A Game of Thrones

I just finished reading A Game of Thrones. It was the first fictional book that I've read in quite some time and I have to admit I couldn't put it down. George R.R. Martin kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me in a mindset of not being able to wait and see what happens next. There is romance, political intrigue, battles and a looming sense of dread. I would not classify it as an epic battle between good and evil because the reader is not always sure who is good and who is evil...perhaps, like life, the propensity for both is in everyone. If you like fantasy novels with Kings, Kingdoms, and uncertainty you will find this entertaining.

This is not a happy-go-lucky, feel-good novel. As matter of fact it made me depressed at times. But at the same time it is not predictable and that is what makes it a great read. Martin does his best work in setting the mood of dread right from the beginning and even escalates it throughout the book...winter is coming!

The downfall of the book is that it really doesn't end. It seems to stop in mid-story and invites the reader to seek after the next book in the series.

I've started watching the HBO series and I am disappointed. It follows the basic story line, but inexplicably adds sexual plot lines and gratuitous nudity where it wasn't found in the book. I'm not saying the book is PG-13, but HBO seems to take an R book and tries to make an X out of it for no reason.

Since starting the book I wonder how many people live with a sense of dread in their life...I wonder how many have no hope. I think that would be a terrible way to live. If my atheist friends are right at least I've gone through life happy and with a sense of hope.

Relational Theology

A few years ago I aspired to read 100 books in a year. I fell just short of the mark and if I remember correctly I read 92 books. This year I want to do more writing, but at the same time I want to be widely read. Therefore, I’m setting as my goal to read 50 books this year. To assist in both my writing and reading I’ve decided to dedicate my Monday blogs to reviews of a recently read books.

Last week I dug into Relational Theology: A Contemporary Introduction. I was already somewhat familiar with relational theology and wondered if this introductory book on the topic would simply be a refresher. It didn’t take me long to realize that although introductory in nature this book was a fresh mine of golden nuggets.

It is made up of 32 short (2-4 pages) essays by a variety of authors. I stormed through the book in a week, in retrospect that was way too fast. I have determined that the best way to read this book is to treat it as a devotional and read one chapter a day and then contemplate on what was read. I intend to reread it as such.

The greatest achievement of this book is the wide lens through which this topic is looked at. The authors range from members of the Church of the Nazarene to those with Catholic roots and Quaker backgrounds. The book has both men and women authors. Relational Theology is written by seminary deans, professors and pastors. This book is for everyone—the layman to the doctoral student—everyone will get something out of it.

I highly recommend it if you have the slightest interest in the way that God and humans are intricately involved in a relationship.

For further reading about this book from one of the editors follow this link Relational Theology