Our Book Club meets in function of the calendar of all participants, aiming to provide for those who prefer online and those looking for in-person face-to-face discussion All are welcome, wether you've barely cracked the book or already broken the binding from rereading it. And we ask that you help us to keep the discussion on track, sticking to the theme of the books that we've chosen.
We’re offering one book club meet-up in June 2025. You can help select the date by voting HERE.
Pride Month - Book Club
We’re reading a couple thoughtful essays written by leaders of our national Presbyterian Church of the USA. They are PDFs that you can download, taken from a larger collection produced by the Covenant Network of our national church entitled Frequently Asked Questions about Sexuality. [PDF]
How does the struggle for full inclusion of gay and lesbian Christians relate to the civil rights movement and other struggles for freedom and equality?
Nov 24
- J. Herbert Nelson
... The Church of Jesus Christ has participated in gender and race domination and exclusion throughout history. Therefore, we must view the biblical record and our interpretation as to who is in and out with both theology and history in mind. Theology presses our faith perspectives to higher and better hopes. But history reminds us of our frailty in accepting God’s expectation for an inclusive Christian community based on love for all humanity. We must examine how our interpretations of scripture have led to the acceptance of some and the alienation of others. We need to study who gains from exclusion. We need to ask who desires power and who is genuinely seeking righteousness. We need to trace the ways that questions of sin hide questions of power...
Read the whole essay HERE.
What do the Gospels say about sex and sexuality?
Margaret P. Aymerz
Interdenominational Theological Center
Read the whole essay HERE.
Since the Bible seems only to condemn same-sex relations, how can some Christians affirm same-sex marriage or the ordination of openly gay and lesbian Christians? Where is there any support for this approach in the Bible?
Jeffrey S. Sikerz
Loyola Marymount University
Read the whole essay HERE.
Past Book Club Discussions & Resources
Past Book Club Discussions & Resources
some Resources for continuing thinking
about this book
quotes at good reads
Summary at Cliffs Notes
Winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize
We discussed Being Mortal by Atul Gawande a book that has the potential to change medicine – and lives.
SOME RESOURCES FOR engaging the ideas of this book
Being Mortal Book Review, NY Times
Being Mortal | FRONTLINE | PBS
Dr. Atul Gawande: Make End Of Life More Humane, Podcast on Fresh Air
We've read and discussed
The Road to Character by David Brooks
We selected this book for our book group because of the media attention to it, out of esteem for David Brooks and an interest in his vision of what’s broken in today’s world and how to fix it.
some Resources for continuing thinking about his ideas
"‘The Road to Character,’ by David Brooks," Sunday Book Review in the NY Times
"U.S. Christianity is Dead, Long Live U.S. Christianity," on Religion Dispatches
David Brooks Explores 'The Road to Character’, on Forum with Michael Krasny (podcast)
"David Brooks' Search for Meaning", the New Yorker (May 27, 2015)