Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Colleagues List, February 16th, 2014

Vol IX.  No. 25 

*****
 
GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE


Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telus.net

Colleagues List Web Site:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com

"Quicklinks" are included with many items
at the beginning of this issue. To get a more
complete picture, however, scroll down to
find your special selection in the body of
the blog. 

Note that not all items here have links.


*****


Dear Friends:

A family funeral this weekend caused me
to be a bit late in sending you this issue
of Colleagues List. But I am pleased to
mail it to you by my regular Sunday
publication date.

My Special Item this week focuses on a
book I have consulted for fifteen years
and still find most useful. It has a long
'shelf life' for me, and perhaps it will be
a favourite for you as well.

It is entitled: "Shakespeare - The Invention
of the Human" by emeritus Yale literary critic
and professor, Harold Bloom. Please enjoy it. 

http://tinyurl.com/2rdwu4

To read my thoughts, scroll down.

--

Colleague Communications -

this week are from:

Lorna Dueck (Toronto) who interviews
Margaret Atwood on her new book
"MaddAddam." http://tinyurl.com/kf6y6ws

John Stackhouse Jr. (Vancouver, BC)
who defends the opening of a "Christian"
law school in Canada
http://tinyurl.com/m9p4t7c

Martin Marty (Chicago, IL) who writes
on pipe organs http://tinyurl.com/kerjeqk 

Jim Taylor (Okanagan BC) who
engages the topic of modern olympics
and how they need to change.
http://tinyurl.com/lzp35xs

Ron Rolheiser (San Antonio, TX) who
reflects on the world of the spirit
and our modern secular lives.
http://tinyurl.com/ku3thub

 
--

Net Notes -


"Theologians in Place" - an
important article on thinking
theologically in the local parish 
(The Christian Century)
http://tinyurl.com/mfsedzu

"Historic Olympics Photos" - a
most interesting collection of
photos from some games past
(Atlantic Monthly)
http://tinyurl.com/n6n8bw5

"Women Bishops by Christmas" -
the Church of England has formal
endorsement for an historic act
(BBC News) http://tinyurl.com/mgqdvwx

"Sojourner Truth - 163 Years Ago" -
a lovely re-enactment of a speech
given more than a 150 years ago
(Upworthy) http://tinyurl.com/jwmavrv

"Christian Youth are Sexually Active" -
here are surprizing statistics on the
sexual behaviour of young American
evangelicals (The Christian Post)
http://tinyurl.com/lrfyj8h

"Francis Faces a Divided Global Church"
- the pope faces similar North-South
divisions as other world church bodies
(Washington Post)
http://tinyurl.com/np33994
 

"A Political Theology of Climate Change"
- an important book on a modern problem
needing attention by theological minds
(Englewood Review of Books)
http://tinyurl.com/m7b7v4q

"The Struggle of Pakistan's Faith Minorities"
- the noble story of how Christian groups
survive in a hostile religious climate
(Huffington Post Religion)
http://tinyurl.com/knkbupb

"Benedict's Resignation a Gift to the Church"
- one year later, here is a reflection on the
significance of the former pope's decision,
as well as a new book on the subject
(UCA News, Englewood Review of Books)
http://tinyurl.com/mk7p4r3
http://tinyurl.com/kln2lsp

"US Bible Belt has the Highest Family Breakups"
- again, some unexpected stats on evangelical
family life in a deeply religious part of the USA
(The Christian Post) http://tinyurl.com/ltyrf87

--

Wisdom of the Week - 


Madeleine L’Engle, Thomas Merton,
Martin Luther King Jr., Oscar Romero,
Florida Ruffin Ridley, Francis of Assissi,
and Harriet Tubman share their insights.

 --

On This Day - 


Two highlight historical events of
the past week, courtesy of the
archives of the New York Times

"St. Valentine's Day Massacre"
http://tinyurl.com/2katpl

"King Tut's Tomb Opened in Egypt"
http://tinyurl.com/y8lg4zy

--


Closing Thought - penned by

W.E.B. Dubois, black writer and
editor of the last century.

--

Church and University Teaching
Here is information on some of
my winter activity.

(end)


*********** 


SPECIAL ITEM

Book Notice -

A Rich Shakespeare

SHAKESPEARE: 
THE INVENTION OF THE HUMAN
by Harold Bloom

Riverhead Books, 2002
768 pages, $29.00 CAD
ISBN #10-157322751X 

Publisher's Promo:

"The indispensable critic on the indispensable
  writer." 

- Geoffrey O'Brien,
   New York Review of Books
 
A landmark achievement as expansive,
erudite, and passionate as its renowned
author, Shakespeare: The Invention of the
Human is the culmination of a lifetime of
reading, writing about, and teaching 
Shakespeare. Preeminent literary critic -
and ultimate authority on the western
literary tradition - Harold Bloom leads
us through a comprehensive reading of
every one of the dramatist's plays,
brilliantly illuminating each work with
unrivaled warmth, wit and insight.

At the same time, Bloom presents one 
of the boldest theses of Shakespearean
scholarship: that Shakespeare not only
invented the English language, but also
created human nature as we know it today.

