Adams, Richard. Watership Down. London: Penguin Books, 1973. 480 pages. ISBN: 0380002930

After seeing the movie (a wonderful movie by the way), I put it in the back of my mind as a "someday must-read". But low and behold, there it was under the Xmas tree. It turned out to be the second book I read in 2001. Deeply embedded in this adventure story of a small group of rabbits on the run from the growing corruption of their own rabbit-society is a spirituality that speaks of courage and a commitment to freedom. Themes of true loyalty to a vision that moves against collectivity and a demeaning and violent status-quo thread their way throughout as well. Whether you just love a good myth or enjoy socio-political and philosophical allegory, this classic will satisfy the need to be entertained as well as the need to be inspired. (respond to Bev)

Click here for a review of the book.

Adler, Mortimer & Charles Van Doren. How to Read a Book. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1972. 426 pages. ISBN: 0671212095

First published in 1940, and then again in 1970, this is a great book for any college or university student who would actually like to learn and not just jump hoops. Or for anyone who enjoys reading and learning. Adler & Van Doren show that we read to grow, and that there are 4 basic questions we ask of every book. To the extent that we ask these questions well, we begin a conversation with an author. I've started using their approach as a starting point to reading, and find I'm becoming a more alert reader. This book was very helpful in helping me interact with Barbara Gowdy's The White Bone
(respond to Linda)

Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays With Morrie. New York : Doubleday, 1997. 192 pages. ISBN: 0385484518

A truly inspiring work about the sportswriter Mitch Album's deepening relationship with his dying former college professor, Morrie. I was moved by Morrie's higher consciousness that provided him with the grace and dignity to really love life with the full knowledge of his deep limitations! As the career-obsessed Album worries that he may not truly understand the life lessons he is being taught, he receives a most foundational consolation from Morrie, that he is loved and has made a difference to someone. The story resonates with my own life-long promethean search for knowledge and the accompanying compensating call to simply accept the love I have around me. (respond to Lyle)

Alexander, Caroline. The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Exploration. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999. 211p. ISBN: 0375404031

An astonishing book about Sir Ernest Shackleton's expedition to Antartic in 1913. Shackleton is a remarkable tragic hero whose story is told with great care by Alexander. She draws on the revealing diaries of several of the crew and the stunning photographs by the ship's photographer. Shackleton had a great dream to make history in Antarctica but unlike the polar explorer Robert Walton in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, also has a good deal of wise care for the unique mix of men that comprise his crew. (respond to Dave)

Bailey, Kenneth E. The Cross and the Prodigal. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1973. 133 pages. ISBN: 0570031397

Bailey's knowledge of Middle Eastern peasant culture illuminates the parable of the prodigal son. One interpretation that shifts relates to the father's responses to his sons. We see a father who ignores his patriarchal status in favour of forgiving his younger son, but we are also shown how it is only when the son accepts responsibility for the life he has been given that true restoration happens. Bailey's fresh look at this parable invited me to read a familiar story with new eyes that see the profundity of forgiveness and the dire consequences of judgementalism.
(respond to Lorna)

 Bayley, John. Elegy for Iris. New York: Picador USA, 1999. 275 pages. ISBN: 0312253826

The Iris of Elegy for Iris is Iris Murdoch, author and modern-day philosopher. I have only read one of her novels with the hope to someday read more. This one book, although not a page-turner, definitely caught my attention for reasons I'm not even sure. Perhaps that is what led me to read the biography written by her husband. Rather than filling the pages with pedantic and plodding dates and details, Bayley risks his heart and speaks of a deep love for the uniqueness and personhood of his late wife, Iris. His honesty is spoken through moments of hilarity as he captures her eccentricity as well as many moments of sorrow as he tells us what it is to lose someone to Alzheimer’s. This work is short in length but contains a weight of dedication and love that lets the reader see a full picture of Iris Murdoch, yet wanting to know her more. (respond to Bev)

Binchy, Maeve. Evening Class. Toronto: Little, Brown Canada, 1996. 407 pages. ISBN: 0440223202

I read: Evening Class, The Copper Beech, and a book of short stories. I've enjoyed her observant descriptions of ordinary people. Her novels also have this optimism in them that I enjoy. (respond to Lydia)

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. London: SCM Press, 1959. 285 pages ISBN: 0684815001

As much as I don't feel a total affinity with his theology, I felt drawn to what lay underneath Dietrich Bonhoeffer's words and beliefs. The strength of his faith and the compassionate choices he made that moved him towards inspiring courage offered me, in a different time and place, an opportunity to reflect on the bedrock of my own faith structure. Even a year later, he still carries a presence in my consciousness - made me want to read his biography. (respond to Bev)

Borg, Marcus. Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time. San Francisco: Harper, 1995. 160 pages. ISBN: 0060609176

I read this book in a very unlikely location – the waiting room of a Winnipeg hospital. There for treatment of a minor ailment, I ended up taking the day off so I could await test results. Minutes stretched frustratingly to hours, but the silver lining was that I could read uninterrupted. Borg’s words were a balm that day. Borg stresses that relationship to Jesus, as opposed to beliefs, is at the heart of spirituality. He distinguishes between first and second-hand religion. Second-hand religion is “being religious”, believing what one has heard from others, the Bible or church doctrines, whereas first-hand religion consists of a relationship to that which the Bible and church teachings point – God . It is a life centered in God rather than outwardly in culture. I felt that the strength of the book was Borg’s telling of his own life story, a story of moving beyond belief to a heart-felt relationship. Having been steeped in religious culture as a child as Borg was, the book was an encouragement to continue my own search to “meet Jesus again for the first time.” (respond to Lydia)

I found this book to be very applicable because it spoke of the conflict between conventional and alternative wisdom in our lives. I also connected with Borg's understanding of Jesus as a "spirit-person". I really enjoy Borg's clear and "down to earth" style of writing. And I found my own purity code challenged by his emphasis on compassion. (respond to Marilyn)

Buechner, Fredrick.Telling Secrets.

In his third memoir Fredrick Buechner tells of how after making a career switch from teacher to writer he stopped living his own life and instead tried to live his children’s lives. Partly in response, his daughter became anorexic which nearly killed her. In realizing his mistake, Buechner starts dealing with his own life. He explores the metaphor of the “Little Ease” which is a tiny dungeon in the Tower of London that restricts all movement. He explores how we all have a Little Ease in our lives which prevents us from living. Identifying or naming our Little Ease is the first step in becoming free from it. Buechner also shares other helpful steps he took in reclaiming his humanity. An honest and open look at this author’s life that evokes one to do the same. (respond to Dave)

Buechner, Frederick. Telling the Truth: Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale. San Francisco: Harper&Row, 1977. 97 pages ISBN: 0060611561

A pastor weeping, his face in the mirror reflecting back to him the demise of his life... An old woman laughing dizzily at the preposterous news of pregnancy... Is this the gospel you know? Buechner approaches the mystery of the gospel by communicating creatively as much through style as through content. Using stories to illustrate the tragic element of loss, the giddy relief of comedy and the amazing gift of fairy tale (all three messages and genres present in the gospel), Buechner clearly shows how all three messages and genres are needed to fully communicate the gospel. In a world where much theological theory and explanation exists, Telling the Truth is an oasis of poetic and image-filled writing that speaks to the heart. (respond to Lorna)

Bukowski, Charsles. Post Office. Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1981. 115 pages. ISBN: 0876850867

This is an autobiographical novel of Bukowski's 12 years (the entire 60's and more) working for the U.S. Postal Service. The story is told through the eyes of a fictional character named Henry Chinaski, an self-proclaimed unemployable drunken sot who takes advantage of the lax hiring practices to begin working as a relief letter carrier one Christmas. It begins ironically with the Code of Ethics clipped from the Postal Employees manual, but as the novel unfolds it is clear that Chinaski's choices will not be based on an external authority of any kind , be it the Postal Manual, a supervisor, spouse or society. His stubborn individualism is what makes him a heroic as well as tragic figure - his choices lead him to his own inevitable self destruction but yet it is his force of personality that is immensly likeable and even trustworthy.

