Reading the Two Books of God: Sacred Time and Place in Nature and History
Ebook
Thomas W. Mann is a biblical scholar and retired parish minister and the author of numerous books and articles. He is particularly interested in how experiences in nature prompt theological reflection based in the Bible, shaping our sense of sacred time and place, and how the lectionary readings of the church year also provide a spiritual calendar for the seasons of our lives. The result is a conversation inspired by poets and writers like Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, and John Muir, but also by philosophers and theologians ranging from Abraham Joshua Heschel to David Kelsey. Along the way, we enter "beach time" and take backpacking trips in the Sierras, but also join the "triumphal entry" parade on Palm Sunday and listen to the stable animals on Christmas Eve. We perceive the beauty of creation through the eyes of science as well as religion, sensually as well as intellectually. We celebrate our communion with all creatures, from fungus to forests, inspired with awe and reverence, and with a responsibility to care for the earth, so threatened by climate change.
“Reading the Two Books of God is a delightful companion
through the times of the year: both calendar and liturgical.
. . . Mann invites the reader into deeper consideration
of aspects of nature and Christian Scripture that may have been
skimmed as familiar or rudimentary. The reader is likely to
experience both nature and Scripture differently after reading this
offering.”
—Anne Herndon, retired counseling psychologist
“Understanding his sermons in terms of Scripture and nature, Tom
has gracefully woven his theology through them. In his sermons, you
hear and see his love of nature and his profound understanding of
the biblical Scriptures. . . . The ideas he gleans from
the Bible, his garden, and his hikes are fresh and redemptive. This
book makes the Bible meaningful and the earth integral to each day
of our lives.”
—Lucy A. Austin, retired pastoral counselor
“An extraordinary collection of sermons that engages the reader’s
imagination and intellect, Reading the Two Books of God
integrates a spiritual sensuality of experience with a reverence
for Scripture and theology (with a dash of gentle humor).
. . . Mann challenges readers to a deep listening and a
deep looking at time. Highly recommended—a superb and rare blend of
scholarship, theological humility, and commitment to the goodness
of the created world.”
—Linda Browne, chaplain, Salemtowne Retirement Community
“Reading the Two Books of God is an extraordinary gift to
religious leaders and others who seek to hear God through the words
of ancient poets and prophets and through the whispers,
thunders, and ‘wow’-inducing ordinariness of canyons, deserts,
oceans, mountains, and neighborhood backyards. Each sermon invites
readers to proclaim ‘glory’ and then head outdoors to experience
that ‘glory’ with Scripture in their hearts and minds and the
sacred dirt of God’s good earth under their feet.”
—Jill Y. Crainshaw, Wake Forest University School of Divinity
“Reading the Two Books of God is a compelling argument for
not reading Scripture and nature as though they had nothing to do
with one another but understanding each in light of the wisdom
offered by the other. . . . This beautifully written book
will enrich both readers’ faith and their commitment to social
justice for God’s good but imperiled earth.”
—George W. Stroup, Columbia Theological Seminary,
emeritus
- Title: Reading the Two Books of God: Sacred Time and Place in Nature and History
- Author: Thomas W. Mann
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Print Publication Date: 2022
- Logos Release Date: 2022
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666719871, 9781666719857, 9781666719864, 1666719870, 1666719854, 1666719862
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666719871
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-12-22T05:50:06Z