Wikipedia article on Harold Bloom and his career:
http://tinyurl.com/2rdwu4

--

Author's Words:

Literary character before Shakespeare is
relatively unchanging... In Shakespeare,
characters develop rather than unfold.
and they develop because they reconceive
themselves...

The more one reads and ponders the plays
of Shakespeare, the more one realizes  that
the accurate stance toward them is one of
awe.

This book, though it hopes to be useful to
others, is a personal statement, the expression
of a long (though hardly unique) passion and
the culmination of a life's work in reading,
writing about and teaching what I still
stubbornly call imaginative literature.

The plays remain the outward limit of human
achievement aesthetically, cognitively, in
certain ways morally, even spiritually...

I offer a fairly comprehensive interpretation
of all (35) Shakespeare's plays, addressed
to common readers and theatregoers...

He wrote the best poetry and the best prose
in English, or perhaps any Western language.
He thought the more comprehensively and
originally than any other writer... He went
beyond all precedents (even Chaucer) and
invented the human as we continue to know it.

The dominant Shakespearean characters -
Falstaff, Hamlet, Rosalind, Iago, Lear, Macbeth,
Cleopatra among them - are ordinary instances
not only of how meaning gets started, rather
than repeated, but also of how new modes of
consciousness come into being...

His total effect upon the world's culture is
incalculable. After Jesus, Hamlet is the
most cited figure in Western consciousness;
no one prays to him, but no one evades him
for long either.

I am certain that these plays... read me better
than I read them... We need to exert ourselves
and read Shakespeare as strenuously as we
can, while knowing that his plays will read us
more energetically still.

They read us definitively.

- from his Introduction - To the Reader

--

My Thoughts:

I saw my first Shakespeare play in a tent
at Stratford, Ontario when I was a teen.
That dates me to the 1950s when there
was not yet a beautiful festival theatre.

Even then, however, I was drawn to this
unique playwright and poet, even though
I found him no easier to comprehend than
the King James Version of the Bible. But,
like the latter, I realized there was real
meaning and substance hidden under
those Elizabethan words and phrases.
Like Bloom, I have spent my life going
to the Bard's plays and trying to mine
his insights more deeply.

Some of the more popular ones I
have seen many times.

Early on, I determined to see all 35
of Shakespeare's dramas from the
classic canon. Over the years, and
in addition to Stratford, Ontario, I 
have had the privilege of attending
plays in the UK (Stratford-upon-Avon,
The Globe Theatre, London) in the USA
(New York, Minneapolis) and in Calgary
and Banff (Alberta).

Perhaps the most meaningful venue
has been the reconstructed Globe
in South London by the Thames. This
place gives one a sense of how
Shakespeare was originally performed.

Over the years, I have admired
top-notch theatre companies and
impressive drama-student endeavours.

At last count, I have seen all but
twelve of the total canon. Most of
those are the historical dramas
and a few other less-produced
pieces from the collected folio.

Still, I am determined to see the
total genre live, and before I can
no longer attend a theatre.

Since 1999, a year after Harold Bloom
produced this masterful interpretation,
I always try to read his chapter on
the particular play I happen to be
seeing. During this time, I have had
the joy of seeing these plays at
various venues with Marlene my wife
who is not always as enchanted with
the Bard as I am. We usually have
good conversations about what we
have seen. So I recommend that, if
you can, watch Shakespeare with a
person with whom you too can
engage in conversation.

Since high school, I have studied
the tragedies and gained much from
them. The comedies I sometimes find
a bit frivolous and repetitive. Bloom
divides these into 'early' and 'high.'

And then there are the romances.

As with the Bible, I find in Shakespeare
an unending wellspring of meaning, true 
inspiration, personal growth and
satisfaction.

There is no doubt that, for me, each
of these great Sources influence the
other to my enduring gratification.

For those who cannot get as excited
about Shakespeare as I do, I would
only advise what I tell Marlene --
'keep working at him.' You won't be
wasting your time.

The Bloom book has been in print for
fifteen years and is still available,
both new and used.

--

Buy the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/kptwdlw

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

LORNA DUECK
Toronto, ON

"God's Gardeners"
  An Interview with Margaret Atwood

http://tinyurl.com/kf6y6ws

--

JOHN STACKHOUSE JR.
Vancouver, BC

"Have Some Faith
  in a Christian Law School"

Globe and Mail
February 3rd, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/m9p4t7c

--

MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL

"Pipe Organs"

Sightings
February 10th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/ku3thub

--

JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC

Personal Web Log
February 12th, 2014

"Olympics Need to Refocus"

http://tinyurl.com/lzp35xs

--

RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX

Personal Website
February 9th, 2014

"Our Pagan Resistance
  to the Other World"

http://tinyurl.com/ku3thub

*****

NET NOTES

THEOLOGIANS IN PLACE
Local Church Thinks Theologically

The Christian Century
February 4th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/mfsedzu

--

HISTORIC OLYMPICS PHOTOS
Archival Pix of the Early Years

The Atlantic Online
February 14th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/n6n8bw5

