Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Letters from the Edge of Elfland

Home
Catholic
Reading on the Edges of Elfland: October 24th Edition

Reading on the Edges of Elfland: October 24th Edition

Last updated on: October 24, 2016 at 3:45 pm by David Russell Mosley

Reading on the Edges of Elfland: October 24th Edition 2016-10-24T15:45:50-04:00 David Russell Mosley

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

David Russell Mosley

Description The Long Room of the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin. Date 21 July 2015 Source Own work Author Diliff (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Description
The Long Room of the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin.
Date 21 July 2015
Source Own work
Author Diliff
(CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ordinary Time
24 October 2016
The Edge of Elfland
Hudson, New Hampshire

Dear Readers,

Today I just wanted to share with your the books I’ve been reading lately. They’re a combination of new reads and old.

Joseph of Nazareth by Federico Suárez

The first book on my list was given to me by my spiritual director. In this book Suárez seeks to meditate on the little that Scripture tells us about the adopted father of our Lord. It has been an interesting book so far. Perhaps one of the most interesting things he’s suggested, based on Augustine, is that Joseph’s chaste (here chaste meaning, in part, totally without sex) marriage to Mary was that height of conjugal love. What’s more, and what is so wonderful to read. Suárez makes sure that we understand that Joseph staid with Mary because he loved her as a husband loves his wife.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

This one is a re-read for me, though it is only my second time through it. If you haven’t read this wonderful work of historical fantasy (which imagines the presence of magic during the Napoleonic wars), I highly recommend it. Clarke does an excellent job of capturing the voice of the nineteenth century. The text is all about magic and yet at times feels more like a textbook or history book than fantasy (particularly since there are numerous footnotes). I have been wondering lately what role the loss of Catholicism in England plays in this book and may write a post about it at another time.

King Arthur’s Death: The Middle English Stanzaic Morte Arthur and Alliterative Morte Arthure by Larry Dean Benson (Editor)

This book I’m reading in part for Signum University’s Tolkien and Tradition course, for which I am a preceptor. But let’s just say I am not at all sorry to be reading it. The book is precisely what it says it is, two versions from the late middle ages of the death of Arthur. One is written in rhymed stanzas and the other is alliterative. Both are in Middle English. In part because of this reading, I think I will be embarking on a new writing project, but I’ll tell you more about that another time.

Love, Henri: Letters on Love, Hope, Faith, and Vocation by Henri J.M. Nouwen

This book I’m reading for a “book club” here at Patheos. I have to admit, and I’ll say more about this later, that Nouwen is not one of my favorite authors. Nevertheless, I’m a huge fan of reading (and writing) letters. Nouwen’s letters allow us to see a side of him I’m not sure comes out in his books.

I’m also technically reading a few other books (as in they’re listed on my goodreads as being currently read) but I’m not focusing on them right now. But what about you? What are you reading? Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think? Let me know.

Sincerely,
David

Book Reviews

King Arthur

Literature and Poetry

Federico Suárez

Henri Nouwen

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Joseph of Nazareth

reading

Susanna Clarke

Previous Post

October 21, 2016

A (Not so Brief) Review of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Next Post

October 25, 2016 The "Matter" of Devotion: Further Reflections on the PMR Conference and Christianity as a Matter Affirming Religion

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Secular Age Advent Apologetics Atheism Beauty Being a Catholic Evangelical Being Catholic Being Deified: Poetry and Fantasy on the Path to God Blogging Book Reviews C. S. Lewis Catholic Imagination Catholic Social Teaching Catholicism Christmas Church Calendar Church Fathers Church Life Community Conferences Cosmology Creation Curdled Words Deification Distributism Easter Economics Education Epiphany Essay Extracts Eucharist Faerie Faeriean Metaphysics Fatherhood Films Folk Liturgy Food and Drink G. K. Chesterton Harry Potter J. R. R. Tolkien Jove King Arthur Language Lent Life Literature and Poetry Liturgy Medieval Theology Music My Publications Mythology On the Edges of Elfland Ordinary Time Ordination Parenthood Parish Patristic Theology Pentecost Politics Prayer Racism Radical Orthodoxy Restoration Movement Sacramental Ontology Saints Science Sex and Sexuality Sophiology Stories The Inklings The Radical Catholic Reimagination of Everything Theologians in the Church Theopoetics Thesis Research Uncategorized University of Nottingham What I'm Reading Writing

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 July 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz