The Open Table – Book Reviews
Jesus was known –some would say notoriously so—for His “open table” eating style. In the Gospels, Jesus loved to share life at the table with others and never refused an offer to eat with someone. Most of Jesus’ great discussions with His disciples and others happened around the table. In honor of that model, The Open Table is a forum where all are welcome to join in the conversation about the books suggested and more. It’s a place where book reviews will be served up, but also where other thoughts, observations, and life happenings can be discussed and ideas savored. Your participation is encouraged. All contributions will be valued and nourished. Good manners are expected of course at The Table. Welcome to The Open Table. I hope we can meet here often. Great times are ahead! –thyrkas
Sex Difference in Christian Theology
Sex Difference in Christian Theology: Male, Female, and Intersex in the Image of God By Megan K. DeFranza --Book Review by Paula Jones Until 1990, hermaphrodites (an outdated and misleading term) were to me a thing of myth, curious aberrations that were only...
The Undoing Project
The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds by Michael Lewis --Review by Teri Hyrkas The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds (W.W. Norton & Co., 2017) by Michael Lewis is, at its heart, the story of an intense rapport between two men,...
Liturgy of the Ordinary
Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren --Review by Teri Hyrkas What comes to your mind when you read the word liturgy? The term unquestionably carries with it images of clerical vestments, brightly burning candles in sacred...
Our Kids
Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis By Robert Putnam ISBN 978-1-4767-6990-5 (pbk) Published 2015 Review by Douglas Balzer Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert Putnam works to tackle the question surrounding the future of the American Dream. Our...
Arrival
Arrival, starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker --Review by Ashley Linne SPOILER ALERT: This article contains major spoilers of the film and assumes the reader has already viewed it. For a spoiler-free review consider:...
The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem
The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem By Stacy Schiff --Review by Paula Jones My love for good history books developed as a young adult, and only because first-rate historical fiction eased that door open. While Pulitzer Prize winning historian...
The Bad Habits of Jesus
The Bad Habits of Jesus: Showing Us the Way to Live Right in a World Gone Wrong by Leonard Sweet --Review by Teri Hyrkas Happy New Year! Have you made any New Year's resolutions yet? If not, maybe this is the year to think about initiating some "bad habits." The Bad...
God in Public
God in Public– How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today By Tom Wright ISBN: 978-0-281-07423-5 paperback Published 2016 Review by Douglas Balzer God in Public: How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today by Tom (N.T.) Wright is a brilliant collection of lectures...
The Listening Life –Review by Landrum Leavell III
The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction By Adam S. McHugh --Review by Landrum Leavell III I read The Listening Life on the...
White Trash
White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America Nancy Isenberg Review by Paula Jones As a child, I completely accepted the idealized American myth. You know the one: America is a land of equal opportunity, a country where anyone can get ahead if...