Reading:
- Evil and the Christian Faith by Nels F. S. Ferré
- The Christlike God by John V. Taylor
- The Living Word: A Theological Study of Preaching and the Church by Gustaf Wingren
- God and Human Suffering by Douglas John Hall
- Reformed and Ecumenical: On Being Reformed in Ecumenical Encounters, edited by Christine Lienemann-Perrin, Hendrik M. Vroom, Michael Weinrich
- Perpetually Reforming: A Theology of Church Reform and Renewal by John P. Bradbury
- Systematic Theology, Vol. 2: Doctrine by James William McClendon Jr.
- On Being the Church edited by Colin Gunton & Daniel Hardy
- To Be Reformed by Joseph D. Small
- Black Pioneers: How Aboriginal and Islander People Helped Build Australia by Henry Reynolds
Listening:
- 13 Songs You May or May Not Have Heard Before, Sparrows Point, Blue Divide, Not Far Now and Reunion Hill, by Richard Shindell
- The Last Ship by Sting
- The Diving Board by Elton John
- Paradise Valley by John Mayer
- Build Me Up From Bones by Sarah Jarosz
- Irish Pirate Ballads and Other Songs of the Sea by Dan Milner
- Where Have All The Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger by Various Artists
Watching:
- Babel
- The Pillars of the Earth
- We Need to Talk About Kevin. This is one of the most extraordinary films I’ve seen in many years, with an absolutely astonishing performance by Tilda Swinton. (On a less enthusiastic note, Australia’s ‘MA 15+’ rating is severely misjudged.)
jasongoroncy.com 
It is a stunning film, but the book We need to talk about Kevin is fuller and even more gripping. Lionel (emphasis on last syllable – Lion-elle) Shriver’s parents first introduced us to it when they stayed during their visit here early in 2012. Donald is former President of the Faculty and Prof of Christian Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Peggy his wife is a poet and they are a most interesting couple with an extraordinary marriage! The power of the film stayed with me in searing images as I read the book.
I’m always in awe of how much you seem to absorb with your monthly stations Jason.
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So what did you think of Babel? It seemed great in parts; some of it was just a mish-mash, and there was little connection between the sections
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@ Mike: I think I mostly concur with Peter Bradshaw’s review in the Guardian that the film represents ‘less than the sum of its grandiose parts, while remaining bloated with its own euphoric spiritual pain’. I’ve seen it a few times now. I mostly return to it because (i) some of the acting is remarkable, and (ii) it’s still the best film that my parents-in-law (where I’m staying at the moment) have in their very depressing DVD collection and I’m too lazy to go out and hire something else.
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Yes, Swinton and Pitt are very good in their sequence. Well, if Babel is the best of a depressing DVD collection I dread to think what else is there! LOL
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Hi Jason – been a while since I left a footprint here. But reading Nels Ferre – I thought like Elijah, I only I am left, who still reads Nels Ferre. Glad to see his name on your list. His wee book, Making Religion Real, read when I was in my 20’s and several times since has more common sense than a lot of the more overtly spiritual or devotional books around then, or now for that matter. Hope life is good and getting gooder!
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Jim, your footprints are always welcome here. We are, indeed, a rare breed.
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