Kim Gentes

Reading a novel set in a real world circumstance, one can forget that the story is nonetheless fictitious. And this might just be what Barbara Kingsolver intended on happening in her novel "The Poisonwood Bible". The story is a wonderful and complex character study set in the exotic land of Congo in the late 1950's and extending until the 80's (where the book storyline ends). The book explores injustice at various levels but most poignantly as it occurs from the emulated figure of Nathan Price- who represents the kind of personal, painful, domestic and religious antagonist that we both hate and pity. Kingsolver is intent on demonising the Baptist missionary as preacher, husband, father and human being with a subordinate purpose of political preaching on the part of the author.  Don't get me wrong, I found the book to be very well written and very accurate of some Christian leaders across history. The arrogance and insensitivity portrayed through Nathan Price typifies what most Christians (let alone people) despise about religion- that within it's ranks are voices more harmful than healing.

But the author fails to place a voice of reason within the scope of the story that can represent the missionary vocation as anything good. The other missionaries explored in the story are either white snobs who profit and exploit the country and its riches or protestants who convert to Catholicism in the course of their mission. Kingsolver does not give us a realistic contrast to Nathan's evil and we are left with a darkness that reveals truth but grows to expose the author's own prejudices. We can believe a man can be as arrogant and unkind as Nathan Price, and that his family can survive (at least partially) from his influence- but we are left feeling like the story was artificially built against the man rather than just naturally revealed as part of the narrative.

That said, "The Poisonwood Bible" is excellent writing with vivid characters, undulating dialog that feels absolutely real, exotic settings to be explored and real life, joy and pain to be experienced. Kingsolver is brilliant as a novelist, making situations feel like real motion. And when things are interrupted, by pain, joy or surprise, the reader is given space to feel the experience through her vivid prose. One chapter especially had me nearly in tears- as a young child dies and a painful, haunting day as lived by the family members is recounted.

This novel is a story, but it is a good story and it does teach us something of moral value. The lesson are not contrived, even if the platform is occasionally stolen for political stumping about American imperialism and European colonialism. The life and gift of this work is its characters, its setting and its revelation about human character in its strain to indoctrinate others into a system of belief.  The author uses multiple points of view to tell the story- a mother and her four children are the voices of this prose. The father (our antagonist) is never given his own voice.  As a man, I think this was a wise choice of the author- since it allows the reader to interpret the mind of Nathan Price simply by his speech and actions. And it is this kind of judgment that his family members must make about him as well- and they do.

This is a very good novel by an exceptional writer- if you like character built stories, this is a good choice.

Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/VZkGo7

Review by Kim Gentes

One of the greatest teachers in life is history. The ability to grasp, in our time, the effects and movements of the past is not just a discipline for  university arts departments but an important store of wisdom for all walks of life.  For the last few years, I have been researching specific realms of history- Christian history, church history, period history, economic history. But recently, I hoped to read something of a more comprehensive history that would cover the entire span of our known record of humanity. After a bit of research, I picked "History of the World" by J.M. Roberts as the volume to tackle for this purpose. I am both thankful and delighted to have read this book.

"History of the World" is a dazzlingly readable, even-handed and structured volume that attempts to accomplish the task of summarizing the chronicle of humanity by keeping its task to a defined set of parameters- it centers around the understanding and historiography of civilizations. Its vastness as a work is managed by Roberts keeping a sharp aim at disentangling himself from bringing enumerable details of trivial interest into the picture. He keeps to the task of defining the appearance of man, the eventual birth of civilizations, the development of distinct collectives of civilizations (what would later become nations/peoples), the primary movements and interactions of the civilizations, the main thinkers, leaders and influencers of those civilizations and the uncountable interconnections (and their important effects) amongst the civilizations that would eventually develop. More than just events on a chronographical timeline, Roberts also talks about huge influencing concepts, such as religions, nationalities, ideologies, major epochs, technologies, and pivotal events and people.

What I enjoyed most was the fact that such a voluminous book (a massive 1,200 pages) was consistent throughout the chapters in its approach yet remained enjoyable, even dryly humorous at times. No subject was treated without the possibility of uncovering paradoxical viewpoints- to which Roberts was constantly going to detail to help the reader see. You left feeling like specific points in history weren't as singularly simplistic as you had once heard. I liked this approach as it removes dogmatic viewpoints from becoming the plumb line of how we look back on the past.

The book covers so vast a subject matter I will not try to comprehensively summarize it here. Consider the title of the book as proper and accurate scope of its content and you will be both well informed and well pleased as you read. You will hear and understand everything from pre-historical Paleolithic man, to the first Sumerian and Mesopotamian civilizations, to the ancient classical world of Greek and Roman dominance to Medieval Europe to developing China and India, to enlightenment struck modernity to imperialist Europe, dominated Africa, the explosive growing American continents (as well as their colonialist discovery and expansion), world wars of the 20th century and the trek of history right up to the present day. In one sweeping volume Roberts breathes life and engagement into the real inertia you find flowing across the civilizations of the world through history- man as a change agent in and to his own environment.

