Philosophy & Religion
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David Sheff (Get the Book)
Sheff's bestselling Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction flipped the script on the traditional first-person addiction memoir, painting an agonizing portrait of what one family went through when its "beautiful boy," Nic Sheff, descended into years of methamphetamine addiction, deceit, and relapse. By the final page, he had been clean for a full year. But while the story may have ended for Sheff's family, the tragedy continues for the 20 million Americans who are currently addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. Thus, Sheff the elder is back; in his latest, he takes a macro look at the micro problem detailed in Beautiful Boy, to examine the state of addiction and addiction treatment-sadly lacking, he finds-in the U.S. today.As Sheff sees it, the chief impediments to preventing and treating addiction are the same ones that existed when Alcoholics Anonymous was founded 78 years ago: the stigma associated with addiction, and the belief that drug abuse is a choice, rather than a disease. --Publishers Weekly
by Avieser Tucker (Get the Book)
In this adaptation, University of Texas philosophy professor Tucker (Our Knowledge of the Past) updates five of Plato's most resonant dialogues by recasting the scenes and topics around a modern Socrates. Affixing Socrates to a series of contemporary backdrops and replacing his toga with a fatigued t-shirt and jeans, Tucker seeks to break the ice between 21st century students and the philosopher whose nuanced meaning and humor are too often lost on contemporary readers. This revitalization project works best regarding situational shifts (grounding Socrates' social contract theory in his decision to obey draft orders) and conceptual translations (construing the Greek arte as all-American coolness). Anachronisms and detail contradictions, however, can prove distracting. Justin Bieber and President Obama typify cool, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito serve to demonstrate Socrates' rule of opposites, but a cool housewife, in this mash-up of New York City and a Greek agora, is one who obeys her husband and cool guys are known to patronize the "discos". Though it presents a mottled cultural timeframe, the book does accomplish its primary aim: fleshed out with references to latter-day conveniences and modern history, Socrates' theories of epistemology, pure ideas, and much more translate clearly. --Publishers Weekly
by Candida R. Moss (Get the Book)
Countering politicians' and interest groups' claims that Christians are as persecuted now as they were before Roman emperor Constantine legalized Christianity (313 CE), Moss, an expert on martyrdom, shows how right they are by demonstrating how wrong they are. They're wrong, first, when they say martyrdom is particularly Christian, for the early martyrdom literature is, besides wildly improbable, modeled on accounts of the deaths of Socrates and other philosophers, of noble Roman suicides like Lucretia, and of faithful-unto-death Jews in the Maccabean period. Christians experienced anything resembling persecution in a mere 12 nonconsecutive years between Jesus and Constantine; only in the last bout of so-called persecution were Christians targeted, and even then it was for political nonconformity, not religion. Eusebius, the early-fourth-century historian of the faith, invented the still-prevalent concepts of persecution and martyrdom to bind the faithful together in support of the rising institutional church. The downside to this effort was that it encouraged among Christians an us-versus-them, all-or-nothing attitude that can lead to violence, for example, against abortion providers. Historical argumentation at its most cogent. --Booklist
by Jay Bakker (Get the Book)
Bakker (Son of a Preacher Man) calls his latest book "a chronicle of my doubt." The son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, televangelists tainted by scandal in the 1980s, Bakker outlines his struggles with his childhood faith and offers a vision of Christianity based on unconditional love, radical forgiveness, and full embrace of the Other. The pastor of a church that meets in a bar, Bakker has a special place in his heart for the GLBTQ community and offers a spirited biblical defense for the acceptance of sexual difference. He expresses a faith that encourages questions and emphasizes relationships rather than rules. Bakker writes in a simple, down-to-earth style as he counters the focus on exceptionalism, exclusion, sin, and guilt that dominate some forms of evangelical Christianity. Like fellow evangelical Rob Bell, Bakker doesn't believe in a God who would consign people to hell for all eternity. Love trumps justice; participating in community trumps official church membership; compassion trumps dogma. His book should appeal to seekers, youth, and all who are searching for a loving and forgiving Christianity. Publishers Weekly
by Robert J. Morgan (Get the Book)
Beginning with the words The Lord is my shepherd, the Bible's Psalm 23 is perhaps the most memorized of any psalm. Recited by soldiers in the heat of battle, by families praying for the safety and recovery of loved ones, and by others needing courage and hope, the psalm has calmed and inspired people for countless generations. Best-selling author Morgan makes a solid case for studying the psalm's verses in order to relieve anxiety and gain a sense of peace. He offers several real-life examples of how the words have served people facing difficult times. Beyond analyzing the poem as a metaphor that likens God to a compassionate shepherd, Morgan shares fascinating anecdotes about life with several sheep he and his family have raised as pets. Many of these heartwarming accounts relate to the virtues of the compassionate and nurturing leadership exhibited by shepherds of the Bible. By recognizing the treasures to be found in a single psalm, this book supports important reflection and provides great comfort. Keep this by your bedside for a good night's sleep. --Booklist
by Kevin Leman (Get the Book)
Tradition holds that King Solomon in all his wisdom gave humankind the Proverbs. The author (Have a New Kid By Friday) focuses on just the first six verses of the third chapter of the Old Testament book. "God gives us the ability to get on the right path if we've been on a wrong one," writes Leman (Have a New Kid by Friday). The author leads the reader on a spiritual journey through the simplest chapter of the Bible. Leman is a psychologist who examines the human heart in light of how people live every day. He begins one chapter telling the children's story of the three little pigs to demonstrate the effects of stress in relationships with Jesus and God. Believers must be on a constant and diligent journey of faith. Prosperity in a world of hurt creates for the Christian an opportunity to serve in the world. This is a book for active Christians to deepen their faith through the study of a simple but profound scripture from the Hebrew Bible. Leman is an affable teacher, and his words should appeal to anyone looking for a delightful short Bible study. --Publishers weekly
