I have no clue where I originally heard of this book, but I'm glad I did because I quite enjoyed it! This is a look at Evangelical Christian pop cultuI have no clue where I originally heard of this book, but I'm glad I did because I quite enjoyed it! This is a look at Evangelical Christian pop culture, from things as simple as music and books and clothes to bigger endeavors like Christian wrestling (!!) and theme parks. The author, I thought, treated the subject matter fairly, without being overly judgmental one way or another and even acknowledging when his assumptions turned out to be incorrect.
I didn't know much about the pop culture featured in this book, and it was fascinating to learn about it all. Clearly the author immersed himself in each item, for better or worse, and I really enjoyed reading his recaps, some of which seemed too weird to be true. The section about Christian books was, I think, my favorite, probably in part because I'm (obviously) a reader and Christian books are so completely separate from "mainstream" books - not just as a separate category but with separate publishers and completely different rules about what can and can't be included. It was also interesting to read about people the author interviewed who thought some of the parameters for "Christian fiction" were too stringent (example: it's OK for villains to kill people left and right, but it's not OK for villains to swear while they're doing it). There really are all types of readers! I also liked the look at the most popular series out there and how outlandish the books are, the poor writing featured in them, and yet they continue to sell so well! Boggles the mind. But, as was noted by the author and others, Christian pop culture is more focused on the products in question being undeniably "Christian" than they are about them being "good" otherwise.
While it might seem, at first glance, that this book is aimed at poking fun of this pop culture that often seems crazy, it really didn't do that. A lot of the book was quite thoughtful, and many of the people he spoke with weren't malicious and seemed much more level-headed than expected. Others, not so much. But it did a nice job showing the full spectrum of people and definitely underscored the point that beating someone over the head with your religion and doing so in a judgmental, heavy-handed way is not how to win converts.
Definitely an engrossing read! I think this book has a wide spectrum of appeal, for anyone interested in pop culture and trying to understand it. ...more
I first read about this book on some news site, in an article describing the task the author gave herself: trying to follow the Bible's directions forI first read about this book on some news site, in an article describing the task the author gave herself: trying to follow the Bible's directions for womanhood. She was raised as an Evangelical Christian and decided to spend the year reading the Bible, compiling all its instructions for what women should do, and actually live the year according to these directions. There are so many different interpretations of the Bible and its meaning (as everyone knows), so she tried to adhere to the written word as much as possible, attempting to separate culture from actual religious dictations. As the author notes near the beginning, the word "biblical" gets thrown around a lot, especially "in front of other loaded words, like economics, sexuality, politics and marriage to create the impression that God has definite opinions about such things, opinions that just so happen to correspond with our own."
I liked the intent behind his book. As the author herself noted at the beginning, it's very similar to A.J. Jacobs's The Year of Living Biblically, except her goal was to specifically follow the instructions for women and their specific roles in life. Each month, she set new monthly and weekly goals, and each chapter focused on a specific month and topic/theme. Breaking up the chapters were recaps of stories from the Bible of various "women of valor" (if you read the book, you'll get the reference - she uses this phrase throughout).
I'm sure there is criticism of this book from both sides of the spectrum, with some religious zealots complaining that this is making a mockery of the Bible and that the author isn't following everything properly; on the other side, there are atheists complaining that she's willing subjecting herself to less than she deserves because of an old text. To me, this project came off as something in the middle. The author seems sincere in her beliefs, and the fact that she did soul searching throughout, trying to reconcile what she knows of life with what is written and what the intent of the writing was, made this a well-researched project that seemed fairly balanced. Or at least it seemed as balanced as a book having to do with the Bible can be - obviously not everyone will be happy!
As the author noted, people like to pick and choose what Bible verses to quote and follow, claiming some verses are to be followed absolutely and others completely glossed over or considered nothing but a relic or a parable. One of my favorite lines in here was when she noted that when people claim that the Bible never troubles them, she figures that has to mean they've never actually read it. This is followed up with some of the more outlandish parts.
Some of her experiments throughout the book were interesting and clearly had nice results, such as when she began looking into how her purchases and food choices affected others down the line. Others seemed out there - camping in a tent during her period and not touching her husband in any way because she was "impure" during this time. At the same time, however, as the book went on, the experiments seemed broken up and more the product of having a book deal and needing to produce content than how an actual experiment would have gone. I guess it just didn't hold my interest throughout, even though the idea itself was interesting.
