Reasons for God - Pt. II

In the second part of Keller's book The Reason for God, he moves from handling questions of doubt, to supplying clues or answers for faith in God.

In Chapter 8, "The Clues of God", Keller explains that no proof of God is airtight, and all are rationally avoidable at some point. But he talks about clues being found everywhere. Science, beauty, art, love, etc... The following is a concluding paragraph on pg. 135. What do you think about Keller's idea of "The Clues of God"?

Doesn't the unfulfillable longing evoked by beauty qualify as an innate desire? We have a longing for joy, love, and beauty that no amount of food, sex, friendship, or success can satisfy. We want something that nothing in the world can fulfill. Isn't that at least a clue that this "something" that we want exists? This unfulfillable longing, then, qualifies as a deep, innate human desire, and that makes it a major clue that God is there. p. 135

Discussion Q:2

One of the interesting points brought out by Keller in The Reason for God, is how the message of Christianity impacts culture. In Chapter 3, "Christianity is a Straightjacket", Keller explains how the gospel moved in parts of Africa:

When Africans become Christians, their African-ness is converted, completed, and resolved, not replaced with European-ness or something else. p. 42

He goes on to say how the same type of thing happens in Manhattan:

I am repeatedly asked, "How are you reaching thousands of young adults in such a secular place?" The answer is that Christianity has done in New York City what it has done in all the other places that it has grown. It has adapted significantly and positively to the surrounding culture without compromising its main tenets. p. 42

Through your reading, how does the message of Christianity effect our culture? For the better or for the worse?

Discussion Q:1 - The Reason for God

In Chapter 4, The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice, Keller addresses the idea of Fanaticism in religion, particularly in Christianity. This is a hot button issue for many people. How can the church promote fanaticism that seems to manifest itself in hate, violence, and intolerance?

Keller writes on the bottom of pg. 57:

Think of people you consider fanatical. They're overbearing, self-righteous, opinionated, insensitive, and harsh. Why? It's not because they are too Chrisitan but because they are not Christian enough.

What is your reaction to that statement, and how does Keller further unravel what he means in saying, "not Christian enough?"

Happy reading!

The Reason for God

Here's a link to a video of
Tim Keller, author of
The Reason for God,
our book of the Summer. In this short video he gives the basic reasons for writing the book.

There will be a few more posts coming soon with some fresh discussion questions.

For now, what have been your opening impressions of the book?

Enjoy the clip!
The Reason for God-Clip

A Tale of Two Cities

This month the Codex Book Club is reading Charles Dickens' classic A Tale of Two Cities. A monumental work from one of the greatest literary figures in history.

We'll be meeting to discuss the book on Thursday night, April 24th.
The location for the meeting hasn't been decided, but be sure to check back here regularly for more details.

Our first point of discussion is a simple question...

How do you respond to Dickens' style of writing? His choice of words and vocabulary is spectacular, what are some of the challenges reading a work like this?

The times Dickens' describes are not pretty. Early on in the book, there's a scene in which a box of wine breaks and pours out onto the street. The onlooking people quickly run to drink up the spilled wine, some lapping it up through the mud. How does the conditions of society early on in the book play into the story?

Happy reading!

Culture's Father

The first discussion question for The Kite Runner deals with the culture of Afghanistan. As you read the opening chapters of the book, what's your reactions to Afghan culture?

Were you surprised by the way in which the author portrayed his upbringing?

Finally, the relationship between Amir and his father is a fascinating one. How does Amir's hopes for his relationship with his father effect the rest of is early life?

We hope you're reading and enjoying The Kite Runner.
Let the discussion begin.

Happy reading.

The Kite Runner

Thanks to all of you who joined us for our discussion of The Road last Thursday night. We had a great time, with very spirited discussion. When our discussion and thoughts are as passionate and interesting as they were the other night, that's a good sign you've engaged a great piece of writing.

This month Codex is looking to another recent novel. One with political, social, and religious tones throughout. The Kite Runner has been on best seller lists throughout the past year around the world. Right now, you can find a paperback copy in almost every Starbucks in the country.

The book has also been made into a feature motion picture, picking up many nominations during this current award season.

To describe it, here's what the New York Times Book Review says:

This powerful first novel...tells a story of fierce cruelty and fierce yet redeeming love. Both transform the life of Amir, Hhaled Hosseini's privileged young narrator, who comes of age during the last peaceful days of the monarchy, just before his country's revolution and its invasion by Russian forces. But political events, even as dramatic as the ones that are presented in The Kite Runner, are only a part of this story. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini gives us a vivid and engaging story that reminds us how long his people have been struggling to triumph over the forces of violence- forces that continue to threaten them even today.

