Thursday, August 2, 2007
A Clergyman's Daughter by George Orwell
A well-written book that explores how real and necessary faith is. I am not certain whether Orwell intended the book to argue that faith is something one does out of custom and is completely unnecessary otherwise. Yet, the idea that life is meaningless without faith, although problematic to Orwell, is not something that I, as a Christian, find problematic. As a Christian I would argue that we are created to find life meaningless without faith - for one should not live without it. The despair in the daughter's life seems to point to the validity of faith, although the faith that she chooses is not so much life-giving as settling. He paints a poor picture of how things should be - and it is not actually surprising then, that he questions whether one should really have this kind of faith in one's life.
Monday, June 4, 2007
The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass on Tour by Adrian Plass (2004)
The diaries of Adrian Plass are delightful. They're humourous and honest - and most of all remind me of how much God uses ordinary people (and weird ones, too) to show us better who He is. This book tended to have more questions and answers related to faith than the other ones, but the answers and questions did a great job of reminding how the Christian life is about being faithful in all things including the ordinary (and thus difficult) things. And there was a strong compassion shown towards people who had been hurt (and even pushed away from God) through good intentions and misguided ideas. Overall, reading the book was a wonderful way to spend part of a Sunday.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
The Business of Heaven: Daily Readings from C.S. Lewis, Edited by Walter Hooper (1984)
C.S. Lewis is a bit too black and white for me at times but it is black and white in directions that I tend to agree with. I’ve appreciated him tremendously.
His entries for 27, 30, 31 march all discuss sex [They are originally from Mere Christianity, Bk III, Ch. 5]. They provide provide a wonderful balance to some of the predominant views found in the books on prostitution. The last comment also provides a nice correction against the 'evil-ness' that many Christians make sexual sin to be (especially something like prostitution).
“the old Christian rule is ‘Either marriage, with complete faithfulnesss to your partner, or else total abstinence.’ Now this is so difficult and so contrary to our instinct, that obviously either Christianity is wrong or our sexual instinct, as it now is, has gone wrong…
The biological purpose of sex is children, just as the biological purpose of eating is to repair the body. Now if we eat whenever we feel inclined and just as much as we want, it is quite true that most of us will eat too much: but not terrifically too much. One man may eat enough for two, but he does not eat enough for ten. The appetite goes a little beyond its biological purpose, but not enormously. But if a healthy young man indulged his sexual appetite whenever he felt inclined, and if each act produced a baby, then in ten years he might easily populate a small village. This appetite is in ludicrous and preposterous excess of its function.
Or take it another way. You can get a large audience together for a striptease act. Now suppose you came to a country where you could fill a theatre by simply bringing a covered plate on to the stage and then slowly lifting the cover so as to let everyone see, just before the lights went out, that it contained a mutton chop or a bit of bacon, would you think that in that country something had gone wrong with the appetite for food? And would not anyone who had grown up in a different world think there was something equally queer about the state of the sex instinct among us?”
“Our warped natures, the devils who tempt us, and all the contemporary propaganda for lust, combine to make us feel that the desires we are resisting are so ‘natural’ and ‘healthy’, and so reasonable, that it is almost perverse and abnormal to resist them. Poster after poster, film after film, novel after novel, associate the idea of sexual indulgence with the ideas of health, normality, youth, frankness, and good humour. Now this association is a lie. Like all powerful lies, it is based on a truth … that sex in itself (apart from the excesses and obsessions that have grown round it) is ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’, and all the rest of it. The lie consists in the suggestion that any sexual act to which you are tempted at the moment is also healthy and normal. Now this, on any conceivable view, and quite apart from Christianity, must be nonsense. Surrender to all our desires obviously leads to impotence, disease, jealousies, lies, concealment, and everything that is the reverse of health, good humour, and frankness. For any happiness, even in the world, quite a lot of restraining is going to be necessary; so the claim made by every desire, when it is strong, to be healthy and reasonable, counts for nothing.”
“If anyone thinks that Christians regard unchastity as the supreme vice, he is quite wrong. The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronizing and spoiling sport, and backbiting; the pleasures of power, of hatred. For there are two things inside me, competing with the human self, which I must try to become. They are the Animal self, and the Diabolical self. The Diabolical self is the worse of the two. That is why a cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it is better to be neither.”
