Saturday, May 31, 1997

Religion in the media: a look at recent books and magazines

The Dallas Morning News

BOOKS

"Guard the Truth: The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus," by John Stott (InterVarsity Press, $17.99). With this book, Stott completes a commentary on all three Pastoral Epistles. A volume on 2 Timothy appeared years ago. Although these little New Testament treatises are attributed to St. Paul, many scholars have doubted their authenticity. Stott neatly surveys the cases for and against apostolic authorship and concludes that the letters did indeed originate with St. Paul. The strength of opposing views have been greatly exaggerated, he writes. It will surprise no one acquainted with this writer, rector emeritus of All Souls' Church in London, that the strength of "Guard the Truth" lies in sober, reflective, verse-by-verse exposition of the texts. Many readers will be eager to see how Stott deals with passages traditionally cited against women's ordination. He offers no "slick solution to all our questions about sexual roles" but rather suggests that further theological reflection is in order. -Paul R. Buckley

"The Lord & His Prayer," by N.T. Wright (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., $8). The author is dean of Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire, England, and this slim book on the Lord's Prayer began as a series of homilies delivered there during Advent 1995. He takes the most famous Christian prayer clause by clause, setting it within the context of Jesus' life and ministry. Looking at the prayer in its original setting, he writes, can bring a fresh understanding of Christian spirituality. "This prayer starts by addressing God intimately and lovingly, as 'Father' - and by bowing before his greatness and majesty. If you can hold those two together, you're already on the way to understanding what Christianity is all about." -Paul R. Buckley

AUDIO BOOKS

"Denial of the Soul: Spiritual and Medical Perspectives on Euthanasia and Morality," by M. Scott Peck, read by the author (Simon & Schuster Audio, 2 cassettes, 3 hours, abridged; $18). Peck writes passionately about euthanasia, the right to die and the moral arguments involved. He contends that - with the advent of medical technique for handling pain, and with the transfer to the family of life-and-death decisions once reserved to the physician - the debate has changed. Drawing on his experiences as a physician, he proposes that death has inherent lessons and that the "work of dying" is a spiritual journey. -Kate Seago

"Mary's Message to the World," by Annie Kirkwood, read by Salome Jens (Alternative Audio, 2 cassettes; 3 hours, abridged; $17.95, 415-583-9700). "People of Planet Earth, listen to this message. I, Mary, mother of Jesus, am alive and concerned for you." So begins this transcription of the end-times best seller, which reports Kirkwood's "interior locutions" - a series of "talks" with Mary. (An uncredited male voice on the fourth side reads a "message" from Jesus.) There are predictions of spiritual visitations and apocalypse. Much of the advice coincides with traditional theology. But it also advocates reliance on inner guidance directed by angels. Actress Salome Jens gives a sonorous reading, imbuing the text with empathetic vocal authority. -Kate Seago

"Expect a Miracle," by Dan Wakefield, read by Robert Sevra and others (Recorded Books Inc., 8 cassettes, 10 hours unabridged; $16.50 rental, $67 purchase; 1-800-638-1304). Dan Wakefield didn't believe in miracles. Schooled in collegiate skepticism in the 1950s, he looked to explain the unexplainable through science and logic. But a near-fatal car accident and a series of renewals in his life changed his mind and his expectations. This best seller calls on anecdotes (including some from celebrities such as Judy Collins and Michael Crichton), logic and philosophy to put miraculous events into modern perspective. -Kate Seago

(c) 1997, The Dallas Morning News.

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