Book Description
Take one inventive genius indebted to the friend who saved his life; add an English aristocrat hopelessly consumed with a selfish and spiritually bankrupt woman; stir together with a Faustian pact to create the perfect woman--and voilà! Tomorrow's Eve is served. Robert Martin Adams's graceful translation is the first to bring to English readers this captivating fable of a Thomas Edison-like inventor and his creation, the radiant and tragic android Hadaly. Adams's introduction sketches the uncompromising idealism of the proud but penurious aristocrat Jean Marie Mathias Philippe Auguste, Count Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, a friend and admired colleague of Charles Baudelaire, Stèphane Mallarmé, and Richard Wagner. Villiers dazzles us with a gallery of electronic wonders while unsettling us with the implications of his (and our) increasingly mechanized and mechanical society. A witty and acerbic tale in which human nature, spiritual values, and scientific possibilities collide, Tomorrow's Eve retains an enduring freshness and edge.
Customer Reviews:
entertaining and unexpectedly deep.......2005-07-08
Is birdsong still beautiful once it has been scientifically explained as the product of bland mechanical phenomena, acoustic vibrations, and animal tissues, cells, and atoms? Is it better not to know these details, and simply enjoy the sound? Is it better to reject reality and live in a fantastic world of your own imagination? When waking from a dream, it is easy to use reason to convince oneself that the dream was not real. But if the dream made you happy and reality makes you sad, why would you want to do so? Could an escape into dream be so wrong? Even when in a rational state of mind, how much of your perception of the real world is filled in by your imagination, anyways?
Such are the questions addressed in this English translation of Villier's L'Eve Future---Tomorrow's Eve. The novel relates the story of a fictionalized Thomas Edison's efforts to create an Ideal artificial woman to rescue a dear lovesick friend from ending his own life in order to escape loneliness. The Ideal in this case encompasses more than physical beauty; Edison's quest focuses on endowing the machine with a beautiful soul capable of joy, sorrow, love, and an appreciation of the tragic limits faced by all mortals. But how can a machine have such human attributes? Or is it merely necessary for the lonely man simply to believe that it has?
Beneath the novel's strange love story, beneath its adventure into the frontiers of an imaginary 19th-century science, an equally engrossing philosophical argument plays itself out pitting idealism versus practical materialism, spirituality versus rationalism. Who is really the puppet, Edison or his creation? Is the artificial woman actually the product of science, or of the supernatural? Will the lovers' fate ultimately be triumphant or tragic? Tomorrow's Eve is an unusual combination of entertainment and edification.
Excruciatingly slow.......2004-02-12
This novel is hard to read because most of the 220 pages consists of a conversation between the Thomas Edison character and his friend--and Edison is a very verbose speaker. In this conversation Edison is persuading his friend to go along with the idea of replacing his fiancee with Edison's android, who can be made to perfectly resemble the fiancee but who will not be an airhead. The highlight of this dialog is when Edison catalogs a bunch of feminine beauty products to demonstrate that his friend is already dealing with the artifical: "in that case, one artifice for another, why not have the android herself?" Later on Edison makes this statement: "Since our gods and our aspirations are no longer anything but scientific, why shouldn't our loves be so, too? In place of that Eve of the forgotten legend, the legend despised and discredited by Science, I offer you a scientific Eve....In a word, I have come, I, the `Sorcerer of Menlo Park,' as they call me here, to offer the human beings of these new and up-to-date times something better than a false, mediocre, and ever-changing Reality; what I bring is a positive, enchanting, ever-faithful Illusion." This seems very relevant to today, with our browser-mediated lifestyles.
If you are patient, and are not repulsed by full-on Victorian sexism, and can overlook a lack of character development and plot, and won't be irked by a throwaway ending in the last page, then you may find this novel worthwhile. It is one of the earliest science fiction works and can be read for its curiosity value. There are a number of interesting ideas and sparkling moments.
look to the past to preview the future.......2002-06-17
this book is brilliant. it captures perfectly the obsession of the french decadent movement with the female and what the male will do to control "woman." I will not give away any details of the story, but i must say the female as vampiric, hysterical, and simply put, sick, is what the character of thomas edison in this novel tries to put an end to by making his own version of "the female" that will be better suited to the world and society, but actually selfishly, to the needs of the male, and in particular mr. edison in the novel. it is a brilliant novel and i recommend THE DECADENT READER, from which i read this novel, it contains more unknown and unfortunately unread literature from this extremely fascinating movement at the end of the nineteenth century.
