Customer Reviews

Finding God at Harvard

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is composed of forty-three bite-sized essays by various persons who have had some relation to Harvard U. (Taken classes, guest-lectured, fed a squirrel on campus.) Not all are brilliant or profound, but many are, and most of the others are worth reading. My favorites were the Solzhenitsyn and Robert Coles essays, that I had read elsewhere, Nicholas Woltershorff's classy biographical essay, Krisher Sairsingh's story of conversion to Christianity from Hinduism (he is the cousin of Rabi Maharaj, author of Death of Guru), Poh Lian Lim's essay on sexual dignity, Robert Massie's funny experience as a monk in business school, Charles Thaxton on the Christian roots of science, (his book on the subject, The Soul of Science, is great!) and John Rankin on "Power and Gender at the Divinity School," which is also autobiographical and funny. (Sorry. I meant to end that sentence sooner, but kept remembering other good essays.) The story by the student who later died of cancer is also moving. As you can see, the book is diverse, even a bit scattered; but you don't have to read them all at once, or even read them all at all. Read one per cup of hot chocolate and donut, and call your pastor in the morning.

Having myself passed through years of Humanist, Marxist and skeptical indoctrination in school, I see no need to rely on independant thought to come to materialistic conclusions; skepticism has poured in on me all my life from the ether, like background radiation. The reason I am a Christian is that I found this "ancient means of describing how the world works" does in fact describe it better than modern skeptics and other anti-Christian writers. (Of whom I have read a fair number.) Many of the authors of these essays, at one point in their careers, shared the same blind prejudices against Christianity as this skeptic. It was often learning to think for themselves that pulled them out of it. The California lawyer is undoubtedly right when he implies that not everyone who goes to Harvard is open to truth. (Whether or not that makes them "morons" is another question.) But here you can read the story of some who I think were.

Who says those of us in academia cannot think as intellectuals without feeling as Christians? To me, the two are not mutually exclusive; apparently, neither are they to editor Kelly Monroe or to the dozens of the book's essayists, including Elizabeth Dole, Paul Wylie, and Mother Teresa. This collection of essays encourages any Christian valuing the mind as much as the spirit to take heart--amazing moves of God happen everywhere, even in the highest institutions of academia. A definite must-read for the intellectual Christian!

For those of you who know an Atheist or non-believer who is searching for some meaning in their life, this book is for them. This collection of essays is carefully constructed and comes from an intellectual point of view. The contributing authors are made up of; scientists, Pulitzer prize winning authors, physicians, professors, politicians and scholars. Many of these people are well known within the secular community and their names along with the respect that they command will certainly grab the attention of any thinking person. The essays always come back to one central theme, there is a God and He can be known through Christ our Lord. "Finding God at Harvard" can help any intellectual find the truth about God wherever they are in life!

This is a compilation of essays from various Harvard alumnus and is quite an interesting read. Although I ended up skipping a few of the essays, I generally found most of the topics enjoyable and enlightening. Monroe edited the book to show that Harvard is not the godless institution that it sometimes gets labeled as, and the personal testimonies and stories are a great display of the university's true spirit. My favorite essays were: Questions in a Quiet Moment; After the Gang, What?; Disillusioned; A Professor Under Reconstruction; Facing Death, Embracing Life; Perfectionism, Shame, and Liberation; Christ and Karma: A Hindu's Quest for the Holy; Power and Gender at the Divinity School; In Sorrow, Joy; and Feasting at the Table of the Lord.

This is a great book. Many of the essays seem to be thoughtful accounts of intelligent people who are trying to be honest about their experiences with God.

While great for covering many different topics, the lack of focus on a single theme keeps the book from being a perfect treatise on any one subject matter.

A good read for someone who thinks Christians are just people who turned off their brains because they need an emotional crutch.

Even those who aren't or never were in the academic world, I still highly recommend this book. The accounts, written by Harvard students and professors, will greatly encourage those who have struggled with their faith on the intellectual level (as opposed to the social and/or physical level for which countless books have been written, i.e., suffering). The accounts are extremely well-written and often profound (after all, these are Harvard students and professors). I can't express how much this book has meant to me on my intellectual spiritual pilgrimage/journey.

I am about finished with this book, and it has been such a great read. Some of the stories are so unique, personal and fascinating. She has really collected a diverse group of authors to contribute. Some chapters are biographical, some are more philosophical, and some are both. I found myself at times so intensly interested in what these authors were saying. I think my favorite chapter was "Christ And Karma; A Hindu's Quest for the Holy". It is a riveting and just plain fascinating account of a Hindu boy's journey to Christianity via the 4 gospels. The twists and turns, and the family dynamics of his home made for such pleasurable and spiritual reading. I would recommend the book to anyone who is looking for some good insirational and yet intellectual reading.

It was exciting for me to find this book on my brief visit to Harvard University Co-op Bookshop. We had only half an hour there, so it was great to find such an interesting book in the short time available, and then read it on the train back to my niece's home.

If you like reading other people's stories about their lives and beliefs, you will enjoy this book. The Christian people included come from a variety of denominations and countries.

I enjoyed reading the sermon by Phillips Brooks, the clergyman who penned O Little Town of Bethlehem. The introduction tells us that he rekindled interest in Christ by making chapel attendance voluntary, instead of compulsory, as it had always been.

There are many other fascinating glimpses into people's journeys of faith, but the highlight for me was reading about Harvard's spiritual roots and the efforts to reclaim them.

Warmly recommended

I got this book as a gift from my classmate at Harvard.
As a Christian, I was encouraged and pround that besides
all the fame, etc. Harvard has, she has something else,
God's love and God's children. The stories/testimonies
are interesting and encouraging. The author's introduction
in front of each story is helpful, too.

I have found this book an excellent compendium of carefully reasoned and experienced exposition of Christian Life and thought from a number of very gifted people. It seems to touch most areas of our conflicted society and lives with the life changing power of our Lord. The people whose stories are recounted have earned the right to be heard. For me it has helped me get a handle on some of the cultural conflicts with which we are engaged.