Review: Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community

Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community by Maggie Helwig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has some special connections for me, so be warned that I write with those in mind. Not only is the community which Maggie Helwig describes in my city, but I followed the story at a distance because the church at which the encampment is placed is not very far from where I live in Toronto, but also of the same denomination as we are, but, also, my wife works with the author as well. And we're using this book as our summer reading book this year. So, just noting all those thing for transparency sake.

So, what are my impressions? Encampment is really a beautiful book- painful (definitely!), challenging (absolutely!), but deeply compassionate and grace-filled. It is the story of the encampment which grew up around St. Stephen in the Fields in Toronto from 2021 onwards and the challenges which that brought with the city and the neighbourhood, as well as the inhabitants, who were working through and with their own issues and with life on the streets. It also weaves in Helwig's own story as she was navigating challenging times in her own life, while trying to support this community around her.

The result is a moving story of what good a community can bring for even those whose struggles are overwhelming, as well as the story of the fear of those on the streets can deaden our compassion and how bureaucracy can injure people. It is a story which gives no easy answers, but calls us to see struggling people as people, who deserve dignity and support.

This, I think, is a really important read, especially for anyone who is trying to understand how to deal with housing and with those on the streets. It's empathic, but clear-sighted approach brings the reader face to face with the people who we, all too often, pass by on the streets. It is a challenge to all of us, Christians, non-Christians, whoever- to start considering how do we find a better way to deal with the housing crisis. And I think that challenge is one worth taking up.

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Review: Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction

Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction by Joshua Whitehead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I ran into one of the stories in this anthology, A History of the New World, because it was one of the short story texts I used in the Indigenous Voices course I was teaching last year. The story fascinated me because of its imaginative combination of climate disaster and how easy neo-colonialism is to fall in for us white folks. I loved the push back from the Indigenous characters and the re-imagining of my city, Toronto, as returning to a state of nature, watched over by a community in High Park (literally, a half hour walk from my house). It is still my favourite story in the collection, but I was fascinated by the remaining stories as well.

The stories are, of course, written within an intersection of Indigenous queer and Two-Spirited writing, as well as, of course, in the Indigenous Futurism genre. The stories explore how these identities combine as well as seeing how the futurism genre affects them. The result are some fascinating reflections on technology and identities. This collection is definitely worth reading if you're interested in science fiction because it breaks the white, cis-male domination of that genre in creative and insightful ways.

So, yes, I definitely recommend the anthology for anyone who wants to see a different take on speculative fiction.

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Review: The Mestizo Augustine: A Theologian Between Two Cultures

The Mestizo Augustine: A Theologian Between Two Cultures by Justo L. González
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I ran into this title in James Smith's On the Road with Augustine, which I reviewed a few years back and re-read recently. He quotes the experience of a mestizo, who is defined as a person born from Spanish and Indigenous blood, but is generalized into a mix of cultures/identities between a 'civilized' (in this book, Roman) and 'indigenous' group (here, Berbers). Gonzalez' basic thesis in the book is that an important way to understand St. Augustine, both is life and theology, is that he was a mestizo, born from a Roman father and a Berber mother. While the identification of Monica as Berber is not definitely settled (though it makes sense), there is certainly no doubt that her form of Christianity was heavily influenced by the distinctive African Christianity, which was prevalent around the time of Augustine. So, Augustine functioned between two cultures, two Christianities, which explains his reaction to both as well as his choices as he developed his theology in the Manichean, Donatist, Pelagian and pagan controversies of his day.

The thesis is bold and, I think, may be hard for those who identify Christianity with a purely Western point of view. But I also find it a fascinating reading of Augustine's life, career and theology. And it is a more nuanced way of seeing Christianity in the time in which Rome flourished. The fact is that we moderns have a tendency to see the Romans as a unitary culture, but what we are seeing more and more in the evidence is just how much hybrid cultures, joining Roman and local traditions, are the norm in the Roman Empire throughout its existence. Ethnic identity tended to morph and shift in this time and there was more than enough code-switching as individuals moved from one cultural context to another in just their everyday life. This book fits into that understanding and, I think, illuminates Augustine's theological moves in interesting ways.

This is very much well worth reading, both for Augustine specialists, but also for those interested in Rome of Late Antiquity.

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Review: Buffalo Is the New Buffalo

Buffalo Is the New Buffalo by Chelsea Vowel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I ran into this while look for another collection of Indigenous futurism short stories (which I'm now reading- Love at the End) and, because Chelsea Vowel is the author, of course, I picked it up. I've enjoyed the author's essays in Indigenous Writes, using them sometimes when I'm teaching my Contemporary Indigenous Voices course at my high school. I knew about Vowel's interest in Indigenous futurism, already, so I was curious to see her writing in that genre.

The stories are a blend of science fiction and Metis story telling in a way that is difficult to describe. Each are really different from each other, but all see futures from a Metis lens which combines a clear-sighted view of how we are today, with a creative vision of the future, combined with Metis spirituality and, because it is Chelsea Vowel, a lot of humour. The narrative styles shift and change and really are fun to read. There's also commentary to explain to background and thinking behind each story.

