Books

I dropped the side bar of books a while back because I could never keep up with it. But here are a few of the current books on my plate: C. Stephen Jaeger, The Envy of Angels. Jaeger teaches around the corner at the University of Washington. This is a fascinating study of the cathedral schools that existed around 950-1100 A.D. Jaeger’s thesis revolves around the concept of ‘charismatic education’, an educational experience based upon the personality and personal interaction with instructors. Stanely Hauerwas, The Hauerwas Reader. Hauerwas is a professor of ethics at Duke Divinity School. I started with Unleashing Scripture, an essay followed by a series of sermons on the subject of the Word of God and its rightful place within the community of the Christian Church. I’ve really enjoyed Hauerwas so far. Just one quote: “Any religion that doesn’t tell you what to do with your pots and pans and genitals can’t be interesting.” (Actually that’s Chuck Primus, an instructor from Notre Dame, but quoted by Hauerwas and thoroughly in keeping with his rhetoric.) John Millbank, et al, Radical Orthodoxy. Millbank was Peter Leithart’s advisor at Cambridge. I haven’t gotten any further than the introduction, but I’m curious and look forward to more.