A startling and immensely pleasurable collection of American writings on belief; from the Civil War to Occupy Wall Street Beginning with Walt Whitman singing hymns at a wounded soldier’s bedside during the Civil War; this surprising and vivid anthology ranges straight through to the twenty-first century to end with Francine Prose crying tears of complicated joy at the sight of Whitman’s words in Zuccotti Park during the brief days of the Occupy movement. The first anthology of its kind; Radiant Truths gathers an exquisite selection of writings by both well-known and forgotten American authors and thinkers; each engaged in the challenges of writing about religion; of documenting “things unseen.†Their contributions to the genre of literary journalism—the telling of factual stories using the techniques of fiction and poetry—make this volume one of the most exciting anthologies of creative nonfiction to have emerged in years. Jeff Sharlet presents an evocative selection of writings that illuminate the evolution of the American genre of documentary prose. Each entry may be savored separately; but together the works enrich one another; engaging in an implicit and continuing conversation that reaches across time and generations.Including works by: Walt Whitman • Henry David Thoreau • Mark Twain • Meridel Le Sueur • Zora Neale Hurston • Mary McCarthy • James Baldwin • Norman Mailer • Ellen Willis • Anne Fadiman • John Jeremiah Sullivan • Francine Prose • Garry Wills • and many others
#382485 in Books Gary A Anderson 2014-11-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.14 x .61 x 5.80l; .0 #File Name: 0300198833232 pagesCharity The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition
Review
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful. Several Thoughts for Further StudyBy Paul Q. KuceraI was hoping this book would spend a good deal of time discussing the poor in the biblical tradition; as the subtitle suggests. The subtitle would probably be better stated as "Almsgiving in the Biblical Tradition." This book is; as the main title makes plain; an exploration of the subject of charity: the poor figure in it only to the extent that they are the nameless; voiceless "slot" through which one's charitable giving goes "clink" in the heavenly treasury.So in one respect; Anderson's book did not live up to my hopes for it. However; Anderson is not proposing to study the poor as the poor: his aim is to explore how Second Temple Jewish authors; especially Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus) and the author of Tobit; thought of almsgiving; and to consider also how almsgiving is treated in the gospels according to Matthew and Luke. If anything; the subtitle might have been; "Time with Tobit."Anderson helpfully explains the way in which almsgiving became an equivalent for temple sacrifice in a time when the Temple in Jerusalem no longer stood. My sense of the sum of Professor Anderson's argument is that charity; specifically giving alms to the poor; is enacting one's faith; in several senses. Anderson discusses those several senses: faith in God; faith in God as the kind of God revealed in Scripture; faith in the goodness of creation; faith in God's promises; faith that God is not indifferent; faith that risking material wealth here on earth is an act that pleases God in heaven; faith that God will remember the faithful.I am still wondering how one chapter leads logically into the next. This is not always made entirely clear. I have the sense that Anderson may have perceived this difficulty; too; because Chapter 7 provides a manner of summary of what he has done in the book up to that point. It might be helpful to refer to Chapter 7 every so often as you read the rest of the book.To my mind; the greatest strength of the book (and the reason I give it four rather than three stars) was the way Anderson challenged me to pay more attention to the "treasury" language used by Jesus; and also to the episodes concerning Cornelius and Tabitha in the Acts of the Apostles. It was also quite helpful for me that Anderson made a valiant if not entirely successful effort throughout his argument to divorce the treasury metaphors from financial/commercial thinking. Thinking about charitable giving as a "memorial" before God was also quite helpful; but this is not quite the same as making a "loan" to God; a metaphor Anderson also explores.Reading from a Protestant; Reformed (Calvinist) perspective; I found the chapter on Purgatory (Ch. 12) engaging; though I do not agree with all of Anderson's readings; propositions; or conclusions. Finally; this book reinforced for me the importance of faith; hope; and love in the life of every disciple.In short; Charity was a mixed bag that seemed to rely very heavily on a small (but influential) handful of texts. The book did not live up to my initial expectations for it. Taken on its own terms; however; Anderson's book provides much food for thought and for further exploration: a good springboard for further study. People with a special interest in Biblical Studies and in Biblical "financial" metaphors will especially appreciate this book. My sense is that a general Christian readership will feel a bit frustrated; impatient; and confused by the book; and I would recommend it to such a reader only with great reservations. For people with some theological/Biblical education; four stars; for the average lay reader; probably three or even two stars.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Continuously interesting; intellectually challenging; and spiritually convictingBy Christina Grace DehanI found this book continuously continuously interesting; intellectually challenging (without being too dense); and spiritually convicting. While Anderson is clearly a gifted Biblical scholar; he steers clear of jargon and esoteric academic allusions and manages to write in such a way that is accessible to any educated reader who loves Scripture. I highly recommend this book; although readers should be warned that both during and after reading "Charity;" they will most likely be compelled to re-examine their own attitudes toward charitable giving.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Life changing bookBy Kevin CotterWOW! I read many books and have studied a lot of theology. What Gary Anderson has done in this book is simply amazing. This is one of the most impactful books that I've read in the last 10 years. It has incredible research and content that transforms your worldview. An tremendous combination of theology; history; and scriptural scholarship that all come together for a moving argument. Well done!
