A philosophically inquisitive discussion of what it means to be a Christian.
In a series of meditative essays, a former preacher with brain cancer ponders death, love, and God.
Debut author Pankratz spent about a quarter-century as a missionary and pastor in the Evangelical tradition, but he eventually left it, disenchanted with what he saw as its hypocrisy, doctrinal dogmatism, and lack of inclusiveness. Moreover, he says, he was disillusioned by what he felt was a kind of scriptural idolatry—a blind devotion to the Bible that, in his view, placed it above spirituality and even God. The author experimented with a more liberal church, but although he was impressed by its message of tolerance, he was disappointed by the banality of its message. Pankratz’s post-ministry days have been professionally diverse: He’s sold cars, worked at a cafe and a liquor store, and tended bar. Here, he gathers his reflections into a series of self-sufficient essays that are more impressionistic than chronological; thus, they can be fully understood and enjoyed in any order. The author discusses a broad spectrum of personal and intellectual issues, including his ongoing battle with a cancerous brain tumor and his life as a husband and father. There are also lots of quotidian exploits and quirkily comic anecdotes about his friends—one of them apparently trained with a bona fide ninja. Still, the thematic fulcrum of his ruminations is his spiritual life—in particular, what it means to be a Christian outside the confines of institutional support and without the consolations of certainty. Pankratz writes with clarity and charm, and the personal intensity with which he interrogates serious issues is tempered by a breezy, informal style. His message is an uplifting one: “It…takes courage to face our feelings of loss, doubt, and emptiness. But once we begin sharing them, they often dissipate….We get served a pint of hope.…God is the ultimate bartender. And he never cuts us off.” The author’s background as a pastor does sometimes creep into his prose, as he has a tendency to sermonize. Overall, though, this is a thoughtful and engaging assemblage of reflections.
A philosophically inquisitive discussion of what it means to be a Christian.Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5255-1731-0
Page Count: 270
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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