Easterling's reading list 2010

2009-12-17 [All_Most PUNK]: Have you read The Lies of Locke Lamora?

2009-12-17 [Easterling]: Yep. :) I finished it last night, actually.

2009-12-17 [All_Most PUNK]: I got it 5 days ago. Will read it in January, surely.

2009-12-17 [Easterling]: I liked it. It was very well-written with many details.

2009-12-17 [All_Most PUNK]: Looked that way to me. I hope it will live up to my expectations.

2009-12-17 [Easterling]: We'll see what you think of it... Tastes could be different, though.

2010-01-07 [Viking]: At this rate, you're going to hit your goal by the end of the month!

2010-01-08 [Easterling]: Well... x) It sure looks like that right now, doesn't it? But there's a long way to 40 and I don't always read this much in one week.

2010-01-08 [Easterling]: Now go and read my new review! :D

2010-01-08 [Viking]: *goes to read new review*

2010-01-13 [All_Most PUNK]: I has started reading "The Lies Of Locke LAmora" now! :O

2010-01-14 [member181737]: I've found reading Arndt, Meister Eckhart and William Law (Emerson's also a good addition^^)at the same time to be pretty cool, and beneficial. Your mileage may vary :-)


Cheers

2010-01-20 [Easterling]: Punk: How do you like it so far? :)

Forlatt: Hm.. I was thinking of reading Meister Echart, too, one day because it's also a huge classic. I don't know if I like him, though, it might be too much "up-in-the-clouds" for me.

I like Arndt more than I think I would, especially the prayers. Sometimes it's hard to understand the way of thinking when it comes to self-denial and so on. It's very different from the modern way of thinking. But that's interesting to discover, too.

Who is William Law? I don't know if I've heard about him.

2010-01-21 [member181737]: I’ve found most people have that view of Eckhart ;)

I enjoy Eckhart in that he reached within Christianity and became conscious some similarities between Christianity, and an older tradition. Namely, that through focus on the internal nature of our soul we can come to know its source. In English: Through devotion, mental discipline and silence we can focus on the source of our spirit, and thereby come to know God, and the universal spirit within all life. (God is surely all, isn’t “he”?) This sorta Neti, Neti view used to be called Apothatic Theology in the Middles ages. (If my memory serves! :P)

In essence, they’re not ideas belonging Christianity alone (he along with others such as Luther suffered for his mysticism), but they share some belief. It’s a lot of Eastern (Vedas), and Transcendental thought but I believe in Cardinal Virtues, or ideas, so I don’t mind knowing some people came up with the same ideas a long time before :)

Regarding Arndt, it took me a while to understand a lot of it, but I came to much the same conclusion you have.

William Law was a “Theological Writer” from the 18th century. A Practical Treatise Upon Christian Perfection and A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life are good introductions into his thought as they pertain to the more “rigid” (lack of a better term) Christian Thought. As far as his Christian Mystic works go, most towards the end of his life will suffice. (http://www.passtheword.org/William-Law/; also has links to some of his earlier works)

Know of any other good Christian Writers? My knowledge of them goes about as far as I’ve said, plus dudes like Schopenhauer (Save the pessimist works), Aquinas, and Emerson.


-Nicoles

2010-01-22 [Viking]: Are you going to read all of Stieg Larsson's books this year?

2010-01-22 [All_Most PUNK]: I loved The Lies Of Locke Lamora. I devoured in little more than 2 days (and week days, when I don't really have a lot of time to read). I'm looking forward to get the second volume as soon as possible.

2010-01-22 [Viking]: I'm looking forward to the third!

2010-01-23 [Easterling]: Viking: Of course, I've finished reading all the published three books by him already. The forth is maybe coming soon. He won't write anymore, though, because sadly he's dead.

Punk: I'm glad you liked it! I thought you might but I didn't want to say anything, before you had read it yourself. I have the second book here on my shelf (well, I have no book-shelf actually, they're all piled up on the top of my wardrobe), I don't know what book to read next.

2010-01-23 [Easterling]: Forlatt: I'm not familiar with the expression "Cardinal virtues", at least not in English. What I know about Meister Eckhart was that his ideas were seen with much skepticism from the church. Myself, I'm very skeptical with comparing christian thought with other religions like that. It's true that there are a lot of wisdom that is similar, we're all humans and live in the same world, it would be strange if we didn't come to the same conclusions in much things. What's important for good christian theology, and spirituality, though, is to point towards the gospel of Jesus Christ. The person of Christ and the reconciliation for all humans through his suffering and resurrection is what makes the christian faith unique. The Bible tells that salvation and reconciliation is only possible through faith and devotion to Christ.

2010-01-23 [Easterling]: I haven't heard about William Law before but I read from the wikipedia-article I found that he was involved with inspiring the evangelical movement, for example. Maybe it's worth to look up sometime. :) And yes, maybe "rigid" is a good word. x)

2010-01-23 [Easterling]: Hmmm... good christian writers.. I read a lot of Swedish christian writers, such a shame many of them haven't got their works translated into English. :P

Anyway, CS Lewis is considered to be a very smart theologian, so that's someone I can recommend. I read a book about prayer by an orthodox priest, that I liked very much, his name was Anthony Sourozh, if you're interested in christian mysticism. Another work that I really liked was written by a theologian called Jürgen Moltmann. I don't remember now what tradition he belonged to. And Dietriech Boenhoeffer is a classic, but I haven't read much by him yet, I just have read and heard a lot about him, and his life was very impressive, standing up against the Nazi government during the Second World War. He wrote a lot about the meaning and value of the christian community and togetherness.

