Book Update

I

I am pleased to announce that, in spite of the fact that Wrightianism invariably leads to serious moral impairments, our friend Mark Stevens appears to have retained a modicum of decency and justice and consequently has chosen me as the winner of his book giveaway. Many thanks to him! Upon arrival, my shiny new copy of  The Resurrection of the Son of God will join the following titles by N. T. Wright already in my library:

That is, from left to right: The New Testament and the People of God, Jesus and the Victory of God, The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is, Paul: In Fresh Perspective, The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions (with Marcus Borg), Scripture and the Authority of God (=The Last Word), and Colossians and Philemon (TNTC). Tragically missing is my copy of the first book by Wright I ever read, What St Paul Really Said, which must have shared the fate of the other mysteriously lost titles from my collection. I have thought about replacing it, but then it will surely become redundant when Wright’s “big book on Paul” is finally published.

(N.B.– I am well aware that the above is bound to chill our friend Jim West‘s blood. That, frankly, is part of the point.)

II

Readers will undoubtedly recall the entirely uncharacteristic apologia I posted several weeks ago. In it I mentioned a book by Protopresbyter James Thornton, The Œcumenical Synods of the Orthodox Church: A Concise History, whose absence from my collection I offered as a definitive refutation of the calumnies brandished against my person by certain lewd fellows of the baser sort. In a surprising turn of events, some kind soul alerted Fr James to my post, and in a comment he kindly offered to send along not only an inscribed copy of the book in question, but also a copy of his most recent homiletical compilation, Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy: Sermons on the Lives and Works of the Patriarchs and Prophets of the Old Testament (Etna: CTOS, 2010)!

Needless to say, I am profoundly grateful to Fr James for his kindness. I regret that I have not yet had the time for anything but a limited perusal of the book on the Œcumenical Synods, but in general I have found whatever sections I have read to be at once carefully nuanced and uncompromisingly traditional—a rare feat indeed. With his homilies on the lives and works of the Old Testament Saints I have, happily, been able to spend more time, as they tie directly into my daily reading of the Old Testament. These fine homiletical jewels beckon the reader to the warm Christian piety they evince, and to the faithful embrace of the Tradition they exemplify. I wholeheartedly recommend this book as an Orthodox companion to the reading of the Old Testament.

III

Looking back on earlier posts, I realized that I have not yet posted the second part of my Annual Book Report for 2009 (!). This exercise, I will admit, is undoubtedly more useful to me personally than to anyone else, but perhaps it will alert someone to a publication they may have missed, or else encourage them to finally purchase a title they may have momentarily forgotten. In any case, I expect to post the second part of the report before the end of the week.