Thursday, April 18, 2013

Thoughts on Readings, random, mostly secular


This was Written originally in 2008 to my ANC 77 High School Class list...  Just waking up the old blog... Don't know if this was ever put out... I had just moved over from Point Park to UPMC. Now I am somewhere else... Still doing security... And pastoring as of... April 18, 2013


I don’t find Dostoyevsky depressing. But, I can see why one might do so. I found it that way in Brothers K, but as I pressed through it became very wonderfully affirming and Christocentric. Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina was more depressing to me. I’ve got War and Peace sitting still unread, lo these many years. But, Russian Nihilism and all the forces that led to the Soviet Revolution and its depressing outcomes were in the air during the times of D and T, so they must be properly analyzed and dealt with. Tolstoy’s Jesus-tinged humanism is much less uplifting in the final account than Dostoyevsky’s primitive Christianity. By primitive I mean returning to the basics, though given in Eastern/Russian Orthodox garb, it is not without serious internal critique. While one of the fathers of Existentialism, Dostoevsky is, in my analysis, not finally a mere Existentialist, but much more. Brothers was written much later than C&P, but the revolution in D’s thinking had already begun, and I’m right now reading the part where a kind of conversion is taking place in Raskolnikov. But, I don’t want to spoil it, and cannot, for I’ve still got a few chapters to go and how it resolves itself is not yet apparent, except in the broadest outlines.

My new position as a Security Guard (same firm for now, different work place) will not allow as much reading as I’ve been doing the past three years. But, I’ve had a feast. I’ve been reading a lot by the Mormon Sci-Fi writer, Orson Scott Card. The Singer, the five part Homecoming Saga, The Worthing Saga, Ender’s Game and all the following Ender related volumes. I love it. I never thought a Mormon could be so intelligent, though all the Mormon’s I’ve known have been quite intelligent! See what a rube and prejudiced jerk I am? A Mormon was top of my class in Russian in the Army in 1980-81, and one of my best friends was a practicing Mormon who had already learned Danish for his mission’s trip. And, a number of Jack Mormons, and former Mormons - who had read themselves “out” of Mormonism - were also friends. One of my good friends, now studying for a Ph.D. in Durham England, is a former Mormon (look for Kevin James Bywater on the web, By Living Waters is his web site). But, now that I’ve read O. Scott Card, I am getting more of the Mormon mind set. Their theology is a mash of polytheistic proto-new age craziness mixed with a fundamentalistic ethos. Really odd to me, but quite an interesting study. You don’t have to even realize his Mormonism as you read, but it does make me want to take a look a the Book of Mormon by way of background – kind of like learning more about Finnish language and Norse mythology to illuminate Tolkien – you don’t buy it or believe it, but it is interesting stuff.

Even more enjoyable has been the fantasy of the Pendragon Cycle (Pendragon, Merlin, Arthur, Taliesin, Avalon, etc.) by Stephen R. Lawhead. I read everything by him I can find. He’s working on a Welsh version of Robin Hood just now, Hood and Scarlet are the two that have already come out. Lots of violence in most of the books, but I don’t mind that.

A bit more mainstream, lots of fun, but less edifying in general, are the two medieval works by Suspense writer, Ken Follett – I’ve not read Key to Rebecca or any of his other stuff, but Pillars of the Earth and World without End were right up my genre after all the Arthurian stuff. But, beware of the rapes and cruelty. In fantasy violence is less offensive than in mere historical fiction, for some reason. Great craftsmanship in any case (Follett).

Speaking of historical fiction mixed with fantasy, Sci-Fi author, Gene Wolfe is amazing. Deep writer. Not for everyone, but pretty addictive once you get a taste for him. Urth of the New Sun and a series of stories about a Roman soldier, Soldier of Arte, Soldier in the Mist, etc., as well as The Wizard Knight series and the whole Short Sun, New Sun series, have given me hours of challenge and pleasure.
I’ve read a good bit of the historical works of Jeff Shaara and his father -Their books were made into Gettysburg and Gods and Generals Movies. He keeps writing. I’ve not kept up, but its fun stuff. I read his two volume account of the Revolution, and then read the John Adams bio that David McCullough wrote, which became the recent PBS series (which I’ve not seen). I’ve picked up his Teddy Roosevelt book Mornings on Horseback, and hope to read it in the near future. I enjoyed an intellectual history of Abraham Lincoln, Redeemer President, by Allen C. Guelzo. A few books by T. Davis Bunn have been really great. To the Ends of the Earth is set in Byzantine times. It complimented Byzantium, which is really Stephen R. Lawhead’s best so far. And, the condensed version, or the three volume work, of John Julius Norwich is a great history of the Byzantine empire. To compliment that thousand year stretch, check out the much more detailed and time limited, 1453: The Holy War For Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West, by Roger Crowley.
I enjoyed Tolkin’s new release, The Children of Hurin. I’ve read a lot of juvenile literature to keep up with my 14 year old, Samuel. Another Pendragon series, this one Bobby Pendragon - set in modern times, and not having much directly to do with Arthur as of yet - by D. J. MacHale is a lot of fun. Of course, then there are all of the Harry Potter books, and re-reading most everything by C.S. Lewis, especially his Sci-Fi Trilogy, Perelandra, Out of the Silent Planet and That Hideous Strength, and his Narnia series as well as his Mere Christianity, etc. That would lead into theological writings, with which I’ll not trouble you, except to note the works of Anglican Bishop Nicholas Thomas Wright (N.T. Wright). He is doing a massive, very serious historical and exegetical account of the life and meaning of Jesus. . I’ve only read parts of these three big works in the Christian Origins and the Question of God series (six volumes expected): The New Testament and the People of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God., 1992. Jesus and the Victory of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 2. 1996. The Resurrection of the Son of God. (Augsburg Fortress, 2003). He has an interesting take on the Apostle Paul as well. His two more recent volumes of apologetics parallel and compliment the works of C.S. Lewis, to whom he often refers: 1. Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. (Hardcover ed. SPCK, 2006 co-edition HarperCollins Pub., 2006); 2. Evil and the Justice of God. (Intervarsity Press, 2006). His most recent book, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. (HarperOne, 2008) got him interviewed on Stephen Colbert’s show. Of course, I read lots in Bible Commentaries for sermons, and the Theological realm as well, but that’s for “work” not “fun.”
And, finally, I’ll mention Annie Dillard, who grew up in Pittsburgh, and was all over the neighborhood where Bobby Stein and Natlie grew up (Point Breeze). An American Childhood (1987) is a fabulous memoir of life in Pittsburgh in the 50s and 60s. The Living is a fictional account set in the 1800s in Washington Territory/State. I have her Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, but have not gone far in that one. It looks like I’ll be working the overnight shift, so maybe some reading will be acceptable. Oh, based largely on your recommendations and discussions, I read The Red Tent. Kinda weird, but interesting.
Well, I want to get back to reading Crime and Punishment so I can finish it and give it to Nina. She’s starting the audio version, and I need to attempt James Joyce next.
What have the rest of y’all been reading lately?
Xox, Tony
PS: Though rather dated, for further musings on books you can check out my Xanga site – lots of other stuff in there as well:
http://www.xanga.com/AAFairmount
I'm just posting because I can.  It has been four years since I got this up and running... I should say, our Church Web site. 
I'll have to figure out how to make good use of this blog and revive it for some purpose. 
I've got ideas.
Welcome back to life.