Putting Away Childish Things: A Tale of Modern Faith

by Marcus J. Borg

“We all know that Marcus Borg is a gifted teacher, biblical scholar, and writer of nonfiction, but it turns out that he’s a master storyteller, too.”
— Brian D. McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christianity Bestselling author, Bible scholar, and theologian Marcus Borg ( Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, The Heart of Christianity, The Last Week ) uses his core teachings on faith and the Bible to demonstrate their transformative power and potential in Putting Away Childish Things : the moving, inspirational story of a college professor, her students, and a crisis of faith.

Genres: Fiction, Religion, Christianity, Spirituality, Faith, Theology, Novels

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Borg was born into a Lutheran family of Swedish and Norwegian descent, the youngest of four children. He grew up in the 1940s in North Dakota and attended Concordia College, Moorhead, a small liberal arts school in Moorhead, Minnesota. While at Moorhead he was a columnist for the school paper and held forth as a conservative. After a close reading of the Book of Amos and its overt message of social equality he immediately began writing with an increasingly liberal stance and was eventually invited to discontinue writing his articles due to his new-found liberalism. He did graduate work at Union Theological Seminary and obtained masters and DPhil degrees at Oxford under G. B. Caird. Anglican bishop N.T. Wright had studied under the same professor and many years later Borg and Wright were to share in co-authoring The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions, an amicable study in contrast. Following a period of religious questioning in his mid-thirties, and numinous experiences similar to those described by Rudolf Otto, Borg became active in the Episcopal Church, in which his wife, the Reverend Canon Marianne Wells-Borg, serves as a priest and directs a spiritual development program at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, Oregon. On May 31, 2009, Borg was installed as the first canon theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Marcus J. Borg is Canon Theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, OR. Internationally known in both academic and church circles as a biblical and Jesus scholar, he was Hundere Chair of Religion and Culture in the Philosophy Department at Oregon State University until his retirement in 2007.

Described by The New York Times as "a leading figure in his generation of Jesus scholars," he has appeared on NBC's "Today Show" and “Dateline,” PBS's "Newshour," ABC’s “Evening News” and “Prime Time” with Peter Jennings, NPR’s “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross, and several National Geographic programs. A Fellow of the Jesus Seminar, he has been national chair of the Historical Jesus Section of the Society of Biblical Literature and co-chair of its International New Testament Program Committee, and is past president of the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars. His work has been translated into eleven languages: German, Dutch, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Russian, and French. His doctor's degree is from Oxford University, and he has lectured widely overseas (England, Scotland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Israel and South Africa) and in North America, including the Chautauqua and Smithsonian Institutions.

Reviews

[Giedra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marcus Borg is a theologian, not a novelist. But when I found this novel as I was browsing juvenile fiction, I thought it would be worth a read. (I even thought, "this isn't juvenile fiction! Why is this here? I must be meant to read it.") His preface calls the work "didactic" and indeed it is. His protagonist, Kate Riley, is a professor of religion at a small liberal arts college, and much of the novel consists of text from handouts she gives to her class and point by point discussion of the points in the handout...and that kind of thing. But I honestly enjoyed it.

The book helped me to understand some things about how the Enlightenment led to some of the divisions in the church today. I have known for a long time that I am more comfortable with a more liberal theology, and while I have typically been comfortable with that with respect to, say, the events of the book of Genesis (creation, the flood), I hadn't given much thought to what I thought about the historicity of Jesus himself, and how it is possible for someone to be both a faithful follower of Jesus and perhaps doubt that he said or did the things attributed to him in the Bible. A lot of this relates to the notion that it seems likely that Jesus did not call himself the son of God or the Messiah, but that his followers did, and by the time they wrote down the books that became the Bible, the Bible was recording the things that were important to supporting the faith of the Christian community of the time. It doesn't make faith any less valuable to see it this way.