In my reviewing of the book, I initially found several small points of minor error (the light treatment of a major figure such as Napoleon, mistaken biographical information on Castro and incorrect dating of the first man on the moon). However, I quickly learned there was an updated edition of the book, which I secured and read. It is clear the editors who updated the work have taken their jobs seriously as the last revision ("The New Penguin History of the World" - rev 5) addressed every issue I could find- either correcting it outright, or properly formatting the narrative to remove the erroneous way in which the data could be misinterpreted. The only very slight hint of editorializing I sensed in the book was the regularly appreciative nods to the last 3 centuries of English history. Roberts occasionally gives possible discounting benevolence to the intentions of the British imperial actions in both its expansive and contracting years. The leaning is slight, but it does tend to feel a bit discounting of a number of times of British actions that surely would not have seemed "better intentioned" as Roberts often implies.  This is a minor and understandable pause in his otherwise amazingly apt and generally conciliatory tone taken for most subjects of uncertain nature.

Overall the book was absolutely astounding in keeping account of such huge proportions of our history while still retaining a vital and engaging narrative. I can't recommend it enough- if you have a spare 60 hours, this is your best bet for a truly great read!

Amazon Book Link: http://amzn.to/12haJFZ

Review by Kim Gentes

Reading the book "Learning to Suffer Well" was something of a personal earthquake for me, not just through the reading of the book, but through the workbook style exercises and weekly meetings recommended with a trusted friend. In the combination of all three (reading, workbook exercises and meeting with a friend) the work turned up some profound truth and good application. The scriptural understanding of suffering, as a valid component within the differentiated and holistic Christian life, becomes apparent. What I had only intuited in the nuance of scripture reading before was brought to full light- Jesus, the disciples, and most heroes of the faith suffered as part of their lives, and it was part of God's will that they did so.

It became clear that my attempts to avoid suffering only weakened my growth and had not saved me any pain.  As I began to delve into the devotions and exercises, I saw Christ fully aware of suffering, yet not distant. Acknowledging the pain, but not abandoning me to it.  In my theology before taking reading this book, I realized that what I had feared was not suffering itself but the isolation of believing it was an outward sign of God's abandonment.

But the closer I delved into the reality that my past, present and future sufferings may not only be used by God, but they may be God's plan for change (at times) in my life, I began to see a God who never leaves or forsakes me. A God who is thoroughly aware of our loss, has experienced it personally (in Christ) and joins with us both during our "death" and as the change agent in our resurrection through the other side of the pain. But beyond the "knowledge" of God's presence with us through the pain of suffering, "Learning to Suffer Well" holds a very practical key to allow for change in a persons actual life.

Peter Fitch gives a progressive understanding of the qualities of the follower of Jesus who has come to grasp what true suffering is. He says it this way:

The difference is something like this: a person with perseverance knows that he or she will survive through difficulty; a person with character, already confident about perseverance, generally makes the decision to do something constructive in the midst of the trial.[1]

and

If the person with perseverance may be characterised as "hanging on", and the person with character may be seen as getting to work in the midst of the trial to help speed its conclusion, the person with hope must be seen as one who remains cheerful and at peace, praising God right through the difficulty...In this way, hope is related to faith. Instead of allowing the heart to fall into despondency at the onset of the trial, hope remembers the power and love of God and turns expectantly toward Him.[2]

What is grasped here is worth re-iterating. It is, quite simply, that we have three laudable plateaus of faith through suffering: perseverance, character and hope. Perseverance knows they will survive through the suffering; character decides to grow through the suffering; and hope remember God's power and love and turns to Him for it.

Through reading "Learning to Suffer Well", I have come to the real belief that Paul's admonition is as pertinent to suffering in my life as it is to every believer:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.(Romans 8:28)

This is an excellent book! I highly recommend it!

Amazon Book Link: http://amzn.to/JEPXL8

Review by Kim Gentes

Footnotes:

1. Peter Fitch, "Learning to Suffer Well", (Cape Town, South Africa:Vineyard International Publishing 2000), Pg 60
2. Ibid., Pg 75

Reading and reviewing NT Wright's "Jesus and the Victory of God" is a monolithic task, as the book is both lengthy and highly academic. Its success is not in its volume of pages, however, but in its thorough treatment of Jesus and his work as historical fact leading to theological reality.

The portrait of Jesus of Galilee as the first century Jew who is both prophet/messiah is so profoundly unlike our 20th/21st Century thinking, that it is a shock treatment into the historical Jesus. It re-levels our Christian beliefs and theology from our arrogant "looking back on history" to a profound looking from the 1rst century forward, through the eyes of Judaism and its traditions and worldview. When we wake up from the shock, we find we are in a world that is thoroughly Jewish, thoroughly 1rst century, living as a conquered nation of Israel with its neck under the heel of the tyrannical Roman Empire.

