Next Month’s Reviews:  

DELAYED LEGACY by Conrad Netting, who rediscovered his father, a pilot who died in WWII before he was born.

THE GOLD COAST by suspense author Nelson DeMille.

ANA'S STORY by presidential daughter Jenna Bush (a book for young adults).

THE INNOCENT MAN by John Grisham.

PUT A LID ON IT by Donald Westlake.

West’s reviews appear in Book Shelf, her column for San Antonio Woman magazine. “Writing Book Shelf," she says, "connects me to what I enjoy most, people and books.” She highlights extraordinary writers, teachers, librarians, store managers, and individuals who foster a love for books, and she reviews her favorites. To discuss these reviews or the ones she writes for San Antonio Woman, contact her at intrigue101@sbcglobal.net

Nancy West Reviews…

CLERGYMAN’S BOOK REKINDLES THOUGHT

                        CRANMER’S CHURCH By The Reverend Chuck Collins
 
      One of Chuck Collins’ favorite cartoons shows a traditional little church with a sign in front that reads: “THE LITE CHURCH: 24% fewer commitments, home of the 7.5 tithe, 15-minute sermons, 45-minute Worship Services. We have only 8 Commandments —your choice. We use the 3 Spiritual Laws and have an 800-year millennium. Everything you’ve wanted in a church…and less!”

      As rector of Christ Episcopal Church, San Antonio, Texas, Collins admits, “In some ways this is the worst possible time to write about the Episcopal Church…” But rather than flinch or remain silent, traditionalist Collins chose to publish Cranmer’s Church, his observations as a clergyman over twenty-five years, in the midst of one of the church’s most turbulent times.

       Who was Thomas Cranmer? He was the first Archbishop of Canterbury (top leader) in the newly formed Church of England who didn’t particularly want the job. Collins writes that he was “not an intellectual or charismatic giant like the great reformers…but as spokesman, he helped steer the Church of England through rough waters into Protestantism….At the end, he paid with his life for his belief in the supremacy of Holy Scripture….” Collins titled his book Cranmer’s Church to remember Cranmer’s “courage to question the hallowed traditions of his day and follow the leading of his reformed heart.” Speaking of courage in this relativistic age, consider some of Collins’ statements:

      On life’s purpose: “To be created in God’s image means that we have the God-given capacity (but not the guarantee) to relate to God as children to a father. Our highest purpose on earth is to enjoy this relationship.”

       On sin: “When Adam and Eve disobeyed God (i.e., ‘the Fall’), evil effect came to all creation. Because of our connection to our most distant disobedient relatives, we are selfish, prideful, and resistant to anyone telling us what to do – including God.”

       On tolerance: “…tolerance as a virtue has obvious limits. No one would tolerate a dog that bites everyone it meets, and an abused wife who tolerates her husband’s beatings….Who would argue that Christianity and animism and Satanism are equally valid responses to God?”

       On ‘promiscuous genes’: “What differentiates animals from human beings, after all, is that animals…are ruled by their appetites and do not yield to a higher standard….Should we revise our ethics to accommodate the victims of promiscuous genes?”

       On using a book to pray (not privately, but as a congregation), Collins quotes theologian Paul Zahl: “…the inherited wisdom of the past is often more trustworthy than the moods and opinions of the present moment. Yes, we desire our prayers to breathe conviction and humility. But we would not wish our prayers to be formed by whatever is just passing through our heads.”

       Just as Cranmer inspired Collins, Collins will inspire you. Don’t miss this lively, winsome book about things that really matter. For order information, contact info@cecsa.org.  

SLIPPING INTO SUMMER WITH A LIGHT READ

                     CAN’T WAIT TO GET TO HEAVEN By Fannie Flagg

       Fannie Flagg, author of Fried Green Tomatoes (at the Whistle Stop Café), began writing and producing television specials at age nineteen. She wrote New York Times bestsellers Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man, and Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!

       Her latest book, Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven,takes readers to Elmwood Springs, Missouri, where unlikely experiences inspire a town to ponder the age-old question: Why are we here?

       One minute, Mrs. Elner Shimfissle, high-spirited octogenarian, is up in her tree, picking figs, and the next thing she knows, she is on an adventure, running into people she never expected to meet—…guess where? In this comedy-mystery, readers discover that Fannie Flagg “was put on this earth to write” (Southern Living), and that light, pleasurable books can be packed with insight.

DIGGING DEEPER

            THE LANGUAGE OF GOD: A SCIENTIST PRESENTS EVIDENCE FOR BELIEF by Francis Collins

       If you want to challenge your beliefs or give a book to someone starting college in the fall whose beliefs, whatever they are, will likely be attacked from all sides, read this book by Francis Collins. Dr. Collins, one of the world's most famous scientists—the head of the Human Genome Project and a former atheist—interweaves science, logic, and intuition to present a most powerful argument for the existence of God.

       Despite his numerous scientific and medical degrees, Collins tries hard, and usually succeeds, to present his ideas in laymen’s language. While I question some of Collins’ conclusions, I think his book, reviewed world wide, is a milestone in the ongoing struggle to meld faith and science. After you read and digest Collins’s ideas, I suggest reading Rich Deem’s account of the problems he finds with Collins’s conclusions.  You can find it here.

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February 2008

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