Decadent masterpiece.......2001-02-16
This little known novel is a masterpiece of Decadent literature (a brief movement localized in France around the turn of the last century that was influenced mainly by the poetry of Baudelaire and the theories of evolution put forth by Darwin). It tells the story of a fictionalized Edison who builds a female cyborg to exist in place of the unattainable love object of a tortured young man. She is animated by the spirit of a ghost and has the appearance of a Venus statue. Villiers, in the decadent tradition, lauds artifice above "nature," writing characters who traverse the world of illusion as that which is more real than real, a world in which appearance and the material are everything. This book might be of particular interest to feminists: Villiers only writes women as artifical beings, hysterics, ghosts, objects of fetishism. This book is a must read for any one interested in metaphysics and the rhetoric of "image" versus "being."
Average customer rating:
- Excellent command of language
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On The Eve Of Uncertain Tomorrows
Neil Bissoondath
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| Classics
| Contemporary
| General
| Historical
| Humor
| Letters & Correspondence
| Middle
| Old
| Poetry
| Renaissance
| Shakespeare
| Short Stories
General
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Bissoondath, Neil
| ( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0517582333
Release Date: 1991-04-03 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent command of language.......1999-02-18
N. Bissoondath heralds from Trinidad, but writes in English w/ amazing skill. This book of short stories envelopes the reader time and time again in highly 'readable' poetic flutters which prove integral as the tales are told. Moving along the surface of the story, one gets hypnotized and pulled fathoms deeper in an instant by but one strategically placed sentence. For example, the tragic character in 'On the Eve...,' the title story, a tale of seeking political asylum, seems rather cardboard at first, until quite suddenly a mere sentence or added phrase fills in a multitude of 'blanks.' Then the character is known, an aquaintance, even a friend, and ultimately a part of the reader's self. N. Bissoondath is expert at doing exactly this - filling in a lot of blanks w/ very little in the way of words. These are the stories of someone undoubtedly born to write.
Average customer rating:
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New Eves: Science Fiction About the Extraordinary Women of Today and Tomorrow
Manufacturer: Longmeadow Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
Ackerman, Forrest J.
| ( A )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0681005254 |
Average customer rating:
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Tomorrow morning: [Poems]
Eve Merriam
Manufacturer: Twayne Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
ASIN: B0007EIXLW |
Average customer rating:
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CCEL Classics CD: works by Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Donne, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Avila, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, John Wesley, and more!
Dr. W. Harry Plantinga
Manufacturer: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
Mariology | Catholicism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Luther, Martin | ( L ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Augustine, Saint | ( A ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1931848076
Release Date: 2006-12-15 |
Product Description
The most important spiritual writings of Christian history are available on this Classics CD by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at Calvin College. It contains 118 Christian classics, including three versions of the Bible, several commentaries, Bible dictionaries, readings, spiritual guides, sermons, poems and journals -- all in a convenient, searchable form. Books are available in HTML and PDF formats. The easy-to-use CCEL Desktop software powering the CD enables users to browse and print books and install additional books from the Web. The top-of-class search engine can search for words or phrases in books, in authors works or in the whole library. In addition, it can search for dictionary definitions of words and commentary or references to scripture passages. The interface is a Web browser. The CD is compatible with Windows 2000+, Macintosh 10.3+, and most Linux versions.
Average customer rating:
- Reading that is a reasonably pleasant diversion.
- Marion's Wall: one of the three novels in this collection
- inconsistent quality
- Not as good as his others
- Don't Miss A Finney Book!
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Three by Finney
Jack Finney
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Anthologies | British | Canadian | General | United States
Finney, Jack | ( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
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About Time: 12 Short Stories
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FROM TIME TO TIME
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Time and Again
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The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century: Stories by Arthur C. Clarke, Jack Finney, Joe Haldeman, Ursula K. Le Guin,
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A Shortcut in Time
ASIN: 0671640488 |
Customer Reviews:
Reading that is a reasonably pleasant diversion........2005-02-06
I see that, before writing this review, the average rating for this book is 3.5 stars. That's about what I'd give it.
None of the three short novels contained in this book is a great story, but all three are entertaining enough. Good rainy-afternoon type reading.
"The Night People" was my favorite; I think it can best be described as a story about things a lot of people fantasize about doing, but would not do in reality. The characters in this story do those things, giving the reader the chance to experience them vicariously.
