Sacred Selections: Weekend Reader

Here are some books that we think you may find interesting. Julie's picks illustrate how the theology of the apocalypse came to be, along with a compelling critique of the worlds   worst books. Morty picked a mind-bending fairy tale, and Jarad picked a book that imagines a dystopian society in which women have no rights.  So...have fun I guess?  (It seems like that kind of weekend.)

Just click on the image of the book to if you want to buy and you're off to the apocalypse, or some dystopia, or a weird fairyland.  Have fun!  Stay safe!

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Julie - 
What?
 
Jeff Pugh's Theology after You've been Left Behind
 
And: The Anti-Christ Handbook by Fred Clark
 
Why?  There are narratives we read for fun...and then there are narratives that shape our lives.  There is  a very historically recent interpretation of the biblical Book of Revelations and the coming apocalypse that affects you whether you know it or not because it deeply affects US policy.  Jeff Pugh's book is a very concise and readable overview of exactly what that theology is and how it came to be. 
Fred Clark's handbook is a funny and insightful critque of "the world's worst books," the Left Behind Series.  He goes chapter by chapter and helps the reader understand what is being said and commiserates about how badly it's written.  But more than that, this book is a funny and wise critique of all that's wrong with evangelical Christianity in our current era.  There are some stories that write you. This information is critical to understanding our current political climate.
 
 
 
Morty: 
What?
Lilith by George MacDonald
 
Why?  First of all, a warning, this book is difficult. It's not for the faint-hearted. It's a weird, weird, mystic fairy tale. It is for people who want their minds bent...in a good way.  Also...if you contrast it with Julie's picks this week, you'll begin to see that religion is a lot like a mirror.  You see yourself in it. No one could be further from the cheerleaders of the apocalypse than good old George MacDonald. 
 
Jarad:

What?
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
 
Why?
This dystopian novel imagines a world in which women have no rights, and a heavy emphasis is placed on reproduction after worsening environmental conditions cause widespread infertility.  It’s a chilling reminder of the necessity of freedom of choice, and freedom in general.