Another discussion surrounded the shift in meanings of the English words "believe" and "faith." In the case of believe, until the Enlightenment one never saw the word used to mean "believe that something is factual," but rather, it was always used in the sense of "believing in a person." And "believe" is derived from "belove" so to "believe in God" was to belove God (to make Him your beloved). In the church, belief "in God" has often morphed into "belief that" a particular set of doctrines or statements are true. Likewise, there are 3 words that describe faith in Latin--fiducia, which is trust, fidelitas, which is fidelity (loyalty), and finally assensus, which means something more like assent (assenting to the truth of a claim or set of beliefs). The book discusses how before Christianity met up with the Enlightenment, the primary meanings of faith were fidelitas and fiducia--faithfulness of God and trust in God. But the same way that "belief" has shifted, we often tend today to think that "faith" also refers to the "assensus" form of faith.

Anyway, I found some of these arguments very interesting and persuasive, and coming as they were in novel form, packaged very accessibly. I didn't know about some of the referenced scholarship, but it all makes sense to me and resonates strongly with me--one can love God ("what is" = "I am who am") and make Him the center of your life, and love others and work for justice.....and learn from the important stories of the Bible, whether or not they were "factual." Just as Jesus taught in parables (there was no actual prodigal son), why would it be wrong to think that the Bible itself might be allegorical? There are truths to be learned even when things aren't factual.

Anyway. Very interesting book! Not a great novel, will never win a prize for plot, character development, or anything like that.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, the writing was done well. But the material bothered me. If you are a new believer in Christ and have given your life over to Him and need discipleship, this book will lead you in the wrong direction. I know that Christ should be the center of our lives and Kate is a professor teaching religion and saying that the Bible is just stories, representing ideas. There are two characters in the book that are born-again and I give the author a nod for including them in the book. But I am disturbed at the idea of fitting God into the cracks of our lives when we need a little diversion. He should be Lord of our lives and this will truly bring peace and joy...and a home in heaven with Him forever. Praise His Name!

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has to be said that, although I understand his premise and motive behind writing the book, there are elements to it that are absolutely grating!

First, and most annoyingly, once a name brand has been established describing an object, it doesn't have to be referred by that name brand every time it's mentioned. A "Guinness" beer--which is highly overrated by people who think that by choosing to like this beer automatically elevates them to some beer-phile status--should simply become "beer" after we know it's a Guinness. One does not "order a Guinness" and then "take another sip of their Guinness" and then "take a long draw of Guinness." It's beer. Call it a beer, damn it!

Some continued railing on name brand dropping: this Martin guy is so well-off yet he's gulping down Glenlivet? What? Seriously? Not an 18-year Macallan or Johnny Blue? If he cares at all, he's stocking a Highland single malt. But, he ain't swilling $25 bottle of Scotch whiskey.

Secondly, I realize that Borg wants to paint a picture of the "real faith" of some liberal university types. But, does he really have to make them stereotype caricatures? Martin and Kate are worrying about "how far that fish was shipped to get to their Midwestern town" and shopping at Whole Foods. Then, there's the black, gay female professor. This is the kind of character type that people make jokes about (you know: "If Jesus came back, today, he'd be a poor, Latina lesbian."). Kate's best friend is gay (shocker). She's always making stupid comments about "if he wasn't gay, she'd marry him." Is this what liberal women want? To marry gay guys?

The only redeeming quality that the main characters have are their vices like smoking pipes and drinking Scotch.

Plot holes: we've got the story line of a major donor funding a position at Scudder and it's almost a non-sequitur, yet there's at least two chapters devoted to it. I just didn't see the point, other than Borg thought it was a cool idea or it happened to him in real life so he shoe-horned it in. I half expected Kate Riley to get that position except it didn't fit with her Episcopal background. Doesn't matter. That story line was jettisoned by the time the book ended. I guess Borg didn't feel the need to close that loop or his editor dozed off during those chapters.