"Woodrow Wilson Dime" resembles -- as other reviewers have noted -- a Twilight Zone-type alternate universe idea, fleshed out into a longer story.
"Marion's Wall" was probably my least favorite of the three stories, but would be of particular interest to film buffs.
All in all, a reasonably enjoyable collection.
Marion's Wall: one of the three novels in this collection.......2004-05-29
The skeleton of the story told by Jack Finney in his 1973 novel Marion's Wall is interesting enough. Married couple Nick and Jan--and their basset hound Al--move in to the second floor of a San Francisco house where, they discover, a silent screen actress by the name of Marion Marsh had once lived. (They find her name painted on the living room wall; hence the book's title.) Marion, a brash blonde with a penchant for risk-taking, had died in a car accident just before she would have made it big: Joan Crawford, in her first role, assumed the part Marion had been cast for and won the accolades that were due her predecessor. Cheated of this glowing future, Marion's ghost, as it turns out, wants to pursue her career in 1970's Hollywood, and she inhabits Jan's body, eventually with the latter's permission, with a view to making her come-back. But what will become of Jan, now that she's sharing her body with a wanton starlet? And how frequently will Nick cheat on his wife with his wife's body? The reader's curiosity about these and other questions may be sufficient to propel him or her to the book's finish line. But getting there is a long slog.
Jack Finney, the author of, among other books, the science fiction classics Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Time and Again, is quite capable of writing compelling fiction. And Marion's Wall would have made a good short story. Unfortunately, the book is a short story's worth of material stretched out to fill a novel's worth of pages. The story has not been expanded, as might have been done, through the introduction of subplots and minor characters who make things more difficult for our protagonists. Rather, it was expanded through the accumulation of wholly unnecessary, mind-numbingly uninteresting description. Particularly in the last thirty or so pages of the book, the details come so thick and fast that one reads on just to see how many more inconsequential items the author can paint with such precision. A small example of this comes some twenty pages from the end, when Nick and Jan/Marion are let into a gate by an employee of the mansion they're calling at--a man whose only function in the story is to open that gate and who is never heard from again: "We heard a sound, a rattle, and a man on a bicycle was riding bumpily down the driveway toward us: youngish, bald, and wearing a kind of butler's uniform, though without a coat--black pants with a narrow white stripe down the sides, black and white horizontally striped vest, wing collar, bow tie." Now imagine that virtually every object our heroes come across is described as precisely.
If you want to know whether Jan ever gets her body back, or what it's like to bed the ghost of a 1920s starlet, then Marion's Wall is the book for you. But if you want to appreciate Jack Finney's writing and imagination, stick to the classics.
Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece
inconsistent quality.......2001-09-08
I've read several other Jack Finney novels. I think he has a wonderful imagination and terrific style, and I particularly like his dialogue -- witty and natural-sounding.
I thought these three stories were of mixed quality: The Woodrow Wilson Dime and Marion's Wall were excellent. The Woodrow Wilson dime is particularly good, examining the many outcomes possible from simple actions. But I thought Finney was slightly less successful with The Night People. His characters were likeable, but ultimately their actions were not believable.
That said, though, I would re-emphasize that Finney is a fine writer, and even the weakest novel here is better than many other novelists' work. And the two stronger novels are highly entertaining. And what a bargain -- three Finney works in one volume!
Not as good as his others.......2000-05-03
I bought this book because I liked the other Finney novels. This was dissappointing. He is reaching for his alternative worlds. The concepts are great, but the execution is weaker than his other books. I still like Finney, and I guess I can tell him that if I can get the damn time machine to work on schedule.
Don't Miss A Finney Book!.......2000-03-25
Jack Finney is probably best known for his story "The Body Snatchers" which was made into a movie and for his time travel adventure "Time And Again" which acquired a cult following. But, as we can see in "Three By Finney" it is his unique imagination that gives all of his stories a glow and a charm all their own. Proof of his gift is that his books have become movies. One of the three stories in this book, "Marion's Wall" was made into a movie called "Roxie" that starred actress Glenn Close in the title role. Roxie ("Marion" in the book) is a flapper whose movie career (in the early days of Hollywood) was aborted by a car accident. Roxie returns as a ghost to take up where she left off and causes all kinds of fun and confusion. A second story is about time-travel again; "The Woodrow Wilson Dime" is a tale of a man venturing back and forth in time and you'll love the varying versions of his life that are caused by his travels in time. The last of the three stories is a fanciful account of the adventures of two married couples who take to the streets of San Francisco at night to do all kinds of mischief. This story is so bizarre, funny, and wild that only Finney could have thought of it. Amazon lists a number of books by Jack Finney and every one of them is a good read; naturally some are better than others. When you are a person who reads a lot, as I am, and you find an author as gifted and interesting as Finney, you get the feeling a prospector must have when he discovers a big pocket of gold. Some authors - like the two people who wrote (separately) "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "The Sand Pebbles" - only wrote one book. While you love those books, you are forever disappointed that the authors never wrote more. But an author like Finney, who left us with a number of well-written, imaginative stories, is a mother-lode for those new readers who have not yet discovered him.
