Books!

I read quite a lot - you might have noticed from my earlier posts. And lately I've been reading a lot of religion books. Since this is my first daily update I figured I'd keep the content pretty light, and just let you all know what religion-related books I've been reading/intend to read soon.

1. What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola Rahula - Having asked the one close Buddhist friend I have what she thought about this book, she advised me that it was a pretty solid introduction. There are subsets and sects within Buddhism, as there are in any major religion, but this is a wonderful start if you're trying to understand the broad picture.

I have a pretty much scholarly interest in Buddhism but the lightness of being I felt when reading this book was a wonderful thing. There is a lot about Buddhism that makes a solid logical sense. It was this that really encouraged me to learn more about it, particularly since the Buddhists I know are journalists or scientists by trade. Whether you want to identify Buddhism as religious, philosophical, or otherwise, it is ultimately comforting and joyful, and I feel very satisfied knowing more about it.

2. The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis - I am a huge fan of Lewis, as is probably anybody who grew up going to Catholic school and reading the Chronicles of Narnia. As I got older I grew into his Out of the Silent Planet series. With Screwtape, feel like I'm finally reading a Lewis book meant solely for adults. I'm about a quarter of the way through, and the premise is entertaining, the concepts of demons and devils keep the book lively, and I am yet again happy to read the indirect meditations of a great Christian scholar. As far as I can tell, the book contains numerous prescriptions against temptation and for greater peace in one's life. There might be no writer so convincing of Christianity's virtues and yet so cognizant of the faults of the churches which represent it.

3. Confessions, by Augustine of Hippo - I have yet to really delve into this book, but simply happy to read what is essentially the inner struggle of a saint. Few Catholic saints are regarded as Augustine's intellectual equal, and perhaps what lies behind that is the description of his redemption. I would welcome any reader's comments to help me through this book: passages I should meditate on, ones that mean much to you. Let me know what I should look for in Augustine's Confessions.

Jezebel!

Recently I finished reading Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen. It's anteresting historical biography of one of the Bible's greatest villains. Hazleton examines archeological findings, current Holy Land environs, biblical and modern sociology, and historical texts in her exploration of Jezebel as a woman, character, and ruler.
The book is written from a clearly modern and clearly feminist perspective, giving a refreshing and occasionally jarring view of what it means to be a harlot. So much is explored through language and derivative meaning that at poi...moren interesting historical biography of one of the Bible's greatest villains. Author Lesley Hazleton examines archeological findings, the current Holy Land environs, biblical and modern sociology, and historical texts in her exploration of Jezebel as a woman, character, and ruler.

Many people tend to think of the Bible as a book written by God, or transmitted divinely through his servants into the book. But historical evidence clearly shows that the Old Testament, at least, was written down long after the events that took place. Hazleton gives us a clear idea of the biases and goals of those ancient authors. It's not to say that the story of Jezebel in the Bible is not true, in any real sense it's as true as any story, but it is nonetheless colored by the writers and numerous editors and translators of the book of Kings.

In examining Jezebel, we can tell that the book is written from a clearly modern, feminist perspective, giving a refreshing and occasionally jarring view of what it means to be a harlot. This goes back to more than just the sexual connotations of the word, exploring the religious meaning. For example, there is a short bit of background on the word "infidel," and an interpretation of why we use the word "bitch." So much in this book is explored through language and derivative meaning that at points the connections could be a bit of a stretch.

There are also parallels to be drawn between ancient prophets and modern religious firebrands, and the deep reasons for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict today. In examining the hate that fuels much of the fighting in the Holy Land, Hazleton would contend that Elijah, deeply involved in Jezebel's story, is the forerunner of many a fundamentalist religious leader, in each of the three Abrahamic faiths.

The deep thoughts here are engaging, and I would reccomend the book highly to anybody looking to know more about how the Bible was written. I fully intend to read Hazleton's other similar book on Mary, mother of Jesus.

Photo by ClockworkGrue