Professor’s Nook: Joanne Pepper

Posted by admin on Mar 9, 2011 in Academy | 0 comments

Books are inanimate friends. With their literary voices, books faithfully interact with human companions to instruct, stimulate, inspire, comfort, and even confront. May I introduce to you some of my long-time “friends”?
1. Bruce Olson, Bruchko. This unique and compelling true story describes how a 19-year-old North American who is captured by a South American tribe becomes a catalyst for the development of an indigenous aboriginal Christianity. The book eschews easy answers for mission work, and is authentic and innovative in the creative cross-cultural paradigms it espouses. Knowing Bruce personally adds to the delight of reading his work. As a 60-something anthropologist and missionary today, he is a living rebuttal to the uninformed notion that “missionaries destroy culture.”
2. Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. Jenkins’ work is a scholarly but readable examination of the dramatic demographic shift of world Christianity from north of the equator to south of the equator, and from the (so-called) first world to the majority world. A disturbing read for some persons? Perhaps. Pure joy and challenge for others? Certainly. Whatever your take, The Next Christendom is an important work for anyone interested in the future of Christianity and world affairs.
3. M.M. Kaye, The Far Pavilions. An epic novel relating the clash of cultures in India during British colonial rule, Kaye’s book is rife with splendid imagery and an intriguing plot. Based partly on biographical writings of the author’s grandfather, much may be learned about the tensions of competing religions and worldviews in an era of profound social upheaval in the Indian subcontinent.
4. Desmond Tutu, No Future Without Forgiveness. Embodying both his roles as bishop of the Anglican Church in South Africa, and as Nobel peace prize winner, Tutu speaks his mind concerning the value and sanctity of human life and human relationships. In view of past and present global social, economic and racial divides, Tutu argues that forgiveness is the only way forward in salvaging a livable human society. While anger, resentment, and revenge are corrosive of the human spirit, Tutu contends that hard-won communal harmony enhances the humanity and personhood of all.