This collection is well worth reading, especially for this take on Metis futurism.

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Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is, of course, one of the prequels of the Hunger Games series, set sixty or so years before the action of the first novel (so, it happens in the 10th Hunger Games, not the 74th as in the original novel series). Here, we find a world in which Panem has only recently emerged from its ruinous civil war with the districts and is only slowly recovering. The Hunger Games remain as an instrument of vengeance, but many of the entertainment elements which gave a subtle horror in the original series are only slowly being added. Here, it's all about the punishment aspect and with minimal superstructure.

The story follows the District 12 female tribute, Lucy Gray Beard, and her sponsor, Coriolanus Snow (yes, that Coriolanus Snow, the President in the later series, but much younger) as they navigate the 10th Hunger Games. The story largely told from the point of view of Snow, whose family were ruined by the civil war and whose father died as a war hero. This left them impoverished and Snow juggling his lingering sense of privilege without the means to support it. Collins is at her best here, revealing the rationalizations and drives which lead him from a scheming teenager to the ruthless young man at the end of the story, who is willing to betray anyone, including the love of his life, for power and money. Lucy, on the other hand, is clever, witty, talented and deeply rebellious, which captivates young Coriolanus and that could be a redemption arc, but, as in the nature of dystopias, that proves a path not taken. I won't say more in fear of giving more spoilers than I've given.

This is a really interesting take on the Hunger Games and stands alone very effectively. Well worth reading.

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Review: Healing Wounds: The 2025 Lent Book

Healing Wounds: The 2025 Lent Book by Erik Varden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my Lenten book for this year, so I'm only getting to reviewing it now because of just the busyness of a busy semester. I had been hoping for a reflective Lenten study which would reflect on Jesus' suffering and how our suffering is reflected in that. And, to a degree, that is in this book, written by Erik Varden, a Trappist monk and Catholic Bishop of Trondheim. The reflection is structured on the wounds of Christ, as reflected on by a 12th (?) century Trappist poem on the wounds of Christ.

On the whole, I wouldn't say there was anything theologically wrong in this book, even for a non-Roman Catholic. There is a lot that is right. I think what put me off, however, was that visceral reflection on the wounds, as the physical wounds, which is characteristic of mediaeval Catholic spirituality. I am, admittedly, an Anglo-Catholic, so I'm more likely to be in sympathy with this aspect of Roman Catholicism, but there is a enough Protestant in me to baulk a bit. I mean, if people find it helpful to reflect on the sheer physicality and severity of Jesus' wounds, that's fair. And it's not like I deny those wounds were real and physical and awful- as Christians, we have to remember crucifixion wasn't a painless or sanitized as we often see in churches. The Cross was an instrument of torture, so the physical reminders are important. But reminders are one thing and reveling in the suffering is another. I'm not sure that Varden crosses that line, but sometimes I thought the source poem did.

So, perhaps think about this one. If the Wounds of Jesus are an important part of your spirituality, yes, by all means, this book is for you. If it is less important, this might be a more challenging read.

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Review: The Land Is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery

The Land Is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery by Sarah Augustine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I ran across this book in a bookstore in Waterloo, while visiting my son, who is studying there. This books goes along with the Indigenous authors I've been reading, but with the twist that the author is also Christian, looking at the legacy of colonialism in the context of being an Indigenous Christian. And that is a tricky balance to navigate.

The focus of this book, of course, is the Doctrine of Discovery, that initially ecclesiological doctrine which, effectively, handed the New World (and Africa and parts of Asia-anywhere where Christian kings were not ruling) to the European colonial powers- initially, Spain and Portugal, then Britain and France. Augustine explains the origins of this doctrine, how it morphed into a legal argument and how it is impacting people today, specifically her own Pueblo people, but especially the Yakama people in Suriname. She writes within the Mennonite theological heritage, but her activism comes through in everything she writes.

The result is a challenging book. Not because the theology is tricky. I mean, the absurdity of the Doctrine of Discovery has already been repudiated by almost all mainline churches. The Roman Catholic church which promulgated it in a series of papal bulls has even recently admitted its mistake in teaching in itin the first place. The book is challenging because the doctrine, now a legal principle, continues to be employed in disputes about who owns the land which mining and other exploitative industries work. Augustine is unrelenting in calling attention to these abuses and in demanding help for the Yakima people, and all who are resisting these policies. She doesn't stop with informing. She demands action.

Definitely, this is a worthwhile book, both as a refutation of the Doctrine of Discovery, but also as a call to action.

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Review: A Mind Spread Out on the Ground

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another of my Indigenous reads for my English course this year. We decided to base our first unit in second semester with some of these essays as exemplars. So, I took the time to read the whole collection.

Alicia Elliot is a Tuscarora writer who has divided time between the US and Six Nations reserve near Brantford. This collection reflections on her childhood and her experience with mental illness in her family and her own. The essays are brilliant, but raw and sometimes really really funny. She combines a really reflective spirit with her awareness of the impact of colonialism on both families and her people. It is not a comfortable read, but it is a good one of this late 50s white male settler.