His entries for 27, 30, 31 march all discuss sex [They are originally from Mere Christianity, Bk III, Ch. 5]. They provide provide a wonderful balance to some of the predominant views found in the books on prostitution. The last comment also provides a nice correction against the 'evil-ness' that many Christians make sexual sin to be (especially something like prostitution).
“the old Christian rule is ‘Either marriage, with complete faithfulnesss to your partner, or else total abstinence.’ Now this is so difficult and so contrary to our instinct, that obviously either Christianity is wrong or our sexual instinct, as it now is, has gone wrong…
The biological purpose of sex is children, just as the biological purpose of eating is to repair the body. Now if we eat whenever we feel inclined and just as much as we want, it is quite true that most of us will eat too much: but not terrifically too much. One man may eat enough for two, but he does not eat enough for ten. The appetite goes a little beyond its biological purpose, but not enormously. But if a healthy young man indulged his sexual appetite whenever he felt inclined, and if each act produced a baby, then in ten years he might easily populate a small village. This appetite is in ludicrous and preposterous excess of its function.
Or take it another way. You can get a large audience together for a striptease act. Now suppose you came to a country where you could fill a theatre by simply bringing a covered plate on to the stage and then slowly lifting the cover so as to let everyone see, just before the lights went out, that it contained a mutton chop or a bit of bacon, would you think that in that country something had gone wrong with the appetite for food? And would not anyone who had grown up in a different world think there was something equally queer about the state of the sex instinct among us?”
“Our warped natures, the devils who tempt us, and all the contemporary propaganda for lust, combine to make us feel that the desires we are resisting are so ‘natural’ and ‘healthy’, and so reasonable, that it is almost perverse and abnormal to resist them. Poster after poster, film after film, novel after novel, associate the idea of sexual indulgence with the ideas of health, normality, youth, frankness, and good humour. Now this association is a lie. Like all powerful lies, it is based on a truth … that sex in itself (apart from the excesses and obsessions that have grown round it) is ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’, and all the rest of it. The lie consists in the suggestion that any sexual act to which you are tempted at the moment is also healthy and normal. Now this, on any conceivable view, and quite apart from Christianity, must be nonsense. Surrender to all our desires obviously leads to impotence, disease, jealousies, lies, concealment, and everything that is the reverse of health, good humour, and frankness. For any happiness, even in the world, quite a lot of restraining is going to be necessary; so the claim made by every desire, when it is strong, to be healthy and reasonable, counts for nothing.”
“If anyone thinks that Christians regard unchastity as the supreme vice, he is quite wrong. The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronizing and spoiling sport, and backbiting; the pleasures of power, of hatred. For there are two things inside me, competing with the human self, which I must try to become. They are the Animal self, and the Diabolical self. The Diabolical self is the worse of the two. That is why a cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it is better to be neither.”
The Prostitution Prism by Gail Pheterson (1996)
As the books I’m reading all tend to blur, it’s probably a sign of saturation. Pheterson’s book emphasizes the differences between female and male deviance. Men can use or not women sexually as long as these are within specific relations (husband, lover, customer of a prostitute). However, women are deviant if their sexuality is practised or even made known outside of every context except marriage – and even then it can be deviant if their desires and perceived rights do not coincide with their husbands’ perceptions. She points out that females can be dishonoured as a ‘whore’ without ever having received money for sexual services (the common definition of prostitution) but are considered dishonourable because of class, race, or deviance from expected female behaviour. She thus displays the unfairness of the accepted standards of our society, as well as showing that every women (and even some men) are not as separate from prostitutes as most of us would like to think. This lack of distinction between prostitutes and the average woman in some ways is a means to build solidarity and thus an ear for her proposals for legal reform concerning mainly prostitution.
Although I agree with her to some degree, especially about the unfairness of society’s standards and the depiction that none of us are really all that different from those we might want to condemn (see John 8 and the story of the woman caught in adultery), I’m not comfortable with a lot of the assumptions she has made about the amount of validity inherent in both feminism and prostitution.
Although I agree with her to some degree, especially about the unfairness of society’s standards and the depiction that none of us are really all that different from those we might want to condemn (see John 8 and the story of the woman caught in adultery), I’m not comfortable with a lot of the assumptions she has made about the amount of validity inherent in both feminism and prostitution.
