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New Arrivals October 2010Some Books Worth Noting
C.S Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms
Walter Brueggemann, Spirituality of the Psalms, Praying the Psalms
Meredith Gould, Why is There A Menorah on the Altar? Jewish Roots of Christian Worship
Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints
Roy Simpson, A Holy Island Prayer Book
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C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the PsalmsC.S. Lewis is perhaps best known for his Narnia Chronicles " The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and the others in the series, culminating with The Last Battle. He is, however, also, a writer of numerous books on theology, including The Screwtape Letters. His book on the Psalms is an engaging introduction to the psalms, more often than not thought of as something read between the Old Testament lesson and the Epistle, and rarely studied by laymen as an important book of the Bible. Lewis cautions that the psalms should be read as lyric poetry, rather than as doctrinal treatises or sermons. If you are interested in studying these fascinating songs, this book is an excellent place to begin. |
Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the SaintsAnyone who has had a church calendar in recent years must have noticed that the various celebrations and commemorations have increased so that on almost every day of the year someone is being commemorated. For example, as I write this, I note that today celebrates the life of Saint Luke. (Well, we all know him, of course, and he has been on the calendar forever.) But tomorrow, Henry Martyn, Priest and Missionary to India and Persia, 1812, is commemorated, and on November 14, we celebrate the life of Samuel Seabury, the first American bishop, well-known in our part of the world.
In his foreword to the book, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, explains its genesis.
With each successive General Convention more names have been added to the calendar. At the same time, questions have been raised regarding some of the biographies, choices of scripture, and composition of the Collects. During my term as Presiding Bishop, I therefore asked the Standing Commission of Liturgy and Music to undertake a review and revision of Lesser Feasts and Fasts, and to consider anew each entry in the existing Calendar of Saints, alongside any proposed new commemorations. To that end, a committee of the Commission was established.
Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints is the fruit of the committee s careful and painstaking work.
For the general reader, perhaps the most interesting part of this book is the biographies of the men and women included. Stop by the table in the Vestibule and pick up the book, open it at random, and read about someone like Jonathan Myrick Daniels (August 14), a seminarian who was killed in Selma, Alabama, while shielding sixteen-year-old Ruby Sales from a man with a gun who was cursing her. Jonathan was killed by a blast from the 12 gauge gun. Or Thomas Cranmer (March 21) " known to all Episcopalians as Archbishop of Canterbury who was primarily responsible for the first Book of Common Prayer in 1552 " and to Roman Catholics as the man who prepared the defense for the annulment of Henry VIII s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Later, when Mary I succeeded her brother to the throne, he was burned at the stake on March 21.
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Meredith Gould, Why is There a Menorah on the Altar?: Jewish Roots of Christian Worship |  | |
Gould's book is a well-written, interesting guide to the Jewish sources of our Christian beliefs and practices, with chapters on scripture, history, worship, and the three main services that most Christians participate in: baptism, holy communion, and confirmation. She provides a timeline showing the emergence of Christianity from Judaism, a glossary of Hebrew Terms and Jewish concepts, and selected documents on the dialogue between Christianity and Judaism, as well as some recommended resources for further study and/or information.
Just a sample: Did you know that there is a connection between the colors of the liturgical year and color symbolism in Hebrew scripture? In Hebrew scripture the color green symbolizes natural growth and life, rest, and freshness. In Christian worship green symbolizes hope for eternal life and is the color of vestments during Ordinary Time.
In addition to being informative, the book includes questions for reflection, activities for individuals and groups, a glossary, and Christian-Jewish dialogue documents.
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Ray Simpson, A Holy Island Prayer Book |  | |
Of all the books listed here, the one I will turn to most, the one that I will turn to on a daily basis is Simpson s A Holy Island Prayer Book. The island is Lindisfarne, the Holy Island off the coast of Northumbria in England. Simpson is an Anglican priest, the guardian of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, which has a retreat house on Holy Island. The book is divided into the days of the week with a five week cycle. Each day has a theme and is divided into Morning, Mid-day, and Evening, with readings from the Psalms, the other books of the Bible, and prayers and poems focused on the theme for the day. One can use this as a daily guide to prayer and readings, or one can just browse, as I have since I bought the book yesterday. Perhaps because Lindisfarne is one of the most ancient places in Anglican spirituality it resonates in a way that many other prayer books of this kind do not -- at least for me. One thing is clear, I want to go to Lindisfarne. |
Walter Brueggemann, Spirituality of the Psalms and Praying the PsalmsWalter Breuggemann is the William Marcellus McPheeter Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. These two books on the psalms focus on the reading and praying of the psalms as an aspect of one's spiritual life. If you have begun to think about the psalms, have studied them in some way, these books will help you to delve more deeply into them. In the first chapter of Spirituality of the Psalms, Brueggeman says:
The life of faith expressed in the Psalms is focused on the two decisive moves of faith that are always underway by which we are regularly surprised and which we regularly resist: out of a settled orientation into a season of disorientation, and from a context of disorientation to a new orientation, surprised by a new gift from God, a new coherence made present to us just when we thought all was lost.
In a review of Praying the Psalms, Joseph A. Bracken, SJ, says I am grateful to Brueggemann for making me more alert to what the Psalms are saying about our common human relation to God. . . .
These three books, available in The Vestibule, provide excellent guides to a better understanding of this most intriguing book of the Bible.
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