Heaven on Earth: The Lives and Legacies of the World's Greatest Cathedrals

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It is such a great chapter, and would make a remarkable little booklet unto itself that I really can't complain too much that it's such a departure from the rest of the book (though it did take me a little bit to get used to the notion). I had to have a God—and I did find him, after a long search, after a terrible fight—in my own heart.” The God he found was communism. In a catechism composed in 1846, Hess contrasted his new faith with the one that prevailed in the society around him. Whereas Christians invest their hopes “in the image of heavenly joy….We, on the other hand, want this heaven on earth.” (353) The Sacramental View, Transposition, and Media Critique: Divine Encounter in Minari November 13, 2023 I truly enjoyed the creative use of language, as this book is wonderfully written, and a joy to listen to - when I wasn't crying for one or other of the characters! Referring to predicting whether or not someone would survive their illness: "She won't swallow her birth certificate any time soon." Another phrase I found interesting is the Yiddish curse "may onions grow in your navel." I don't remember hearing that one before.

The moral center of the book -- a Jewish woman named Chona who walks with a limp as a result of polio -- finds a dark shadow in the despicable racist Doc Roberts who limps because of a foot deformity All of the socialist societies had to adapt capitalist tendencies in their economies to survive, which were completely against the original tenets of the socialism set forth by its original creators,such as Hess and Marx. Even the kibbutz that scholars and socialists have held up as examples that socialism can work (I remember reading about those in school)are starting to break down. The only small social communes that have been able to be relatively successful are those that revolve around religion, which ironically is something that most socialist leaders oppose. Early on, we meet the arresting Jewess, Chona. Chona is an unforgettable female protagonist—I’m keeping her in my journal of best. female. characters. ever. She is handicapped with a limp—but her limp doesn’t stop her strength of purpose, her fierce dignity, her bounteous benevolence, her gentle grace, and her consummate integrity. You will fall in love with her, just like Moshe, the theater and dance hall owner, did. Moshe and Chona dared to welcome change and inclusivity to their part of the world. Fidelity in Politics: Hallmarks of Christian Political Activity in the Tradition of Reformed Protestantism May 8, 2023As a musician, he has written songs (music and lyrics) for Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr., and Gary Burton, among others. He served as a tenor saxophone sideman for jazz legend Little Jimmy Scott. He is the recipient of several awards for his work as a composer in musical theater including the Stephen Sondheim Award and the Richard Rodgers Foundation Horizon Award. His “Riffin’ and Pontificatin’ ” Tour, a nationwide tour of high schools and colleges promoting reading through jazz, was captured in a 2003 Comcast documentary. He has been featured on national radio and television programs in America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

The magic of this novel is that while exposing the worst of us, McBride also illuminates the best of us. There is true hope and humanity at work here, even while brutal truths are strongly at play. While McBride is no Pollyanna – some people are just not meant for redemption – he implies that many of us are, and when the chips are down, we will try a little harder. Joshua Muravchik tells the story of the pursuit of socialism, presenting sketches of the thinkers and leaders who developed the theory, led it to power, and presided over its collapse. He also highlights those trying to revive it today. As the break with the old regime accelerated into an avalanche, the right of property remained sacrosanct. The constitution of 1793, the formal expression of the most extreme phase of the Revolution, reaffirmed it in the strongest terms: “No one may be deprived of the least portion of his property without his consent, unless a legally established public necessity requires it, and upon condition of a just and previous indemnity.” biting social commentary (including occasional breaches of the fourth wall: Doc, fully drunk, howled out his joy. “It’s all a dream!” he shouted. “This great America. This great land of opportunity. Give us your poor. Your tired. Your weak. And we will give them jobs. And homes. And businesses! We will make them men. And women. And they will”—he burped loudly—“replace us!” -- the book is set in the late 1920s/early 1930s; the language might be modern but the sentiment has been in the US for a very long time: Madison Grant's "The Passing of the Great Race" was published in 1916), I listened to the audiobook version which is narrated by the incredible Dominic Hoffman (who previously narrateded Deacon King Kong, Homegoing, The Starless Sea). If you decide to give The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store a try, I highly recommend this format.

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Musical counterpoints perhaps? McBride is himself a musician and musical historian, and music plays a prominent role in the book, so the conceit is not impossible. Then, my favorite description is of Webb who "roared with laughter and enthusiasm as he played egging his band on from the rear with his masterful drumming the thunderous band shaking the floor with rip roaring waves of gorgeous sound. That man, Moshe decided, was a joy maker."