What I liked about this novel was its quality of observation and its humor. I enjoyed the first-person perspective and the lack of pretensive self-transcendance. It is brutish but honest, or as one critic put it, Bukowski's work is like "...words nailed to a wall." As a Postal Worker myself, I laughed out loud at the inanity of the work itself and the pretenses inherant in public service. (respond to Eldon)

Cahill, Thomas. Desire of the Everlasting Hills. New York: Anchor Books, 2001. 353 pages ISBN: 0385483724

The life of Jesus of Nazareth comes alive in this historical work that reads like a novel. Cahill is an historian (he's not writing historical fiction) but his writing style is catchy and inviting. Cahill peels back the accumulated layers of tradition and interpretation around Jesus the person, using recent scholarship and findings, and constructs a possible picture of Jesus' life. The combination of interpretation and Cahill's writing style work to bring you back 2000 years; you smell the Galilean dust after awhile. After I finished, I wanted to read more about Jesus, both scholarly work and fictional pieces. Desire of the Everlasting Hills asks me what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus today, in my post-institutional context? (respond to Linda)

Cameron, Julia. The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. New York: Putnam's, 1992. 222 pages ISBN: 0874776945

Julia Cameron's book takes its reader on a journey of self-discovery and self-recovery. Through the use of two tools, a daily writing exercise called The Morning Pages, and a weekly artist date, the reader is encouraged to connect with their own creativity. I found the book highly readable and the exercises in it prompted me to understand my own sense of creativity. Cameron's book helped me see how being connected to the Great Creator helps to bring creative solutions into my everyday life. (respond to Cal)

Carey, Peter. Jack Maggs. Toronto: Random House, 1998. 306 pages ISBN: 0679760377

Literary scholars have called Jack Maggs a post-colonial re-telling of Dickens' Great Expectations. As I read it, Jack Maggs, by the witty Australian author Peter Carey, is a deconstruction of Charles DIckens himself. The message tears apart the pretensions and presuppositions of the great man, turning the original message of Great Expectations on its head and giving us a more satisfactory resolution than the original. Carey plunks Dickens down among his characters demanding that he deal with the conundrums he so easily sets for others. It might be best to read Jack Maggs with a copy of Peter Ackroyd's biography at your side to see just how scathing his fictional critique is. Carey not only takes up the message of Dickens creatively but writes Jack Maggs with all the descriptive beauty of a Dickens novel. The 19th Century comes alive in its writhing, steaming stench and its sepia coloration, his characters are no less odious or creatively crafted. Best of all is Maggs himself a self-rehabilitated ex-con who comes to see what his expectations of his adopted son have amounted to. In following his obsession Maggs learns what can be expected and that the unexpected might be the best after all. (respond to Paul)

Carey, Peter. Oscar and Lucinda. New York: Vintage Books, 1997. 433 pages ISBN: 0679777504

I had heard about this book first as a movie and after seeing it twice in one weekend, I vowed to myself that I would read the book version as soon as possible. As good as the movie was, the book was even better. Page after page, images (both minute and majestic) build on each other and the quirky world of Oscar and Lucinda become one with the imagination of the reader. Before I knew it, I too had landed in Australia. Peter Carey creates this world using everything from tortured religion to the agony of addiction and the eccentricities of a love that is out of step with the world. A love that points beyond the "unique" towards a deep lesson in sacrifice. The imagery and symbolism is not overpowering, not overstated or overt but is nuanced enough to have made me feel that I had just read a book full of meaning. I loved it and I hope you do too. (respond to Bev)

Carey, Peter. True History of the Kelly Gang.

Carey takes us inside the life of Australia’s favourite outlaw, Ned Kelly. Carey uses broken English and little punctuation to tell the story of how Ned Kelly became wanted and hunted by the police. His details of the life of this horse thief speak of the unfairness that was experienced by so many in the Australian colony. A remarkable read. (respond to Cal)

Carr, Caleb. The Alienist. New York: Bantam Books, 1995. 599 pages ISBN: 0553572997

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It's a murder mystery set in the late 1890's in New York City. The plot revolves around a psychologist who is asked to help track a serial killer. The psychologist gathers a ragtag team of specialists around himself, a reporter, two detectives, and a female police officer . Together they search for a serial killer by trying to get into the mind of the killer to understand him and then track him. The narrative is written so well that I could see myself riding around in a horse-drawn carriage on the streets of New York. Part of what makes the book so interesting is that most of their work has to be done without using the tools of modern forensic science which were just beginning to come on the scene. I also enjoyed reading the sequel by Carr entitled Angel of Darkness. (respond to Cal)

Chilton, Bruce. Rabbi Jesus (An Intimate Biography): The Jewish Life and Teaching That Inspired Christianity. New York: Doubleday, 2000. 312 pages. ISBN: 038549792X

An imaginatively vivid yet informed biography of Jesus of Nazareth by the noted scholar Bruce Chilton. Jesus is lifted out of the two-dimensional stereotype of traditional belief and placed in the complicated social, religious and political world of first century Galilee and Judaea. Jesus’ unusual vision of the Kingdom of God develops before your eyes. As a reader you wonder – why hasn’t this plausible story been told before? (respond to Lyle)

Coehlo, Paulo. The Alchemist. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. 167 pages ISBN: 0062502182

Coehlo provides an interesting fable of the ins and outs of a spiritual journey. His book reminded me of the spiritual reality that surrounds our everyday life. I liked the way he presented the story of the main character who journeys far to find what has always been near by. (respond to Cal)

Coehlo, Paulo. By The River Piadra I Wept. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. 180 pages ISBN: 0060977264

A love story with a spiritual twist or a spiritual tale with a love twist - the coming together of these two themes creates a myth that stands in and above life. Coehlo does it in such a way that it doesn't feel contrived or trinky. The meaning and events of these peoples' lives happen on many different levels - one moment you feel completly identified with the story and the next moment you have to stand back and ponder the turn of events. (respond to Bev)

Coehlo, Paulo. The Fifth Mountain. New York: HarperCollins, 1998. 240 pages ISBN: 0060930136

The Fifth Mountain tells the story of the biblical prophet Elijah, bringing to life the conflicted thoughts and actions of a gifted man known otherwise only through the Old Testament. Elijah's struggling and doubting character is easy to relate to, and as he grows in submission to God and wisdom, it's natural to admire his courage and mourn his pain. It's a wonderful book that asks deep questions about commitment and faith. (respond to Lorna)

Cook, Thomas H. The Chatham School Affair. New York: Bantam Books, 1996. 303 pages. ISBN: 0553571931

I found The Chatham School Affair by Thomas Cook to be an engaging read. The author tantalizes us by weaving the past and the present into a mysterious pattern that draws us in. Henry Griswold, the narrator, lives in a

small New England town during the 20’s and is the son of the private school’s headmaster. Henry’s adolescent angst and longing for freedom from conventions is sparked by his encounter with the lovely and unusual Elizabeth Channing, the school’s new art teacher and her “friend”, a Byronic English teacher. Henry’s projections on his teachers form the context out of which love, betrayal and tragedy ensues. The Chatham School Affair won the Edgar Award for best mystery novel of 1997. (respond to Dave)

Covey, Stephen R. First Things First. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994. 373 pages. ISBN: 0684802031

I found a wise guide this year in Stephen Covey whose books The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First put principles to work in the service of hope and imagination. In contrast to the passivity of Grendel, and the very real limitations of Harry Peake and Joseph Merrick (the “elephant man”), Covey’s proverb-like program enabled me to connect with my deepest values and move forward with a focused plan for the year. I have to admit I was cynical when I started reading the book thinking it just another time management program or self- help prescription. However, once I translated the business jargon into the idiom of genuine spirituality I was amazed how applicable and profound Covey’s insights were. His principles are not simplistic but simple in the sense that after deep analysis Covey is capable of capturing the essence of his principle centered lifestyle in a series of seven habits that contribute to a balanced existence. Learning the habits has been inspiring even though living them has been a daunting challenge but a challenge worth taking. Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible is said to cry out to us in the midst of life and Covey’s books echo wisdom's voice. (respond to Paul)

First Things First complimented Finley’s guidance beautifully. Covey has a wisdom that is very much grounded in the day-to-day decisions that must be made. His book explores what is behind our decisions and he points to the underlying principles of the wisdom traditions as an aide in how to structure our lives. I found his book extremely helpful in organizing and grounding my decisions in a source beyond my unconscious priorities. I learned how to critique my decisions and decide what is truly important instead of going with my immediate whims. (respond to Dave)

See also

Crace, Jim. Being Dead.

From the author of Quarantine, a bizarre, intriguing tale about a naked couple found dead on an American East Coast sand dune. Jim Crace narrates, in exact detail, the biological and aesthetic process of dying and "being dead" - at least on the physical level - while enlightening the reader, in flashback style, with the story of how Joseph and Celice met, married and lived ordinary lives before being brutally murdered. As a reader you come to notice how their love surfaced before, during and after their deaths. Perhaps love is in the details. (respond to Lyle)

Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler. The Art of Happiness. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998. 322 pages ISBN: 1573221112

I found my heart being warmed as I read this down-to-earth, practical, wise book. Definitely written for "everyone" in mind, it is not difficult to read, and has many stories and illustrations. The Dalai Lama's basic belief is that to nurture happiness, one must do the things in life which further one's happiness, and weed out those things that make us unhappy. (respond to Lydia)

Davies, Robertson. Rebel Angels. Toronto: Penguin Books, 1981. 326 pages ISBN: 0140062718

The Cornish Trilogy: Rebel Angels, What's Bred in the Bone and The Lyre of Orpheus. A delightful comedy about a group of professors, students and one millionaire and their work to create an opera. Davies meanders from the late 19th century to the 1980's, tracing several generations of the characters, who are portrayed with a wry sense of humour. As usual he incorporates intriguing philosophical ideas into his fiction: the role of art in life, the task of individual, coming to know the soul. And of course the time-honoured truth that we are both root and crown, primeval and at the same time civilized. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and being reminded of the need to honour all parts of my life. This is a good companion to Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way.
(respond to Linda)

De Chardin, Pierre Teilhard. Divine Milieu: An Essay on the Interior Life. New York: HarperCollins, 1989. 160 pages ISBN: 0060904879