Most of the book reads like your watching a police procedural, where everyone's always over-explaining EVERYTHING. Do we really need one of the characters to ask if another knows what "Saltimbocca" means? Who does this? It sounds so smarty-pants.

Borg lacks an ear for realistic dialogue. All of the characters TALK THE SAME! They all speak with the same vernacular and wordiness. Especially, undergraduate college students who are struggling to articulate themselves anyway!

[Dan Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this work of fiction Borg provides insights into the positions and difficulties of modern progressive Christianity. Although overly didactic at times, Borg nevertheless manages to provide an insightful examination of the intersection of faith and modernity, framing theological, philosophical and social issues in an accessible and engaging way. I'm not sure to what extent this story is a successful progressive Christian apologetic; it's doubtful that Borg's concise explanations of the liberal Christian understanding of miracles, Jesus, the Bible, Adam and Eve and homosexuality will be persuasive to those with already fully-formed beliefs regarding these issues. But by weaving such topics into a work of fiction, Borg humanizes the subject matter and makes us empathize with the difficulties of maintaning faith and reason. He prudently positions characters on different sides of the issues, and most importantly, depicts them struggling to find a way forward. To that end, the book includes a generous amount of references to resources for further information, as well as selections of poetry, hymns and prayers. This book isn't a theological tour de force; rather, it's a contemplative exploration of the beauty of progressive Christianity.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was SO bad I wish I could give it negative stars since it was a huge waste of my time reading it! I wasn't familiar with the author, but based on the title and a review I read I thought it would be an interesting look at "modern faith" - not so much. Apparently the author's view of "modern faith" is that you can call yourself a Christian and basically not believe the Bible. The book follows Kate, a religion professor at a small liberal arts college. Kate's newest book focuses on the conflicting accounts of Jesus' birth in two books of the Bible. During a radio interview with a conservative Christian show she is blasted for her views. She is then put in the middle of conservative Christians calling her "too liberal" and her university telling her that she is "too Christian" for their school. The author does state that he intends this book to be didactic, but it is VERY heavy-handed. The title also makes me mad because I feel like the author is making a jab with it. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." and I think the author is basically saying that if you believe the Bible as absolute truth then you're a child and not mature enough to see the real "truth". And to make it even worse the writing is so poor I can hardly believe this author was ever published fiction or non-fiction. Anyway, this was a such a terrible book I really wish I hadn't wasted my time with it!

[Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A parable about interpreting the New Testament as a collection of parables, as opposed to literally factual histories written by a distant God. This book will not charm anyone outside of mainline Protestant culture and it’s not intended to change evangelical minds. The title itself is a bit of a diss, with the ultimate “childish thing” being a literal interpretation, according to the late great Marcus Borg. This is not high literature, yet it is a comforting read during Lent for this converted Episcopalian.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading fiction has become a rarity for me (except for the occasional sword/spaceship sort of thing). I grabbed this book because I like Marus Borg's nonfiction work, and the story sounded interesting. The author says up front, in the prologue, that the book will be didactic: he intends to teach his truths using a fictional story as his vehicle. With that in mind, much of what I read--the theology part--I had read before in Borg's other books. There were certainly some new insights and ideas, though. Like all of Professor Borg's books, I found myself nodding along in some places, and shaking my head in disagreement in others. And, as when I read nonfiction books about liberal Protestantism, I found myself both jealous of the tradition's theological freedom while being bemused by how all over the place it is. A few brief observations:

1. Borg skewers political correctness with an example of a group of very liberal theology teachers having a heart-felt and contentious discussion over whether to call dogs 'pets' or 'animal companions.' I thought Borg was quite funny at this part. He acknowledged how well-intentioned such discussions are even as he recognized how pointless they can be. He did offer up a few comments on the idea of 'heteronormativity,' which I find...bewildering.

