*****
GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telus.net
Colleagues List Web Site:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com
"Quicklinks" are included with many items
at the beginning of this issue. To get a more
complete picture, however, scroll down to
find your special selection in the body of
the blog.
Note that not all items here have links.
*****
Dear Colleagues:
My Special Item this week is a
personal reflection on how my
Colleagues List book intros have
evolved over the years and what
I attempt to achieve by writing them.
It is entitled: "My Book Notices:
Introducing Contemporary Titles"
--
Colleague Communications - are
provided by Ron Rolheiser - whose
column addresses "Our Struggle
for Empathy and Generativity"
http://tinyurl.com/lmovsc2
Jim Taylor - whose theme this week
is "Much Ado About Nothing" and
http://tinyurl.com/lmovsc2
Isabel Gibson - who introduces
"A New Poet: Linda Pastan"
Please scroll down.
--
Net Notes for the week include -
"Alice Walker at 70" - an opportunity
for the author to read her own work
(Englewood Review of Books)
http://tinyurl.com/k9z8alm
"Which Global Church?" - at the end
of 2013, two global church gatherings
occured in Asia. The continental
locations are themselves significant
but also are comparisons and contrasts
(The Christian Century)
http://tinyurl.com/kv5p3ny
"Order Denounces Founder" - a Catholic
order whose founder was a scoundrel
is attempting to renew itself - a hard task
(Reuters Religion News)
http://tinyurl.com/lwm2brp
"Sony World Photo Awards 2014" - as
usual, these pictures are always great
(The Atlantic Online)
http://tinyurl.com/qdjh9db
"The Amish Practice of Shunning" - a
documentary emerges on how this
Anabaptist group deals with members
who can't fit in; giving their stories
(The Christian Post)
http://tinyurl.com/kabbwny
"UK: A Unique Church Arrangement" -
when you think about it, the British
have developed an intriguing balance
between Anglicans and Catholics
(The Tablet, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/k8mz3qb
"How Evolution Helps Me Trust God" -
an inspiring article on how a young
women, raised as an evangelical
Christian, links her faith to science
(Sojourners Online)
http://tinyurl.com/kpahzpp
"Christy Clark - A Politician of Faith" -
the premier of British Columbia is a
member of the Anglican Church of
Canada, and she shares her faith
(Anglican Journal)
http://tinyurl.com/lv82sms
"Two Current Religious Freedom Issues" -
This week I present two different stories
on how evangelical Protestants and
Roman Catholics are attempting to cope
with secular challenges in Canada, and
globally (Globe and Mail, Airiang News Asia,
and the Guardian, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/n3mc5fs
http://tinyurl.com/lktdoyx
http://tinyurl.com/m2lnuqg
http://tinyurl.com/l84q43a
"Faith Helps Athlete Achieve Olympic Dream"
- the Winter Olympics have begun, and this
Canadian Christian gives a faith testimony
(Western Catholic Reporter)
http://tinyurl.com/l7a7sob
--
Wisdom of the Week - comes to us from
Abba Anthony, Emily Dickenson, Zen Chant,
Maya Angelou, Madeleine L’Engle and
Blaise Pascal. It comes to us courtesy of
Sojourners Online and The Daily Dig.
Please scroll down.
--
On This Day - occuring between February
2nd - 8th historic events from the archives
of the New York Times -
George VI Dies, Elizabeth II is Queen
http://tinyurl.com/b85jj85
Germany Surrenders at Stalingrad
http://tinyurl.com/4e378r9
*****
Closing Thought - this week is from
black comedian Bill Cosby
Here is an end-of-blog summary of my
church and university classes beginning
or about to begin.
Blessings, on your week!
Wayne
************
SPECIAL ITEM
MY BOOK NOTICES
Introducing Contemporary Titles
For more than a decade before I began writing
Colleagues List, I wrote book reviews. These
were written and sold to a rather large number
of religious and secular periodicals and I
worked hard to develop that "market" since
there were not a lot of reviewers for religion
and culture-related books out there.
Even before that, I wrote many academic
reviews for specialist and "rarified" scholarly
readers. To become known in the academic
world, one must do this, and then add them
to your CV!
It became clear to me, however, that I was
more interested in popularizing my reviews
for larger - often non-academic - audiences.
I am glad I learned the discipline of academic
review-writing, but I am also very happy that
I learned how to make my writing more
accessible to ordinary readers.
I developed a large network of contacts
with publicists (promoters for publishers)
and editors of a rich variety of periodicals.
There was never a lot of money in review-
writing, but I enjoyed the challenge of
writing for a wide audience of both
"regular" and "religious" readers. This
meant I read a lot of books and learned
a lot in the process.