A small and unassuming book but intensely packed with a theology of grace, love and an openness to creation and the movement of God that reaches down into the soul of the reader. There is a gentleness to his words that is not merely technique or craft but it seems to come from his very being. Chardin does not just present his ideas but, in the spirit of vulnerability and risk, invites the reader into his own soul. His themes include: passivity and action, growth and diminishment, and attachment and detachment. Each theme is well planned out with an in-depth structure that takes the reader on a journey that goes way beneath the surface of intellect. The section on "vocation" resonated most deeply in my mind and I found myself going away with a different take on work/life, all because of his incredible commitment to maintaining a spiritual perception: in all of life, in every experience and every bit of matter God is present. Chardin's spirituality is never world denying, far from it, and so it makes complete sense that he dedicates his book: "For those who love the world". (respond to Bev)

Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. New York: Bantam Classics, 1999. 102 pages ISBN: 0553212443

I found Charles Dickens' classic tale of old miserly Ebenezeer Scrooge's tragedy and redemption to be evocative. Scrooge's unyeilding cynicism and stubbornness reveal our own cold, unfeeling egoism. The energies of the three ghosts thaw our hard hearts and call us to remorse, generosity and compassion. As Arthur Paul Patterson puts it, "The actions of gratefully uncapping our memories, joyfully reviving our senses, and humbly reorienting our lives through intuition, are all the spirits need to make the myth of the Carol's conversion come true in our lives." (respond to Dave)

Dickens, Charles. Bleak House. New York: Penguin Books, 1997. 1036 pages ISBN: 0140434968

First Dickens novel I ever read. I was apprehensive at first, thinking the 19th Century language would be inaccessable but was surprised at how drawn into the story I became - it felt extremely real. The descriptive narratives were so vivid that I often found myself craving a glass of port and a plateful of Victorian fare :). I try to read a "true classic" a year and I'm glad this was my pick for 1999. (respond to Bev)

Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist. New York: Tor Books, 1998. 496 pages. ISBN: 0812580036

For me, reading Twist was a welcome revisitation of the very fine "Oliver Twist" TV-movie presentation by the BBC broadcast here during Christmas week 1999. Twist is a celebration of the inner child, of virtue that is rewarded in its own good time, despite class differences, poverty and evil. It was perhaps the deep hope of Charles Dickens the author himself. (respond to Lyle)

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN: 0140445285

I had this novel sitting on my shelf waiting to find the courage to read it. I assumed the writing would be daunting and my reading of it plodding, but because Crime and Punishment was a classic it was important to read nonetheless. So I was surprised to find, right from the beginning , that I was thoroughly drawn into Raskolnikov's dilemma. Caught in the chaotic time of young adulthood, Raskolnikov makes a rash decision of fooling the law, with which his own conscience will not let him get away. Dostoyevsky effectively describes the debilitating psychological and spiritual effects of guilt as well as the healing capacity of forgiveness and love. (respond to Lorna)

Eliot, George. The Mill on the Floss. New York: Penguin USA, 1987. ISBN: 0140431209

Written in the 1850's by a woman (real name Marian Evans), this novel tells the story of a young woman trying to live with authenticity and integrity at a time when respectability mattered more, and women were given double standards and double-binds as a matter of course. I was very impressed with Marian Evans' writing, as well as her breadth of knowledge. I was intrigued by the semi-autobiographical nature of the book, as well as that Evans was another self-taught woman. The heroine of the book reflects the courage of Marian herself in honoring her gifts at a time when society was the only authority. More personally, the book helped me understand how a misguided sense of duty becomes guilt and ensnares itself so easily into life. (respond to Linda)

Click here for a review of this book.

Findley, Timothy. Pilgrim. Toronto: HarperCollins, 1999. 485 pages. ISBN: 006019197X

Pilgrim is an intriguing character in Timothy Findley's latest novel, Pilgrim. He appears in1912 as a suicide survivor in the swiss clinic of Burgholzi, run by Carl Gustav Jung. With no last name, and refusing to speak, Pilgrim presents a difficult challenge to the up-and-coming Jung. But the enigmatic Pilgrim begins to affect Jung much more deeply than he expected. Claiming to be immortal, Pilgrim gives compelling hints that he may have lived many lives, in either sex. Pilgrim wants to die because humanity doesn't learn, isn't accepting its own impulse towards Love. Jung finds his own rationalistic approach shattered as his personal life becomes entwined with the one-named man. The novel ends with a faint note of hope when Jung has a prophetic dream (which actually happened), and enters into his archetypal understanding of psychology. I was hooked by the novel's depiction of different times and people, and left feeling that all of our history lives within each of us. (respond to Linda)

Finley, James. The Contemplative Heart. Notre Dame: Sorin Books, 2000. 223 pages. ISBN: 189373210X

My annual two-month summer vacation is usually plagued by a lack of focus. Not this year, thanks to The Contemplative Heart by James Finley and First Things First by Stephen Covey. These two books each contributed something vital to my experience of vast amounts of unstructured time. The Contemplative Heart offered me a relatively direct route to practicing spiritual consciousness on a daily basis. As a young adult, James Finley studied the spiritual classics with Thomas Merton. That spiritual background informs his current writings, albeit indirectly. Rather than reading about spiritual practice, this book offers an experience of spiritual awareness. (respond to Dave)

Finley, James. Palace of Nowhere. Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 1978. 151 pages. ISBN: 0877931593

James Finley writes a concise compilation of Thomas Merton's thoughts on contemplation. The twin ideas of our true self hidden in God and our false self created out of misplaced individualism create a dynamic tension that allowed me to reflect more deeply on my own inner life. Written almost as a prose poem, Palace of Nowhere resonates with those wanting authenticity in their spiritual lives. The conciseness of the book sometimes obscures the fact that Merton took 40 odd years to reach this understanding. The only way through is the way through nothing into the mystery of God. (respond to Linda)

Fox, Michael J. Lucky Man.

The paradox of this book caught me immediately – Michael J. Fox, beset with early onset Parkinson’s Disease, considers himself a lucky man. In fact, he tells us if he could trade his diagnosis with ten more years of life as the person he was before, he’d tell you to take a hike.

In a direct, conversational style, Fox writes of his early life as a regular kid in Canada and his rise to the dizzying heights of fame as an actor on “Family Ties” and “Back to the Future”. When life threw him the curveball of his disease, he had to face the myriad ways he had become, as he put it, “lost in the fun house” of his fame, losing himself in drink and reckless living. After many years of denial, Fox began to confront the harsh truth of his degenerative, incurable illness and gain his life back. The disease halted his career climb and caused him to recognize the deeper value that his struggle with Parkinson’s gave him.

Rising above adversity, Fox has dedicated his life to a higher cause, using the coinage of his fame to fuel research for a cure for the disease. Michael J. Fox is a hero in my books. His book will make you laugh and cry, and cause you to understand and care about those inflicted with Parkinson’s Disease. Don’t hesitate to read this book! (respond to Lydia)

Frayn, Michael. Headlong. London: Faber and Faber, 1999. 394 pages. ISBN: 0312267460

A comic yet ultimately serious novel by British author Michael Frayn about a middle-aged art historian/philosopher, Martin Clay, who believes he's discovered a long lost masterpiece by the 16th Century Dutch painter Bruegel at a neighbour's country estate. The novel traces the character's elaborate and humourous schemes to purchase the painting on the sly, all the while trying to morally defend the plan to himself and his suspicious wife, Kate. Part intriguing art history lesson and part psychological contortion, the book seems to reveal something true about how we act when our dreams seem elusive yet near, and what can we learn from the experience.(respond to Lyle)

Frazier, Charles. Cold Mountain. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1997. 356 pages. ISBN: 0375700757

An enchanting, unconventional love story of an injured, solitary veteran who learns about human character while walking home from the Civil War, hoping to find and recognize the woman he once knew. Reading this helped me to feel what it was like to live and breathe in the rural19th Century, both its stark, natural beauty as well as its severe limitations. (respond to Lyle)

Fredriksen, Paula. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. New York: Vintage Books, 1999. 270 pages. ISBN: 0679767460

This book reads like a historical “whodunnit”, exploring two odd facts about Jesus’ life: that he was killed by the state for sedition, and that his followers were not. She explores all that we can know about the Jewish life during Roman occupation, and paints a vivid background to Jesus’ ministry. What’s intriguing is her commitment to “think concretely” as a first-century person, notwithstanding our modern temptation to read our own questions and concerns back into Jesus’ time. Fredriksen suggests that the title of messiah may have been claimed not by Jesus himself, but by his followers in enthusiastic response to his inspiring faith in the nearness of the Kingdom of God. It helped put historical flesh on the bare bones we know of Jesus. I was left with the impression of Jesus’ human vulnerability in the face of a movement that he couldn’t control, and what a tragedy his death was to his followers. (respond to Linda)

Friedman, Richard E. The Disappearance of God. New York: Vintage Books, 1999. 270 pages.
ISBN: 0679767460

Through careful examination of the Hebrew Bible Friedman shows how miracle, divine control, and divine presence gradually occur less and less in the Bible until we get to the book of Esther where God is not even mentioned. Friedman then shows how this leads to an estrangement with God that culminates with Nietzsche's proclamation that God is Dead. Ultimately God will be found again through a deeper consciousness of our unity with God. Friedman explores this theme through examining how the Kabbalah and modern scientific theories of the Big Bang reveal a new way of looking at the Divine Presence. (respond to Dave)

Gardner, John. Grendel. New York: Vintage Books, 1971. 174 pages. ISBN: 0679723110

Of these books, the one that struck me deepest about the struggle to hope and the temptation to despair was Grendel by John Gardner. It is so easy to allow the dragons of external circumstances to distort our humanity by whispering cynical, but intellectual sounding, phrases into our consciousness. Only the helping guardians - faith, beauty and courage - can overcome the downward pull of gravity. This is a force not overcome by the pathetic Grendel as he passively allows himself to be swallowed. I felt for him but I felt forewarned through his example. (respond to Paul)

Click here for a review.

