The Englewood Review of Books announced today its picks for the best books of 2008 for the life of the Church.
The newest book from acclaimed author Kathleen Norris, Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks and A Writer’s Life, was named the Englewood Book of the Year for 2008. Offering a unique blend of social criticism and hope, Acedia and Me eloquently describes the ways in which the ancient sin acedia (lethargy / restlessness) is manifested in today’s consumer culture. However, Norris is quick to note that the monastic practices of community, stability and prayer, by which the ancient Christians resisted acedia, are likewise valuable for Christ’s followers today. Additionally, The Englewood Review named ten Englewood Honor Books. These books address the themes of culture (Andy Crouch’s Culture Making and Beyond Homelessness by Steve Bouma-Prediger and Brian Walsh), economics (William Cavanaugh’s Being Consumed), race (Free to Be Bound by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove), violence (Living Gently in a Violent World by Stanley Hauerwas and Jean Vanier), scripture (Scot McKnight’s The Blue Parakeet), art (God in the Gallery by Daniel Siedell), agriculture (Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food and Wendell Berry and the Cultivation of Life by Matthew Bonzo and Michael Stevens) and craftsmanship (Richard Sennett’s The Craftsman). The Englewood Review also recognized other important books from 2008, including “Most Significant Theological Book” (J. Kameron Carter’s Race) and “Best Novel” (Ron Hansen’s Exiles). Full details about these award-winning books are available through the Englewood Review website: http://bestof2008.englewoodreview.org/
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