2. None of the liberal Protestants in the book--not one--ever performed, or made reference to performing, an act of charity for those who are poor, or sick, or in some dire straight. The characters were, for the most part, wealthy, well-educated Episcopalians who were very focused on their spiritual journeys; they were all Christians. If any one of them ever did some sort of good deed, it was unremarked upon by the author. I found that quite telling. As interesting as I find the theology of the Christian Left, there is a bit of navel-gazing that goes on. Certainly not everyone (Jim Wallis, Shayne Clairborne, Sara Miles), but many of the folks I've met and read about are materially comfortable and unbearably smug. Not all of course...but many. Unitarians are worse.

3. Borg, speaking through is main character, tells about how the earliest Christian communities did not so much 'believe' as 'belove.' In other words, according to the author, 'believing' developed from an earlier tradition of 'beloving,' where disciples of Jesus did not have to kowtow to a prescribed set of beliefs; that came later, in response to the Enlightenment. I thought, really? Geez...that whole Nicene Creed thing; I wonder what that was all about? And the Apostle's Creed, the Council of Nicea...hmmm...sure seemed like a set of codified beliefs to me. I wish I could ask Professor Borg about this part in person. Perhaps I'll email him.

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. I like Marcus Borg, and I will continue to read his books. I am unconvinced by some parts of his theological world view, even as I am totally convinced by others. Good stuff.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borg himself describes this book as a "didactic novel" and I think that word is very accurate. The plot revolves around Kate, a Liberal Christian and New Testament professor at a liberal arts college. She's written a popular book about the nativity narratives in the gospel, and has come under fire from colleagues and parents of students who find her either too un-evangelical in her thinking, or too religious. Ah, the perennial dilemma of being a liberal Christians, where neither fundamentalists nor atheists want you! But she's received an potential offer from a seminary to teach for a year--the same seminary where an old lover still teaches. If she accepts that offer, however, will she lose her opportunity at tenure at her current job?

There are several reasons a person might enjoy this novel:

1) you are interested in the high drama of academic politics
2) you are interested in the conflict between evangelical and liberal Christian thought, primarily from the liberal Christian point of view
3) you are interested in the influence of enlightenment thought on how Christians view the Bible
4) you wish you could go back to college and take more religious studies classes
5) you want to know the brand names of every alcoholic beverage drunk and tobacco product smoked by your college professors
6) you like poetry and poetic prayers, because Borg quotes a lot of them

Does it work as a novel? As an internal spiritual/journey of a liberal Christian academic, sort of. If you're looking for thrilling drama, or intense psychological character development, you will want to look elsewhere. I enjoyed it because 2,3,4, and 6 above really interest me. Your mileage may vary.

[Churchlady · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, my gosh, was I disappointed! I was really expecting to be challenged and intrigued. Granted, Borg informs us from the beginning that this is a "teaching" novel. Teaching, yes. Novel, not so much. The character development was non-existent, there were no surprises. The characters came off as elitist intellectuals who had no interaction outside an academic environment. They were boorish snobs who think that feeling a little guilty equals social justice. The book came off as preachy. I wanted a novel - I edited a college course. Disappointing.

[Polly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite its didactic tone, Borg talks about lots of interesting ideas in a new way. He isn't a novelist; too often, his characters do or say something because it's important to him, not because they're separate people. A novel isn't the place for 3-page excerpts from text books or several pages of a college lecture. At the same time, I enjoyed looking at how beliefs inform who we are, as well as the conversations between people all along the spectrum of religious thought.

[Kim Faires · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like it at all. The writing wasn't that good and the content was definitely not what I was expecting. the Modern faith part was more about university professors that believed that the bible is more myth than fact. It was way more out of the box than I ever hope to become. Paperback swapped it already....

[Dorothy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book. I thought it was a Christian book and it is not. If this is what "'modern" faith is about I am glad I am old-fashioned. I really hate that a new Christian would pick up this book and think every word is true. God's Word should not be changed.

[Mary Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Putting Away Childish Things by Marcus J. Borg may just have been the right book at the right time, but I really liked it. The details about life in academia, America and Europe, church, food and drink made the story seem so authentic and familiar that it seemed almost true.

