Category: SummerReading2019

Summer Reading, vol. 7: Liz Miller

July 1, 2019

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Summer reading suggestions are brought to you this week by Elizabeth (Liz) Miller, Pitts Theology Library’s Reserves and Circulation Specialist.

First, Liz recommends The privileged poor: how elite colleges are failing disadvantaged students by Anthony Abraham Jack (Harvard University Press, 2019). Written by a former scholarship student of elite institutions, this book sheds light on how and why disadvantaged students struggle at top colleges like Ivy League schools. Readers will find that for many students whose presence constitutes a “diverse student body,” admission does not guarantee acceptance.  

Second, Liz suggests How neighborhoods make us sick: restoring health and wellness to our communities by Veronica Squires and Breanna Lathrop (IVP Books, 2019). In this book, Veronica Squires and Breanna Lathrop emphasize the importance of creating healthier neighborhoods and dismantling systems of oppression that prevent people from living their best lives. Squires and Lathrop’s work draws on real life experience working in community redevelopment and treating uninsured families, and is available online as an ebook for Emory users.

Finally, embark on a  “romp down the back alleys of New York City” in a podcast Liz recommends called The Bowery Boys: New York City History podcast.The Bowery Boys, Greg Young and Tom Meyers, are New York natives, and this fun duo brings you over 275 episodes detailing the history of NYC. Listen for free on Apple’s iTunes, Stitcher radio, TuneIn Streaming radio, or the satellite site.

Stay tuned next week for another round of summer reading suggestions that are sure to keep you busy wherever your break might take you!

Summer Reading, vol. 6: Susan Reynolds

June 24, 2019

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This week Pitts consulted Dr. Susan B. Reynolds, Candler’s Assistant Professor of Catholic Studies, to add to your list of summer reading and resources! Dr. Reynolds provided several poignant recommendations that speak to theology and spirituality.

First, Dr. Reynolds suggests Jean Vanier’s Becoming Human (Paulist Press, 2008). Vanier, who died in May at age 90, was the founder of L’Arche (French for “the ark”), the global network of small communities in which persons with and without intellectual disabilities live together in relationships of friendship and care. Reynolds notes that “there is a wonderful L’Arche community here in Decatur.” Vanier wrote extensively on topics of vulnerability, community, otherness, and Christian theology and spirituality. Becoming Human is one of his most enduring classics.

Second, Reynolds notes the memoir and final work of James H. Cone, Said I Wasn’t Gonna Tell Nobody (Orbis Books, 2018). Cone, who died in 2018, is widely recognized as the founder of black liberation theology, and this posthumous publication describes the obstacles he overcame to find his voice. Reynolds asserts that “both those familiar and unfamiliar with Cone’s work will be moved and challenged by this stunning, personal account of his formation as one of the most prophetic voices of our time.”

Also currently on Dr. Reynolds’ bookshelf is Cuban-American theologian Imperatori-Lee’s Cuéntame: Narrative in the Ecclesial Present (Orbis Books, 2018). Reynolds describes this as a “beautifully written and eminently readable work in which the author uses story, song, memory, art, and social reality to construct a Latinx theology of church. I’m partway through it and can’t recommend it highly enough.”

Finally, plug in your headphones for Deliver Us, a 12-episode podcast produced this year by America Media and hosted by Maggi van Dorn. This series provides a deeply pastoral look at the clergy sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic church. Reynolds explains that this is “the epitome of a timely, relevant, theologically rich, pastorally sensitive podcast and relevant to listeners beyond those who are Catholic.”

Next week we’ll hear from Elizabeth (Liz) Miller, Pitts Theology Library’s Reserves and Circulation Specialist!

Summer Reading, vol. 5: Caitlin Russell

June 17, 2019

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This week we heard from Pitts Theology Library’s Acquisitions, Serials, and Assessment Librarian, Caitlin Russell. Take a break from the heavy academic reads with these novels grounded in religion and history!

First, Caitlin recommends Eternal Life by Dara Horn (W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2018). This novel recognized by the New York Times follows the life of a Jewish woman in Second Temple Jerusalem who is blessed/cursed with eternal life.

