Frustrating when no one cares about what you're reading....

Parent Cafe
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<p>veronwe -</p>

<p>It would be fun to have coffee with you some time just to talk about such things. I love reading about the historical view of early Christianity and I even like (non-religous) Bible study (on my own - can’t find too many secular bible study groups around here). I especially enjoyed a book by Thomas Cahill called Desire of the Everlasting Hills. I thought books like these (and the several-volume PBS series on the historical Jesus) could be faith-enhancing vs. not. When you see things in their historical context, they just make so much more sense. For example, as you know, each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical equivalent (like Roman numerals). When you spell the name of Julius Ceasar in Hebrew and count up the result, it’s six hundred and sixty six. The number 666 gave early Christians a way to talk negatively about Ceasar without actually using his name - and thus stay out of trouble. I laugh when I think about the fundamentalists who refuse to have the combination 666 in their telephone numbers.</p>

<p>Anyway, the story: I tried to donate some of the books and videos to the church I was attending a few years ago (Presbyterian) and was told by the Director of Christian Education that they did not coincide with “what we believe.” In other words, No Thanks.</p>

<p>Oh well.</p>

<p>I also enjoy reading accounts of things I DON’T believe, if they are well-written and persuasive (even though I’m not believing a word of it). A good example of this is the Scientific Creationist book, The Science of God.</p>

<p>Regarding Catholicism, I find it interesting that the very basis of ALL Christian sects today - ALL (that I know of) - is the Nicene Creed, developed at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD (“…we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church”). Christians today recite that creed, basically avowing faith to the single “othodoxy,” yet are split into a thousand different directions. One of the reason that the “proto-orthodox” (who would become Catholics) “won” the battle for scripture and faith is that they were highly organized and believed in a strong church hierarchy. The other contenders at the time were much more individualistic in their beliefs, so the outcome of the “battle” for orthodoxy could have beeen predicted. Much like political campaigns today. The national Republican Party is so well organized compared to the Democrats that regardless of the candidates and their positions, the outcome of the Presidential election could be predicted just from the strength of the organization.</p>

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<p>maineparent -</p>

<p>So often we ignore reading some of the classic literature that we read as kids or teens because we’ve “been there - done that.” But I’m amazed when I reread something I read long ago and get reminded about why it’s considered a classic.</p>

23

<p>Ellenmenope,
I was telling someone that my hubby prefers books on CD these days…he just finished Will in the World…about what was going on around Shakespeare and how it influenced his writing…anyway, they encouraged me to get him the first Patrick O’Brian book on CD cause the reader does such a great job…</p>

<p>my favorite is Jim Dale who reads the Harry Potter books…no one does it better than Jim…</p>

<p>oh well…must focus…later …</p>

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<p>I do like books on tape but I have to disagree with you about Jim Dale. I hate his voice and to me the characters are nothing like his renditions of them. I think I may get Stephen Frys version for the next book as it is a tradition that we listen to Harry Potter when on car trips.</p>

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<p>Emeraldkity4
that is so funny…I really like Jim Dale and you HATE his voice…go figure… I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy the movie because I was so used to his voice as the characters…
this is the flip side of no one to talk to about the books one reads… I didn’t know there were other audio versions with different speakers…so, I will have to give Stephen Fry a try… couldn’t resist the rhyme!</p>

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<p>mainemom - what a great idea - mother/son book group. Wish someone in my sphere had thought of that 8 or 10 yrs ago. Right now, S would rather stand in front of a firing squad than go to a book group with (shudder) Mom. Wonder if, now that you’ve started it, it will trump the non-communication phase that so many of us face and keep right on going all through HS. That would be stupendous.</p>

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<p>My husband has read extensively about early Christianity for the past decade or so - ever since a deeply upsetting discussion we had with some newly-turned-fundamentalist friends. I often go on reading jags about obscure historical events, particularly in 1930s America, and I’ve always been fascinated by classic Hollywood films. Our reading interests intersect just about nowhere! Digmedia, he doesn’t have the Cahill book, so thanks for a nice birthday gift idea - hope I can find it.</p>

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<p>I would have thought that learning about early Christianity was a popular subject now, what with all the interest created by The Da Vinci Code. I’ve been doing some reading about it myself, along with collecting a slew of books on feminist theology. I also read history/biography/historical fiction about whatever country I’m planning on visiting. (In the past few years I’ve read about England, Scotland, and Italy, and have now started on France.)</p>

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<p>jmmom,
the mother son book group has already paid big dividends…we moms all know one another’s sons so much more because of this, it makes it much easier to talk to the boys, for instance when shuttling them to an event, pick up after a practice etc. Additionally, they know us better and while we joke with them that one of us is always watching, the truth is that more often or not, one of us is around. So, the expectations for them are not just coming from their parents! Definitely a good thing. </p>

<p>Back to the books, since we started in 7th grade…hope was to actually do 10 books a yr, leave out 1 mo over summer when kids are in camp or whatever, and 1 mo for xmas holidays, what I hope for is 6 yrs (thru high school) with 10 books, we will read and discuss 60 books by the time they graduate. Since we have done about 18 so far, I say we are on track and it has been great. The only book that really didn’t work was a collection of Edgar Allan Poe stories, and I think that the kids felt it was like reading a lot of books. </p>