Amongst a brood of  1st century revolutionary Zionists, Pharisees and "Jews-still-in-exile" within their own country, Jesus appears and draws on this climactic time, announcing in himself the arrival the kingdom-of-god message in which he comes to reconstitute the Temple, the Torah, and the Wisdom into his very person, reissuing their true essence into himself.  At the same time, he redefines the true people of God not as a swipe against Israel but as a reinstatement of the core of its vocation and character- to be the light of the world.

Once the core of who Jesus is, what he intended, and what he actually did is redefined, the entire synoptic readings need complete reinterpreting, and Wright provides that as well, exploring the parables, symbols, actions and praxis of Jesus as both a means and expression to his brilliant thesis.

Product Link on Amazon: Jesus and the Victory of God

Review by Kim Gentes

Saint Teresa of Avila is another of the Catholic mystics who has profoundly impacted Christian formation/spirituality in the last 500 years. Like Therese of Lisieux, St. John of the Cross and others in the mystic tradition, Teresa of Avila takes a route of growth that focuses profoundly on the topic of love and uses the lens of introspection to probe the depths of the soul to find and purge inconsistencies for the person to find ultimate union with God.

To begin down this path Teresa defines an expanded understanding of the soul as a philosophically different and complete component to a human being, much in the Platonic/Geek dualistic model of separated body/spirit. Her exploration of this soul description begins with its magnitude.

In speaking of the soul we must always think of it as spacious, ample and lofty; and this can be done without the least exaggeration, for the soul's capacity is much greater than we can realize, and this Sun, Which is in the palace, reaches every part of it.[1]

But within this Platonic construct, the imagery and understanding of the soul is quite articulate and helpful. Teresa jumps immediately into the examination of the inner self.  She finds in this inward journey, a more careful examination of the human condition, both as broken and beautiful agencies to the purpose of God. Again of this inward reflection, she says:

self-knowledge is so important that, even if you were raised right up to the heavens, I should like you never to relax your cultivation of it; so long as we are on this earth, nothing matters more to us than humility. And so I repeat that it is a very good thing -- excellent, indeed -- to begin by entering the room where humility is acquired rather than by flying off to the other rooms. For that is the way to make progress, and, if we have a safe, level road to walk along, why should we desire wings to fly? Let us rather try to get the greatest possible profit out of walking. As I see it, we shall never succeed in knowing ourselves unless we seek to know God: let us think of His greatness and then come back to our own baseness; by looking at His purity we shall see our foulness; by meditating upon His humility, we shall see how far we are from being humble.[2]

Teresa begins with the assumption that self-investigation is actually a way of expressing humility, since we are changed when we see the contrast between ourselves and God, our nature and God’s nature.  In fact, for Teresa of Avila, humility is acquired by self-knowledge. For most individuals in modern culture, this type of approach would seem more selfish and less apt for personal change. But this is the gift of the mystic writers - they actually become the true inquisitors of their own hearts, who deal in honestly and expect you will as well. 

What develops in this book particularly is a description of the soul as a series of unique mansions within mansions (something like a Russian doll configuration). The initial exterior mansions are representative of lesser levels of union with God, fraught with sin and seemingly regularly pulling people back to a starting of spiritual development largely due to a lack of freedom from sin and a continued unhealthy self-absorption. The interior mansions also correlate with levels of prayer progress that the adherent makes as they manage through these levels of mansions.

What anchors the mystics insistence on self-knowledge as a path to purity is their equally consistent trajectory of faith founded deeply in love. Love is the lynch-pin, the catalyst and end game for every point and sub-point of The Interior Castle, and the Avila saint says as much: 

As I have written about this at great length elsewhere,I will not repeat it here. I only want you to be warned that, if you would progress a long way on this road and ascend to the Mansions of your desire, the important thing is not to think much, but to love much; do, then, whatever most arouses you to love. Perhaps we do not know what love is: it would not surprise me a great deal to learn this, for love consists, not in the extent of our happiness, but in the firmness of our determination to try to please God in everything, and to endeavour, in all possible ways, not to offend Him, and to pray Him ever to advance the honour and glory of His Son and the growth of the Catholic Church. Those are the signs of love; do not imagine that the important thing is never to be thinking of anything else and that if your mind becomes slightly distracted all is lost.[3]

If there is any problem with the approach of the saint of Avila, it is not in the sincerity of her heart or the assumption that she puts forth that we should have likewise. Instead, it may be simply in the belief that such great wisdom can be birthed from a person living a life in the convents and taken for use among people who live daily in the strain and grime of broken humanity as it exists outside of the cloistered communities of the monastic traditions.

Product Link on Amazon: The Interior Castle

Review by Kim Gentes

[1]Therese of Avila,  “The Interior Castle”, translated E. Allison Peers (Radford, VA: Wilder Publications, 2008),Kindle Edition, Location 495

[2]Ibid., Location 509

[3]Ibid., Location 988