David M. Carr, The Erotic Word: Sexuality, Spirituality, and the Bible (Oxford, 2003). Arguing that "real change requires an engagement with the cultural resources we already have," the Professor of Old Testament at Union Theological Seminary demonstrates that the Bible is far more affirming of eros than most folks imagine. Leading us on a tour through Eden, Isaiah's vineyard, the prophets, and the Song of Solomon as seen against the background of other ancient love poetry, Carr is both convincing and enlightening. (VRM)
Karen Armstrong, Islam: A Short History. (Phoenix, 2002). This book delivers what its title promises: the essential facts about Muslim insights and struggles from 610 C.E. until today, including a commentary on the meaning of September 11, 2001. In her always-engaging style, Armstrong answers all my most urgent questions about Islam. (VRM)
Malise Ruthven, Fundamentalism: The Search for Meaning (Oxford, 2004). Ruthven, who has written several books on Islam and is a former scriptwriter for the B.B.C., provides a perceptive analysis of the differences and similarities in fundamentalism as it functions within various religious traditions: Protestantism (drawing upon the ideas of J.N. Darby, 1800-1882), Roman Catholicism (known as integralism, with papal infallibility corresponding to biblical inerrancy), Judaism, and Islam. Even Buddhism and Hinduism have a form of fundamentalism with its closely-linked violence, though their fundamentalism is better described as the nationalization or secularization of religion. In the United States today, where elections have been won and wars are being rationalized by the utilization of religious catch-phrases, Ruthven's discussion of the relationship between fundamentalism and nationalism is vitally important. (VRM)
Chris Beam, Transparent: Love, Family, and Living the Truth with Transgender Teenagers. (Harcourt, 2007). It matters to me that almost half of the kids who "age out" of foster care become homeless and on the streets within six weeks of their emancipation. And it matters to me that almost 40% of male-to-female transsexuals suffer abuse every year, while almost 60% have a history of being raped. And there are far more murders of transpeople than are investigated or even reported. Journalist Chris Beam focuses on the stories of four transgender youth she befriended in Los Angeles, and through their stories tells us a great deal about young transpeople and their entire subculture. (VRM)
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