Grant, Judith Skelton. Robertson Davies, Man of Myth. Toronto: Penguin Books, 1994. 654 pages. ISBN: 0140114521

Because Davies is one of my favourite authors, it was a labour of love to read this tome. Judith Skelton Grant brings him to life, from his Victorian childhood, and shows what a vivid imagination and retentive memory he had. (His first memory is of smelling a peony in his mother’s garden at the age of four.) I saw that much of his fiction had autobiographical threads woven into them. Dunstan Ramsay from Fifth Business and Francis Cornish in What’s Bred in the Bone are different sides of this multi-faceted man.

It’s interesting that theatre was Davies’ first love. He was a pretentious kid; in high school he took speech lessons to gain a British accent. He worked as a director and actor in England before WWII but marriage and family responsibilities moved him to take over the editing of the Peterborough Examiner family newspaper. He was also literary editor of Saturday Night Magazine from 1932 to 1951. Gradually he translated his theatrical sense into his fiction. The editorial job probably helped him stay widely read.

One of the things I appreciate about Davies is his willingness to state unpopular opinions, which are often well thought out. The biography reveals that he was more sensitive to criticism than he let on. In 1961, Davies became master of the newly-formed Massey College in Toronto, just after he started to become famous as a writer. Davies’ Jungian themes are vividly woven into his works and show he had a thorough understanding of Jung’s ideas. He even entertained Marie-Louise von Franz at his home even though she was cool towards his depiction of the Jungian analyst Johanna von Haller, modeled after herself, in The Manticore.

Grant wrote this biography while Davies was still alive. Even so, she gives a human picture of a gifted, insecure boy who matures into a wise old man, with a great sense of humour developed along the way. Reading his biography helped me appreciate more deeply the stories he told, and my love for Davies’ writing was deepened. (respond to Linda)

Gyatso, Tenzin. Freedom In Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama.

Trixie, my purring cat, made a habit of sitting with me as I read Freedom in Exile, the story of the Dalai Lama. Her ritual was so regular and her demeanor so serene that I started wondering if the cat felt she was sitting in the presence of the Dalai himself.

The book tells the story of the Dalai Lama’s life from the age of three, when he was discovered and brought into training as a Buddhist monk. His early years in Tibet were happy, but soon another story began to weave in – the extraordinary story of brutality from the Chinese as they took over the country of Tibet. My eyes were opened to the holocaust that has gone on there since 1959, with over one million Tibetans killed. It is a heartbreaking story on many levels, but the Dalai Lama’s response to it is even more extraordinary.

The Dalai Lama hopes for change as he bears the burdens of his people and loves them. Instead of harboring revenge against the Chinese, he hopes for their liberation. Although forced from Tibet, he finds “freedom in exile” in India, a remarkable paradox in a world that is bent on retribution. Experiencing unbelievable loss, he is still able to say, “Despite the continuing tragedy of Tibet, I find much good in the world.”

I hope to read more by this compassionate monk, to sit with him some more. My hope and prayer is that Tibet will become free again and that their suffering may end. (respond to Lydia)

Hegi, Ursual. Stones from the River. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. 525 pages. ISBN: 068484477X

Ursula Hegi writes a gripping novel set in a small German village during WWII. As we get to know Trudi, the dwarf narrator of the story, we see how her evolving consciousness mirrors the growing ambiguity in the German psyche. Trudi uses other's secrets as a defense against her own deformity. To her horror she sees how her countryman mirror this deception in order to avoid acknowledging what went on in their midst. Hegi peels back the moralistic veneer often placed on 1940's Germany and allows us to live in its climate in order to understand. The stereotypes dissolve, as very human characters show how heroism and hatred coexist. The book confronts my judgementalism of Nazi Germany; I was left asking, how would I have responded in that time? (respond to Linda)

Click here for a review of the book.

Henff, Helene. 84, Charing Cross Road. New York: Grossman Publishers, 1970. 97 pages. ISBN: 0140143505

I read this book and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street for movie night and got inspired by Helene's desire to read. She was self-taught, guided largely by a love of English literature. These auto-biographical tales show how she was shaped by books and devoted herself to a love of reading. This was one of my inspirations for becoming a more intentional reader, and for putting up a book cafe on our website. (respond to Linda)

Hill, Reginald. On Beulah Height. New York: Dell Pub Co, 1999. 464 pages. ISBN: 0440225906

On Beulah Height was one of the year's best reads for me. Hill's exceptional writing style was at once vividly comic and dramatic. The characters are so well drawn, and the surprising plot seemed to work so well on both literal and metaphorical levels. I was particularly taken with Hill's hard-headed, sarcastic yet formidable police inspector Dalziel character who revealed a vulnerable humanity beneath the professional cockiness. (respond to Lyle)

Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders.

The Outsiders claims best book of the year in my mind because of its disturbingly real portrayal of lives in gangs. The genuine fear and sympathy that Hinton instills for her characters is hard to believe. Hinton imbeds both love and hate for the characters deep in our hearts. I was turning pages until midnight, always wondering what would happen next. The riveting book contains many of the ingredients needed to make the perfect novel: an ambiguous protagonist, sorrow that shakes the tears out of you, and humour strewn throughout. Horrible conflict keeps you turning the pages until it is resolved. The Outsiders is a book that outshines many other novels I have read. (respond to Erik)

Johnson, Wayne. The Divine Ryans.

There’s nothing quite like stumbling on an unexpectedly good new book or author. The Divine Ryans does just that – what looks like a short and fast read turns out to be packed full of quirky characters that carry both humour and meaning. It is rare that I laugh out loud when reading but delving into the life of the Ryan family had me chuckling more than a few times. If you are at all familiar with growing up in a religious environment there will be times when moments in the book feel a bit too close for comfort. But Johnson explores this whole world in such a way that while you are squirming in your seat you can’t wait to find out what happens next. The Divine Ryans is well worth it on many different levels. Whether you want to or not, you begin to feel part of the family. (respond to Bev)

Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Wherever You Go, There You Are. New York: Hyperion, 1994. 278 pages. ISBN: 0786880708

A wealth of practical images are offered in the hope of practicing the discipline of mindful observation. Watch your breath, and imagine the world in you! (respond to Lyle)

Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Wherever You Go, There You Are. New York: Hyperion, 1994. 278 pages. ISBN: 0786880708

A wealth of practical images are offered in the hope of practicing the discipline of mindful observation. Watch your breath, and imagine the world in you! (respond to Lyle)

Keating, Thomas. Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimensions of the Gospel. New York: Continuum, 1986. 148 pages. ISBN: 0826406963

Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel. This book by "Father" Thomas Keating helped to clarify and inspire me to explore again the practice of contemplation or "interior silence". This place has no apparent use for the ego yet it is a vital window through which a relationship with the unknowable God can develop beyond our limited, conditioned images. His writing style seemed obviously loving. As well, he is personally knowledgeable about a tradition of prayer that is ancient yet strangely peculiar in this civilized age of so-called enlightenment. (respond to Lyle)

Keen, Sam. Hymns to an Unknown God: Awakening the Spirit in Everyday Life. New York: Bantam Books, 1994. 308 pages. ISBN: 0553375172

I was struck by Keen's integrative maturity which masterfully weaves the mythological truths of traditional religion with our individual thirst for the immanent sacred in the day to day. His spiritual autobiography seems to closely correspond with what he has to offer for fellow pilgrims of the subtle yet spiritual life. (respond to Lyle)

Krakauer, Jon. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster. New York: Villard, 1997. 291pages . ISBN: 0385492081

A riveting story of the tragedy surrounding the 1996 Mount Everest ascent. Krakauer tells of his personal experience on the mountain and writes about the bad judgement and courage of those who lived and died on this fatal climb. Especially interesting is his account of the professional guides who attempted to take inexperienced climbers and put them atop the world's highest mountain. His book speaks not just about mountaineering but about the human struggle with ambition, pride and human limitations. (respond to Cal)

Lama Surya Das. Awakening the Buddha Within. New York: Broadway Books, 1998. 414 pages. ISBN: 0767901576

My overwhelming memory of this book is that it evoked a meditative awareness as I read it. I remember sitting on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, on my holidays, reading about meditation practices, and being transported into a peaceful world. My own background and primary faith experience is Christian, but my respect for Buddhism grew as I read. The author teaches the basic path of Buddhism with stories, meditations and spiritual practices. No matter what your faith background, this book is an encouragement for anyone who wishes to become more awake on the spiritual path. (respond to Lydia)

Lamb, Wally. I Know This Much Is True. New York: Regan Books, 1998. 901 pages. ISBN: 0060987561

I was intimidated by the sheer size of Wally Lamb's book- nine hundred pages. At least that is what I told myself before I got caught in this whirlwind of a novel. I read it quickly, in fact, frantically because I got caught in the truth of it. I wanted to know about the fates of the characters but more than that I wanted to see my own fate written in these pages. Lamb's Everyperson is a forty year old housepainter full of love and twisted motives and bad breaks like the rest of us. The thorn in his side was a schizophrenic twin brother whose disease mirrors what he fears in himself. How we treat the less fortunate is really the litmus test of our character. But the treatment we offer others is the direct result of learning to forgive ourselves, and others, to see beyond the surface and plummet the depths of our history and our past. The germ of our lives lies hidden to discover in the hopes and disappointments of the past. Wally Lamb has been compared to Stephen King; he is the literary fictional equivalent of the master of the macabre.(respond to Paul)

Lamb, Wally. She's Come Undone. New York: Pocket Books, 1992. 402 pages. ISBN: 0671021001

She's Come Undone, and This Much I Know Is True. Hands down winner for the most engaging novels of the decade. They are both dark stories of really screwed up people, but if you can be patient through the darkness, it's worth it. (respond to Lydia)

L’Engle, Madeleine. Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art.