The Diviners by Margaret Laurence (1974)
This is Laurence’s fifth book on a small town in Manitoba. Her first was The Stone Angel, which I read in university and utterly disliked. My taste in literature has clearly changed, as I quite liked this one. It tells the story of a woman finding herself, trying to separate herself from the town and patterns that formed her, while also coming to terms with how the small town is part of who she is. The main character is not overly good nor overly lovable – but she is honest and real – and for that reason a delightful person to get to know.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (1986)
I couldn’t remember if I had read this previously, and it being a classic, thought I ought to do so again just to make sure. I also wanted to read it in light of all the books on prostitution I had been reading. It is a story of both survival and weakness. I’m no longer sure how believable the main character (the handmaid) is, as she slowly chooses to deteriorate, instead of continuing to fight using the many opportunities given to her. Yet, Atwood depicts none of the handmaids as really surviving – even those who choose to fight lose their life in some way or another. The same cannot be quite said for our society or even those who have been pushed into prostitution. The cost for those in prostitution is high but not as high as for those in Atwood’s novel.
I think, though, I discovered why I don’t remember reading it previously – I’m still not entirely sure what to make of it nor even what to make of a juxtaposition of prostitutes with handmaids.
I think, though, I discovered why I don’t remember reading it previously – I’m still not entirely sure what to make of it nor even what to make of a juxtaposition of prostitutes with handmaids.
The Deptford Trilogy (Fifth Business, The Manticore, World of Wonders) by Robertson Davies (1970-1975)
The stories are biographies each told in a different style. The first is in the form of a letter, the next is the recording of Jungian psychological understanding with the less section being in the present, and the final book is a tale of a man reminiscing with people who have shared different pieces of his story. Besides being a wonderful study in character, the combination of different biographies that make up the trilogy does a great job exploring and explicating the subjectivity of each person’s own view – both of the world and even their own story.
Friday, March 16, 2007
update on blog
although i haven’t posted for awhile, my reading has hardly abated – just the acknowledgement of it hasn’t been as quick (as i’m supposed to be spending all my time theses writing :)) and i’ve decided to post each book separately as being more reader friendly.
the reading is fluctuating a bit to reflect other’s influences, my desire to read more related to spiritual living, the desire to escape for awhile in a novel or two or three, and the realization that literature on prostitution has a tendency to sadden me.
the reading is fluctuating a bit to reflect other’s influences, my desire to read more related to spiritual living, the desire to escape for awhile in a novel or two or three, and the realization that literature on prostitution has a tendency to sadden me.
Prostitutes’ Well-Being and Risk by Ine Vanwesenbeeck
well done. a very solid introduction and a good look into the reality of life as a prostitute (especially in the Netherlands). she points out that most studies try to address the why of becoming a prostitute, which tends to produce judgement or pity, whereas looking at the reality of being a prostitute gets beyond these simplistic responses to be able to see prostitutes as real people (and not just as a cause or problem). Things are complicated when it comes to the reality of prostitution: there is much to be sad over, as the following comments illustrate:
“Despite of differences between western and non-western women, it must be acknowledged that women all over the world still have limited money-making options. There are virtually no other occupations available to unskilled or low-skilled women offering an income which compares to prostitution. It is indeed, as Davis already mentioned ‘not the hard question why so many women become prostitutes, but why so few of them do’.” Vanwesenbeeck, Prostitutes, 29.
“Not only is the work of an extremely intrustive character, calling for the ‘switching off’ of certain kinds of awareness and consciousness, but it is also ‘emotion work’ as referred to by Hochschild (1979, 1988). Prostitution is a kind of labour where one has to act in an a way that is known to be false or that actually transforms one’s feelings. Prostitution work is to a certain extent built up from fake behavior and untrue emotions on the part of prostitutes: they play the whore, they are on the game. In this context it is extremely likely that problem feelings of all kinds are being split off, denied and dissociated. In addition, stigma and secrecy are an excellent soil for internal coping. A lack of alternative coping resources and supportive social structures add to this.” Vanwesenbeeck, Prostitutes’, 151.
She concludes by saying, “Implicitly or explicitly, it has often been assumed that deciding on prostitution work is the ultimate illustration of having travelled a down-slope track and having reached an absolute low in life….Our study has shown that prostitution need not be the absolute low by definition, at all. However, for those who are already troubled, as a consequence of violent life-histories, econonomical sorrow, or both, prostitution work is often an extra burden.” Vanwesenbeeck, Prostitutes, 161-62.