Caitlin also suggests a novel the follows two juxtaposed tales called The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhader. This narrative tells the story of a family of Syrian refugees in tandem with the account of a twelfth century girl who became an apprentice to Muhammad al-Idrisi. This item is available in print at the Woodruff Library and as an audiobook!

Caitlin’s final recommendation is a fun adventure read called The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (Harper Voyager, 2017). She explains that “this book is loosely based in Islamic ideas of djinn and brings up some interesting conversations about race and class based in a fictionalized world. It’s high fantasy, but with a core of religion running throughout.”

Stay tuned next week for recommendations from Susan B. Reynolds, Candler’s Assistant Professor of Catholic Studies!

Summer Reading, vol. 4: Alison Greene

June 10, 2019

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This week we invited reading suggestions from Candler’s Associate Professor of American Religious History, Dr. Alison Greene! Dr. Greene provides three cohesive suggestions in a variety of genres and formats to fit the needs of any reader.

First, Dr. Greene suggests Carol Anderson’s One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy (Bloomsbury, 2018) available at Emory in print and online. Carol Anderson is an Emory professor (AAS and History) whose most recent two books aim for a general audience. This publication takes a look at the history of voting rights and voter suppression. It’s timely, readable, and important.

Next, Dr. Greene recommends Yaa Gyasi’s novel entitled Homegoing (Vintage, 2016). This story traces two half-sisters born in 18th century Ghana, unaware of one another’s existence, through eight generations all the way to the present. One sister marries an Englishman; raiders capture the other in her village and sell her into enslavement. The women’s descendants experience the full range of American and Ghanian histories, overlapping once again in a final (and hopeful) twist. Dr. Greene describes Gyasi’s novel as a “gorgeous, beautifully written book” and a “powerful exploration of the legacies of human enslavement on both sides of the Atlantic.” Homegoing is available at Emory in print, as an ebook, and as an audiobook.

Finally, Dr. Greene suggests you plug-in your headphones for a podcast called BackStory. Produced at the University of Virginia and hosted by United States historians Nathan Connolly, Joanne Freeman, and Brian Balogh, this hour-long weekly podcast provides the historical backstory (hence the name) to issues of contemporary interest and concern in the United States, from politics to pop culture to religion. Dr. Greene describes the content as “good history designed for a general audience, and a great introduction to a broad range of historians, who appear each week as expert guests.”

Next week we look forward to hearing from Pitts Theology Library’s Acquisitions, Serials, and Assessment Librarian, Caitlin Russell, with some excellent suggestions for historical fiction and fantasy!

Summer Reading, vol. 3: Quentin Samuels

June 3, 2019

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This week we spoke to Quentin L. Samuels, Candler’s Assistant Director of Student Life. Quentin has several inspiring book suggestions that will help incoming students develop clear, coherent questions about their calling and purpose.

Quentin SamuelsFirst, Quentin suggests A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas (Bloomsbury, 2014) available in print at Emory and as an audiobook on Amazon. In this book, investigative journalist and innovation expert Warren Berger invites us to consider the powerful force of using questions to identify and solve problems, despite our frequent reluctance to ask “why?”.

Second, Quentin recommends Learning to Walk in the Dark (HarperOne, 2014) by Barbara Brown Taylor, available in print and online at Emory.Image result for A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas this book, Barbara Brown Taylor introduces a path to spirituality for those who don’t yet have all the answers.

Image result for Learning to Walk in the Dark - Barbara Brown TaylorVisit a Fulton County Public Library near you to find these next two items (ps. privileges are free for Emory students, faculty, and staff!). Quentin suggests The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do (HarperCollins Leadership, 2015) by Jeff Goins and The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion (Workman Publishing, 2015) by Elle Luna as excellent resources to consider how purpose and passion can influence your future.

Finally, for those with long road trips or layovers, Quentin invites you to listen in on a podcast that he hosts with Candler alum, Jamaar Pye called We Come as Equals.This series focuses on “extraordinary people having extraordinary conversations.” Quentin explains that the podcast “covers a wide range of topics, but at its core are complex questions about common ideas and experiences.” This podcast is available on Apple Podcast, Spotify and SoundCloud.

Stay tuned next week for recommendations from Candler’s Associate Professor of American Religious History, Dr. Alison Greene!