Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A Scandalous Woman and Two Book Reviews

For Lent V, the first Sunday of Passiontide as far as I am concerned, (at the abbey we start singing the passion hymns that Sunday. After all, they are the best office hymns of the liturgical year) I posted some thoughts on the Gospel about that woman who scandalized the disciples and who continue to scandalize us up to the present day. I draw comparisons with its parallels in the synoptic Gospels. A Scandalous Woman as Extravagant as Jesus.

My blog isn't particularly a review site but I've come across to books (well, one is a trilogy) that I think so significant that I have given both a blog post.

"Stupid" Galatians, Stupid Us reviews the book "Galatians Re-imagined" by Brigitte Kahl. This book breaks a lot of new ground, ground that opens up several more layers for a Girardian reading of the epistle. I hope my comments get several of you interested in following it by getting the book.

A City Consumed by Buying and Selling reviews the Agora Trilogy by David Whitley, whose publication has recently been completed with the third volume. As I've shared before, there are several really good Y/A novels that are dealing with issues of mimetic desire and the social dynamics derived from that. The Agora Trilogy is outstanding for its depth of social mimetic processes, both good and very bad. I hope anybody who is open to reading this sort of story and/or works with young people will look into this. Maybe somebody can pass this on to people in youth ministry or education. I have started some correspondence with the author with a link to my review. He has responded and said that he has looked over my blog and is intrigued with the Girardian ideas developed there.

Holy Week is close at hand. Stay tuned for posts for Maundy Thursday and the Easter Vigil.

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