I was particularly pleased to be able to
write for American audiences and other
english-language readers around the
world. From time to time I would notice
that my writing would be translated into
French, Spanish, Asian and other
foreign-languages.
Fifteen years ago I was receiving hundreds
of free review titles a year from publishers
and retained only those I reviewed. The
others were donated to libraries with the
understanding that I could have access.
After disposing of perhaps 5,000 titles
which I had collected over the years
I still retained a smaller but serviceable
library of my own. This library, I still have,
but I am glad that most of my books have
been shared with individuals and groups
that could appreciate them - even after
I am gone!
The book publishing market and my
readership began to significantly evolve
with the arrival of the internet and
electronic publishing. It was at that time
that I started to consider creating a
weekly blog and to change the nature
of my writing from "reviewing" to offering
book "notices" or book "introductions"
for those interested in my material.
--
What is the nature of a book "notice" as
compared to a "review?" Some may not
sense there is much difference, but I think
there is - at least the way I do it on
Colleagues List!
I would always read books very carefully,
and make detailed notes. From that, I
would get a good grasp of a volume as
I created my review. It was always
satisfying when an author told me that
I had gotten the true sense of what
he or she was trying to say. While I
was pleased to be able to achieve this
it was always important that I offered
my own view of a book and did not
write to please the author.
There were times when book sales
of titles I had reviewed noticibly
increased because of what I had written
- but that was not my main purpose.
I really wanted to introduce new
authors and to promote the good
writings of known authors. Increased
sales would be a happy by-product.
I am told that Pope Benedict saw my
reviews of some of his books and these
would often get global exposure in the
Catholic press.
It takes a lot of work to write a good
book. I did not want to trash the
efforts of a writer, even if I disagreed
with him or her. My goal was always
to see the good in a piece, and to
challenge things I could not accept.
I rarely, if ever, review a book that
I am not happy to recommend to
you my readers.
What you read weekly as I introduce
titles here are my suggestions based
on titles I still receive from publishers
(now greatly reduced in number from
the old days as publicists are not
as generous as they used to be.)
Or they are books authored by
members of Colleagues List or from
other sources.
I consider you my readers to be
my continuing "colleagues" in the
world of writing and reading.
With every book notice appearing
here, I try to include promotional
information from the publisher;
actual words recorded in the book
by the author; and "my thoughts."
The latter are written carefully, but
not as judiciously as my reviews
would have been written in the past.
I write more personally, which is
the "blogger way" it seems to me.
Please continue to send me books
if you are a writer, and I will try to
make a fair decision about
presenting your work on my
"Colleagues List."
--
I continue to try to evolve with the
times and to meet one basic need.
That is - to help you discover books
whose message is important to know -
whether you eventually buy the
title or not. If you do wish to secure
a particular copy, I try to point you to
the most economical distributor.
Today, for good or ill, that distributor
is usually Amazon.
Thanks for the opportunity to share
these thoughts with you my readers.
--
Oh yes, I might add that I have written
up to 900 or more reviews and notices
over a period of twenty-five years.
*****
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS
RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX
Personal Website
February 2nd, 2014
"Our Struggle for Empathy and Generativity"
http://tinyurl.com/lmovsc2
--
JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC
Personal Web Log
February 5th, 2014
"Much Ado About Nothing"
http://tinyurl.com/lzp35xs
--
ISABEL GIBSON
Ottawa, ON
A New Poet
Linda Pastan
Finding a new poet
is like finding a new wildflower
out in the woods. You don't see
its name in the flower books, and
nobody you tell believes
in its odd color or the way
its leaves grow in splayed rows
down the whole length of the page. In fact
the very page smells of spilled
down the whole length of the page. In fact
the very page smells of spilled
red wine and the mustiness of the sea
on a foggy day - the odor of truth
and of lying.
on a foggy day - the odor of truth
and of lying.
And the words are so familiar,
so strangely new, words
you almost wrote yourself, if only
so strangely new, words
you almost wrote yourself, if only
in your dreams there had been a pencil
or a pen or even a paintbrush,
if only there had been a flower.
or a pen or even a paintbrush,
if only there had been a flower.
*****
NET NOTES
ALICE WALKER AT 70
Reading Her Poetry
Englewood Review of Books
February 7th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/k9z8alm
--
WHICH GLOBAL CHURCH?
