Post by What Hat on May 3, 2012 22:26:44 GMT -5
Results
Here are the upcoming selections:
June -Life of Pi - moderator - sacerdotal
July - Holy Ghost Girl - moderator - scholargal
August - Love Wins - moderator - Dubious Disciple (DD)
We'll begin the discussion on Life of Pi on June 11, in order for everyone to have time to acquire and read the book. Let's assess how we're coming in a couple of weeks and we can adjust the date accordingly. Also, I've opened up some more discussion at the end of this thread.
Voting rules
Vote for as many books as you please, but please vote only for those books which you are willing to read and discuss. You can vote for every book if you like, or just one.
Any book which reaches a certain threshold in votes (I'm thinking 6 or 7 votes) will be considered for discussion.
DD, Scott Ross and I will choose the three books from all those that reach the threshold.
The remaining books which reach the threshold will roll forward to the Fall nomination thread which will start in 2 weeks.
Books which don't reach the threshold will be dropped from further consideration.
The Books
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Pi Patel is an unusual boy. The son of a zookeeper, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior, a fervent love of stories, and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.
In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado
LIFE IS FULL OF FUMBLES AND STUMBLES. Fraught with opportunities to make mistakes, occasions to feel guilty, and the drive to "do it yourself." The pressure to be self-sufficient is high, but it isn't the life God offers.
Holy Ghost Girl by Donna Johnson
She was just three years old when her mother signed on as the organist of tent revivalist David Terrell, and before long, Donna Johnson was part of the hugely popular evangelical preacher's inner circle. At seventeen, she left the ministry for good, with a trove of stranger- than-fiction memories. A homecoming like no other, Holy Ghost Girl brings to life miracles, exorcisms, and faceoffs with the Ku Klux Klan. And that's just what went on under the tent.
Without Sin: The Life and Death of the Oneida Community by Spencer Klaw
Without Sin chronicles the rise and fall of nineteenth-century America's most succesful experiment in Utopian living: New York's Oneida Community (1848-1880). Founded by the charismatic Christian Perfectionist John Humphrey Noyes, this remarkable society flourished for more than thirty years as a unique world where property was shared, men and women were equals, sex was free and open, work was to be joyous, and pleasure was felt to be "the very business that God set Adam and Eve about.
Hell Yes / Hell No by John Reid Noe
This compelling and controversial book strikes at the heart of Christian theology and Christianity itself. It presents a balanced and scholarly re-exploration of "one of Christianity's most offensive doctrines"-Hell and the greater issue of the extent of God's grace (mercy, love, compassion, justice) and wrath in the eternal, afterlife destiny for all people. Inside, conflicting views are re-evaluated, their strengths and weaknesses re-assessed, and all the demands of Scripture are reconciled into one coherent and consistent synthesized view. The author further suggests that our limited earthly view has been the problem, re-discovers the ultimate mystery of God's expressed desire, will, and purpose, and transcends troubling traditions as never before. Bottom line is, God's plan of salvation and condemnation may be far different and greater than we've been led to believe. In a clear and straightforward manner, this book lays out the historical and scriptural evidence as never before.
Love Wins by Rob Bell
Millions of Christians have struggled with how to reconcile God's love and God's judgment: Has God created billions of people over thousands of years only to select a few to go to heaven and everyone else to suffer forever in hell? Is this acceptable to God? How is this "good news?"
Troubling questions--so troubling that many have lost their faith because of them. Others only whisper the questions to themselves, fearing or being taught that they might lose their faith and their church if they ask them out loud.
But what if these questions trouble us for good reason? What if the story of heaven and hell we have been taught is not, in fact, what the Bible teaches? What if what Jesus meant by "heaven," "hell," and salvation" are very different from how we have come to understand them?
Our iceberg is melting by John Kotter
Most of the denizens of the Antarctic penguin colony sneer at Fred, the quiet but observant scout who detects worrying signs that their home, an iceberg, is melting. Fred must cleverly convince and enlist key players, such as Louis, the head penguin; Alice, the number two bird; the intractable NoNo the weather expert; and a passle of school-age penguins if he is to save the colony.
Their delightfully told journey illuminates in an unforgettable way how to manage the necessary change that surrounds us all. Simple explanatory material following the fable enhances the lasting value of these lessons.
The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
What if your life was upended in an instant? What if your spouse or your child disappeared right in front of your eyes? Was it the Rapture or something even more difficult to explain? How would you rebuild your life in the wake of such a devastating event? These are the questions confronting the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, a formerly comfortable suburban community that lost over a hundred people in the Sudden Departure. Kevin Garvey, the new mayor, wants to move forward, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized neighbors, even as his own family disintegrates. His wife, Laurie, has left him to enlist in the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence but haunt the town’s streets as “living reminders” of God’s judgment. His son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a crooked "prophet" who calls himself Holy Wayne. Only his teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she’s definitely not the sweet "A" student she used to be.
Previously posted here:
The purpose of this thread is to nominate books for the reading group. I'd like to get books for at least June, July and August. Once we have a number of nominations, I'll add a poll to the thread to determine which books have a quorum willing to discuss them. From those books, we'll choose three for the group to read. Books not selected can carry forward to the Fall nomination thread, which we'll hold in June.
Please nominate a maximum of 2 titles each at this time. You must be willing to help moderate the thread, along with Dubious Disciple, if your book is chosen. Don't worry about having the expertise to moderate, DD will provide that.
The books should be on a spiritual theme, very loosely defined. This might include inspirational, historical, theological, autobiographical and works of fiction.
Okay, nominate away ... by replying to this thread.
(If you have mentioned books on other threads, or in PMs, please carry them over to save me the work.)