And most of all her book points to something of utmost importance. those who most Christians would like to dismiss as sinful are real regular people like us, who delight in a wave from a one-year-old the same way that anyone else does.
“Despite of differences between western and non-western women, it must be acknowledged that women all over the world still have limited money-making options. There are virtually no other occupations available to unskilled or low-skilled women offering an income which compares to prostitution. It is indeed, as Davis already mentioned ‘not the hard question why so many women become prostitutes, but why so few of them do’.” Vanwesenbeeck, Prostitutes, 29.
“Not only is the work of an extremely intrustive character, calling for the ‘switching off’ of certain kinds of awareness and consciousness, but it is also ‘emotion work’ as referred to by Hochschild (1979, 1988). Prostitution is a kind of labour where one has to act in an a way that is known to be false or that actually transforms one’s feelings. Prostitution work is to a certain extent built up from fake behavior and untrue emotions on the part of prostitutes: they play the whore, they are on the game. In this context it is extremely likely that problem feelings of all kinds are being split off, denied and dissociated. In addition, stigma and secrecy are an excellent soil for internal coping. A lack of alternative coping resources and supportive social structures add to this.” Vanwesenbeeck, Prostitutes’, 151.
She concludes by saying, “Implicitly or explicitly, it has often been assumed that deciding on prostitution work is the ultimate illustration of having travelled a down-slope track and having reached an absolute low in life….Our study has shown that prostitution need not be the absolute low by definition, at all. However, for those who are already troubled, as a consequence of violent life-histories, econonomical sorrow, or both, prostitution work is often an extra burden.” Vanwesenbeeck, Prostitutes, 161-62.
And most of all her book points to something of utmost importance. those who most Christians would like to dismiss as sinful are real regular people like us, who delight in a wave from a one-year-old the same way that anyone else does.
Noam Chomsky, Hegemony or Survival (2004)
depressing is how i would respond to this. it discusses the domination that America is having over the rest of the world and the country’s political disregard for any interests or input except for its own. the depressing part is that we let it happen – by intentional ignorance. that, and i haven’t gotten far enough to hear his thoughts on how to respond…
Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton
it’s a practical look at how to open oneself to spiritual transformation. she explains spiritual disciplines for Christians today in our culture (who tend to use the Bible for information instead of a way for speak to our souls and tend towards either buying into popular culture’s obsession with the body or over-reacting against it). she uses much of her own story, sharing her downfalls, struggles and blessings in these areas and although this is generally helpful, she does tend a bit towards expecting everyone to have similar struggles. nonetheless, her words provide challenges and encouragements to both beginners and those more experienced in opening up their entire being to know God.
The Golden Rendezvous by Alistair MacLean
pure entertainment. almost all plot and action. quite predictable. the good guys win. the bad guys lose. and the boy gets the girl. delightful reading in the midst of a world where things aren’t quite so simple – and where the plot twists are met with a lot more emotional turmoil.
At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Matthiessen (1976)
along the same lines as The Poisonwood Bible, it explores the lives and work of all too human missionaries as they bring the gospel to the middle of nowhere. the mode of story telling and character sketches aren’t quite as good as The Poisonwood Bible but it does raise a lot of fascinating questions. it paints a picture of what happens when Christianity goes wrong – of the problem of rice Christians brought on by bad American evangelical mission work, of how one who rejects the faith doesn’t entirely leave it as he tries to live as a saviour, and of the inability of someone who questions the ‘right’ version of Christianity to be able to do the work he loves which would really be of use.
The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez (2006)
it is a winner of some literary award, which it highly deserves as it is an intriguing mystery. what i appreciated most about was its use of mathematics – and showing how the most obvious solution (or next step) is not the only possible solution. translated into every day life, our actions and words sometimes produced solutions (and consequences) which we never intended or expected. and the mystery is unravelling those unexpected connections.
The Unicorn by Iris Murdoch (1987)
odd but fascinating. it’s one gleaned from the english books in the house’s library. the setting is a couple of isolated houses and the central character is a woman forced into solitude by a jealous house. everything revolves around her – and what everyone believes is best for her. the best parts are the exploration of how circumstances very much affect one’s actions – and the problems involved in trying to control other’s lives or to manipulate events for your own version of what’s best for someone else.
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