Review: The Cross and the Lynching Tree

The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has been sitting on my wife's work theological shelf (I'm sure she's read it- just not me) for a while and the title has always intrigued me. It is a striking juxtaposition and, of course, the subject of the essays within combine a robust theology of the cross with an equally robust remembrance of the practice of lynching which was the Black experience in the US for several generations after the Civil War. It is a striking and painful contrast.

Cone's main thesis in the several essays has two threads. The first, is the Black recognition of the parallel between Jesus' death of the cross and the practice of lynching Black men, women and children perpetrated by the white community. Cone draws out that parallel clearly in the words of the victims themselves, their religious leaders, activists, artists. The recognition of that parallel fed the Black community through all those years of lynchings and explains many things about the vitality of the Black church and its reliance on Jesus through this time.

The second theme is the incomprehension of the white liberals or white Christians in seeing this parallel. This is true both of those sympathetic to the lynchers and those who were not. It is, as Cone suggests, an indictment on both white liberals and white Christians that we missed this and that we didn't push harder against lynching, insisting on, if anything, a gradualist approach at a time that people were dying. As someone who does try to take a moderate stance on many issues, it is a clear warning that there are times and places where moderation is not called for, but rather a cry for justice is what is needed.

This is a brilliant book and well worth reading. It does and should make the reader uncomfortable, especially if they're white. But that discomfort is a good thing.

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Review: Justinian

Justinian by H.N. Turteltaub
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting historical fiction offering, written by Harry Turtledove with a pseudonym, charting the story of the Byzantine Emperor, Justinian II Rhinotmetus (the slit-nosed), who qualifies as one the crazier of the crazy Byzantine Emperors. Mind you, I get the craziness of the second reign. I'm not sure I'd be best pleased with people who had cut my nose off.

The novel tells the tale of this Emperor by interposing a narrative featuring Justinian himself as the author, interposed by the reactions and additions of a fictional guardsman and loyal supporter of Justinian who corrects the main story from the prospect of twenty years later In the course of the story, we see various luminaries and future emperors appear and disappear from the story. The story itself is compelling and largely based on the Byzantines sources. That makes sense because Turtledove was studying Byzantine history before he because a sci-fi/fantasy writer.

The narrative itself is very much in Turtledove's style and is compelling. The fictional guardsman, Myakes, is a standard Turtledove hero- sensible, brave, loyal. Justinian, well, Justinian, he's a mess-spoiled, entitled, brilliant, stubborn, proud and ultimately crazy for revenge (again, not sure I'd be in a good mood if someone chopped my nose off). The story watches Justinian's first downfall, his recovery and his ultimate self-destruction in sometimes painful detail. Justinian is not an easy character, but he is vivid and is a study of a person undone by his faults. In that sense, he is a bit of a tragic hero.

This is book is worth reading and I enjoyed it a lot. A knowledge of Byzantine history is helpful, but not essential for reading this. But it is a fascinating story and an interesting reconstruction.

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Review: Twelve Ordinary Men

Twelve Ordinary Men by John F. MacArthur Jr.
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of a men's group I belong to. I must admit that I was a little nervous about it when we starting, knowing MacArthur's reputation. I have to admit that that nervousness was rather justified.

This book is a compilation of a couple versions of sermon series on the lives of the twelve apostles. Now, as anyone who has some acquaintance with the Bible will quickly realise, that isn't necessarily an easy prospect. Some apostles are mentioned a lot in the Bible, so sketching their character isn't that difficult. Some, well, are hardly mentioned past the lists of apostles in each of the Gospels. MacArthur solves this by grouping the apostles at times and sometimes by extrapolating from the admittedly scanty information we have. The result is certainly a lively piece of writing which is highly readable and often helpful.

Yet, this book left a lot of sour notes for me. MacArthur does play a little fast and loose with the Biblial accounts at times, and especially in his deployment of Greek words to support his argument. That is subtle, but can lead to some false conclusions. In addition, there is very much a Christian self-help on manhood vibe under some of these biographies, which can get a bit frustrating because it very much feels forced a lot of the time.

I'm not sure I would recommend this book, without a lot of caveats. While readable, I'm not sure I trust its readings a lot of the time.

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Review: Golden Mouth: The Story of John Chrysostom-Ascetic, Preacher, Bishop

Golden Mouth: The Story of John Chrysostom-Ascetic, Preacher, Bishop by J.N.D. Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a re-read from my patristics reading craze in the early 2000s. I've had this in my library for years and read it a few times, but never got around to reviewing here, so here we go.

This is a biography of the Church Father, theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople and, above all, sermon writer, St. John Chrysostom (the Golden-Tongued). Written by J.N.D. Kelly, a giant in patristics from the last couple of generations, this is a thorough biography of this brilliant, if controversial figure. Kelly does a good job with the abundant sources for John's life (his own sermons and treatises, the histories of the big three fourth century church historians- Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomon and Theodoret of Cirrhus, as well as assorted saint's lives etc). He pieces together John's dramatic life, especially in his dealing with the imperial court of Arcadius.

It is a good, readable biography which explains much about John's career. The reconstructions make sense, although a thorough review would involved a lot of reading. It is a good introduction to this fascinating early Christian writer. Now, go out and find some of St. John's sermons, because they are worth reading on their own.

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