Learning Theology with the Church Fathers

As I am sure many of you know, IVP has been producing a great series (several series actually) of books that are designed to help academics, pastors, students and lay people come into contact with the early church fathers. One of these series is three volumes of introduction: Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers, Learning Theology with the Church Fathers, and a third volume to be published entitled: Worshipping with the Church Fathers (due out Jan. 2010), all written by Christopher Hall. For this post, I would like to look specifically at the second volume, Learning Theology with the Church Fathers (IVP, 2002 – Special thanks to IVP for a review copy!).

In an important admission, particularly for our interests here at Theology Forum, “I acknowledge readily and immediately that the fathers never split theology off from spirituality, as though theology was an academic, mental exercise best practiced in one’s study, while Christian spirituality was more appropriately focused on the heart and centered in a church sanctuary. Any split between mind and heart, theology and spirituality, study and sanctuary would have met with scant toleration from the fathers” (10). For sake of space, Hall has split up the theological loci and the spiritual content of the third volume, but he assures us this is only for the sake of publishing and not of content.

Hall develops his thought by starting with a section helping readers who are new to the church fathers navigate territory that will most certainly seem odd and at times disconcerting. He then moves through doctrinal topics from chapters 2-11, roughly following the Nicene Creed as a broad roadmap to the issues: “Christ the Son, Begotten and Not Made,” “The Mystery and Wonder of the Trinity,” “Christ Divine and Human,” “On the Holy Spirit,” “Sin, Grace and the Human Condition,” “God’s Transcendent Providence,” “God’s Wise and Loving Providence,” “The Sacred Scriptures,” “One Holy, Apostolic Church,” and finally, “The Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting.”

While it would be impossible, and probably in the end unhelpful, to work through each of these chapters and note aspects of the content, there are several points I would like to make. First, Hall does a great job of writing with clarity and making this an accessible volume. This could easily be used in an undergraduate class or lower level seminary classroom where many of the students will have had no background in theology or the issues that helped form our theological grammar. Likewise, Hall is able to turn a corner by addressing modern concerns and issues (such as calling God “Father”) in a way which is sensitive and insightful. Second, and in light of the first, this book has a very broad range of possible uses. Because of the readability of the text, it could easily be used in a church setting as well as an academic one, and would prove fruitful to anyone doing introductory work in theology. He addresses the heresies and debates in each position thereby framing the discussion appropriately.

Lastly, there is one issue I have with this book. I certainly appreciate all that these various “church fathers” series are doing, and am glad that they are continuing to broaden the horizons and offer more narrowly focused volumes such as this one. That being said, I would think that the major purpose of a text like this would be to whet the appetite of the reader and provides a means for them to dive into the fathers themselves. Because of this, I also assumed to find helpful tools and suggestions for doing so, say, Hall’s advice on tackling a study of the Trinity in the church fathers. But you don’t find this, and for that reason, I think this volume is really hindered.

That being said, do any of you have advice for those who might want to dive into the church fathers? Does anyone know someone who has put together something like I’m suggesting?

'The Age of Wonder' by Richard Holmes

The front cover of Richard Holmes’ book The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science shows the beautiful painting ‘A Philosopher giving that Lecture on the Orrery in which a Lamp is put in place of the Sun‘ by Joseph Wright of Derby, 1766.   Quite apart from the impact of the lighting, the expressions on the faces and the spread of generations depicted, the title of the painting is important- a philosopher- and in Richard Holmes’ book we explore the shift from ‘philosopher’ to ’scientist’ in the nineteenth century.  The term ’scientist’ itself is of fairly recent origin, coined as part of this transition between 1830-1834, and initially rejected because of its analogy with ‘atheist’ but rapidly taken up in common usage.

