangelists or conservative clergy talk about Christianity in terms of belief statements and what it means to be saved and headed for heaven after death. The emerging paradigm has come to be known as “progressive” in recent years. The two major components of the emerging paradigm are compassion and justice. These are at the heart of God and reflected in the mission of Jesus. These become the defining ways to follow Jesus’ way as Christians. Borg reminds readers of that oft quoted verse that God loves the worl

  Trauma, Hate, and Barriers to Reconciliation   Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock by David Margolick Reviewed by    Geoffrey W. Sutton Elizabeth Ann Eckford is 15 in the classic photo of her silently walking toward Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957. But she’s not alone. A loud white mob screams hate. With an unforgettable open mouth, Hazel Massey appears over Elizabeth’s right shoulder and comes to represent the hot white objection to desegregating the all-white High School.   The story of Elizabeth and Hazel is painful to read. David Margolick makes the black and white images come alive as much as possible for those of us at a distance in time and place from the lived events. In addition to the stories recalled by each woman, we gain additional insights from school records and the way various reporters retold the stories over several decades.   Margolick offers insight into human emotion and personality traits as well as the toll on mental health of traumatic exp

  The Seven Sins   of Memory By Daniel L. Schacter        Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton Schacter’s Seven Sins of Memory is like a fine seven course meal. Each course serves up an interesting collection of research that’s easy to read by the general public and pleasantly presented, yet rich with enough details to appeal to scholars and practitioners. I left feeling satisfied. Every mental health clinician and all who work with people should read about the seven sins of memory and come back to it when they wonder about memory complaints or detect discrepancies in recall. Students will find it helpful too as Schacter weaves psychological science into meaningful stories—a good example of how to write about psychological science for nonpsychology majors. I must say that I found the notion of “sins” strange—is this a psychology of religion book? I suppose it could be. Afterall, religious scholar Craig Keener included a discussion of memory in his book about the Gospe

  Sapiens A Brief History of   Humankind By   Yuvai Noah Harari Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton Sapiens has been reviewed many times since its international debut. So, I’ll just provide a summary and some thoughts from my perspective as a psychologist. Despite its long reach—all of human history—it’s a relatively quick read because Harari is an engaging writer with a sense of humor and a knack for telling stories that create vivid images of our species wandering about on various continental stages for some 200,000 years. He reviews world history from a global perspective beginning with evolution. There’s not a lot new here for those of us who read similar works. Nevertheless, there were things I did not know and so I am grateful for those tidbits, which may only amount to “wow” trivia if I can remember them. _______________ His subtitle, A Brief History ,” provides the clue for what to expect. Harari takes us through history from the speculative beginning to curren

  Think Again The Power of Knowing   What You Don’t Know By   Adam Grant Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton   Think Again works. Throughout the book, I found myself rethinking some of my assumptions and learning new applications of familiar and new psychological findings. In many ways, Adam Grant challenges us to rethink what we are doing at work, school, and even in relationships. It’s a book that deserves a place in any syllabus challenging students to think and rethink their assumptions and to develop confident humility. But Think Again also belongs in discussion groups in the workplace. On a technical note, Grant divides the book into four parts followed by an Epilogue, and a more or less set of summary statements presented as Actions for Impact. The chapters are introduced with a poignant story. As the theme of a chapter unfolds, we encounter more stories and illustrations that help us appreciate the author’s point. You’ll find it’s like taking a course from a

  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 refers to two broad views or paradigms. His