Average customer rating:
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Three American Composers
Edith Borroff
Manufacturer: Univ Pr of Amer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0819153729 |
Book Description
Traces the power shift from the apprentice/conservatory system of training composers to the university system, which took place in the United States from 1925-1975. Describes how this change influenced the works of three renowned American composers: Irwin Fischer, Ross Lee Finney, and George Crumb.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Fund Raising Management, published by Hoke Communications, Inc. on November 1, 1991. The length of the article is 3008 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The miracle workers. (Sigma Theta Tau International raise $5 million in three years)(includes related article) (Cover Story)
Author: Jan Dearmin Finney
Publication:
Fund Raising Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 1991
Publisher: Hoke Communications, Inc.
Volume: v22
Issue: n9
Page: p28(6)
Article Type: Cover Story
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
During my fifty years as a science-fiction writer I've often ventured into the invention of alternative worlds of possibility - history that never happened, but perhaps should have -- which I find opens up the sort of infinite ranges of speculative thought that have made s-f so much fun for me. In this piece I explain what the science-fiction genre of :"alternative reality" is all about and show, step by step, how I went about creating the alternative world that was the basis of ROMA ETERNA, my most ambitious work in that form.
Customer Reviews:
Robert's Musings.......2006-05-01
I enjoyed reading this essay, though it was not really practical in a nuts and bolts sort of way. The idea that all fiction is an "alternate reality" is quite true, and is something we all ought to bear in mind as we hone our craft. Philosophical musings aside, the body of the essay is devoted to a description of how Mr. Silverberg came up with a plausible scenario in which Rome would not fall for his book Roma Eterna. He eliminates Christianity by keeping the Hebrews captive in Egypt for thousands of years. He also has someone kill off Mohammed (of course, Mohammed never would have heard of monotheism had he not been influenced by his Christian wife...but we'll let him get away with that one) So the pagan and powerful empire lives on. In any case, this is an interesting essay, but not a particularly useful one if you are looking for practical tips for creating that alternative reality. Cheers!
Title does not match content.......2005-10-26
I expected significantly better information about the topic. I would have, at the VERY least, expected a listing of considerations with a brief description of detail level requirements. This has none of that
For example, I would have expected something like the following:
civilization level - describe relevant details, any multiple types (aborigine, horse/cart, tool levels, etc.)
technologies - describe those that impact the story line (ax to ray gun)
standards of living - define food, work, social strata
characters - social standing, financial status, morality, childhood, etc.)
This was more of an essay of reflection than the usefulness indicated by the title.
Interesting essay.......2005-08-26
Robert Silverberg has lots of practice writing interesting non-fiction articles due to his longstanding "Reflections" column in _Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine_. This essay proves no exception. Less of a how-to guide and more of a meditation on the nature of fiction in general and alternate realities/alternate histories specifically, Silverberg covers several topics in these 16 pages. He mentions several of the most famous alternate history stories, discusses the building of the alternate reality of his recent novel _Roma Eterna_, and comments about autobiographical fiction. The autobiographical fiction remarks are interesting, since they relate to his famous novel _Dying Inside_.