Borg’s protagonist is Kate Riley, a 5th year assistant professor at Wells College in Willow Falls, Wisconsin. Just before Christmas, the year before she’s up for tenure, she’s invited to apply for a for one-year visiting professorship at Scudder Divinity School, close to if not one of top five divinity schools in country (57). She wants to accept, but her department discourages her, agreeing to fill her job temporarily but requiring her to re-compete to get it back. Other complicating factors are that as she publicizes her second book, Two Stories, One Birth: What the Gospels Really Say About Christmas, she’s branded by a rightwing talk show host as number one of the week’s five “Most Un-Americans” for saying that there was no virgin birth and that the Bible is made up of beautiful stories, neither true, but both in the radio personalities mind “contrary to America’s Christian heritage” (38). The book’s focus is the difference in the 32 verses in Matthew and the 131 verses in Luke (24) with “Matthew dark and threatening dominated by King Herod and his plot to kill Jesus” while “Luke’s story is basically joyful” (24). In the very short time frame of spring semester, Riley must makes her decision and cope with petitions to deny her tenure by right wing groups.

She is an attractive cigarette smoking (6/day), Guinness and wine drinking woman whose trade mark is red shoes (45). Although she’s been celibate for two years (19), she has had several relationships, the last one in which “… our evenings were mostly filled with making love, usually more than once. …We often made love when we woke up in the morning, and sometimes had a quickie in the afternoon” (17). In fact, one of her best friends teasingly calls her “sex kitten” (65). He is Geoff Cooper, a gay colleague whose area is Asian religions with a specialty in Buddhism. Another is fifty year old Fredrika Adams, an Episcopalian priest for about 20 years.

Key to the story is student Erin Mattson who signs up for Riley’s “Religion and the Enlightenment” class, (42) a course in “historical imagination” (picturing the pre-enlightenment world), the “conflict of ideas,” and critical thinking (53-55) because she’s struggling with questions about her faith. Although her beloved brother is gay and she loves and accepts him, homosexuality is firmly viewed as a sin by The Way Bible group that Erin has joined.

Also important is Martin Erickson, a former mentor and lover of Riley’s who teaches at Scudder and encourages Riley to apply for the one-year position. He’s developed somewhat through emails with Riley and somewhat through a secondary plot that involves Erickson interviewing Margaret Bardwell who is anonymously giving a $6 million endowment to Scudder. She agrees to let Erickson interview her on the basis that no one will find out who she is until after her death.

Borg’s themes are what it means to be a Christian today. These come through as Riley, Erickson, and Adams talk about their work and include ideas like, “Christian have often decided that passages in the Bible are wrong—or if you wish, that they no longer apply … maybe they’ve always been wrong … but simply reflected the mores of the time” (210). “… it’s very hard to know what Jesus was like because of the mixture of memory and testimony in the gospels” (247). Believing and faith originally meant being committed to, beloving, having a combination of trust and commitment to. (326-7) “… in only one of the world’s religions, and only for a couple hundred years, have ‘believing’ and ‘faith’ meant accepting a set of statements to be true” (329).

Although one reviewer says Riley has a crisis of faith, I believe she just struggles to be intelligent with her decision. In the end, Fredrika tells her, “You know that biblical phrase, ‘Fear not,’ ‘Do not be afraid’? Somebody told me that it occurs 365 times in the Bible—one for each day of the year? I’ve never checked it out, but …it’s in the Bible a lot for a good reason” (317).

Adams also quotes Frederick Buechner: “Listen to your life. Listen to what happens to you because it is through what happens to you that God speaks ... It’s in language that’s not always easy to decipher, but it’s there, powerfully, memorable, unforgettably” (335).

Poems are used several times in the story. They include Mary Oliver’s “When Death Comes” (90), Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach” (102-3), and Denise Levertov’s “The Avowal” (331).

An oddity of editing or an error occurs on page 243. One paragraph is in Kate’s class. The next is that night at a meeting of The Way.

