Book reviews
Prophet Song. I don’t think I’ve read a book that articulates as brilliantly as Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song (winner of the 2023 Booker Prize)
Ninety-two-year-old artist publishes children’s book
When Rita Dahl was a child, the bottom third of the family’s kitchen door was her canvas. The top sections were for her older sisters to draw on. “We were products of the Depression and we couldn’t buy a lot of paper, so our mother let us draw on the kitchen door,” she said. “We…
Seeing beauty and injustice
Since her death in 1943, Simone Weil’s philosophy has impacted dozens of writers, thinkers and theologians. T.S. Eliot named her a saint. Simone de Beauvoir envied her spirit. Now, in The Literary Afterlives of Simone Weil: Feminism, Justice, and the Challenge of Religion, Cindy Wallace examines how nine writers, including Adrienne Rich, Annie Dillard and the Mennonite…
Fall list of books & resources
Theology, Spirituality The Beginning of the Story: Understanding the Old Testament in the Story of Scripture. Timothy J. Geddert. Herald Press, 2023, 208 pages. The Old Testament has great value because it is the grand narrative of God’s relationship with humans. The author says we should interpret the stories in light of the teachings…
Mennonite leader offers approaches to polarization
J. Nelson Kraybill bluntly states that his book has no special formula that will save the church or the world from destructive polarization. Instead, it offers guidance on how individuals and congregations can navigate in the midst of conflict, using Jesus as the prime example. Kraybill is a highly respected leader in the Mennonite church.…
Experiences of violence to be overtly named and resisted
Over the past several decades, a particularly painful and dissonant question has arisen within the Mennonite church: What is a faithful response to violence perpetrated by the church, especially one that professes to be a peace church? This diverse collection of essays, poetry and personal reflections helpfully grapples with this question from multiple angles and…
Spring 2023 List of Books & Resources
Theology, Spirituality All Our Griefs to Bear: Responding with Resilience After Collective Trauma. Joni Sancken. Herald Press, 2022, 200 pages. In a world traumatized by a pandemic, racial trauma and economic uncertainty, Sancken explores how churches can respond. After considering the meaning of collective trauma, she suggests ways to lament, tell stories and find…
Interest in women’s stories leads to novel about Mary
Getting into the mind of Jesus’ mother inspired a retired psychiatrist to write a novel about what Mary might have experienced during her son’s life. Lorne Brandt, who attends Peace Mennonite Church in Richmond, has always had an interest in women’s issues and women’s theology. A Sword Shall Pierce Your Soul is his first novel,…
Fall 2022 List of Books & Resources
Theology, Spirituality Anabaptist Political Theology after Marpeck. Weaver, J. Denny, Gerald J. Mast and Trevor Bechtel, eds. Cascadia Publishing House, 2022, 262 pages. This collection of essays explores the life and ideas of Pilgram Marpeck of the 16th century and reflects on Marpeck’s significance for the church today. Anabaptist ReMix: Varieties of Cultural Engagement in…
Sam Steiner’s memoir reflects on life
While working on his book In Search of Promised Lands: A Religious History of Mennonites in Ontario, Sam Steiner began writing a weekly online blog about his research, and occasionally he would include personal stories. In this memoir, A Mennonite Draft Dodger in Canada, he has expanded and updated those personal blog stories. He was…
