My first Christian reading group March 18, 2009
Posted by Zack in Missouri , trackbackIt finally happened! I was invited to a Christian reading group. We’re reading a book called Reading in Communion. We meet at Homer’s, the Christian coffee shop I wrote about a few weeks ago, a place that’s filled with several study and discussion groups at 7:30am.
I lost my book somehow — at least I couldn’t find it yesterday when I went to catch up on the reading. (This is our 4th week, but I was out of the country for the last two.) So I had a flashback to grade school when I had to admit I didn’t have my book. A friend let me read along in his. It was completely marked up, notes in the margins and big highlighted chunks everywhere.
We talk some about the book. And talk some about other stuff. It is great.
Meanwhile, a friend from the secular lefty side of my life is telling me I should read the McCullough bioraphy of John Adams. She suggested we try to get a reading group set up! Of course, she grew up a fundamentalist Christian before rebelling and leaving that culture in college. I know that it’s not only Christians who do reading groups. In fact, my parents each had a book group for decades. But I can’t think of a single book group that’s taking place among all of my progressive/lefty friends — and they’re a pretty intellectual and engaged group. Actually, there is one acquaintance who is attending a group — but it’s a Christian Bible study group that he’s attending out of curiosity!
This gave me an idea to survey 20 friends on the left side of my life and 20 on the Christian side and see how many reading groups they’ve heard of in their circles. Maybe I’ll do that.
Tag: study groups
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I don’t have a Christian/non-Christian reading group. But I chat with my Anabaptist friend about Slavoj Zizek and N.T. Wright’s books, and my Buddhist colleague and I compare notes over Faulker, Fitzgerald and Dostoevsky. So it’s more of a one-on-one thing than a group effort.
I wish I could find a reading group. I enrolled in a seminar on Marx’s Capital Vol. 1 but had to drop out to make sure I was actively looking for work and keeping up with other courses. I would love to start a Marx reading group, but I am no expert and I think that at least one member would have to be someone with some expertise.
Welcome to the world of book groups, Zack. Mine just marked its 24th anniversary. It’s been a great run. Sometimes we even discuss the book! Love, Dad.
Look at this book and leave a comment for the author. He is trying to get published but it is hard to get published and even harder for a book on faith.
http://totally-unexpected.blogspot.com/2009/04/totally-unexpected-initial-comments.html
Hi Zack,
At the risk of being self-serving, may I recommend “The Wordsmith, the Kid & the Electrolux”? It has been reviewed by Reformer Reader saying,”Preachers of sermons and hearers of sermons need to read books like this! It reminds us that the Christian faith is not a bunch of flat propositional statements, but a dramatic 3-D story of sin, salvation, and service.”
If you’re interested in it for your group I could send you a complementary copy. If you are contact me at cleigh@evergreene.com