Borg puts in a lot of information, almost proselytizing, about Episcopalians. Fredrika says, “But that’s kind of who we Episcopalians are. Most of us are pretty comfortable. But I’ve found a phrase I kind of like—we’re called to become ‘disenchanted elites.’ You know, people whose lives have turned out pretty well as far as comfort goes, but who have become disenchanted with mainstream cultural values—people who have found a different vision of life. And that’s a big part of what church is about—being resocialized, reformed, into that different way of seeing and living. Becoming reenchanted, I guess.

“I don’t think that being comfortable is morally reprehensible. What matters is what we do with whatever wealth and influence we have. Do we use it to preserve the way things are? Or do we use it to make the world a better place? You know, ‘From those to whom much has been given, much will be expected’” (187).

Later, Martin Erickson tells Kate, “ … one of the reasons I became an Episcopalian is the language of the prayer book …I wanted to become part of a community that took symbol and ritual seriously … Did you know that nationally only about 40 percent of Episcopalians were raised as Episcopalians? We’re a church of refugees” (280).

She responds, “It seems to me that we combine the best of the Catholic tradition with the best of the Protestant tradition—an ancient liturgy with Protestant freedom of thought. But instead, we’re on the edge of becoming the best-dressed church in America” (279-280).

Texts that may be worth reading include:

The Life of Jesus Critically Examined by David Friedrich Strauss argues that miracle stories were myths (261) and was translated into English by George Eliot (263).

The Quest of the Historical Jesus by Albert Schweitzer (260).

Faith and Belief: The Difference Between Them and Belief and History, both by Wilfred Cantwell Smith (322).

The Responsible Self by H. Richard Niebuhr (329).


Discussion questions:
Main characters = Riley, Erickson, and Mattson. What are their – issues? Do they change? How?

Didactic themes = being a Christian today. Persuasive? New? Change me?

Title from Paul, 1st Corinthians 13:11. How applicable to novel? To main characters? What childish ways in their thoughts and behaviors? How have they put an end to these?

[Len Knighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, a confession: Marcus Borg was my favorite Biblical scholar during my ministry. His death left a void that has not yet been filled.
I did not know that he had written a novel. I see it as a vehicle for putting his pet ideas into one volume that is easy to read. Unfortunately, what started out as casual reading evolved into an academic treatise at times.
This review may seem jumbled. I put down thoughts as they came to me through the reading. I contributed more notes to the text than I usually do.

A lesson I learned from my father when I was in senior high school was to avoid using the word YEAH. Borg had Kate and Martin respond with YEAH from time to time. I do not think professional persons like them would use that expression, even among friends. To me, it just didn't seem consistent with their character.

I strongly identify with Kate. I understand her desire for security, of thinking about the future. When I started the process of applying to go to Seminary, I was thinking about what my future would be if I didn't change my life. And, as Fredrika stressed to Kate, God was calling Kate to something new. I had the same conviction, although I must confess I didn't have as much to sacrifice as Kate did.
I am also reminded of a time, about ten years into my ministry that I applied for a new position, a new church. I had a good interview and there was a lot that was attractive about this church. A few weeks after the interview I was notified by the search committee that they were coming to my church to hear me preach. They were very pleased with what they saw and heard that Sunday and were ready to offer me the position. I told them that I was withdrawing my name from consideration. I felt that God had given me a sign that I should not accept their offer, the same sign that God had given me more than a decade earlier that convinced me to go to Seminary. Where does faith come into play?

Why did Borg write chapter about Scudder being offered a grant and then leaving it dangling? I thought Borg might end his book with Kate being awarded the chair. Instead, Scudder had to make a decision and we can only speculate to what it is.

I liked the book but I hoped to like it more.