WCC and Pentecostal Assemblies
The Two Global Bodies Compared
The Christian Century
January 21st, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/kv5p3ny
--
ORDER DENOUNCES FOUNDER
Highly Unusual Development
Reuters Religion News
February 7th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/lwm2brp
--
SONY WORLD PHOTO AWARDS 2014
Global Competition for Striking Pix
The Atlantic Online
February 4th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/qdjh9db
--
THE AMISH PRACTICE OF SHUNNING
Practice Explored in Documentary
Christian Post
February 6th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/kabbwny
--
UK - A UNIQUE CHURCH ARRANGEMENT
Queen, Canterbury and Catholic Church
The Tablet, UK
February 7th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/k8mz3qb
--
HOW EVOLUTION HELPS ME TRUST GOD
Deeper Look at the Issue by
Evangelical Christian Emily Maynard
Sojourners Online
February 7th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/kpahzpp
--
CHRISTY CLARK - POLITICIAN OF FAITH
British Columbia Premier Tells Her Story
Anglican Journal
February 7th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/lv82sms
--
Two Current Religious Freedom Issues -
TRINITY SEES FREEDOMS AT RISK
Warns Alumni About State Controls
Globe and Mail
February 6th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/n3mc5fs
--
UN COMMITTEE BLASTS VATICAN
Critical of Child Abuse and Abortion
Airiang News Asia (Video Report)
February 6th, 2013
http://tinyurl.com/lktdoyx
Vatican Rejects UN Panel's Critical Verdict
The Guardian, UK
February 5th, 2013
http://tinyurl.com/m2lnuqg
Church Isn't Only Institution to Close Ranks
Transparency is Common Challenge
The Guardian, UK
February 6th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/l84q43a
--
FAITH HELPS ATHLETE ACHIEVE OLYMPIC DREAM
Canadian's Spirituality and the 2014 Winter Games
Western Catholic Reporter
February 2nd, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/l7a7sob
*****
WISDOM OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners Online
and Plough Press, Bruderhof
"Pay attention to what I tell you: whoever
you may be, always have God before your
eyes; whatever you do, do it according to
the testimony of the Holy Scriptures; in
whatever place you live do not easily leave
it. Keep these three precepts and you will
be saved."
- Abba Anthony
--
"I never saw a moor, I never saw the sea;
Yet know I how the heather looks, and
what a wave must be. I never spoke with
God, nor visited in heaven; Yet certain am
I of the spot as if the chart were given."
- Emily Dickenson
--
"May suffering ones be suffering free and
the fear-struck fearless be. May the grieving
shed all grief — and the sick find health relief."
- Zen chant
--
"Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I rise.
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear, I rise.
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am
the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise. I rise. I rise."
- Maya Angelou
--
What happens to all my prayers – those that
are not answered, and those that seem to make
things worse than anyone ever anticipated?
Surely they are still sustaining me. Perhaps
there will be unexpected answers to them,
answers I may not even be aware of for years.
I cannot believe they are wasted or lost. I do
not know where they have gone, but I believe
God holds them, hand outstretched to receive
them like precious pearls.
- Madeleine L’Engle
--
How few things there are which can be proved!
Proofs only convince the mind. Who has ever
been able to prove that tomorrow will come,
and that we shall die? And what could be more
generally believed?…In short, we must rely on
faith when the mind has once perceived where
truth lies, in order to quench our thirst and color
our minds with a faith that eludes us at every
moment of the day.
- Blaise Pascal
*****
ON THIS DAY
From the Archives
of the New York Times
GEORGE VI DIES, ELIZABETH II IS QUEEN
http://tinyurl.com/b85jj85
GERMANY SURRENDERS AT STALINGRAD
http://tinyurl.com/4e378r9
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT - BILL COSBY
"The past is a ghost, the future a dream.
All we ever have is now."
(end)
_______
WINTER CLASSES
At St. David's:
LINK TO OUR CURRENT MONDAY NIGHT STUDY
50 Book Sets Sold; 35 Course Registrants
NEAR DEATH AND LIFE AFTER LIFE - Course Design
http://tinyurl.com/kvmu8o5
Study Books:
"The Light Beyond" by Raymond Moody and
"Eternal Life" by Bishop John Shelby Spong
Audio and Video Links Added as Class Develops
http://tinyurl.com/kq6ukpd
CHECK THESE LINKS
--
CLASS STILL TO BEGIN WINTER, 2014
Contact Wayne Holst 403-286-2416
waholst@telus.net
---
At the University:
LENTEN FRIDAY NOON FACULTY,
STAFF AND STUDENT STUDY
"In Search of Deep Faith" -
A Pilgrimage Among People and Places of Europe
by Jim Belcher, IVP, paperback. 2013.
February 27th - April 3rd, 2014
Six Fridays, 12-1PM. Native Centre Board Room,
Mac Hall.
Co-sponsored by St. David's United and the
U. of C. Faith and Spirituality Centre.
More information to appear shortly.
*****
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