Monday, October 15, 2012

Reading the Faith

I have come to realize that many of you are avid readers, and several are members of the St. Paul's Book Club. It is hard for me to imagine life without books, and lots of them.I read theology but I love fiction, biographies --books!
 I was impressed to see recently that a congregation in the United States has its own online and print Review of Books, a significant undertaking. Here is a description from their website
The Englewood Review of Books is a weekly book review published by Englewood Christian Church, Indianapolis. We review books that we believe are valuable resources for the people of God, as we follow the mission of God: i.e., the reconciliation of all things.The books we review are not necessarily books from the “Christian market,” and most of the books that we review will not be stocked in your local Christian bookstore.

Our friend, Shane Claiborne, likes to say that “Another World is Possible,” and indeed we hope that the books we review point toward a new world that is characterized by the justice and shalom of God.
There is an interesting interview with the editor in The Christian Century http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-09/reading-congregation
What are your thoughts about reading? Are you a bookworm and proud to say so? Do you still need paper in hand, or is your e-reader your new best friend?

5 comments:

Stacey said...

I can't imagine life without books. I remember as a child, that I couldn't eat my cereal without reading the cereal box, or going for a car ride without having something to read and even a cassette tape liner would do the trick. It is true that I use reading as an escape, as a way to step away from my own thoughts. But I need to learn something from what I read. If it's nothing more than learning about a far-off location or someone's profession, then that is good enough for me. I do prefer thought-provoking stories that leave me mulling them over for weeks afterward. And I must admit that my closest, truest friends are those with whom I can have a conversation about what I've been reading (loving the website Goodreads.com!).

Anonymous said...

I have to be reading something always. I read a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction. Like Stacey, I can't imagine life without books.

IanD said...

My problem is buying them! I need to hit the library more and the bookstore less.

David Mundy said...

Thanks to all of you. I figure that as addictions go, book-buying is among the healthiest,

Susan said...

I cannot image my life without books and I need to have the book in my hand. I never go anywhere without a book. I am trying to use the library more and only buy the books that I want to re-read. Last year I joined a library bookclub and the exposure to other genres and authors. I wished I lived closer to St. Paul's to join the church bookclub.