Holmes argues that the bifurcation between science and romanticism took place only  in the mid 19th century, and was preceded by a period in which what we now call ’science’ was part of a broader fascination with theology, poetry, painting and literature.   In this multiple biography, not unlike Jenny Uglow’s  The Lunar Men (which I’m also looking forward to reading), Holmes uses Sir Joseph Banks as a type of bookend to encapsulate a number of other interwoven biographies.  The book opens with Joseph Banks in the South Seas, the young, libertine ethnographer who literally ‘goes native’  during his voyage of exploration and closes with his death in London, the bedrock of the Royal Society and a one-man communication hub between the  ‘philosophers’  he championed and mentored across the globe.   Between these bookends are other biographies: particularly those of William and Caroline Hershel the astronomers and Humphrey Davy the chemist and inventor, who each have two distinct chapters, as if Holmes himself is orbiting them.  Mungo Park the African explorer is here too, reaching into the darkness and emptiness of Africa as it was known then;  as are the balloonists in England and France who had the first glimpse of the earth from on high, just as momentous and re-orienting as the photographs of the earth taken from space 150 years later.  This is not just a ‘great man’ approach: there is also the more troubling diversion into the experiments into galvanism (news of which travelled all the way to Port Phillip) and attempts to create life itself as displayed in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

These ‘philosophers’ were not set apart from artists and poets: instead they were friends with them, and in many cases were themselves poets and writers- especially Humphrey Davy who, for me, is the luminous presence of the book.  His incorporation of women philosopher/scientists – Caroline Hershel, the indefatigable assistant to her brother and astronomer in her own right, Mary Shelley and Mary Somerville – does not feel forced, while acknowledging the societal structures that privileged their male colleagues.

Holmes is a wonderful biographer.  His footnotes at the end of the book are spare but painstaking, reflecting the depth of archival research he has undertaken.  They are supplemented by the occasional note at the bottom of the page, denoted by a trefoil, that provides glimpses of the biographer at work and in thought.  His note, for example, attached to a glancing reference to a ribbon that Davy enclosed in a letter:

In 1795 Pitt had levied a tax on hair powder, to help raise funds for military campaigns abroad.  The ribbon fell out of Beddoe’s letter as I unfolded it in the Truro archive, and I let out a republican whoop! that almost led to my ejection. (p. 252)

This is not just a series of scientific biographies: it is an argument about Romanticism and science, and the nature of human intellect and endeavour.  It is a deeply rewarding read.

Osprey Duel: Sopwith Camel Vs Fokker DR1 – Western Front 1917-18

Title: Sopwith Camel Vs Fokker DR1 – Western Front 1917-18

Author: Jon Guttman

Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Osprey continue their successful run of military aviation titles with this excellent ‘ Dog fight double’ publication, that looks in some detail at two of the most famous aircraft to take to the skies during World War One.

Interspersed among the text are period photographs and superb illustrations, comprising three view colour plates, as well as detailed colour cockpit paintings and a two page aerial battle scene from aviation artists Harry Dempsey, Jim Laurier and Postlethwaite.

Nine chapters of highly readable prose cover an introduction to the subject matter and then take the reader progressively through the chronology, design and development, technical specifications, the strategic situation, the combatants, combat, statistics and analysis and the aftermath of the struggle between these distinctive aircraft. The book, totalling 80 pages, concludes with a further reading list and an index.

This title and others like it in the series, are perfect complementary reads to the ‘Aircraft of the Aces’ releases, also published by Osprey. The book is highly recommended, even if you do not regard this as your favorite period of aviation history. Guttman’s handling of the material is excellent in providing a rounded appreciation for how each aircraft came into being, as well as their respective strengths and weaknesses in the cauldron of combat.

However, an aircraft is useless without a pilot and Guttman’s technical and strategic study is constantly woven into the colourful lives and eventful careers of the men who fought each other, often to the death. It is the human element of war that is the most compelling and any purchaser of this title will be rewarded with a greater understanding of what it was like to fly a machine, separated from enemy bullets by little more than fabric and wood.

Highly recommended.

Read Some Joseph Boyden

Joseph Boyden’s two novels tell the stories of four generations of the Bird family, Oji-Crees from Northern Ontario. These stories of family and friendship, set against the backdrop of life on a native reserve and the legacy of residential schools are both moving and entertaining. I highly recommend everyone read both of these novels.

