BOOKS THAT MERIT ATTENTION

40 Days with God. Time Out to Journey through the Bible by Kent Hickey, Paraclete Press, 2021. “With God, toward God, in short time and tight spaces” as the author states. These short “every day” reflections (Breezy Days, The Croucher, etc.) on a passage of scripture entice us to remember the God who is always with us, always in our midst. Humor throughout.

Thunder In The Soul: To Be Known by God, by Abraham Joshua Heschel, Plough Publishing, 2021. Heschel was an extraordinary person, whom I teach as the most important Jewish leader of the Twentieth Century; his writings influenced Christianity as much as Judaism. Action in defense of Justice was the ultimate prayer for him. And “God is where you let God in.” This is a fine introduction to Heschel for all who are not familiar with this extraordinary rabbi.

Is This All There Is? On Resurrection and Eternal Life, by Gerhard Lohfink, Liturgical Press, 2017. Lohfink is one of my favorite authors. In clear language, grounded in serious scholarship yet written for the non-specialist, Lohfink explores sources that have influenced some of our thinking and our questions around death, dying, and what happens next. His attitude is respectful and positive. Maybe this is a good choice for your Lenten reading.

The Color of Compromise. The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism, by Jemar Tisby, Zondervan, 2021. The Bible has been used to justify slavery, then Jim Crow Laws, to resist the Civil Rights movement. How do people of faith justify racism (the judgment of people for how they look)? This is well- written. Our Oblate community and Sisters have been reading and discussing racist policies.