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The Spirit of Hope

December 24, 2024
The Spirit of HopeThe Spirit of Hope by Byung-Chul Han
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

He was recently listed by El Pais as one of the top ten intellectuals in the world. And, he was the only one on the list I had not read. But, ironically, the day before I had put this book on my to read list after seeing it in an end-of-year best-of list.

I really enjoyed the beginning and the idea of hope as "searching movement." There are definitely sentences I'll be quoting in sermons in years ahead.

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Posted at 10:54 AM in Books, Philosophy | | Comments (0)

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Left is not Woke

December 04, 2024
Left Is Not WokeLeft Is Not Woke by Susan Neiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've often returned to Neiman's Evil in Modern Philosophy and so was intrigued when I saw this new publication. In it Neiman stands up for four values of the left--universalism, justice, progress, and doubt--against their critics, especially those on the left itself who critique these values. It's a good read to help us philosophically understand our moment.

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Posted at 09:00 AM in Books, Philosophy, Politics | | Comments (0)

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My Inward Journey

October 22, 2024
My Inward Journey: A Story of Spiritual TransformationMy Inward Journey: A Story of Spiritual Transformation by Sheila Mee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A brave memoir of spiritual transformation. Mee not only deconstructs her fundamentalist faith but reconstructs a whole and healthy wisdom spirituality. Her journey includes honest, open, and raw discussions of marital conflict, childhood abuse, and toxic families. Plus, because of the decades she spent as a missionary in Latin America, her personal story often plays out during major geo-political events like the 1980's civil war in El Salvador. This is a rich, compelling exploration of healing, wholeness, and faith.

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Posted at 02:53 PM in Books, Religion | | Comments (0)

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Our Next Reality

October 14, 2024
Our Next Reality: How the AI-powered Metaverse Will Reshape the WorldOur Next Reality: How the AI-powered Metaverse Will Reshape the World by Alvin W. Graylin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Picked this book up at our denomination's statewide meeting, being sold by one of our seminary's booksellers. Felt like I needed to better understand what might be coming in the next few years.

Surely, I pondered, they must be overstating the case and being overly optimistic. But still good to be informed on what the techies are imagining and planning for and how that will impact the rest of us.

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Posted at 04:37 PM in Books, Web/Tech | | Comments (0)

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Theology of Hope

October 07, 2024
Theology of Hope: On the Ground and the Implications of a Christian EschatologyTheology of Hope: On the Ground and the Implications of a Christian Eschatology by Jürgen Moltmann
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I've read a few Moltmann books and been deeply influenced by him, but I had never read this early, seminal text. And, despite some gems, it just didn't resonate with me as much as other works. I think many of the ideas he pioneered here he developed more fully and eloquently later.

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Posted at 10:45 AM in Books, Theology | | Comments (0)

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