Definitely worth reading, but with trigger alerts for depression, trauma and suicide.

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Review: Saint Leibowitz and the Wild Horse Woman

Saint Leibowitz and the Wild Horse Woman by Walter M. Miller Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is, admittedly, a very strange book. It is the sequel, prequel, something of the classic sci-fi novel, A Canticle for St. Leibowitz also by Walter M. Miller, which is a very strange blend of post-apocolypse and pre-Vatican II Catholic spirituality (especially from the religious orders). The earlier novel follows the Order of St. Leibowitz through the post-apocalyptic wastelands from nuclear war sometime in the 1950s or 60s and mass Simplification which wiped out most of human learning until it was painful reconstructed and humanity does it again. This book is placed about a century or so after the second book, Fiat Lux, and follows a disgraced monk of the monastery of St. Leibowitz into a story which combines the post-apocalyptic landscape combining Catholic spirituality, Native American spirituality, colonialism, power plays and what looks suspiciously like an Avignon papacy. And strange.

Part of the strangeness, I think, is that this is only based on a manuscript by Miller, so another writer has completed it. It is really hard to tell what is Miller being strange and the editor adding things for modern sensibilities. There is more sex in this novel than Canticle, which I wonder if that isn't added. But it is very much the same world, told, this time, from more in the centre of the action.

It is still worth reading, if you've read Canticle. Disorienting, yes, but an interesting story about power, faith and human understanding. It deserves to be read more.

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Review: The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting and ambitious attempt to give a clear narrative to Egyptian history, which, given the fragmentary nature of early Egyptian history, is quite an achievement. It packs a surprising amount of historical information, archaeology and just good story telling in a fairly substantial space, but remains really readable and compelling nonetheless.

The only caveat that I have is one that, not being an Egyptologist, I'm not sure I can evaluate the plausibility of all the reconstructions. Writing a narrative like this can mean taking some liberties, or ignoring dissenting opinions, so some cautious and reading around is probably helpful.

Still, this is an entertaining and interesting book and one I'm happy to have in my library.

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Review: There There

There There by Tommy Orange
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting, if strange novel. It is another in my series of Indigenous novels that I'm reading for my Indigenous Voices (English) course I'm teaching this year. Unlike many of the one's I've read, this one is American, although that makes less difference than you'd think.

The novel is pretty episodic, being told from the voices of about a dozen characters, who all find themselves, by the end of a novel, at a pow-wow in southern California which experiences a bungled robbery (I won't say more to avoid spoilers). The structure is pretty diffuse because the story is told in short chapters in the voices of many characters, so the unravelling of the plot is confusing sometimes, especially because the stories of perpetrators, eye-witnesses and victims are all intertwined and take time to figure out the relationships behind them. But the characters are compelling, so it kept my attention quite well.

This is a good novel, if a little harrowing. But definitely worth reading.

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Review: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the ModernWorld

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the ModernWorld by John Mark Comer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm a bit divided about this book, to be very honest. There's nothing I'd say was wrong with what Comer is saying or, at least, not very. And I do think that we as Christians do need to consider whether we're slowing down and paying attention to God in this fast-paced and, frankly, overwhelming technological culture we find ourselves in. That's why I picked up the book in the first place. Comer's analysis of the problem is pretty standard, but sound. Yet, there's a tone that tended to put me on edge.

I think what it is is a sense of 'arrivedness'. It's that sense that the author gives of having arrived at the other end of the problem and is giving his wisdom, despite the fact that dealing with this chaos of the modern world is, in my experience, an ongoing and continuous process. I fully recognize why that sense comes in- Comer did have to disconnect from a prestigious, but exhausting ministry to slow down. But it puts a sour tone for the rest of us struggling in the foothills. That's a bit of a grump, but just noting the sour note.

But this book is still worth reading. It does make an important comment on society and on how Christian interact in it. It does give suggestions on how to deal with the pressure to hurry and how to slow down. So, still worth the time spent on reading it

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Review: Killing the Wittigo: Indigenous Culture-Based Approaches to Waking Up, Taking Action, and Doing the Work of Healing

Killing the Wittigo: Indigenous Culture-Based Approaches to Waking Up, Taking Action, and Doing the Work of Healing by Suzanne Methot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am writing this review, very conscious that, as a late 50s white settler, I have very few qualifications to comment, except some professional education training over the last year, which isn't enough. However, I'm also aware that the author, in their introduction, notes that non-Indigenous teachers etc may find the book useful. And it is.

Based around the metaphor of the Wittigo, a nightmarish, destructive (both self and other) spirit featured in several Indigenous cultures, this book explores the particularly history of trauma among Indigenous peoples- both generational and individual, and explores their origins and the way that Indigenous youths and their communities can heal. The reading is hard a lot of the time (hence, the many trigger warnings interspersed in the book), but important.

The writing is very accessible, clear and compassionate. Methot grounds the discussion in stories, but deepens the experience through sound therapeutic discussion. Well worth the reading.

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