Perhaps we can walk on water, we’ve only forgotten how. It is this type of faith that Madeline L’Engle exudes. In Walking on Water, L’Engle reflects on the question of what it means to be a Christian artist. Her response meanders, including reflections on her experiences, lessons learned, and thoughts on the creative process. There is a thread of returning to something fundamental for her. “To try to talk about art and about Christianity is for me one and the same thing, and it means attempting to share the meaning of my life, what gives it, for me, its tragedy and its glory.” Her reflections are like pearls, carefully honed through the thick of life.

I would like to see the world as she does but her way has come through discipline, sacrifice and choosing to move towards love in service of something greater than herself. Yet, because it’s woven into the fabric of her life, it is encouraging because the reader can identify with her own struggles and questions along the way.

Although it’s never stated conclusively, it is her life itself that speaks of Christ. It evokes in me something more, not less, of what it means to live. I am inspired to follow, maybe just like Peter so many years ago. Who knows, maybe we can walk on water, we’ve only forgotten how. (respond to Verda)

Lessing, Doris. Briefing for a Descent Into Hell. London: Flamingo, 1971. 252 pages. ISBN: 0394746627

Another self-taught woman. A real theme for me for 1998. This is a riveting novel that unfolds on several levels: an intriguing story, a disturbing psychosis, a confrontation with the reader. Lessing plays with time and reveals key pieces of the narrative in non-chronological order. Maybe it's my bias, but I felt she did this to grab the readers attention at a deeper level than entertainment. On the surface, it's the story of a man who appears on a British beach one day without I.D. and with no memory of how he got there or who he was. There are definite philosophical threads, artfully woven into the story, on education and imagination and modern life. By the end of the book, it appears the man regains his memory, but the haunting question the reader must answer is, "does he?". A must-read for anyone interested in liberal education.(respond to Linda)

Lowry, Lois. Number The Stars. New York: Dell Books, 1998. 144 pages. ISBN: 0440227534

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a historical fiction about a family in Holland in World War II, and how they help some Jewish friends. It is dramatic and engrossing. (respond to Lydia)

Lowry, Lois . The Giver. Toronto: Seal Books, 1999. 180 pages. ISBN: 0440219078

The Giver by Lois Lowry is a book about a fictional community where sameness and lack of pain is engineered and highly revered, until someone realizes what’s going on. It is a chilling and exciting story. (respond to Lydia)

Lynch, Thomas. The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade. New York: Penguin Books, 1998. 224 pages. ISBN: 0140276238

An undertaker recounts some of his many experiences with death. Lynch uses his poet's eyes to see the meaning and depth hidden within different people's experience of death. He writes with humour and candor about his own experiences as an undertaker . An accomplished storyteller Lynch manages to help us see that the contemplation of death is not a morbid fascination but a tool for helping us to make the most of the life we have been given. (respond to Cal)

Macdonald, Ann-Marie. Fall On Your Knees. New York: Scribner, 1998. 508 pages. ISBN: 0684838680

It's been a long time since I've read a "Canadian" novel, not that I've read a lot but for whatever reason, I have in my head, a stereotype of this genre. Fall On Your Knees breaks out of the stereotype and despite the familiar geography I had the distinct feeling of reading something universal. A story full of sadness and grief but one that avoids the typical approach to lives "hard done by". The characters are richly drawn and the writing style, in and of itself, kept me interested. I was amazed that this was her first novel. I think what I valued the most, besides the book being a great narrative, is that I never felt that her characters were sacrificed for a hidden agenda or ideology. Each person within the story carried with them their own essence and their own integrity - each one was pitied, at times hated and eventually loved. I could easily read the book again. (respond to Bev)

Malherbe, Abraham. Paul and the Thessalonians. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1994. 144 pages. ISBN: 0800619633

The reason I enjoyed this book so much was that it took me behind the scenes of the apostle Paul's book to the Thessalonians by giving a sociological look at life with the early church in Thessalonica. What was so refreshing about this look was the insight Malherbe provided into the social life of that church. He parallels how the early Christians and the disciples of Greek philosophers suffered from a sense of alienation from contemporary culture. He also goes on to show how the apostle Paul nurtured them in the faith through personal mentoring. It was a insightful look into the past and a helpful reminder that people of faith have often felt out of step with the culture they lived in. (respond to Cal)

May, Gerald G. The Awakened Heart.

We all carry a thirst within us - our desire for love. May calls it "the great yearning of life". Yet ironically, what we most long for, we already have. May asserts, "We are in love, within love, as fish are in the sea and clouds are in the sky." Against our deepest common sense, we have allowed efficiency to usurp love in our lives. May compels the reader to return to love as the primary value. For he says, "Our true identity, our reason for being, is to be found in this desire. The Awakened Heart is an introduction into saying 'yes' to love.”

I found this book to be both relevant and immediately practical. May introduces the reader to small ways of corresponding with the presence of love in everyday life. He very humanly admits his own failure, and this I found encouraging. It’s easy to buy into the myth of fulfillment. Yet May avoids this kind of idealism. The vocation of love is not about the elimination of thirst; rather, it involves a willingness to grow towards Love. (respond to Marilyn)

Click here for a review.

I am very grateful for this book. May greets the traveller who is weary from his own efforts. Central to our lives, he says, is our basic desire for love and union with God. He offers a practical guide to living our daily lives from this center. I imagine this to be a book I will read again and again. (respond to Verda)

I read The Awakened Heart at the beginning of 2000. It was a great book to start the millennium with because it confronted a basic assumption I live by: efficiency matters more than anything. May shows us that it's love that matters. In addition to giving us helpful tools with which to foster our awareness and openness to God and love, May reminds us that we live surrounded by grace. (respond to Lorna)

May, Gerald . Will and Spirit. San Francisco: Harper, 1982. 360 pages. ISBN: 0062505823

I re-read this book this year because I didn't feel that my reading last year did it justice. I was happy that I did because in a small way this book changed my life. His emphasis on contemplative silence and practical service helped me to decide to give some time in the mornings to practicing silence and to see the meaning of my life as service to the world.

May's book proved to be a good guide by providing some helpful parameters for thinking about the spiritual life. He is especially good at explaining the paradoxes of the spiritual life and how will and spirit work together. He makes a distinction between psychological and spiritual growth.

The things we can do for ourselves, through our own volition are mainly psychological. Things that are beyond our comprehension and personal will are more clearly spiritual. He reminded me that we cannot achieve spiritual development and growth on our own. All one can do is encourage one's willingness for something to happen. He writes: "We must trust in God to lead us towards God, we are neither wise enough nor strong enough to even begin to do it on our own." (respond to Cal)

Gerald May must have experienced and paid attention to at least one very real unitive experience in his life. How else could he write so convincingly of the presence of God through grace in our lives? How too could he address with such inspiration our emotional, motivational and relational responses to life within this benevolent God-filled universe? May emphasizes willingness over willfulness, suggesting "it may be that the origin of what we call human spiritual longing is not within the individual human at all, but in the very essence of that human being's existence in the universe(83)." After discussing the mystery of which our lives are a part, May guides us through the inevitable problems we'll encounter on our journeys such as attachment and spiritual narcissism. His assurance remains constant; a deepening willingness in the presence of grace and love is our only choice. In offering this spiritual way of understanding our lives, Will and Spirit becomes a bible for conscious living. (respond to Lorna)

Click here for a review of the book.