Three Day Road (Penguin Canada) tells the stories of Xavier Bird and his aunt Niska. As the book begins, Niska Bird, the last Oji-Cree medicine woman to live off the land in Northern Ontario, travels south to meet her nephew Xavier who has recently returned from fighting in WWI. As the two travel home by canoe,  their intertwining stories of hardship and loss each help the other to come to terms with their pasts and to find a path to a better future.

Set in the present day, Boyden’s follow-up novel Through Black Spruce (Viking Canada) tells the stories of Annie Bird and her uncle Will. While each experiences a troubled present, they recall their secret pasts. As each comes to terms with their past actions and experiences, they are able to move forward with new hope for peace and happiness.

Related links:

For more information about Joseph Boyden, visit www.josephboyden.com.

To buy his books, visit www.chapters.ca.

For information about Canada’s residential schools, visit:

CBC – (http://archives.cbc.ca/society/education/topics/692/)

Assembly of First Nations -(http://www.afn.ca/residentialschools/history.html) 

Wikipedia -(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_system).

So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones

Bella Kirkwood had it all: A-list friends at her prestigious private school, Broadway in her backyard, and Daddy’s MasterCard in her wallet. Then her father, a plastic surgeon to the stars, decided to trade her mother in for a newer model.
When Bella’s mom falls in love with a man she met on the Internet–a factory worker with two bratty sons–Bella has to pack up and move in with her new family in Truman, Oklahoma. On a farm no less!
Forced to trade her uber-trendy NYC lifestyle for her down-home charm, Bella feels like a pair of Rock & Republic jeans in a sea of Wranglers.
At least some of the people in her new high school are pretty cool. Especially the hunky football player who invites her to lunch. And maybe even the annoying–but kinda hot–editor of the school newspaper.
But before long, Bella smells something rotten in the town of Truman, and it’s not just the cow pasture. With her savvy reporter’s instincts, she is determined to find the story behind all the secrets.

Oh how I loved this book! Jenny B. Jones has written a wonderful novel perfectly captured from a city girl’s point of view. Bella is such a witty, smart and irresistible character. You will love Bella’s hilarious insights on farm life. So Not Happening had me laughing out loud the whole time! The mystery in the book got me hooked and will keep readers turning the pages! For someone who everyone assumes is a “spoiled brat”, Bella sure proved them all wrong by ultimately becoming the heroine.

The Charmed Life series is definitely one series I will be buying more of in future. I am very glad that I bought this book, now I can’t wait for the next book I’m So Sure to be out in November. The cover is so cute and there’s another mystery too. Can you say awesome? In the mean time, get your copy of So Not Happening if you haven’t!

Gold star!

Interspersed Endless Ellipses

“I wanted to like “From Mayor To Fool.” I really did. I love personal narratives in which people explain their spiritual and emotional evolution. Stories about change can be deeply moving, and I can usually overlook a lot of challenging writing or formatting in these cases.

Sadly, I couldn’t get past the way “From Mayor to Fool” was written to enjoy the story. It is a series of short interludes written as a play. The characters and settings are never clear, and the writing is a interspersed with endless ellipses and questionable spellings. This felt much more like a very promising workshop piece that needed much more editing than a finished or accomplished autobiography.”

— Robin Sweeney, San Francisco Bay Area California USA

Feedback about book “From Mayor to Fool” via Amazon.com – 07/04/2009

Tim Mayeur © 2009

<i>It's Not About the Bike</i>, by Lance Armstrong

Like many Americans, I didn’t become aware of Lance Armstrong until he started racking up the Tour de France victories.  Even as he blew through records, I wasn’t much into cycling.  Things have changed.  With Lance back from retirement and me getting ready to watch my third Tour de France, I thought it a good time to pick up this book.  I didn’t expect much (it is a sports autobiography, after all), but was surprised with the honesty, balance, and just good storytelling that Armstrong and his co-author Sally Jenkins put together.

