Dispatch for January 7th, 2023

Reading, Running, and Resolutions.

Reading List 2022

It’s no secret that Dani is an inspiration and encouragement. I am incredibly impressed with her incredible 77-book list from 2022. In many ways, 2022 was the year we rediscovered our love of reading. So in that spirit, here’s my reading list:

At a Glance

Total Books: 36

Audio Books: 8

Graphic Novel: 1

Fiction: 22

Non-Fiction: 13

If I can only recommend one book to you: Parker Palmer, Let your Life Speak

Complete List

Miriam Toews: A Complicated Kindness - I enjoyed this book. A bittersweet, often quite funny, look at growing up Mennonite.

Yukio Mishima: The Sea of Fertility Tetralogy (Spring Snow, Runaway Horses, Temple of Dawn, Decay of the Angel) - Mishima’s work was recommended to me by a friend, Andrew Bingham, and I immensely enjoyed all four novels in the series. Spring Snow is probably the strongest, so start there, but don’t be afraid to plunge into all four; Nihilism, Reincarnation, Friendship, Loss, and Identity.

Hermann Hesse: Siddhartha - was on sale at Indigo, and I’d heard a great deal about the work. A kind of bildungsroman that purports to be a philosophical treatise as well. I didn’t care for the book. There were some moving passages, but not enough to rescue the book.

Parker Palmer: Let Your Life Speak - I distinctly recall criticizing this work about 8 or 9 years ago in discussion with a friend. My return to Palmer’s essays on vocation and identity showed how near-sighted I had been. I recommend this work if you’re trying to sort out how the pieces of your life fit together.

Chinua Achebe: The Africa Trilogy (Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease, Arrow of God) - I was sorting through some books and came across Things Fall Apart, a book I first read when I was an undergraduate. I reread it and learned that it was part of a trilogy. Each book can stand well enough alone, but the three present a profound meditation on Nigerian life and culture, particularly after Christian Missionary activity by the Anglican Church in the late 19th century. Arrow of God is fantastic.

Kenton Sparks: Sacred Word Broken Word - I was tasked with teaching THEO331: Scripture and Canon again for Briercrest College. To prepare for the class, I spent time with Kent Sparks’ work, a radical revision of the evangelical doctrine of Scripture. Sparks argues that Scripture is the product of a fallen world—something God can still use but marred by sinful humans.

Timothy Lenko: Houses Don’t Have Ears - My good friend Timothy Lenko finished his first YA novel this past year. An inventive look at courage, friendship, resilience, and imagination.

Declan Marmion and Rick van Nieuwenhove: An Introduction to the Trinity - The source text for my course on the Trinity in the Winter semester of 2022. An accessible introduction with a survey of significant thinkers and models of the Trinity. I recommend it.

Nicholas Cabasilas: Commentary on Divine Liturgy - Cabasilas’s commentary is noteworthy on account of its succinct analysis as well as exegetical and theological restraint, but most importantly, his ability to encourage the participant in the liturgy to see themselves as a part of a broader, eschatological movement.

Celeste Ng: Little Fires Everywhere [Audio] - I wouldn’t say I liked this book; the plot is a little flat, but it exposes class dynamics well. This is where I think the film adaptation lost the plot, focusing instead too much on race and not enough on class.

Scot McKnight: 5 Things Biblical Scholars Wish Theologians Knew / Hans Boersma: 5 Things Theologians Wish Biblical Scholars Knew - I will post my review of these works shortly.

Barbara Kingsolver - The Poisonwood Bible - I enjoyed this book. I recognize some evangelical stereotypes at work, but Kingsolver works well to humanize the characters and draw the reader into a more extended account of growth and understanding. The book is over-long, but what’s the rush?

Anne Lamott: Dusk, Night, Dawn [Audio] - I can’t remember the last time I laughed aloud so frequently when listening to a book. Lamott has a terrific narrative cadence; I think her insights are simple and profound. I look forward to more of her work in 2023.

Mariko Tamaki: This One Summer - I came for the story but stayed for the illustrations. A well-written, beautifully illustrated coming-of-age tale with a recognizably Canadian flavour.

Brian McLaren: Do I Stay Christian? - One of my sabbatical goals is to finish my review of this book for The Global Anglican. I will post the review when it's finished.