McCourt, Frank. Angela's Ashes. New York: Touchstone Books, 1999. 363 pages. ISBN: 068484267X

This was a very engrossing story, a memoir about the author growing up dirt poor in Ireland. As you read of the terribly tragedy of their lives, you don't know whether to laugh or cry, for despite the tragedy, the book is also humourous as the Irish wit is brought to bear. It is a story of survival despite incredible odds, and of mercy shining through a life. It reminds the reader that the human spirit can indeed grow despite and perhaps because of adversity. I thought the reason the novel had such an impact was the voice that McCourt chooses to tell the story in. He is amazingly adept at taking the reader into the mind and heart of a child who hungers for freedom, for food, for compassion, for knowledge. McCourt himself has said in interviews that he tried to write the book in other voices, but it was only when he chose to write as a child that the book came alive. McCourt had a chaotic life, yet some invisible reins of grace held it from going completely out of control. Something kept steering his life along its turbulent path. (respond to Lydia)

McGrath, Patrick. Martha Peake: A Novel of the Revolution. New York: Random House, 2000. 367 pages. ISBN: 0375500812

Martha Peake: A Novel of the Revolution by Patrick McGrath is a gothic tale of a monster of a man whose daughter Martha turns out to be an American Revolutionary War heroine. Harry Peake, a deformed symbol of life under a corrupt and selfish monarchy, does unconscionable things to himself and to others. Under his vile exterior lives a man full of creativity and hope denied. McGrath deepens the story by telling it through the eyes of a drunken manipulative man whose narrative is tied to his self-interest. This tale is translated more accurately through the imaginative intuition of the man’s nephew. While not factually accurate, he reveals the story from an inner perspective and tells the truth better than any mere history could. It is the poetic retelling of liberation from denigration and the inspiration found in life looked as Art. (respond to Paul)

Meeks, M. Douglas (editor). Love: The Foundation of Hope: The Theology of Jürgen Moltmann and Elizabeth Moltmann-Wendel.

This book is actually a collection of essays inspired by Jurgen Moltmann's Theology of Hope. Moltmann spells out how our hope is based in the future breaking into the now, as first witnessed in the resurrection of Christ. He holds together a deep faith in God's loving redemptive action with a finely honed moral sense that compels us humans to act in anticipation. The essays flesh out different aspects of this "theology with legs" from redefining economics to understanding the dynamics of domination and freedom. One of my favourite essays talks about the household of God, how our economic acts are to be rooted in the existential experience of being freed by God's love: all are invited to the banquet table. These writers helped me wrap Moltmann's theology around my own activism, to start to deepen it towards faithful response. (respond to Linda)

Miles, Jack. Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God.

I didn’t expect to feel ill at ease reading a book on Christ. Ideas, especially theological ideas, are usually inviting and excite my imagination and so when I started to feel at odds with the character of Christ I didn’t quite know how to interpret my experience. Because Miles presents his theological ideas not as theology but rather as biographical exploration there is much more freedom to explore the life of Christ and of God to the very edge of what some might call heresy. This book managed to crawl into my emotions the way that most theory books don’t and, despite the discomfort, I found myself liberated to think of well-known Biblical passages and common theological references in a way that felt “upside down”. I went away not necessarily agreeing with the extent of his premise but in many ways with a revised understanding of the people of Israel and their God. (respond to Bev)

Mistry, Rohinton. A Fine Balance. London: Faber & Faber, 1995. 614 pages. ISBN: 140003065X

This amazing novel set in 1970’s India is about the lives of four unlikely friends who meet each other by chance. They have all experienced tragedy in their lives, and their individual stories become stitched together like the quilt that one of them is making. Love among them creates a fine balance in an otherwise random design. I found this novel engrossing on several levels. The stories told about each character were compelling, as was the larger story of India and the huge injustice of the caste system. Mistry is a master of detail, patiently weaving and pulling the reader into his world. It is the mark of a great book that a person feels like they’ve traveled and met new friends. (respond to Lydia)

This is a great story of the balance between hope and despair, and what the human spirit needs to endure. Set in the turmoil of India in the 1970's, it traces the lives of four very different people as they cross paths. Ishvar and his nephew Omprakesh flee caste violence by looking for work as tailors in the big city. Dina, a widowed seamstress whose eyesight is failing, needs a different source of income. Maneck is a young student repulsed by the vulgarity of campus life and needs a temporary place to stay. The intimate details of daily life, and my gradual understanding of each person's life, as well as their understanding of each other, are the lens through which I learned to understand the meaning of the bigger political backdrop. For weeks afterwards I found myself smiling at Ishvar's sense of humour or Dina's gradual growing compassion. The question or meditation this book asked of me was, "As I meet people during the day, whether strangers or friends, I can pass along grace or difficulty. We are all dependent on each other's mercy." (respond to Linda)

Mistry, Rohinton. Such A Long Journey. New York: Vintage Books, 1992. 339 pages. ISBN: 0679738711

Such A Long Journey is a richly textured prodigal father story set in Bombay, India that seems relevant basically in any culture. A well-intentioned father alienates his son and becomes embroiled in a political scandal because of an old friendship. Through the suffering he endures on several fronts, his willfulness turns into a poignant willingness to accept that which is - to celebrate his life as a deeply spiritual journey. The question evoked: how is my own suffering changing my hardened heart? (respond to Lyle)

Moltmann, Jürgen. The Source.

I enjoyed this hope-filled theology of the Spirit. Moltmann speaks out of a transforming experience of grace in his own life. His learning comes alongside, and facilitates life-stirring interpretation. I appreciated his “world embracing” spirituality, and universal message: “The Spirit is life, and that life is for everyone.” (respond to Marilyn)

Moltmann, Jürgen. Theology of Hope.

Don’t ask me to articulate Moltmann’s system of thought. Theology of Hope is one of the most complex theological books I have ever read. I’m sure I could read this many times and still go away baffled. I do know though that behind all his words lies a deep faith in a God and a process that is always moving and pushing against the norm and the expected. I’m not quite sure where Moltmann finds his faith and certainty but there is something infectious about immersing oneself in another person’s hope even if it is just briefly through reading their work. His writing has the ability to create a change of heart, and in the meantime promises that our reality is on a journey towards transformation. Reading this book was rewarding as a discipline but probably much more, Theology of Hope is an inspiration that can guide us through life experiences that feel chaotic and turbulent. (respond to Bev)

Moltmann, Jürgen. The Way of Jesus Christ.

A thoughtful look at who Jesus is in the Christian tradition and who he continues to be for his disciples. Moltmann seeks to present a Christology for people who are on the way, people trying to live as disciples in the midst of the conflicts of history. He deals with the earthly mission, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus as well as the future coming of Christ. A great prod to wrestling with many of my assumptions about the meaning of Jesus for my life.
(respond to Cal)

Murdoch, Iris. The Bell.

Synchronistically the movie "Iris" was released the same year I read this book, one of Iris Murdoch's more popular novels. Murdoch uses the novel as a forum for her ideas, which made this book both challenging and enjoyable. Murdoch weaves threads of well-intentioned but awkward relationships in exploring the idea of whether a modern person can live ethically and with meaning outside established religion. The story unfolds within an unorthodox lay community in the shadows of an Anglican Benedictine abbey, as the two main characters, Dora and Michael, attempt to understand their lot in life. These characters are richly drawn, complicated and believable. What happens to them doesn't seem contrived but authentic to both the plot and the characters own time lines. An ancient bell, recently re-discovered, becomes a leitmotif around which the questions of vocation, calling and responding to a sense of the Divine in life are discussed. I was struck with the descriptions of nature as revealing a Loving Presence. Also that in the midst of the messiness of life, we are continually touched by an impulse that gives us the option to respond authentically to what is needed. (respond to Linda)

Norris, Kathleen. The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and "Women's Work”. New York: Paulist Press, 1998. 88 pages. ISBN: 0809138018

This is a small inspirational book in which Norris writes of her understanding and experiences of the spiritual in the daily or "quotidian", as informed by the Benedictine tradition. Her writing, which is at times playful and at others poignant, reminded me that it's how we see the often “dull” events of our daily lives that matter as much, if not more than, the events themselves. She reminds us of the transforming presence of God in all of life. (respond to Lorna)

Click here for a review of Kathleen Norris' The Cloister Walk

O'Donohue, John. Anam Cara. New York: Cliff Street Books, 1997. 234 pages. ISBN: 006092943X

During Christmas break last year, I decided to read a book that would not be a direct part of my research and writing. Something that would build my inner spirit. Finding the exact book for the right time is an occult task in itself . I let my eyes rove through all those "gotta read but haven't read yet" books in my library. The black and golden cover of Anam Cara by John O' Donahue seemed to burn with an incandescent light; I started reading. In the next few days this book mediated what its topic was all about - spiritual friendship. Written with the lilt of Irish poetry, O'Donahue's wordsmanship blends with the beauty of his subject matter, the love of God in the centre of the human soul. Not unlike Socrates' daimon or the Holy Ghost of the Christian tradition, Anam Cara's guidance is wonderfully internal, powerful, and constantly breaking in through the sacrament of everyday life. It is the human and the divine story blended into the universal story of the soul's homecoming - nothing is too small or insignificant to be a prism of this love that dwells in the centre of things. What is best is that the wisdom is truly democratic, available to all, Celtic and non-Celtic, who will take the time and make the effort to listen in silence to the friendly voice within. Buy the book, make the journey and meet your Soul Friend in yourself, in your friends, and in your world. (respond to Paul)

Oppel, Kenneth. Silverwing. Toronto: Harper Collins Canada, 1998. 256 pages. ISBN: 0689825587

Silverwing and Sunwing, by Canadian author Kenneth Oppel, is an excellent series of books (the third one Firewing, is due in 2002), about a colony of bats and one particular bat named Shade. You’ll never see bats the same way again as this world comes alive with adventure and heroism. (respond to Lydia)

Pears, Iain. The Immaculate Deception.

