Book Group

St. Mark’s Book Group, October 2007 - June 2008

Now meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month

 

We meet from 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. in the Education Center.  All are welcome – you do not need to come to all the meetings. Come when you can; bring a lunch. The schedule alternates fiction and non-fiction. The meeting dates are the second Wednesday of each month.  Each month's selection will be available to order in the Lion's Den Book and Gift Store.    Any questions, call the church office, 203.966.4515.

 

Tuesday, October 9, 2007:            Little Dorritt by Charles Dickens

Little Dorrit  was published in monthly installments between 1855 and 1857. It contains numerous subtle criticisms of the government and society of Dickens’ time: notably in the so-called “Circumlocution Office” that satirizes government bodies in the Victorian age whose officials did nothing, slowly, and are represented in the character of Barnacles. William Dorrit is a man who has been imprisoned in the Marshalsea prison for debtors for so long that he has gained the nickname ‘The Father of Marshalsea’. His suffering and indignity in the prison is made less painful by the adoration of his youngest daughter, Amy (the “Little Dorrit” of the title), though less so by daughter Fanny and son Tip. The hero of the tale is Arthur Clenham, a middle-aged man for whom Little Dorrit feels a great passion that he does not immediately requite. The story follows their luck in receiving a fortune and becoming affluent and - with the clear exception of Little Dorrit - arrogant. It also shows how outside prison walls there can exist equally confining prisons of our own making, particularly due to aspiration.

 

Tuesday, November 13, 2007:    Faith and Politics: How the “Moral Values” Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together

by Senator John Danforth 

Faith and Politics is authored by John Danforth, an ordained Episcopal priest and onetime Bush administration ambassador to the United Nations. Danforth served in the Senate when Republicans were outnumbered and outmaneuvered by Democrats. Describing himself as a "a Republican for the old reasons," Danforth, 70, is promoting a new book that describes religion as a divisive force in the United States today and accuses the religious right and its political supporters of creating a sectarian party. From a customer review, “In his career, Danforth has mostly been a lawyer and a politician -- both professions that generally reward aggressive, adversarial stances. Yet in this book, Danforth's thinking draws more on the accommodating, uniting position that most would associate more with his third, much more peripheral career as a priest. Tying those three viewpoints together in a thoughtful, personal discussion on a variety of issues makes for a book that is a pleasant but important read.”

 

Wednesday, December 12, 2007:     Shepherds Abiding: A Mitford Christmas Story by Jan Karon

This eighth book in the Mitford series focuses on "the most wonderful time of the year" --- Christmas. The narrative revolves around Father Tim's restoration of an old, battered nativity set, which he hopes to complete for his wife Cynthia as a surprise for Christmas. Every chapter in Shepherds Abiding pertains to a specific figure in the nativity set as Father Tim brings each one back to life. As he painstakingly sands the plaster figures, uncovering their natural beauty, he also uncovers a surprising talent for working creatively with his hands. When a nativity piece must be discarded because it is damaged beyond repair, Father Tim also discards some of his fondest dreams for the future --- and creates some new ones. The restoration of the figures becomes symbolic of Father Tim's personal restoration as he enjoys his retirement. He finds himself reminiscing about past Christmases with his mother and father, and remembering the lonely and imaginative child that he had been.

 

Wednesday, January 9, 2008:           Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote . . . One School at a Time  by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

These writers recount the unlikely journey that led Mortenson from a failed attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully building schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. By replacing guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to fight terrorism with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote villages in central Asia. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world—one school at a time. Greg Mortenson, is the director of the Central Asia Institute. A resident of Montana, he spends several months each year in Pakistan and Afghanistan. David Oliver Relin is a contributing editor for Parade Magazine and Skiing Magazine. He has won more than forty national awards for his work as a writer and editor.  Tom Brokaw writes:

 

“Three Cups of Tea is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time. Greg Mortenson’s dangerous and difficult quest to build schools in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only a thrilling read, it’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world.”

Wednesday, March 12, 2008:      Angels by Dr. Jane Williams

The Bible describes a universe in which we are not the only created beings. There are other creatures who are not human, not animal and not God. Angels are one of those orders of being. In this beautifully illustrated book, acclaimed author Dr. Jane Williams explores the world of angels in Scripture and what we can learn from them today. Dr. Williams is an author, lecturer and theologian and is married to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Wednesday, April 9,2008:                  The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis

Just as in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lewis illustrated the mysteries of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, with themes of betrayal and redemption. The Magician’s Nephew illustrates, at a similar level, the themes of creation, primal innocence, original sin, and temptation. There are obvious parallels with events in Genesis, such as the forbidden fruit represented by an Apple of Life. The Magician’s Nephew is actually written as a prequel to the Chronicles of Narnia even though it was the 6th of the series.

Wednesday, May 14,2008:                 Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Infidel is the eagerly awaited story of the coming of age of this elegant, distinguished -- and sometimes reviled -- political superstar and champion of free speech. Ayaan Hirsi Ali tells her astonishing life story, from her traditional Muslim childhood in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya, to her intellectual awakening and activism in the Netherlands, and her current life under armed guard in the West.