Book Description
"In this collection of sixty prayers . . . Chris Glaser opens new vistas to us in prayer, discipleship, and the relationship between spirituality and sexuality. . . . This book is a classic in devotional literature which one will return to again and again".--Merrill M. Follansbee, co-founder of the Sacramento chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
Customer Reviews:
Serious and sincere... pity it feels prejudiced to me.......1998-08-24
On the whole I find its contents inspiring my prayer and meditation. I find it a great pity that, coming from a protestant (I'm a catholic myself) it doesn't explore to the full the "theology of the cross" wich is such a precious jewel of reformed church that the roman church has been redescovering. On the contrary, it sounds at times as inspired by a "theology of glory", an old pecadillo of catholicism if it gets dominant. On reading this book one is aware of the profound suffering of homosexual people (hence why call us "gay" totally depasses my compreension) but one is even more aware that the author is struggling for a right to exist in the city of Man and the city of God, as if it was not our duty do change and as if conversion (litterally turning oneself toward something new) wasn't our main calling as christians. But on the whole I acknowlege the author has a strongly positive attitude and I thank him for it as I am impressed by his earnest will to get intimate with God. Also the author seems to place within the setting of evangelical values the awareness of a need to be healed...and this seems crucial for any man or woman seeking God, homosexual people not less (at least) than all the rest of mankind. Anyway this is certainly a good and usefull reading. Thanks for it
Excellent daily meditation and prayer book.......1997-05-16
Chris' book is an excellent prayer guide. I found
it very user friendly. Its not focused on any
particular issue (e.g. AIDS or coming out). It tends to be more mainstream Protestant in content. Excellent book to assist in your daily meditations.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Book.......2006-12-07
It keeps me company. Glaser's daily meditations are a gift for all gay men and women. Please do yourself a favor and read his other wonderful book Reformation of the Heart,
Very inspirational and comforting reading!.......2000-03-19
This is the first book by Chris Glaser that I have read. I friend of mine gave it to our priest (Roman Catholic!)shortly before he had died. My priest gave it to me. It has become a daily ritual in my life, bringing me closer to my self, my God, and my true queer self. This is Definately a must read for gay/lesbian/bi/transgendered Christians everywhere!
Wonderful book of mediation.......2000-01-02
Just like the Christian daily devotionals we have all grown accustomed to, this delightful book fits in the palm of your hand, and is arranged by the day of the year, with a scripture for each day. A short story follows with application to gays and lesbians, as well as a short prayer. Very inspirational.
Customer Reviews:
A Deeply Spiritual Book.......2006-12-07
Glaser's books are for me beautiful gifts. I also highly recommend his other volume The Word is Out. This Reformation of the Heart offers nurturing and insightful meditations for each day of each season of the Church. It's the first thing I do in the morning after breakfast. I sit down and read Glaser's meditation for that day. He shows that to be gay has a profoundly spiritual meaning.
Book Description
A new prayer book honoring the sacred gay and lesbian life.
Customer Reviews:
Celebrating the Sacredness of Sexual Oorientation.......2002-08-01
This is a fine prayer book that is simultaneously steeped in the tradition of Christian hours and sensitive to the lives of lesbians and gay men. It contains the time-honored morning and evening prayer, but it is more than just a conventional Psalter. With its devotional prayers, this book of hours marks the times of joy and sorrow in the lives of gay and lesbian Christians. Bill Storey has included prayers for a coming-out party, the gift of a spouse, and a holy union; he has also incorporated prayers for times of sickness and abandonment by family and friends, as well as prayers for enemies. In these prayers for special occasions and for the everyday, Storey demonstrates a deep awareness of the spirituality, the joys, difficulties, and the predicaments of lesbians and gay men. His prayers tenderly address a God who loves the hearts, minds, and bodies of gay people. Storey's "Book of Prayer" will nourish those who use it and make them clap their hands with holy glee.
the good scribe.......2002-06-30
A saying of Jesus applies well to Dr. Storey's "A Book of Prayer": "Every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of Heaven is like the steward who brings forth from his store room things both old and new." The "new" in this book include eloquent prayers for the good stewardship of our human sexuality, and laments for the loss of certain dear relationships that coming-out usually entails for gay people. The Ceremony of Holy Union, offered with many prayer alternatives, will surely influence most future gay ceremonies of life commitment. "Old" in this book is the masterful marshalling of scripture and liturgical tradition is every section--and, going back to Jesus Himself is a confidence, visible throughout Dr. Storey's book, in the almost reckless accessibility of God.
Book Description
One of the most divisive issues in the church today concerns the place of lesbian and gay persons. Should the church sanction same-gender relationships? Should gay and lesbian people be allowed to serve as ordained ministers? These questions and many more spawn endless debate and create winners and losers. A better way to respond to this pain and confusion is to make use of a process of discernment. Listening to the Spirit presents a process of discernment that helps us to listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance as we consider the question, What is the gospel message to our church as we relate to gay and lesbian Christians? This question is addressed through a process that will help Christians approach the issues throughtfully, theologicaly, and prayerfully. There are no set answers or preconceived outcomes. The books was written by the Discernment Committee on the Participation of Gay and Lesbian Persons in the Life of the Church. This committee represents a broad range of theoological beliefs surrounding the issue.
