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July 17
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Bob
added:
Fundamentalism and the Word of God (Paperback)
by J.I. Packer
bookshelves:
theology
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Bob said:
"Surprisingly interesting book, even when I didn't agree.
"
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June 21
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Bob
is currently reading:
Systematic Theology: Volume 1: The Triune God (Systematic Theology)
by Robert W. Jenson
bookshelves:
currently-reading,
theology
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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July 23
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Bob
marked as to-read:
New Testament words (WBL)
by William Barclay
bookshelves:
theology,
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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June 01
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Bob
marked as to-read:
Homiletics (Paperback)
by Karl Barth
bookshelves:
theology,
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Bob
gave
to:
Karl Barth: His Life from Letters and Autobiographical Texts (Hardcover)
by Eberhard Busch
bookshelves:
biography,
theology
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Bob said:
"This is an interesting sort of biography. It is effectively a very detailed narrative of Barth's life made up of quotes from letters stitched together by Eberhard Busch, Barth's last student and his assistant (after his long-time assistant Charlotte...more
This is an interesting sort of biography. It is effectively a very detailed narrative of Barth's life made up of quotes from letters stitched together by Eberhard Busch, Barth's last student and his assistant (after his long-time assistant Charlotte von Kirschenbaum became to ill to continue working). Very little effort is made to "editorialise" and sometimes it seems very little effort is made to to distinguish important material and events from more day-to-day events.
On the one hand I finished reading the book feeling that I knew Barth much better -- so much of the book is made up of his own words that it's a little like having been the recipient of an extended letter from Barth himself.
However, I was always aware that behind the selection of the quotes there is an editor, Busch. In a regular biography you are explicitly aware of the biographer and are always aware of the fact that he is constructing a historical narrative for you to read. In the book in question it is more or less impossible to separate between a simple listing of events referred to in Barth's letters and the editorial construction of a particular narrative. Busch even refers to himself in the third person. The only exceptions are the small-print sections where Busch summarises books, articles and speeches by Barth. Here it is made clear that it is Busch's account.
So, this is not really a biography but more an exhibition of some of the raw material that could be used to construct a biography. Still, it is fascinating to read Barth's own words about so many different events and people and I found the book to be compelling. If Busch had attempted to write a *real* biography --- editorialising more and in a more obvious way and making more choices as to what material to leave out --- while still quoting from the letters as he does it could have been a truly great book....less
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May 29
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Bob
marked as to-read:
The Gold Diggers and Other Stories (Paperback)
by Robert and Elsa Dorfman Creeley
bookshelves:
poetry,
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Bob
marked as to-read:
Quick Graph Collected Notes and Essays. (Hardcover)
by Robert Creeley
bookshelves:
poetry,
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Bob
marked as to-read:
The Finger (Hardcover)
by Robert Creeley
bookshelves:
poetry,
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Bob
gave
to:
The Man Who Loved Only Numbers (Paperback)
by Paul Hoffman
bookshelves:
biography
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in May, 2008
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May 25
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Bob
marked as to-read:
Embracing Grace: A Gospel for All of Us (Paperback)
by Scot McKnight
bookshelves:
theology,
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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