The more I’ve learned about Armstrong, the more it seems that he has always tried to live a straightforward life, and the book is no different.  He doesn’t let his reader get very far before coming right out and telling them what’s in store.  Usually, I’m not a fan of direct author-reader interaction, but here it works.  “I’m sure you’d like to hear about how Lance Armstrong became a Great American and an Inspiration To Us All …. You want to hear about faith and mystery, and my miraculous comeback,” he says on the third page.  He’s not far off, either, I’m sure.  Many people probably approach this book looking for a lift, ignoring the gritty details of his illness.  Armstrong won’t do that, however.  He continues, “People die [from cancer].  And after you learn it, all other matters seem irrelevant.  They just seem small.”

I was absolutely thrilled to find such a frank tone being set so early on.  In the paragraphs I’ve excerpted, Armstrong eliminates the possibility of melodrama.  There will be no sap or cheese involved in his narration.  In telling about his pre-cancer years, even the successful bits, it doesn’t come off as a life you would want to live.  There’s arrogance and anger, plus family issues galore which go a long way to pulling him off the pedestal of fame.  A cynic would argue that this an authorial trick, setting up a Cinderella scenario, but that’s wrong.  The reader has to understand his personality before the illness in order to appreciate the depth of change it inflicted on his life.  That said, the narration has a slightly resigned air, as though he would rather not dwell on that time in his life.  Besides, if you want rags to riches, it doesn’t get much more ragged than cancer.

Ultimately this book is about cancer, what it did to his life, and what he had to do to survive.  The chapters in which Armstrong talks about the disease, his treatments, and the effects are unflinching in their honesty.  There were parts which I actually had trouble reading, not because of graphic details (which are virtually absent), but because of the empathy I felt.  The language employed is simple, but manages to communicate the pain and sheer hell of living with cancer.  I had no idea just how widespread the disease was in Armstrong.  It wasn’t just his testicle; it spread to his his lungs and brain with a frightening rapidity.  Likewise, I was completely clueless on the level of toxicity employed in chemotherapy.  The doctors are poisoning the patient with some of the most vile substances around in a desperate attempt at salvation.  Some of the chemo parts were difficult to read, but they helped me develop an appropriate respect for anyone forced to undergo such treatment.  There are no euphemisms employed here, only the bare truth.  That includes, mind you, the occasional smiles and human connections which foster strength and endurance.  The lone fact that such desolate ground was covered without a whiff of hyperbole or sensationalism makes this a book worth your time.

It’s not all doom and gloom.  He does live, and he does win.  Indeed, once the cancer goes into remission and he begins to ride, the narration becomes some of the best sports writing I’ve ever read.  The comeback was not easy, either emotionally or physically, but it did happen and is a great story in and of itself.  In the telling, Armstrong provides the reader with a primer on the world of competitive cycling.  If you’ve ever watched any bike races, you already know more than you think.  The politics of it, however, were entirely new to me, as were the dynamics of races and racers, with his discussion of the peleton something I found especially enlightening.  The coverage of the Tour itself was impressive in that the book reduces a three week race to a manageable chapter without losing anything in the process.  There were times the writing had me all but standing in my chair, cheering him to the finish line like it was a live race.

A topic which is only tangentially discussed is performance enhancers in cycling.  Nevertheless, after reading this book I am more convinced than ever that dopers are stone cold idiots.  I am also certain that Armstrong has never been among their ranks.  When I consider the frequency and intensity with which the drug control organizations test riders, and Lance in particular, it leaves me incredulous that anyone would think they could go undetected.  If the same level of scrutiny were employed in all sports, I don’t think baseball would have the issues that it does.  As for Armstrong, the question of his drug use is answered in my mind.  After all the races, after all the wins, there is no question in that had he been doping, they would have caught him.

In the end, I found the book both an enthralling read and an educational one as well.  It is a snapshot of Armstrong at that point in his life, the story of how he got there.  There are things which have happened since, especially his divorce from wife Kristen, who he speaks of tenderly in the book, which leave me with questions.  But in a sense, that makes me like the guy and his book all the more.  He’s an imperfect hero who manages to do extraordinary things, and if that’s not an American storyline, I don’t know what is.

On a side note, the new Nike/Livestrong commercial is out and echoes everything that makes the book great.