A few weeks ago, I wrote a somewhat emotionally reactive post about (hyper-) Calvinism and the seeming militant commitment to it by its adherents.  I didn’t mention it then, but the words were in response to a book I had just read, Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey with the New Calvinists.  Though I finished [...]

It seems to me that an awful lot of people are talking, but not enough people are asking questions.  One person who I can always count on to ask great questions is my good friend, Anne, as you can see from her many thought-provoking posts here on PMIAB.  I have found another wonderful inquirer in [...]

I read a lot of memoir and this summer brought two remarkable women into my life.  The first is Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize award winner from Iran.  Shirin Ebadi grew up during the Shah’s government and lived in Tehran during his overthrow and the subsequent rule of the Islamic Republic under the ayatollahs.  [...]

I recently read Dating Jesus: A Story of Fundamentalism, Feminism, and the American Girl by Susan Campbell.  As soon as I heard about it and read the Amazon reviews, I knew I had to read it. I have a lot in common with Campbell.  I grew up in small towns and in my early years [...]

Rosemary’s recent writings on the ongoing debates in the Episcopal Church reminded me of an excellent book I read a few years ago–a biography of Bishop Gene Robinson.  My review… Going to Heaven: The Life and Election of Bishop Gene Robinson Elizabeth Adams Soft Skull Press, 2006 On November 2, 2003, Gene Robinson garnered national [...]