Summer into fall reading

This summer was busy and felt longer than usual. I had an ambitious list of potential reading, but good intentions take a back seat to real life. However, here are some of the books I finished over the past few months.

The Paper Magician - Charlie Holmberg. The premise is an alternative history of late 19th - early 20th century England where magicians are trained to work with a specific material like paper,  glass, or metal. It sounded promising, but the vibe was too modern. I just couldn't buy the heroine living unchaperoned with her mentor and cooking penne pasta. This was author's first novel, so I will give her some slack, but I doubt I will read any more books in this series. For an example of an alternative history with magic that captures the time period well - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

One Nation Under God - How Corporate America Invented Christian America - Kevin Kruse. Another book in my quest to understand how we got to where we are today. Kruse documents the influence of big industry on religious leaders to preserve America from the threat of communism and socialism and protect capitalism. Their method was rousing religious nationalism. This was grimly fascinating.

Another One Bites the Crust - H.Y. Hanna. I've been listening to this series via Audible. The heroine is an Oxford tea shop owner who has a knack for finding dead bodies and solving the murders with help from her cat and her CID boyfriend. These are very light, but sometimes you need a break from the grimly fascinating.

Christ the Lord: The Reformation and Lordship Salvation - Michael Horton, ed. This book has multiple authors (Horton is the editor and one of the contributors) on the Lordship salvation debate and how both sides are inconsistent with the historically reformed view. This is worth reading given the recent debates on whether justification has more than one stage, namely is there such a thing as "final" justification? (My answer: No.)

Believe Me: The Evangelical Road to Donald Trump - John Fea. Fear, power, and nostalgia are what drove Evangelicals to vote for Trump, according to the author. As a historian, he goes back to the past to show that this playbook is nothing new, but an established pattern in Christian America. Also grimly fascinating. Longer review here.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel Van der Kolk. I listened to an audio version and had to get the book. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Thus it makes perfect sense that trauma can leave lasting physical and psychological marks. After reading this, I am not ditching Christianity for psychotherapy, but treatments (used with wisdom of course) may be God's kindness in helping to alleviate the long-term effects of trauma. The spiritual component is omitted, but the book is still thought-provoking. e.g. An actor works with veterans with PTSD to perform ancient Greek tragedies. These tragedies have war themes and the original actors would have been veterans. This catharsis has made a big difference for the vets (and their families) by giving them a way to voice the emotions that may be bottled up inside.

American Exceptionalism and Civil Religion: Reassessing the History of an Idea - John Wilsey. This may be one of the best books I've read this year even if it is in the grimly fascinating category. Wilsey defines 2 types of exceptionalism - closed and open. The closed version takes themes from Protestant theology and applies them to this country. This blurs the lines between the kingdom of God and America. Thus history is looked at through rose-colored glasses. Inaccurate at best. Revisionist at worst. Open exceptionalism recognizes the qualities and contributions of America while acknowledging the good and bad throughout its history and among its people. Wilsey looks at 5 concepts of closed exceptionalism and traces their history to the present - chosen nation, divine commission, innocence, sacred land, and glory. Regarding the last theme of glory, Wilsey critiques 3 popular Christian homeschool curricula on how they perpetuate the ideal of a glorious past golden age and gloss over issues like slavery. If I have time, I want to write a longer review because I think his insight is valuable.

How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in a Divided Age - Jonathan Leeman. While this book deals with the current polarizing political climate, it is more pastoral and applicable to the local church. How should Christians engage in the public square or politics? To what extent and for what aim? How should saints within the same local church deal with disagreement over political/social issues? There's a lot of good food for thought.

Raise Your Voice - Kathy Khang. As a Korean immigrant now American citizen, Khang grew up in a culture where you stay silent and defer to your elders. She learned as a minority to not make waves with the majority. But in spite of the pressure to remain silent, she learned to raise her voice and speak about issues that concern her. This book offers practical advice on cultivating one's "voice" and engaging in person and on social media. While I don't agree with all of the book, there is a lot I can relate to as someone with a similar cultural background who is learning to speak her mind.

Tempting Faith - David Kuo. After working in Republican circles as a speechwriter and aid to William Bennett, Kuo was tapped for President Bush's faith-based and community charity initiative. This was his dream come true as a Christian and firm believer in compassionate conservatism. However, he realized that it was less about representing Christian interests for the overall good of the nation and more about getting the evangelical vote. Kuo ended up resigning and only wrote his story after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It's not a bitter or angry book but one that expresses his sadness over how Christians are often courted and used for political ends, which is done by both major parties. Kuo suggests a 2-year fast from politics for Christians. Not abstaining from voting but taking the resources that would go towards lobbying organizations and putting it towards caring for people in our own communities.

She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversion, and Potential of Heredity - Carl Zimmer. This book is a history of the study of genetics and heredity written for popular audience. I listened to an audio version, and it was fascinating and sobering from scientific and ethical perspectives. Given how much could possibly go wrong, it's God's mercy that it doesn't. The book also covered up-to-date research and some rather unusual genetic anomalies. I borrowed a print copy from the library just to make sure sources were cited. There was a hefty bibliography and copious end notes, so I felt reassured.