Four stars waning

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title refers to the growing up mentioned in the “love” chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. And this novel, by a biblical scholar and member of the Jesus Seminar attempts to put his theology and thoughts on moving away from one’s childhood faith into a more mature and critical (in all senses, good and bad) faith understanding. His heroine teaches religion at a small liberal arts college, is a regular pray-er and church goer and so combines progressive liberal Christianity with a real love of Jesus. She is courted by a divinity school and faces a decision about whether to leave what is secure and follow this challenge. Other primary characters include her students who begin from various places on the theological spectrum, colleagues at her current school, and a mentor who is now teaching at the divinity school. Lecture notes, sermon outlines, and class handouts all give Borg a chance to draw on work he has done. Interesting.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can understand why this book received negative reviews. The topic is controversial. The controversy was at the heart of the story. "Kate", her friends and her class were a vehicle for discussion of a controversial Christian topic. As for Kate, she has the best job in the world. I always wanted to be a prof at a small college (not a professor of religion; that's not my field). Then she is invited to apply for a one year position at a seminary.
For those who argue that this book has no plot: the plot involves Kate's struggle with her motivation for wanting to sacrifice a job that may or may not be secure for one that definitely is not. She also faces a reunion with an older man with whom she had an affair 20 years prior. These may not be strong plot devices, but as an academic myself, I found them interesting.
The discussion of the Christian issues was fascinating. If you are open to interesting ideas, this is a great read.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read a few of Borg’s theological works of non-fiction and found them very insightful and thought provoking. This novel is just him reiterating his views but in novel form with weak dialog and lots of unnecessary filler in between. Fiction is not for him.

PEOPLE WHO MIGHT LIKE THIS BOOK:
1. Broad
🔸 People who have never read Borg before.
🔸 People who like theological fiction
2. Specific
🔸 The rich elite and aristocracy
🔸 Progressive Christians, probably Protestant
3. Oddly Specific
🔸 Men who wear tween jackets with leather elbow patches
🔸 Adulterers
4. Ultra Specific
🔸 Men who drive Mazda Miatas
🔸 Dudes named Blair or Blaine

PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY WONT LIKE THIS BOOK
1. Broad
🔹 Christian Evangelicals
🔹 Atheists, Agnostics, and questioning
2. Specific
🔹 Women
🔹 Anyone who subscribes to Christian Nationalism
3. Oddly Specific
🔹 Night owls
🔹 Extroverts
4. Ultra Specific
🔹 People with shellfish allergies
🔹 Morocco’s Ambassador to the UN

[Everybody’s a Critic · Rating 4 out of 5]

My grandmother gave me this book back in 2012 and I, being the stellar granddaughter that I am, have decided to read it 14 years later.

In terms of being a novel it’s not extraordinary, but it’s genius comes in how it presents information. In a sense it’s a condensed version of a college course, presenting important theological thought paradigms and how they might apply to modern Christianity, all broken up by the personal stories of the characters.

My faith journey has been very complicated, and I find I’m thankful for the critical thinking this book inspired in me. The journeys of the characters further motivated my thought, and I liked that Borg has written the characters in a way that their thoughts weren’t always integral or relevant to the story, but simply reflective of human nature.

It’s a book that makes you think, and in the end isn’t that why we read?

[Joanne Mcleod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a pastor and friend as a worthy read when I asked for her guidance in writing a novel surrounding the conflict between some religious groups and people who do not identify as heterosexual or fit the stereotypical ‘moral majority’.
Besides presenting a lot of factual and theological basis to his writings, Marcus Borg, also provided me inspiration and insight in incorporating real life experiences into a fictional format. Some of this insight came in being somewhat less fact oriented or particular in some details when trying to draw the reader into the story. I feel there should be a bit more room and freedom left for the reader’s imagination.
On the whole, a worthy read in exploring and furthering our beliefs and faiths, which are only made stronger in the questioning.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wrote a book like this once. Mine was entitled, "Dad's Dying," and it was a summary of my (then) theological beliefs about the end of all things, and Kubler-Ross's Five Stages of grief. I told a story about a father dying of AIDS, as told by his daughter, to get all this non-fiction stuff in. That's exactly what this book is. A week narrative is the clothesline along which the author (who I otherwise love, when he's writing non-fiction) rehashes the sort of things he usually writes about in his non-fiction books. So, nothing new here, theologically, from Borg; and nothing compelling as far as the story goes. A wooden book. Like mine was.