An excellent, morally ambigious, art mystery tale on two fronts, from the Jonathan Argyll, Flavia di Stefano series by Iain Pears. An exhibition painting is stolen from an international cultural event in Italy, provoking acting head of the art squad, Flavia, to unravel the crime that seems to reach into the highest levels of the national government. Meanwhile, her new husband Jonathan, in a bout of procrastination, researches an intriguing 15th century Virgin Mary painting that has more of a history than the owner, Flavia's former boss, seems willing to reveal. (respond to Lyle)

Potok, Chaim. My Name is Asher Lev. New York: Ballantine Books, 1996. 369 pages. ISBN: 0449911683

Both Gerald May and James Fowler mentioned this book as a good example of faithfulness. I was intrigued by the premise of a young Jewish artist being drawn to the symbol of the crucifixion. The story begins with a child's piercing artistic perceptions, which gradually blossom into deeper insights into the heart of devotion and service. Asher is a gifted painter born into a Hasidic Jewish tradition that is deeply suspicious of art. From an early age, Asher must juggle between filial expectations and his growing talent; it's a great portrayal of the journey towards authenticity. The pain of maturity is tempered with the knowledge that Asher is being true both to himself and to the deepest spiritual streams of his own tradition. The book is beautifully written, and spoke to me about how vocation must be honored above all else because it is God's voice seeking to be heard in our lives. (respond to Linda)

Pressfield, Stephen. Gates of Fire – An Epic Novel of the Battle of Themopylae.

Gates of Fire is the historical retelling of the Greek Spartan’s battle with The Persian king Xerxes’ armies at Themopalae. A company of 300 Spartans holds off an army of 100,000 for a week. On his deathbed the squire Zeo recounts the story of this battle and the story of his life. By looking through the eyes of a young boy who grows into manhood Pressfield gives us a glimpse inside the Spartan culture of the 5th century. He speaks of how the Spartans developed the courage, valor, honour and discipline for which they are remembered. An inspirational look at courage no matter what your position on war. (respond to Cal)

Sachar, Louis. Holes.

Holes steals the best book honour in my mind because of the perfect parallel of comedy and seriousness. If there is an amazingly moving part, alongside there is sure to be some humour to lighten you up. Sachar delves into the main character’s thoughts and reveals them to you so you see every part of them as if they were your own. The way the author melds past and future is brilliant. Every time he gives you a bit of information from the past it relates to the current plot. Every little piece of information he gives you makes a longing for more. He doesn’t satisfy you with the secrets he gives up. Instead he creates a ravenous hunger for more information to solve the confusing mystery hidden under the obvious plot. There is no mystery to me why this suspenseful book deserves my best book honour. (respond to Erik)

Holes, by Louis Sachar, was a great story about a boy who is charged with an offence he didn’t do, and is sent to a correctional camp where he has to dig deep holes every day. Suddenly, he discovers something odd going on. He goes on a hero’s quest as he tries to solve the mystery. (respond to Lydia)

Holes is a kid's book recommended by various sources for older elementary ages up to teenagers. It is a story of amazing inter-connectedness, with a good dose of humour. Stanley Yelnats has been sent to a desert boot camp to pay for a crime he did not commit. Along with other 'guilty' adolescent boys, his punishment is to dig one five-foot hole every day under the scorching sun. His guardians are demonic, his cohorts delinquent, his ancestral luck horrible, but Stanley finds hope in God's finger, onions and a certain story of the Wild West. Holes demonstrates the wonderful use of imagination to transform hopeless lives into beautiful stories. (respond to Lorna)

Sawyer, Robert. Calculating God. New York: Tor Books, 2001. 338 pages. ISBN: 0812580354

I really enjoyed this science fiction book. It's about aliens coming to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. They ask to speak to a paleontologist to compare notes on evolution as it has developed on earth versus the evolution on their planets. Although the book is easy to read, Sawyer still manages to sprinkle his text with interesting scientific information and questions. The novel had me laughing out loud at some points and at others I put it down to think. It was also great to see a book written from a Canadian perspective that took swipes at current political figures. (respond to Cal)

Sawyer, Robert. J. Hominids.

Called the opposite of the Planet of the Apes, Hominids revolves around an evolved Neanderthal called Ponter Boddit, a quantum physicist, who makes an accidental visit to Sudbury, Ontario from a parallel earth. While Homo sapiens and Neanderthal study each other, each hearing stories of their respective cultures, it is hard not to be embarrassed by our human family's systemic lack of compassion and reason. But not all is enviable in Ponter's universe either. Can both genetic branches learn from each other? An interesting read. This is the first in a trilogy by the "dean of Canadian science fiction writing", Robert J. Sawyer. (respond to Lyle)

Sayers, Dorothy. Gaudy Night.

Dorothy Sayers was a member of the Oxford based literary group, The Inklings. Other members included C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams. Being a fan of theirs, I've wanted to read something of Dorothy Sayers for a long time. What a great read! Like Iris Murdoch, you get the sense of a lively intelligence informing the story. Harriet Vane, the main character is an intelligent woman in the 1930's, an Oxford graduate having to decide whether to live a life of the mind or the heart. Peter Whimsey, Sayer's charming detective in most of her mysteries, is in love with Harriet, but she doesn't know whether she can respond in kind. In the midst of her dilemma she helps to solve a case of vandalism on the first all-women's college at Oxford, and Harriet's alma mater. Sayers uses this context to ask questions about women living authentically in the modern world as full people, not appendages of society. Peter Whimsey is also enjoyable to get to know. Even though witty, charming and a bit of a rogue, he consistently gives Harriet the freedom to choose. Both characters reveal a deep understanding of human love that is borne of freedom and how it is informed by a love of God, even though neither Harriet nor Peter are religious. Sayers suggests a sense of spirituality within the secular which is very appealing. (respond to Linda)

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Classics, 1993. 162 pages. ISBN: 0679409998

Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus is a phenomenal book that explores many themes that are relevant for today including the relationship between parent and child, the impact of an exclusively scientific view of reality, and the consequences of focusing on appearance over substance. Mary Shelley explores the impact of an arrogant self-centered young scientist who has the Promethean wish to create a human being but ends up creating and, subsequently, abandoning a deformed Creature. The abandoned Creature learns through experience that humans, despite his attempts to show kindness, are mostly cruel and barbaric and takes his own monsterly revenge on his Creator. (See http://www.watershedonline.ca/literature/frankenstein/frankenstein.html)

(respond to Dave)

Smith, Huston. Why Religion Matters. San Francisco: Harper, 2001. 288 pages. ISBN: 0060671025

What struck me first about Why Religion Matters was the ease with which Huston Smith brought the reader into the complex and often hostile relationship between spirituality and science. The book reads more like a personal reflection, using images and highlights from a life lived as a seeker of God. In no way does Smith let the reader reach the conclusion that science and progress is a worthless pursuit but rather his ultimate goal is to change the modern foundation from scientific certainty to a love of mystery and wisdom. Although he finds his home in the Christian faith, his heart embraces all spiritual and religious pathways. He invites us to
travel with him in his search for a higher knowledge. (respond to Bev)

Spong, John Shelby. Why Christianity Must Change. San Francisco: Harper, 1998. 258 pages. ISBN: 0060675365

I enjoyed reading this book, particularily reading about scripture again. It was like rediscovering a world I left behind in 1990. (respond to Lydia)

Steinbeck, John. East of Eden. New York: Penguin Books, 1952. 602 pages. ISBN: 0140186395

An epic, mythic tale of the Trask and Hamilton families in 19th Century America told superbly by John Steinbeck that reaches far into the issues of love and hate, fate and choice. It's really a modern reinterpretation of the biblical Cain and Abel story through which we are confronted with our own human dilemma: does our life have to turn out the way our genetic pool has seemingly willed it, or are there real options? Our images of God seem to follow how we answer that question. The most enduring images of the book for me include the utter contempt of life and light that Kate possessed, and the movement towards choice-making that Adam made, with the help of others including his spiritual friend, Lee. In a word, "Timshel", or Hebrew for "Thou Mayest". (respond to Lyle)

Steinberg, Milton. As A Driven Leaf. Springfield: Behrman House, 1939. 480 pages. ISBN: 0874411033

One of my most satisfying reads this year; I read it twice. Click here for my response to the book.
(respond to Linda)

Stevenson, Robert Louis. Kidnapped. Barcelona: Atheneum, 1982 ISBN: 0684176343

This classic book was an intriguing read. It's a wonderful romping adventure story of a young man who comes upon poverty and must look for help from his rich devious uncle. He is tricked out of his inheritance and onto a boat headed for America where he is to be sold as a slave. The story is set in 1750. The adventure centers on the development of his relationship with a Highlander of noble birth and their exciting, swashbuckling journey across Scotland back to the young man's home to claim his inheritance. Includes beautiful illustrations by N.C. Wyeth. (respond to Dave)

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. New York: Harper Collins, 1999. 304 pages. ISBN: 0395177111

Joel and I are in agreement that probably the most exciting book we’ve read in 2001 (which we’re not quite done yet), is The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. (respond to Lydia)

Click here for a review.

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Two Towers.