2010-01-23 [Viking]: Oh =(

I was beginning to think Stieg Larsson had dozens of books out. I probably should have visited wikipedia before asking *is embarrassed*

2010-01-23 [member181737]: Howdy,


[I'm not familiar with the expression "Cardinal virtues", at least not in English]

Sorry about that—I meant virtues and/or Ideas which are not restricted to insular communities and transcend divergence in culture, and Faith.

[ What I know about Meister Eckhart was that his ideas were seen with much skepticism from the church. Myself, I'm very skeptical with comparing christian thought with other religions like that. It's true that there are a lot of wisdom that is similar, we're all humans and live in the same world, it would be strange if we didn't come to the same conclusions in much things. What's important for good christian theology, and spirituality, though, is to point towards the gospel of Jesus Christ. The person of Christ and the reconciliation for all humans through his suffering and resurrection is what makes the christian faith unique. The Bible tells that salvation and reconciliation is only possible through faith and devotion to Christ.]

I have some reservations myself in regards to blurring the lines between Religions. (I value a people’s choice to cull certain views, so just going and sticking some Wicca in my Chocolate, err…Hinduism isn’t the best of way to go about it.)

To me, Meister Eckhart’s view was still…Christian, albeit more Pantheistic. (Another decade of life and he may have become another Swedenborg, eh!)

[I haven't heard about William Law before but I read from the wikipedia-article I found that he was involved with inspiring the evangelical movement, for example. Maybe it's worth to look up sometime. :) And yes, maybe "rigid" is a good word. x)]

I hope you do^^

Haha ;)


[Hmmm... good christian writers.. I read a lot of Swedish christian writers, such a shame many of them haven't got their works translated into English. :P

Anyway, CS Lewis is considered to be a very smart theologian, so that's someone I can recommend. I read a book about prayer by an orthodox priest, that I liked very much, his name was Anthony Sourozh, if you're interested in christian mysticism. Another work that I really liked was written by a theologian called Jürgen Moltmann. I don't remember now what tradition he belonged to. And Dietriech Boenhoeffer is a classic, but I haven't read much by him yet, I just have read and heard a lot about him, and his life was very impressive, standing up against the Nazi government during the Second World War. He wrote a lot about the meaning and value of the christian community and togetherness.]


You should find a good fellow who's willing to translate for the benefit of those not willing to Learn Swedish haha ;)

I’ll put those on my list of writers to read :D, thanks!

Years ago I disliked Christianity despite Christian upbringing. (I attended Private Christian/Catholic Schools of repute, but not world-class renown, most of my life.) I’ve kept most of the traditional values (IE Chastity, prayer ect…) espoused by Christianity as they are traditions I feel are important, even if my prayers are not really “prayers” :P

I discovered my problem wasn’t with Christianity, but with some of the knuckle-heads in it ruining it for the good people.

So, the Christian effort to push for community is one thing I absolutely adore and applaud :-) 

2010-01-23 [member181737]: I'm a huge sucker for the acts of Ritual in Christendom as well... =)

2010-01-23 [All_Most PUNK]: I think I'll go with The Catcher in the Rye next.

2010-01-23 [Easterling]: No need to be embarassed, Viking. It was a shock that he died, not sure why, but it was recently and sudden. Hey, last headline of the evening press I saw was like this: "Stieg Larsson didn't write his books himself!" I guess rumours about a dead author's death is spreading fast. They've already been writing a lot about the scandal when his girlfriend with whom he has been living with all his life, wouldn't get any of his money because they weren't married.

2010-01-23 [Easterling]: Forlatt: Ah, I see. I was thinking that was what that expression meant but I wasn't sure. Well, there are virtues and wisdoms that are the same in most cultures, even though it's also surprising how different it can be.

2010-01-23 [Easterling]: I'm going to read Eckhart someday.

There's a christian leader in Sweden called Harry Månsus, he's famous for explaining the christian message in easy ways, so that a lot of people can relate and undestand. He has started something called "the Bromma dialogue" (where Bromma is a name for the place where it started). It's courses you can take that are for learning about life, spirituality and so on and the special thing about it is that... Hey, this is going to be long, I'd better write a et-message to you about this instead...

2010-01-23 [member181737]: It's mind-boggling, really.

The brilliance of the human mind, and of...life itself. It never does find itself dull, or boring. Life is endurance.

2010-01-23 [Easterling]: Punk: What book was that? Author? (*is obsessed with books* o_o)

2010-01-23 [All_Most PUNK]: J. D. Saliger.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye

2010-01-23 [Easterling]: Oh, ok.

2010-02-23 [Easterling]: 1260 pages... Phew! :P

2010-02-23 [windowframe]: Isn't Sea of Silver Light the last one? Are you working through them backwards, or did you just read the others a long time ago? :P

2010-02-24 [Easterling]: I've been struggling with the Otherland-series a long time. I finished reading the Mountain of Black Glass, which is the third one, before 2010. But if I write a review on it, I might be writing for the whole series.

2010-03-07 [Easterling]: Too many modern books in my list! :/ Time to dig out the real old ones...