Customer Reviews:
Let those who can hear, hear..........2004-12-23
One of the 'hot-button' issues in the church today is homosexuality. Almost every major denomination has had to make some sort of statement regarding the issue at regional, national and international levels within the past few years. This is an issue that often generates more heat than light, as they say, because it touches deeply-held convictions and emotions that go to the core of identity as human beings as well as what it means to be a Christian. If recent history is any guide, it serves to tell us that this issue is far from over, and the discussions, debates, and arguments are a long way from being settled in any definitive and satisfactory manner.
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is one of the mainline denominations currently struggling to find answers to this issue. Different regions have different policies about acceptance; even within regions, it is often a local matter as to whether a congregation is going to be 'gay-friendly' or adhere to 'traditional values' (there are other labels that might apply, and I must also state having applied these that I do agree that labeling on the whole is generally unhelpful). This book, designed by a committee within the CC(DoC) appointed by General Minister Richard Hamm, seeks to use the process of discernment to approach the issue, rather than more directly-oppositional forms of engagement. The committee was formed from a diverse group of people, including seven women and seven men; it intentionally included three people who were gay or lesbian as well as three people whose idea of homosexuality is that it is a sin.
Discernment can be a long process, and indeed, true discernment is never completely finished. Discernment doesn't force issues or call for votes, but rather waits and listens as people share their stories, their understanding of biblical stories and texts, share worship experiences, and assumes no specific outcome by a particular timetable.
This is a practical guide, designed for use in congregation or regional-sized groups. While it is designed specifically with the CC(DoC) denominational structure in mind, it can be readily adapted to almost any particular framework. There are sample worship liturgies to be used by the groups, Bible studies and recommended questions for consideration, and suggestions for further work. The book divides the process into seven stages, but these are not meant to be applied for a set time period of seven weeks or seven months; certain stages may take longer, and other stages may take less time.
As the chapter on preparation makes clear, there will be times (regardless of what side one finds oneself) where there will be disagreement and discomfort with the process, and perhaps with others engaged in the process. This is to be expected, and should be accepted as part of the 'cost' of doing the important work of discernment.
The text gets high marks from me for referring to scholars in the fields of theology, biblical studies, and ministry such as Luke Timothy Johnson and Walter Wink. The bibliography is a valuable resource. It also gets high marks from me for not having a bias against either side, but rather works to bring all voices to the table for inclusion and understanding.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful book! .......2007-05-13
My church loves this book so much that we gave away 300 at Pride! The book is perfect either for individual study or for small groups. So many at Pride who read the introduction said that the book seemed as though it was written just for them. The Sundays after Pride, we had new people each week at my church, who came carrying their Reconciling Journey books ready to work through them.
Reconciling Journey leads the reader through his/her own history of faith and view of God that came out of that experience, and then chapter-by-chapter helps the reader to explore what it means to be a gay or lesbian Christian. Each chapter builds on the previous chapter. When I worked through this book in a group at my church, it was the first time I felt like the stories in the Bible were also my own as a gay person. It was also the first time that I realized that my view of who God hadn't matured as I matured.
The book is a 9-week workbook, easy-to-read, easy-to-understand with questions that prompt the reader to explore his or her own experience with God and the church. [...]. She does a wonderful job of pulling all of her training and experience together in this book.
I highly recommend Reconciling Journey to any gay or lesbian person looking to deepen his/her walk with God. I also recommend Reconciling Journey for any church looking for gay-affirming, God-affirming curriculum for gay and lesbian Christians, especially those who are returning to their Christian roots or those who are looking to form friendships with other gay and lesbian Christians.
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Daring to Speak Love's Name: A Gay and Lesbian Prayer Book
Elizabeth Stuart
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0241133351 |
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For Another Flock: Daily Advent And Christmas Meditations For Gay And Lesbian Christians
Jeffrey R. Lea
Manufacturer: Pilgrim Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0829816127 |
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- A Box of Dreams: Original Trade Paper
- A Mouthful of Air: Language, Languages...Especially English
- A Week in Winter: A Novel
- Adrift on the Nile
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