--

WOMEN BISHOPS BY CHRISTMAS
Church of England Synod Approves

BBC News
February 11th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/mgqdvwx
--

SOJOURNER TRUTH - 163 YEARS AGO
Early Black Feminist - Modern Reading

Upworthy
February 6th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/jwmavrv

--

CHRISTIAN YOUTH SEXUALLY ACTIVE
11% Evangelicals Wait Until Marriage

The Christian Post
February 12th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/lrfyj8h

--

FRANCIS FACES DIVIDED GLOBAL CHURCH
Two Increasingly Divergent Constituencies

Washington Post
February 8th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/np33994

--

A POLITICAL THEOLOGY OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Michael Northcott Book on a Pressing Need

Englewood Review of Books
February 12th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/m7b7v4q

--

STRUGGLE OF PAKISTAN'S 
FAITH MINORITIES
Persecution Remains Strong,
But Faiths Survive

Huffington Post Religion
February 10th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/knkbupb

--

BENEDICT'S RESIGNATION
A GIFT TO CHURCH
First Anniversary
of Historic Decision

UCA News
February 12th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/mk7p4r3

"The Pope Who Quit" One Year Ago)
by John Sweeny -

Englewood Review of Books
February 12th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/kln2lsp

--

US BIBLE BELT HAS
HIGHEST FAMILY BREAK-UPS
Question of Whether it is a
Faith or Race Issue

The Christian Post
February 14th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/ltyrf87


*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners Online
and The Daily Dig, Plough Press

"If God’s peace is in our hearts, we carry it
with us, and it can be given to those around
us, not by our own will or virtue, but by the
Holy Spirit working through us. We cannot
give what we do not have, but if the spirit
blows through the dark clouds, and enters
our hearts, we can be used as vehicles of
peace, and our own peace will be thereby
deepened. The more peace we give away,
the more we have."

- Madeleine L’Engle 

Source: Seeking Peace

--

"Do not be too quick to assume that your
enemy is an enemy of God just because
he is your enemy. Perhaps he is your enemy
precisely because he can find nothing in you
that gives glory to God. Perhaps he fears you
because he can find nothing in you of God’s
love and God’s kindness and God’s patience
and mercy and understanding of the
weaknesses of men. Do not be too quick to
condemn the man who no longer believes
in God, for it is perhaps your own coldness
and avarice, your mediocrity and materialism,
your sensuality and selfishness that have
killed his faith."

- Thomas Merton:

Source: New Seeds of Contemplation

--

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
  only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

--


"God is not failing us when we don’t
feel his presence. Let’s not say: God
doesn’t do what I pray for so much,
and therefore I don’t pray any more.
God exists, and he exists even more,
the farther you feel from him. God is
closer to you when you think he is f
arther away and doesn’t hear you.

"When you feel the anguished desire
for God to come near because you don’t
feel him present, then God is very close
to your anguish."

Oscar Romero:

Source: The Violence of Love

--

"All we ask for is justice - not mercy
or palliation  - simply justice. Surely
that is not too much for loyal citizens
of a free country to demand."

- Florida Ruffin Ridley

--

"If we owned anything, we should have
to have weapons to protect ourselves.
That is what gives rise to contentions
and lawsuits, and so often causes the
love of God and neighbor to be interfered
with. For ourselves, we are resolved to
possess nothing temporal in this world."

- St. Francis of Assisi

Source: The Legend of the Three Companions

--

"I had seen their tears and sighs, and I had
heard their groans, and I would give every
drop of blood in my veins to free them."
        
- Harriet Tubman

*****

ON THIS DAY

From the Archives
of the New York Times

February 9th-16th

ST. VALENTINES DAY MASSACRE
http://tinyurl.com/2katpl

KING TUT'S TOMB OPENED IN EGYPT
http://tinyurl.com/y8lg4zy

*****
  
CLOSING THOUGHT -
W.E.B. Dubois

"The cost of liberty is less 
  than the price of repression." 

(end)

*****

CHURCH AND UNIVERSITY TEACHING

Contact Wayne Holst
403-286-2416waholst@telus.net

WINTER CLASSES

At St. David's:

LINK TO OUR CURRENT MONDAY NIGHT STUDY
50 Book Sets Sold; 35 Course Registrants

NEAR DEATH AND LIFE AFTER LIFE - Course Design
http://tinyurl.com/kvmu8o5

Study Books:
 
"The Light Beyond" by Raymond Moody and
"Eternal Life" by Bishop John Shelby Spong

Audio and Video Links Added as Class Develops 
http://tinyurl.com/kq6ukpd

http://tinyurl.com/n6vpgy6



---

At the University:

LENTEN FRIDAY NOON FACULTY,
STAFF AND STUDENT STUDY

"In Search of Deep Faith" -
  A Pilgrimage Among People and Places of Europe
  by Jim Belcher, IVP, paperback. 2013.


February 27th - April 3rd, 2014
Six Fridays, 12-1PM. Native Centre Board Room,
Mac Hall.

Co-sponsored by St. David's United and the

U. of C. Faith and Spirituality Centre.

More information to appear shortly.


*****



 

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