The Two Towers, how could I reject this book? Wonderful morals are hidden in each page. Amazing adventure and peril keeps you excited and frightened even after the end. Two parallel plots join a third one clouded with ambiguity. This is merely the beginning to an endless list of great things about the book. The Two Towers’ greatness towers far above all the other books for young adults. (respond to Erik)

See also

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings.

I was particularly intrigued by Tolkien’s choice to change the focus from Frodo to Samwise in The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Sam is the sidekick and yet his process of thinking through Gollum’s motives, his distrust of Gollum and his ever-present concern for Frodo become central. Tolkien focuses away from the classic hero image and onto the heroic in everyman, the ordinary person as he encounters adventure and challenge. How does the average person respond? What character is evoked, revealed, and developed in the process? These are the fascinating questions that Tolkien explores. Tolkien’s heroes are not fully formed archetypes; rather the archetype is chiseled out of the ordinary person’s experience with the challenges and darkness of the world. (respond to Dave)

Click here for a review.

See also

Trelease, Jim. The Read-Aloud Handbook. New York: Penguin Books, 1995. 387 pages. ISBN: 0141001615

I originally wanted this book for the last 1/3 of it, which is a giant treasury of great books to read aloud to children. As I glimpsed at the first 2/3 of the book, I was hooked. Trelease makes a very inspiring and convincing case of the value of reading aloud to children. I have made a deeper commitment to reading more intentionally to my students and to my son - and even myself - as a result of reading this book. I'm a dedicated book advocate. I would strongly recommend it to parents and teachers, or anyone who likes buying books for the children they know. It would also make a great gift to give to a new parent. (respond to Lydia)

Trott, Susan. The Holy Man. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 1996. 173 pages. ISBN: 1573225320

When someone at my yoga class mentioned she had enjoyed reading The Holy Man, several others chimed in, saying this was a book everyone should read. I sought it out, and indeed, it became one of those books I didn’t want to end. It is the story of a holy man who lives atop a mountain in a simple cabin. Every day, the path winding up the mountainside to his doorstep is filled with people who are willing to wait weeks on end for a chance to meet him. We learn of their stories, and of the man they meet, who is human and humourous, surprising and of course wise in his counsel. Most important, we discover that the wisdom we all seek is within ourselves as we journey. Reading this book was inspiring, and even now when I think back on the lives I encountered, it brings a smile to my face. (respond to Lydia)

Twain, Mark. Huckleberry Finn.

I read this book to my 11 year old son Erik and it had us in stitches much of the time. I liked the irony and humour with which Twain critiques society in this novel. Huck believes that he will go to hell for helping a black man escape slavery but by choosing to do so he shows his true heroism. Huck’s sense of innocence is intriguing considering his abusive father and lack of a mother. A heart warming tale. (respond to Dave)

Underhill, Evelyn. The House of The Soul.

Months after I had read The House of the Soul, I kept returning to Underhill's helpful comparison of our lives to the two stories of a house. It's the work that she suggests needs to be done on the first floor, the floor of our mundane domestic lives, that still sticks in my mind: the building of temperance, prudence and fortitude. Sometimes disciplines can seem overbearing, or at least our practice of these first-floor disciplines can be, but Underhill encourages a perspective from the second floor, the residence of faith, hope and charity. Our thoughts, she writes, are gifts from God when they are filled with hope, but a destructive force when concentrated on the ground floor. Her images, linking the divine gifts of the second floor to our daily grind lives on the first, have impressed themselves on my mind, and are still setting up home in my heart. (respond to Lorna)

Underhill, Evelyn. Mysticism. Oxford: Oneworld, 1999. 519 pages. ISBN: 1851681965

Evelyn Underhill's indepth study of the Christian mystic tradition and practice is still considered a classic, even though it was first published in 1911. Underhill helped me understand my own interest in mysticism more deeply. She assumes that mysticism, the ability to directly apprehend the Absolute, is innate within all people, and that the evolutionary process moves towards the actualization of this ability. She compares mysticism to psychology, philosophy and magic, and then describes the Mystic Way, the practice that enables the evolutionary impulse towards union with the divine. The mystics are our spiritual forerunners, and Underhill sprinkles her synopsis with many examples from their lives. Although they are genius', they also show how all of us can nurture this innate sense and enter an organic process where our historical limitedness becomes related to the Infinite. (respond to Linda)

Underhill, Evelyn. The Spiritual Life. Harrisburg: Morehouse Publishing, 1997. ISBN: 0819213500

Underhill explores an understanding of the spiritual life which is neither self nor achievement focused but rather points us beyond the narrow ideological and emotional agendas of our egos. The great thing about her book is that she frees Christian Spirituality from its narrow cultural and theological language by speaking in human terms. Underhill reveals the roots of our transitory lives in the normally hidden life of the eternal and this makes all the difference. Her vision doesn't contain the spiritual in a narrow area of life but rather sees this eternal as the source, meaning and goal of all of life. Her ability to knit Spirit and life offers us a refreshingly grounded vision of Christian Spirituality. (respond to Dave)

Vanderhaeghe, Guy. The Englishman’s Boy. Toronto: McClelland & Steward, 1996. 333 pages. ISBN: 077108692X

Set in the 1920’s in Hollywood and the Canadian West, this historical work of fiction gives flesh and bones to a tragic part of Canadian history - the Cypress Hills Massacre. It’s told by Harry Vincent as he reflects back from old age. Harry is Saskatoon-born, but desperately trying to make his mark as a writer in boisterous Hollywood. His passion is for telling the truth. He wants to write a great American movie, like his idol filmmaker David Griffith. But whose truth, and who can foresee how the truth changes a person? Harry is commissioned by an up-and-coming movie producer to seek out an aging cowboy who, legend has it, harbours a dark secret. As events begin to unfold out of his control, Harry’s romantic notions are stripped as he comes to understand the cost of telling the truth, and the consequences that ripple out from his actions. The Englishman’s Boy reminds me of the moment of truth we all face when we realize we don’t measure up to our own dreams. How we respond to the flaws in ourselves and others has consequences that ripple out in time. The true hero is the one who has the courage to look at mistakes made with the hope of learning from them. Often it is easier to just run away. The intertwining of Harry’s personal story with the Cypress Hills Massacre gives a haunting insight into what may have happened. (respond to Linda)

Vassanji, M. G. The Book of Secrets. New York: Picador USA, 1997. 337 pages. ISBN: 0312150687

The Book of Secrets is a richly layered novel from the beginning. The narrator, a retired Asian school teacher living in East Africa, is given the discovered diary of a British colonial officer and invited to reconstruct this mysterious man's life from his book of secrets. We are immediately invited back 55 years to Alfred Corbin's arrival in colonized East Africa. With the colonization and subsequent civil war in East Africa as a backdrop, the lives of local villagers, themselves recent immigrants from India, are played out. The story is interesting on its own, but what becomes fascinating is the relationship of past events to present lives. I was surprised by the intricacy with which the author merged worlds that appeared to be quite separate. It's a testimony to the interconnectedness in our own lives that may not be self-evident, but with a bit of digging reveals itself. (respond to Lorna)

Wilber, Ken. A Brief History of Everything. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2001. 330 pages. ISBN: 1570627401

I liked this book because it was accessible and humorous. I found the stages of individual and collective evolution to be helpful. And I deeply appreciated the union of evolution and spirituality. Wilber challenged me to honor those facets of truth which I tend to neglect. (respond to Marilyn)

A great book for understanding the development of consciousness and thought in the modern world. Wilber's unique theories about how consciousness evolved and what constitutes spiritual growth were helpful. Especially helpful was his differentiation between the different stages of growth from pre-rational to rational to trans-rational perspectives. Wilber asserts that much that is considered spiritual in the west is really a pre-rational understanding and therefore not a really developed spirituality. What is needed is a spirituality that uses first reason and then goes beyond it to a trans-rational state. A good book and definitely one that deserves a careful rereading. (respond to Cal)

Wilber, Ken & Treya Killam Wilber. Grace and Grit. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1993. ISBN: 0877736987

The day that I finished this book, I went for a walk and on the ground, I spied the "queen of hearts" from a playing card deck. I picked it up, feeling somehow that this was an emblem of Treya Wilber, who in her life and death, became a queen of the heart. The book traces 5+ years where Ken and Treya meet, fall in love, marry and then go through the agony of grappling with and then succumbing to cancer. The path leading to Treya's death is laden with many lessons and a hard-won peace, or "passionate equanimity" as Treya called it. Ken traces her story and adds many of her journal entries. The book contains many jewels of insight into the nature of illness, a spiritual understanding of suffering and surrender, and many very profound Buddhist teachings. It's months later as I write this review. The queen of hearts card still sits on my dresser, greeting me every morning, reminding me of my own desire to search for the passionate equanimity that Treya found. (respond to Lydia)

Click here for a review of the book.

Williams, Rowan. Resurrection. Harrisburg: Morehouse Publi 129 pages. ISBN: 0819216151

I read this book to do some thinking about the meaning of Easter for myself. I really enjoyed the way Williams portrayed the Easter experience in a very human way. It was in the midst of failure and limitation that Jesus came to the disciples and offered them forgiveness. In fact it was in the honest admission of their misunderstanding, illusion and betrayal that the disciples discovered the depth and strength of God's forgiveness. To know the full extent of our untruthfulness and not to be crippled by our guilt and shame is one of the meanings of Easter. (respond to Cal)