The Bookhound, Part 2

With summer approaching, I am taking stock of the books I would like to read. Since I lost my job last June (!), I have had to cut back on my book buying. Now, do you have any idea how HARD that is for me? If you're a book lover, I'm sure you know. But the upside of this is that I have taken time to look through the books I have, many of which I have not read.  There are two that stand out, and in keeping with the topic of Faith, I would like to share with you. These are books I have just started reading.

One Nation Under God - The History of Prayer in America, by James P. Moore, Jr.

This book came about after Mr. Moore noted there was hardly anything available of the subject. Interesting because faith is the very foundation of our nation. The book sleeve notes the subject of prayer in America and "the extraordinary role that prayer has played in every area of American life..." Subjects include how prayer is an "essential ingredient" in our nation's character and has been a key component in the formation of our country and the thought of individuals as diverse as Ben Franklin and Elvis Presley. You should be able to find this book in any bookstore. I have just started reading it, and I can't wait to dig deeper into it. This book is of particular interest to me because it covers three areas of my greatest interest: History in general, American History specifically, and Faith. America and prayer seems to go hand in hand.

The History of Christian Thought, by Jonathan Hill. This books explores faith and Christianity with a much broader brush. It is described as "a wealth of insight on the history of Christian thought and the colorful personalities of those who gave it shape and form." Browsing over the Contents page will give you an idea of the depth of this book. Subjects include The Church Fathers, The Byzantine Empire, The Middle Ages, The Reformation (an area I have somewhat of an understanding as it includes The Reanissance, Martin Luther, John Calvin), The Modern Era (The Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant, Kierkegaard; I expect this section to be particularly interesting), and The 20th Century (Existentialism, Feminist Theology). I expect this book to be quite a brain stretch, and much of it could be over my head, but that is the whole point in reading it. In the study of faith, I expect some of the texts to be a head-scratcher. Faith is a very deep, involved subject with a variety of thoughts and opinions. Some I expect to be way off the mark (for me) and most I expect to have a "so that is what is means" moment.

This is a personal search. A step-by-step walk toward a fuller understanding of faith, the purpose of Christ, the role of God, and my/our place in it. I think the search is worth it. There is something bigger than us, and I expect to discover that the something bigger is on our side.