Book Review Wednesday!

I am finally back in the office and back to blogging after a short hiatus.  So, to kick things off again, it’s Book Review Wednesday!

I recently ordered two books from Amazon.  First, I got a new Bible.  In my old Bible, everything from Hebrews 4 to the end had fallen out and been taped back in.  So it’s a nice to have a Bible that is actually bound together.

I also bought a book called “C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy” by Jeff Sharlet.  I’ve enjoyed Sharlet’s writing in the past, especially in his article for Harper’s magazine.  This book details an organization, “the Family,” that aspires to lead politicians and important business leaders into a laissez-faire style of economic and religious governing.  The author believes that the organization is intent on convincing powerful leaders that the message of Christianity is that good things are given to God-appointed leaders, and then it is their responsibility to trickle down the good things to the poor and weak.

I will respond very briefly: what scares me about this ideas is not the political conservatism.  Most of my family and friends would self-identify as political conservatives.  What scares me about the Family is their use of theology and scripture to serve their own ends.  The Lord they speak of, one full of power, authority and business agendas is the not the Lord that I know.  I know a Lord who denied his own power and authority.  I know a Lord who served the poor, weak, and crippled.  I know a Lord who died on a cross.