If there's any questions it's probably about something I haven't thought of yet, so ask away.
Here are the upcoming selections:
June -Life of Pi - moderator - sacerdotal
July - Holy Ghost Girl - moderator - scholargal
August - Love Wins - moderator - Dubious Disciple (DD)
We'll begin the discussion on Life of Pi on June 11, in order for everyone to have time to acquire and read the book. Let's assess how we're coming in a couple of weeks and we can adjust the date accordingly. Also, I've opened up some more discussion at the end of this thread.
Voting rules
Vote for as many books as you please, but please vote only for those books which you are willing to read and discuss. You can vote for every book if you like, or just one.
Any book which reaches a certain threshold in votes (I'm thinking 6 or 7 votes) will be considered for discussion.
DD, Scott Ross and I will choose the three books from all those that reach the threshold.
The remaining books which reach the threshold will roll forward to the Fall nomination thread which will start in 2 weeks.
Books which don't reach the threshold will be dropped from further consideration.
The Books
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Pi Patel is an unusual boy. The son of a zookeeper, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior, a fervent love of stories, and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.
In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado
LIFE IS FULL OF FUMBLES AND STUMBLES. Fraught with opportunities to make mistakes, occasions to feel guilty, and the drive to "do it yourself." The pressure to be self-sufficient is high, but it isn't the life God offers.
Holy Ghost Girl by Donna Johnson
She was just three years old when her mother signed on as the organist of tent revivalist David Terrell, and before long, Donna Johnson was part of the hugely popular evangelical preacher's inner circle. At seventeen, she left the ministry for good, with a trove of stranger- than-fiction memories. A homecoming like no other, Holy Ghost Girl brings to life miracles, exorcisms, and faceoffs with the Ku Klux Klan. And that's just what went on under the tent.
Without Sin: The Life and Death of the Oneida Community by Spencer Klaw
Without Sin chronicles the rise and fall of nineteenth-century America's most succesful experiment in Utopian living: New York's Oneida Community (1848-1880). Founded by the charismatic Christian Perfectionist John Humphrey Noyes, this remarkable society flourished for more than thirty years as a unique world where property was shared, men and women were equals, sex was free and open, work was to be joyous, and pleasure was felt to be "the very business that God set Adam and Eve about.
Hell Yes / Hell No by John Reid Noe
This compelling and controversial book strikes at the heart of Christian theology and Christianity itself. It presents a balanced and scholarly re-exploration of "one of Christianity's most offensive doctrines"-Hell and the greater issue of the extent of God's grace (mercy, love, compassion, justice) and wrath in the eternal, afterlife destiny for all people. Inside, conflicting views are re-evaluated, their strengths and weaknesses re-assessed, and all the demands of Scripture are reconciled into one coherent and consistent synthesized view. The author further suggests that our limited earthly view has been the problem, re-discovers the ultimate mystery of God's expressed desire, will, and purpose, and transcends troubling traditions as never before. Bottom line is, God's plan of salvation and condemnation may be far different and greater than we've been led to believe. In a clear and straightforward manner, this book lays out the historical and scriptural evidence as never before.
Love Wins by Rob Bell
Millions of Christians have struggled with how to reconcile God's love and God's judgment: Has God created billions of people over thousands of years only to select a few to go to heaven and everyone else to suffer forever in hell? Is this acceptable to God? How is this "good news?"
Troubling questions--so troubling that many have lost their faith because of them. Others only whisper the questions to themselves, fearing or being taught that they might lose their faith and their church if they ask them out loud.
But what if these questions trouble us for good reason? What if the story of heaven and hell we have been taught is not, in fact, what the Bible teaches? What if what Jesus meant by "heaven," "hell," and salvation" are very different from how we have come to understand them?
Our iceberg is melting by John Kotter
Most of the denizens of the Antarctic penguin colony sneer at Fred, the quiet but observant scout who detects worrying signs that their home, an iceberg, is melting. Fred must cleverly convince and enlist key players, such as Louis, the head penguin; Alice, the number two bird; the intractable NoNo the weather expert; and a passle of school-age penguins if he is to save the colony.
Their delightfully told journey illuminates in an unforgettable way how to manage the necessary change that surrounds us all. Simple explanatory material following the fable enhances the lasting value of these lessons.
The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
What if your life was upended in an instant? What if your spouse or your child disappeared right in front of your eyes? Was it the Rapture or something even more difficult to explain? How would you rebuild your life in the wake of such a devastating event? These are the questions confronting the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, a formerly comfortable suburban community that lost over a hundred people in the Sudden Departure. Kevin Garvey, the new mayor, wants to move forward, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized neighbors, even as his own family disintegrates. His wife, Laurie, has left him to enlist in the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence but haunt the town’s streets as “living reminders” of God’s judgment. His son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a crooked "prophet" who calls himself Holy Wayne. Only his teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she’s definitely not the sweet "A" student she used to be.
Previously posted here:
The purpose of this thread is to nominate books for the reading group. I'd like to get books for at least June, July and August. Once we have a number of nominations, I'll add a poll to the thread to determine which books have a quorum willing to discuss them. From those books, we'll choose three for the group to read. Books not selected can carry forward to the Fall nomination thread, which we'll hold in June.
Please nominate a maximum of 2 titles each at this time. You must be willing to help moderate the thread, along with Dubious Disciple, if your book is chosen. Don't worry about having the expertise to moderate, DD will provide that.
The books should be on a spiritual theme, very loosely defined. This might include inspirational, historical, theological, autobiographical and works of fiction.
Okay, nominate away ... by replying to this thread.
(If you have mentioned books on other threads, or in PMs, please carry them over to save me the work.)
If there's any questions it's probably about something I haven't thought of yet, so ask away.