When we decided to read The Kite Runner this next month, we all expressed an interest in learning more about Islamic culture. In these days, it is incredibly important to gain insight and perspective in our world. The Kite Runner gives us a glimpse into a world so vastly different than our own. And from all accounts, it's a page turner!

Our next scheduled Codex meeting will be Thursday night, February 21st. Time and Location TBA.

As always, we encourage your input and discussion, as well as your recommendations for reading over the next few months. Look for the first discussion question for The Kite Runner to be posted later this week.

Happy reading!

Backstory

Hey everyone, here's our first discussion question for The Road:

Throughout the opening pages, we get brief glimpses into the "backstory" of life before the world's current state. How do the scenes briefly given to us before the calamity, influence our thoughts of the story as it progresses?

Any interesting observations?

Happy Reading.

The Road

This month's book is by acclaimed novelist Cormac McCarthy. His work includes prize winning novels including Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men. Both of those books have been adapted recently into major motion pictures. you can find McCarthy's webpage on the links to the right.

The Road is a challenge for us. It will test our emotions and stamina. But I encourage all of you to press on.

You can find The Road at any major bookseller (Barnes and Noble, Borders, Books a Million, Amazon, etc...)

Over the next week or so we'll place a question up on the site for your discussion and thoughts. For those of you who were not with us last month, we hope you'll join us this month, and if there are friends you think may be interested this month, invite them along for the ride with us.

Happy reading!

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Codex Book Club is tonight @ 7:30pm.

We're meeting in the social room of the Ocean Place Building, where Diane DiSibio lives. If you need more information, or directions, email Phil @ pletizia@newcovenantfl.org.

We hope you all be able to make it or some good conversation, and some great wine and cheese!

See you tonight.

Incarnational

In her chapter, "Names and Labels", L'Engle talks about the power of naming things and how labels can create misconceptions and pigeonholes.

Here's an extended passage from that chapter, the question is simply, "What do you think?"

"Not long ago a college senior asked if she could talk to me about being a Christian writer. If she wanted to write Christian fiction, how was she to go about it?
I told her that if she is truly and deeply Christian, what she writes is going to be Christian, whether she mentions Jesus or not. And if she is not, in the most profound sense, Christian, then what she writes is not going to be Christian, no matter how many times she invokes the name of the Lord

...If I understand the gospel, it tells us that we are to spread the Good News to all four corners of the world, not limiting the giving of light to people who already have seen the light. If my stories are incomprehensible to Jews or Muslims or Taoists, then I have failed as a Christian writer. We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it...

...What we are is going to be visible in our art, no matter how secular (on the surface) the subject may be. Some of those angry etchings of Hogarth, depicting the sordidness and squalor and immorality caused by social inequities of his day are profoundly incarnational, for they are filled with anguished pity for the thief and the prostitute and the scum of the earth, and this compassion is Christ's."

---What do you think?

Christian Art?

For our first discussion question from Madeline L'Engle's Walking on Water, we look at the first few pages. How do people of faith view art? How does the Christian community view art?
It seems as though the Church tends to label things "Christian" and "Secular"? Why is that?

On p. 5 L'Engle writes, "Christian Art? Art is art; painting is painting; music is music; a story is a story. If it's bad art, it's bad religion, no matter how pious the subject. If it's good art...and there the questions start coming, questions which it would be simpler to evade." What do you think of that paragraph?

Think about it and respond and comment, or store in the back of your mind as you read along.

Happy reading!

Getting Started...

Hey everyone! Welcome to the new Codex website. Here you'll be able to post questions and comment on other's comments and questions. Occassionaly we'll post articles and links to interesting materials on writing and reading, as well as keeping you up to date with Codex events and all that's happening in the world of literature and art.

This month's book is Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, by Madeline L'Engle.

Read more about her life here: Madeline L'Engle

To post on this site, you'll need to click on "comments" below. It will ask you to register an account with google. Just give your posting name, and your email address to create an account. Then you can post away on the comment page. If you post a question on the comment page, we'll try to post it on the main page as soon as we can. Or email us the question and we'll put it on the site.

If you'd like to get involved with us at Codex, contact us @ newcovenant@newcovenantfl.org.

Happy reading! And happy posting!