Synopses & Reviews
In
Putting Away Childish Things, Marcus Borg weaves his insightful teachings on Christianity into a new form—fiction. In this compelling tale, we meet Kate—a popular religion professor at a liberal arts college in a small midwestern town who thinks her life is right on track. She loves her job, is happy with her personal and spiritual life, and her guilty pleasure consists of passing her afternoons at the local pub with a pint of Guinness and a cigarette. Life is good.
Kate is up for tenure when it all starts to go wrong. A colleague warns her that her books are too Christian and too popular. She is offered a visiting professor job at a prestigious seminary, which sounds like the perfect solution except for one complication—it is the same seminary that employs the professor she had an affair with years ago. Kate now has to face her past and watch as the ramifications unfold in ways she never imagined. In the classroom, students ask for her views on Jesus, the Bible, and homosexuality, controversial topics that Kate candidly addresses until outraged parents start campaigning for the school to get rid of her. Through it all, Kate faces the toughest challenge yet—a crisis of faith that leaves her questioning what she believed so strongly before.
Putting Away Childish Things is an engaging way for readers to learn about the important issues dividing Christians today. Along the way, we join with the characters to ask the hard questions such as what does the Bible really teach? Who is Jesus? What is the nature of faith today?
This is a story that promises to leave us different in the end than when we started, as we learn how even in the twenty-first century, God works in mysterious ways.
Review
“Professor Borg spins a fine yarn and teaches much in the process, yielding a whole cloth of integrated and inquiring Christianity. Lets hope there is a second tapestry to come!” The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church
Review
“The form is different with Marcus Borgs insightful new novel, but the readers experience and payoff are the same as with his many excellent non-fiction books: this is a great read that leads to a deeper, more hopeful understanding of the meaning and possibilities of Christian faith today.” Tom Krattenmaker, USA Today Board of Contributors, author of Onward Christian Athletes
Review
“Borg takes advantage of [main character] Kates syllabus to teach readers what she teaches her students… The reader audits Prof. Rileys class and, thereby, drinks from Marcus Borgs font of knowledge about the Enlightenment, theology and religion…. [Borg] writes plainly, warmly, and with truth.” Beatitudes Review
Review
“I thoroughly enjoyed the book and wholeheartedly recommend it…. Many a book group will enjoy discussing Putting Away Childish Things, and many a questioning Christians faith will be sustained by the story.” A Wee Blether
Review
“Borg offers up a didactic novel that explores some of the thorniest theological issues facing the Christian community. ... he is to be commended for taking up a new form of literature to share his theological perspectivea perspective that many have found to be generous, open and hopeful.” Christian Century
Review
“Can a world renowned biblical scholar really write an entertaining work of fiction? The answer is absolutely YES! I was hooked by the end of the first chapter.” Progression of Faith
Review
“Borg writes fiction with passion. While the book raises many questions about faith, religion, and relationships, it also functions by itself as [a] truly moving story. I highly recommend this book for skeptics and people of faith alike.” Treehouse Monastic
Review
“In the end, its the kind of novel where you underline teaching points that have been madeespecially well and dog-ear the pages in which the author has included poetry that speaks to urgent human questions.” Beliefnet
Review
“Putting Away Childish Things is a page-turning tale grappling with issues of faith confronting todays church. An inspiring and compelling story that will be treasured and revisited, Borgs illuminating insights and all-too-human characters make theology accessible to all.” Julia Spencer-Fleming, award-winning author of One Was A Soldier
Review
“In Putting Away Childish Things, Borg has chosen fiction as the best vehicle for exploringChristianity, important questions of career and vocation, and thorny issues within the churchsuch as fundamentalism and homosexuality. This imaginative excursion is handled with aplomb…A thought-provoking novel.” Spirituality & Practice
Review
“The story provokes ample opportunity for dialog on a personal and a group level. A wonderful novel.... You look forward to returning to digest more of this splendidly crafted tale.... Powerful, memorable and one that you can confidently recommend to others….as I now recommend it to you.” Bill Dahl
Review
“I see this novel as an ingenious way to open up dialogue between Christians of differing points of view, and as a window into Borgs understanding of what it means to be truly Christian in a world that has become rather inhospitable to Christianity and its claims.” Presbymergent-Musings
Synopsis
“We all know that Marcus Borg is a gifted teacher, biblical scholar, and writer of nonfiction, but it turns out that hes 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.
About the Author
Marcus J. Borg (1942-2015) was a pioneering author and teacher whom the New York Times described as "a leading figure in his generation of Jesus scholars." He was the Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture at Oregon State University and canon theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, and he appeared on NBC's The Today Show and Dateline, ABC's World News, and NPR's Fresh Air. His books have sold over a million copies, including the bestselling Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, Jesus, The Heart of Christianity, Evolution of the Word, Speaking Christian, and Convictions.