There's a lot to like about this book, and I'm sure much of it will resonate with a great number of readers. With that said, although I enjoyed parts of it and think the author did a nice job bringing it together and treating everything respectfully, it never seemed like anything but an experiment for this book instead of an actual project undertaken with no underlying motive in mind. ...more
This book is such a fascinating look at feminism and Islam, and I'd highly recommend to to everyone (especially females). Broken into two parts, this This book is such a fascinating look at feminism and Islam, and I'd highly recommend to to everyone (especially females). Broken into two parts, this narrative lays the case for how women are gradually changing the way females are treated under Islamic law and how trailblazing women are using their religion to improve the plight of women.
Part 1 explains how females have been treated in Islam and how women got to the place they are today. This is quite a well-researched section, giving plenty of background so the reader can understand why Islam is such a powerful force and how the religion has changed (or at least the way the religion has been interpreted has changed) over time, rolling back and pushing forward women's rights.
Part 2 of the book is broken into sections where the author details progress made by women in a number of different countries: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Various women are profiled in this section, explaining what they're doing to push forward change and how their actions have helped shape the way Muslim females are viewed and treated by their country's laws and citizens.
I was blown away by how passionate some of these women are and the guts they have to continue their work despite threats to their lives and sacrifices they've had to make. It was shocking (and disheartening) to read about the problems women have faced and continue to face today despite pushes for reform. At many points, I felt extremely frustrated reading about the religious interpretations and excuses people made (either out of ignorance or blind devotion) for affording women so few rights. It was amazing to hear stories of women working for change - and not in a secular way but actually using their religion to make the case for change! What a great thought, that the religion that is such a powerful force in these countries can be used as a tool for positive change instead of simply a cultural excuse for keeping women as second-class citizens.
The book was very inspiring and really made me thankful for all the rights I enjoy in this country and the women who, in the past, have fought for the freedoms I have today. I can only hope that the women profiled in this book continue to make progress in their own quests for change. ...more
I really enjoyed this book, in no small part because it was humorous and thought-provoking. The author, a liberal student about to graduate from BrownI really enjoyed this book, in no small part because it was humorous and thought-provoking. The author, a liberal student about to graduate from Brown, spent the second half of his sophomore year as a student at Liberty University, the ultra-conservative school in Virginia founded by Jerry Falwell. The premise came across, at times, as a little too contrived, like he was eager to stick himself in a strange environment just for a book deal. But the resulting book was quite good, so I can't complain about that too much.
Near the beginning, before attending Liberty, the author says that there may be an even bigger cultural divide between evangelical Christians and the secular population than there is a divide between America and the European countries where his friends spend a semester or summer. How true that is, and even crazier to think that these are people in the same country, just with vastly different beliefs and attitudes.
What I really liked about this book is how humanizing it made the experience. In classes, students are taught "facts" like humans and dinosaurs once roamed the earth together and that the Bible is infallible in every conceivable way. They must uphold a code of conduct that forbids any physical affection above hugging and any viewing of R-rated movies. There is an obvious tendency to think of the students and faculty as nuts and completely out of their minds. And, of course, there are those people at the school who really are crazy. But there are also some wonderful people there that he writes about, and the friendships and activities (really, the whole tight-knit community there) seemed like stuff that most people would love to surround themselves with. Everyone seemed to be struggling with trying to make sense of the world and help others in their own ways.
At any rate, there was plenty to like about this book, and also lots to think about. I'm amazed that the author is so young, as the writing was great. I thought the portrayal of people and events in the book was well balanced, and I came away with the sense that there are good and bad people everywhere. Or, as the author puts it, a Christian jerk is still a jerk. An excellent read overall, and one that was difficult to put down....more
It took me about a month to get through this book (won on goodreads - yay!), not just because it's long but because the topic is extremely deep, makinIt took me about a month to get through this book (won on goodreads - yay!), not just because it's long but because the topic is extremely deep, making it impossible to quickly tear through. I enjoyed it a lot, and reading in small doses allowed me time to ponder each section. Probably anyone else who reads this will end up taking their time as well.
The author makes a case for how the concept of a god has evolved throughout time. He opens with a look at more "primitive" religions (or even those not technically considered a religion but more spiritual), then goes on to examine the Torah, the New Testament, and the Koran, discussing when each section was written, the atmosphere in which the writings were put to paper, as well as how people's interpretations of each holy book, religious figure, even the notion of God, has evolved based on the times and the situations at hand. The book isn't called The Evolution of God for nothing. It really makes you think!
There are a number of thought-provoking suggestions in this book, and nearly every section was fascinating (I found a few parts too dry or too heavily reliant on a few sources). Robert Wright suggests that religion has always existed because people want a way to comprehend the seemingly inexplicable. He makes the argument that as people's intellectual capability and scrutinizing ability has increased, religions as well have evolved to meet their needs and stand up to scrutiny. Religion has seemed to provide answers for so many things, past and present. And for events that don't occur the way people of a faith believe that they should... how wonderful that all religions seem to have loopholes!