<p>Your comment about the non-communicative phase strikes home too. Several years ago I went to an evening session where the guest speaker was Michael Thompson who co-authored Raising Cain. A book about bringing up boys, prompted by the successful Reviving Ophelia. I took away a few tips on parenting boys from the evening. The first was to start doing specific things with boys at an early age, make it a routine. Things like play tennis, go on a hike, ski together etc. Boys love to be physical…and the earlier you create the routine, the easier it is to continue it when they are teenagers. Another was to not back a kid into a corner with your questions because they will always come out fighting. We always give the boys 30 to 60 minutes of free play time at the start of book group, we usually do dinner (pizza or ribs or food relevant to the book, one mom did lobster sandwiches, popcorn and peanuts when we did the Mickey Mantle biography!) and then we do the discussion. That way, the moms get a chance to talk about whatever is going on, things with our boys, or at school, or in town…to ensure we know what is lurking, good things to encourage etc. </p>

<p>Not sure how old your child is today…it is never too late to start something like this, but I do think that the 7th grade was actually perfect timing. They kind of like the chance to express their opinions…not into the teenage fog years yet, where you know they are in there, but it is too foggy to find them!</p>

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<p>maineparent -
If you haven’t opened FNL by now, do so immediately! Think of it as a sociological study, rather than as a book about football. It’s fascinating, I promise!</p>

31

<p>maineparent–I often listen to books on tape/cd as I often have a longish drive when I play in tennis leagues. I check them out from the library. Maybe I will have to give the Patrick O’Brian books a listen. </p>

<p>A good reader can really add to a book! Two of my favorites are the person who reads Alexander McCall Smith’s series about the First Ladies’ Detective Agency and the person who reads Lisa Scottoline mysteries.</p>

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<p>Speaking of reading as a group, if you are a Dickens fan, you’ll want to check out the Discovering Dickens project at Stanford. They serialize a Dicken’s novel and post notes on the web. Books covered so far are Great Expectations and Tale of Two Cities. Just starting Hard Times. see <a href=“http://dickens.stanford.edu/index.html[/url]”>http://dickens.stanford.edu/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>digmedia, i’m only 22, but i love to talk (in general) so if you really want to discuss something hit me up with an e-mail, haha :)</p>

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<p>Digmedia, I think my husband has been working in those 2 books you mentioned in your first post, written by the same person on the “Lost Books” or something like that. he found it fascinating</p>

<p>Has anyone ever tried an online book group - I’m trying to find a local book group with no success, and I’m too overwhelmed to spearhead my own.</p>

35

<p>Digmedia,</p>

<p>Have you read “The Complete Gospels,” edited by Robert J. Miller, published by Harper Collins? It includes a number of “sayings” gospels that may have been source materials for the four that made it into the canon.</p>

<p>It includes some “infancy” gospels, in which Jesus acts with a typically child-like temperament, but some distinctly unchildlike powers: “Later he was going through the village again when a boy ran by and bumped him on the shoulder. Jesus got angry and said to him, 'You won’t continue on your journey. And all of a sudden he fell down and died.”</p>

<p>I’ve known few people who are comfortable discussing books on this topic.</p>

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<p>There just aren’t enough folks around who want to talk about extremophiles, tiny forms of life that live in the world’s most extreme environments. I practically hyperventilated when I started reading, THE FUTURE OF LIFE, by Edward O. Wilson. Try bringing up social progress, economic growth, and environmentalism…within 3 minutes, people will start edging toward the door, walking backwards away from you, nodding in agreement, and saying things like, “That’s fascinating!” </p>

<p>Same thing happens when you bring up superstrings and hidden dimensions. I like to pick up Brian Greene’s book, THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE, and reread chapters just to feel parts of my brain working that haven’t been activated for a while. His follow-up book, THE FABRIC OF THE UNIVERSE, lays out theories on what the universe actually is. Cosmic evolution, quantum jitters, time travel…Who wouldn’t want to talk about this stuff?! :stuck_out_tongue: If you’re reading one of those books in public, strangers will not talk to you!</p>

<p>Really want to make their eyes glaze over? My H bolts as soon as he hears me say, "I read an article today about pangolins…(or, some other strange animal that he’s never heard of). :)</p>

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<p>sluggbugg, </p>

<p>I am in the middle of “Elegant” and loving it. It is brain exercize! I had to laugh when about 200 pages in, there was a footnote saying-- ‘the next few points are really subtle and it may take more than one reading to grasp them,’ because I had been re-reading virtually every section from the very beginning of the book!</p>

<p>LOL the ‘edging away’ picture you paint. I suggested The Elegant Universe to my book club (which is filled with smart women) and got looks of HORROR.</p>

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<p>LOL, SBmom, they don’t know what they’re missing! I would have to throw myself on the floor and kick my feet if someone told me I had to read an Oprah book. :)</p>

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<p>Searchingavalon: My husband and I are also interested in studying early Christianity, because I do think it’s gotten very twisted along the way. However, I feel that way despite DaVinci Code, not because of it–I don’t know which was more egregious: it’s writing style or its horrendously bad scholarship.</p>

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<p>The title of “The DaVinci Code” is annoying. It should have been “The Leonardo Code.” You wouldn’t say “The of Assissi Code” if you were writing about St. Francis, or “The of Tarsus Code” if you were writing about Saul/Paul.</p>