Burt's Books 30x30

33. Peter Rollins and the Crucifixion of God

In "The Divine Magician," Peter Rollins describes Christianity as a magic trick. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are demonstrative events in which God's self-estrangement from Himself calls human beings into the metaphysical "lack" at the center of our existence. All are guilty of the frenetic pursuit of imaginary Sacred Objects that were crucified with God.

Bonus Book Review ”Social Justice Goes to Church” by Jon Harris

Ambiguous language matters because of what it permits to go under the radar. Jon Harris' recent anti-anti-racist polemic shows why.

32. Kazuo Ishiguro and the Characters We Claim

The Greek presented the concept of tragedy as a universe indifferent to human virtues. I look at Kazuo Ishiguro's excellent "The Remains of the Day" as both a successor and challenge to that tradition. I suggest the book asks universal questions about what it means to define character amid absurdity and tragedy.
Burt's wish list:https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/genericItemsPage/15X0LWXA5T9O2
 

31. Albert Murray and the Omni-American Tradition

In his 1970 collection of essays, Albert Murray assaulted both right and left wing culture warriors. At the center of his criticism was the "folklore of white supremacy and the fakelore of black pathology." Murray argued for an incontestably "mulatto" character in American culture.