The examination of what the three Abrahamic religions have in common was fascinating. It was interesting to see this examination from a historical point of view, seeing how contradictions in the books can be easily explained based on historical events at the time, increasing cultural awareness, and the needs of the people. Through this lens, the author also considered which parts of each book (and oral tradition) are likely factual, which are probably fabricated or exaggeration, and which ones whose accuracy we'll never know. I learned quite a bit.
I imagine that some will assume, without even reading it, that this book is an attack on religion. It isn't. In fact, I came away unsure about the author's own beliefs. True, there are sections that dealt with inconsistencies or conveniences that religions have, but there are also parts that make cases for why religion is important and how God could indeed exist. At one point, the author states that regardless of how "real" you find the emotional power of religion, you can't argue that there is real power there. So true!
If you're someone who thinks that your own idea of God is the only way to see things and that your own holy book is 100% literal and infallible, well, you probably shouldn't read this (as if you'd seek it out!)... and we probably should never talk religion. On the other hand, if you enjoy books that make you think critically, and you are open to ruminating on the meaning and power of God and religion, this is a book you'll enjoy....more
This book is a little different from the books I usually select to read, but I am glad that I did read it because it was so fascinating. The author isThis book is a little different from the books I usually select to read, but I am glad that I did read it because it was so fascinating. The author is a renowned Bible scholar, a former very devoted Christian fundamentalist, and teaches religious studies at a university. This background makes him quite qualified to even begin to think about tackling this sort of subject matter and the way he writes, with all the details and thoughts he includes, makes me appreciate the amount of time and thought that was obviously put into writing this book.
In this, the author presents the main explanations given in the Bible for why people suffer. Each chapter is devoted to a different explanation and begins with an overview of what this explanation entails, then goes on to provide Biblical stories and references (including full passages) that back up this claim, and concludes with an overview of why this explanation exists and why, in his mind, it is wholly unsatisfactory.
One thing that usually bothers me when reading religious explanations for why something is a certain way is that the author can pick and choose the quotes to use, only selecting the ones that seem to back up his/her theory. This wasn't so prevalent in this book, which I really liked, as the author gave full stories, historical background for the stories and the author who originally penned it (a very interesting inclusion and one I completely devoured), and quoted liberally. It also helped that one view was not being presented as the best view, which balanced out the book as a whole.
It is obvious that the author knows this material and I found it fascinating to read. I learned quite a bit about the Bible as a historical document, and I also learned details about stories it contains and explanations it presents that I did not know before. Very thought-provoking!
I've seen in other reviews that some people seem to be mad at the fact that the author does not accept, without question, their own explanation for suffering, or mad at the fact that he's debunking some commonly held assumptions (or not debunking, as it is all a matter of belief...). However, I thought that the fact that he presented so many varying ideas and went into them in detail made this book a much stronger work than if he'd only tried to give one explanation and then backed it up, for we all know you can easily back up any claim by using select quotes, etc. I am glad I read this book and would definitely recommend it to others who are interested in learning about different ideas and histories in the Bible but won't get offended if their own belief of why people suffer is not given as "fact." ...more
I very much enjoyed this book. Trying to follow all the rules of the Bible for a year (8 months on the Old Testament, 4 months on the New), the authorI very much enjoyed this book. Trying to follow all the rules of the Bible for a year (8 months on the Old Testament, 4 months on the New), the author presents his efforts in a kind of diary format, separated by months and number of days into the project. There were humorous moments, interesting situations, irritating actions, and thought-provoking statements.
I liked the author's commitment to this project, trying to follow all the rules as best he could. He sought out guidance and conversation with various religious figures around the country (and world), and many of their words were in contradiction to each other, but it made for very interesting reading. There were a few parts I didn't like and thought the author almost did them to prove a point rather than feeling like it was Biblically required, but these moments were not enough to stop me from enjoying the book overall. Quotes from the Bible are all over the book, as expected, and it's funny when you try to imagine following every one of these to the letter. The part I found most fascinating on the whole is how, at the end, he points out that everyone picks and chooses which parts of the Bible to follow, no matter how much we deny this. We all have our own interpretation of verses, whether this means that we believe certain "rules" are only figures of speech or if they should be taken completely literally or if they stand for something else entirely. I loved reading about his conversations with the various other religious figures in the book, all of whom have their own take on the Bible and how it should be used in conjunction with life.
I'd definitely recommend this book to others, as I think it makes you think a lot about why we believe the things we do and how religion (and the Bible) factor into this. The author is clearly a very strong writer and there were more than a few paragraphs that made me think philosophically about things. I don't know how much we would get along in real life, as some of his antics annoyed me, but as a writer conveying the message in this book, he did a stellar job. ...more