Elyssa Friedland: Golden Hotel - a lighthearted summer read. A little reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s work.

Deborah Feldman: Unorthodox - A memoir of Feldman’s experience in, and eventually leaving, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. I found it interesting from a religious studies perspective and somewhat personally moving.

Ernest Cline - Ready Player One [Audio] - My brother, Philip, recommended this one. A fun romp through 80s nostalgia. A little predictable but entertaining.

Khaled Hosseini: A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner [Audio] - I enjoyed Splendid Suns but was more impressed with The Kite Runner. Hosseini narrates the latter, a powerful tale of friendship, atonement and forgiveness.

Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - I was eager to read Angelou’s first memoir but was disappointed. I found picking up the narrative thread that binds the book together challenging; painful and disconnected events, a bit like a puzzle that had yet to be put together.

Maggie O’Farrell: I am, I am, I am [Audio] - O’Farrell narrates “17 brushes with death”—some more obvious and dramatic than others. The first account is probably the most unsettling, with a few highlights.

Lucy Foley: The Guest List [Audio] and The Paris Apartment [Audio] - If you only picked one, make it The Guest List. Paris Apartment had a fun, creepy vibe, but the ending is cheap.

James Hollis: The Middle Passage - This is my second Hollis work, and I like his Jungian approach to mid-life. Thoughtful and considered, Hollis offers guidance for what has proved to be rugged terrain (for me, at least).

Agatha Christie: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd [Audio] and And Then There Were None [Audio]- When I worked in a movie store in Vancouver (RIP Limelight Video), I used to think the folks who would check out nothing but British mysteries a few crows short of a…murder (I’ll show myself out). In any case, I now see what is so appealing! My first experience with Christie, and I highly enjoyed both books. I think ATTWN is the better book, but Ackroyd has the delightful Poirot to entertain the reader. I’ll be back for more in 2023.

Ian McEwan: Atonement - I devoured this book while in transit to Boise, Idaho (a delightful city). Well written and a great story. The meditation on the phenomenon of atonement that runs through the work provides much food for thought. I was pleased by the very satisfying ending.

David Fagerberg: Consecrating the World - The best theological book I read all year. Fagerberg presents his vision of “mundane liturgical theology” and provides a stirring account of living liturgically in all of life. His meditations on marriage are worth the price of admission. I have to admit, though, that his account of what is happening in the liturgy makes me think I'm at the wrong church.

Peng Shepherd: The Cartographers [Audio] - My last book of the year. Not bad, but the narrative tracks are firmly laid down. The characters are a little flat and behave in annoyingly predictable ways, but the plot has a fun twist. Don’t take it too seriously, and you won’t be disappointed (perhaps this is life advice, too).

Running 2022

I’m happy with my run performance in the first half of 2022. The highlight was a PR in the Saskatoon Half-Marathon in May. I finished 8th overall:

After the race, however, I fell apart, personally and athletically. As such, the second half of 2022 was just alright:

That’s ok, however. It’s a new year. I want to run 3000 km by the end of the year and complete the Saskatoon Marathon on May 28th. I want to focus on the pleasure of running in this year’s race and so any time that’s sub 4 hours would be fine with me. A Boston qualifying time remains a distant dream (this side of 40, anyways).

Resolutions 2023

My love for resolutions remains unabated. This year, I have been blessed with the opportunity to enjoy a sabbatical before entering my 10th year of teaching. I have divided my resolutions and goals into two: for the leave specifically and those for the year.

Sabbatigoals (January—May, 2023):

1. Present at the 2nd annual IOTA mega-conference in Volos, Greece, January 10th—15th, 2023.

2. Complete my Master of Divinity degree (Trinity College, University of Toronto), in May 2023.

3. Run the Saskatoon Marathon on May 28th, 2023.

4. Rest and Refresh in Cuba, March 24-31, 2023.

5. Publish one article and one book review (or have them accepted) by May 2023.

6. Have a new monograph proposal completed by May 2023.

Year-Long Goals and Resolutions

1. Read / Listen to 52 Books in total.

2. Run 3000 km.

3. Lose 1.5st.

4. Complete my right-arm sleeve.

5. Practice French daily.

6. Solve a Rubik’s cube.

7. Turn 40.

OK. I think that’s all for now. Thanks for reading. Stay warm out there.