I will review 3 books that touched me or changed me or influenced me this past year:one at a time.
In Jewish Spirituality: A Brief Introduction For Christians, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner assists members of the Christian community to better understand Judaism in general, and basic Jewish concepts of spirituality in particular.
In a complete accessible text, Rabbi Kushner explores how we are all connected to each other and to God, how the Torah is a blueprint for all of creation, how “holy deeds” are required every day by each of us in order to successfully mend the world, the nature of God’s “Oneness”, how the Jewish experience of teshuva is similar to the Christian experience of Jesus, and a great deal more. Rabbi Kushner also dispels a number of misconceptions about Judaism common among Christians. Jewish Spirituality is an enthusiastically recommended introduction for those with Christian backgrounds who are seeking a better understanding of Judaism and its relation to their own Christian faith from a Jewish perspective.
The second one: Doxology by Geofrey Wainwright is probably the most important christian book i have ever read. It presents a Christianity i very much want to be a part of.
Doxology was written during the 1970’s when much of the Church’s traditional positions were under constant attack by theologians and first published in 1980, Geoffrey Wainwright’s Doxolgy was and still is a groundbreaking book. Rather than jumping on the modernist bandwagon, Wainwright goes back to the central event in the Church’s life – it’s worship – and using this theme attempts to build bridges between what is good in modern scholarship to the strengths of the Church throughout its history.
At almost every turn, the Wainwright’s allegiance to ecumenicity and catholicity is clear. The book avoids the old battles and an irenic spirit is present throughout its pages. The theological divisions within the Church (ancient vs. modern, East vs. West, Catholic vs. Protestant) are overcome in a manner that the reader may gain an understanding of what is “other” without surrendering cherished distinctives.
Wainwright divides his examination into discussions of God and the Church, Scripture and Tradition, and the surrounding context of the Christian experience. The thread running through all of the discussions is the worship of the Church. Worship is seen as both informing reflecting other elements of the Church and its life.
Wainwright’s work stands as important development in the desire among Protestants to regain a sense of the catholicity of the Church and a connection to its ancient faith and practice. Achieving to some degree a balance between extremes, he gives the ancient faith and practice of the Church a new life in a modern setting. Perhaps some of his elements of his work has aged poorly, but this does not detract from the profound influence it has held for a generation. By any reasonable measure, Doxology is essential and important reading.
A review will soon follow. Check back later.
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