The Year of Living Biblically

I have been laughing out loud... which is very, very important during this winter blues season.

A. J. Jacobs has all of the Woody-Allen-type potential personality problems, i.e., not at all liked around here; and yet, he emerges from the pages of this cleverly-entitled volume as a surprisingly likable, genuine, most sincere guy! His efforts towards living the year biblically are honest and often hilarious! The reader cannot help but share his enthusiasm for learning all sorts of biblical curiosities, lessons and idiosyncrasies!

Of course I am telling him out loud, as I flip the pages, where he is getting it right and where he is getting it wrong. (Argh, does one wish sound theology was core in every college! Perhaps I should send him my copy of Aquinas 101.) Amazingly, he gets it right so often!

One of many favorites quotes so far, at the end of a section where he recounts checking out what atheists do at their meetings:

Go to an atheist meeting, and you'll see why the religious lobby doesn't have to worry about the atheist lobby quite yet. You'll see why there are no soaring atheist cathedrals and why hotel room nightstands don't come with a copy of Why I am Not A Christian by Bertrand Russell in the top drawer. It's hard to be passionate about a lack of belief.

Great quote. Since I have the word passionate listed on the wordy subtitle of this blog (and duly disputed by Number Two from time to time), I feel protective of the use of the word. I would say the author of The Year of Living Biblically does it justice in this case.

The book comes recommended by our good friend Prof. and Mrs. Pepino, and their recommendations for popular books enjoy a very good record in this house. The Portuguese Irregular Verbs series was their last recommendation, and did we enjoy them! Thanks again!