Fighting the Noonday Devil and Other Essays Personal and Theological

by R.R. Reno

In this stirring volume R. R. Reno — a thoughtful, literate writer with a zest for physical and theological adventure — looks back on his time working in the oil fields of Wyoming, his quests to the heights of Yosemite and the ice cliffs of the French Alps, his daughter’s bat mitzvah, and more, rendering seven diverse “fragments of life” in energetic prose. Fighting the Noonday Devil resounds with Reno’s depth of feeling and regard for the tangible things of life. Through these narratives, vignettes, and reflections he shows that it is the real-life manifestations of love and loyalty — far beyond intellectual abstractions or theories — that train us for true piety.

Genres: Essays, Philosophy

122 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2011

About the author

Russell Ronald Reno III is the editor of First Things magazine. He was formerly a professor of theology and ethics at Creighton University.

A theological and political conservative, Reno was baptized into the Episcopal Church as an infant and grew up as a member of the Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore, Maryland. As an adult he was an active participant in the Episcopal Church, serving as Senior Warden of the Church of the Resurrection in Omaha, Nebraska from 1991–1995, as deputy to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in 1993, 1996, and 1999, and as a member of the Theology Committee of the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops from 2001-2003. On September 18, 2004, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church.

Reviews

[Jay Shank]

Everyone should read the eponymous essay. It’s a really good explanation of one of the seven deadly sins (sloth) and how to overcome it!

Beware critical distance