"Surprised by Grace" (Kevin P. Joyce)

TITLE: Surprised By Grace: A Spiritual Journey from West to East and Back
AUTHOR: Kevin Patrick Joyce
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Crossroad Publishing, 2024, (240 pages).
 

This book is about the author's spiritual memoir of his journey from faith to commitment; theological education to ordination; and his engagement with spiritual experiences from both East and West. Since he was 11, Kevin Joyce has strong calling for the priesthood, so strong that he chose it over romance, a career in medicine, and other youthful endeavors. He grappled with various emotions and contexts throughout his youth. He left the seminary for a time to pursue other goals instead of the priesthood. He nearly committed to a long-term relationship with Antonia, only to realize he was not ready. Ultimately, together with his family background, prominent spiritual influence from his maternal grandmother, his positive impressions of Church Mass, and realizing the reality of Jesus' Resurrection, he returned to his religious vocation. He has two purposes in this book. First, to share his learning from spiritual masters. Second, to compare the spiritual paths and traditions of both East (Vedic) and West (Christian). This is Kevin Joyce's conversion, confession, exploration, redemption, and re-commitment story.

"Five Views on the NT Canon" (Stanley E. Porter and Benjamin P. Laird)

TITLE: Five Views on the New Testament Canon
AUTHOR: Stanley E. Porter and Benjamin P. Laird
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2022, (288 pages).

How was the Bible put together? What are the criteria to determine which books are legitimate? What prompted the canon process? What about authorship and apostolic authority? These are some of the critical questions dealt with in this book. The canonization of the Holy Bible has become one of the most controversial issues in modern times. With rising suspicion of the institutional church and the growing intellectual climate of mistrust, it has become increasingly necessary to re-examine old assumptions and historical evidence. In the pre-enlightenment age, societies in Christendom jurisdictions mostly accepted the authority of the Church in all things religious. Today, contemporary society does not share such trust. Instead, suspicion and skepticism tend to be the default paradigm. Who gives any human being the right to canonize anything? What about perceived and actual authority? These questions are some of the issues dealt with by five different scholars and theologians from different backgrounds. With five views, readers can get a better idea of the complex issues and why they are so controversial. The five views presented are:

1. Conservative-Evangelical (Darian R Lockett)
2. Progressive-Evangelical (David R Nienhuis)
3. Liberal-Protestant (Jason David BeDuhn)
4. Roman Catholic (Ian Boxall)
5. Orthodox (George L Parsenios)

"Evangelicals and Catholics Together at Twenty" (Timothy George and Thomas G. Guarino)

TITLE: Evangelicals and Catholics Together at Twenty: Vital Statements on Contested Topics
AUTHOR: Timothy George and Thomas G. Guarino
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2015, (188 pages).

Over twenty years ago, a group of Evangelicals and Catholics have come together to dialogue on the common matters of faith. Founded by Charles Colson and Richard John Neuhaus in 1994, the Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) produced nine statements of faith. The key aim is to affirm that while they do have serious differences in belief, they too have lots of common ground. Together, they believe that:

• They have more in common than differences
• They desire a deepening understanding of each other
• They want to demonstrate what it means to tolerate differences
• They want to re-examine at why certain issues are so difficult to resolve
• They want to champion religious freedom through mature dialogue
• They can encourage deeper theological discussions so that both parties can learn from one another.
• They can engage the culture, society, political, and social strata.

In this book, three themes form the basis of dialogue:

1. The content of the Christian faith
2. The place of Scripture and Tradition
3. Ecclesial Reform

"The Gospel of John" (Francis Martin and William M. Wright IV)

TITLE: The Gospel of John (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture)
AUTHOR: Francis Martin and William M. Wright IV
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015, (368 pages).

Since Vatican II, the Roman Catholic Church has paid a lot more attention to the rising hunger for the Word of God. While they have been venerating the Scriptures for hundreds of years, it is only after Vatican II where the focus has become sharpened. With more desire from the laity to learn to interpret and to study the Bible for themselves, there is also a need for biblical resources like commentaries that are updated for the modern masses. This is where the "Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture" comes in. What makes this unique are the following:

• Rather than technicalities of the texts, it focuses on the "meaning of the text for faith and life"
• The Interpretation includes perspectives from Protestants and Orthodox groups
• Though the main translation is the New American Bible, there are frequent comparisons to other translations like NRSV, JB, and NIV.
• Special sidebars containing biblical background (historical, literary, theological, tradition, miscellaneous writings) information
• Relating Scripture to Catholic doctrine
• John being a special bridge to the other gospel writers as well as the three Johannine letters and Revelation. 

The two Catholic theologians serve in various teaching institutions of the Church. Francis Martin is Professor Emeritus of New Testament at the Dominican House of Studies while William M Wright is Associate Professor of theology at the Catholic Church's Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Both of them writes from a Roman Catholic perspective.

"Cravings" (Mary DeTurris Poust)

TITLE: Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image, and God
AUTHOR: Mary DeTurris Poust
PUBLISHER: Nortre Dame, IN: Ava Maria Press, 2012, (160 pages).

What do our cravings for food tell about us? A lot. This book basically argues that our physical hunger is essentially a symptom of a deeper condition: A desire to be filled, and a longing to be whole. The trouble with many is that they are filling themselves with things that do not last, and longing for a world that is far too inadequate to meet our deepest needs. The way we stuff ourselves with food can sometimes be due to self-loathing or deceptive loving. What about times in which we gobble food down and fail to pay attention to the people on the table? Perhaps, our inability to control any binging or inattentive eating is a symptom of a deeper problem. A big question constantly asked is this: Every time we reach out for something, say a cookie or a snack, are we satisfying a legitimate hunger or are we eating based on another kind of impulse?

Each chapter begins with a Scripture statement or a quote that spells out the main idea of the chapter. An illustration is then made to highlight the challenges many people face with regards to some form of eating. After making a case for a link between physical and spiritual needs, readers are invited back to the spiritual fathers, and practitioners of old, that we in the modern age can be trained to think about food, eating, and our self-identity in a more reflective way.  Whether it is a "goal-directed" vs "habit-directed" behaviour; a dieting based on self-delusion vs doing something based on who we are; to accept our self-image instead of trying to build up a false sense of identity; this book builds a case for us to be mindful about the motivations behind every eating. Each chapter ends with some positive applications, followed by a helpful "Food for Thought" and a "Practice" section for readers to exercise either self-control or purposefulness in their cravings. The meditations is a nice summary of each chapter, giving readers a good opportunity to turn back to the true spiritual source of fulfillment and delight. There are helpful ideas on fast food eating, vegetarian meals, instant cooking or easy meals, obsessive eating or dieting, fasting, simplicity in eating, and others. Eating is also a sacramental act too, as we exercise self-control and balance in our physical as well as spiritual feeding. The highlight is learning to turn mere meals into meaningful meditations, for all kinds of occasions.

My Thoughts

This book begins with an exploration of the connections between physical and spiritual nourishment. It then progresses to the key point about these connections reflecting our relationship with God and our journey toward becoming the persons we are made to be. Obesity and prayer can be closely linked. Eating and community building is also critical to relationships. Even eating desserts can be an utterly spiritual experience. Filled with lots of practical advice, readers will be ushered into a whole new way of thinking about their food.

There is a popular saying that we are what we eat. Mary DeTurris Poust has helped us to appreciate the deeper meanings and the underlying motivations behind our eating. She has made a strong case that links our physical nourishment with our desire for spiritual refreshment. I appreciate the author's ten-step plan for compulsive or impulsive eating. The key idea is about planning our eating, before, during, and after.


Ratin: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Ave Maria Press and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.