(Ir)religiosity

I am taking a free, no-credit reading French course this semester.  The primary text is Karl Sandburg’s French for Reading.  Languages are not my strong suit, so I am hoping to obtain some French texts to begin working through on my own.  I am wondering if anyone might have some suggestions.  Obviously I am not looking for the complexity and difficulty of, say, Derrida (though I hope to get there at some point!).  Something relatively easy and straightforward would be best.  It would be even better if it were related to theological, biblical, or philosophical studies, but I doubt that those areas will be best to start with.

Thoughts?

In keeping with the precedent I set last year, here are my top ten movies of 2008.

10.) Ironman
9.) The Happening
8.) Tropic Thunder
7.) Righteous Kill
6.) Burn After Reading
5.) Wall-E
4.) W.
3.) Frost/Nixon
2.) Milk
1.) The Dark Knight

Ten Movies I wanted to see but haven’t yet:

Appaloosa
Wanted
The Spirit
Slumdog Millionaire
Pineapple Express
Doubt
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Get Smart
Che
In Bruges

The Two Lamest Movies I Saw All Year:

10,000 BC
The Day the Earth Stood Still

Six Mediocre Movies:

Cloverfield
Hancock
Vantage Point
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Step Brothers

10 Movies I’m Excited to See in 2009:

Watchmen
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
Public Enemies
Angels & Demons
Terminator: Salvation
Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian
Where the Wild Things Are
S. Darko
Boondock Saints II:  All Saints Day

What were your favorite/least favorite films of 2008?

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Last year I came up with a number list of all the books I read.  I’m not doing that this time mainly because I’ve read too many good books this year and trying to order them all would be too hard and unfair.  What follows is a list of most of the books I read this year.  I think it is almost exhaustive.  It was harder to remember than I anticipated.

How (Not) to Speak of God & The Fidelity of Betrayal - (5/5 Stars) I have to list both of them together because they complete each other.  They are by far the best books I read this year, forcing me to rethink my ideas about God.  I’m a huge fan of Rollins’s work now and all my future theological and philosophical reflection will be done in the aftermath of these important books

Jesus for President – (4/5 Stars) The ideas in this book are hardly new (I’m thinking here of Hauerwas, Yoder, et al) but as always, Shane Claiborne’s way of putting things very refreshing, iconoclastic, and deeply relevant.  I loved the design of the book.  The visual imagery transmitted the message in a way that mere words could not.

Jesus Wants to Save Christians – (4/5 Stars) This is Rob Bell’s third book and, in my opinion, it is his best.  I enjoyed Velvet Elvis, and I guess in a way it had to precede anything else he would write, but the themes and subject of matter of this one were very poignant.  Bell and Golden begin with Genesis and work through the scriptures tying everything together within a “new exodus” paradigm (And apparently, there is something the pattern on the book cover.  I don’t think I’m smart enough to figure it out).

The Great Emergence – (4/5 Stars) This was my first Phyllis Tickle book to read.  She is a wonderful writer, I almost wish the book had been longer.  The overall argument — that every 500 or so years the church has an identity crisis and has to reform itself and that we are living in the midst of such a crisis right now — is fascinating.  For that reason, I think this will be an important book for years to come.

The New Christians - (4/5 Stars) I’ve heard Tony Jones speak before and I follow his blog, but this was the first of his books for me to read.  It is the best history/description of the emerging/gent church to date in my opinion and it was badly in need of being written.  I will be referencing this book often when persons ask me what the emerging church is all about. Read the rest of this entry »