[Brian Hutzell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Marcus Borg book I’ve read, and the first novel he’s published in a long career of writing non-fiction. He admits it is a didactic novel, one that presents, explains, and promotes his own progressive Christianity. Though the didactic portions of the book sometimes feel as though they were shoehorned into the story, they never feel overly preachy. (Perhaps that is because I largely agree with Borg’s viewpoint.) As for the story itself, it is simple but charming. If you are someone who is interested in theology and academia and are looking for a light romantic novel to read, then this is the book for you!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the greatest novel I've ever read, but this book gave me some insights into Borg's world of academia, and specifically the world of religious study. It made me realize that a scholar of religion is not necessarily a believer, which would probably come as a shock for many who are believers. I found the characters likable, the conversations stimulating, and I especially liked the development of the relationships among the students and between students and faculty. A good companion to Borg's nonfiction writing.

[Bryn Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars seems harsh, so let me explain: Borg, by his own admission in the introduction, is not a novelist and didn’t intend for this to be anything other than a didactic endeavor. But I was disappointed that the book didn’t seem to do more then scrape the surface of some of his more popular work, though there was a little more toward the end. The characters were all caricatures, which is to be expected. Overall, it’s an easy read and somewhat insightful, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the more active veins of progressive theology and practice.

[Barbara P · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful find in our PP retirement community library. Having read a number of Marcus Borg's theological books, I had missed reading his novel. Borg weaves various teachings on Christianity. The novel lifts up, through story, the issues dividing Christians today. Story events surface the hard questions about Jesus and what the Bible really teaches. Through the characters the novel offers a glimpse into the belief differences of liberal and conservative. Was such delight to read the novel.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated this book.
Did not answer any of my questions about faith.
Main character too loose. I could not relate.
The main character's smoking drove me crazy. Always wanting a cigarette. Always smoking. I have no respect for a character that cannot quit the habit. Yet, she was "so faithful." The author never explained anything about the main character's personal faith.

HOW DID THIS BOOK GET PUBLISHED?

[Grant Klinefelter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s not the best writing you’ll read. But being a novel written by a theologian, it’s pretty darn good.

While I would not identify myself as a “liberal” Christian, I found this fictional tale of what “modern” faith looks like to be insightful, informative, and very intriguing.

I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, but there’s an audience I have in mind who I think would quite enjoy this quick read.

[Evan Kostelka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this author's non-fiction books and so decided to try his take on a novel. One of the main characters is a college professor so there's some lectures that work in some of his nonfiction work. I really enjoyed the inner dialogue of the characters with their choices they had to make and how their faith was a part of it. This is not a book that wraps things up neatly but rather highlights the difficult process of discernment in different situations of life.

[Lee Torvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borg ) has achieved his intention: a didactic novel. As such, it made me very conscious of both the components of a novel (plot, setting, character), and the lessons he was imparting. I found the lessons about God and about religion interesting and valuable. The novel was very much a vehicle to carry the lessons. While entertaining enough it had some weaknesses in terms of plot and character

[Lyn Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting, provocative, and relevant

I enjoyed this book because I was able to identify with one of the main characters. My journey out of Evangelical Christianity has been scary. It’s tough to step forward if you suspect you might go to hell for those steps.
The book is not great literature, but presents a new way of thinking about faith that was relevant for me.

[James P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Marcus

I was surprised that Borg had written a novel, having heard him lecture and comment in Adult Christian Education classes.

This is a delightful read, resonating with words and themes I had heard Dr. Borg express over the years. Sometimes light, frequently dense in exploring theological topics.